Chapter 57 : Marina’s Transformation

As the plan neared its conclusion, Anselm grew increasingly cautious, for elegance and meticulous care were not mutually exclusive.

Taming Hitana was also a challenge to the world and any oversight could undo all his efforts.

So now…

“Mm… mm…”

Hitana, whose chin was being scratched by Anselm, kept her eyes tightly shut but couldn’t stop the purring sounds escaping her.

—She probably meant to let out a beastly growl to intimidate, but the sound she produced had nothing to do with any beast.

“Are… are you done?”

Crouching on the floor, Hitana fought the urge to leap up, straddle Anselm and punch him square in the face, gritting her teeth as she asked.

She couldn’t take it anymore—she wanted to smash Hydra’s head in!

Anselm relished the girl’s mix of shame, anger, and helplessness, feeling thoroughly delighted.

After that night at Chishuang Manor, Hitana’s feelings toward him had shifted from indescribable complexity to closeness.

Hitana’s nature was wild, even chaotic.

Her family was harmonious, and she grew up with plenty of love, but she lacked one thing.

Recognition.

Though it was her own doing, her soul’s ingrained nature kept her from self-reflection—or even if she reflected, she wouldn’t accept it.

She charged headlong down a path of either tearing through obstacles or destroying herself.

Among the four heroes of the original worldline, Hitana was the only one crowned with the title of [Empress], precisely because of her unyielding, indomitable wildness and madness, which led her to the path of sole supremacy after enduring blood-soaked hatred and despair.

She just had no interest or mind to be an empress.

No one would accept or recognize such arrogant dominance, but Anselm did.

That night, for the first time in Hitana’s sixteen years, someone told her, “I recognize all of you.”

And the corresponding truth made it impossible for her to doubt Anselm’s words.

Because Anselm never told her “you can’t do this” but taught her “how to do it” after every punishment.

—Except for those pointless, tedious etiquettes.

“Hitana, it seems you haven’t been focusing on your training these past few days.”

Anselm withdrew his hand, relaxing after petting the puppy and resumed handling documents.

“…What’s it to you? I’m saving you money and you’re still not happy?”

Hitana punched Anselm’s thigh, then plopped onto the desk without any regard for manners, crossing her legs and resting her chin in her hands, acting like a boss.

Anselm knew full well his young wolf was using this behavior to mask her guilt.

After secretly recording Count Ironstone’s speech at the meeting, Hitana hadn’t found a single opportunity for a whole week.

She watched as Chishuang City’s policies gradually relaxed, the commoners’ praises grew louder, and rumors of “Hydra’s pressure” began to spread, yet she was powerless.

How could they cheer over such petty gains!

You could’ve had so much more than their fake charity!

Worried sick every day, Hitana naturally had no mind for training.

“I thought you’d hit a bottleneck.” When alone, Anselm had no demands of his people.

Noble social etiquette was outdated and boring, and he found it tiresome, though maintaining it publicly was necessary, even if he could act as he pleased.

“The path from the Crystal Ladder to the Throne is a dual transformation of spirit and body. Only by ascending the Throne do you truly enter the world of the extraordinary.”

Anselm glanced at Hitana’s fair, tender thighs.

As the weather had grown colder recently, the study—and the entire mansion—was often kept heated, so Hitana wore shorts daily.

Well… though this world was male-dominated, it didn’t oppress women, as men and women had equal chances to become extraordinary.

So Hitana’s attire wasn’t exactly “indecent,” but it was certainly bold.

—Mainly because, aside from Anselm and Saville, there were no other men around, and Hitana automatically ignored the ghostly old butler.

It wasn’t wrong to say she dressed this way just for Anselm.

After looking for a while, Anselm suddenly put down his pen and said, “Hitana, can I touch your thigh?”

“Oh.”

Lost in her daily self-questioning of ‘What exactly should I do,’ Hitana responded absentmindedly.

The next second, her expression changed sharply as she realized what he said, shrieking:

“What are you saying… Eek!”

Before she could finish, Anselm’s hand was already on her soft, fair, plump and firm thigh.

For Anselm, who regarded self-discipline as a creed, one of his few hobbies for relieving desire and madness was his deep and unique study of feminine beauty.

If Marina was more favored by Anselm for her soul and character, then purely from the primal urge of reproduction, the desire-driven Hydra would still choose Hitana.

The young wolf girl whose thigh was touched shuddered, then immediately jumped up, stepping onto Anselm’s desk.

“Hydra, I’m warning you… you, don’t go too far!”

The girl, who had been stripped and touched who-knows-how-many times, blustered fiercely despite her inner fear: “There are plenty of women in this house. Don’t bother me! If you’re going to lose it, go find them!”

“Even they wouldn’t, without my asking, dress so lightly and sit on my desk.”

Anselm responded matter-of-factly: “It’s hard for me not to think you have some special intention.”

The never-lying Hydra smiled up at the snarling she-wolf:

“And with a girl who suits my taste, I always take what’s offered.”

“Suits… suits your death!”

Hitana, furious and embarrassed, kicked at Anselm’s shoulder.

Then, the electric shock collar, dormant for some time, gave her a long-missed familiar experience.

“W-Wuuuh!”

Hitana, barely lifting her foot, convulsed violently, collapsing onto Anselm’s desk with occasional tremors, her fierce gaze curling into a ball, like a delicacy laid out before him.

“Hitana, have I been too good to you, making you forget some things?”

Anselm scratched Hitana’s chin with his finger, chuckling softly: “You can do whatever you want, but are you prepared for failure and the punishment that follows?”

Somewhat accustomed to the shock’s intensity, Hitana shrank back and bit Anselm’s finger hard.

Then she was shocked again, whimpering with his finger in her mouth.

“See, I’m touching you but not getting shocked. It’s just a simple use of Ether.”

With the shock’s intensity increased, Hitana’s eyes grew dazed, her mouth slightly open, saliva dripping, tongue half-hanging out.

Anselm smiled, teasing her pink tongue: “You promised to study hard and train yourself, but you’ve been so slack lately… I’m a bit disappointed, Hitana.”

He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the saliva from his finger, then cleaned Hitana’s mouth, gripping her underarms to move her aside.

“Once you recover your strength, don’t forget to train.”

Though he said he’d take what’s offered, Anselm, having reduced Hitana to this state, did nothing further.

He smoothed out the crumpled papers and resumed writing, saying meaningfully: “Or you’ll regret it, Hitana.”

In the study, aside from the sound of Anselm’s pen on paper, only Hitana’s panting echoed.

“Hydra… you… just wait…”

After who-knows-how-long, Hitana, finally able to prop herself up, was still panting: “One day, one day, I… slurp!”

Mid-sentence, nearly drooling from exhaustion, Hitana quickly sucked it back.

Anselm, working with his head down, couldn’t help but laugh, infuriating the mortified young wolf girl, who wanted to bite him to death.

“Lord Hydra, are you free?”

At that moment, a soft, pleasant girl’s voice accompanied a knock.

Hitana’s heart jolted. Before she could speak, Anselm said: “Come in.”

Marina pushed the door open.

She saw her sister sprawled sideways on Anselm’s desk, just propping herself up.

“…”

Marina, joyfully holding a stack of documents, looked at Hitana, who guiltily averted her gaze, unable to speak.

These past few days, Hitana’s mind had been consumed with exposing Count Ironstone’s meeting.

When idle, she spent a lot of time with Anselm.

And what Hitana was like around Anselm… well, those who know, know.

Hitana didn’t even know how many times she’d been caught by Marina after messing up or being toyed with by Anselm.

At first, her sister would angrily scold her, giving long-winded lectures before bed.

But as it happened more, Marina seemed to stop caring, just… silent.

A wordless silence.

Hitana was thrilled, of course—no more nagging.

But when caught, she still felt a bit guilty.

The girl with her simple braid looked at her sister briefly, said nothing and soon wore her gentle smile again.

She walked to the desk, respectfully handing the documents to Anselm:“Based on the poverty line you set, I’ve listed all impoverished families in Chishuang City, down to each street’s households and their specific income details. Please review.”

“Have you verified it?”

“Yes, with Miss Merry’s and Butler Saville’s help, it’s all been checked.”

Marina’s tone grew steadier, her demeanor more poised, her words rarely faltering, even increasingly meeting Anselm’s eyes.

Anselm took the documents, nodding occasionally, saying with satisfaction: “Well done. Completing this list in three days is impressive, Marina.”

“It’s because you gave me such abundant resources.”

The girl smiled, shaking her head: “If I couldn’t even do this, I’d be too ashamed to serve you.”

“Hey, Hydra.”

Looking back and forth, Hitana felt something off, a strange sense of being excluded.

Feeling inexplicably irritated, she interrupted: “What’s this for?”

—And, by the way, she remained sprawled on Anselm’s desk.

“The Imperial Capital’s Observatory sent me a notice some time ago.”

Anselm answered with patience and gentleness, without a hint of displeasure: “The great cold wave in the North is coming soon, within a week at most. I had Marina compile a list of impoverished families in Chishuang City and allocated funds to provide them with enough coal to survive the cold wave.”

“Oh… that’s a good thing! You can do good deeds properly after all!”

Hitana grinned, completely unaware of her sister’s slightly furrowed brow.

But as she laughed, something felt off.

The girl rubbed her chin: “You just said… Chishuang City?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Just Chishuang City?”

“Mm.”

“But Chishuang Territory isn’t just Chishuang City!” Hitana sat up straight. “What about the commoners in other cities and villages?”

“They’ll manage somehow,” Anselm said calmly. “Did all the commoners in Chishuang Territory die out every year before I came?”

“That’s… that’s not how it works…”

Hitana bit her lip: “Since you’re already giving out coal for free, can’t you give more and help more people?”

“Hitana!” Marina’s brows knotted tightly. “Can you think before you speak? Stop being unreasonable!”

“Unreasonable?!”

The young wolf girl was stunned, unable to believe those words came from her gentle sister.

Her sister cared deeply for those around her.

Unlike Hitana, who was often disliked, no one could dislike Marina.

Every time she returned from the market, Marina would use her meager savings to buy candies for the village children.

How could she say… helping more people was unreasonable?

“Hydra absolutely has the ability to help more people! If he wants to help, why not help more?”

Hitana, irritated by Marina’s unusual demeanor and tone, snapped: “Lina, do you want those people to freeze to death in the cold?”

“It’s Lord Hydra who’s paying for it. All the funds are coming from him personally!”

Marina stared coldly at her sister: “You have no right to force him with morality.”

“I…” Hitana opened her mouth, her sister’s unfamiliar expression leaving her at a loss, fueling her anger further.

“I… why don’t I have the right?! In Chishuang Territory… I’m the closest to him! Except for that old butler!”

Though reluctant to frame it this way, the memory of Anselm’s promise to her that night in the manor warmed Hitana’s heart.

She raised her chin, huffing proudly: “Right, Hydra?”

Anselm only smiled, neither denying nor agreeing.

This was effectively confirmation. Marina’s momentum faltered instantly, but Hitana pressed on, as if determined to make Anselm admit it:

“Hydra, hey, don’t just smile! Say something!”

With her strength somewhat restored, Hitana sat up, scooted to the edge of the table near Anselm and shook his shoulder: “Right? Right?”

“Yes, yes, yes… my dear Miss Hitana.”

Anselm chuckled helplessly: “You’re right. You do have the right to advise me like this.”

“Hmph… hmph.”

Hitana’s face flushed as she turned to Marina, smugly saying: “See, Lina? Like I said before, Hydra won’t get mad at me. We’re super close, so why can’t I make suggestions?”

“…”

The girl lowered her head, silent, while Hitana took it as her being speechless.

Beating her sister filled her with glee. She gently nudged Anselm’s knee with her toe, leaned down, and whispered:

“So, can you do it? I know it’s a bit much… How about the extra money counts as my debt to you? I’ll hunt to pay you back later.”

“You know I’ve got the skills, right?”

Though soft, her voice carried in the small study, and Marina heard every word clearly.

Those kind, innocent words cut through her already shattered dignity a thousand times sharper than any blade.

She couldn’t boast to Anselm about the effort and heart she poured into compiling that document in three days.

Instead, she had to use “If I can’t do it, I’m not worthy to serve you” to define her place, her humility, and her boundary with Anselm.

Yet Hitana could so easily, casually say “I’ve got the skills” and make any absurd demand of Anselm.

“Since you’ve put it that way…”

Anselm sighed, then smiled and patted Hitana’s knee: “I don’t really have a reason to refuse.”

The girl’s face reddened, but this time she didn’t react strongly. Instead, she grinned: “I knew it! If you want to, Hydra, you can definitely be a good person! Let me help you from now on!”

“Marina, then I’ll trouble you… Marina?”

Two calls snapped Marina out of her dark, cold thoughts.

She came to, meeting Anselm’s sea-blue eyes filled with concern.

Lord Hydra…

She murmured inwardly.

“Yes… I’m here. Sorry, I was distracted just now.”

Marina averted her gaze.

For a moment, she thought she saw… something black in Lord Hydra’s beautiful eyes?

A beautiful… black.

“Take this ring.”

Anselm removed the black snake-headed ring from his thumb and handed it to Marina.

“Now, not only my mansion but all the nobles in Chishuang Territory will heed your commands. I know this task is daunting, so this aid is necessary.”

Hydra spoke gently to the girl who revered him: “But no matter how tough, I still have faith in you, Marina.”

“For the poor and suffering people of Chishuang Territory, do your best.”

“…”

Marina’s lips trembled, her eyes quivering.

Lord Hydra, when Hitana, a genius, an extraordinary being, someone with real ability, serves you, do you still… still look at me?

It wasn’t a ploy to win her over, nor a deceptive lie. From their gentle first meeting, his sincere respect in their interactions, his earnest guidance in their time together…

Lord Hydra had been watching her from the start, acknowledging her insignificant cleverness, meaningless to great extraordinary beings.

Yes… Lord Hydra promised me.

He said—[Believe me, to me, you and Hitana are equally important.]And he… acted on it.

Marina had countless words she wanted to pour out but couldn’t utter a single one.

The girl only lowered her head, taking the black snake-headed ring from Anselm with trembling hands, as if receiving a sacred relic.

“I will, Lord Hydra.”

The intelligent, kind, gentle and frail Marina raised her head, her face beaming with an unprecedented, confident, radiant, and stunning smile:“But I have one small request. Please… you must agree.”

Hitana instinctively felt something off about her sister but couldn’t pinpoint it.

Anselm’s lips curled slightly.

The girl who had once been timid before him was finally daring to make a genuine request, even using the word “must.”

“Speak,” the young Hydra said with a pleased smile. “I’ll definitely agree.”

“It’s a simple matter. I hope I can work with you as before.”

Marina spoke softly, smiling.

In the past few days, as Hitana idly wandered into Anselm’s study or was summoned there, Marina had chosen to yield.

She stopped working alongside Anselm, instead handling documents in her room.

“Huh? That’s it?” Hitana scratched her cheek. “I thought it was something big. Why make such a fuss over something so small, Lina?”

She spoke casually, as if barging into Anselm’s study was as easy as eating or drinking.

“At the same time,” Marina continued gently, not looking at her sister.

“I hope, when I’m working with you, you’ll refuse Hitana entry to the study.”

“Hm… another request… huh?!”

Before Anselm could respond, Hitana exploded, turning to Marina with confusion and slight anger: “Lina, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Marina spoke to Hitana with utmost gentleness and kindness: “Hitana, Lord Hydra is exhausted handling documents daily, and my abilities are limited. You might distract me. For the sake of Chishuang Territory’s commoners, can you not disturb us?”

This struck Hitana’s growing sense of “self-justice.” After hesitating for a long time, she reluctantly pouted: “Fine… I won’t bother you guys anymore.”

Thus, Marina cast a hopeful gaze at Anselm.

“I have no objections,” Anselm said, looking at Marina.

His gaze, somehow different, with a meaningful depth, quickened her heartbeat, warmed her body, and set her blood ablaze.

Yet it brought her no tension, only a joy she had never experienced before.

“Thank you for your generosity.”

Marina lifted her skirt and curtsied to Anselm: “I will, I will not fail your expectations. This is for all the poor people of Chishuang Territory.”

And for… you.

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