Chapter 151 Tia, why are you so excited? - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

The eldest princess, Silina, watching from afar, raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that this was no surprise. Upon hearing about Lynn's outrageous actions tonight, she had been somewhat astonished, yet not truly surprised. Ever since their first meeting, she had vaguely understood the ways of this little fellow. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He could even turn white into black, frame a hero as a spy for the demons. It was utterly absurd. So now, she was quite curious to see how he would handle the Marquess of Mosgra's silent lethal moves. "Speak openly, Fred," said Saint Roland VI, nodding. At these words, the Marquess of Mosgra stepped forward, bowed, and then raised his voice: "Your Majesty, I accuse!" "I accuse Lynn Batreon of spreading deceitful words and using cunning means to frame others, thereby gaining the support of an elector." "Furthermore, he publicly shot and killed my grandson, Darlion Mosgra. With the support of the Third Princess and her faction, he twisted the truth, portraying his death as an accident." "Even Lord Tillus wrote a letter on his behalf, attempting to conceal the truth." "As a grandfather lacking in skills, and unable to fend off the overt and covert attacks from the Tillus family, I could only use the influence of Your Majesty on such an occasion to reluctantly speak of this." As he spoke, the Marquess of Mosgra looked towards Lynn on the floor. As their gazes intersected, Lynn detected a trace of malice and resentment in the old man’s eyes. Clearly, the old man held no sympathy for the son of an old friend who should have long been buried at the border. The reason he had been so restrained before was not only due to the Second Prince's ambiguous stance after going to the border but also for the sake of today's unfolding events. When he finally struck, it was devastating. After gaining the favor of the Third Princess, Lynn's return to the imperial capital was unstoppable. Given this, why not save this bullet for the moment when he showed a flaw? Unexpectedly, this boy, either from overconfidence or carelessness, made such a mistake this quickly. Upon hearing this, Saint Roland VI's face donned a hint of anger: "To shoot and kill the heir of a marquess family in public? Outrageous!" "Even a prince who commits such a crime would face the laws of the empire, let alone you, a mere subordinate of Evester. Lynn Batreon, do you have any objections to the accusations of the old marquess?" The Emperor's voice was imbued with a soul-stirring authority, evoking a powerful sense of reverence. For a moment, all eyes were riveted upon him. Seeing this, Lynn chuckled lightly, "I certainly object." "If the old marquess is so sure that I am deceiving the public and twisting the truth, then he must have the evidence to convict me." "If so, please present such evidence; otherwise, you are defaming my integrity." Upon hearing this, a cold smirk flitted across the Marquess of Mosgra's eyes. Of course, he had no evidence. The nobles who attended the banquet that day had all been coerced or persuaded by Duke Tillus and refused to speak of the incident. In a bid to uncover the truth, he even resorted to capturing a minor local noble and using memory searches to reconstruct the day's events. However, the curse activated upon the minor noble, resulting in his instant death. It seemed that to conceal what transpired at the banquet, the Third Princess employed numerous tactics as well. Thus, acquiring direct evidence was extremely difficult at the moment. Yet for the Marquess of Mosgra, this was hardly an issue at all. Sometimes, one scarcely needs evidence to attach sufficient charges to someone. Strange as it may sound, he had laid all this groundwork simply for this moment. To elicit that very comment from Lynn. "So, for the sake of your innocence, do you consent to an investigation?" The Marquess of Mosgra glared coldly at Lynn, "Even if this involves using some risky sealed items to search your memories?" Lynn gave him a look as if he were an idiot, "I now have reasonable suspicion that you engaged in indecent acts with my neighbor's sow. Please cooperate with my inquiry and submit to an investigation with sealed items." The Marquess of Mosgra was taken aback by the sharpness of his tongue, stunned for several seconds before his face gradually darkened. "Pfft!" A sudden soft laugh cut through the tense atmosphere. Lynn instinctively looked up to see a silver-haired young girl in the crowd not far away, amused by his statement, and covering her mouth to laugh gently amidst the surrounding nobles. She was petite, about the same age as Elinor, with silver hair tied into twin tails, cascading over her shoulders. Her fair complexion was charmingly delicate, akin to an exquisite porcelain doll, without a flaw in sight. If Evester was a forsaken one, unloved by anyone, the girl before him was perhaps the extreme opposite. She seemed to naturally garner adoration from everyone, a pampered little princess nurtured in warmth and luxury. She was the Ninth Princess, Aimestar, and also the sister of the Second Prince, Fellit. These thoughts flashed quickly through his mind. Realizing his probing gaze, the Ninth Princess Aimestar swiftly stifled her smile, and with a playful huff, showed him her little teeth. Seeing this, Lynn promptly withdrew his gaze. Yet, the accusation against him seemed to continue. "Since there’s a dispute over this incident, and given the gravity of this occasion, let's set it aside for now." The Marquess of Mosgra seemed to ignore the slight interruption, respectfully addressing Saint Roland VI, "However, Your Majesty, there is another accusation I wish to bring against this son of an old friend." "Another accusation?" Saint Roland VI raised an eyebrow. He appeared to be completely in the dark about all that had transpired today. Lynn glanced at him but remained silent. "Indeed," the Marquess of Mosgra said, looking up to meet the eyes of an attendant behind Saint Roland VI, "Though it might not be appropriate for me to raise this matter." As soon as he finished speaking, Cardinal Connor Gregory of the Church of Providence behind Saint Roland VI let out a barely audible sigh. The Emperor then turned a consulting glance over his shoulder. Clad in a red clerical robe adorned with gold patterns and gems, Cardinal Connor bowed slightly, "Your Majesty, given this grand banquet held to honor the triumphant return of imperial warriors, it’s not the church’s wish to disrupt the atmosphere." "However, since the old marquess has brought it up, I will seize the opportunity to address some inquiries to Mr. Lynn." "Whatever the cardinal wishes to ask, speak it directly." Saint Roland VI's eyes swept lightly over Lynn as he spoke. Upon hearing this, a slight smile spread across Cardinal Connor’s face. He nodded to Lynn as if merely offering a cordial greeting. "I believe everyone here is aware of the incident at the border," Cardinal Connor began, surveying the room, "My first question pertains to the report provided to the military by the Third Prince. According to the report, you personally contained the core properties of the sealed item to halt its rampage." "As a first-rank superhuman, how did you survive the ravage and corruption of the core properties?" Lynn's face remained impassive, but inwardly, he thought, "So it is." He calmly replied, "These details should be mentioned in the report." Cardinal Connor nodded, "Lynn Batreon, though I loathe to call you this, being a 'forsaken one' once exiled by the church, you were driven to a corner where you sought aid from a demon, summoning an indescribable creature to suppress the runaway properties of the sealed item within." "This account is verified as accurate based on the military's report." "Am I correct?" After a long silence, the boy’s voice resonated within the grand chamber, "That’s correct." The revelation caused everyone present to gasp, their eyes filled with unprecedented astonishment. Instinctively, many stepped back, eager to put distance between themselves and the boy standing before them. After all, demons were always synonymous with cruelty and violence, lifelong enemies of the empire. Every year, countless soldiers perished on the battlefield or were devoured by those horrific beasts. The hatred between them was so intense that it seemed irreconcilable. Yet now, this man openly admitted to having a connection with a demon. Consequently, the gazes directed at him became filled with suspicion and rejection. "The second question," Cardinal Connor, seemingly unaware of the crowd's scrutiny, continued, "During the Level 0 sealed item incident, all one hundred and eight transcendents from the Church of Providence in Orlene City perished. Upon investigation, their deaths were eerily similar, as if demons had gouged their hearts out." "Other church transcendents claimed to have witnessed the incident, asserting it was closely tied to the demon that appeared that day." "What do you have to say about that?" Though Cardinal Connor's demeanor remained gentle, the nature of his questioning turned sharply accusative. The implication was clear: do you admit to this atrocity? Under no circumstances could Lynn admit to such a charge, unless he had taken leave of his senses. Thus, he shook his head: "I know nothing of it." Cardinal Connor didn’t seem disappointed and nodded in acknowledgment. "Next, the third question," he continued. "This question isn’t for him, but rather for another present here." Turning slightly, Cardinal Connor cast a kindly gaze towards Sia, who stood next to Silina. "Captain Sia, as a valiant hero of the empire, you embody a noble character worthy of admiration." He nodded, "Therefore, I ask that you answer the next question truthfully." Taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, Sia furrowed his brow. Having remained immersed in shock and resentment over Lynn's actions at the border, he now found every eye upon him. Yet he did not flinch and nodded, "Please, Your Excellency." "According to some whispers from the military, it’s said that before leaving the transition facility, there was a minor confrontation between you and the entourage of the Third Prince." "This Lynn fellow allegedly slandered you in public, accusing you of being a demon spy. Is this true?" Recalling the incident, Sia's mind grew somber. Nevertheless, he nodded, "Yes, it's true." Cardinal Connor pressed on, "Furthermore, as he recounted, despite having no previous acquaintance, you harbor an inexplicable aversion to him." "Do you believe it’s possible that 'Lynn Batreon has fallen victim to demonic corruption, and out of guilt, is attempting to falsely accuse you'?" Upon hearing this, Sia immediately grasped the true intent behind Cardinal Connor's line of questioning. A light flickered in his eyes. If that were the case, this would solidify the young man's crimes irrevocably, with no room for mitigation! Just as Sia prepared to respond to the question, a slender figure unexpectedly stepped forward from beside him. Tia, at some unknown point, had come to stand before him, casting a cold gaze at Lynn, "No need for such trouble." "I swear by the honor of the Silent Maiden, this has nothing to do with Brother Sia; he is innocent." "The sole culprit of all these accusations is the person standing before you." "It's actually simple to clarify what happened that day. All he has to do is agree to a public investigation using sealed items and recreate that day's events for everyone to see." "Too bad, it seems he lacks the courage." Tia's voice was ethereal and pleasing, yet it carried an undertone of barely perceptible urgency. She herself was unsure why she had stepped forward so suddenly. By her nature, she typically avoided drawing attention to herself. What a pity that Sia had no knowledge of her current inner turmoil. Seeing her so eager to defend his innocence filled him with a profound sense of gratitude. The previous animosity towards Lynn dissolved instantly. However, why did it seem like Tia appeared unusually...agitated? Howbeit puzzled, there was no time to dwell on such thoughts; for now, he set them aside. Tia's suggestion quickly garnered consensus among the crowd. Indeed, matters seemed straightforward now. Simply revealing the events of that day through a public display would clear the air. Once more, all eyes fastened upon Lynn. The atmosphere descended into silence. Just as everyone assumed the boy would choose to refuse, for some inexplicable reason, he glanced in Tia's direction. Then he bowed deeply. "Alright," Lynn's voice betrayed no emotion, "Since you all demand it, I agree." He agreed? His response, once more, sparked surprise among the onlookers. The youth, who had just been resolute, now unexpectedly conceded. Yet, at that moment, perhaps only Tia understood what had just happened. Recollecting the glance Lynn had cast her way—laden with sorrow and loss—an unprecedented restlessness emerged within her. Stop looking at me like that! I don't even know you! And don't act as if you're agreeing to this because of me! In her corner, the Silent Maiden gritted her silver teeth, her heart pounding fiercely.