A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

She was no longer… the shy, demure, diligent, and ambitious Marlina.

She had frozen her life's purpose into becoming Ansel's tool, relinquishing a brighter, more radiant future and its myriad possibilities.

If I hadn't influenced Marlina in my efforts to tame Seri, would she have avoided this fate?

As Ansel bid Nine to "rest well" and departed, a flicker of regret… long absent, stirred within him.

After Ansel's departure, Nine continued to gaze through the floor-to-ceiling window at the distant mountains and lands.

The scorched earth, ravaged by the flames of retribution, lay lifeless, as if deceased.

"I can see so much more than from the clock tower," the girl, who in Ansel's eyes had forsaken everything, murmured softly.

She closed her eyes, recalling the day that had determined her life's path.

The Garden, Shadewell, divergent choices, different roads.

Back then, she had chosen to forgo torturing the treacherous nobleman and his family to death, opting instead for a gentler approach to proclaim the fate of traitors. Nine had believed this would have been Ansel's choice, for he never engaged in pointless acts of cruelty.@@novelbin@@

She should have acquiesced to Ansel's decision, so she went to the Garden, a place seemingly suited to her.

It wasn't until that moment, when Crow revealed the reason for Shadewell's existence and purpose, that she realized she didn't truly belong in the Garden.

Now, Nine understood more clearly that Shadewell... wasn't right for her either.

She should simply be herself, for only by being true to herself could she fulfill her deepest wishes and realize her self-worth.

"The rebellions to quell, the order to maintain... Mr. Ansel will be occupied for quite some time," Nine sighed wistfully. "Neither Miss Seraphina nor Miss Ravenna can provide him adequate support in this matter."

"Although it's an excellent opportunity to approach that position..."

She raised her arm towards the ceiling, gazing at her slender, fair fingers, and whispered to herself:

"If it comes at the cost of entangling Mr. Ansel in difficulties, then this ring is not worth having."

"Even with only two or three years left," the girl, her left cheek adorned with black patterns, smiled with a bewitching madness that testified to the profound influence of the Abyss.

"I do not lack... this one chance."

Similarly, even if only a year or half a year of life remained, Nine would not hesitate to seize the ring if the opportunity arose.

For she had confidence, she was certain that in these brief final moments, she could fulfill her value and mission.

She was confident she could do it better than anyone else.

"After resting... I shall first wrest control of Shadewell from Lord Crow."

Speaking such audacious words with utter calm, Nine closed her eyes, preparing for a brief repose.

However, moments later, the room's door quietly opened.

A tall, slender figure tiptoed in, silently approaching the bedside to gaze at the seemingly slumbering Nine.

"Marli..." A sorrowful whisper echoed in the bedroom. "Why did you—Eek!"

Midway through her words, sorrow transformed into terror as Nine, who had appeared asleep, suddenly opened her eyes.

"Hello, Miss Seraphina," she asked gently. "Is there something you need?"

"Ma-Ma-Ma-Marli! I didn't mean to disturb you!"

"You haven't disturbed me. I was merely resting my eyes, not sleeping—and please, call me Nine now."

"I-Is that so."

Seraphina relaxed slightly, then settled on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Nine's hand, but was once again avoided.

Nine's action saddened Seraphina. Her fingertips twitched, and she spoke softly: "I'm sorry, Marli."

"My memory holds nothing for which you need apologize to me."

"Don't be like this, Marli! Last time... at Dispute Fortress... I was too angry. I didn't consider your feelings."

Seraphina, having changed her mind after Ravenna's persuasion, no longer sat but leaned against the bed, looking as pitiful as a puppy who had done wrong: "You... you must have your reasons. I can't understand or support them, but I shouldn't have dismissed your determination as worthless. I'm sorry, Marli."

Nine shook her head, responding with a light chuckle: "I'm not angry about that, Miss Seraphina."

"How can you not be angry!"

Seraphina's expression suddenly became anxious: "If you're not angry, doesn't that mean... doesn't that mean..."

"—That I don't care, right?"

Nine calmly provided the answer that pained and even devastated Seraphina.

"Don't care..."

The young girl looked at her sister, whose eyes were pitch-black and face covered with dark patterns. From appearance to expression, from demeanor to aura, she couldn't find a trace of the familiar person she once knew.

"Marlina!"

The wolf suddenly stood up, shouting angrily: "How can you not care! They are all living—"

"What you've learned from me," Nine firmly interrupted Seraphina's words, but her tone remained patient, "cannot be applied to me."

"You—"

"If you're trying to provoke my emotions, to incite thoughts of confrontation with you, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Her expression was less calm and more... indifferent.

Thud—

The wolf beast, capable of tearing apart giant dragons, now stood on shaky legs and collapsed to the floor.

"How can you... not care?" She mumbled, lost and dejected. "How could you become... the kind of person Ansel would discard?"

The girl tremblingly reached out, forcibly grasping Nine's hand. She no longer maintained the anger that Nine had seen through earlier, but instead pleaded from the depths of her heart: "Marli... this isn't the real you. You've been influenced by Ansel's power. Please, even if it's just for yourself, okay? Don't become that kind of person.

Ansel will abandon you. You'll only torture yourself that way. You'll... you'll break! I don't want you to become like that... I don't want...

don't want..."

The wolf, who had resolved to walk the path of a tyrant, was now whimpering.

She held Nine's hand tightly, refusing to let go. Her forehead pressed against the back of Nine's hand as tears flowed down her cheeks.

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"I want you to be okay, Marli... I won't talk back to you anymore, I won't make you angry. Please don't become like that, okay? I'm begging you, please don't..."

"Miss Seraphina, could you let go?"

Nine spoke the cruelest words with the gentlest voice.

"No!" Seraphina cried out with tear-filled eyes. "I won't let Marli become like that. I won't—"

Her words suddenly stopped.

Because she met those pitch-black eyes, devoid of any warmth, without a trace of softness, filled only with pure... disdain.

"Really... enough."

Nine's voice was no longer gentle. It sounded so indifferent and hard, an impenetrable iron wall.

"Just give me some space to rest. Stop being selfish, will you, Miss Seraphina?"

She gazed into Seraphina's increasingly trembling dark red eyes: "Even doing nothing would be more meaningful than listening to your one-sided emotional outburst here."

"Marli, I—"

"Listen carefully, Miss Seraphina."

Nine said expressionlessly: "My fate doesn't depend on you. Whether Mr. Ansel needs me or not has always been for Mr. Ansel alone to decide."

"I don't need your pity, nor do I need your presumptuous attempts to save me. My path is the right one."

"On the contrary, it's you who has been constantly draining Mr. Ansel's affection and tolerance, yet never..."

As she continued, the black patterns on Nine's face seemed to come alive, twisting with her increasingly angry tone and fierce expression.

"Never... truly provided any help for Mr. Ansel—"

As Seraphina's expression grew increasingly pale, Nine seemed to realize her loss of control and stopped speaking.

She unconsciously touched her left cheek, feeling a sharp pain that seemed physiological, but in reality... it was the physical manifestation of her soul being further eroded and increasingly fragmented.

Sensing this aura, this essence that tightly entwined Nine and threatened to tear her apart, Seraphina fell silent and slowly wiped away her tears.

"As expected... words alone are completely useless."

She murmured softly, slowly clenching her fists.

"I really overestimated myself."

Traces of tears still remained in the girl's eyes, but her emotions were no longer just sorrow. There was more... an unyielding determination.

"I will save you, Marli."

Seraphina leaned down, forcibly cupping Nine's face, and said with emphasis on each word:

"No matter what method I use, whether it's presumptuous or not, no matter how much you end up hating me... I will definitely pull you out of the abyss."

"You should have a happier life. No, not should... you must."

Looking at the face so close to hers, Nine remained expressionless.

After a brief silence, Seraphina forced a smile and released her hands, her voice hoarse: "Sorry for disturbing your rest. I'll leave now."

She turned around, but after turning, she couldn't help but look back at Nine lying on the bed, as if to burn this image of her current state into her heart.

Then, she walked towards the door with unwavering determination.

As she pushed open the door, Nine's voice suddenly came from behind her.

"As an apology for disturbing me, answer one question, Miss Seraphina."

Nine stared at Seraphina's back, saying indifferently:

"Do you know that you all have... made Mr. Ansel weak?"

"...What?"

Seeing the bewildered expression on the girl's face as she turned back, Nine had already gotten her answer.

She shook her head, saying coldly, "It's nothing. Please leave. I need to rest."

"..."

Seraphina looked deeply at Nine, then gritted her teeth and left the bedroom.

The spacious, luxurious bedroom was once again left with only Nine.

"How... arrogant."

After an unknown amount of time, she let out a soft, distant sigh.

"Have I ever begged anyone for salvation?"

*