A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 358: The Path Laid Out by the Devil - I

The spacious boulevards were abuzz with activity as people from all walks of life, from the plainly dressed commoners to the opulently adorned nobility, found their gazes invariably drawn to a man and woman at the heart of the thoroughfare. Each passerby, despite the briefest of encounters, couldn't resist a second glance at the pair.

Strolling through the capital's streets with his daughter's hand in his, Ansel's spirits were buoyant.

"My dear Helen," the young Hydral said with a smile, "do you have any further thoughts on Madam Ronger's remarks?"

"...None," Ravenna responded softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even without Ans... even without father, I had already found my answer."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't believe that only... father could be the one to accompany me on this journey."

Her gaze dropped slightly beneath the veil of misty black lace. "Such insight and vision are not possessed by everyone. I've never held... any great expectations for the Rongers."

Despite her words of denial, it was clear from her uncontrollable emotional tone and subtle body language that Ravenna was revealing her true feelings without saying a word.

"Your demeanor back then hardly seemed as nonchalant as you claim now."

Ansel remarked, gently squeezing Ravenna's hand and brushing his fingertips against her palm, mimicking the desperate grip of miss puppet from earlier.

Ravenna fell silent, perhaps unable to articulate a response that could continue to persuade herself.

It was a truth that required no elaborate unveiling, one that Ravenna had been prepared for, yet had never actively sought to reveal

— Even the students who had steadfastly followed Eileen through the most challenging times had never believed in the possibility of that future.

In this vast and enigmatic world of the extraordinary, Ravenna Ziegler found herself alone after her grandfather's death.

It was an absurd reality where the few who were close to her could not stand by her side, and the devil who toyed with her, calling her "daughter," was the only one who matched her stature.

Even more absurd was the fact that before becoming a devil, he had been her best friend, and she had once had the chance to escape the suffocating loneliness.

Had their alliance not fractured, had they still been working together, even just for three years... the entire empire could have been transformed. The future deemed impossible by Ronger would no longer be a fleeting illusion but a tangible reality within reach.

But that future was indeed impossible now. What remained was a pitiful puppet, bound and calling the devil "father."

In that moment, when Ansel mercilessly exposed the Rongers' negative attitude towards Eileen's ideals, a flash of anger had ignited in Ravenna's heart, yet that flame could not be sustained. Find endless stories on m_vl_em_p_yr

So... let it continue, whether as father and daughter, master and servant, or even as pets.

It's just dignity, completely sacrificial.

In her heart, that desire, that hope, never dimmed or flickered out, no matter how negative reality was.

Ansel, who was always attentive to everything about Ravenna, noticed her barely perceptible emotional fluctuations, just as Ravenna understood him, he too understood her all too well.

To the point of some disappointment.

Disappointed that Ravenna hadn't changed, and disappointed at the predetermined end of this taming.

Honestly, although Ansel disliked anything that deviated from the track, especially a dramatic change at the end that was completely out of his control, if it was a change like Seraphina's, he didn't really mind.

But Ravenna... born for that ideal, living for that ideal, the path paved by her character and thinking, Ansel could see its end at a glance.

So... it's on to the next stage then.

I wish you could surprise me, but that's clearly impossible, Ravenna.

"Are you familiar with this place, Helen?" Ansel, seemingly meandering through the streets without purpose, led Ravenna to the front of a shop.

Ravenna silently surveyed her surroundings. She had never been here before, but this area... was within the control of the Etheric Academy.

Centered around the sorcerer's tower, Yuktreshil, this upscale area was home to a multitude of sorcerers, nobles, and merchants from across the nation, selling various materials or precious items.

This shop, located somewhat far from Yuktreshil, was in the outermost area, where the merchants were lesser-known individuals, unlikely to offer anything of significant value. Ravenna wondered why Ansel had brought her here.

"I... have never been here, father," Ravenna softly replied.

"Not familiar? No matter, there's someone you know in that shop."

Leaning on his scepter, Ansel led Ravenna into the shop. As soon as the door opened, a warm and eager voice immediately greeted them, causing Ravenna to freeze on the spot.

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