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The fresh scent of wood mingled with the fragrance of vegetation, filling Seraphina\'s nostrils. This aroma, distinct yet brimming with the same vibrant vitality, was starkly different from the modest snow forest surrounding her village.

Her heart raced with excitement; this land bore no trace of human intervention, and the wild growth stirred the primal beast within her soul, urging her to explore this new world.

"Such... such a vast forest, and the sky above!"

Seraphina exclaimed in awe and disbelief, craning her neck to take in her surroundings. "How could the outer hall possibly contain it?"

"Her Highness Evora possesses an unparalleled understanding of the essence of space," Ravenna whispered softly.

"Creating such a secluded space is no difficult feat for her. The challenge lies in... crafting such a perfect ecological cycle."

To Seraphina, the former was more astonishing. She couldn\'t help but ask Ravenna, "But, is a fifth-stage truly that formidable?"

Ravenna paused for a moment, then adjusted her glasses with a calm tone, "Miss Marlowe, it seems your time with Ansel has led to some misconceptions about those of the crown stage... extraordinary beings."

"To ascend to the [throne] is to perceive and manipulate the essence; to wield the [scepter] is to touch and control the rules; to don the [crown] is to govern the extraordinary, to dominate the essence."

"Reaching the crown signifies that, in one or multiple essences, the extraordinary being has reached the pinnacle that the Heavenly Road can accommodate.

The Duke of Luminaris, who was executed by Her Majesty as well, could theoretically obliterate a city the size of the capital with a single strike using forbidden magic at full power, and Soren Canaster, who can effortlessly manipulate the very essence of an extraordinary being\'s soul—even after the soul has merged with the body from the third stage onwards—without causing the slightest harm, should he choose to."

Ravenna looked at Seraphina\'s bewildered face, fell silent for a moment, and then added, "It\'s just that under Her Majesty\'s rule, the empire appears very... stable. The fifth-stage crown bearers rarely have the opportunity to demonstrate their power openly, which might give you the impression that they are somewhat ordinary."

"They are, after all, the strongest beings beneath the four divine species, Miss Marlowe. Your accustomed defiance represented by Ansel does not imply... their power has diminished."

Ravenna, with a hint of incredulity in her heart, pondered.

How much does Ansel... truly dote on her? Does he really regard Marlowe as the head of strength, rather than as a favored concubine to be tamed?

Reflecting on this, Ravenna realized: Ansel... wouldn\'t think that way.

Because he used to treat me the same.

Whenever she was engrossed in her research, working with almost masochistic zeal, he would always find ways to jest and distract her. He encouraged her to rest, to take her mind off work, to find something else to do. "Start by eating well every day," he would say.

The petite woman, bound by memories, swayed slightly. Having ignored everything after her betrayal, she now remembered the past more vividly... Ansel\'s treatment of Seraphina was like... like how he used to treat her.

He wasn\'t taming Seraphina, nor did he want to disrupt her work; he simply wished to spare them from meaningless suffering and torment, nothing more.

As Ravenna was relentlessly battered by the harsh realities of life, Seraphina stood motionless, gazing up at the sky with a vacant expression.

When she was outside, she pondered what could possibly exist within the grand hall, a mere few dozen meters high.

Yet, the sight before her was so overwhelming that she found herself at a loss for words, prompting her to contemplate… whether her life, in Ansel\'s shadow, had been too smooth sailing?

Without worries or anxieties, whether it concerned her daily needs or resources for cultivation, everything was provided without her having to ask. People respectfully presented her with everything she needed daily.

Even her birthday gifts were unimaginably luxurious—the scheduled suit of armor capable of slaying beings a stage above her own; a peculiar domain that could elevate her to the fifth stage, and terrifying devices that could ensure her survival for ten seconds even against divine beings…

Under Ansel\'s protection, her life had become so comfortable that she had grown complacent about broadening her horizons.

Ahhhhh! Birthdays should be joyous occasions. Ansel already prepared such a surprise for me; I should be happy. Why am I dwelling on these thoughts?

Seraphina stamped her foot, shook her head vigorously, and cast her gloomy thoughts aside... Ansel might be watching from somewhere; she couldn\'t let him think she was unhappy.

Although she thought this, Seraphina etched the shock and clarity of that moment firmly in her mind.

"Ravenna... Ravenna?" she called out.

Receiving no response, Seraphina turned to look at Ravenna, who was lost in thought, and asked with concern, "What\'s on your mind?"

Ravenna snapped back to reality and, upon meeting Seraphina\'s dark crimson eyes, quickly averted her gaze, murmuring apologetically, "I beg your pardon, Miss Marlowe, I was just lost in thought."

"Hmm... Ah, I was also thinking something, it\'s nothing," Seraphina replied, scratching her cheek and observing Ravenna, who seemed reluctant to meet her gaze.

After hesitating for a moment, she added awkwardly, "You,You needn\'t call me as Miss Marlowe; I\'m not used to such formalities. Just Seraphina will do."

"... Very well, Seraphina," Ravenna nodded in agreement.

Having regained her composure, Seraphina slapped her cheeks, refocusing her attention on the vast and unknown world before her.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and a smile of eager excitement spread across her face.

"This is… the smell of life and freedom," she exclaimed.

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