The villain's way to tame the protagonist

"As soon as he opened his mouth, he put himself in an irreproachable position, and every word he said was to show that he had done nothing wrong. Even when he so-called admitted his mistakes, he put on a condescending attitude. The so-called self-examination was still a condescending moral judgment, as if to say - 'I am much more amazing than people like you because I so kindly took on your mistakes.'"

"Xitana, since you were little, you have always placed yourself in this correct position that cannot be criticized by others."

"I have hated the way you are for a long time, Sitana. Until now, this dislike has grown into hatred."

Xitana remained silent, but Marina's voice became louder and louder. The rage and resentment that could not be concealed in her words were so deep that if she could turn into a sharp blade... she might even stab Xitana without hesitation.

"I don't care if you do this to me; I don't care even more if you do this to others. But how can you... treat Mr. Anser like this!"

"You clearly know how much he has suffered. You clearly know how determined he is to take on the responsibility and sin. You clearly know better than me... what kind of enemy he is facing!"

The woman who had just been so graceful and elegant, with a temperament no less than that of a princess, lost control at this moment and roared at the top of her lungs:

"And yet you still want to drag him into a hell of regret and suffering with the so-called kindness and justice, and push him into a dilemma with no choice just to satisfy your own ridiculous wishes! He saved your life, and gave you the love and hope that you didn't deserve, and this is... is this how you responded to him! "

"You should have been able to do more! You should have cleared all obstacles for him instead of becoming a burden and shackle for him! You are right, Xitana... This is all your fault, it is all your and Ming Fuluo's fault! If it weren't for you, if I were in your position, if I had that power, if I had that talent and ability, Mr. Anser wouldn't have had so much trouble! He should have had the happiness he deserves long ago!"

The roar gradually faded away, but its echo still lingered in the huge space.

"You have never given Mr. Anser redemption."

After a long time, Marina said in a hoarse voice: "You are just casting an unbreakable curse on Mr. Anser."

After a long silence, Xitana finally spoke: "So, allowing Anser to continue to do the evil that he doesn't expect is salvation in your eyes?"

"Yes, that's it——"

"—you want me to say that, right, Marlena."

"..."

This time, it was Marina's turn to be silent.

A clear look of confusion flashed across her dark eyes that still flashed with anger and hatred, but Xitana continued to speak to herself:

"Then you will frankly admit what I said. Should I continue to argue with you about whether Anser should do good or evil? You will say that I am hypocritical, stupid, and that I have harmed Anser. You will say that you are right. You will do everything you can to make me angry, to make me hate you, to hate everything about you, and to hate why you have become like this."

"Then from now on, no matter what bad things Anser does, I just have to hate you, right?"

The girl stared into her sister's dark eyes, which were no longer the same as before, and said softly:

"As long as I don't blame Anser, as long as I still love Anser, it doesn't matter how much I hate you, right?"

In Marina's silence, Sitana, who had originally stopped, moved forward again. Her steps were heavy and difficult, yet so firm.

"You're wrong, Marina... This time, I'm not here for Anser."

"I'm not here for any reason to argue with you about what is good for Anser, what should be done so as not to embarrass Anser, what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong... I'm not here for these, Marina. Because from now on, there will be a lot of time to prove what is right and wrong between us."

"So this time, I came to find you."

Shitana Lancemalos did not come here as the Lord of Power and the Lord of Wind, but came here as Marina's sister and said these words to her.

She stood one meter in front of Marina and said softly:

"I want to save you, Lina. I can't lose you."

The woman quietly looked at the familiar face that was so close to her, and saw the weakness and pleading that were completely beyond her expectations. She raised her hand subconsciously, but still touched the side of her face covered with black lines.

"What a miscalculation." She sighed softly, "You have really grown up, Xitana."

Marina smiled as she said this, as if everything that just happened was an illusion.

Deep rage, true hatred, and extremely harsh words... just as Xitana said, they were all meant to arouse the illusion of her hatred.

"I can't fool you with what I learned from you."

Sitana reached out to touch Marina's cheek, but Marina took a step back to avoid her. So she could only lower her head slightly and whispered, "But you can't fool me twice, Marina."

"Mr. Anser will be very pleased."

"If the price is you," Xitana said word by word, "even if it would make Anser happy, I would not accept it."

Marina took another step back, leaning against the glass vessel, and the Devourer Head, which was devouring the ether, cast an eager glance towards Xitana, but quickly looked away.

"Lina, I—"

Marina raised an index finger, signaling Sitana to stop.

After the latter calmed down, the woman put her fingers together and whispered, "Xitana, you said you would save me, right?"

"……Yes."

The witch met the girl's firm gaze and couldn't help but chuckle. Then she shook her head and said, "It's really... such arrogance that I can't like it at all."

"You think I need to be saved." She walked leisurely in the open area, "because you think I am terminally ill and will die soon; you think I am in danger and in imminent danger; you think I am wrong and hopelessly wrong, right?"

"Yes."

This time, Sitana answered without any hesitation.

Marina burst into laughter at her answer. That wild and unbridled laughter was not the style of the quiet girl before, but for some reason... it was so suitable for Marina now.

"I don't mean to look down on you, Lina."

Xitana looked at her sister very seriously, hoping to convey the sincerity in her heart to her: "It's not self-righteous, because everyone knows, and you know it yourself, that Anser has an irresistible-"

"Ms. Sitana."

Marina interrupted Sitana with a smile: "What do you think love is?"

"..."

Her question confused Hitana. Although she was not very old, she had only tasted the sweetness of Anther. How could she explain clearly what love was?

"Okay, let me change the question - do you think love is something that is difficult to talk about and something that is not mainstream?"

"…I, why would I think so?"

"Then why do you think I need saving?"

Hitana was a little anxious because Marina didn't look troubled at all. The more anxious she was, the deeper she was in trouble and there was almost no way back.

"Because your love is abnormal! That's the influence of Anser's sermon! If you love Anser, you shouldn't--"

"Shouldn't you what?" Marina interrupted Xitana again, "Shouldn't you only consider Mr. Anser in everything and ignore me?"

She looked at the silent, seemingly acquiescent Xitana, closed her eyes and sighed, "That's why I said you are arrogant, Miss Xitana."

This time, Marina responded in a very serious tone without any joking:

"Why do you think, why do everyone think, that I love Mr. Anser so desperately because I am influenced by his magic?"

"Because how could it be possible—"

Sitana paused in the middle of her words.

Because how is it possible... that someone could love another person regardless of everything?

She wanted to say this, but under Marina's gaze, she didn't say it.

"Why not?"

She asked a question in response to the question that Sitana didn't ask.

"I……"

Shitana wanted to say something, but at this moment, under Marina's pure and undistracted gaze, she couldn't say anything.

She thought Marina had fallen into the madness and abyss of obsession with Ansel, and she thought Marina's love was distorted by the curse. But now, her sister...how could she not look distorted at all?

"Ms. Sitana."

Marina said in a gentle voice: "Is it a contemptible thing to love someone at all costs?"

"No... I'm not..." Sitana gradually became flustered, "I didn't mean that! I--"

"I know that loving someone who doesn't respond at all is indeed stupid, mean, ridiculous, and despicable, right?"

Anyone would think so. How stupid is that guy to love someone who doesn't love him/her regardless of everything?

"I don't mean to deny it, Ms. Xitana." Marina showed a gentle smile on her face, "I am indeed such a stupid person, a completely stupid woman, a... ordinary mortal."

"Ms. Sitana, I don't have any talent that is truly worthy of praise. Mediocrity runs through my life, my ordinary life."

She stroked her cheek and smiled softly, "You think I'm abnormal because you are a hero. In your eyes, people should have lofty ambitions and goals. They should live a vigorous and meaningful life, instead of being trapped in so-called love and not being able to distinguish their own value."

"I'm sorry that you think too highly of me, Miss Sitana."

Marina Lancemalos has never been the great person who wants to change the world. From the very beginning, the changes she wanted to make were just because... Ansher wanted to change.

At this moment, Xitana's thoughts were a little dazed.

She suddenly thought of Marina in her original future.

Before, she couldn't understand why Marina would replace Count Red Frost and become the cruel and vicious Lady Violet. She was obviously such a kind person.

Now, Xitana seemed to understand a little.

Because Marina...she's just an ordinary mortal.

There are no twists and turns in the story. It's just that a girl changes herself in order to protect herself. As time goes by, she begins to enjoy the power and benefits in her hands. She is unwilling to give up this hard-earned good life, and finally becomes like that.

Maybe it's just a natural story of an ordinary good guy turning into an ordinary bad guy, nothing more.

And now, it's the same.

Change the empire, create the future, defeat fate... After being with Anther, Hitana always looked towards such a glorious scene, so she subconsciously believed that this was love - only such a glorious thing was love for Anther.

But is this the only kind of love that deserves to be called love? Is it not love if there is no lofty ideal, no grand narrative, no dazzling things, but only pure love without any other things?

This tiny, passionate, wholehearted love is not presentable and should not exist. It can only be produced under the influence of Ansel... Is it false love?

As Sitana became more and more shaken, Marina spoke very calmly and gently:

“I don’t have any lofty ambitions. Even though I realize the cruelty and coldness of this society, I still have no determination to change it. I don’t have admirable integrity. Those beautiful words that are attributed to me are nothing but fragile illusions. If it is for what I pursue, I will not hesitate to smash them with my own hands.”

"So I can't fight for the justice burning in my heart like you do, and I can't live for a bright and dazzling future like Miss Ming Fuluo. My heart can't hold such a grand and glorious vision, because I am not a hero like you, I am just a mortal."

"So, please tell me, how can I, such an ordinary person, not love a man like Mr. Anser with all my heart?"

"..."

Sitana pursed her lips and couldn't utter a word.

She finally understood why Marlena had called her "rescue" arrogant.

Because her sister, from the beginning to the end...she never loved Anser because of the curse on him.

Marina Lancemalos, it was natural for her to fall in love with the boy who gave her a new life and changed her destiny.

Rather... as she said, how could she not love Ansel with all her heart?

Hitana found that she should have reacted earlier - because Marina knew better than anyone that Ansor had such evil nature. Marina even warned herself in advance when she was in the Red Frost Territory not to indulge in that evil nature.

She clearly knew all of this and was wary of it all. Even on this basis, she still loved Ansher without reservation.

It's just her, it's just Ming Fuluo, it's just Ansher, it's just that everyone thinks... those who give up everything to love Ansher do so because of that evil nature.

Everyone believes that those who love Ansel must have their own beliefs and must stick to their ideals. Only then is it love.

But as Marina said - for an ordinary girl who has never thought of becoming a hero, is it ridiculous to love someone desperately?

Does every love have to be like a legendary story, with thrilling twists and turns and firm reasons that last until death?

Isn't a boy like Ansir Hydra worthy of the love of an ordinary girl who came from a poor village, who would do her utmost and without any reason?

Marina blasted Sitana, Ming Fuluo, and the arrogance of everyone who thought she needed saving, not because they thought she was terminally ill.

But they...had forgotten from the bottom of their hearts the possibility that she had simply loved Anser purely from the very beginning.

"But you...but you did so much, you clearly..."

Xitana became incoherent. She didn't know how to express her emotions at this moment. Should she be ecstatic because Marina didn't fall into the irreversible abyss? But Marina did so many things that were no different from falling into the abyss!

"Isn't this natural?" Marina asked, "Since I can do everything for my love, I can naturally do everything for Mr. Anser."

"But if that's the case, isn't it the same as being bewitched?"

Xitana's heart, which had been relaxing, suddenly became tense again. She gestured anxiously, "If you don't even take care of yourself, how can you--"

Marina laughed, and anyone could feel her joy and confidence from her cheerful laughter: "There is a huge difference, Ms. Sitana, because I know very well that I am more important than anything else."

I am more important than anything else.

It is hard to imagine that these are words that a person who is willing to do anything for love can say. If she really thinks that she is more important than anyone else...how could she possibly put herself in danger again and again?

"Mr. Anser hates people who are controlled by that evil nature and rejects all the love that is wholeheartedly given to him."