A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The woman raised her pinky finger, speaking earnestly:

"If ever you find yourself unable to make a choice, when the difficulties or pain become unbearable... "

"You must, must, must live for yourself, understand?"

Faced with this ominous promise, Ansel seemed somewhat resistant, "Mother, with my abilities, I will not find myself in such a situation."

"I know!" Annelisa glared at him, "But I know even better how stubborn and obstinate you can be. When you set your mind on something, you won't eat, rest, socialize, or heed anyone's advice, focusing solely on accomplishing your goal."

"I believe that's a commendable trait, Mother."

"Without moderation, it's a vice!"

Annelisa, visibly frustrated, pinched Ansel's cheek, "Will you promise or not, promise or not!"

With his cheek being playfully squeezed, Ansel had no choice but to extend his pinky finger towards his mother.

Thus, a deeply moving promise was concluded in a somewhat hasty and discontented manner by Annelisa.

"Enough, enough."

With a wave of her hand, as if still riding the crest of her irritation, Annelisa dismissed the matter: "Go about your business, I wish to gaze at the stars, undisturbed."

Ansel watched his mother, who turned her head away to look up at the sky, and smiled gently before rising to leave.

At that moment, Saville's figure suddenly appeared beside Annelisa.

"Madam."

The elderly butler bowed slightly: "I must take my leave as well."

"...What?"

Annelisa furrowed her brow, and Ansel's steps faltered.

"The master has apparently found the crucial item he was searching for. To ensure absolute success, everyone is prepared to depart, myself included."

"Wait, then I..."

Annelisa paused mid-sentence, glancing at Ansel not far away, her voice tinged with worry: "The seven of you, will be alright?"

Saville, perceiving Annelisa's concern, reassured her: "Rest assured, our gathering alone is sufficient to bring the master to the pinnacle of his power. And your mere presence, even if not by his side, is the greatest support you could offer him."

"Moreover, even if not for the purpose of protecting the young lord... you must remain in this realm."

Annelisa blinked, then her frown deepened: "The deepest reaches of the Zero Realm Enigma?"

"Yes, even Falcon cannot pinpoint it precisely. Thus, as the Head of Souls, you must serve as the anchor to prevent that one in a million chance of an accident."

After a long silence, Annelisa sighed: "Understood... it's never easy to have peace of mind."

"Thank you for your concern." Stay tuned to empire

"Hmph, when you see that scoundrel Mel, slap him for me. What is he concocting... so secretive he won't even confide in me."

Annelisa spoke irritably, causing Saville's expression to shift subtly, but she quickly changed her tone: "Never mind, I won't put you in a difficult position, Saville. Pass this message to little Lawrence, let him handle it."

"...As you wish, madam."

Meanwhile, as Falcon descended with a piercing cry, it greeted Annelisa before turning to Saville: "You're the last one, Saville."

Saville looked at Annelisa, who waved her hand: "Go on, and remember to relay the message to little Lawrence!"

Saville nodded, mounted the broad back of Falcon, and as the head of Wind, he saluted once more before blazing towards the heavens, bound for that unknown domain.

Annelisa turned her head, gazing towards Ansel who stood not far away, still lingering.

"Ans, it's just the two of us left in the manor now."

Fully aware that Ansel had listened to the entire conversation, Annelisa spoke in a pitiful tone, "Your father doesn't want us anymore."

"Mother, I am not worried about father, please be at ease."

The boy merely uttered these words in a subdued manner before he walked away.

Annelisa tilted her head, watching Ansel's increasingly hurried steps, and couldn't help but laugh, "He is clearly worried... he just likes to act tough."

As she laughed, a touch of sorrow reappeared on her face.

For the past couple of years, Flamelle had been sending most of the pact heads out to gather various materials, as the Falcon, the main force, darted between the present world and the Zero Realm Enigma, seeking rare materials not found on this continent. What these materials were ultimately for... he had never disclosed to anyone—not even to his own head of souls, his wife.

Flamelle, possessing a spiritual essence known as The Creator, didn't need materials to create most things. Yet, the fact that he required materials and had the pact heads search extensively, even for years, and possibly continuing into the future... what could it be for?

"Mel... what are you trying to do?"

"Even Saville is going..."

Having finished his nightly routine and lying in bed ready to sleep, Ansel mused to himself, "There has never been anything so serious as to require father to gather all seven pact heads... but since they are assembled, there should be no mishaps on father's side."

Ansel knew better than anyone else about Flamelle's power. Standing at the pinnacle of creation meant that destruction was effortless for him. Even in the realm of infinite possibilities, the Zero Realm Enigma, there was no rival for him. His father could flatten anything.

Flatten... everything.

Wait —!

Suddenly, Ansel sat up, his pupils trembling.

Father... with the power to annihilate any threat, where was he… THEN?

Why, at that time, was it I who inherited my father's power? Where was my father?

The empress was nearing her end, but my father's spirit remained intact and powerful, with my mother as his support... he surely had at least thirty more years to live.

Time... time!

The boy frantically searched his memory for the exact moment of the battle in which he had met his untimely demise, quickly finding the answer.

"Imperial Calendar... 1121."

Yet now, it was only the year 1101 of the Imperial Calendar!

In just twenty years, had those so-called heroes already ended everything?

"Father... it's impossible for him to have died within twenty years! Could it be—no, if father had perished lost in the Zero Realm Enigma... I couldn't possibly have inherited his power. What exactly is going on, what exactly is happening..."

Ansel, completely overwhelmed by panic, began frantically searching for clues in his own chapter. This fear overcame his dread of the future, knowing that if this event was about to occur, it must be addressed immediately—immediately—

In an instant, the expression in Ansel's eyes froze.

At that moment, the boy appeared like a specimen encased in amber, devoid of all signs of life.

Because he had seen it, in that accursed game, he saw the near future.

As Saville left, and all the pact heads gathered around Flamelle deep within the Zero Realm Enigma.

Five extraordinary beings of the fifth stage, unseen and unknown to anyone, simultaneously used an unknown method to kill Annelisa right before his eyes in just 2.03 seconds.

Thus, the version of himself from that world had watched his mother... vanish before his eyes.

And now, this future was also about to unfold before him.

In just three days.

*