"Everyone... everyone, listen to ." Seraphina's lips trembled incessantly, her nails digging into her palms. She maintained the smile on her face and the confidence that had been so hard to ignite, trying her best to raise her voice: "We don't need that guy... I an, we don't need Hydral, I can do it, I can help everyone live better, right? By relying on ourselves, with our own hands, we can also beco better!" The surrounding noise quieted down, everyone was looking at Seraphina. Still relief, peace, such comforting and peaceful eyes. —But they were like... ruthless ice knives… dissecting Seraphina's personality. "That's great... Seri has really grown up, she's considering for Lord Hydral, Lord Hydral will be very happy if he knows." "Relying on ourselves, hmm... it's a good idea, we might as well do as Seri said, support ourselves for a while, and tell Lord Hydral after a while, maybe the effect will be better! Seri will definitely be more perfect in Lord Hydral's eyes!" "Ah? But I don't want to freeze, the big cold wave just passed, it's too cold these days, I can't stand it." "Shut up! Gleipnir, this is for Seri's good, and for everyone's good! Understand!" "Hmm... should we vote on it?" "What's there to vote on, let Seri decide! Seri, your idea is very good, don't worry about everyone suffering, you've brought so much to everyone, made the village so much better, what's a little hardship for us? Don't worry, everyone will definitely make you better in Lord Hydral's eyes!" "Yes, everyone will help you!" That passion that seed to ignite the snow layer was so real, everyone was watching Seraphina intently, watching this big girl who had co out of their village and brought a better life for the village and everyone. They were willing, unconditionally willing to help Seraphina, willing to contribute their insignificant strength, how warm and beautiful, how touching. Seraphina was surrounded by such passion and kindness, she must be happy, right—every villager thought so with joy and pride. Even though Seraphina was already so prominent, they, these ordinary people, could also help this good child, how wonderful! Seraphina stood there blankly, hot tears streaming down her face non-stop. "Hey, hey, don't cry, Seri... this is what everyone should do." Rhiannon clumsily wiped away Seraphina's tears, feeling her own eyes welling up. Emotion is always contagious, Seraphina was moved to tears by their passion and sincerity, how could Rhiannon not be deeply moved by Seraphina's unconditional trust and dedication to them? She hugged Seraphina tightly, saying with absolute certainty: "It's okay, everyone will help you, no matter how much hardship we have to endure, we accept it." "As long as you beco the best person in Lord Hydral's eyes, the best helper, then everything is worth it." "If Lord Hydral is proud of you, Seri, you must be very happy too!" "Ah... ah..." The wolf, surrounded by love, uttered aningless syllables so pale and hollow, as if she was intoxicated in this mont of happiness, unable to extricate herself.
*
Ansel was engaged in a discourse on literature and drama with Professor Polonia. "Ah, this Cleophere, I have a vague recollection of him."
The young man stroked the book cover, pondered for a mont, and then quickly realized, "Ah, I rember now, the famous playwright who was the talk of the capital thirteen years ago... only to be later discovered as a revolutionary and publicly executed in the Blue Fla Square."
Polonia's fingers trembled slightly, she fell silent for a mont, and surprisingly asked a question unrelated to literature.
"Lord Hydral, did you just refer to the rebels as... the revolutionary?"
"Hmm?" Ansel looked up, "Is there a problem? If I rember correctly, that's what they called themselves."
"Even so, but... your way of addressing them." Polonia seed to be reminding Ansel, she tactfully said, "It could cause trouble."
Ansel, while flipping through the pages, laughed heartily, "Hydral is not so weak. But in front of those old fossils, I will make the right choice of address, because they are troubleso and disgusting."
"As for personally, I quite like the term 'revolution' and the na 'New World' that the revolutionary army calls itself."
"A healthy nation needs to accommodate different voices, doesn't it?"
Under the bright gaze of Professor Polonia, Ansel casually said, "As long as they haven't done anything too radical, I will still choose to call them the revolutionary army. Hmm... by the way, Professor Polonia, have you studied the revolutionary army?"
The professor was startled and quickly shook her head, "No, no, how could I understand this... I am just... just a scholar."
"Ah, sorry, I forgot that you don't study sociology. Oh... Frost Tower doesn't seem to have this discipline either, hehe, forget what I said."
Ansel continued to flip through the pages, casually saying, "I do have so research on them, of course, only a little. According to my investigation, there seems to be signs of division within the revolutionary army."
"..." Professor Polonia didn't speak, trying to play the part of a listener.
"Although the primary goal of both factions is to end the rule of Flafeast, their actions after the end of the emperor's rule are completely different."
"One faction is led by well-educated intellectuals with high moral standards. They advocate reforming the empire from top to bottom, abolishing the aristocracy, breaking the monopoly of extraordinary knowledge, and trying to elevate the entire empire, pushing society forward. As far as I know, many of them are nobles themselves, or control a lot of resources... It's remarkable that those who benefit can have such awareness."
"The other faction is led by people who have been oppressed by the empire and poisoned by the rule of the nobility. They advocate the complete destruction of all systems of the empire and the establishnt of a new, oppression-free nation on the ruins. Compared to the forr, they lack a stable and practical guiding program, seem to lack visionary leaders, but they have a large base, strong power, and..."
Ansel closed the book with a "bang", looked at Polonia with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "They are sowhat, unscrupulous, right?"
"I... what you said... ah! I'm not, not very clear."
Polonia's eyes dodged, after all, Ansel's words seed to be hinting at Polonia's identity.
And for a professor who only studies academics and has almost no social activities, it's normal to be afraid of the big hat of the empire's executioner is putting on her.
"Hehe, sorry, when it cos to these social topics, I tend to be a bit verbose, you know... young people are like that."
Ansel breezily moved on from the topic, "Let's talk about literature and drama again... yes, we were talking about Mr. Cleophere.. his death was quite dramatic, wasn't it?"
Polonia steadied herself, "This... I have so impression, the exposure of this playwright seed to be because his wife didn't sleep normally one night, but prepared a late-night snack for him. As a result, that day, Klafer happened to bring a comrade who was almost exposed into his house to hide, and then..."
"And then his wife discovered his identity." Ansel sighed and shook his head, "The dramatic part is that Cleophere's deeply loving wife, unwilling to expose her husband's identity, but afraid that she couldn't keep the secret, chose... to commit suicide."
"Her suicide attracted the attention of the Black Matrix, and with the little help of Hydral, um... that's my father, the soldiers of the Black Matrix arrested Cleophere and executed him in the Blue Fla Square."
Polonia was silent, seemingly also feeling complicated about the dramatic end of this playwright and revolutionary.
"Love, huh."
The young Hydral gazed out the window, he sighed like this, but the corners of his mouth were rising, as if he saw sothing... a breathtaking view that only he could appreciate.
*
Seraphina Marlowe, in the eyes of the man she loved, was strong and promising.
But it wasn't because she had the power to change the world.
It was because she was a vassal of Hydral.
For the proud wolf, what could be a more cruel love in this world?
Seraphina, my dear Seraphina.
The devil chuckled contentedly in his heart.
How could I possibly use despicable, lowly, unscrupulous ans to hurt your family, your friends, and you, whom I cherish the most?
How could I possibly be so desperate as to use such ans to coerce you, to force you back to ?
I don't want to hurt you anymore.
So, let your family and friends love you on my behalf.
Let countless loves surround you, let those loves destroy your self, your self-esteem, your self-confidence—
Destroy the dignity and value that you regard as life, as all.
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