Miss Wolf was seething with rage, nearly unable to resist the urge to seize Helen and hurl her eight hundred ters away, then nonchalantly seat herself on Ansel's lap. However, Marlina's cautionary gaze and her own sowhat matured intellect restrained her from causing a scene right then and there. Instead, she could only suppress her frustration, sitting discontentedly in her chair.
— Despite the fact that she spent every night in fierce, prolonged encounters with Ansel, while Helen remained secluded in the alchemy workshop, never truly neglected, Seraphina still could not bear to see anyone else cozying up in Ansel's embrace.
"The ti has co, Father."
After a mont, Helen suddenly spoke, "I should head to the workshop now, would you...?"
She paused, her voice tender, "Would you join ?"
Ansel glanced at the visibly upset Seraphina, who, despite her displeasure, honestly stated, "I... I need to go train, Marli, co with !"
She stood up and quickly made her way to Ansel's side, grabbing Marlina and intending to leave.
But after only a few steps, Seraphina stopped, turned back, and "aw!"nipped at Ansel's other cheek, her gaze fierce and wolf-like as she glared at Helen.
After gently licking Ansel's cheek for a mont, Seraphina, satisfied, pulled Marlina away.
Her display amused Ansel, yet also left him… contemplative.
Seraphina's possessiveness was not rely romantic; it was the domineering desire of a future sovereign for her prized possessions… Even though Seraphina's temperant had been sowhat tad by Ansel over ti, her assertiveness and authority were becoming increasingly apparent.
The nature of a beast king is hard to alter. After concluding Helen's training, finding a solution for Seri's spiritual essence beca a priority—
With these thoughts, Ansel suddenly felt the warm, moist touch on the side of his cheek that Seraphina had licked.
Miss Helen was leaning on Ansel's shoulder, her gaze hazy, attempting to erase the mark left by Seraphina.
However, her actions were quickly halted by Ansel.
Wiping his cheek with a scarf, he chuckled, "Aren't you supposed to be heading to the workshop? Let's go, Helen."
"..." Helen stared blankly at Ansel for a mont before respectfully and obediently lowering her head, softly replying, "Yes, Father."
anwhile, Seraphina, pulling Marlina along, looked back several tis to ensure that neither Ansel nor Helen were in sight before revealing her true nature in front of her sister.
"Marli, Marli!"
The young girl grabbed her sister's arm, shaking it vigorously, her face full of indignation, "This isn't right!"
"..." Marlina sighed resignedly, "What's wrong now?"
"Just, just that Ravenna…No, should be Helen now, uh, why does she, um, that—how did she succeed so easily?"
The emotionally volatile Seraphina struggled to articulate her frustration, gesturing wildly, "I endured so much to beco Ansel's pact head, how could she achieve it so effortlessly?"
Marlina tapped Seraphina's forehead, "Why don't you consider why you had to endure so much initially? Why did Mr. Ansel make you go through all that?"
"Well... uh...hmm…"
Seraphina faltered, but soon declared loudly, "Even though I wasn't very competent back then, Helen wasn't much better than at the start!"
"That just shows she must have faced despair and pain you're unaware of, perhaps even... choices more difficult than yours."
Marlina's expression softened as she gently stroked Seraphina's head, speaking earnestly, "Never underestimate those chosen by Mr. Ansel. Besides, weren't you thinking of helping her just a while ago?"
"That wasn't helping her, I was doing it for Ansel!"
Seraphina retorted hotly. "Who knew she'd manage to sit on Ansel's lap and flaunt it in front of so soon... It's annoying! And Marli, that's exactly what's so abnormal about her!"
Her eyes lit up as she vigorously shook Marlina's shoulders.
" — How can she suddenly be so infatuated with Ansel, as if she wants to cling to him all the ti! She wasn't like this before!"
Marlina was montarily taken aback. She knew nothing of Ansel's specific thods in training Helen, but she could deduce from the outco that it involved a process of breaking down and then rebuilding, perhaps even more thoroughly than with Seraphina.
But the new "Helen," as Seraphina described, shouldn't have attached herself to Ansel so easily unless...
"Unless she has always cared deeply for Mr. Ansel," Marlina mused thoughtfully.
"It's just that the incident that caused their fallout initially suppressed those feelings."
"But Marli, isn't that contradictory?" Seraphina looked puzzled. "If she cared so much about Ansel, why would there be a fallout?"
"Because the forr Miss Ravenna prioritized ideals above all else, no... But then again, that doesn't really speak of caring deeply for Mr. Ansel, yet..."
Marlina, spurred by Seraphina's comnts, sensed sothing amiss and furrowed her brows in thought. Just then, a realization struck her.
Mr. Ansel's choices are never mistaken.
This thought eased Marlina's expression and reminded her not to doubt Mr. Ansel's decisions so casually.
"Seri, do you think Mr. Ansel is wrong?"
"... What? No! I didn't say that!" Seraphina's voice rose in denial. "I just find her a bit odd... I am the Wind's Head!
My instincts are very sharp!"
"But surely Mr. Ansel can foresee more and consider further than you, right?" Marlina replied softly.
"..." Miss Wolf scratched her cheek, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Is it really so hard to admit that you're just jealous of Miss Helen?"
Marlina teased, pinching Seraphina's cheek. "Miss Helen hasn't even made out with Mr. Ansel yet, and you're already feeling insecure, Seri?"
"No, no, no! That's not it!"
While playfully arguing with her sister, Marlina, though confident in Ansel's infallibility, continued to ponder over Helen.
Mr. Ansel wouldn't make a wrong choice, but Miss Helen...
Recalling Helen's lifeless eyes and her gaze towards Ansel, which was not just absolutely loyal but verging on fanaticism… Marlina rembered sothing Annelisa had once told her.
Ansel requires absolute loyalty, but there are countless who can offer that.
Beyond that loyalty, Ansel also needs followers who maintain their independence, the potential for creativity, rather than those wholly indulged in his charismatic decadence.
Thinking of Helen calling Ansel "Father," Marlina couldn't help but wonder to herself:
Is Miss Helen truly the person Mr. Ansel needs?
*
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