A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

"...Your Grace, your implication is," Ravenna's gaze sharpened, "that my grandfather's death is indeed connected to certain individuals within the Etheric Academy, correct?"

"No, quite the opposite," the Duke of Magus Primus shook his head.

"To my knowledge, none within the supreme nine seats harbored overt malice towards Eileen. You could say... at least no one wished to directly end his life — the difficulty was too great, the cost too high."

"But—"

"Yet he died, silently, ha... I initially thought it was a false rumor," the middle-aged man expressed with a hint of melancholy, "Who could have foreseen such an event?"

Ravenna remained silent, her delicate and beautiful visage exuding a frosty demeanor, rejecting any attempt to probe her thoughts.

"Yet you still suggest that if I continue my investigation, it will affect the Etheric Academy."

After a long pause, Ravenna spoke again.

"That's because they are the most likely to commit such an act," the Duke of Magus Primus tapped his head, "The Alchemy Association is made up of craftsmen pursuing their craft, the Zero Explorers accommodate lawless rogues, but only the Etheric Academy... gathers a multitude of scholars."

"Scholars signify a wealth of knowledge, a broader vision, and more... sensitive thoughts."

"Although Eileen was universally opposed at the time, whose hostility was more intense is not so obvious, is it?"

As the Duke of Magus Primus spoke, he stood up, casting a final glance at Ravenna, "However, I must warn you, Ravenna... do not entertain the notion of replicating Eileen's creations."

His gaze turned somewhat menacing, "Because our Ansel, the future Lord Hydral, seems to … share some affinity with Eileen in this regard."

"The reason Eileen was able to research for so long, even with such audacious ideas, and maintain some neutrality, is because everyone knew it was impossible for him. But you—"

The grand duke, who had enjoyed the privileges of extraordinary status and nobility, narrowed his eyes, "You might influence Ansel, and Ansel... might actually be capable of creating such a thing."

"When that time comes, haha... I can assure you, your fate will not be any better than Eileen's."

"Take care, young one. What you have now, and what you will come to possess, has not been easily attained."

With those words, his figure fragmented like an illusion, until he vanished from sight.

Ravenna found herself alone in the office.

She removed her glasses, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip. The tumultuous emotions within her, no longer suppressed by reason, were increasingly reflected in her actions.

Was it disappointment from not obtaining valuable intelligence, or was it anger at the Duke of Magus Primus's warning as he left? Anger at him, at what he represented... such arrogance, such malevolence, such cruelty in trying to keep the world stagnant, frozen?

Both, but not limited to these.

The Duke of Magus Primus said that the young Hydral shared some affinity with her grandfather.

After that day, Ravenna tried as much as possible to avoid anything related to Ansel... She didn't think she was running away, but rather that she needed to be calm.

To calmly think about everything related to her and Ansel.

But the more she thought this way, the more a thought would suddenly dart through her mind as she went about her daily tasks, thinking, researching, learning—

I... have lost Ansel.

After that day, after the end of that grand performance, when Ansel left with Seraphina, ignoring her lying in the ruins, this thought... no matter how Ravenna tried to forget, it could appear in her mind at any time, any place, under any circumstances.

It was like a... thorn wrapped around Ravenna's heart.

And the Duke of Magus Primus's casual words made this thorn tighten a few more notches, constantly piercing Ravenna's heart.

Ansel and my grandfather are in sync... No, it's not just that, Ansel resonates with me, we are each other's only resonance.

But I... I lost him, no, he betrayed first, he—

Whenever Ravenna tried to find reasons for herself in this way, Marlina's words would pierce her defenses like a sharp sword.

["Mr. Ansel was forced to give up something very important."]

Then, the meaning of that test, Ansel's deep pain from the decisions he had to make, even if he was intimate with her, easily shattered the defense pierced by the sword.

She just... just couldn't verify Marlina's words, the broken and missing memories made it impossible for Ravenna to determine what happened that day.

That test made Ravenna realize that Ansel was no longer the Ansel who used to accompany her, they needed to distinguish between superior and inferior, master and servant.

Then she suddenly realized that even though she had thought about temporarily submitting, but her actions... were they really submission to Ansel? Those attitudes, those behaviors, those psychological reactions, weren't they all still subconsciously following the pattern of interaction with Ansel three years ago?

She was still indulging in... three years ago, before the dream was shattered.

And Ansel, ruthlessly shattered her dream.

Yes, after they had such an indulgent, ambiguous, entangled night, telling her such a reality, giving Ravenna the greatest contrast, tearing everything deep inside her to pieces.

But no matter what... she couldn't harbor any resentment towards Ansel.

What's even more ridiculous is that all of this is just...

Just a mere "side effect".

Ravenna didn't know how she left Hendrik's office, or how she returned to her own alchemy workshop.

She only knew that she shouldn't think about these things, she should focus on finding clues about her grandfather's death, or at least... think about new designs, how could she put so many thoughts on one person? Why couldn't she throw these things behind her no matter what?

Why? Ravenna knew very well in her heart.

Because the most important things in her life were nothing more than the Tower of Babel, the ideals she pursued, and...

And that only companion, the only person who could resonate with her.

Ravenna closed the door of the alchemy workshop and sat down on the floor, leaning against the door, looking exhausted.

"What am I thinking..."

She covered her face and murmured to herself: "Enough, the truth... yes, wait until the memory is restored, then consider these things, now is not the time, not—"

"What's not the time?"

"..."

The petite woman sitting on the floor, her body froze instantly.

She almost instinctively wanted to escape, to run away, but her head uncontrollably looked up.

Looking at that, the only one she had lost.

*