A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The carriage, adorned with the emblem of the Hydra, glided slowly along the main road. Two sleek, white steeds trotted gracefully, undisturbed by the deafening cheers from the crowd, even without a driver.

On the carriage, a young and handsome nobleman waved to the throngs of commoners lining the street. His smile, to the women, was a soft and endearing charm that made their hearts flutter, while to the men, it was a rousing and trustworthy acknowledgment.

Wherever his gaze fell, the cheers grew louder, echoing throughout the city. As the melodious sound of the organ began, the once chaotic cheers gradually transformed into a harmonious chant, synchronized with the music.

This song, composed three years ago by a wandering bard who settled in Hydral territory, praised the young Hydral and had since become widely sung throughout the land. Newborns in Hydral have been lulled to sleep by this ballad for years.

"With such an extraordinary rapport with the people, you still claim you have no desire to change anything," Miss Ravenna remarked calmly, her expression unchanged, "You are stubborn as always, Ansel."

Sitting to Ansel's left, Miss Ravenna endured the countless gazes with him. For someone who detested social interactions, this was sheer torment. She had not wanted to accompany Ansel, but when he clasped her ringed hand and gazed at her with a smile, she found herself powerless to refuse.

Ansel continued to wave, maintaining his gentle smile. Though he did not speak, his voice reached Ravenna's ears: "Perhaps I've brainwashed them."

"Indeed, with a more stable environment, a more prosperous life, and a more hopeful future," Ravenna sighed, gently squeezing Ansel's hand. "Please, come up with a less perfunctory excuse."

Ansel merely smiled in silence, appearing utterly at ease.

In contrast to the bantering Ravenna, our big girl, Miss Seraphina sat rigidly, her posture as stiff as a statue. She held her chest high and her stomach in, her expression unnaturally tense.

In the mind of Miss Wolf, a single phrase repeated endlessly—"I must not embarrass Ansel, I must not embarrass Ansel, I must not..."

The unconscious power emanating from the Head of Wind made it even harder for Seraphina to control herself than it was for Ravenna. The Hydral citizens' high regard for Ansel was well-known, but their opinion of her... she didn't want to hear it, yet couldn't help but listen.

"Relax, Seri," Ansel gently supported her soft yet firm waist. "You weren't this tense when fighting the Empress."

Seraphina thought, I could punch the Empress in the face, but I can't punch all these people in their faces… She had no time or energy to speak, focusing solely on maintaining her cool beauty image.

The young girl felt both troubled and happy.

Troubled by the need to act more cautiously from now on, always mindful of Ansel's image.

Happy because, seeing the genuine adoration in the eyes of the commoners, she could finally set her heart at ease.

Ansel, you truly… truly are the best!

The young Hydral knew his wolf girl was beyond listening now, so he released her hand with a smile and gazed towards the end of the road.

No matter how long the road, the surging crowd extended to the very end.

The cheering commoners seemed indifferent to the monumental deeds of the person they celebrated or the current state of the empire.

They cared more about the one who cared for them.

Ansel lifted his head, as if embraced by the sea of people, and gazed at the radiant sky that seemed to welcome him.

The empire had undergone dramatic changes, and many tasks lay ahead for him. The enemies and challenges he would face would far surpass those of the past.

But it didn't matter. He was home.

And he was stronger than ever before.

*

"Ah... I'm exhausted!"

Seraphina flopped onto the soft sofa, sprawled out. "I never want to experience something like that again..."

"Ansel," she said weakly, her soft face slightly squished by the cushion, "why do we have to do this? You're not the type to show off."

"This isn't about showing off," Ansel replied, expertly retrieving a bottle of wine from the living room cabinet and pouring himself a glass. "It's about building trust among the citizens of Hydral, fostering a sense of belonging, and giving them a reason to unite."

Savoring the wine for a moment, the young Hydral turned to Ravenna, who was toying with a decorative item in the living room. "How is the Nostrom now?"

"That is the great work of Lord Flamelle," Ravenna said, her gaze shifting to Ansel as she deftly solved a peculiar, alien Rubik's cube with one hand. "With your... authorization, I can only manage to move it. Spatial transitions are beyond my capability."

"The complex operations involved can only be easily handled by Lord Flamelle," she added, placing the restored cube on the table with a slightly complicated expression.

Only by ascending higher could one truly comprehend… the terrifying power of the divine species.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Reflecting on their confrontation with the Empress, Ravenna realized that even the slightest deviation—such as Evora's sudden betrayal, Seraphina's delayed arrival, or Ansel's failure to find her in the Abyss—could have led to Ansel's imprisonment by the Empress.

Thinking about how her decision had placed Ansel in such a perilous situation, Ravenna was unsure what emotion to express.

"It doesn't matter. Just being able to move it above Hydral is enough," Ansel said with a nonchalant smile.

"The terror of the Nostrom in the eyes of those bigwigs lies in the fact that it has never truly been activated."

"Moreover, with it in Hydral territory, Tyrus and Lawrence can officially take their positions here."

That night, Flamelle's pact heads did not appear on the battlefield where Ansel and Ephesande clashed, not because Flamelle's power had waned, rendering them useless.

They had indeed lost the authority granted by the pact head, but their hard-earned strength remained undiminished. After Flamelle fell into slumber, they were the first to find Ansel.

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