A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Indeed, should he wish, he could create a complete, tightly integrated industrial system in just half a day, and within a week, propel the empire toward the "bright future" that Eileen sought for decades and never achieved.

Moreover, if the empress were displeased, the destruction of this system… would take only a few days, perhaps even less.

As for the Dragon King perched atop the mountain and the Tidecallers hidden in the deep sea, what they could do would certainly not be inferior to these two divine species.

Ravenna's deductions, conclusions, and the firm belief that ultimately arose from them are without fault.

—As a member of the divine species, Ansel could never truly resonate with mortals; not to mention mortals... even extraordinary beings are but slightly stronger ants in his eyes.

Thus, everything he and his own words claimed were merely lies, perfectly aligning with everything he revealed in that torrential rain.

Such a simple yet impeccably logical deduction.

"So, this is what you've come to understand over these three years."

Ansel still smiled from time to time, but the occasional upturn of his lips, rather than uncontrolled joy, might better be described as a... twitch.

He lowered his gaze, murmuring, "It also... fits your personality, which is what I never desired…"

Ravenna's thought process is flawless, and from her perspective... no, from anyone's perspective, the reality is just so.

A true deity, superior to all existence, cast a mocking glance at a stubborn being, staging a deeply moving play about friendship, ideals, and the future, just to hold her in the palm of his hand.

Yet... only Ansel, from his own perspective, experienced nothing but endless... loneliness.

The young Hydral, sitting alone in his study, felt surrounded by boundless solitude.

Even though Seraphina pulled him out of his self-imposed exile with her desperate love, this sense of loneliness never diminished.

Because Seraphina is pure, always merely expressing her love, and it is precisely because of this purity that she cannot touch Ansel's complex heart.

What Ansel is waiting for, longing for, hoping for... no one knows.

Perhaps someone might know, but now, there will certainly be no one left who does.

Today, this loneliness reached its peak when his once friend declared, "You are the heaviest shackle in this world."

"You are right, Ravenna."

The demeanor of the monster became solemn and stern, having abandoned all delusions, he declared indifferently:

"I am indeed… and I will surely be, this world's heaviest shackle."

At the tender age of ten, Ansel of Hydral had already perished, along with the aspirations he once harbored for this world.

Within the alchemy workshop, Ravenna's impeccable "correct" deductions had rendered Helen silent. As she continued to meticulously craft the components, a hint of bewilderment seemed to momentarily cloud her expression.

Yet swiftly, her visage regained composure, embodying a wordless, yet absolute serenity and stillness, unshaken by any turmoil.

"I shall place my faith in Father," she whispered softly.

Ravenna, previously unshaken, was taken aback by such a simple declaration, her expression betraying a touch of incredulity. "Even if it is evidently a lie of his?"

"I shall choose to believe in that possibility, no matter how minuscule it may be."

Helen bowed her head, attending to the materials with increasing tranquility and steadiness, her focus unwavering.

"I do not perceive it as a facade crafted by my father to weave a lie. He must have sought to make a change, long before this moment," she continued.

"Even if the divine species indeed shackles the world, even if they are the least likely to care for the mortals."

Lifting her gaze, the purple irises beneath her ashen spectacles, though devoid of light, remained steadfast and unyielding as they fixed upon her other self.

"I, too, am willing to trust my father, to hold complete faith in the one in ten million chance."

Nidhoggur ceased its dance, and the carving knife stilled.

The two "Ravenna Ziegler"-s, identical in soul and appearance… but divergent in thought, locked eyes, neither yielding an inch.

A trust without foundation, without reason.

This was an act utterly, utterly inconceivable for Ravenna.

Having concluded that "the divine species are the world's heaviest shackles," Ravenna would have deemed Ansel's words as deceitful, all as lies, just as he had stated.

Thus, not only making such a choice was beyond her, but her thought process could never align with Helen's.

Yet, this was precisely what was… best.

Ansel's gaze, tender and warm, watched over his seemingly isolated and undoubtedly doomed "daughter."

It was not the thought pattern of Ravenna Ziegler, nor a conclusion she would arrive at. That baseless, reasonless... absolute trust was exactly what Ansel desired.

What he sought was not Ravenna Ziegler; what he needed, and could only be, was the Helen of now.

"You will prevail, Helen," the youthful Hydral murmured, "for you have discerned where the key lies."

On the first day, Helen diligently crafted five essential components with remarkable patience. However, Ravenna, controlling Nidhoggur, had already completed the foundational framework of the Model Seven Universal Ether Furnace.

On the second day, without any rest, both individuals significantly advanced their progress. Helen began with the core, achieving meticulous refinement, and the furnace core already showed its initial form. Meanwhile, Ravenna had completed one-third of the critical sections on the basic framework.

By the fifth day, having only replenished with nutrient fluids, both Helen and Ravenna exhibited distinct signs of fatigue under the intense workload. It was evident that Helen and Ravenna were pursuing markedly different research directions on the Model Seven Universal Ether Furnace.

Helen continued to employ traditional methods in her construction, but Ravenna, after three years of intensive study in the underground library of Hydral Manor, had developed profound and intricate insights. Whether it was the internal structure, the crafting of core components, the engraving methods of the ether circuits, or the critical process of converting ether into a universal energy source…

Ravenna's talent, which seemed to curry favor with fate itself, demonstrated unparalleled excellence—she even managed to integrate the highly ether-conductive Nidhoggur into the Model Seven Universal Ether Furnace.

In contrast, Helen, who spent those three years studying and teaching at the Tower of Babel, showed hardly any visible improvement.

-->