A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Ansel's return did not bring significant changes to the Hydral territory.

From the beginning, Ansel intentionally designed the political structure of Hydral to operate independently of him, except for some extremely important decisions. In this now mature system, Ansel does not need to intervene much.

In that world, the biggest issue with such a structure is that the ruler can easily be sidelined. However, this is not the case here—because even if Ansel does nothing, he cannot be sidelined.

In practice, various problems inevitably arise, and Ansel never expected his subordinates to be completely loyal and devoid of personal desires, solely dedicated to public service. This is clearly impossible.

The Hydral territory has never been a utopian society; it is simply far more advanced compared to other grand dukes' domains.

Marlina, who has been diligently working during this period, is well aware of this.

She discovered that the Hydral territory is not as absolutely… perfect as she imagined. Greedy people remain greedy, and dark places remain dark. However, compared to any corner of the empire, the order and rules in the Hydral territory appear more "complete."

Yes, complete. Resting on her desk and staring at a small flower, the young girl thought.

Mr. Ansel made all the rules more reasonable. Although not without flaws, he silently connected the binding threads, subtly changing the state of the Hydral territory.

He achieved a... delicate balance.

It is a balance that Marlina does not know how to describe. Her still-growing perspective prevents her from seeing the world as Ansel does, so she does not understand why Ansel, who could undoubtedly do "better" and further suppress human greed and darkness, still maintains the status quo.

It seems that, in his view, that "better" is actually neither suitable nor good.

Nevertheless, Mr. Ansel must have his reasons for doing so.

Marlina reached out to gently caress the delicate petals, the fragrance of the white orchid wafting to her nose. At the thought of Ansel's face, a dreamy smile spread across her lips.

The origin of the Garden was not particularly complex; Ansel, in founding it, had simply honored his mother's wishes by naming the organization after Annelisa's passion, and that was all.

Rhine, a clever cat, would present each official member of the Garden with a pot of rare and special plants, in accordance with Ansel's wishes.

Marlina had not expected Rhine to gift her an orchid, and in response to her confusion, Rhine had said:

"Neither coveting wealth nor seeking power—this flower is a fitting symbol of your pure and selfless loyalty."

This evaluation made Marlina feel a bit shy, yet immensely proud. The gift of this flower represented Rhine's recognition of her abilities as the head of the Garden, and its symbolism was a testament to Rhine's praise of her loyalty.

For Marlina, nothing could be more gratifying.

"Do you like this flower so much?"

The cat appeared out of nowhere, landing lightly on Marlina's desk.

Startled, the young girl straightened up, but before she could speak, a soft paw pressed down on her shoulder.

"Relax," Rhine said lazily. "It's break time. Just continue what you were doing."

The intense ten-time overtime at the Garden did not last long, especially after Ansel returned to take over the affairs. Marlina was soon liberated from the hellish workload that most people couldn't endure for even half a day.

Although the work remained somewhat heavy, this level of intensity was child's play for Marlina, who could withstand tenfold time acceleration and work alongside extraordinary beings.

She even felt a bit nostalgic for those nearly maddening times, as she could see her abilities improving visibly.

Mr. Ansel believes in my abilities. He knows I can endure and complete the trials, and indeed, I have done so.

Thinking of this, Marlina couldn't help but smile with a pure, girlish charm.

"Thinking about Lord Ansel again?" Rhine asked, lazily swishing her tail.

Marlina touched her face, a bit embarrassed. "Is it that obvious, Lady Rhine?"

"Only Lord Ansel can make you smile like that."

The cat licked her paw. "There's no one else in your eyes but him."

"Ah... that's true." The girl smiled shyly. "My unrequited feelings must be quite amusing to you, Lady Rhine."

"Unrequited... not quite. Lord Ansel does think highly of you."

Rhine shifted her posture, sitting up and looking down at Marlina. "But I'm curious... has your loyalty to Lord Ansel truly become so deep that it borders on obsession?"

The bright emerald eyes of the cat sparkled, leaving Marlina momentarily stunned.

"... Loyalty," the girl's expression changed slightly as she looked at Rhine, speaking earnestly, "is the most important quality in following Lord Ansel, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I'm asking about the extent."

Rhine, unfazed by Marlina's slightly questioning and even wary attitude, simply swished her tail. "You are a smart person, Marlina. You should know that Lord Ansel does not like fanatics at all."

"Neither the Garden nor the Shadewell welcomes mere fanatics."

"Here, some wish to realize the blueprint Lord Ansel has drawn, some repay the kindness of his nurturing, some crave his wisdom that transcends the ages, and some simply follow their desires."

The beautiful and harmless ragdoll cat scrutinized the ordinary girl who had fallen silent, her mature female voice echoing in Marlina's ears.

"We are loyal to Lord Ansel's ideals, his kindness, his talents, his power, and equally loyal to our own... ambitions."

"But you are different, Marlina. Besides being loyal to Lord Ansel himself, what else… are you loyal to?"

Rhine tilted her head slightly, speaking with great curiosity. "If there is nothing else, Lord Ansel would not have placed you in the Garden, no matter how exceptional your abilities are. But through my observations over this period... it seems you are only yearning for Lord Ansel. So, the reason Lord Ansel hasn't abandoned you is merely because of..."

"Miss Seraphina?"

Marlina's pupils contracted to the extreme.

...Impossible.

Of course, I have ambitions... I have long discussed this with Lady Annelisa. I have long understood that Lord Ansel does not need mere followers.

That is why I must break free from Seri's influence and prove my worth and abilities to Lord Ansel, but...

A whisper echoed in her mind:

But what if, from the very beginning, Lord Ansel approached you only because of Seraphina?n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

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