Chapter 161 Ivester's God-level Micromanagement - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Late at night, at the Mosglera Manor. At this moment, the main hall on the ground floor is filled with numerous members of the Snow Eagle family. Their expressions are solemn, and their eyes heavy and somber as they all gaze at the coffin in the center of the hall. Inside the coffin, after being dressed by the burial artisan, Eunice — who was impaled through the chest by Lynn's long spear — looks no different from a regular person. Her eyes, however, remain tightly shut, with lingering traces of terror and despair on her face. She lies silently at the center of the coffin, surrounded by a mass of lavish flowers. After a while, a middle-aged noblewoman with a veiled face covers her face with a handkerchief, unable to hold back any longer, and begins to wail loudly. "Father, Father, my two children, my two children were both killed by that bastard from the Batleon family. You must avenge them." "Dalion, Eunice... oh, my poor children." The veiled noblewoman collapses onto the floor unconsciously until a servant at her side helps her up. Upon hearing this, the leading figure, the Marquis of Mosglera, wears a grim expression and slowly responds, "Revenge?" "The first time, he shot Dalion in front of Duke Tirus, yet the capital took no action against him." "And the second time, even committing murder in front of His Majesty, he still received a pardon and remains at large." "Tell me, how are we supposed to avenge this?" Silence engulfs the hall. "I'm afraid after this incident, those people will believe our Mosglera family has completely fallen, and old enemies will come to trample on us as well. Damn it, what is His Majesty thinking? Could he really be trying to support that fool to rise?" A high-ranking family member spoke angrily from the crowd beside them. "That fool?" Hearing this, the eagle-like gaze of the Mosglera family landed upon the speaker. Realizing the fierce look in the head of the family's eyes, the person stammered, "He was stripped of his divine gene, and theoretically, he should no longer have the chance to become extraordinary; is that not..." "Both at the second tier, Eunice, who we have nurtured with all our resources, stood out in that rank." The Marquis of Mosglera said through gritted teeth, "Yet even she couldn't match that young man." "Bear in mind, it has been just over a year since he was stripped of the divine gene." "Fool? Say that again." The atmosphere turned somewhat eerie. Many young transcendent beings in the crowd, who prided themselves on their abilities, looked dismissive. To them, the reason Lynn could act brazenly on the spot was certainly due to the monstrous Third Princess. On his own, he probably couldn’t even match any one of them, they thought. Seeing those reckless individuals, the Marquis of Mosglera was almost blinded by rage. The rapid expansion of the family in the capital over the years had led to these pampered individuals, none of whom could achieve greatness. Reaching such a perilous point, they were still fooling themselves with reasons of "luck" and "I could do it too." It was, quite frankly, stupidity beyond remedy! The chest of the Marquis of Mosglera heaved intensely as he cast a cold gaze over everyone present. He was about to speak when another person interrupted him. "Lord Marquis, in my opinion, the most important thing right now is not revenge, but to quickly contact Miss Irina. Regardless of what happens to the family, as long as the eldest lady remains standing, we always have a chance to turn the situation around." Hearing this, the Marquis of Mosglera's expression softened slightly. At least not everyone in the family was a brainless fool. "Just received the news." The Marquis of Mosglera pulled out an opened letter, casually handing it to a family member nearby, "Last night, Irina left her military fortress alone and launched a decapitation strike against the Fifth Legion of the demon race." "Although she didn’t completely succeed, she still severed the arm of the Fifth Legion commander, 'Ercas,' and retreated successfully." "He was nearly on the verge of ascending to the sixth tier, a legendary great demon known as the 'Butcher,' ranked tenth on the Empire's wanted list, far more formidable than Sia Asorant." "Irina mentioned in the letter that she will deal with all the injustices suffered by the family upon her return to the capital." "But until then, everyone must remain silent, no matter what happens." "Understood!" With Irina's promise, everyone was invigorated. Seeing this, the Marquis of Mosglera’s expression softened again. "Since this is clear, then proceed accordingly." "As for Eunice's funeral, keep it low-profile. Apart from a few families we're friendly with, there's no need to notify others." The Marquis of Mosglera instructed one by one. However, upon hearing his words, a fleeting venomous look appeared on the grieving noblewoman's face. She was the biological mother of Eunice and Dalion, but not Irina's birth mother. As the Mosglera family's eldest daughter, Irina had been born long before the veiled noblewoman married into the family. And she has always been at odds with this stepmother. Watching this stepdaughter grow more exceptional each day, a feeling of jealousy slowly rooted deeper within the veiled noblewoman's heart. What unfolded before her had pushed the negative emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface to erupt entirely. Her daughter was killed right in front of everyone, yet the family not only had no intention to avenge her but was also subjected to the control of a junior, forced into hiding under her arrangements? And furthermore, even her own daughter’s funeral had to be understated. As a mother and a member of the Mosglera family, when had she ever endured such humiliation? Since all of you refuse to seek revenge, then I’ll take it upon myself! The following evening. As the carriage slowly pulled up to the gate of Princess Silina's residence, inside the compartment, Lynn instinctively raised his head and glanced forward. At this moment, Evester, wearing the familiar black-patterned mask, silently gazed out the window. Her long hair appeared meticulously styled, gently curling and cascading over her shoulders. A black, tightly fitted gown wrapped around her fair and flawless figure, while delicate feet, clad in strapped high heels, peeked slightly from beneath the hem, gently swaying. Since the events of last night, Lynn had been unable to sleep, tossing and turning in bed. Throughout the day, he tried several times to approach Evester for a conversation. However, what he received was only a refusal from the steward, Kesha. "Her Highness does not wish to see you," she said. How could that be? For a long time, Lynn had been intermittently subjected to Evester's enthusiastic pursuit, to the point where it had become a semi-normal aspect of his psyche. Although he acted reluctant each time, he had grown accustomed to this routine. The routine of being entangled by that passionate body. Though they had never gone all the way, Lynn was certain. As long as he put on a pitiful appearance and pleaded with her for a while, maybe throw in some harsh words about the Witch, Evester would eventually pounce on him and shatter the last barrier between them. But as a man, also bearing the responsibility of rescuing the Witch, Lynn's conscience prevented him from acting so callously. Moreover, if he truly did so, he'd be forever stuck under her control. This was something that deeply troubled him. And the revealing magic stone he discovered last night sent his thoughts spiraling into chaos. He had always regarded the Witch as a figure of reverence and faith. It was she who, in his most destitute state, extended a helping hand and granted him unparalleled power. Although the system aided him, Lynn knew very well that no deity other than her would have accepted a godless outcast like him. Thus, he always wished to repay her. From confronting the Church's repeated transgressions to now, ignoring the corrective forces of world will, risking his life to approach the women surrounding the original protagonist. This was not only due to his pride as a transmigrator but also out of a faint admiration for that cold figure. But what did he see last night on that revealing magic stone? That his memories were altered? Thinking of this, a faint sense of bewilderment came over Lynn. If his memories had been altered, the truth of the situation became apparent in light of the dialogues he had seen. In reality, he did not encounter the Witch first; instead, he had formed a connection with Her Highness the Princess long before that. And through some inexplicable hypnotic means, developed an unexpected close relationship. If that were the case, no wonder they frequently mentioned that he had lost part of his memory. He had thought it was just a normal phenomenon following the Level 0 Sealing Object riot, something unimportant even if forgotten. Little did he know, there was a possibility that this was orchestrated by the Witch. Lynn took a deep breath. If this was true, then why? Why would the Witch alter his memory? What gain was there for a deity to do so? Furthermore, the placement of this stone seemed somewhat deliberate. It was normal for the Witch not to notice it since it was like an ant on the roadside—something she wouldn’t pay attention to unless intentionally sought. Moreover, the Witch merely descended a sliver of consciousness here, and the vessel he provided her was only a second-tier body. Even under such conditions, she managed to defeat Evester, a sixth-tier demigod, which was already remarkable enough to make Lynn internally hail the Witch as extraordinary. But the true puzzle for Lynn was the Princess. The stone was most likely deliberately placed there by Evester. And the recorded scenes were somewhat disjointed, showing only the parts favorable to her. As if she were merely a pitiable victim wanting to reclaim her beloved pet. Lynn couldn't deny it. He was indeed moved by the sorrow Evester showed in the projection stone, feeling somewhat softened. Yet considering the caliber of that woman, such behavior seemed deliberate. It was as if she were guiding him to think unfavorably about the Witch. But why did the Witch not deny the claim about modifying his memory? Was it a matter of pride for a strong being to disdain lying? Furthermore, if everything that occurred last night was truly Evester's intentional guidance, why didn't she capitalize on the moment he saw those images to instill some negative notions about the Witch? Instead, she even refused to meet with him. It was only thanks to Princess Silina's previous invitation to the banquet that he managed to sit in the same carriage with the Princess. At that moment, they were heading to the banquet as male and female companions. Yet despite this, when he tried to probe her with a few conversations earlier, he only received lukewarm responses. Under normal circumstances, Her Highness might have already planted him in the seat, engaging in a prolonged breath-robbing kiss. Tsk. What a tangled mess. Lynn let out an almost imperceptible sigh. But even that faint sigh did not escape Evester's notice. Her lips curled into a faint smile. This operation indeed yielded substantial results. However, this alone was not sufficient. With this in mind, she suddenly took out a handkerchief, raised it to her mouth, and coughed lightly. As speckles of bright red spread across the white handkerchief, Evester's face remained expressionless, yet paled slightly. She didn’t announce it, discreetly putting the handkerchief back into her pocket, seemingly reluctant for Lynn to witness this scene. But how could anything escape Lynn’s perception when they were in the same carriage? Watching Evester silently retrieve the blood-tainted handkerchief, then gaze out the window with a cold look, for some reason, a tinge of pity arose in Lynn’s heart. Why do I feel sorry for her? Noticing his slip-up, Lynn tightly clenched his fist. Silence draped the atmosphere. After a moment, unable to bear the tension any longer, Lynn suddenly stood up and took two steps forward, holding Evester's slender shoulders. "Your Highness, what's wrong with you?" He looked at Evester earnestly and then noticed a string of blood at the corner of her lips. Hesitant for a moment, he wanted to wipe it off with his thumb. Feeling Lynn's concern, Evester’s heart pounded faster. But for the sake of her long-hatched plan, she stifled the urge to cuddle up to him. Instead, Evester forced herself to appear cold and even blocked Lynn's reaching hand. "Don't show such an intimate gesture," Evester said distantly, "If your dear Witch finds out, she might cause trouble for me again." "And as you’ve seen, I’m no match for her." "As for you, there's no need to put on this pretense of kindness." "After all... nobody favors a loser." Evester’s gaze didn’t even linger on Lynn. Lynn frowned. Her reasoning wasn’t entirely lost on him. It was akin to two lioness matriarchs in a matriarchal clan fighting for the mating rights of a juvenile lion. Though it might sound dismissive, the reality was indeed so. The Princess and the Witch both possessed incredibly proud natures. Despite their differing expressions, internally, they were alike. And now, Evester obviously lost this contest, not only gravely injured but also succumbing to despondency. It was as if she had admitted defeat and was about to surrender her beloved treasure to another. Even if the Witch didn’t demand it, the humiliation would nevertheless be etched in her heart. At least from Lynn's perspective, that’s how it appeared. With this in mind, his intention to question Evester about the recording stone diminished significantly. Unexpectedly, it was Evester herself who brought up the topic. She extended her palm upwards toward Lynn. Seeing this, he instinctively thought she wanted to hold hands and grabbed her delicate, soft hand. Was she expecting a hand grasp? How adorable! Evester subtly pressed her legs together, a faint blush barely visible on her fair face, truly captivating. Thanks to the mask concealing her face, Lynn didn’t notice anything awry. Shaking off Lynn's hand, she cleared her throat and said indifferently, "Give me the projection stone." Lynn froze; he hadn’t anticipated she would initiate the topic herself. Presumably, he thought it was merely a ploy to frame the Witch. But what was going on now? At that moment, Lynn felt unprecedented confusion. "Didn't you hear me?" It wasn't until Evester's calm voice sounded again that Lynn returned to his senses, retrieving the stone from his pocket and placing it in her palm. Without hesitation, Evester crushed the stone into fine powder. "Did you watch the content on it?" she asked casually. Lynn paused for a while and nodded, "Your Highness, exactly what is the content on..." Knowing Evester's persona, even if it were false, she'd adamantly claim it was real and force him to believe. However, her response once again took Lynn by surprise. "Fake," Evester admitted calmly, generously acknowledging everything. "I fabricated the image to smear that vile woman, but since I've lost, these petty tricks are useless." "Besides, surely you wouldn't be unsure of its authenticity, would you?" "After all, I’ve always been a despicable and unscrupulous villain." Evester gently tucked the expertly styled long hair behind her ear. Lying. The imagery was real. In an instant, the lie detector automatically activated, revealing the lie hidden within her words. Lynn's gaze became extraordinarily complex. The Princess’s demeanor, in his eyes, was merely bluffing. She probably didn't want to lose her pride alongside her defeat by the Witch, so she endured her inner pain, tearing at her own scars until they bled, showcasing them to him with apparent indifference. But the more she denied the authenticity of the images, lowering herself to a point of worthlessness, the deeper Lynn's suspicion grew towards the Witch. Could it be... she really did alter his memories? Was his first encounter with Evester their true beginning?