51 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 51: The Death of Lynn (Part One) "Young Master Lynn, His Highness requests your presence." The next day at noon, the sound of knocking could be heard at Lynn's door. With an impatient expression and dark circles under his eyes, he opened the door to find the elderly housekeeper, Keisha, standing there. She remained as expressionless as ever, like a robot dutifully performing its tasks. "I understand," Lynn said, stifling a yawn as he followed her. Since returning from the Pantheon last night, he hadn't slept a wink. He had been pondering endlessly about how to resolve the situation he encountered yesterday. The crux of the problem was that the witch seemed unwilling for him to become a follower of the End. But if that were truly the case, why had she pulled his consciousness across a span of a hundred thousand years? Was she simply bored? Or perhaps, when a woman says no, she really means yes? Should he have been more assertive the last time? Caught in an internal chaos of thoughts, Lynn's face turned grim. His mood was incredibly sour. It wasn’t just about failing to ignite the divine endowment factor; it was mostly because of the infuriating tone of that woman. The most pressing issue right now was that he needed to become extraordinary as soon as possible. And to achieve that, he must gain the approval of the End Witch—which meant she had to form a deep impression of "Lynn Bartleon." There's only one method to accomplish this. He must start with the current timeline. Based on Lynn's previous conjectures, only by creating deviations in the storyline now could he, through a chain reaction, affect the time a hundred thousand years later. Of course, it couldn’t be like the first time he unmasked Ivysester, where it only resulted in changing 0.01%. He must significantly deviate her storyline to a substantial degree. Only in this way could the ripples of fate reach a hundred thousand years later and truly change the End Witch. But what exactly should he do to significantly boost this value and make her remember "Lynn Bartleon"? Could it be... to take her by force and become the first and last man in her life? No, forget it. He wanted the End Witch's help to escape from Ivysester's clutches. If he did something like that, it would truly be putting the cart before the horse. And most importantly, He couldn’t defeat her. Lynn thought grimly. Just then, the housekeeper Keisha stopped walking, bringing him to the entrance of the princess's study. After knocking on the door, Lynn was given permission to enter slowly. "Your Highness," he greeted dutifully, his face devoid of any emotion. At his words, Ivysester, who had been reviewing documents, looked up. At first, she merely glanced casually, but upon seeing the thick dark circles under his eyes, she felt a bit puzzled. The estate didn’t usually require much effort from him; why did he seem so overworked? But recalling the scene from the night before last, Ivysester suddenly had a moment of clarity. An odd expression appeared in her eyes. Although Ivysester didn't bother herself with the personal lives of her subordinates, this particular matter seemed to have originated with her. It was she who had given him the so-called "holy relic," which presumably led this guy to overindulge. At the very least, that's how Ivysester saw it. Still... was that object really so enticing to men? It was just a piece of fabric at most, merely carrying a trace of her aura; how useful could it be? Ivysester felt quite baffled. So, she cleared her throat, coolly hinting, "You're still young; take care of your health." Upon hearing her words, Lynn stumbled on his way to close the door. Darn it. Why did it feel like this woman was admonishing him in the same tone a mother would use upon discovering dry tissues by her son's bedside? Someday, I’ll cram those tissues right into your mouth! Lynn vowed silently. "Why has Your Highness summoned me today?" he asked. "Did you conduct some kind of ritual in your room yesterday?" Ivysester returned to the topic, slightly furrowing her brows. "I sensed a strange spatial fluctuation." Hearing this, Lynn, who had his explanation ready, replied, "I was trying different ways to communicate with the divine, hoping to find a way to regain my extraordinary abilities." This excuse was robust. After all, for Lynn, this indeed was his purpose, so it wasn’t exactly a lie. So Ivysester accepted his explanation, calmly advising, "Don't do such dangerous things again. Be cautious of contacting some indescribable entities." Could you be considered an indescribable entity? Lynn thought to himself. "As for regaining your extraordinary abilities... you should visit Milanie later. I've asked her to prepare something for you, and you should get a check-up." With these few words, Ivysester made up her mind about the matter. Lynn didn’t have the chance to refuse, and he could only remain silent. The subject was swiftly brushed aside. "There’s one more thing," Ivysester’s conversation style was somewhat abrupt, "Duke Tirewus seems to have found some spare time lately, and has sent two invitations to the estate for a charity dinner being held three days from now. You will accompany me." "Me?" Lynn was taken aback. "By the way, it seems the Mosgraff family has also sent people from the Imperial Capital to Oron City." Ivysester ignored his surprise, "Evidently, they aim to assist the second prince they support in gaining Duke Tirewus's favor." Upon hearing that surname, Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly. Mosgraff. He would never forget that name. Illyna, the woman who framed him to be known as the "disgrace of nobility," was the eldest daughter of the Mosgraff family. It's been more than a year since they last met, and this family seems to have been aggressively expanding within the Saint Roland Empire, climbing their way up by devouring the resources left behind after the fall of the Bartleon family. Of course, this couldn’t be disconnected from the prince’s influence. It's time for a meeting. Lynn thought silently. Noticing his silence, Ivysester knew he was processing the news, so she moved on to the next topic: "My visit to Oron City is mainly for two purposes." "The first is dealing with matters related to the Creation School, which has mostly been settled, except a certain ancient curse artifact they've left behind has yet to be found." "As for the second, it’s about establishing a friendly relationship with the Tirewus family." "You should have some understanding of this." "The royal selection ceremony and the electors, yes, I know." Ivysester nodded slightly, intently observing his expression: "Regarding the second matter, do you have any insights?" "Uh... no, I don't." Lynn did his best to appear deep in thought, then replied with some frustration. Heh. Ivysester sneered inwardly. This guy’s acting was laughably poor. Thinking of this, she contemplated using hypnosis to find out what cunning plans he might have. Only under hypnosis would this guy become more obedient and speak truthfully. But then Ivysester reconsidered; it was still daytime, and if she were discovered, it wouldn’t be appropriate, so she restrained her impulse. Feigning indifference, she nodded: "If that's the case, you may leave." "But make sure to come to my room tonight if you have time." "...Understood." Once Lynn left, Ivysester's expression returned to its usual icy demeanor. She stood up, narrowing her eyes slightly as she gazed out the window. She hadn't lied earlier. Although the situation spiraled from a dispute with the grand princess Sherina that invoked the wrath of Saint Roland VI, she was also obliged with a task in Oron City. According to intelligence, the Creation School seemed to possess an ancient curse artifact of a considerable tier and planned to use it for some heinous purpose. Her mission was to reclaim that artifact. But up till now, despite completely eradicating them, Ivysester hadn’t found any trace of it. Truth be told, these past few days, Ivysester had felt somewhat uneasy. The biggest issue wasn't the Tirewus family but rather the missing ancient curse artifact. Somehow... it felt like things wouldn’t end so simply. Admiring the bright sun outside the window, Ivysester silently contemplated.