A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The investigation of the killer must be put on the agenda. Ravenna was currently focusing on studying the essences related to death and the undead. If the essences of time were not so difficult, she would prefer to start from this aspect.

The door of the alchemy workshop opened, welcoming its busy owner once again. Ravenna decided to first create the alchemical tools that could be used in this area, and the rest... could be put aside for now.

After all, the Tower of Babel had truly been reborn — although this rebirth, and the reason for the rebirth, had nothing to do with the Tower of Babel itself.

"Should I also consider the hunting essence, which fits with the beast essence, the difficulty is not too complex, and also —"

Her muttering stopped abruptly as she looked up and saw someone sitting in the workshop.

"Hunting essence? What, have you recently had time to go hunting?"

Ansel, who didn\'t bring anyone this time, lazily sat on a sofa that didn\'t know where it came from: "I don\'t remember you having this hobby, Venna."

"...When I\'m alone with you, you don\'t have to use this name."

Ravenna glanced at Ansel, who seemed to be on vacation in the alchemy workshop: "I\'m more used to you calling me by my name, Ansel."

"Oh..." Ansel understood, "You mean, let me call you that even when others are present? Okay, I don\'t mind."

"..."

Ravenna was silent for a moment, then walked to the workbench without saying a word. She, who had already outlined the shape of the tool in her mind, was ready to start working and didn\'t want to waste time with Ansel.

But Ansel came here, obviously not to watch her work.

The young Hydral stood up from the sofa and walked behind the petite scholar.

Miss Ravenna\'s figure could not be described as slender, and it was even less appropriate to describe it as childish. The word petite was a perfect description.

But most people have a certain degree of misunderstanding about the word "petite", especially in the memory brought by the friends who have crossed over, in the era of that world... people always associate "petite" with an obviously over-childish figure.

Ravenna, whose head could barely reach Ansel\'s Adam\'s apple, obviously couldn\'t be considered childish, but she was a head shorter than Ansel, and compared with Seraphina, the gap was quite obvious. So the wolf lady\'s big words that day didn\'t mean that Ravenna was really that small, it was just that compared to them, well... it was kinda hilarious.

Ansel put his hands on Ravenna\'s shoulders and said with a light laugh, "Did you forget what you promised me last time?"

"..."

When they meet again, she will show Ansel a smile from the heart.

Ravenna\'s body paused slightly, she took a deep breath, trying to make her tone as calm as possible: "I remember, please let me prepare..."

"Ah, no, no need, not now."

Ansel looked down at the petite, puppet-like Miss Ravenna in his arms: "You now, don\'t seem to be in a state where you can show a smile from the heart, it\'s too bad if you force it, for both you and me."

He could feel her slightly tense slender shoulders relax a bit, then, a smile rose on Ansel\'s face again:

"But because of this... you must accept the punishment, dear Venna."

The previously relaxed body tensed once again, and Ravenna, with her head bowed, remained silent for a moment before murmuring, "I really shouldn\'t have harbored any expectations of you, Ansel."

"So... you still have expectations of me? You seem somewhat inconsistent, Venna, declaring that you\'ve seen through my true nature while still entertaining these unrealistic notions about me... Hasn\'t this happened numerous times already?"

Those hands gradually moved downward, and Ravenna\'s breathing subtly changed — her flesh could not regulate sensation and was far more sensitive than any puppet\'s.

However, Ansel simply wrapped his arms around her waist and did nothing more.

"You\'re... much the same."

Ravenna struggled to steady her breath, feeling the warmth of his broad palms on her waist and the solid, comforting warmth against her back as she was held tightly in Ansel\'s embrace.

"Speaking of pushing me towards the abyss of reason while trying to evoke memories from three years ago... Reminding me of your kindness, your deceit, attempting to stir my emotions... Why do you do this, do you find it amusing?"

"What, the clever Venna can\'t think of the answer?"

"Of course."

Ravenna slightly lowered her head, her voice a touch hoarse: "Just as I can\'t fathom, among the words you\'ve spoken to me, how many were lies."

"Hmm?" Ansel\'s brows lifted slightly, "As I recall, what I told you was... everything."

"Yes, everything." Ravenna, wanting to not press so closely against Ansel\'s chest but held firmly in place, continued under the somewhat scorching heat, "You told me that everything you said to me was a lie, but I... don\'t believe it."

Marlina\'s words had ultimately caused her to waver.

"Ansel, I don\'t believe you\'ve never told me a single truth."

Ravenna looked up, her face, usually impassive and delicate, now faintly marked with a barely perceptible complexity of emotions: "Now that I think about it, even at the moment you wished to destroy me, it seems... I still harbored such thoughts."

Ansel\'s hand gently covered Ravenna\'s small face, he paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile: "This is unlike you, Venna."

"You know me, I know you." Ravenna did not resist Ansel\'s touch, her gaze falling as she received no response, "But it seems now, I don\'t understand you, and you... don\'t understand me either."

After a brief silence, Ansel suddenly lifted Ravenna off the ground, eliciting an involuntary gasp from her, then set her down with a laugh.

"This was clearly my time to punish you... How has it turned into your sermon?"

Ansel, not intending to let go, pinched Ravenna\'s chin: "Your change is quite apparent, Venna."

"...I do not fear a future where I erase everything to become a mere tool. But if it comes too soon, it is of no benefit to me."

"So you\'ve laid down your rational weapons and allowed emotions to flow unchecked?"

"This must also be exactly what you desired... Playing with an unresponsive doll holds little satisfaction, does it?" Ravenna said expressionlessly.

Hearing this, Ansel laughed out loud: "You think too highly of yourself, dear Venna. There are countless ways to elicit a reaction from you. Are you not fully aware of your own sensitivity? Or have you forgotten what you experienced in my bedroom?"

His fingertips easily sliced through the fabric on Ravenna\'s body, and compared to her tender skin, his palm felt scorching, causing the woman, five years his senior, to shiver slightly.

"Seraphina is quite sensitive already." Ansel whispered in Ravenna\'s ear, "But even she wouldn\'t tremble so violently from a mere touch on the stomach."

Miss Ravenna, seemingly delicate yet dressed in mature allure, with a demeanor as cold as ice, possessed a particularly unique... contradictory charm.

But Ansel did not continue under the guise of "punishment"; he simply kneaded Ravenna\'s soft abdomen and stopped as her delicate body trembled in his arms.

"Although I never mind forcing others... coercion must be meaningful, and clearly, forcing you to do something now holds no value, it doesn\'t add to the pleasure."

"So, I plan to change the punishment... From your soliloquy upon entering, it seems you intended to secretly do something rather naughty."

Feeling the smooth sensation in his palm, utterly different from Seraphina\'s, Ansel said with relish:

"Would you mind... if I joined you?"

*