A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

"Finding good stuff in this market is a tough task, my friend."

Worker Bee tirelessly promoted himself, "Top-tier auction houses, material shops, even..."

"Lead the way."

Handing the necklace to Marlina, Ansel said this quite casually.

"...and top-tier alchemy workshops—hmm?" Worker Bee was momentarily stunned by Ansel's sudden agreement, his smile growing even more enthusiastic as he quickly nodded, "Alright, alright, is it the auction house, the shop, or..."

"The brothel."

"Alright, the bro—"

This time, Worker Bee was stunned for more than a moment. He paused for several seconds, then scrutinized Ansel with a peculiar look before finally revealing a knowing smile.

"Didn't expect you to go straight to the heart of the matter... Fine! Only a straightforward man deserves the best!"

He leaned in close to Ansel's ear, chuckling, "The brothels in Dispute Fortress are unlike any other, guaranteed to open your eyes—by the way, I haven't asked your name yet..."

"Faust."

"Oh... Faust, is it."

*

In the spacious light blue room, Ansel sat on the soft bed, resting his chin on his hand as he observed the various, um... tools that seemed out of place with the room's decor. Marlina sat beside him, legs together, head bowed in silence.

"Marlina."

Ansel, still gazing at the peculiar implements, suddenly spoke, "You know as much about Dispute Fortress as that man does. Why did you act like you knew so little?"

"Because a mortal should only know so little."

Having arrived at this so-called "Dream Island," Marlina finally felt at ease speaking with Ansel and promptly replied:

"My role is to align with your intentions and actions, ensuring your will is executed flawlessly, rather than rigidly following a plan and making you follow me... That would be both presumptuous and absurd."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"But what if I wanted you to refuse him at that moment?" Ansel asked with a light chuckle.

"Then your acceptance of his tailing and conversation would have been meaningless," Marlina answered without hesitation. "You needed to use him for a purpose I have yet to discern, so my task was naturally to keep him—though showing him my knowledge of Dispute Fortress might not have driven him away, pretending ignorance was the best choice."

She paused, then continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "Ordinary people couldn't possibly know so much about Dispute Fortress. If I knew too much, it would indicate that you were exceptionally well-prepared, and that my background… no, your background—was not simple. This would lead him to form a preconceived notion about you."

"But whether you wanted Mr. Worker Bee to think that way? I couldn't be sure, so I couldn't let myself influence his judgment of you—though this itself is an influence, it's much less significant than the former, and at least it's under your control."

"In this way, Mr. Worker Bee sees you as the person you deliberately present yourself to be."

This was Marlina's view of her duties as a secretary.

All her preparations and contingency plans were never about directing Ansel on what to do, but rather, based on existing preparations, ensuring everything ran perfectly according to Ansel's intentions and choices.

"So, what do you think..."

Seeing the calm yet confident Marlina, Ansel couldn't help but smile:

"Why do you think I came here now?"

Marlina's expression stiffened slightly, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the various toys in the room, and her tone became somewhat evasive:

"Well… adventurers, lost in debauchery, love to linger in places like this. Moreover, those who can afford to spend here must meet certain standards in strength, status, or wealth. Perhaps you are here to find capable adventurers and gather some information."

"Or, as someone who despises the slave trade, you might want to understand the inner workings of this brothel to gain insight into Dispute Fortress's black market. If they cross your line, you plan to uproot and eradicate them completely."

Both answers were logical and well-founded, but Ansel gently stroked Marlina's cheek, like caressing a beloved pet, and whispered in her ear:

"What if, by chance, I am here simply to relax and have fun?"

Marlina's body trembled slightly. She lowered her head, her neck shrinking, and her hands tightly gripping her trousers. After about two or three seconds, she whispered very softly:

"I... I hope you will abandon that decision. How could prostitutes be worthy of you? If, if you truly need..."

The girl bit her lip shyly, her soft body slowly leaning towards Ansel: "I will do my best to satisfy your desires. Please don't let those women defile you, Mr. Faust."

"You wish."

The sudden cold female voice in the room instantly made Marlina freeze in fear.

That voice... she knew it well.

Miss secretary slowly turned her head to see a tall, cold beauty standing at the other end of the bed. The woman's long, narrow eyes, accentuated with black eyeshadow, added a sinister aura to her cold elegance.

"... Miss… Miss Nerilia?!"

Marlina instinctively exclaimed, but Nerilia, who had once interviewed her, ignored her and in the blink of an eye, knelt on one knee before Ansel, speaking with utmost respect:

"Master, Dispute Fortress's..."

"Stop."

Ansel waved his hand: "You should know why I asked you to wait here."

"..." Nerilia lowered her head, saying nothing.

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Seeing this, the young Hydral rubbed his temples in exasperation and turned to Marlina. "Marlina, tell me, what do you think I intend to do?"

Quickly recovering from her shock, Marlina's mind raced, desperately piecing together the fragmented information to glimpse the full picture.

Miss Nerilia, as someone from Shadewell, lurking in Dispute Fortress is quite normal... but why did Mr. Ansel want to see her now? And why did she not reveal herself until after Mr. Ansel finished questioning me?

...Wait.

Mr. Ansel didn't want to see her himself? Instead, he wanted... me to see her?

"I..."

Marlina opened her mouth, first glancing at the kneeling Nerilia. Sitting on the bed, she instinctively wanted to stand up, but a certain unease in her heart stopped her.

The girl, who had only uttered one word, paused for several seconds before cautiously responding, "I shamelessly venture a guess. If I'm wrong, I hope Mr. Ansel and Miss Nerilia won't be angry."

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