The villain's way to tame the protagonist

Ansher stood up, walked to Ming Furo, bent down, and reached out to pinch her round and smooth little chin.

"It's just like the abyss, dear A'lo."

He whispered in a voice that only Ming Fuluo could hear: "You can't turn back. Will you fall into endless darkness, or will you bloom with light that can illuminate the abyss before destruction..."

“I am looking forward to it very much.”

Chapter 8.5: Snake, Sisters and Rat's Trip to the Capital (K)

The end of Effisand's game, the change of ownership of the Tower of Babel, and the arrival of Flamel all made the atmosphere in the entire imperial capital a little weird.

Although the lives of most people have not changed, for the extraordinary people standing at the top, if they are not careful, the turbulent undercurrent will swallow up and tear apart these seemingly high-ranking beings, leaving no residue.

"Mr. Anser."

Marina hurriedly walked behind Ansel who was eating, leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

"...That's it."

Anser put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Let's just say that the population from Linghu Territory is sufficient, and Hydra's territory does not need to be expanded for the time being. As for his other inheritance..."

The young Hydra thought for a while and then chuckled, "I will communicate with His Majesty personally."

"Yes, I understand." The girl bowed slightly and prepared to leave quickly, but Ansel grabbed her wrist.

"Let's sit down and have lunch first." The young Hydra said so, and the waitress standing in the corner of the restaurant hurried away. Marina hesitated for a moment, and then sat down obediently next to Anser.

Ms. Anilissa, who had been chatting with Anser and had hardly eaten her lunch, turned her attention to this beautiful girl who was dignified and virtuous, and no one would doubt that she was the daughter of any grand duke.

"You are...Marina?"

The mature Lady Hydra held her chin with one hand, her eyes shining slightly: "Little Sitana's sister, the girl who is helping Arthur now?"

"It's me, ma'am."

Marina first stood up and saluted to Anelisa, then sat down, lowered her head slightly, and said respectfully: "It is my honor to be remembered by you."

"Oh, our family doesn't particularly care about this, except for Arthur... Never mind, it's okay if you're used to it."

She leaned forward slightly and asked curiously, "What were you talking about just now?"

Without Marina's reply, Anser said calmly, "The title of the Shenghui family has been stripped, and Grand Duke Shenghui himself has been executed. His Majesty asked me whether to merge his territory and people into Hydra's territory."

As the person appointed by the emperor to be in charge of the construction of the equipment, after such a big problem occurred in the equipment, poor Grand Duke Shenghui became the most suitable victim put forward by the Ether Academy.

"Grand Duke Shenghui... Nasema?"

Anilissa was stunned for a moment, then sighed: "He died just like that, he was a man of some ability."

The territories of Hydra and Shenghui are both in the southern border, and the two sides occasionally have exchanges. Anelsa has some impression of the Grand Duke who is smooth and shrewd.

"He's dead..." the woman said softly with some sorrow, "The South Territory is going to be in chaos."

At the end of Ephisandr's reign, the political situation in the empire could only be described as a mess.

The information from the abyss made her moody and extremely emotional. She granted and issued titles at random, depending on her mood. She always hid in the source flame to resist the chaos that was destroying her soul, so she rarely got involved in politics. Although the Grand Dukes could not really start a war with each other, the chaos and the collapse of order were actually just a matter of time before a real war came.

The North, with only two Grand Dukes and a place that is not suitable for survival, is somewhat better. In the East Port, which is rich in resources and has the only waterway to the other side of the Tiantu Mountains, the three Grand Dukes are fighting openly and secretly; in the West Country, known as the adventurer's paradise, the four Grand Dukes are just about to gather their armies to fight each other; even in the South Territory where the Hydra Territory is located, the three Grand Dukes... oh, now there are two, are not giving in to each other, but they dare not disturb the terrifying monsters entrenched there.

The most peaceful place is probably the central part of the empire where the emperor and the last grand duke are in charge. The last grand duke among the thirteen was chosen from the princes and princesses of the same generation as the current emperor. This was a way for the emperor to anchor human nature and give the royal bloodline who do not have the qualifications of the spirit species another way, so that the act of giving birth to heirs is not just for the one person who has the qualifications.

However, most of the royal blood descendants are not interested in this, because their lives have been determined from the moment they are born - they are just the foil and footnotes of the qualified brothers and sisters. Not to mention the emperor... even most of the grand dukes don't care about them. Under the silent suppression from the emperor, brothers, and other powerful extraordinary people for decades, the spirit of most of the royal blood descendants has long been worn out.

Only the younger members of the royal family still have ambitions for power, and even... harbor some outrageous ideas.

"I haven't been outside the imperial capital for a long time."

Aenelisa sighed sadly: "I don't know what the empire is like now."

"How long ago was the last time you traveled with your father?" Ansher asked calmly as he took the meal handed to him by the maid.

"Two months... Ugh!"

The beautiful Lady Hydra immediately covered her mouth with both hands, and then said angrily: "How could you cheat me, Anser!"

"I'm just asking you."

"I clearly told you that I have never left the imperial capital!"

"I don't believe my father would leave you here."

"..." Anilissa held her chin with both hands and turned her face away in displeasure, "Mel is too easy to guess, it's boring."

"You too, Mother."

Anser turned his eyes away from Marina's slightly red face, looked at his mother, and said calmly: "You can't deceive me, so don't add to your frustration."

"What's wrong with feeling frustrated?" The woman suddenly smiled, as if the unhappy expression just now had never appeared. "It's not like I can't be happy just because I feel frustrated... Arthur, aren't you playing with me too, hehe."

She smiled and reached out to poke Ansel's cheek. The latter stiffened slightly but did not avoid it.

"But... don't treat me like a child. If you feel bored, just ignore me. I don't want you to treat me as a troublesome woman who is annoying."

After taking her hand back, Anilissa crossed her arms across her chest and said seriously, "As a mother, you must have this kind of self-awareness."

"I am deeply moved." Anser sighed, "If you can still remember this sentence ten minutes later."

"Why are you such a nasty kid!"

Marina quietly looked at the angry Anelissa, then looked at Ansel who looked a little helpless, and while eating quietly, a smile appeared on her face involuntarily.

For Marina, perhaps the only one who can bring her comfort in this absurd and dark world is her family.

Family love is the purest and selfless love. That kind of love is the reason why Marina gives so much to Sitana, because she also feels this kind of love in Sitana and her own parents.

She always felt that Ansher was carrying a heavy burden that could not be expressed in words. She wanted to share the burden with Ansher, but she hesitated every time she thought of her own identity.

As a secretary who only executes orders and handles paperwork for Anser, she is not qualified to speak her mind like Xitana.

But as long as she could see that Ansel's soul had something to rely on and was comforted, Marina would be happy and satisfied. It didn't matter even if she was not the one who did these things.

It's just that... Mr. Anser seems to like to keep a distance from his wife, but he doesn't seem like the kind of person who likes to act coquettishly and chat with his parents.

But Mr. Anser is obviously the same age as Sitana, so this doesn’t seem normal... No, no, no, don’t let your imagination run wild.

There is no doubt that Anelsa loves Ansher, and although Ansher keeps a certain distance from his mother in his tone and attitude when talking to her, he expresses his feelings very frankly, which is very good.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen my parents for a long time... Baron Blackwater said that a teleportation array will be built at the entrance of the village, and I should be able to go back to see them after a while.

I have to thank Mr. Anser for this. It seems that there is no more work to do during this period. Do you want to take Xier with you after finishing your studies...

"Marina."

The scenes in Marina's mind gradually became indescribable. After hearing Ansel's call, she shuddered violently and almost dropped her knife and fork.

"I, I'm here, what's wrong, Mr. Anser?"

Anser looked at her slightly strange expression and just raised his eyebrows without thinking too much:

"I'm going to look for Sitana. Remember to come find me after you finish eating. Luen, lead the way for Marina then."

The maid bowed slightly and agreed in a gentle voice, and Ansel stood up and left the table, leaving only Anelsa, who was lying on the table with her arms resting on her head and tilted, and Marina, who was beginning to feel embarrassed.

"Little Marina." After her son left the table, Mrs. Hydra, who seemed a little bored, blinked, "It must be hard to work under Anser, right?"

"Uh, huh?"

This question caught Marina, who had become increasingly calm, off guard. She quickly put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth, and said in a very serious tone, "No, ma'am, Mr. Anser is very good to me. I feel... very happy to be able to devote my strength to him."

"Oh~"

The woman showed a mischievous smile on her face: "Very happy, right?"

Marina's face turned slightly red, but she didn't deny it. She nodded gently and said, "Yes, I am very happy... Ah! Madam, please rest assured that I have no intention of usurping power. I am just very satisfied to be able to accompany Mr. Anser like this."

Anelissa didn't seem satisfied or pleased with Marina's answer. It was obvious that she had seen too many girls like her who were "satisfied as long as they could be with Ansher".

——After all, this manor and Hydra’s territory are full of girls like this.

However, as a mother and a wife, she was very keenly aware of some very crucial things.

She straightened her head, rested her chin on her arm, and asked with interest: "Although you are very satisfied now, but actually... you have never given up the possibility of going further, right?"

"..."

After a brief silence, Marina nodded and said softly but firmly, "Yes, ma'am."

"Well... there are many girls like you, but I excluded a lot of them. Do you know why, Marina?"

This sentence instantly made Marina's nerves tense. She looked a little solemn, but said calmly: "Please give me some advice, ma'am."

Anilissa couldn't help laughing. "I don't really like people showing me too much respect... But little Marina, you are a little special. I feel quite comfortable being treated with such respect by you. Well, I will tell you some secrets that I won't tell other girls."

"Among these ordinary girls, there are the daughter of the Grand Duke, the granddaughter of a fifth-order extraordinary person, and the daughter of heaven who was once famous in the imperial capital. Their appearance, qualifications, family background, and abilities... no matter from which aspect, they are all first-class excellent, but in my eyes, they are still just 'average'. Why... Little Marina, tell me what you think."

Under Anelisa's gaze, Marina took only a few seconds to seriously give her answer:

"Because to you... no, to Mr. Anser, everything other than 'ability' and 'qualification' is worthless, and there is no shortage of people with abilities and qualifications in this world. Unless they have extremely extraordinary values, like..."

"Just like Little Xitana." Anilissa nodded with a smile, "Well said, continue."

Marina reorganized her speech as Anelisa spoke, and after calming herself down, she continued, "So, for Mr. Anser, the most important quality of a follower is not the follower himself, but the aspect of... 'following'."

"For example, unwavering loyalty, selfless dedication, or spiritual connection... Only these things are worthy of your attention, Mr. Anser."

Anilissa's eyes gradually brightened, but she did not praise Marina. Instead, she continued, "But some of these girls are not lacking in these qualities. Although they are out of the 'ordinary', I still rejected their attempts to contact Anser through me. Why is that?"

"because……"

Marina was silent for a while, then slowly clenched her fists under the table. She looked at Anelisa and said very seriously:

"It's not easy to have pure love for Mr. Anser."

"Mr. Anser... has a kind of magic that can make people indulge in him, make people do everything for him, and even degrade themselves."

"And Mr. Anser is... I hope you won't be angry because of my evaluation. Mr. Anser is a very 'cold' person. To him, people who indulge in that kind of magic and are willing to lose themselves for him are disqualified and no longer valuable."

The girl blushed slightly and smiled shyly: "Don't be afraid of you making fun of me, actually I...actually I am somewhat fascinated by the coldness of Mr. Anser. Every time I think that I will be abandoned by Mr. Anser once I sink into that kind of magic, I feel scared, but also somewhat... somewhat excited. That feeling of reminding myself every time, and getting his approval every time I come into contact with Mr. Anser, confirming the value of my existence... It really makes me unable to stop."

"Because loving someone does require dedication and sacrifice, but if there is only dedication and sacrifice, it is not love, but just a humble sacrifice of one-sided wish."

Under Anilissa's increasingly delighted and satisfied gaze, Marina's tone became calmer and more confident: "If those who are loyal to Mr. Anser and willing to devote themselves to him only stop at dedication... but never think of standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Anser, and just want Mr. Anser to use everything they have at will, then aren't they just... pathetic tools? Mr. Anser, how could you love such a tool?"

“So…ambition is needed.”

The dignified and elegant girl confessed her ambition to the woman in front of her without reservation: "Not only to go one step further, but also to stand with Mr. Anser and make Mr. Anser... fall in love with my ambition."

Anilissa had gotten rid of her previous lazy attitude. She leaned back in her chair without knowing when, raised her chin slightly, and her mature and beautiful face was full of the majesty of Madam Hydra:

"So, where will your ambitions go?"

"Qishu." Marina said without hesitation, "The most important person in Mr. Anser's life."

"Even if you are just an ordinary person now and don't have any extraordinary talent at all?"

"Yes, even though I am just an ordinary person now."

Anelissa stared at Marina for a long time, then chuckled, and her laughter grew louder and louder, with pure joy and happiness.

"Very good, little Marina, you are not what I call an 'ordinary girl'. I like your ambition and I recognize it."

"But even so, I won't provide you with any help. I just won't block your way. Do you understand?"

"Of course." Marina smiled. "You have to fight for love yourself, ma'am."

The woman was stunned for a moment, then she pushed her chair, stood up, and sat directly next to Marina. Under the latter's blank gaze, she hugged her.

"Oh, that's great! You two sisters are so nice! Where on earth did you find Arthur?"

Anilissa was extremely happy and pressed Marina against her chest and rubbed her body. "What a lovely and lovable personality she has. She's exactly like me! You're right. You have to fight for love yourself!"

She let go of Marina, whose face was turning red, and began to chatter about herself and Flamel:

"Let me tell you, when I first met Mel, he was still hanging out with women..."

Marina smiled and nodded in response, listening very carefully, occasionally revealing a pure smile.

"...Alas, Arthur is getting busier and busier. He is rarely willing to listen to my stories quietly like this."

A satisfied Anelisa held Marina's hand, stroking it gently, and said with great emotion: "Little Marina is such a good girl. I like you more and more."

The woman who said this kissed Marina on the cheek to show her intimacy and encouragement, and waved her hand vigorously: "Come on, I believe in you! Anser needs such an ambitious and smart girl."

"Little Sitana... She's cute and powerful, but she's too silly."