90 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

### Chapter 90: Ways to Please Her (3,000 Words) Returning once more to the cellar, Lynn was filled with curiosity about his surroundings. As he glanced at the containment rooms lining the road, he asked Ms. Melanie, who walked ahead of him, "I've always had a question." "What is it?" she replied. "How are these contained items supposed to be transported back to the Imperial Capital?" Lynn's curiosity was piqued. After all, this seemed like a makeshift stronghold, yet from what he understood, the Augusta Manor had only recently pledged allegiance to Iviste upon her arrival in Orun City. He was unsure how these containment rooms were built in such a short time. "There's no need to worry," Melanie responded with a slight smile. "Because the 'cellar' itself is already a containment item." "In a few days, when we head back to the capital, you'll get to see it firsthand." She left it at that. At that moment, a heart-wrenching scream emanated from one of the containment rooms beside Lynn, startling him. He instinctively looked at Melanie, only to find her expression remained tranquil. "This is the sealing item '3-0098', known as the Chair of Torment," Melanie explained without pausing. "It's generally used for interrogating prisoners. Anyone who sits on it will endure endless pain and suffering." "Many people have gone insane within just two or three seconds." "If you ever misbehave, His Highness might just let you try it out." Melanie hinted with a faint warning. Ha. But when he gave it some thought, it did seem to go well with his Thorned Crown. Not that he'd ever use it for others—he wasn't masochistic, after all. Lynn secretly pinched himself. Someone as selfish as him would never use the Thorned Crown on anyone else. After all, pain was very real. He let out a sigh. Just as Lynn prepared to catch up with Melanie, a burst of maniacal laughter suddenly echoed from the containment room holding the Chair of Torment. "You, you have angered the great Creation Goddess. You've provoked Her wrath, ignorant humans. Soon, She will bring endless malice upon this world, and then, whether it's this city or the entire Holy Lorland Empire, all will face Her fury, drowning in the swamp of death, filled with harrowing cries of despair. Hahaha!!!" But barely moments after this proclamation, there came another piercing scream. Clearly insane. Lynn shook his head and followed along. Shortly after, with Melanie leading the way, they arrived at the door of a small containment room. "We're here." Melanie opened the door for him. At that moment, a trace of excitement flickered in Lynn's heart. According to Melanie, this was a level 1 sealing item, and even Iviste possessed only this one. After all, level 0 items were strategic sealing items capable of creating havoc within a nation, easily unleashing intense chaos. If left uncontrolled, they could eventually drag the entire world into their terrifying nature and rules. Even the gods wouldn't underestimate items of this caliber. In fact, quite a few had been personally crafted by them and bestowed upon their followers. Now, gazing at the somewhat dusty containment room, Lynn noticed a pristine white card placed on a distant table. The card was roughly palm-sized, resembling a playing card, but without any numbers or suits. At that moment, Melanie began to explain. "The sealing item '1-0106', known as the Tarot of Piénes," she gestured for Lynn to enter. "Strictly speaking, this is just a singular card from a full deck." "But even so, it still deserves its level 1 sealing item status." "Just one card is so formidable? What would it be like to gather all 54 cards? Wouldn't it qualify as a level 0 item?" Lynn was a bit taken aback. Melanie nodded, "You're right. According to legend, this deck conceals a path to godhood." "Should anyone gather them, they'd ascend to become a new deity." "Although, that's merely a legend, and it's virtually impossible to verify its truth." "This sealing item has been around for over a thousand years, yet no one has ever gathered even a single suit." Melanie spoke softly. "Of course, even setting aside the mythological aspects, the sealing item itself is exceedingly powerful," she explained further. "A deck consists of 54 cards, each with a unique effect." "Some can transform into formidable supernaturally empowered weapons, others can grant terrifying abilities, and some can even allow you to communicate effortlessly with deities, becoming their emissary." "However, what kind of card you get largely depends on your luck." "Luck?" Lynn was somewhat puzzled. "Indeed, or rather, it depends on how well you resonate with the card," Melanie nodded. "Generally, the higher the card, the more it will enhance you." "You can pick up that blank card and establish a connection with it using the divine endowment factor within you, then the corresponding card face will appear." Hearing this, Lynn nodded in understanding. With her watching, he slowly approached the card. At that moment, he was still wearing the luck-enhancing necklace given by Melanie. Hopefully, he'd draw a high card. With this thought, Lynn took a deep breath and picked up the thin card from the table. As he touched it, the card felt incredibly smooth, no different from an ordinary playing card. Just as he was about to activate the divine endowment factor. Lynn suddenly heard a faint voice, a presence near his ear, almost imperceptible. "M-Master? Is that you?" Hm? His hand faltered momentarily, thinking it was an illusion. But the next instant, the voice resurfaced. "I can sense a trace of the 'Prisoner of Fate' on you... I..." "Forgive me... I am in a poor state, perhaps about to fall into slumber. Please, activate this card quickly." "This is the last help I can offer you." Was it the card speaking? Lynn was thunderstruck. He discreetly glanced at Melanie, who appeared calm, seemingly oblivious to the sound he heard. From Melanie’s previous descriptions, it was clear that a card owner wouldn’t typically hear such a voice. Moreover, Prisoner of Fate? This was the third time Lynn had heard the term during his month-long stay in Orun City. The first was when he activated the Swallower of Lies and personally witnessed that peculiar, terrifying presence. The second was when the Fatal Doll spoke to him. And now, the third was right before him. It seemed... he had some deep-seated connection to this deity not mentioned in the original narrative. This wasn’t exactly good news. Lynn’s expression turned grave. Yet in the next moment, he activated his divine endowment factor, allowing a red glow to flicker at his fingertips from an angle Melanie couldn’t see. With a barely perceptible ripple of extraordinary power, numbers and patterns began to surface on the previously blank card. Seeing the suit on it, Lynn fell into silence. "So, what number and suit did you draw?" Melanie, curious, stood on tiptoe, trying to glimpse his card. Lynn wordlessly turned around, showing the card in his hand. Seeing the symbols and text on it, Melanie froze for several seconds before her eyes filled with disappointment. "The two of spades? It’s the smallest card. What a pity." She shook her head, feeling a sense of regret for Lynn missing such an opportunity. Is she seeing the two of spades? Upon hearing her words, Lynn was taken aback, a hint of disbelief masking his face. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again. The image that met his gaze was still the crying jester. But it’s showing me a joker, isn’t it? Overwhelmed with doubt, Lynn furrowed his brows deeply. He contemplated revealing this. But after a moment of thought, he ultimately chose to remain silent. If this really is a joker card, then following Melanie's explanation, it undoubtedly represents an extremely powerful weapon. If kept hidden, its benefits would far surpass any consequences of being revealed. After all, Lynn had long decided to master the art of living discreetly. The more hidden cards up his sleeve, the greater the chances of escaping from Iviste's side and succeeding in his future revenge. With this in mind, Lynn swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth. “Let's give it a try first, see what this card can materialize into, or what kind of extraordinary ability it can grant you,” Melanie said, mistaking his silence for disappointment, and tried to comfort him. Lynn nodded. A minute later, his expression turned slightly awkward. “Insufficient divine endowment factors; unable to activate.” "Uh-oh." After parting with Melanie, Lynn left the cellar. He walked through the Augusta Manor, lost in thought, ignoring the greetings from the maids. Earlier, when trying to activate that joker card, he received no response. Although his divine endowment factors had reached the peak of the first tier, in terms of both quantity and quality, apart from the original novel’s main character, Lynn doubted anyone could rival him at this moment. Could it be that he needed to wait until the second or third tier to use it? He couldn't help but sigh. But now wasn't the time to dwell on these issues. There was a far more pressing task at hand. Completing the Trial of the Witch of the End and pleasing Iviste at this current point in time. The trial was somewhat urgent. According to the witch, he needed to leave Iviste with a precious memory before she set off for her temporary mission. Only by doing so could he awaken the one chance in her life to show mercy and allow him to return to the Imperial Capital ahead of schedule. In other words, he only had one day left at most. This might be his closest opportunity to freedom. Upon returning to the capital, he could take advantage of the time when Iviste was away on a mission to find an opportunity to remove the thorn brand from his chest and align himself with powerful allies, informed by his knowledge of the plot. As for how to please her… Lynn recalled the first time he met the witch, sitting on the steps, quietly reading a book, and shook his head. She said to figure it out himself, but she had granted him all the hints he needed beforehand. The witch was quite the tsundere. With this mindset, Lynn arrived at Her Royal Highness's study door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open forcefully. “Please go on a date with me, Miss Iviste!” --- (Note: Reading mode does not automatically load the next page. 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