Chapter 129 Love is the most unreasonable thing in the world - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Late at night, Milanie gently pushed open IEvester's door. Gazing at the white-haired woman sitting by the desk, staring out the window, she took a deep breath, suppressing the many words she wished to voice. To her, the reason Her Highness summoned her today was straightforward. It was all about the memories Lynn had forgotten. Though frequent probing could harm him, judging by Her Highness's recent demeanor, she might not consider his safety and proceed forcefully. That was something she didn't want to see happen. When did everything start to change? Perhaps it began with the news of Lynn's death spreading across the estate and Her Highness's loss of her once-proud power. From that point on, everything turned awry. The once spirited and flamboyant woman in uniform was no more, replaced by a patient ensnared in paranoia. The dual blow shattered her will, leaving her insecure, resorting to some pathological and frenzied measures to uphold this distorted relationship. But a distortion is still a distortion. No matter how beautifully it's adorned, there would inevitably come a day to awaken to reality. On that day, she would face a harsher truth. What should be done? "Sit." Caught in her thoughts, Milanie suddenly heard Her Highness's calm voice. It wasn't cold or indifferent, but astonishingly gentle. Milanie paused, thinking she had misheard. Without a word, she took a seat, nervously placing her hands on her knees, and her slender legs dangled, swinging slightly. The atmosphere fell silent as she watched the woman enveloped in moonlight. After some time, a voice suddenly broke the silence: "I'm sorry about last time." What? Milanie looked up in surprise at Her Highness, who had her back towards her, lips opened but voiceless. Her Highness was apologizing to her? This was something she had never encountered before. For some reason, Milanie felt her eyes warm, a wave of emotion washing over her. Though perhaps it was an illusion, it felt like tonight's Her Highness seemed different from recent days. Before Milanie could respond, IEvester spoke again, "Is there any progress regarding his missing memories from the lab?" "If you intend to probe his mind, I will assist you without harming him." Milanie bit her lip. "That's not what I mean." IEvester gently shook her head, "As far as I know, the part of his brain about me was sealed by a powerful entity, possibly a god. Do you have any methods to lift this seal?" Milanie paused for a few seconds before shaking her head, "Your Highness, if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have even detected the seal's presence." "However... perhaps there's still a chance." "If the god who placed the seal isn't that strong or isn't in a good state now, you could, at a certain cost, request the major churches' assistance." "From what I know, the Silent Church possesses an item that can effectively counteract mental negative effects." "If you require it, then I..." Milanie offered a new perspective. However, after a moment of silence, IEvester lightly shook her head again, "No, let's just leave it." This response left Milanie puzzled once more. From what she knew of IEvester, due to that pathological possessiveness, she could never tolerate another's influence over what belonged to her. Especially when it concerned her memories. Unless what might happen after unlocking those memories was something Her Highness couldn't accept. Milanie cast a worried glance at IEvester. In a sense, her intuition was indeed sharp. Even IEvester herself hadn't realized that the reason she declined the suggestion was an underlying fear. Everything happening now could still be excused by the sealed memories. But once those memories were unsealed, that final fig leaf would vanish. IEvester was evading. She feared Lynn, with restored memories, might tell her that the witch of the future was, in truth, his most cherished master. Yet, at this moment, the two present had overlooked one thing. If that entity was so confident, why employ such a measure as sealing memories? Unfortunately, neither Milanie nor IEvester realized this point. "When will the power I lost begin to recover?" After a while, IEvester again asked the question of utmost concern to her. Milanie pursed her lips, softly replying, "According to the body examination results, the core traits of the mixed wishing jar within you have been purified by your power of annihilation for some time now. It should logically have started gradually reviving." "But strangely, no matter what stimuli we use, your power remains dormant." IEvester fell silent for a moment, "Regarding this, do you have any insight?" Without power, she was like a rootless duckweed. All relationships around her were built upon her formidable strength. Once that power ceased to exist, everything would collapse. Perhaps, IEvester's recent change was not only driven by the insecurity Lynn brought but also the disappearance of her strength played a significant role. Having no money in your pocket versus not using money you have are two different concepts. Hearing this, Milanie gently shook her head. She wanted to suggest it might be related to her state of mind. But as a researcher, she was reluctant to embrace such idealistic views. Moreover, she believed the dead end Her Highness found herself in could only be navigated by Her Highness herself. Not even Lynn could do that. Nonetheless, hearing Milanie's words, IEvester didn't show anger or disappointment; instead, she unexpectedly shifted the topic. "I have a friend who's recently encountered some issues." This so-called "friend" was surely Her Highness herself! Milanie immediately recognized the underlying meaning. She looked up, somewhat bewildered, at the slender silhouette of IEvester, suddenly finding herself at a loss for words. Was Her Highness revealing her heart to her? But why? Thus, with Milanie's eyes filled with confusion, IEvester began softly narrating. The reason she confided in Milanie was because she was possibly the smartest person in the estate. In the serene and gentle night, she recounted the majority of the recent baffling events she faced, veiled and reformed, presenting them from a novel angle. Yet, no matter how it was reworked, as one of IEvester's closest individuals, Milanie instantly recognized the story's true shape. The circles you run in sure are tangled. What future self, what past self, what two women vying for one dog... is this truly the unsettling situation Specimen 126 is dealing with lately? Milanie found herself momentarily speechless. Yet IEvester wasn't finished with her inquiry. "What are your thoughts on what I just mentioned?" "Just talk freely, as if we're casually chatting." Her voice was soft, betraying no emotion. Hearing this, Milanie paused in contemplation before mustering the courage to say, "I find the little dog being fought over by two women quite pitiful." "You... they seem to never consider his feelings, impressing their will upon him and toying with him at will." "But no matter how one dresses up this relationship, he remains an individual, a being with free will." "And between people, there should be understanding and—" There should be understanding and love. Milanie wanted to say that. But she knew well that due to her past experiences, IEvester simply didn’t grasp what love truly was. "Independent being..." IEvester didn't notice Milanie's hesitation and simply repeated her perspective, then fell silent. Moments later, she softly spoke again, "Let's change the subject." Indeed, the princess's distorted notions were not something that could be changed with a few words. But if she insisted on this erroneous path, the distance between her and the "little dog" would only widen. Your Highness, when will you realize this? Milanie sighed gently in her heart. Yet IEvester was unaware of her internal musings. "What do you think the woman from the past could do to defeat her future self even once?" She asked softly. Milanie hesitated for a moment, "In my opinion, that's not possible." As soon as the words were out, the atmosphere chilled. Milanie pressed her lips together, then began to explain. "The woman from the past is akin to a highly uncontrollable Level 1 sealed item, powerful yet often yielding undesirable results. Instead of proper containment, people would rather destroy it once its use is exhausted." This vivid metaphor instantly reminded IEvester of herself. "As for her future self... she is like a Level 0 sealed item, not only possessing all the capabilities of the Level 1 item but far more powerful, with even simpler containment conditions." "Given such clear distinctions in advantages, if one were to choose between these two sealed items, I think no one would hesitate." "Logically, there's no reason to discard the better product for a flawed one." Milanie illustrated her point delicately, trying not to hurt her. IEvester instinctively clenched her hand, falling silent. "If one were to quantify their attributes, the future woman would outclass the past one in every aspect. From a mathematical perspective, the past woman never stood a chance of victory." "That's the most reasonable perspective," Milanie answered softly. After Milanie left, IEvester, once more alone, calmly gazed out the window. The most logical perspective? A hint of bewilderment flickered in her crimson eyes. Even Milanie, who was most focused on logic and mathematics, rationally told her there was no possibility of winning. Then there truly was none. IEvester even contemplated using her body as bait to keep the estrous "little dog" bound to her. After all, during their time together, it seemed this body was indeed tempting to him. However, she quickly extinguished this thought. Being with him would mean that the future vile woman would also have shared such intimacy with him. In a certain sense, such actions could bridge the gap between that vile woman and him, perhaps even breaking the distance and barriers originally in place. And IEvester loathed that woman too much to ever take such an action that would satisfy an enemy. Or perhaps, should she continue imprisoning him as before? Should she cut off his chances of escape, even cripple him, ensuring he'd be forever hers, would that suffice? No, that wouldn't suffice. For some reason, a voice from deep within IEvester's heart insisted on this. In her mind, she involuntarily recalled Lynn's calm and indifferent gaze. Such a look seemed to deem her merely as a stand-in for the eventual Witch of Demise—a possibility that pricked at IEvester's heart. Simply imprisoning him could never change that look in his eyes. But besides imprisoning, what method could draw him back to her side? Or maybe, Milanie's view was right. A flawed product could never surpass the genuine item? IEvester gazed blankly at the moon. Just then, a breeze blew in from outside the window. With a rustling sound, a book on the table suddenly flipped through several pages and stopped at an unknown place. In that instant, a sense of intuitive insight emerged. IEvester raised her wrist slightly, maneuvering her wheelchair slowly towards the desk. Moments later, she saw the book. "The Chronicles of Shino." A book she supposedly despised now lay in the corner of her desk, fortuitously opened by the wind to a particular page. Instinctively, IEvester wanted to close the book. But a casual glance caught her eye on its contents. It was the protagonist Shino's response after rejecting the duke family's marriage proposal, addressing a friend's challenge. "Have you gone mad?! You rejected the olive branch from the Duke for the daughter of a backcountry noble and even made Miss Lilia cry?!" "Dear Greya, indeed, I did such a thing. But why are you so baffled?" "Of course, it's because you always do such irrational things!" "Irrational things?" "You said one day you’d become a great figure above all others, motivating yourself and those around you on the battlefield to escape death's scythe time and again, finally catching the eye of those major figures." "And this marriage proposal from the duke family would be your chance to ascend." "Moreover, as I understand, this isn't merely a political marriage; Miss Lilia herself is fond of you, and compared to your childhood sweetheart from the backcountry, she is, in all respects, superior." "Logically, you have no reason to refuse." "But I did refuse." "And that's what's infuriating!" "Take it easy, dear Greya. Before I address your confusion, I have a few questions for you." "Logically, would a young and beautiful woman kiss a hideous old man?" "Of course not." "Logically, would a physically healthy person marry a disabled individual missing limbs?" "Also no." "Logically, would a noble, with a prominent status, abandon their esteemed position and inheritance to pursue a prostitute from the slums?" "Even less likely." "Correct. Logically, such things shouldn't occur, yet they happen constantly in this world." "Dear Greya, why do you think that is?" "Because of money?" "No, certainly not." "Thinking it’s money indicates you’re still stuck in ordinary thinking, rating different people or things, believing only the choice of the better and superior one makes sense." "Alas, there’s something that defies this logic." "What is it?" "Love." "Love?" "Indeed." "It’s love that enables a young and beautiful woman to abandon aesthetic and societal norms to passionately kiss a hideous old man." "And it’s love that leads a physically healthy person to dedicate a lifetime of companionship to someone missing limbs." "You all keep harping on logic and logic." "But love is the most illogical thing in this world."