Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

......

The midday bells echoed over Florence, their twelve clear chimes piercing the clouds, causing the bronze weathervane atop the tribunal's spire to rotate, precisely projecting the image of the Holy Sepulchre onto the center of the ceremonial hall.

Charlotte was already kneeling at the eye of the array outlined in silver lines. The light streaming in from the high window enveloped her in the warmth of the sun, and her golden hair, reaching her neck, flowed like golden veins onto her white-trimmed uniform.

“Sequence Eight, ‘Balancer’.” Zelena stood three steps away, holding an open scripture in her hands. “This is the first qualitative change in spirituality.”

Melvis stood on the outer edge of the ritual circle, his blood-red eyes fixed on the potion bottle: "From this moment on, your spirituality will no longer be used solely for perception."

“It’s interference,” Pederina added softly, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt. As a non-core member, she shouldn’t have been present, but Ms. Z had made an exception and allowed the request.

"You will hear more sounds and see more colors, but those are all appearances. If you hear inhuman whispers, imagine yourself floating on the seabed—those sounds will be distorted as they pass through the water."

Unscrewing the potion bottle, Zelena took out a small handful of dried flowers and poured them into the undulating liquid. The moment the white flowers touched the water, their pungent smell transformed into a crisp pine resin.

“Berahm’s daisy can stabilize psychic awareness. When I was promoted, the Patriarch also protected me in this way.”

The black-haired beauty handed back the potion that had restored peace, her eyes filled with tender concern.

Without hesitation or delay, Charlotte had already undergone several advancements. The extraordinary properties of the potion could not shake the ocean in her heart. No matter the delusions, illusions, or pain, they could not pollute her in the slightest.

The moment I tilted my head back and drank it all, the taste of the liquid sliding down my throat was different from what I had expected. There was no burning sensation as I had imagined; instead, it felt like holding a melting glacier in my mouth. After the extreme cold came a surge of warmth that flowed through my limbs and into my body and mind.

It was neither unruly nor mischievous; like a docile little animal finding its mother, it was completely immersed in the vast ocean of spirituality in an instant.

The effects of sight and sound are extremely weak. Charlotte can break free from this superficial illusion if she wants to, but she enjoys it and needs to pretend to be normal in front of others.

As her thoughts grew increasingly hazy, her illusions became more concrete. She heard her parents whispering and saw them pointing at her as a child, even though their faces were incredibly blurry and their presence incredibly faint.

"She is not our child."

How could we possibly become His parents?

With each chant, a deeper change occurs within oneself—those omens that once required deliberate guidance to be detected now gather spontaneously like a school of deep-sea fish.

She saw Zelena shrouded in a pale gray mist, Melvis's heart blooming with dark red roses, and Pederina's spiritual radiance rising and falling like waves—information that previously required immersing oneself in spiritual vision to capture was now presented as naturally as breathing.

The sense of depth is profound; the world that was once monochromatic now displays a deep sense of depth, as if a person has gained an alternative sense of perception, or a cat has freed up a second tail.

Rolling, feather-like clouds, dappled sunlight of five colors, subtle shades of dust, even the rustling noise has become distinct parallel channels. She is in the mysteriously eroded Middle Ages, but what she sees is a bustling, congested traffic.

Time seemed to shift for a moment, then returned to calm in the next instant, as if nothing had happened. But since Adeline, the goddess of the Steam Church, had glimpsed a corner of the world's truth, how could Charlotte regard it as merely an illusion?

"How does it feel, nice girl?"

Ms. Z's gentle voice lingered in her ears once more. She took the girl's hand, as if guiding her away from the erosion of malice.

Following this advice, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, revealing just the right amount of fatigue and soreness.

"It's like...having a very long dream," she responded softly, yet with a hint of unease, she gripped the beautiful woman's fingers tightly, revealing a touch of dependence.

“It’s alright, Charlotte. Your reaction is much better than that of all the extraordinary beings in history. You were able to get rid of the effects of the potion in just a moment.”

Normally, a newly promoted 'Balancer' needs at least an hour to recover the ability to organize their language after a spiritual shock, but the girl in front of me digested this post-promotion in the blink of an eye, which is truly in line with her outstanding talent.

"Now, do you feel any changes in your abilities?"

Silva, who had been standing at the highest point observing, jumped down and asked indifferently.

"I seem to be able to hear hidden voices, see the direction of the universe, and subtly manipulate it, grafting or stripping it away."

This is the truth. This is the basic ability of those who are blessed. Luck and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. True blessing lies in maintaining balance.

She can control her own luck, or subtly transfer the misfortunes that befall her to others, and even sense the signs of bad luck and impending crisis.

Of course, more importantly—

Previously, she could now see things from the perspective of those girls who were affected by her and whose fates were altered.

Chapter 196 Scaled Dragon and Puppet

The fields of broom flowers were a riot of color, and the flames of war seemed to have paused here alone.

Roses, wild roses, lilies—countless vibrant flowers sway their branches in this season, so dazzling and beautiful.

Bending down to approach the patch of decadent, harmless, and brightly blooming red roses, the gray-haired girl lowered her eyes, not noticing the monotonous roses, but instead picking up a unique and out-of-place, thorny white rose among them.

"You like Ansuna, you like her? If you have desires, then let the gardener remove her thorns."

Her deep blue hair flowed smoothly along her waist, and her thin gauze dress seemed to conceal her figure, tapering downwards at the waist to accentuate the gentle curve of her hips. This beautiful woman could only be her godmother, Mélisande.

Without responding to the former, Watson simply lifted her elaborate skirt, stepped over the thornless, delicate flowerbed, and quietly walked to the white flower.

She was such a beautiful anomaly, just like herself. She shouldn't have been born here, shouldn't have been born in the palace; she should have gone to the mountains and fields, to the forests. To the moonlit lake, to the thorny paths, to the side of the burning sun.

That's right, that's myself.

"No, rather than making her a clawless ornament, it's better to let her be a hound with dignity."

Those were old anecdotes, questions Melissant asked with amusement. That woman was always like that, testing the limits again and again, just to win a smile from herself.

......

Turning our gaze back to the seawall on the coast, the tide has already begun to recede.

Charlotte's fingertips remained on Ansuna's chin, her grey eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and scrutiny. Sea mist swirled around them, blurring their figures into indistinct silhouettes.

"Want me?" She chuckled softly, her fingertips tightening slightly. "Do you know what that means, my little beagle?"

Ansuna's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she did not back down. "It means I will belong to you forever, sir. Not only in life, but in soul."

The sea breeze suddenly became strong, blowing Charlotte's gray hair into silver strands.

Just as she was about to respond, a muffled, loud noise came from the distant sea—like the sound of some enormous creature crashing into a reef, making even the rocks beneath their feet tremble.

Both of them turned their gazes toward the source of the sound at the same time.

The mist was dissipating, like an unseen hand slowly drawing back the curtain of a stage. About half a nautical mile from the cliff, a massive dark shape was gradually emerging with the receding tide. At first, it was just a blurry outline, but as the mist dissipated, the details of the thing became clearer—

It was a scaly sea dragon comparable in size to a small island. It seemed like an ancient being from an epic tale, its gray-blue skin riddled with bullet holes and lacerations, some of its fins neatly severed, others twisted into unnatural shapes. Most horrifying of all was its head; its two enormous, now cloudy eyes, one completely pierced by some sharp weapon, the other shattered by a cannonball, the fluids flowing out forming a thick layer of oil on the sea surface.

“This is… an extraordinary creature.” Gazing at the sunken corpse in the distance, Charlotte’s tone was unusually devoid of its usual languidness. “It seems that the report from months ago was not fabricated; the Hastings Empire’s fleet really did hunt it down.”

Ansuna pressed her hand to her chest. She had heard sailors in taverns talk about this deep-sea monster—it was said to be able to easily capsize three-masted warships and its fins and tails could cut through the bones of whales. And now, this legendary sea monster was floating on the surface of the sea like a dead fish.

"Master, there's a boat over there." The black-haired girl pointed behind the scaled dragon's corpse.

In the mist, the outlines of three steel warships were faintly visible. They were entirely black, with thick smoke billowing from their smokestacks, and the cannons on both sides of their hulls resembled countless dark, gaping eyes.

The most eye-catching feature is the flag fluttering on the mainmast—black with gold patterns, featuring a double-headed dragon entwined around a sword and scales.

“The naval flag of the Hastings Empire.” Charlotte raised the corners of her lips, a cold smile playing on her lips. “They deliberately washed the corpses ashore on our shores; they couldn’t even be bothered to cover it up.”

A chill ran down Ansuna’s spine. She knew that the relationship between the Duchy of Plantagenet and the Hadings Empire had always been extremely tense. To deliberately display the carcass of the hunted sea monster in another country’s territorial waters was nothing short of a blatant display of military power.

“They’re demonstrating,” the girl whispered.

“A clever girl.” Releasing her chin, Charlotte gently stroked her cheek. “The Emperor of Hastings is telling us, telling this new dynasty born in the midst of war—a fleet capable of hunting down even the Kraken, crushing the port of the Plantagenet Duchy would be a piece of cake.”

The sea breeze suddenly shifted, bringing a strong, putrid stench. Ansuna covered her mouth and nose, seeing that the seawater around the giant's corpse had turned a murky yellowish-green. Even more unsettling, the tentacles seemed to be twitching slightly, as if the monster was not entirely dead.

Charlotte, however, inhaled deeply as if she had smelled perfume. "Can you smell this? A rusty, decaying scent... This is the smell of war, Anzuna."

Her eyes shone with an astonishing light. "The Hastings Empire has never hidden its covetousness of us. Their emperor wants our land, our people, everything we have. And in these turbulent times, they feel the time is ripe."

A ship's horn sounded in the distance, and the Empire's warships began to move slowly. Suddenly, a string of signal lights lit up on the side of the largest warship in front, the rhythm of their flashing like some kind of signal.

“They’re sending signals,” Ansuna guessed.

“No, they’re timing it.” Charlotte’s smile turned dangerous. “They’re waiting for the Duchy’s coastal fleet to appear, and then—”

Before the words were finished, a deafening cannon blast ripped through the sky, and a ten-meter-high column of water erupted from the sea next to the scaled dragon's corpse, scattering fragments of blood and flesh everywhere.

Ansu instinctively lunged forward, pulling her into his arms. A piece of rotting flesh lay on the rock beside them, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

"Ha..." Charlotte chuckled with pleasure beneath her. "Look at you, my good girl. You just said you wouldn't dare to overstep your bounds, but now you dare to pin your master down?"

Ansuna was fully aware of her actions, yet she showed no sign of loosening her grip. "My lord, your life is more important than anything I have."

"Shh." The girl pressed a finger to her thin lips, stopping her from speaking. "I admire your instinctive reaction. But remember next time..."

She rolled over and pinned Ansuna beneath her, her gray hair cascading down like a curtain. "I am the one who decides how to protect her."

Another cannon shot rang out, this time even closer.

Charlotte finally released the girl and got up to straighten her disheveled skirt.

The empire's warships had already turned around and begun to sail out to sea, leaving behind only the gradually sinking corpse of the scaled dragon.

This was a condescending contempt, a disdainful demonstration, but for the young girl, it was a tremendous gift.

Chapter 197 Rebirth

"Master, they've left."

The girl's clear, beautiful voice echoed in the sea breeze.

Straightening her back, even with her forehead lightly touching, Ansuna showed no fear, only her gaze fixed on Charlotte at a mere inch.

"Temporary." Feeling a lack of interest, the girl in front of her, though blatantly bold, somehow managed to maintain a proper balance, making it difficult for her to get what she wanted, leaving her feeling itchy.

If the desire for pleasure is not satisfied, one will naturally fall into a greater void; however, this matter is not the main concern at the moment.

"Perhaps, in the near future, the ambassador of the Hastings Empire will appear in this parliamentary hall with a 'protection treaty,' and our current prime minister will likely be terrified..."

A nasal sound, tinged with disdain, slowly spread.

"Go and prepare the pen for signing early."

"Could it be that you, sir, knew all along what was going to happen today? That's why you've been waiting here since morning?"

Recalling everything that had happened that morning and noon, Ansuna already had her answer.

Without giving a direct answer, Charlotte simply reached out her fingertip and brushed away a bead of water clinging to the girl's shoulder. "Mélisande often said that politics is like playing chess, and the pieces shouldn't have too much curiosity."

“I am not a pawn.” Even knowing the disparity in their status, Ansuna stubbornly raised her head and looked directly into the former’s eyes. “You just asked me what I wanted, and I have already answered. Now, please allow me to ask you—what do you want, sir?”

The sea breeze seemed to stand still for a moment, Charlotte's expression became inscrutable, and then she broke into a radiant, almost pure smile.

“I want a revolution, Ansuna,” she whispered, as if sharing a sweet secret.

"A revolution that burned the world to ashes. The Hadings Empire, the Duchy of Plantagenet, the North and South continents, the isolated islands, those sanctimonious nobles and wealthy merchants, those long-standing power brokers, those old orders and old rules... all were burned to ashes."

Ansuna's chest heaved, her heart pounding. This was not any answer she had expected—not power, not wealth, not even revenge, but a near-mad desire.

Her princess, her master, only wished to see the world ablaze, to see chaos erupt on this land.

“Then you must need a loyal hunting dog.” The black-haired girl bowed her head and whispered.

"A little dog that knows when to bare its fangs and when to be docile and affectionate." Charlotte's fingertips traced lightly along Charlotte's collarbone. "Do you think you can do that?"

“Of course.” Kneeling on one knee, Ansuna took the former’s hand and placed a feather-light kiss on the back of her hand. “My life, my death, will become your tool of control, my lord.”

Charlotte gazed at her for a moment, then withdrew her hand. “Get up, we should go back, Ansuna. As for tonight, the Admiralty’s banquet…” she gave a sly smile, “it’s going to turn into a very interesting show.”

They returned to the dock along the same route they had come from. Ansuna's feet were still bleeding, leaving faint bloodstains on the wooden planks with each step, but she seemed completely oblivious to the pain.

At the dock, a jet-black carriage had been waiting for some time. Unlike the nearby horse-drawn carriages, it was four-wheeled, with the national emblem of broom embroidered on its body. The rear-mounted cylinders spewed wisps of black smoke, symbolizing the transformation from fire and firewood, from humans and animals, to energy from coal and gas mines.

Perhaps, this war, which has yet to happen, will not be as the Hastings Empire foreshadowed, with the outcome completely decided by them. The wheels of technology have already brought them onto the same track, and the result is still uncertain.

As his thoughts faded, he saw them approaching, and the driver in uniform immediately opened the car door respectfully and bent down to stand to one side.

Charlotte didn't get into the car immediately. She turned to Ansuna, suddenly reached out, and tore open the front of his suit jacket.

Those slender knuckles, brushed by the sea breeze, seeped through the soaked white shirt, outlining a youthful and alluring curve. Looking closer, the damp fabric clung to the girl's skin, revealing tattered feathers and crisscrossing scars beneath—marks left by whippings and cuts, badges of her survival.

"Master?" An Su trembled slightly, revealing a hint of confusion.

“You know what?” The girl pressed hard on a long, narrow scar, watching with satisfaction as the former’s jawline tightened instantly. “The pain will disappear, but the memory will remain. Just like that scaly dragon—”

She withdrew her hand and turned to look at the sea. The tide had pushed the monster's carcass further away, leaving only a murky slick of oil floating on the surface. "It died from the roar of cannons, from being harmed without cause, from resentment and unwillingness to accept its fate."

"The spear pierced its heart, and the gunpowder tore open countless wounds. Like humans, these ancestors were just as vulnerable and were just as easily swayed by the world and its environment."

The wind howled, and the stench of decay had already attracted flocks of seabirds, which circled above the corpse, emitting piercing cries.

"However, even a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. Even if life is gone, the will to survive that remains in our instincts still drives the body to heal and struggle."

Nature's decomposers are always the first to smell the scent of death. They surround the former, gnawing on flesh and blood, bringing layers of pain, until the turbid eyelids suddenly tremble and burst forth with a fierce light like a final burst of light. Even the dead behemoth will use its madness to warn all living beings.

Even if, after a moment, it fades completely and returns to silence.

“From the fall of a whale all things come to life. Look, Ansuna, are you not longing for me, longing to transcend your limited talents and become an extraordinary one?”