After their encounter, Ansel's ambivalent behavior—seemingly abandoning her yet needing her, desiring to tame her—planted a wistful, illusory hope in Ravenna's heart that 'Ansel cared for me'.
But at the peak of this notion, after a night of shared confessions following their departure from Ziegler Manor, Ansel cruelly exposed the irreparable rift between them.
The ephemeral illusion of closeness, yet distance, transformed into an undeniable reality of downfall.
Beneath this vast disparity, coupled with the information disclosed by Marlina and the peculiar nature of Ravenna's soul, no matter how rational, intelligent, or steadfast this c c petite and aloof scholar was, she would inevitably plunge into utter chaos.
According to Ansel's current plan and pace... Ravenna's downfall was merely a matter of time.
Unless this was precisely what fate desired—to replay the events that unfolded with Seraphina.
But have you perhaps... perceived me as too benevolent?
Ansel mused silently.
How could I pledge the same vow to someone who once betrayed me, as I did with Seraphina?
Seraphina's uncontrollable beastal nature lies in the distant future, where, before its arrival, anything is possible.
However, Ravenna's pathological pursuit of her ideals has permeated her life, unchangeable.
Three years ago, he believed he had broken through Ravenna's obsession, only to find it was all in vain; even if Ravenna were to fall, he doubted she would place her ideals below herself.
Yet, fate must have foreseen the possibility of success in taming Ravenna, after which... something even more elusive awaited him.
However, addressing the current matters was of utmost importance.
"Evora," Ansel suddenly spoke, "You must have watched enough by now."
"...What?" Evora slightly turned her head, "Watched enough?"
"I brought Seraphina here not just as a favor to you but to ensure she enjoys herself today."
The young Hydral was not smiling; that kind of pure calmness, bordering on indifference, was rarely seen on his face.
"It's not about watching her like a pet in captivity."
Evora's eyes narrowed slightly: "So, on my territory, I don't even have the right to look at your dog?"
"Just now, you were unsure how to repay me... and now you're declaring your status again?"
Evora is no saint; by human moral and ethical standards, she is a thoroughly asshole.
But she doesn't care about appearing "moral" or if anyone criticizes her on moral grounds; she would simply burn that person's entire family.
Her sole motivation is to follow her heart—the most pure, extreme form of self-indulgence and tyranny.
Ansel, fully aware of this, smirked, "So, the eggs of the lesser Tidecallers, you'll handle them yourself?"
The only way to influence someone like her is to directly affect her interests.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Evora reluctantly said, "Do you really like your little dog that much?"
"Yes."
"...Hmph."
—Even if she herself was not the one doing the crafting.
Seraphina hummed a cheerful tune, readying herself to hoist her prey and transport it to Ravenna's side.
However, as she extended her hand to touch the corpse, a chilling sensation that made her entire being shudder in an instant, a cold dread that shot up from her tailbone to the crown of her head, caused Seraphina's fur to bristle, and she instinctively leaped backward over ten meters.
"What was that just now..."
Miss Wolf shivered, observing the goosebumps densely covering her arms, she uttered in disbelief, "A threat...?"
"A threat of... death?"
The motionless corpse suddenly twitched.
Then, the twitching became more violent and terrifying, almost causing the entire prone body to leap up on the spot. In this horrifying convulsion, a deep sea-blue color... rapidly enveloped the entire body.
Semi-transparent, flesh-bud-like... or perhaps tentacle-like appendages, one after another, burst through the skin of the corpse at an increasing pace, wildly dancing in the air, causing one's scalp to tingle.
"Damn it..."
Gazing at the grotesque monster now covered in tentacles and beginning to deform, Seraphina muttered with a chill, "What in the world is this monster?"
"D...a....
The young girl's expression froze instantly.
For she heard... she heard the monster, with its torn, tentacle-covered massive mouth, echoing her words!
"What... in... the... world... is... this... monster?" It repeated, stumbling over the words with a muffled voice.
Seraphina instinctively took a step back, and the deformed monster, covered in tentacles, also retreated a step.
"... Bastard!!"
Regaining her composure, Seraphina's expression darkened immensely—had she really been frightened by such a nonsensical, chaotic creature? How could Hydral's strongest pact head be scared of such an inexplicably messy thing?
Her cruel and fierce aura burst forth in an instant, and at that moment, the countless tentacles on the monster's body ceased their writhing, solidifying for nearly a second, then—
Then, without even attempting to learn, it turned and fled without hesitation, sprinting away on the spot.
At this moment, this intense sense of mockery completely infuriated Seraphina.
"..."
"Damn freak... you're doomed!"
The wolf roared, "I will tear you to pieces and boil you in a pot! Ravenna, follow me!"
Saying so, she did not wait for Ravenna, directly chasing after the traces left by the monster, sprinting away.
However, Ravenna did not immediately follow Seraphina.
"Miss Ravenna."
A princess in a white dress, pure and beautiful as an iris, appeared out of nowhere behind the stiff Ravenna, chuckling lightly:
"The time has come, you must fulfill... your promise."
*