The villain's way to tame the protagonist

There was no shortage of people in this world who hated the emperor, and who had fallen into endless despair because of the emperor. She had been able to call the shots as a mere ordinary princess relying on the emperor's favor, but after Ephisande disappeared, she would naturally have to pay the price.

It was obvious that Diana was transferring her hatred for Effisandr onto her.

So, faced with an order that trampled on her dignity and a future that was destined to be bleak, Susilen responded.

"I don't have much of an appetite today, sorry, ma'am."

The girl apologetically pushed back the morning tea that was mixed with fresh insects... or maybe it was made from fresh insects: "I'm sorry to waste your kindness."

"waste?"

Diana leaned forward slightly and pushed the tea in front of Susilen again. "How could that be, little Susilen."

She picked up the teacup, stroked Su Silun's face with her other hand, and said gently:

"Your eyes tell me that you really want to drink."

The hand that was caressing Susilen's face gradually pinched her cheek.

Diana repeated very gently: "You want to drink, don't you?"

"…I'm sorry, I don't—"

Crack!

The woman's expression suddenly became ferocious. She pinched Su Silun's face tightly and stuffed half of the teacup into the girl's mouth. Her eyes were full of glaring bloodshot.

"Why do you reject me? Why do you think you have the right to reject me? Just because of your ridiculous tattoos? Huh? Do you think you can claim to be a Hydra just by tattooing a few snakes? Do you think you can deceive me like this for the rest of my life and treat me as a fool like your mother's bitch!"

The inhuman smell surged in Susilun's mouth and throat, and her body's instinctive regurgitation caused the fresh tea to flow into her nasal cavity, making the torture even worse.

But Su Silun did not put up any physical resistance. She just clenched her fists, twitching slightly to endure the pain.

At the time, her response to Diana's vicious demands was simple.

That is to lift up the hem of her clothes and show Diana the mark of Hydra that Ansir had branded on her body.

Obviously, Diana is not a real madman. A real madman would not be so eager for the throne after being tortured by Ephisandr for so long.

And Suslun made the right bet. Diana was really afraid to attack just because of the tattoo and the mark.

While marveling at the power of Hydra, Susilen also lived a peaceful time, although she never thought of living a peaceful life like this. She contacted Ansher countless times, either implicitly or directly, asking the devil who had left a burning mark on her, asking whether the promise he had made, "I let you be, and you are", would ever be fulfilled.

But there was no reply from the controller of that paradise on earth.

Suslun knew that Diana must have contacted Anser to confirm the authenticity of her identity. If she continued like this, she would sooner or later fall under Diana's control again. She had made all the changes she could, but in the end, the only thing she could rely on was... a glance from the young Hydra, who might be in a good mood.

But Su Silun never waited for that sight, until now, until Diana could no longer bear it.

"Cough... cough cough cough! Ugh!"

Su Silun knelt on the ground, feeling that she was about to vomit out her breakfast, but Diana didn't care about her thoughts. The woman lifted the tea table, stepped on Su Silun's head, and rubbed her face back and forth in the filth on the ground.

"I am so stupid... no, I am so in awe of dear Lord Anser."

Diana lamented heartbrokenly: "I actually believed that he, who was so beautiful, so intelligent, and so untouchable, would take you as a slave... and let you live in peace for such a long time."

Her expression gradually changed from sadness to cruelty and ferocity: "So... you will pay the price for your lies, daughter of a bastard."

"Ahem... ahem... what if I... really am?"

Trampled in the filth, Su Silun kept coughing and spoke with great difficulty: "If that one percent possibility happens, your outcome will be--"

"Result? What result!"

Diana kicked Su Silun directly in the face, kicking the iris-like beautiful girl three or four meters away like a ball, her eyes becoming even more cruel.

"If you are really related to Lord Anser... that's even better, it couldn't be better! It means he doesn't care about you at all. If he had the slightest thought of caring about you, I would not have received any information at all. In other words, in his eyes, you are just the most humble, the most despicable, the most worthless toy!"

Diana shook off the filth on her boots with disgust, and then slowly walked towards Susilen who was twitching on the ground with an excited look on her face.

"Maybe it's a toy specially given to me by Lord Anser!"

The pain was not enough to make Su Silun dazed, but the mental devastation and despair gradually caused her mind to fall apart.

Is that fake?

Even if the devil had left his mark on me, even if he had made me his, was that promise false?

Was she just...playing with me on a whim?

Bang-!

The dull sound rang out again, but this time, Susilen, who was kicked in the face again, did not roll out again, because she caught Diana's kick with her hand.

……No.

Ansel Hydra, that devil, that monster... he is not that kind of person.

He wanted to use me, take advantage of me…Yes, at that moment, his eyes were serious.

His mark... is more real than anything else.

So, he didn't forget me, nor was he deliberately treating me as a plaything, but he was waiting for an opportunity, a perfect opportunity.

Right now...

"I didn't expect to see such a wonderful scene after not coming to the imperial capital for a long time."

Not far away, the young Hydra who appeared here at some point stood with a cane, looking a little surprised:

"Excuse me, are you two..."

“Cough cough… cough cough cough!”

In the dead silence, the only sounds could be heard from Su Silun, whose face was covered in filth, and who couldn't stop retching and coughing.

"An...Hydra——"

"You look a little embarrassed, Your Highness Susilun."

Before Diana could finish her horrified words, Anther had already spoken, addressing Susilen as "Your Highness".

——Proclaiming the legitimacy of this girl who had just been wantonly abused and tortured by Diana.

"…I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Master."

She didn't face Anser with that face, but Susilen opened her mouth and called him an extremely shocking name.

"Well...please be careful with your wording, Your Highness Susilen."

Young Hydra took a step back, his expression serious and solemn: "How could I humiliate a member of the royal family?"

Su Silun held up her skirt with shaking hands and wiped her face vigorously. After trying her best to wipe off the filth, she smiled at Anser: "Sorry, Mr. Anser, I was a little confused just now, and I thought about the dream I had last night."

"Dream?"

"Yes, it was a very, very happy dream."

"But dreams always end." Anser advised, "If you want to turn that happiness into reality, you need to work hard, Your Highness Susilun."

"Yes, I will keep your teachings in mind."

"Hydra... Your Excellency."

At this moment, Diana finally had the opportunity to speak. She first gave Anser an impeccable and perfect lady's salute, then put on her gentle face that seemed to be born this way, and said softly: "I am very sorry that I didn't know you were coming to the imperial capital and didn't prepare well."

"Ah, it's nothing. I just came here temporarily because I have something to do. I will leave soon."

Anser smiled and said, "I originally planned to meet Her Highness Susilen first, and then meet Grand Duchess Diana, but I didn't expect that you were...having a party."

"Haha, I have a very good relationship with little Susilun."

Diana didn't care about the filth on Su Silun's body at all. She walked to her side and took the girl's arm. She said sweetly, "She taught me the secret method of maintaining my appearance yesterday."

The young Hydra couldn't help but twitch his lips: "Oh... is that so."

He cast his gaze towards the girl who had been branded by him, and asked curiously, "Are you on good terms with Grand Duchess Diana, Her Highness Susilen?"

"……Do not."

Su Silun whispered, "I want to kill her now, cut her into pieces, and feed her to the dogs."

Anser spread his hands slightly towards Diana, whose expression remained unchanged: "It seems that Miss Susilen is not in a good mood."

Without waiting for Diana to speak, he suddenly tapped the ground with his cane and said, "I almost forgot about the important matter... Now is not the time for idle chat."

"I think you two have seen the chaos in the empire today."

Hydra, who cares about the people's livelihood, sighed: "The north is in rebellion, the west is in chaos, the east port is silent, and only the south is relatively stable."

"Neither Your Highness nor the Grand Duke would want to see the people of the Empire being displaced in the flames of war, right?"

Although it was a question, no one answered it.

Because a fierce and morbid fire was burning in the eyes of the girl and the woman at the same time.

"Your Majesty's disappearance is not a reason for the empire to be without a leader. Someone must... act as regent."

Although it was not the time for small talk, Anser said this in the form of small talk, without any seriousness, as casually as if he was deciding what to eat tonight.

"The other descendants of the Flame Feast fled and scattered after Your Majesty disappeared. Now there are only two courageous and determined descendants of the Flame Feast left in the imperial capital. So..."

The young Hydra, with his hands on the scepter, tilted his head slightly and said with a smile:

"The future regent should be chosen between the two of you, right?"

"I think……"

While Diana was still trembling, Susilen spoke in a gentle voice: "You need to learn more about the wishes of the other Grand Dukes. If you make a rash decision... I'm afraid they will do something bad to you, Mr. Anser."

"No, no, no, Your Highness Susilen, you and Grand Duchess Diana are the most perfect candidates for regent that everyone would choose to support."

He has no background, no power, and is insignificant, so he is a puppet who can be manipulated at will.

The dukes were afraid of the return of the tyrannical emperor, and had long coveted the supreme seat in the imperial capital, and even up to now in the chaos, no duke had launched a direct charge towards that position.

But Anser detonated it at this moment.

"……I see."

Su Silun nodded slightly: "So what you mean is that Grand Duke Diana and I have to rely on our own abilities, right?"

"As it should be." Anser replied with a smile.

"Wait, then you——"

This key question was raised by Diana.

"Then... where exactly are you standing..."

It is crucial to know which side Hydra, who currently has the most influence on the situation of the empire, is on?

Is it his slave, his plaything?

"I?"

The devil wandered leisurely on both sides of the scale, fiddling with the weights carelessly.

"Of course I am a witness, but I am just a witness, a witness who can't do anything."

Diana tried her best to hide her excitement and bowed her head: "Thank you for your compassion for the people of the empire, and thank you for your integrity and fairness, Lord Hydra."

Ansel couldn't help laughing out loud. He glanced at Su Silun's miserable appearance, and his laughter became even louder.

"Integrity and fairness... Well said, Grand Duchess Diana."

He tilted his head slightly and said in a gentle voice:

"As an impartial witness, I think... since you have entertained His Highness Susilen so warmly."

"Then it's her turn... to return the favor, right?"

"..."

Susilen and Diana were both stunned.

"No problem at all!"

The first person to react was Diana. She smiled sweetly and gently held Su Silun's hand.

"Mr. Hydra is right. Little Susilun, don't let me down with your return gift."

Su Silun looked at the woman in front of her quietly, with the corners of her mouth slowly rising.

"Okay."

She shook Diana off and slowly placed her hands on the hem of her skirt.