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"Do not worry, Helen, Marlina."

The young Hydral said with a gentle smile, "This matter will be resolved properly."

Upon hearing these words, Helen, for some reason, stared intently at Ansel without saying anything, while Marlina still wore a look of deep concern.

Neither of them knew whether Ansel truly had full confidence or if he was simply trying not to worry them, because this young man they followed seemed to… have never shown a hint of weakness in front of anyone.

"Father." Helen still holding Ansel\'s hand, "When will Mr. Flamelle\'s creation be completed? I wish to obtain Ravenna\'s soul as soon as possible. The knowledge she has accumulated over the past three years will definitely help me assist you better."

Before Ansel could reply, the door to the room... was suddenly knocked on again.

With both girls unaware of who the visitor might be, Ansel said with a smile, "Come in."

As the door was slowly pushed open, a slender, snow-white leg emerged from the slit of a dress, stepping on the soft carpet in long, black high heels, the black nail polish making her instep appear exceptionally pale.

Following the curve of her leg upwards, the roundness of her hips, the narrow waist, and the full, perky peaks were all perfectly outlined by the tight-fitting black dress.

Seductive, slender, utterly enchanting... she was none other than the pianist, Eula Leclerc, who had just conquered all listeners with her performance on stage.

She was looking at Ansel with those dark, bewitching eyes, filled with a madness and ecstasy …that deeply furrowed Helen\'s brows.

"My master... my dear master..."

She caressed, almost as if choking her swan-like neck, emitting confused and blissful gasps and whispers, "You have finally come to find me again, to dote on me again, haven\'t you?"

This renowned pianist, the dream lover of countless youths, the ideal self of every woman, was now bowing down like a dog, kicking off her high heels, and swaying her hips as she crawled towards Ansel, that craving for caresses, for affection, for favor, that flattering look, was enough to make any man lose control. She licked her moist lips, the allure in her dark eyes so vivid.

And for some reason, Marlina, who was lying on Ansel\'s lap, also began to look increasingly dazed, involuntarily gasping slightly, turning her face towards Ansel\'s abdomen, her breath growing hotter, her legs unconsciously starting to rub together.

"Ah... Miss Marlina, and this lovely young lady."

Eula, so affectionate, so affectionate it bordered on madness, kissed and licked Ansel\'s fingers, while foolishly saying, "Do you wish to be doted on by our master together with me? I will make you very happy... very happy..."

Helen gazed at the woman who seemed to truly perceive herself as a dog, her thoughts inscrutable.

After a moment, she turned to Ansel, casting an inquiring glance his way.

Should Ansel require it, she would relinquish her attempts to prevent Eula from instinctively unleashing a certain mental corrosion, surrendering to the pleasures this woman spoke of.

However, Ansel merely stroked Eula\'s head and calmly stated, "Alright, Eula. Play a tune for me."

Rubbing Ansel\'s palm vigorously, a besotted and desperate Miss Eula froze, lifting her face to ask anxiously and fearfully, "Master... do, do you not need it? Is there something about Eula that displeases you? Eula... Eula has not been within twenty meters of any man recently, Eula..."

"Calm down, Eula," Ansel\'s hand slid to Eula\'s cheek, then gently lifted her chin.

He looked into her pitch-black eyes and softly asked, "Think carefully, for what did you come to the Imperial Capital, to the Royal Imperial Theater?"

"For... what?"

Eula repeated Ansel\'s question, then cautiously, like a young beast, whispered, "For you, for my master, my master told me to go to the Royal Theater—"

Ansel pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her further.

The young Hydral\'s eyes drooped, he sighed silently, yet his expression, calm to the point of detachment, seemed as though he had witnessed such scenes... countless times.

"You came here driven by your passion and love for music, didn\'t you?" he patiently explained, "This is your beloved vocation, this is why you are here."

"No... no, how could it be, how could it be as important as master!"

Eula\'s emotions surged dramatically, the demonic nature and craving for Ansel visibly swelling in her dark eyes… chilling to the bone.

It seemed as if her eyes held nothing but Ansel, as if the world, even herself, no longer existed.

She clutched Ansel\'s hand in panic, even starting to cry out of fear, "Please don\'t abandon me... don\'t... don\'t cast me aside, I exist for you, I am for you—"

Ansel placed his hand on her head, and the nearly frenzied pianist fell into a deep sleep.

After Eula fell asleep, Marlina gradually detached herself from her uncontrollable state, slowly savoring her recent demeanor as the silver-haired gril, immediately stood up, blushing, and covered the darkened area between her legs.

"...Father, she—"

"Helen, can you discern what\'s happening with Eula?" Ansel caressed the woman\'s hair, asking softly.

Helen glanced at Eula, who lay heavily against Ansel\'s leg, and said, "This Miss Eula, she seems to have an... abnormally intense craving for you, even her power as an extraordinary being seems to stem from... this craving."

This statement left the previously shy Marlina stunned.

"...Extraordinary being?"

She murmured confusedly, then uncontrollably asked Helen, "Miss Helen, you mean... Miss Eula, she is... an extraordinary being?"

"What\'s wrong?" Helen tilted her head slightly, "Is there something amiss?"

"No, but she..."

She was clearly just an ordinary person when she was in the Red Frost Territory, wasn\'t she?

Marlina\'s unusual behavior did not escape Helen\'s notice as she observed the unconscious Eula thoughtfully, yet remained silent.

Ansel, seemingly unconcerned with Marlina\'s interruption, sighed and remarked, "Truly... a dire situation, isn\'t it?"

"Yes," Helen replied, shifting her gaze from Eula, "She\'s been ruined. Both her will and her soul have been completely... twisted. Just like the abyss\'s erosion of extraordinary beings, no... even more dangerous than that, this pathological pursuit of you will utterly destroy her—"

Helen suddenly stopped herself.

Ansel\'s presence, eroding the individual named Eula, was akin to the abyss\'s erosion of extraordinary beings, as if Ansel himself...

Himself…was the abyss.

Facing Ansel\'s meaningful gaze, Helen remained silent for a moment before softly asking, "Is this why you brought me here, Father?"

Ansel merely smiled and shook his head, "You\'re different from Eula, Helen."

Indeed, Helen\'s situation was different; she could at most be considered to have been schemed against by Ansel in terms of her mentality, a form of manipulation that ultimately still resulted in a change within Helen herself.

But Eula... was clearly directly altered by some force.

"But you also don\'t wish for me to become like her, do you?"

Helen, holding Ansel\'s hand, never let go. She gazed at Eula, who leaned against Ansel\'s leg, and whispered, "Self, dignity, and even the ideals that one truly pursues, all can be abandoned just to gain your favor."

The petite woman looked into those deep sea-blue eyes, "You don\'t like, nor do you need such an existence."

"You\'re worried... I\'ll become that kind of person."

"I hope you don\'t think my worries are unnecessary," Ansel smiled.

Even if life is fictional, even if beliefs are bestowed, Ravenna still became Helen because "Ansel could realize that ideal," her pursuit never changed.

Hearing this performance, seeing the pitiful Miss Eula, was Ansel\'s sincere caution from the heart; he genuinely hoped that while Helen remained utterly loyal, she could also maintain her self, even if Helen... was no longer Ravenna.

However, faced with Ansel\'s earnest reminder and caution, Helen, after a brief silence, calmly stated: "Your worries are indeed unnecessary, Father."

"..."

In the moment of Ansel\'s slight astonishment, Helen reached out to cradle Ansel\'s face.

"Please ask me," Helen, making eye contact with those sea-blue eyes, did not shy away.

"Please ask me that question."

Gazing into those familiar yet strange purple eyes, Ansel instinctively shifted his gaze slightly away but returned it in the next instant.

He stared intently into Helen\'s eyes, not missing any emotion, his tone unconsciously becoming solemn and serious:

"Between the ideal and me, which do you choose? Rav... Helen?"

"I won\'t give up either, Father."

Helen answered without hesitation.

Ansel\'s lips curved in an almost imperceptible smile, "Yet, you must make a choice, for I shall betray you, as everything is but a facade of lies."

"No, that cannot be; you would never betray me, and your words are far from lies."

"You must be harboring unspeakable sorrows."

"Even if I choose not to confide anything to you?"

"That only signifies the magnitude of your burdens, so vast that you find them unbearable."

The delicate face drew closer to Ansel, the woman cradling his face tenderly pressed a kiss.

"I will exhaust every means to aid you, regardless of your silence, or perhaps... precisely because of it, I am compelled to give my all."

"I shall never let you bear the hardships alone."

In those dim, lightless eyes, a glimmer so faint yet so luminous to Ansel, burst forth.

She said, "Ansel, believe in me."

"..."

Ansel gazed again into those purple eyes, the brilliance he saw earlier seemed but an illusion, an unrealistic hope.

Helen remained Helen, Ravenna remained Ravenna.

But... it matters not.

"This is sufficient."

Ansel embraced Helen, closing his eyes and whispering softly, "This is sufficient, Helen."

The present Helen, too, is wonderful... Having lost a friend, to have such a daughter, is not too shabby.

When he opened his eyes again, the youthful Hydral had indeed returned.

"Unwilling to let go of either, how greedy, Helen."

Ansel chuckled as he pinched Helen\'s cheek, "Indeed... my daughter."

A gentle smile appeared on Helen\'s face, "As it should be, father."

"Then... let us depart, for today\'s purpose has been fulfilled."

"What about Miss Eula?"

"The more she interacts with me, the worse it is for her, she will forget everything upon awakening... Marlina, I leave the follow-up to you."

Upon realizing Eulalia had become an extraordinary being, Marlina, who had been watching her intently from the beginning, snapped back to reality and immediately nodded in response, "I understand, Mr. Ansel."

Holding Ansel\'s hand, Helen looked up at him, "So father, where shall we go next?"

"Where do you wish to go?" Ansel asked with a smile.

After a moment of silence, Helen softly said,

"Let\'s go... to the cemetery."

"To pay respects to those who have passed away."