In the courtyard of the manor, Seraphina sat gently swaying on a swing, her eyes unfocused as they stared ahead, lost in thought. Even though a day had passed since that conversation, it felt as if it had just occurred. She tossed and turned in the dead of night, unable to comprehend why Ansel would not allow her to ascend to the throne of the third stage, and why he said that she did not need to become so powerful. After much contemplation, the only conclusion Seraphina could draw was that her increased strength would bring trouble to Ansel. But if her future self was so formidable, wouldn’t any trouble… be easily resolved? If she were stronger than the empress, what trouble could she not solve in this world? The young girl sulkily swayed on the swing, the occasional gust of cold wind unable to make her feel any chill. Her unease was not only due to Ansel’s words, but also because she was frustrated that she had to restrain herself despite the power being within her grasp. Experiencing her own continuous growth was one of the few hobbies that Seraphina valued the most. From the time she left the Frost Tower until now, Seraphina had never slacked off. Whether it was the constant hunting in the village or the continuous battles in search of opponents, even without a conscious desire, she had always been on the path of constant fighting and growing stronger. However, compared to the Seraphina of the original world line, the battles she had experienced now were pitifully few. She was also unclear why Ansel rarely asked her to do anything, nor did he allow her to continue serving as a guard. She had to take the initiative in everything. “Ah… I wonder how Ansel will help me in the end?” Seraphina sighed, her hands propping up her cheeks. According to Ansel, it seemed that he had some method to bypass her spiritual essence, and could also allow her to grow to the third stage, and then become a pact head. The ring that Seraphina had been looking forward to suddenly didn’t seem so attractive. “Ansel, I’m doing this to help you…” The young girl’s toes touched the ground, making the swing sway back and forth. She spoke in a low voice, full of grievance and sadness, “Why don’t you need me to become stronger?” “Seri.” The call from not far away made Seraphina suddenly raise her head. She saw her sister, Marlina, dressed in a black dress, her feet clad in thin high heels, looking at her with a dignified and serene expression. “…M-Marli.” Seraphina shook her head, trying hard not to let Marlina see her abnormality, “What’s the matter? Don’t you have work today?” “Of course I do.” Marlina tapped the ground with her heel, “If I didn’t have work, would I be dressed so formally?” “Um…well… aren’t you cold?” Seraphina looked at the slender leg and ankle exposed under the long skirt, jumped down from the swing, “Why are you wearing so little…” “The stockings provided by Miss.Meli have a warming function… sit there, Seri.” Marlina gestured for Seraphina to sit back on the swing, “What are you worrying about? Can’t you tell me?” “I, I’m not worried! And don’t you have to work? Go to work quickly, don’t cause trouble for Ansel!” Seraphina, whose steps had stopped, watched as Marlina walked towards her, hurriedly waving her hands to signal her to stop, “Marli, I really —” “Yes, I was originally going to inspect the Luminopolis to ensure the safety of the collection area established there by a sorcerer under the Duke of Gray Tower.” Marlina, who said this, first sighed, then looked at Seraphina with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “But as soon as I got to the door, I saw a pitiful little girl sitting on the swing, swaying back and forth, and sighing from time to time. Upon closer inspection… it turns out that this little girl is my sister!” She walked to Seraphina’s side, gently touched the young girl’s head, and said softly, “In that case, I’ll put aside that not particularly important work for now.” Seraphina was somewhat moved and rubbed Marlina’s palm, but still tried to change the subject: “…Not particularly important, does that mean if it’s very important, you wouldn’t care about me, Marli?” She said this, but in the end, she was led by Marlina and obediently sat on the swing. “Of course.” Marlina adjusted her skirt and sat on another swing. She looked up at the sky and said in a relaxed tone, “In my eyes, Mr. Ansel is the most important person. Even if it’s you, Seri, you’re not as important as him.” “That’s not fair!” Seraphina shook Marlina’s arm hard, grumbling unhappily, “You should say we’re equally important!” “Because Mr. Ansel will always do the right thing.” Marlina tapped Seraphina’s forehead, “But you, Seri, are different.” “… ” Hearing this, Seraphina’s eyes suddenly became much dimmer. Marlina, who easily noticed her sister’s change, didn’t directly ask her what was wrong, but asked another question: “Seri, you haven’t ascended to the throne yet.” “… Yeah.” “Why? Can’t find that feeling anymore?” “No!” Seraphina immediately retorted, “It’s because —” She couldn’t continue. Should she tell Marlina that Ansel told her not to ascend to the third stage? What would Marlina think? Would she side with Ansel? Seraphina didn’t want Marlina to also stand against her… Although Marlina might be able to explain it to her, Ansel didn’t want to tell her, saying that she definitely wouldn’t be able to accept it… The confused wolf clenched her fists, already unsure of what to say. “Seri.” Just as Seraphina was in turmoil, Marlina suddenly spoke. She looked at the sky and said in a nostalgic tone, “What were we doing at this time three years ago?” “… Huh?” Seraphina was stunned for two seconds, then scratched her head in thought. “Three years ago… three years ago, we should have been… having a snowball fight, right?” She answered somewhat uncertainly. “Were you happy then, Seraphina?” “Of course I was happy.” Seraphina answered without thinking, “Playing with everyone was so much fun.” “But I wasn’t happy.” Marlina turned to look at Seraphina, her gaze fixed on Seraphina’s profile, “As I grew older, I became less and less happy.” –>