Novel Full Chapter 599 In Ravenna's Eyes
Though Ansel had placed her on par with Seraphina, the magnanimous Miss Ravenna didn’t mind too much. Given her character, she would consider it beneath her to compete with Seraphina.
Ansel’s words held truth as well: “To defeat fate, everything can be sacrificed.” The demonic barrier that had plunged Ansel into extreme evil and the abyss had been broken by her. His heart had grown more complete, making it far more difficult for future challengers to sway him or evoke feelings of “love”.
Lacking Seraphina’s rare single-mindedness and the deep bond she shared with Ansel, huh, how could anyone hope to tame him?
The thought that she might have inadvertently locked the door while taming Ansel made even the seldom-arrogant Miss Ravenna feel a surge of pride.
To say she didn’t mind women constantly flocking to Ansel would be a lie. Though Ravenna wasn’t overly concerned with such matters, love without a hint of possessiveness cannot truly be called love.
However, as long as they weren’t as “special” as she was, she could turn a blind eye. After all… dealing with this troublesome brat alone had brought her a bittersweet happiness, especially without Seraphina’s help to share the burden.
Moreover, Ansel had a peculiar principle—he lost interest in women who were completely infatuated with him and would even discard them.
Typically, men prefer women who are obedient and adoring, and Ansel, with his insecurities, should crave such devotion even more to satisfy his need for security.
So why did he detest… those who were overly infatuated with him?
This thought flitted through Ravenna’s mind but didn’t linger. After all, such a principle wasn’t entirely strange. Putting herself in his shoes… if she were surrounded by a group of women who couldn’t wait to fawn over her day and night, it would indeed be intolerable.
“So, are you planning to take on commissions and… give yourself a break?”
To avoid being treated like rare animals by onlookers, Ravenna cast a cognitive concealment spell on the three of them(two people and one cat), even though Ansel hadn’t requested it. Miss scholar, her mood lifted by Ansel’s recent declaration, casually remarked while watching the bustling street, “You really seem to enjoy being an adventurer.”
“Hmm… Do I?”
Ansel tilted his head slightly. “There’s nothing else to do, really. I just see it as passing the time.”
“You’ve been so focused on this that you’ve neglected other matters, and yet you claim it’s just passing time? Fine… your subordinates are everywhere, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t manage things. But…”
Ravenna hesitated for a moment before softly asking, “What about Fate?”
“It’s not like Fate is me, constantly opposing me.” Ansel smiled. “But turning a trivial detail into a lever to shift my entire plan… such things can indeed happen. However, I foresee these possibilities and won’t allow it to interfere at will. I will quash them at the first sign.”
If anyone else had casually claimed, “I can handle wherever Fate tries to meddle,” Ravenna would have thought them a fool. But coming from Ansel, it was a different matter entirely.
Recalling the past in the Imperial Capital, Miss Scholar still shivered slightly at Ansel’s then-cruelty.
Just a little more, a tiny little more, and everything between her and Ansel would have been over.
He was just one step away from completely dominating the second heroine, devouring Flamelle, attaining the power of a sixth-stage deity, ruling the empire, and reigning supreme.
She later understood that every decision she made was influenced by Fate to prevent Ansel from achieving this. Even with Fate pushing everything to the extreme in the most reasonable manner, it only barely outmatched Ansel.
It was essentially a gamble, wagering on whether Ansel retained any bit of warmth and humanity.
Forcing Fate to “gamble”—only Ansel could achieve such a feat.
With this realization, Ravenna felt a bit more at ease.
She still worried about the burdens Ansel carried.
Unlike the carefree Seraphina, who probably hadn’t noticed any change in Ansel, Ravenna believed she shared an unparalleled understanding with him, though she still couldn’t truly delve into his heart, only glimpsing a portion of it.
Ravenna’s hand, silently holding Ansel’s, tightened slightly.
Merely reading those memories or hearing his account could never truly convey the depth of that despair.
The terror of being controlled, manipulated, and ultimately abandoned by the entire world.
Anyone else would have gone completely mad or simply ended their life. Ravenna, under Ansel’s design, nearly lost herself in just a few days. She couldn’t fathom… how Ansel, from a young age of less than ten, managed to persevere to this point.
In these six years, Ansel has been deeply wounded. Perhaps it’s not that he doesn’t want to open his heart to anyone, but rather that he instinctively sees closure as protection, without even realizing it himself.
He is willing to open up completely to me and Seraphina, but perhaps that is only what he “thinks” is everything.
Ravenna worried that the madness and obsession might resurface. Ansel already bore enough burdens; she didn’t want him to endure even greater suffering and torment because of these heavy burdens.
Fortunately, it seems now… everything is thankfully alright.
This gloomy little brat, always scheming something, finally knows how to take a break and become an adventurer…
Ravenna didn’t realize that what she was thinking now had actually been considered by someone much earlier. She pondered—if there were no fate, no chaotic events, wouldn’t sixteen-year-old Ansel have lived freely like an adventurer?
… Speaking of which, isn’t he turning seventeen soon?
Unknowingly, they had entered the lower district. The cat in Ansel’s arms had become very docile and even somewhat clingy, occasionally nuzzling his neck.
“The existence of guilds like the Executioners is probably a good thing for the commoners.” Ravenna glanced at the cat in Ansel’s arms. “In any other part of the Empire, where would commoners dare to ask extraordinary beings to find a cat?”
“A good thing, hmm…”
Ansel, after a brief pause, smiled. “Yes, it is indeed a good thing—Is that the house?”
Without Ravenna needing to answer, the cat in his arms started to meow and gently leapt from Ansel’s embrace, swaying its tail as it approached a rusted iron door not far away.
“See, it knows where home is?”
Ravenna frowned. “Cats really are fickle creatures.”
Ansel chuckled. “This lower district is so dirty and chaotic, like a labyrinth. It might find its way out, but not necessarily back.”
“True enough.”
They watched as the cat meowed at the door, summoning the owner, leading to a touching scene of reunion between man and pet.
“The way back… is not easy.”
The young Hydral murmured softly as he watched the cat yawning in its owner’s arms.
“…What?”
“Nothing. Let’s head back to the upper district. What do you fancy for lunch?”
The two turned and walked side by side towards the upper district, where they could still feel the sunlight on their path.
Discover hidden content at empire
“Lunch? Anything will do. But first, join me in studying something. I’ve had an inspiration recently—I think the Western Lands is far too backward, utterly—”
“Margarete! I think this idea is splendid! How can people stay in dark places all the time? Without sunlight, they’ll get sick! If we make all the residents come to the upper part of the lower district to bask in the sun daily, their spirits would be much better…”
The chatter from nearby interrupted Ravenna’s words.
“By the way…” She turned to Ansel. “Has Marlina’s prison term not ended yet?”
Ansel chuckled. “Why call it a term? I didn’t send Marli to help Seri as a punishment.”
“Your intentions have little to do with whether she feels imprisoned.”
Ravenna pouted. “Shall we greet them? If so, I’ll lift the spell.”
“No need. Let’s go back. They’re hard at work, aren’t they?”
“I only see an employer making endless whimsical demands and an employee forced to fulfill her baffling fantasies.”
Ansel gently flicked Ravenna’s forehead. “Don’t speak so poorly of Seri.”
“I’m not criticizing her.” Ravenna looked slightly agitated. “I’m just saying she’s not cut out for this.”
“If it’s Seri, she’d surely retort, ‘Doing good deeds isn’t about suitability.'”
“Which is exactly why she’s not suited.”
As they conversed, they walked past Seraphina and Marlina.
But at that moment, Seraphina suddenly stopped, sniffed the air, and turned around with a deeply suspicious look.
“…That nose of hers.” Ravenna’s eyelid twitched. “Ansel, is she truly human?”
“A genuine human.”
“I doubt a normal human has such keen senses… Well, as long as you like her.”
Sniffing the air, Seraphina walked back a few steps, scratching her head in puzzlement as the scent faded.
“What is it, Miss Fenrir?”
“Nothing, I just thought I caught Ansel’s scent. Maybe I miss him too much.”
Seraphina didn’t dwell on it and continued enthusiastically describing her sunbathing plan to Marlina: “We can schedule it so that during the best sunlight hours each day, they can take turns…”
“Miss Fenrir, let’s set that plan aside for now. I have a comprehensive strategy that can truly transform the lower district.”
Seraphina was initially taken aback, then delighted: “Really? Tell me all about it!”
Previously, it was Milo’s secretary, disguised as Milo, who had lured Seraphina into the lower district. He was unaware of Seraphina and Ansel’s relationship, so he managed to control Seraphina with his schemes.
However, Milo is now completely loyal to Ansel, and releasing Seraphina would be a simple matter of a word.
But things are never that simple. Marlina could see at a glance that this time… Seraphina would not leave so easily.
The lower district of Dispute Fortress was too vast, and the suffering here too stark. Her sense of responsibility compelled her to stay until she saw real change, until the lives of all the common people truly improved.
Thus, the goal was to genuinely improve the district.
Not with the temporary fixes that would deceive Seri, but with the profound transformations Mr.Ansel envisioned—true, lasting change to their lives.
Seri’s journey and Mr. Ansel’s vision, I will do everything in my power to protect and realize. Starting from… now.
Meanwhile, Bryce Palmer, assisting the Duke of Firmament in taking another stronghold, upon learning that his wife had been brutally tortured and left barely alive—
Did not immediately return.
*