70 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

## Chapter 70: I Have a Special Money-Snatching Technique "Thank you." This should have been an exceptionally ordinary word. Yet, in the mouths of some ungrateful people, it is a word that is perpetually unheard. Ivysset is one such example. With a nasty personality and a terrible temper, she often carries a cold and arrogant demeanor that makes anyone want to stay away. In Lynn’s original estimation, this word would never emerge from Ivysset’s lips. Unless something was seriously wrong with her head. However, tonight, Lynn seemed to witness this rare occurrence of a lifetime. Did she actually say thank you to him? This self-absorbed, arrogant, and malevolent woman, she actually uttered those words? Lynn was dumbfounded. Not only that, he felt somewhat overwhelmed. Because it was incredibly rare. So rare that he couldn't believe it. Under the effect of Swallowing Liar, he maintained a stern expression, not knowing what to say. What strange words were tumbling around in his head? Just as Lynn was lost in thought, he heard Ivysset speak again: "Additionally, I lied to you about something." It seemed as if she was speaking to the hypnotized fellow in front of her, yet also speaking to herself. What? Once again, a trace of curiosity rose in Lynn’s heart. "You were actually the first puppy I ever kept," she said softly, resting her chin in her palm as she gazed out the window. "The one I mentioned before was actually kept by Shirlena." "To get back at her, I personally strangled her favorite little dog on her birthday." Even though she spoke of something gruesome, a faint smile tugged at Ivysset's lips, as if she recalled a delightful memory. Lynn had no idea that this was actually the deepest secret buried in her heart before she turned twelve. The reasons why she was revealing it now were unclear. It was rather enigmatic. Upon hearing Ivysset’s words, Lynn’s face darkened. Are you kidding me, do you think putting it like that would please me? The notion of being her first pet seemed completely off. Upon reflection, it seemed he had indeed claimed many of her firsts? The first time being hypnotized, the first time being rescued, the first time gifted with stockings, and the first time saying thank you... He truly was a sinful man. He wondered how much further Ivysset’s storyline would deviate after he eventually made his getaway. “Forget it, what’s the point in telling ‘the you of now’ these things?” Ivysset shook her head, lifting her hand to release the hypnosis, “Forget everything I just said.” In the next second, Lynn’s consciousness returned to his body. ".Why is my mask on the floor?” Lynn stared blankly at the raven mask beside him, his acting prowess instantly on display. He had completely forgotten about this... Upon seeing his confusion, Ivysset lightly frowned but didn't appear alarmed. “Don’t be scared.” Her usual demeanor returned with a wicked smile lingering on her lips, “I just hypnotized you for a moment, made you do a striptease, and you forgot to put the mask back on at the end.” “Your dancing was quite impressive, I must say.” Damn it, this woman was adding more drama to his script. Lynn complained inwardly. On the surface, however, he had to keep a stern face, sitting solemnly in place. Seeing this, Ivysset felt a bit bored, so she casually steered the conversation back on track. “Do you have confidence in the agreement with Uncle Tilwes?” “Of course.” “Ten days?” “Just ten days.” “Then go forth and let them witness just how outstanding the subordinates of Ivysset Roland Alexiny are.” “At your command.” “You actually made it back alive?” As soon as Lynn returned to the manor, Greya rushed over with a shocked expression. He had been there to witness Lynn's astonishing maneuvers tonight, a roller coaster of twist after twist. Who would have thought that the iron-blooded Duke from a military family would spare him? Avoiding Greya’s inspection, Lynn shook his head saying: “It’s just about killing two dogs, what price is there to pay?” “Those were the Mosgragor family’s heirs!” Greya corrected him loudly. “The Mosgragor family has many heirs, not just him.” Lynn shrugged, “Besides, they were merely heirs.” “As long as the core pillar of that family, namely that damned Valkyrie, remains alive, they can stage a comeback anytime.” With less than a month before they returned to the imperial capital, some things were already on Lynn’s agenda. But for now, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Helping Duke Tilwes reclaim the tax and, to some degree, undermine the influence of the Church of Providence. As for the latter, it boiled down to simply shaking the people's faith. Breaking it down, that just meant making people question their long-held beliefs. How to make them question? By making these ignorant masses feel as if they’ve been subjected to an unprecedented deception. With this in mind, Lynn said, “Get a good rest tonight, we’ll likely be quite busy in the coming days.” Greya pondered thoughtfully, “Do you already have a plan?” “Indeed.” Lynn nodded, “Collecting taxes, there are two basic approaches.” “And they are?” “Militant collection and literary collection.” “What’s militant collection?” “Take people and loot them straightaway.” “Then what about literary collection?” “Find a good reason first, then take people and loot them straightaway.” Greya was stunned, “That violent?” “Just joking.” Lynn patted his shoulder, “But the overall structure is somewhat like that.” “Do you think using gentle methods would make those greedy parasites spit out everything they’ve gobbled up?” “Oh, and make sure to get more people to work overnight on these few things…” As whispers exchanged, Greya’s frown deepened. “Are you sure this will work?” He found himself greatly puzzled. “You’ll see soon enough whether or not it works.” The next morning. With the clamor and noise around, countless citizens and passersby tightly packed the largest municipal square in Orne City. Being so close to King’s Avenue, this place was already the busiest and most crowded area of the city, and today's foot traffic was several times higher. As the crowd murmured amongst themselves, their gazes turned toward the center of the square. What were those objects for? Seeing the row of glass cases that had suddenly appeared in the square, they all shared this common question.