Chapter 142 Seeds of Doubt - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

The underarms and the lower back. For women, these are two exceptionally private areas. Apart from themselves, perhaps only a lifelong partner would ever see these parts. Even now, Shia, with Tia still cursed against male presence, has had no opportunity to see them. Yet here stands a black-haired youth, encountered for the first time and just after a confrontation, revealing this information with a piercing gaze. Shia wanted to scoff at this. But seeing Tia's desolate expression nearly tore him apart. "Tia, what's wrong?" Shia, used to smooth sailing, was unwilling to consider the worst. Thus, despite the buzzing in his head, he forced a smile as he asked. "He..." Tia slightly shook her head, trembling as she shrank back, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself. At this moment, she felt a chilling shiver down her spine. It was as if an unseen pair of eyes had been watching her for a long time, and every detail of her life had been thoroughly exposed. But... how could this be? By the Light of the Moon Goddess, she could swear on her life that before today, she'd never even met a boy named Lynn! Yet, how could he know about such private things, like the moles under her arms and on her lower back? She herself only found out about them when a sister helping her bathe had pointed them out jokingly. Now, a certain degree of mental turmoil gripped Tia. Seeing her expression, Lynn stepped forward, a hint of hope emerging from his previously sorrowful eyes. "What's wrong, Evester? Did you remember something? Do you recall back then..." Simultaneously, the invisible waves of the Deceiver spread, silently affecting the mental states of the two. Though very subtle, it was remarkably effective. "Shut up! You... shut up!!!" Tia cried out, covering her ears, her voice trembling, as if desecrated by the person before her. Seeing this, how could Shia not comprehend what's happening? What he's saying... is likely true. Damn it. His jaw clenched tightly in fury, the light of the divine factors in his palms flickered erratically. Shia couldn't believe that Tia, with her doll-like indifference, would expose herself to a complete stranger. Yet, he couldn't deny that Lynn's detailed account seemed genuine. For a protagonist in a feel-good novel, this was intolerable. He wanted nothing more than to eliminate Lynn. Lynn was weak, seemingly only at the second tier; Shia could obliterate him with a gesture. However, the present situation had attracted the attention of nearby soldiers who hadn’t yet dispersed, with even Colonel Hayden casting vigilant glances, fearful of another conflict. Moreover, could he withstand the wrath of a sixth-tier demigod afterwards? After a brief pause, Shia took a deep breath, trying to suppress his chaotic emotions. "Tia, I'll only ask once." "You've never met this person before, nor had anything to do with him, right?" His voice appeared steady. Tia, in distress, replied, "Shia, you have to believe me! I've never met this scoundrel, nor do I know what's happened with him, but but..." She wanted to assert herself decisively, yet lacked confidence. Because he got every detail of her habits and interests right. Moreover, there was something she hadn't told Shia. Although she came from the Elf King’s court and was revered as a saintess, deep within, she harbored a secret. Her past memories were incomplete; she was missing parts of her life's memory. At least from her perspective, she lacked all memories before the age of twelve, as if she had appeared out of thin air. Could this person be from that blank period? Was it then she had exposed herself? No, impossible! From the beginning to end, the only one she ever cared for was Shia! Tia instinctively dismissed this speculation. Meanwhile, Shia seemed to sense her distress. "In that case, we’ll never speak of this again." "I believe you." With that, he patted her on the head to comfort her. Yet, when he turned to Lynn, a persistent darkness lingered in his eyes. Since his meteoric rise, he had always been the one trampling others, never before had he felt such frustration. Shia clenched his fists, restraining the murderous intent in his heart. Hearing Shia's words, the elven girl was deeply moved, a warm sentiment brewing within her. "Thank you, Shia..." She wiped away her tears, ignoring her own frailty, and clasped Shia's hand with her pale one. Suddenly, it seemed as if the rift between them had wholly vanished. But was that truly the case? [The deviation of the S-rank character "Tia Yuhesti's" storyline has increased to 0.55%.] Hearing the system prompt in his ears, Lynn chuckled. Some things aren't forgotten just because one claims to be unconcerned. Shia’s arrogant, righteous character wouldn't let this go so easily. The seed of doubt had already been sown. Even if, this time, they managed to rely on the trust they shared to get through it. What about the second time, or the third? After all, for a woman, there's either zero infidelity or countless times. And for a man, suspicion works the same way. However, the increase in Tia's deviation from her original storyline surprised Lynn somewhat. Comparatively, it seemed easier to influence than Evester? Lynn wasn't sure if this was just his imagination. Perhaps it was due to the different nature of their roles. Evester, akin to the original antagonist, required a battle against the entire world to change her fate. But for Tia, her mission in the original story appeared to be merely showcasing her appeal as a woman, only to be romanced by the protagonist, Shia. Of course, it could also be because Lynn's actions went against a cardinal rule in feel-good novels. In such stories, the male lead can face setbacks, even lose the female lead, as these are merely methods of tension-building. But if a woman devoted to the male protagonist were to have an affair or be seen naked by another man, it's an unforgivable sin in these harem tales, prompting reader outrage. Thus, Lynn's actions undoubtedly challenged both the original male protagonist and the will of the world itself. And it indeed garnered significant results. "Shia, I don't want to see this guy. Can we leave here first?" Tia murmured, unwilling to face the black-haired youth any longer. "Alright," Shia replied. There was still a victory banquet to attend later, and he couldn't waste time here. With a cold glance at Lynn, Shia turned his eyes away. Appropriately, Lynn donned the guise of a forlorn loser, eyes slightly red as if his beloved had been snatched away. Don't show that face! I don't even know you! Tia was thoroughly irritated. After a moment, she spoke coldly, "Lynn Bartleon, that’s your name, right?" "As the Silent Saintess, I swear next time we meet, I'll kill you." She clutched her staff tightly, feeling deeply humiliated by what transpired today. Perhaps, only by killing the person before her could she dispel her internal chaos. "Evester, if you wish, you can kill me right now," Lynn appeared undeterred by her threat, shaking his head. "You know, I've never refused you, no matter the request." His demeanor was calm. Seeing this, Tia paused, then gritted her teeth as she tugged Shia's sleeve and hurried away. Watching them depart, Lynn's expression gradually returned to calm, as if the previous display was mere theatrics. Having read the original story, Lynn knew Tia had no memories before she was twelve. This was why he had the confidence to pull off his previous acts, pretending to have a hidden past with her. For Lynn was sure she'd never recall those memories. The reason was simple. How can you recall what never existed? Indeed. Tia Yuhesti, as a person, never truly existed. She, or rather, her current body, was originally a vessel for the Moon Goddess to descend upon the world, but inexplicably, a consciousness that shouldn’t have been there arose. And that sliver of consciousness was Evester, or rather, the current Tia. The people of the Elven Court tried to erase it, but it was too late; that strange consciousness had already unknowingly merged with the body. To avoid damaging the vessel of the Goddess and to fulfill ancient prophecies, they sent Tia to the St. Roland Empire, where she was discovered by the Silent Church, who also worshiped the Moon Goddess. This was the story told in the original work. And its conclusion was somewhat lackluster. Being a harem-centric work, to satisfy readers' desires for unexpected triumph, Tia’s consciousness eventually merged with the Moon Goddess's consciousness, sharing the body. Shia successfully won over the Moon Goddess under the natural affinity brought by Tia's consciousness. However, whether the two truly merged sparked heated debate in the forums. How could such a small consciousness remain intact before a deity? A more reasonable possibility was that post-fusion, her individual consciousness was entirely erased, and the Moon Goddess was merely influenced by her memories. So, Tia could be seen as a sacrificial character for introducing the Moon Goddess. Even if they continued to call the entity Tia thereafter, Lynn felt it no longer was the same doll-like girl. What a pitiful creature. From the moment of her creation, she was doomed to be just a pretty face. But what does that have to do with me? Lynn’s eyes flashed with indifference. He turned to the attendants left by Evester, the red glow in his eyes casting a subtle light. "Just now, nothing happened." With the invisible power of lying, these bystanders instantly forgot everything that had transpired. Though Evester currently trusted him considerably and was willing to give him freedom out of a rivalry with the Witch, if word got out about his recent actions, it would make things difficult. "Let's go," Lynn said nonchalantly and then, under the watchful eyes of numerous soldiers, briskly made his way toward the exit. "Sir Lynn, where to next?" "Home."