A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Miss puppet glanced at Ansel, who seemed to have asked the question casually rather than with any particular intention.

After a brief silence, Ravenna, gazing at the lively streets, softly replied, "The transformation of the world is akin to… the ascension of extraordinary beings, seeing more possibilities and wielding greater power."

"An interesting description," Ansel raised his eyebrows slightly, "Though somewhat abstract, well… I understand your point. To use transcendence to extend countless possibilities for society, improving its 'quality' so that individuals within it can lead prosperous lives, is essentially what you mean, right?"

"...Yes."

When Ansel elaborated on her words, Ravenna found herself uncertain, the abstract and broad concept had felt solid to her, but this clear and concise explanation left her unsure how to respond.

"So..."

Ansel, with a half-smile, remarked, "You have now, in a way, achieved a fundamental goal, haven't you?"

He slightly lifted his head, speaking in a tone that seemed to praise some great achievement, "Ensuring everyone is well-fed... That is indeed a remarkable feat, Ravenna."

Ansel casually pointed to a passerby, "Do you know what it is that can make someone like him show such a smile?"

The man he pointed to was carrying three bags of goods, struggling along the roadside, clearly one of the lowest-ranking laborers. Such people's faces, apart from the grimaces caused by exertion, only showed the numbness of fatigue.

Yet, for some reason, his face was filled with a very pure smile.
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Ravenna observed the laborer for a while and then quietly answered, "Hope… in their hearts?"

"Hope? No, no, no, dear Helen, elusive hope is a cruel curse for them, a silent scorn, a sharp satire. They would not find joy in intangible hope but would instead despise it immensely, along with those who arrogantly think they are offering them hope," Ansel said with deep conviction, "What makes them show such a smile is not hope, but something tangible they can grasp."

The young noble pointed to his stomach, "For instance, a belly no longer empty and hungry."

He watched the laborer's receding figure, his eyes gradually taking on a slightly different hue.

It was not sympathy or disdain, but something... indescribable.

However, this expression was fleeting, perhaps even unnoticed by Ansel himself.

"To them, this is a thousand times, a hundred times stronger than the 'hope' you speak of."

"But merely being fed..." Ravenna frowned slightly, "is far from enough."

Ansel paused in his stride, looking towards Ravenna with a slight upturn of his lips:

"You're right, it's not enough; we must provide them with something better... Do you have any thoughts on this?"

"This kind of manual labor could easily be replaced by the simplest of puppets; no one should have to earn their keep by wearing down their bodies," Ravenna replied without hesitation.

Ansel's smile grew wider: "When the opportunity arises, I'll let you try it out."

—Yet he did not ask Ravenna: if puppets were to replace these laborers, what then should the laborers do?

It was undeniable that Ravenna was a genius, but even a genius could not possibly have a profound understanding in any field they had never studied.

The petite scholar did not perceive the depth in Ansel's smile, and after a moment of silence, she lowered her head and softly replied, "No, maintaining this... game well is enough to satisfy me, Father."

"All the success we have achieved is not due to my efforts; it is all thanks to you."

"When did you learn to flatter, Helen?" Ansel said with a hearty laugh.

"I'm merely stating the facts," Ravenna responded seriously, "They can eat affordable and high-quality food not because we created a soil enhancement potion, but because you dealt with the biggest trouble. Extraordinary beings... have the qualifications and power to destroy all our achievements, and without your restraint, this transformation could not have begun...

Moreover, the potion itself was your idea."

At this point, Ravenna felt an indescribable emotion welling up inside her.

Indeed... Ansel provided the idea, and Ansel restrained the other extraordinary beings.

Not just talent, but also... power.

Why had she never realized three years ago that what Ansel could offer her was never just assistance in terms of talent?

Then, Ravenna quickly realized that it was only in these three years that she had come to understand more deeply the distortion and cruelty of the extraordinary beings.

Even if it wasn't a universalization of the extraordinary, even if it was just something portable for the common people, they would not support it; they would either choose to monopolize it by force or destroy it.

As for the reasons? There were too many— their interests were infringed upon, they wanted to monopolize more benefits, or even... disliking the idea of commoners benefiting from extraordinary powers could be a reason.

Why should ants stand on the shoulders of giants and breathe the same air as them?

And the weak Tower of Babel could not prevent such things from happening; their theoretical backer, the Elder Princess, was completely indifferent to such matters. If she cared, it would mean... she just wanted to use these things to satisfy her own desires, which would only make things worse.

Only Ansel...

Only Ansel would be willing and able to do such a thing.

Ravenna clenched Ansel's hand, instinctively holding it tighter.

If I had stood with Ansel then, would all this... not just be a game now?

And if this weren't a game, if this were reality, how wonderful—

"Ah—!!!"

A piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the streets, abruptly halting Ravenna's contemplation.

It was Ansel who had led her down this path, yet the current Ravenna found herself incapable and unwilling to devote her thoughts to such reflections.

An imperceptible transformation was quietly unfolding within her, beyond her awareness.

Miss puppet's gaze swiftly penetrated the tumultuous crowd, settling on the center of the disturbance.

There, she beheld a figure drenched in blood, sitting on the ground in a daze, beside a vegetable stall splattered with the vendor's blood, the vegetables' luster so captivating that it was hard to look away.

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