A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

In the boundless field of flowers, Ansel sat cross-legged amidst the blooms, gently stroking Lawrence's head.

"Truly, the vicissitudes of life are unpredictable, young lord," murmured the mouse, lying on Ansel's lap. "I had resigned myself to the end."

Ansel smiled and turned his gaze towards the humble wooden cabin. "Who could disagree? Even now, I occasionally marvel at the choices I've made."

"Well, ahem, from my perspective, of course, I hope the young lord will spare my life," Lawrence squeaked.

"But from the boss's viewpoint, if the young lord inherits the power, it would save a great deal of trouble."

"Dealing with trouble is infinitely better than regretting mistakes."

Saying this, Ansel stood up, and Lawrence scurried up to his shoulder, standing upright with his paws crossed over his chest. "Indeed, the young lord's family is so compassionate... far better than the empress's family, you kill me, me kill you… constantly at each other's throats."

The mouse sneered, "If they were in such a situation, they would be eager to kill each other without a second thought, let alone regret it."

Ansel merely chuckled without responding. In the next moment, Saville's figure appeared beside him out of thin air.

"Young lord," the old man bowed slightly, "regarding the manor, do you require..."

"No," the young Hydral shook his head.

"Your only task is to protect my father and mother, nothing more. The rest is not your concern."

"Ah... saying that makes me feel quite ashamed," Lawrence scratched his head.

"Though we've grown weaker, we've also been freed from constraints, yet we can't assist the young lord... with us, young lord, you could conquer the empire in two months."

"Do you overestimate yourself, or underestimate those hidden rats?"

Toradon materialized beside Ansel, first bowing to him, then casting a cold glance at Lawrence. "Our young lord's decision is the most correct. Do not forget those who once attempted to assassinate the lady... our only duty now is to protect the master and the lady."

"I never said the young lord was wrong, and don't insult mice!"

Lawrence squeaked furiously, as Toradon compared the assassins of Annelisa to rats.

Ansel, long accustomed to their bickering, asked Toradon, "How are my father and mother now?"

Even without the Head of Magic, Toradon, still one of the world's top sorcerers, fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "The master and the lady are stable. The lady should awaken in six to seven years, possibly sooner with the aid of a top-tier soul sorcerer or a precious soul artifact. But the master..."

The young man's face darkened with a self-reproach he could not forgive.

"I cannot determine the master's awakening time. He has lost most of Hydral's power, and the time needed for balance and self-regulation will be... exceedingly long."

Lawrence and Saville fell silent, while Ansel smiled gently, patting Toradon's shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, it's just a matter of time. We can wait."

"...Yes," Toradon bowed his head, responding softly, his expression complex.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Although he wholeheartedly supported Ansel's idea of constantly protecting Flamelle and Annelisa, he, like Lawrence, felt a deep sense of guilt for being unable to assist Ansel.

To exaggerate, it was Ansel who saved Flamelle and, in turn, saved them as well—this was a life-saving grace twice over for the pact head. Moreover, they had always held Ansel in high regard.

Now, without Flamelle's assistance and without their help, coupled with Ansel's limited and still-growing number of pact heads, Ansel's situation, though seemingly fine on the surface, would be dire if he made a single misstep and was caught by someone.

At that time, should he help Ansel or continue to protect and follow his master? This dilemma greatly troubled Toradon.

"If... if Void and Christo were to return," Toradon suddenly said, "we could spare some hands to assist you, young lord, and even provide help as needed."

Toradon was naturally referring to Flamelle's Head of Darkness and Head of Abyss, who were still on the other side of the continent. But whether it was crossing the Heavenly Road Mountains or independently traversing the Lost Sea, it was uncertain if they, still being pact heads, could accomplish such a feat, let alone now.

"But to be honest..."

Lawrence's tone was somewhat serious, "even if there was a chance... would they really come back?"

Toradon was momentarily stunned, then coldly sneered, "That's true, who knows what they would choose."

For Flamelle, loyalty was certainly one of the hard criteria for selecting pact heads, but unlike Ansel, who pursued this condition almost pathologically due to fate.

The five pact heads currently on the Nostrom were the most loyal, while the other two... coming from another continent, their choices were indeed unknown.

Yet Ansel remained very calm, seemingly unconcerned about whether he could receive this strong support.

"I've said it before, you don't need to worry about my affairs."

He withdrew his gaze from the small wooden house, his voice almost completely devoid of youthful naivety, carrying a calm and determination that instinctively commanded trust.

Toradon immediately saluted, and the usually lively and mischievous Lawrence said nothing witty. Only Saville, after a long daze, bowed his head in salute to Ansel.

He had taken care of Ansel for sixteen years, and in a moment of distraction, his young lord had transformed from a boy into a leader.

Not only that, but he also performed flawlessly, without a trace of immaturity. Even his simple words carried a magical power that commanded trust and obedience.

A leader... the master had said that the young lord was a born leader, but he also said he did not wish for the young lord to become a leader.

A leader has too many burdens to bear and cannot live freely, but how could Hydral live with hands tied? The master hated such a life and did not want the young lord to live that way.

"The existence of Nostrom is already enough to help me. With it hovering over the Hydral territory, it can avoid a lot of trouble."

Looking at his father's pact heads, Ansel's face showed the usual gentle smile, but now, compared to the almost mask-like smile of the past, the boy's smile was more genuine and vivid.

"Father and mother's safety is entrusted to you."

Ansel gently patted Lawrence on the shoulder, "Protect them well, that is my only request to you."

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