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nThe young man continued to guide the increasingly bewildered girl through the snow, recounting one after another of the countless small events in Seraphina’s life, from her birth to the present. Some were so minor that even she had forgotten them.

n“At nine, during winter, you had a snowball fight here with Rhiannon and a few others. You made two boys cry, Rhiannon laughed all the way back, and they stopped having snowball fights with you after that winter.”

n“At ten, during summer, you and Marlina secretly swam in the lake over there and were caught by your Uncle Ralph. You two were severely scolded after being brought home.”

n“At ten, during winter, you brought back a huge wild boar, shouting joyfully and attracting the entire village. You should still have its tusks in your room as a memento, right?”

n“At twelve, in spring, you were about to go to Frost Tower for school, and the entire village saw you off.”

n“At sixteen, which is this year,” Ansel looked at Seraphina, his voice filled with nostalgia and sighs, “You and Marlina were captured by the Count of Red Frost. The next day, I arrived at Red Frost City. To please me, he gave you to me before he could enjoy you two.”

n“Ansel…I…” Seraphina’s mind was in turmoil. “Have you… have you been watching me for a long time?”

n“Watching? No, not at all. I didn’t even know you existed before ten,” Ansel replied, shaking his head with a smile.

n“But, but why—”

n“Do you want to know the answer?” The young Hydral stood in the snow, releasing Seraphina’s hand.

nSeraphina instinctively wanted to reach out and grab his hand, but Ansel avoided her. A sense of abandonment welled up within her, but before she could plead, she met Ansel’s eyes. It was a seriousness she had never seen in Ansel’s eyes before, and…

nRealization.

n“Seraphina,” Ansel stared at the girl who had suffered so much, “Do you hate me?”

n“I, I don’t, I won’t—” Seraphina naturally wanted to deny it; she could no longer hate Ansel.

n“Answer me with your heart, Seraphina.” Ansel’s voice became somewhat cold, “Do you truly hate me, or rather… do you hate everything I’ve done to you?”

n“Do you hate me for playing with your soul, trampling on your life, and hate all my ‘arrangements’ for you?”

n“…” In the darkness and snow, Seraphina’s body trembled continuously. Not because of the cold, but because of something… she couldn’t put into words.

nAt that moment, Seraphina had a feeling. She felt that her answer would determine her future and the rest of her life.

n“Seraphina, answer—”

nThud!

nOnce again, Ansel was grabbed by the collar by Seraphina and pushed to the ground. But this time, Seraphina was not crazy or out of her mind. Although her actions had already given an answer, her body did not show any emotions related to “hatred.” Only… sadness.

n“Yes, I hate you, Ansel.” The girl’s waist gradually bent, and she rested her head on Ansel’s chest, whispering: “I hate you, I hate all the so-called arrangements you’ve made for me, I hate you for having to tell me this.”

n“You’ve already taken everything from me, why do you have to tell me all this?”

nShe slightly lifted her face, and the heartbroken and sorrowful expression made Ansel’s gaze slightly stagnant.

n“So I understand, you want me to willingly submit to you, right? You want me to willingly abandon my last bit of dignity and self, even knowing how you’ve manipulated me, right?”

nHer voice began to tremble, “So now, you’re asking me this question to get my answer, right?” Hot tears soaked Ansel’s clothes.

n“I want to say… I really want to say, you’ve won, just take everything from me, as long as you still allow me to stay by your side.”

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n“But… but…” Seraphina lifted her head, her face full of tears, and she almost screamed at him, “Does it have to be like this? Why… why can’t I stand by your side of my own free will?”

n“Ansel… I don’t want this.”

n“…I hate you.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

nSeraphina bared her heart to Ansel. Even at that moment, in utter despair, willing to give up her self and become a puppet —

nShe still harbored that unwillingness in her heart. That hatred. The hatred of having her life played with, the hatred of being driven to this point of despair by Ansel. She recognized her own weakness, recognized her own insignificance, but even so, she didn’t want to give up her self and become a puppet manipulated by Ansel.

nIn the depths of the soul of the wolf who had already despaired, the wild beast was still roaring unwillingly.

nWhy does it have to be like this? Why do I have to have no choice?

nNow, she has spoken her true feelings.

nThe young girl listlessly released Ansel’s collar, her expression pale as she forced a smile. Is it all over, or was my resistance expected by Ansel all along? Is he going to comfort me next, and win my gratitude and loyalty in another way? Fine, it doesn’t matter anymore, as long as she maintains her selfhood for even one more day… Seraphina, as an individual, will never accept Ansel’s manipulation. It’s like an unsolvable deadlock. A deadlock that Ansel has left for her, and that is equally unsolvable for Ansel himself.

nBut… is that really the case? Is the outcome derived from this complex series of events really as such? In Seraphina’s dark red eyes, Ansel’s face is reflected.

nUnder her painful and confused gaze, that face… actually broke into a smile. “Well done, Seraphina.” He reached out to touch the despairing girl, closed his eyes slightly, and said contentedly: “That’s what I wanted to hear, your hatred.”

nSeraphina stared blankly at the serene smile on Ansel’s face, unable to comprehend the absurdity that overwhelmed her. “What do you mean… that’s what you wanted to hear?” At this moment, a thread of life sprang up in Seraphina’s heart. She grabbed Ansel’s collar tightly and said anxiously, “Ansel, what on earth do you want me to do!”

n“Seraphina.” The young Hydral opened his eyes again, looking at her with the same solemnity and determination as before. “You hate me for everything I’ve arranged for you this past month, you hate me for trampling on your life.”

n“So, what if I told you that everything you’ve experienced from birth until now, has all been planned out just like what I’ve done to you?”

n“…Have – have you gone mad?” Seraphina’s lips trembled, “Are you trying to absolve yourself with such absurd words?” “I’m not absolving myself, Seraphina.” Ansel held Seraphina’s face in both hands, forcing her to look into his sea-blue eyes.

n“I’m just stating a fact — if everything you’ve experienced in your life is controlled by some entity, if your joy, sorrow, delight, and pain are all driven by some entity, if all the despair you’ve endured is ‘fated’—” The young Hydral, at this moment, revealed his true fangs, a kind of… hatred that was so familiar to Seraphina.

n“Would you hate it as much as you hate me… no, would your hatred for it be a million times stronger than your hatred for me?”

nSeraphina didn’t break down, because what Ansel said was too absurd, so absurd that she couldn’t respond at all.

n“I know that words alone can’t make you trust me.” Ansel smiled and took out a ring from his pocket. “This is…” Seraphina looked incredulously at the ring in Ansel’s hand, “Is this that—”

n“The heart-stealing ring that you destroyed, I had my father recast it and added a new function to it.” “As long as I agree, you can see everything revealed in my heart, including the images of my thoughts.”

nAnsel personally put the ring on Seraphina, then continued to gaze into the girl’s eyes.

nHe held Seraphina’s hand tightly and said word by word, “Seraphina, what I can achieve depends on whether you believe what you see, and whether you believe me.” “Now, Ansel of Hydral opens his memories and soul to you.” “I will let you see clearly what your future, your destiny… would have been like had I never came to the Red Frost territory, when Hydral didn’t interfere with your life.”

nIn Seraphina’s stunned eyes, Ansel said with a brilliant smile: “Seraphina, this is the first time in my life that I’ve gambled without any strategy.” “All I can do is believe that you will believe me.”

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