A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Marlina had always deliberately avoided and ignored this question because, as smart as she was, it was not difficult to realize the crucial role she played in Ansel's taming of Seraphina.

Whenever she inevitably thought of this, she could only convince herself with one thing: that Ansel had once told her that she and Seraphina were equally important.

It was because of this statement that the simple and innocent village girl had her heart opened.

Marlina firmly believed that Ansel was not lying, so the idea that she was merely a tool used to tame Seraphina could not be true.

"...I'm not quite sure, Lady Rhine."

Marlina smiled, having stabilized her emotions. "Perhaps there is something... even I am unaware of, but that Lord Ansel has already discovered in me."

"Perhaps, it's not impossible." Rhine meowed, seemingly not taking Marlina's answer to heart.

Marlina was not displeased by the cat's casual indifference. Their time together had been enough for Marlina to see through the adorable exterior to Rhine's true nature.

Rhine was a pure egoist; following Ansel allowed it to maximize its self-interest, so it spared no effort in assisting him. Ansel, in turn, generously rewarded it, never disappointing the cat. This created a bond stronger than fanatical loyalty—a relationship based on mutual benefit and desire.

She's the one who "simply follows their desires" as she described.

Marlina also understood that Rhine's description was the most accurate, healthy, and reasonable. If the organization were filled solely with Ansel's fanatics, it would be doomed. INôv(el)B\\jnn

t was precisely because members had other desires and motivations, under the premise of loyalty to Ansel, that the Garden's operational level was so high.

Lady Rhine... what are you probing for?

The girl mused silently.

My relationship with Seri? My standing in Lord Ansel's eyes? Is this the extent of your probing and inducement?

Ambition...

Marlina's slender fingers gently caressed, and after a moment of silence, she softly spoke:

"Lady Rhine, I have a question for you."

"Go ahead."

"The ways you know of for mortals to transform into extraordinary beings..."

The girl gazed into those beautiful emerald cat eyes, speaking earnestly, "How many are there?"

What I seek as a pretext is merely to steer the conversation towards my "ambition."

So, as you wish, Lady Rhine. I will lay it all out, and let me hear… what you have to say.

The adorable cat showed no clear emotional fluctuation, merely stretching lazily and responding slowly, "Well... there are three or four ways."

Marlina looked surprised. "Are there that many?"

"Because they are relatively well-known methods, in reality, there aren't many paths to take."

Rhine, stretching her body like a noodle with her paws extended forward, lazily continued, "Besides the most famous Redemption Water, I know of two forced ascension methods on the Heavenly Road, but these two are much worse than Redemption Water... or rather, the Redemption Water is the best overall method for transforming mortals into extraordinary beings."

"You mentioned three or four ways. What about the other one?"

Marlina's voice became very soft, with a slight tremor, as if resolutely masking the tumultuous emotions within her—because she indeed could hardly contain her desire. Thus, her performance was flawless.

The girl saw vividly the slight curl at the corner of the seemingly harmless cat's mouth.

...As expected, you intend to drive me with what I cannot refuse? If I'm not mistaken, Lady Rhine, you should say next:

For such matters, you might as well seek Lord Ansel.

"If you want to transform into an extraordinary being, why not go to Lord Ansel?"

Rhine, as Marlina anticipated, deliberately dangled the bait, with an entirely nonchalant demeanor.

After a brief silence, Marlina responded with unwavering determination:

"You know I won't do that, Lady Rhine."

"…Well, indeed. A person who stubbornly insists on distributing nutritional supplements according to salary allocation would never request a favor from Lord Ansel, something entirely beyond their current means."

Rhine resumed her sitting posture, her tone matter-of-fact. "That would be completely relying on Miss Seraphina's connections."

"Everything is as you say," Marlina bowed her head slightly. "So... even though the possibility is extremely slim, I hope to seize that chance with my own hands."

From the beginning until now, every word Marlina had spoken in her conversation with Rhine was almost a heartfelt confession, leaving no room for doubt.

At this point... you should reveal your true intentions, Lady Rhine.

"Hmm... commendable determination."

Rhine clapped her paws together, then leaned forward slightly, her tone carrying a hint of seduction, as Marlina had anticipated, whispering in her ear:

"Now, I give you this opportunity. Can you seize it?"

Marlina's body trembled slightly.

Without waiting for Marlina's response, Rhine continued on her own:

"You've been handling the internal affairs of the Hydral territory for some time, unaware of our true focus."

"The East Port, which seems to be hiding a great secret, and the increasingly chaotic Western land... The Garden and the Shadewell need to uncover the information and truths that Lord Ansel requires from these two places."

"This is an extremely large-scale, complex, and highly difficult task, which is why we had to work around the clock recently."

Rhine circled Marlina on the desk, her cat steps light. "Under Lord Ansel's direction, the specific plans for these two regions have basically been finalized. Next, naturally, the plans need to be implemented."

"The Garden is responsible for the still orderly and even more prosperous East Port; the Shadewell will head to the chaotic Western land to stir up an even greater storm."

"...Each performing their duties, it sounds like a very reasonable arrangement," Marlina responded softly.

"Reasonable?"

Rhine's movements stopped.

She suddenly pressed her head close to Marlina, her beautiful emerald cat eyes flashing with an extremely cold light.

"Of course it's reasonable. Lord Ansel does not make mistakes, but this reasonableness is always for his purposes."

"Do you know what other identities Lord Ansel has besides being of Hydral?"

"...Other identities?"

"The Great Dragonbane, the Shadowblade, the Enigma Weaver... appearing out of nowhere, leaving countless deeds, and mysteriously disappearing again in the past six months, like a legendary adventurer—Faust."

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