A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 89  The End of Childhood - Four (II)

On the fourth day after the nobles stopped resource delivery, more and more families ran out of coal. The villagers began to try to sell the items that the nobles had given them in exchange for food and coal.

 But ordinary people didn't need these things, and the nobles in the city of Darkwater were unlikely to take them. The merchants had spent their money hoarding living supplies, and no one would spend money to buy these things at this time.

Seraphina took five silver coins to register as a mercenary. After a simple pass, she began to look for lucrative commissions. However, ideals are always ideals. In the Darkwater city, a remote city in the Red Frost territory, there were no large commissions, and even if there were, they wouldn't be given to Seraphina. But the young girl was still trying. She tried her best to pick two commissions that could be completed in a short time and didn't require long-distance travel. She began to work... independently. She worked tirelessly from the fourth day to the night of the fifth day, when she completed these two commissions.

"Oh, Seri, you don't have to work so hard. Be kind to yourself. I have some roast meat at home. Come and eat some tonight and get some rest." An auntie, seeing Seraphina still returning under the night sky, couldn't help but step forward and touch her cold cheek, "It breaks my heart to see you like this, let alone Lord Hydral."

"Although we can't say we're doing it for Lord Hydral to see, you really don't have to work so hard, Seri." The other villagers were also worried, "We can still hold on, and this little money won't change anything. Don't rush, take it slow."

"...I'm fine."

Seraphina still tried to smile at everyone, but that smile had almost become a straight line, only slightly upturned at the corners of her mouth, "Don't worry."

"If we don't worry about you, who will?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Lord Hydral must be worried about Seri now!"

On the sixth day after the nobles stopped resource delivery, the coal reserves of the Seraphina household were depleted. However, a silver lining emerged as Seraphina, the only active mercenary in the small town of Darkwater city following the severe cold wave disaster, received a commission worth two gold coins. The catch was that the employer required an evaluation. "Oh, that's true. If Lord Hydral saw Seri's current state, he would definitely be heartbroken."

Seraphina hurried home.

Like she was running away.

And on the night of the fifth day, the young girl still chose not to sleep.

*

On the sixth day after the nobles stopped resource delivery, the coal reserves of the Seraphina household were depleted. However, a silver lining emerged as Seraphina, the only active mercenary in the small town of Darkwater city following the severe cold wave disaster, received a commission worth two gold coins. The catch was that the employer required an evaluation. After washing her face with icy water, the young girl stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was as frozen as ice, devoid of any expression. Her dark red eyes were almost lusterless, even filled with bloodshot streaks due to prolonged sleep deprivation.

"Mom, Dad, I am leaving." She announced, grabbing the black bread from the dining table and stuffing it into her mouth. She chewed vigorously and left the house without waiting for her parents' response, heading towards Darkwater city at the fastest speed possible. Upon her return to the village at night, she was greeted with the villagers' enthusiastic reception.

"Seri, how was your day?" Seraphina, whose gaze was slightly vacant and unfocused, was momentarily dazed. She turned her head to look at her side where a blurry figure stood, only the smile on his face visible. Yes, it was Hydral, who had become so desperate that he appeared in reality to influence her, even when she was awake. Or perhaps... was this just a hallucination caused by Seraphina's three days of sleep deprivation?

"How should you explain to your dear family and friends?" Hydral said with difficulty: "Should you tell them that the commission was posted by a merchant who had a bright idea to help you in your time of need? After all, it was because of my influence that you had this opportunity? "

"Should I tell them that the merchant treated you with the best tea and food, but you almost flipped the table when you heard my name? "

"Should I tell them that in the end, you rejected the freely given two gold coins, and even more gold that could help your family and friends, because of your meaningless pride?"

Veins bulged on Seraphina's forehead, making her already icy, exhausted, stiff, and gloomy face look even more terrifying. The ferocity radiating from her bloodshot dark red eyes was almost unconcealed, spreading all around her.

She didn't say a word, didn't scream hysterically, but the dangerous aura she exuded silenced all the villagers. Their warmth and concern were frozen. In this deathly silence, Seraphina moved forward expressionlessly, without any trace of a smile, heading towards her home.

"It's really not easy," Hydral, who was still following her, continued to chatter. "Seraphina, you clearly know what the right thing to do is, what the simplest thing to do is, what can make everyone happy. Why are you still so stubborn? What can you gain from this stubbornness?" Bang— Seraphina pushed open the door. Yolanda, who was cooking, peeked out from the kitchen and smiled warmly, "Let's have dinner—" Seraphina didn't respond, silently walked upstairs, and entered her room.

She sat on the bed in a daze, staring at her monstrous reflection in the mirror. Hydral sat next to her, sighing as if sympathizing with her, "Look at them, look at your uncles and aunts, your friends. "

"You've been working so hard these past few days, not even willing to sleep, trying to make the village better. Although you know you don't have any good methods, you've still tried this hard, haven't you? "

"But do they appreciate your efforts? Ah, they do see it, after all, you're 'very tired', haha. "

"But do they care about what your efforts have brought? They don't care, they only care about your value in Hydral's eyes."

"…Shut up." Seraphina murmured weakly, "Shut up… they're doing it for me… they're doing it for my sake." "Isn't that the funniest part? They're doing it for your sake… dear Seraphina."

Hydral hooked Seraphina's chin and gently stroked it. "They love you so much, but why… are you so miserable?"

Downstairs, the door seemed to be pushed open again, the sound very light, as if not wanting Seraphina to notice. But with Seraphina's hearing, how could she not know what was happening downstairs? Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"…Rhiannon? What's wrong?" "Aunt Yolanda, is Seri okay?" "She… she's very tired. I wanted to persuade her to rest the day before yesterday, but she didn't listen to me." "Is Seri… still not out of it? Is she lying to us so we won't worry?" Her mother said sadly, "Maybe that's the case… maybe she still feels guilty about Lord Hydral, so she doesn't want to contact him." "Seri… why won't she talk to us? Aunt Yolanda, you and Uncle Orin should persuade her, persuade her to contact Lord Hydral. If she doesn't say anything, who knows what Lord Hydral is thinking?" "I… but Seri seems…" "Yolanda, …Rhiannon is right." Her father's calm and worried voice reached Seraphina's ears through the floor.

"Seri's condition is very bad, it's not just feeling tired, she's doubting herself. When… when she dropped out of the Frost Tower, when she saw us sad, she had the same expression, she even wanted to die… we can't let her continue to torture herself like this, absolutely not." "We all may not be able to help her, but Lord Hydral, who is willing to let Seri sacrifice like this, and who is also willing to sacrifice for Seri, definitely can." "In this world, only Lord Hydral can save Seri."

Dad, Mom, Rhiannon… Why… why can't you help me? The only ones who can help me are… you. All I have left is… you. In your eyes… am I so worthless and meaningless… without Hydral?

"Isn't that the truth?" Hydral sat next to Seraphina, laughing lightly as if he knew what she was thinking. The discussion downstairs gradually disappeared, and the footsteps coming upstairs gradually approached, stopping in front of Seraphina's closed room door. After three or four seconds, there was a knock on the door, and her father Orin said softly, "Seri, mom and I have something to tell you, can we come in?

"…Seri? Seri?" Outside the door, Orin's voice grew anxious. When he still didn't hear a response, he pushed the door open without thinking,only to find… the room was empty. Only the window was open, and the mercilessly cold snow was drifting onto the floor.

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