A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Ansel picked up Ravenna on his way back.

Her mood was evidently complex, a mix of bad and good, a nuance only someone as experienced as Ansel could grasp.

"Looking back now, I realize there were many times I could have seen that my father and mother... always cared about me," Ravenna said softly, sitting opposite Ansel in the living room.

"But fate made me miss those moments, forcing me to walk the path… it had set."

"Do you hate it?"

"Not that much," Ravenna shook her head. "Ultimately, I was too foolish, too self-centered."

"That's why you're so hard to deceive," Ansel joked. "If you don't even hate fate that much, how could I have dared to tell you about it back then?"

"..."

Ravenna's gaze gradually sharpened. "I told you, didn't I? You have to pay the price—for your distortions, your malice, your distrust."

"...Yes, I think you did mention that," Ansel replied nonchalantly.

Ravenna's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you think I can't do anything to you?"

This made Ansel laugh. "I'd like to see what you can do to me."

Ravenna said nothing, just stared at Ansel.

Suddenly, Ansel felt a weight on his back, and a pair of hands wrapped around his neck.

"Do you really think... I can't do anything to you?"

Two identical voices echoed in the living room.

At the same time, the Ravenna behind Ansel bit his ear and whispered, "Father, or… Daddy?"

Even Lord Ansel was momentarily silent for three or four seconds.

Then, he smiled as if everything was going according to plan.

"So, this is the price you want me to pay?"

"I won't lose. Don't forget my current state."

Ravenna pointed to her abdomen, her eyes showing rare defiance. "Even in this form, the shape inside... can be adaptive."

She slowly climbed onto Ansel's lap, joining the Ravenna behind him, tightening her grip on him. "Don't you love... shaping some passages?" she whispered in his other ear.

"You're doing something very foolish," Ansel's eyes turned serious.

"It's not too late to regret, Venna."

"You should be the one saying that."

A taller, more graceful Ravenna appeared beside Ansel, stroking his cheek and narrowing her eyes slightly. "You still have a chance to surrender to me, Ansel."

"Heh heh... heh heh heh..."

Ten minutes later, the door to the living room suddenly opened.

"Ansel, hurry up and pack! When are we—"

The spirited Miss Seraphina stood dumbfounded, staring at the room with one man and three women.

"...Busybody." The smaller Ravenna frowned, "This is my punishment for Ansel, get out."

"You... you!"

Seraphina's blood rushed to her head: "You're asking for it!"

"It doesn't matter if you stay." Another petite Ravenna, lying on Ansel's back, licked his earlobe, "You can only watch, you don't have the ability to join in."

"Hmm..."

The tall Ravenna let out a lazy hum: "That's indeed the case... ah…ha~"

The wolf girl lost her mind.

"You think you're the only one who can transform... you think you're the only one who can transform, huh!"

She shouted furiously: "Today, I'll show you just how compatible Ansel and I are!"

With a fluffy wolf tail, furry wolf ears, and a rapidly increasing height…

Looking at the Seraphina lunging at him, Ansel couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

One after another... naughty girls.

*

The young Hydral leisurely buttoned his shirt, looking spirited and full of energy as he approached the map on the living room wall.

Two girls, too exhausted to even make a sound, lay entwined on the soft sofa.

Ravenna's campaign had ultimately ended in failure. Although Seraphina had intervened and caused trouble, in the end, the two of them had joined forces to try to defeat the demon king.

Unfortunately, neither the ever-changing Miss Ravenna nor the strong and tall Miss Seraphina could do more than make the demon king break a sweat.

After the relaxing pleasure, Ansel didn't continue to linger, as he had gone a bit overboard this time. Both girls had fallen asleep, leaving no one to cuddle with.

He gazed at the map of the entire continent, hands clasped behind his back.

"The North, abundant in extraordinary resources, the best place to cultivate extraordinary combat power, and... the revolutionaries."

The young man murmured softly, continuing: "The Western Kingdom, with numerous Zero Realm Enigma entrances, the highest concentration and purity of etheric regions, a land of conflict and opportunity."

He then turned his gaze to the East:

"The Eastern Port, the Lost Sea, trade, abundance, the only sea route connecting to another continent..."

"As for the Southern Territory, with me there, it's the least likely to stir up any trouble."

As he muttered to himself, a still weary voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"…Just finished that kind of thing, and you're already eager to get back to work?"

Ravenna wrapped her arms around Ansel's waist from behind, slightly poking her head out.

Ansel couldn't help but laugh, "Are you talking about the old you?"

"The current me is the same… I just didn't expect you to be like this."

"I've always been like this. It seems you still don't know me well enough, Venna."

"Hmph."

Ravenna snorted softly, tightening her arms around Ansel.

Ansel placed his hand over hers, turned his head slightly, and said with a radiant smile, "Are you reassured now?"

"…Reassured about what?"

The petite scholar's expression stiffened slightly, and she averted her gaze.

"You're not the type to be anxious about such things." Ansel patted Ravenna's head gently, "Why be so insecure?"

Ravenna remained silent, merely pressing her head against Ansel's back.

After a long while, she whispered, "But I have already… become such a monster. I'm not even a puppet anymore."

Ravenna was actually afraid of this.

Who would have such feelings for a… for a monster that doesn't even have a tangible body, made of some alchemical substance?

So, rather than a punishment, it was more of a cautious test for Ansel. If he showed any displeasure or even resistance, Ravenna would immediately stop.

"What is it?"

But Ansel turned around, unable to suppress his laughter, and hugged her tightly:

"Am I not a monster too?"

Ravenna looked up, staring blankly at the face so close to hers.

Seeing Ravenna looking at him like this, Ansel extended his hands, making a clawing gesture and a playful "rawr" face.

"…Pfft."

"Is it funny?" Ansel looked at his hands shaped like claws.

"No." Ravenna shook her head, stood on tiptoe, and pecked Ansel on the lips.

She gazed into those mesmerizing sea-blue eyes and whispered:

"Very cute, I like it a lot."

"From now on, always make that face for me, Mr. Monster."

Ansel pinched Ravenna's cheek, "As you wish, Mrs. Monster."

They gazed into each other's eyes and smiled.

For they had finally found a brilliant color in their otherwise identical gray lives, a color they would never forget.

(Volume Two, Gray Rhapsody, End)