Her blue-grey hair was tied in a high ponytail, mirroring the puppet’s body, and her delicate, pretty face could be described as adorable yet tinged with a certain… mature, intellectual charm. However, her expressionless demeanor somewhat diminished her beauty, though to some, it might add a touch of coquettish allure.

Seraphina observed the girl for a moment before turning to Ansel, who was half-covering his mouth, “Ansel, why is there a child here?”

“Miss Marlowe,” the girl stated emotionlessly, enunciating each word, “I am, in fact, Ravenna Ziegler.”

“…”

Seraphina was taken aback for a moment, then peeked down the hallway again before retreating and crouching down to speak to the girl with a smile: “Little one, can you tell me where that poker face who sent you here has gone? I’ll give you candy, how does that sound?”

“…Miss Marlowe.”

The girl pushed up her slightly oversized glasses, and her charming face, even without expression, looked particularly endearing with this gesture: “Can you not recognize my voice? Or shall I repeat what I told you three days ago at the Hydral estate?”

At this, Seraphina was genuinely perplexed.

She crouched in front of the girl for a while, then, puzzled, sniffed around her before her confusion swiftly turned to shock, and shock to disbelief:

“You… you really are—”

“This is my true form.”

Our Miss Ravenna Ziegler spoke with an indifferent tone: “I have always operated through a puppet; you are well aware of that, aren’t you?”

“…” Seraphina fell silent, then reached out to poke Ravenna’s soft cheek, which twitched at the corner of her eye but did not resist.

“Pfft—”

“Ha ha ha… Hahaha!”

And then, the laughter of Miss Seraphina, unrestrained to the point of breathlessness, echoed through the lounge and the empty corridor.

“Ansel, Ansel, hahaha…”

Crouching beside Ravenna, Seraphina gestured to compare their heights, shaking with laughter as she spoke: “This one… Ravenna, hahaha, she made her puppet so tall and mature, and it even looks very sexy, but in reality, she herself is such a…”

She grabbed the expressionless Ravenna by the collar, stood up, and lifted her from the ground: “Such a… hahaha! Tiny thing!”

Seraphina, unable to contain her laughter, brought Ravenna up to her face: “Hey, that, Ravenna, may I ask you… why did you design your puppet’s body like this—”

She gestured to the curves of her chest and the height above her head: “Is it, hahaha, out of insecurity, or perhaps,haha, is it a projection of your wish?”

“I typically use the puppet without soul manipulation, merely extending my senses through it,” explained Ravenna, dangling in mid-air like an adorable oversized doll. “Therefore, compatibility is not a concern, and a larger puppet can be inscribed with more etheric circuits, that’s all.”

“Also, would you mind putting me down, please?”

“Uh, oh? Oh… sure, sure, pfft.”

After setting Ravenna down gently, Seraphina’s resentment dissipated. It was already clear who was the bigger, and now… there was simply no comparison!

Is this it? With just a mouthful of words, she expects to stand tall before me? Seraphina thought she could ride atop Ansel while holding Ravenna with one hand, letting her dangle mid-air, flailing helplessly.

Miss Seraphina, with her predominantly beastly nature, believed that only those who maintain their dignity in that soft battlefield can claim true dignity in everyday life.

Clearly, Ravenna lacked dignity in every aspect.

While Seraphina was utterly delighted and immersed in mockery, Ansel, too, was observing Ravenna, his face betraying a genuine smile.

It was a smile of faint nostalgia.

“Although I said that you may not grow any further, Ravenna, there are indeed changes,” said Ansel to the girl who had been placed on the ground by Seraphina.

Her attire was no different from that of a puppet, still a fitting white lab coat and a dark hip-hugging skirt. However, her stockings had changed from iron grey to a translucent black, and she was still wearing high heels.

This attire, which required a strong aura and mature temperament to control… did not seem out of place on Ravenna.

Despite her short stature, her figure was not thin. Although the key parts of her upper body were indeed a bit flat, the curve of her hips under the lab coat and tightly wrapped in the skirt was very distinct, like a juicy peach. Her legs, wrapped in black silk, occupied an astonishing length in her short body, and the exaggerated proportions made her legs look very slender.

At the same time, her full and slightly fleshy thighs formed a stark contrast with her petite figure.

This gave Ravenna a peculiar beauty, at first glance she seemed like a petite girl, but upon closer inspection… she had the unique charm of a mature woman.

Seraphina, who had little knowledge of this, just giggled and continued to laugh as she sat down next to Ansel.

“How are you adapting?” Ansel asked.

“Fine,” Ravenna replied, looking at her palm, her fingers curling and then spreading out. “Perhaps it’s because my soul has been out of my body for too long… I’m a bit uncomfortable with this body, but I should be fine after some rest.”

“Will you rest well?”

“No.” ????Ξ@М?Υ%?$

Ansel laughed happily, “This conversation reminds me of three years ago… it’s nostalgic.”

Ravenna remained silent. Since she had chosen to temporarily submit to Ansel, she would not take any actions against him.

“… Ansel,” Ravenna said after a moment of silence, “I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Suellen, the young princess.”

Ravenna calmly said, “Not long ago, she found me and wanted to make a deal with me.”

Ansel did not show any surprise, he just smiled and nodded, indicating her to continue.

“She asked me… if I wanted to take revenge on the Elder Princess.”

“Hmm, you refused her, and then?” Ansel said without thinking, not needing Ravenna to continue.

“She…” Ravenna paused, “She offered another condition. She told me that there was more to my grandfather’s death.”

“Hmm?” Ansel raised his eyebrows, “And then? Did she ask you to join her against Evora?”

“Yes.”

The petite scholar lowered her eyes, “At first, I thought you had sent her to test me, but I think… you wouldn’t be so bored. What I didn’t think of at first was why she dared to stir up my hatred for Evora, isn’t she afraid of you?”

“She’s testing my attitude, because I’ve been… not getting along with Evora lately.”

Ansel, who had passionately kissed by the Elder Princess in the bedroom, shrugged, “She knows you’ll tell me about this, it’s not so much provoking you as it is sending me a signal.”

After all, the Tower of Babel fell into Ansel’s hands, and our Princess Suellen played a crucial role. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot and get on good terms with Ansel, which was only natural.

“But you, Ravenna…” Ansel rested his cheek on his hand and said with interest, “You could have just told me the first part, but surprisingly, you honestly told me the second part as well.”

“You are my master now,” Ravenna said, almost making Seraphina, who had just caught her breath, spit out her drink, “I will ensure my loyalty until that point comes.”

“Hmm… loyalty.”

Ansel laughed and shook his head, “Obedience obtained through exchange of interests is not called loyalty. You don’t understand the meaning of this word, Ravenna, just like three years ago.”

“But that’s not bad, you must be very handy to use.”

The devil said such nasty words, not hiding his view of the woman in front of him as a tool.

“As for Suellen, I haven’t agreed to her yet, it depends on your opinion.”

Ravenna had no opinion on this, she just calmly said, “If it will cause you trouble, then I will refuse.”

“No, about Evora, you don’t need to care about me, if you want to do it, just do it.”

Ansel casually waved his hand, “Of course, you have to make sure you do it clean enough, if something happens, I won’t protect you.”

“… I know, I won’t trouble you.”

Ravenna seemed a bit surprised that Ansel agreed so easily without asking her to pay any extra price.

“What if I asked you to refuse?” Ansel looked at Ravenna with a smile, “What about your grandfather’s matter?”

“I would beg you.”

The petite woman said this without any expression, “What she can do, there’s no reason you can’t. As for the price, I will bear it.”

“Don’t you think that begging me directly now is less risky than dealing with Evora with Suellen?”

Ansel said with a smirk, “This is not a rational choice, Ravenna.”

Ravenna didn’t speak, she just stared at the ground in silence.

“It seems the road is still long… it’s okay, since you’ve made your choice, you’ll become what I want.”

Ansel stood up, walked over to Ravenna, bent down, and pinched her round and tender chin.

“Just like the abyss, dear Venna.”

He whispered in a voice only Ravenna could hear, “You can’t turn back now, whether you fall into the endless darkness or shine a light that can illuminate the abyss before destruction…”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

*