A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

In the end, these powerful figures, who could change the world, with the Empress undoubtedly dead, the Flamefeast legacy completely severed, and their delusions almost becoming reality, still made no significant moves.

Although many extraordinary beings are working on the capital's restoration, their average strength means it is uncertain how long it will take to restore this majestic city.

A young nobleman, wearing a top hat, walked calmly along the shattered avenue. As he passed, the broken streets, collapsed houses, and ruined buildings behind him miraculously began to restore themselves.

This miraculous sight caused passersby to kneel in reverence, but upon closer inspection, it was evident that the damaged structures were not directly restored; instead, they were being repaired by fine, iron-gray particles.

"Not showing yourself?" Ansel chuckled, "They should be thanking someone else, not me."

"I'm not doing this for people to kneel," Ravenna's calm voice whispered in Ansel's ear, "There's no need for such theatrics."

"And... aren't you heading to the palace? This isn't the shortest route... and you don't need to walk there."

"Because going to the palace is on the way."

"...Hmm?"

Ravenna made a puzzled sound, but Ansel did not answer, merely smiling and beckoning with his finger.

Miss scholar sighed:

"Childish."

Despite her words, her form materialized out of thin air, landing lightly on the ground, and she took Ansel's hand.

"Now can you explain? What do you mean by going to the palace is just on the way?" The petite Ravenna looked up at Ansel.

"That's just a minor matter."

Ansel said casually, "It will be resolved quickly."

"Matters concerning the balance of the entire Empire are minor to you?"

Ravenna frowned slightly, not out of displeasure, but simply to tease Ansel.

Unlike Seraphina, who loved to cling to Ansel, Ravenna, though always shadowing him, rarely … showed him a kind face.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

It was just like when they first met.

"What, is that not acceptable? Don't you trust me?"

"...Hmph, then what counts as a major matter?"

Hearing this, Ansel's lips curled slightly: "You'll know soon enough."

He led Ravenna towards a very modest house. Ravenna had never been here before and did not understand Ansel's intentions.

Stopping at the gate, she glanced at the surname on the door; she did not recognize the owner.

…What was Ansel planning?

"Your family's estate," Ansel said leisurely, "is quite close to the palace and has suffered significant damage."

"..." Ravenna's brow twitched slightly. After a moment of silence, she replied calmly, "It's just an estate, merely bricks and stones."

Though she said this, her expression was clearly uneasy, for it was a place she had lived, one of the few places with traces of Eileen. Moreover, that couple still lived there. If they had… in the battle—

Ravenna's expression changed, and she looked sharply at Ansel: "Ansel, you—"

At that moment, the door of the house opened, and a beautiful, though weary-looking couple emerged.

They immediately noticed the young nobleman standing at the gate, looking somewhat surprised.

"Venna."

Ansel, standing alone, spoke softly: "Are you going to run away?"

No one responded.

"I told you, from now on, you must live for yourself, and so must I."

"If you say you don't know how, then let me help you first."

The young Hydral looked at the hesitant couple not far away, his voice gentle and warm:

"How about starting by mending past regrets?"

"..."

A few seconds later, a petite woman, head slightly lowered, emerged from behind Ansel.

Clutching Ansel's hand tightly, her voice was somewhat hoarse: "You self-righteous brat, I am truly... fed up with your presumptuous attitude of thinking you know what's best for me."

Ansel smiled and squeezed her palm: "Likewise, my armored lady."

He glanced at the utterly stunned man and the woman covering her mouth with her hands, then bent slightly to whisper in Ravenna's ear: "Do you need a push?"

"...Get out, go mind your own business, I don't need you here."

Ravenna said this softly, releasing Ansel's hand.

She stood at the gate, quietly gazing at the couple whose eyes were now red with tears. Her hand, which was about to push the door, hesitated but eventually pressed down slowly.

Ravenna Ziegler, who always sacrificed everything for others, took a deep breath and walked towards her past pain.

She had promised him to live for herself.

It might be difficult, but with him around, she always knew how to move forward.

Ansel watched her petite figure walk towards the couple, tipped his hat slightly in a bow, though the brim couldn't hide the deeply contented and gentle smile on his face.

Then, he turned his gaze to the highest ruins and proceeded leisurely.

Next, he had one last minor matter to attend to.

*

Broken pillars, shattered bricks, and a ceiling from which debris occasionally fell.

Suellen stood quietly amidst the ruins, gazing at the throne almost buried under the rubble.

She felt it was absurd.

Her revered mother was dead, her despised sister was dead, and the glory and majesty of the Flamefeast were reduced to the eternally suspended blood-red sun over the capital.

As for the royal power, the throne, the palace... they were nothing, just a pile of bricks in the end.

The other bloodlines of the Flamefeast had long fled with all the wealth, and even that grand duke, the only one with Flamefeast blood who was always enfeoffed in the capital, was nowhere to be found.

She was the only royal member left here.

Everything she had pursued for so many years was so close to success, yet... failed so completely.

Everything was over, and Suellen knew this better than anyone.

Even without the qualifications to become a divine species, as a member of the Flamefeast with great ambition, she knew better than anyone that her completely mad mother, burned by the source flame, was doomed to die. The final counterattack of that lunatic before death had completely severed the possibility of the Flamefeast legacy.

The so-called source flame, no matter how powerful, was ultimately just a fire. It was already impressive that it could end each completely mad emperor and ensure the power's inheritance. How could it possibly protect the next generation as well?

-->