38 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

**Chapter 38: A Surprise for His Highness** "Why did you kill him?" After ensuring everyone had signed, Grea finally approached Lynn. Gazing at the lifeless Mallory on the ground, he asked regretfully, "If we had taken him back for interrogation, we might have uncovered the mastermind he mentioned." "Apologies," Lynn replied with a helpless expression. "When I heard him say he wanted to blame the deaths of these three hundred people on Princess Irisvet, I was overcome with anger and acted impulsively." "Uh, I understand. You shouldn't blame yourself too much." Seeing Lynn's unwavering loyalty, Grea found himself at a loss for words and quickly offered comfort. After all, the resolution of everything today was all thanks to Lynn. Otherwise, Grea would still be scrambling for solutions to clean up the mess left behind. Thankfully, everything was settled now. Watching the refugees enter the city in an orderly fashion after receiving permits, Grea's anxiety finally eased. "I'll handle the rest. I'll temporarily house these refugees in the Augusta family's property," Grea said, handing over a pile of signed supernatural contracts to Lynn with a wink. "When you return to the manor, you can report this matter as a surprise for His Highness." With that, Grea promptly left with the two officers, each harboring different thoughts. One of them even gave Lynn a curious look as he departed, though his thoughts remained inscrutable. Watching the group disappear into the distance, Lynn smirked. Those were mere lies. He'd never get angry for Irisvet; he hadn't encountered anything worth losing his head over in two lifetimes. Though he might temporarily face setbacks, he always found a way to exact revenge. Lynn had killed Mallory without hesitation to distance himself from royal affairs. It was a rare few who could stretch their hands so far into Oran City at such a time. Having read the original story, Lynn easily deduced that the culprit was one of the princes. If he exposed the prince, he'd irreparably damage relations. Lynn's initial concern was whether helping Irisvet too significantly would entwine him with her faction too deeply, resulting in him taking a side he preferred to avoid. He'd eventually have to flee. Better to have fewer enemies. With these thoughts, Lynn sighed and headed towards the carriage Grea left behind. Atop the carriage, Afaiya lounged and enjoyed the sunset, purring contentedly. Seeing Lynn approach, she lazily flipped over and stretched, exposing her belly. "Finished your business, meow?" Afaiya drawled lazily, her voice uncharacteristically soft, which unnerved Lynn. "Are you sick?" Lynn asked, looking at her strangely. "This refined demeanor is unsettling." "I've realized," Afaiya sniffed. "Getting mad at someone like you is an endless endeavor, so I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything you say from now on." Oh? Only this self-respecting Hakimi... Seeing her smug demeanor, Lynn oddly felt mischievous and said, "I've always meant to ask you... How did you find my technique when you went into heat at the inn?" The atmosphere grew silent. For the next several seconds, Afaiya vividly demonstrated what "dying of shame" meant. She initially looked puzzled at Lynn, perhaps processing his words' deeper meaning. As realization dawned, her body tensed, baring her small white fangs as she fluffed up defensively. "I-I'm going to get you!!!" With a look of indignation, Afaiya lunged at Lynn, latching onto his face like a facehugger and biting his forehead. "Ouch—ouch—ouch!!!" Lynn murmured, face buried in her belly. ... "Welcome, guest...huh, huh? Your face..." "Oh, I'm fine." Feeling Afaiya on his face, Lynn waved a hand nonchalantly. He was now in a luxury women's clothing store in one of Oran City’s commercial districts. Seeing the peculiar sight of a guest with a cat on his face, the store's staff paused their tasks. After Lynn reassured them, they forced a smile, "What can we assist you with today?" “Do you have women’s shoes? Show me your most expensive pairs." Hearing this, Afaiya, clinging tightly to Lynn's head, twitched her ears for unknown reasons. A few of the store's priciest women’s shoes were soon presented. With a facehugger-like creature attached, Lynn resorted to awkwardly using his peripheral vision to skim the styles. Eventually, he pointed to an adorable pair of black princess shoes, "I'll take these." "That will be three gold coins," the staff replied courteously. Pricey... Though Lynn felt a pang, he handed over the coins he'd earned from that greedy box. After purchasing, Lynn entered the fitting room, tapping Afaiya hanging on his face. "Get down and see if these shoes fit." "?" Afaiya looked puzzled as she landed elegantly on the ground, eyeing the dainty princess shoes warily, "What’s this about?" Lynn shrugged, "Last time when you became human, you weren’t wearing shoes, so here’s a gift as an apology." Upon hearing this, Afaiya's expression turned complex. He’s more thoughtful than expected. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "Y-you’re the second person to give me shoes." Lynn frowned, irked. Before, in front of Irisvet, he was the second to be collared, even though it's not something to boast about. But now, the innate male competitiveness surged again. He asked seriously, "Who was the first?" "Her Highness." "Oh, that's... that's nice." Lynn averted his gaze. Silence lingered until Afaiya broke it after a moment. "You’re a good person, but I’m sorry!" For reasons unknown, after a bout of indecision, she suddenly looked anxious and blurted out the phrase, grabbing the shoes and scurrying away. What just happened? Even after leaving the fitting room, Lynn was in a fog. Watching him exit, the accompanying store clerk smiled knowingly, "Didn’t you know?" "Know what?" "For beastfolk women, they never wear shoes in life, except once." “When is that?" "During marriage, their husband gives them a pair as a proposal gift." "?" Lynn was dumbstruck. No wonder she said that. Did I just inadvertently get friend-zoned? The feeling of blatant humiliation flared. Not only that, he lost three gold coins' worth in shoes. This is what “accepting a gift ≠ I agree” means?! Disgruntled, Lynn stepped into the carriage parked along the evening street. “Back to the manor!”