A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

“I’m merely stating facts. If you don’t wish to hear them, Miss Seraphina, then so be it,” Marlina replied, her tone unchanging.

“According to the original plan, after this riot, the gang elements in the lower district would have faced severe repercussions. The civilians would have gained confidence and courage from this struggle. From a long-term perspective, it was undoubtedly the best choice.”

“The best choice… the best choice?”

Seraphina, losing control of her emotions, began to laugh loudly. She pointed out the window towards the still chaotic streets and exclaimed:

“Tell me, how is this the best choice when so many are homeless, so many have lost their loved ones, so many are resorting to theft and looting?!”

“I’ve said, it’s because you, Miss Seraphina, caused the plan to lose control—”

“Your damned plan shouldn’t have existed in the first place!”

Seraphina roared, her anger peaking. “Your duty was to do everything in your power to bring them a better life, to let them live happily and peacefully. Not to force them to face things they shouldn’t have to for some vague notion of confidence and courage… Damn it, Marlina! What gives you the right to decide what they need? What gives you the right to make decisions for them?

What do you think they are? And who do you think you are… The Empress? A god?!”

“Because this is exactly what they need, Miss Seraphina,” Marlina’s gaze grew colder.

“These are the necessary conditions for becoming a person, for being human. Living conditions can be changed at any time for extraordinary beings, but a person’s sense of self… how many chances are there to start over?”

“They must live with dignity. They can be humble, they can be weak, but they must never view this humility and weakness as inevitable, without considering the possibility of change.”

“This again… always this!”

The dangerous aura emanating from Seraphina was already beyond what an ordinary person could bear. Aether, slightly out of control due to her turbulent emotions, scattered about. Crimson currents flowed erratically through the office, flashing like electric arcs.

But seconds after this violent aura appeared, Seraphina fell silent. She and Marlina had argued about this topic many times before.

They couldn’t reach a consensus then, and now… it was equally impossible to find common ground.

“…So, this is your reason for allowing them to be oppressed by gang members, for causing the deaths of so many people yet remaining unmoved?”

Seraphina no longer felt much anger. She only felt deep fatigue and… numbness.

“This is Ansel’s purpose too, right? If it’s him, with all his knowledge and unique pursuits in this area, different from most people, it would make sense.”

Her exhaustion and numbness stemmed from this realization. If Marlina had acted on her own, Seraphina’s anger wouldn’t have subsided so easily. But Seraphina knew her sister too well – Marlina would never go against Ansel’s will, let alone act so arbitrarily without rules.

Everything that happened in the lower district must have occurred with Ansel’s tacit approval.

Realizing this brought Seraphina pain, though less intense than before due to her shifting perspective.

However, Marlina’s next words made Seraphina’s pupils constrict sharply.

“Why do you assume Mr. Ansel was involved in this, Miss Seraphina?”

“What… did you say?”

“Is it so hard to understand?” Marlina tilted her head slightly.

“Everything in the lower district was my decision alone, made without Mr. Ansel’s knowledge. He has many responsibilities and wouldn’t waste energy here. Most importantly, he trusts me… just as you did.”

“Mar-li-na!”

Seraphina crashed into the desk, grabbing Marlina’s collar across it, nearly toppling the entire piece of furniture.

“Why?!” she snarled at her sister. “Why must you pursue your damned independence and dignity? Why, when everyone could live peacefully, do you have to push them into the abyss?!”

Why? Because Mr. Ansel needs it. For Marlina, the answer was simple.

But she could never say that. She wouldn’t allow Seraphina to connect these events to Ansel.

“Because this is my pursuit,” Marlina’s voice remained unchanged.

“Because I cannot tolerate seeing that kind of life, just as you, Miss Seraphina, cannot tolerate evil acts.”

“Living each day at the mercy of others, existing solely by the kindness of the extraordinary, crushed in every aspect from value to personality to existence itself. Having no meaning in life, continuing to barely survive only because the extraordinary need you as a nutrient jar or a plaything to pass time and amuse themselves.”

“So I don’t want anyone else to experience that feeling. I don’t want them to be stupid dogs begging at the feet of the extraordinary.”

“Miss Seraphina, I’ve heard your words. Honestly, they don’t sound like you, but given the many unexpected events, it’s not strange that you sound different.”

“What I want to tell you is that your thoughts have fallen into an extremely harsh state. I believe the path you now wish to follow is no different from the Empress’s.”

“You’re both keeping ordinary people like pets, you’re just slightly gentler than the Empress.”

“Your own… pursuit. Heh… Hahahaha! Your own pursuit!” Seraphina slowly began to laugh, a painful, self-mocking laugh that was uncomfortable to hear.

Without Ansel’s orders or requirements, it was just Marlina’s own pursuit.

As her laughter subsided, Seraphina’s expression gradually returned to calm. She didn’t choose to refute Marlina’s words, but instead leaned on the desk, looking down at Marlina:

“Then from now on, you don’t need to do anything, nor do you need to consider so many things.”

Her voice had turned purely indifferent and cold: “Whatever schemes you’re brewing, however many people you plan to harm for your personal desires, you no longer have any need to do so.”

“Because I will solve all problems.”

“…Don’t cause trouble for Mr. Ansel, Miss Seraphina. Many things can’t be solved by power alone—”

“There’s nothing that can’t be solved by power,” Seraphina interrupted Marlina. “If it’s not enough, it only means the power is insufficient.”

Marlina narrowed her eyes slightly: “Are you still indulging in that strange fantasy? Can human hearts and nature be solved by violence? The thousand-year-old curse on this continent, the insurmountable gap between the extraordinary and the ordinary, can these be solved by power?”

“Why not?” Seraphina retorted, “As long as Ansel and I can rise above everything, crushing all with absolute, unmatched power, no matter how complex the human heart, it will have to submit to us.”

“If we truly become as strong as the Empress… not only can Ansel and I give the common people good lives, but those things you say aren’t necessary, we can easily realize them too.”

Seraphina spoke slowly and deliberately: “Because I am strong enough, and I will continue to grow stronger.”

Marlina’s fingers, resting on the desk, trembled slightly.

She watched as Seraphina picked up the carefully prepared plan book, not even looking at it before crushing the entire journal into a crumpled mess, mangling it beyond recognition.

“Marlina, your schemes and tricks have no value from now on. Because compared to your complex and chaotic path forward, compared to your actions based on personal desires, I am… infinitely stronger than you!”

Marlina’s usually impassive face finally showed a change in expression. She stared intently at Seraphina: “You have no idea what it takes to govern a region properly—”

“That’s right, I don’t know, but I don’t need to know. I will make those who need my management understand what consequences they’ll face if they can’t manage well. I’ll give them… an unforgettable memory.”

“What you can’t do, I can. What you can think of, I don’t need to follow your approach. And what you can accomplish, I can almost certainly succeed at. I can create more perfect shortcuts with my own power… You need to understand one thing, Marlina.”

Seraphina carelessly tossed the crumpled, nearly torn plan book to the floor, her voice filled with a murderous aura that seemed to overflow the screen.

“I am far stronger than you, Marlina. Everything you’ve calculated with all your might is nothing before me.”

“Ansel doesn’t need you at all.”

After saying this, she looked at Marlina, whose breathing had noticeably quickened, and sneered:

“Stop staying by Ansel’s side. You’re nothing but trouble for him, with no use whatsoever.”

“Seraphina! How could you, how could I possibly—”

This was once the most fitting evaluation for Seraphina, but now she had placed it on Marlina’s head.

These words suddenly enraged the usually calm Marlina. Seraphina was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, and after a final glance at her sister, said nothing more and silently turned to leave.

Everything that needed to be said had been said. Now, Seraphina… didn’t want to stay with Marlina for even a moment longer.

After Seraphina left, Marlina silently knelt on the ground, trying hard to collect the tattered remains of the plan book. She appeared to have no reaction, but the trembling of her hands as she gathered the pieces was impossible to conceal.

Power.

Seraphina had brutally shattered all designs with the most forceful method.

How could someone confident enough to speak of dominating the entire world with Ansel lack the ability to destroy all schemes and machinations with their own power?

Absolute confidence, unmatched sharpness, and… power to match.

In this world, power speaks loudest. All that logic and theory ultimately can’t compete with raw strength.

But… Marlina had a chance too.

She once had a great opportunity to earn the qualifications to become extraordinary.

Becoming like Seraphina was absolutely impossible, but transforming that power into an asset could have brought immeasurable improvement. Yet Seraphina destroyed this opportunity.

— She boasted to Marlina about the importance of power, yet personally destroyed Marlina’s hope of obtaining it.

Marlina’s hands trembled as she pieced together her plan book bit by bit, clutching tightly what Seraphina had called meaningless.

Am I truly useless to Mr. Ansel?

No, impossible. I must be helpful to Mr. Ansel. It’s just as Seraphina said, what I can do now is… too little.

Power… power. I must, must become extraordinary being, no matter the cost, I have to—

As Marlina thought this, slowly raising her head, her breath caught.

Because she saw a pitch-black crow standing on the windowsill.

Its deep eyes seemed to say:

You should know what choice is the right one to make.

*

In truth, neither the ideological arguments nor the destruction of her chance to gain power had truly caused Marlina to lose emotional control.

The only thing that made her unable to control herself, that filled her with anger and panic, was actually just one sentence —

“Ansel no longer needs you.”

*