Undoubtedly, Malena was a smart person.
For a village girl with no formal higher education, possessing such a broad perspective and sophisticated way of thinking is truly exceptional.
It was precisely because of this that Malena, who went to great lengths to "sell" her sister to Anselm, also harbored a small dream deep within her heart.
What if... just what if, there was something about her that also caught Lord Hydra's eye?
Of course, this was merely Malena's fantasy. She was aware that "smart" held no value for Lord Hydra.
Should he desire, he could enlist the services of all the "smart people" from Scarletfrost, each with rich experience and exceptional abilities in their respective fields. Why would he require someone like her, a mere village girl who could only deal with tax collectors?
What Lord Hydra needed was someone like Sita, with the potential to achieve greatness.
During her stay at Anselm's mansion, Malena constantly alternated between hoping for something and denying herself.
So when Meryl suddenly brought a message for her to meet Anselm, the fantasies in the young girl's mind surged up once again.
Even up to this moment, she still harbored that unspeakable expectation deep within her heart.
"Miss Malena."
To Anselm, Malena's feelings were as beautiful and alluring as Sitana's tender body, and they were also equally transparent to him.
A villain like him always had a special fondness for pure souls that were beautiful, virtuous, wise, and upright.
In front of him, this pure young girl, who tried awkwardly to dress herself up, made every effort to hide the expectation and longing in her heart, yet occasionally reveals the yearning gaze of a small cub in her eyes, was both endearing and arousing desire.
"You and Sitana have been here for some time. Out of consideration for Sitana, I don't mind you staying here for food and lodging, but I think you personally feel quite uncomfortable about it, don't you?" Anselm asked with a smile.
This is not speculation, but a clear fact. Malena felt deeply embarrassed about living off Anselm's hospitality, eating and drinking for free at his mansion. She constantly tried to assist the maids in the mansion with various tasks, but their perfection only served to make Malena feel even more embarrassed."
"...... Yes!" Malena's heart skipped a beat; unlike her foolish sister, she immediately grasped the subtext of Anselm's words, yet she managed to maintain her composure and demeanor. "I am glad that Sitana can be of assistance to you, but I do not wish to be seen as part of her... You could also say that I do not want to add to Sitana's burdens."
"Seriously?" Sitana, who had come over to join in the fun, bared her teeth. "The Hydra family's rolling in money, what's wrong with giving you a bite to eat? Lena, you're thinking too much. Even if he's got a bunch of issues, he's still pretty damn generous!"
The study fell silent instantly, and the busy maids all stared intently at Sitana, who was standing there with her arms crossed.
"......What're you all staring at me for?" Feeling like a hunter girl cornered by a pack of she-wolves, she scratched her arms, totally on edge. "I didn't even bash him. I was just saying he's generous, right?"
Thanks to Anselm's stance on "indulgence" and "tolerance," Sitana's words grew bolder and more unfiltered. If it weren't for the regular electric shocks she got, she'd probably be even more unrestrained with her words.
So, it proved that Anselm's decision to have his indecent father make that collar, even if it wasn't for training purposes, was still very insightful.
Malena shot a fierce glare at her sister, knowing that Lord Hydra had a near-indulgent tolerance for Sitana, so she wouldn't be as shocked to her core by Sitana's earth-shattering remarks as she used to be.
But with such a potentially valuable job opportunity on the horizon, Sitana was still acting so unreliable, and it genuinely started to get on Malena's nerves.
Anselm, as always, ignored Sitana. When there were no outsiders around, he wouldn't be too strict with the young wolf: "Sitana and I are going to be away from Scarletfrost City for a while, maybe three days, maybe seven. While we're gone... I need someone to handle some paperwork for me, nothing too complicated."
"My lord... are you suggesting --"
At this moment, Malena could no longer contain her excitement, her cheeks flushing red.
"I'll leave it to you then, you should have a talent for this." Anselm smiled warmly, "Don't worry about making mistakes, I have plenty of reference materials here. You can also start by imitating my examples. If there's anything you're unsure about, just go to Meryl, she'll teach you."
The maid, quietly standing in the corner of the room, smiled and nodded at Malena.
In stark contrast to her ungrateful sister, Malena tried her best to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes and bowed deeply to Anselm:
"Thank you for your trust, Lord Hydra! Thank you for your... grace!"
Her voice even choked up towards the end, while Sitana, scratching her cheek, completely failed to understand why her sister was getting so worked up.
However, considering Anselm's generosity, she didn't make a fuss this time.
"Alright, it's time for us to set off. Sitana, please fetch the luggage."
"I have to carry the luggage too?" Sitana looked at the three packed suitcases neatly arranged by the maids and widened her eyes at Anselm, "Why do I have to do everything!"
“Because it's just you, me, and Savile on this trip."
"Then let the old butler hmm hmm hmm hmm—"
Savile didn't pay attention to Sitana's convulsing body and bowed to Anselm: "I'll go and activate the teleportation array for you, Young Master."
Anselm waved his hand and then turned his gaze to Sitana, who was getting up from the ground, asking gently, "Do you need me to repeat what I just said, Sitana?"
"..." The darken-faced girl walked silently towards the luggage, her fingers still twitching.
Watching all this, Malena felt a pang of hurt but kept quiet, not just because of timidity or rationality, but also because she hoped Anselm would properly discipline Sitana. The inner feebleness she harbored made it impossible for her to truly and effectively admonish her sister. Malena frequently attributed Sitana's unruly behavior to her own incompetence.
"Miss Malena, I look forward to your performance."
While Malena's emotions were churning, Anselm also turned his gaze towards her.
Honestly, just going purely by personal taste... or more casually put, from a fetish perspective, Anselm found himself more drawn to Malena among the two sisters.
He favored the kind of... not forcing the other side to submit, but slowly infusing that beauty and gentleness with his own color, the intoxicating pleasure.
As Sitana went to pick up the luggage, Anselm had already approached Malena and whispered softly in her ear:
"Believe me, to me, you and Sitana are equally important."
These words left Malena, who was still filled with joy and excitement, completely blank-minded.
Even being acknowledged by Anselm and receiving a job offer from him that wasn't just a perfunctory gesture didn't leave Malena feeling this mentally blank.
By the time she snapped back to reality, Sitana had already picked up the luggage, mumbled complaints, and said her reluctant goodbyes with a disgruntled face.
"I..."
The girl's chest heaved as she felt a fire burning from her chest to her brain, making her dizzy and disoriented.
The breath that ignited this flame still burned on her earlobe, the intoxicating, gentle words of a young man with a slight magnetic voice.
She was calm and rational, and that was indeed true.
But, which ordinary girl from the countryside could resist such a Hydra?
And Malena didn't doubt the sincerity of Anselm's words.
After all, as everyone knows—
Hydra never lies.
Author's Note:
Transition complete, new plot begins tomorrow.
When I read novels, I always feel that the transitional chapters are too dragging. Now that I'm writing myself, I realize that they are necessary, so I'm trying to fill them with valuable information. I hope you don't find them boring.
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