Chapter 165 Husband is currently guilty - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Huh? W-why is Sia suddenly here?! When Tia heard that familiar voice from outside the door, her petite body involuntarily shuddered. Just moments ago, she had been trying to struggle free from Lynn's grasp, but now she was sitting on the ground, utterly disheartened, her eyes filled with an intense disbelief. Considering her character, everything that had transpired tonight was completely uncharacteristic of the serene saintess she aspired to be. Meeting a strange man in private, or having physical contact with him—it was all too out of character. Normally, Tia would have spent the night in fervent repentance before the goddess's statue. But her insatiable curiosity about the twelve years of lost memories led her to fall into the trap Lynn had set ahead of time. And now, everything seemed to be on the brink of exposure. Especially the worst outcome—the one she had tried so hard to hide from, the one she wanted to avoid misunderstanding. At this very moment, in extreme panic and disarray, her mind ceased to function. Those things that had previously caused her so much anxiety—why she saved him, or why physical contact with this guy didn't disgust her—were suddenly inconsequential, thrown to the back of her mind. She seemed to have forgotten that she was in disguise, making it less likely for her identity to be discovered. Yet, those approaching footsteps felt like a countdown, each one hitting her heart like a drumbeat. And the moment the door was opened would be the moment she could no longer defend herself. No, this can't happen! She had to do something! The next second, Tia finally snapped back to reality, ready to shake off that infuriating guy’s hand and make her escape. But she quickly realized that if she used her extraordinary powers to leave, it would definitely cause a ripple of moonlight-attribute energy. Unfortunately, Sia was naturally endowed with beast-like instincts and intuition; he would instantly pick up on her aura. Given that guy was right here, there was bound to be a misunderstanding that would be difficult to explain. What should she do? In that instant, Tia became completely flustered. Usually as unresponsive as a doll, the girl was now, for the first time ever, showing a hint of panic. Watching the scene unfold before him, Lynn felt a sense of melancholy. It wasn't due to the deep emotions between the protagonists in the novel, since that had nothing to do with him. It was just that the force of the world’s will to correct itself seemed remarkably pronounced on him. According to toxic plot points, the female protagonist meeting a strange man and experiencing physical contact like this was unforgivable. Therefore, when Lynn attempted to drastically deviate the storyline, the seemingly nonexistent yet omnipresent will of the world intervened in the most logical way possible to prevent him from leading the plot to an irreparable state. Yet for Lynn, not being struck down by a lightning bolt was already the mildest outcome. But it was still a pity. Tonight was indeed a rare opportunity to elevate the plot deviation degree, and there were so many maneuvers he hadn't even had the chance to execute. Thinking of this, he silently sighed in his heart. For now, it was best to wrap things up. As he observed the thoroughly panicked Tia, he didn’t loosen his grip; in fact, he tightened it a bit more. "You don’t want him to know?" At this moment, Lynn's face was unmasked, fully showcasing his indecisive and conflicted expression to Tia. But Tia was too anxious about what to do next to have any patience for his nonsense. "Let me go." As soon as the words left her lips, Tia realized her voice was too loud. She quickly covered her mouth, shot a resentful glance at Lynn, and whispered softly. "If I let go, you’ll be discovered," Lynn's voice was unreadable, "Some of your makeup is wearing off, and isn’t the extraordinary item you used about to expire?" Noticing the faint return of pale brown at Tia's roots and the slight sharpening of her ears, Lynn stated slowly. Startled, Tia instinctively wanted to confirm her appearance but then remembered she didn’t have a mirror, which left her feeling hopeless. Her emerald eyes began to brim with tears. Defiantly, she lifted her head and gazed at the one who put her in such a predicament, regretting saving him momentarily. But the next second, an inexplicable smile surfaced in his eyes. "Relax, Viya. Since it's your wish, no matter what, I'll help you fulfill it." "Even if it means covering for my former lover so her current affection doesn’t misunderstand, it doesn't matter." "Even if it’s unbearably cruel for someone who loves her deeply." For some reason, despite the boy smiling, it was heartbreakingly sorrowful. Even Tia, for a brief moment, wavered in her mind. As if... she had done something unforgivable. Tia found herself momentarily lost. Then, under her bewildered gaze, the guy she should loathe gently pulled her into his embrace. The anticipated repulsion never came. On the contrary, it was broader and warmer than she imagined—what was she thinking? Tia snapped back to reality, her disgust evident in her eyes. Not only that, the moonlight surged like a tide, coalescing into a spectral blade, pressing against his chest. However, Tia hadn’t anticipated the boy's determination to help her. Or perhaps, his resolve to help the witch break the seal. The next moment, ignoring the sharp blade, he leaned slightly forward then closed the distance between their lips. At the same time, the sound of the door being pushed open echoed from behind. [The plot deviation degree of S-grade character "Tia Yuhesti" has increased to 2.55%.] In fact, when Sia reached the door, his keen ears caught the sound of soft whispers from the balcony. Yet, rather than avoid it, he felt the female voice sounded somewhat familiar. Tia? Sia furrowed his brow. The distance kept him from discerning it clearly. The deliberately hushed voice seemed like hers, but it didn't logically make sense. Even though Tia hadn't been spotted throughout the banquet, Silina had received her invitation, indicating she was indeed present. It was utterly puzzling. She had attended the banquet, so why disappear as if she hadn’t? Or perhaps she used disguise and concealment? But why? Sia, who had always been close to her, couldn't fathom what Tia might be hiding from him. Because of this, the voice from the balcony instantly raised his suspicions. If it really were Tia, privately meeting a stranger at this secluded time and place... what for? Although he knew Tia wouldn't betray him, recalling the incident at the teleportation matrix, a seed of doubt stirred within Sia. An indescribable feeling welled up in his heart. His heartbeat quickened. Hopefully, it isn't what I'm thinking. With that thought, Sia no longer hesitated, pushing open the balcony door immediately. The next second, an unforeseen scene unfolded before his eyes. Under the night sky, the bright full moon cast its serene light, making the entire balcony look dreamy and beautiful. At the edge of the balcony, a silhouette stood with its back to him. The young man's figure was tall and sleek, black hair gently swaying in the breeze, his head lowered in silence, engaged in something unknown. Sia furrowed his brow. Suddenly, he noticed that besides the boy, there seemed to be another presence. A...woman. Watching the slender hands wrap around the boy’s back, Sia suddenly realized that the two were kissing. "Tia?" Though he knew it was unlikely, Sia softly called out. As expected, there was no response. Not only that, perhaps too engrossed, those hands wrapped around the boy's back dug deeply into his skin, trembling slightly. The woman's nails even broke the skin, leaving bloody streaks. Even from tens of meters away, under the moonlight, Sia could see the boy’s back bleeding faintly. Sia took a sharp breath. What intense love must two people share to make such a mad gesture during a passionate kiss? To love to the extreme is to hurt each other. He once scoffed at the notion, but now Sia found there might be some truth to the saying. At least for the crazed couple before him, it seemed fitting. Yet, realizing this, the heavy stone in Sia’s heart suddenly dropped. Even though he couldn’t see the woman’s face in the boy’s embrace from this angle, he was certain it wasn’t Tia. The girl who appeared as emotionless as a doll would never express such fervent feelings outwardly except towards him. Moreover, he hadn't even claimed Tia's first kiss. Let alone this stranger. The answer was simple: Tia hadn’t attended tonight’s banquet. She likely requested the invitations only to give them to friends. Thinking this, Sia redirected his attention away from the couple on the balcony. He was never really interested in others' affairs. With that in mind, Sia turned to leave. So far, the closest he'd come with Tia was holding hands and leaning on each other, which always seemed to distress her. But ultimately, Sia wasn’t in any hurry. He wasn’t some lust-driven fool, and sex was merely one of many methods to deepen a relationship. Besides, in about ten days, the Silent Church would offer the long-awaited Moonlight Rite. Then, Tia would pray to the goddess to lift her curse, officially becoming his partner. With that thought, Sia descended the stairs in good spirits. He planned to leave the dull banquet and head over to the Silent Church. To see if Tia had already returned home. As the door quietly shut, footsteps faded away, and the previously tense atmosphere began to dissipate. "Drip, drip, drip..." On the now eerily quiet balcony, the sound of liquid hitting the ground became increasingly perceptible. Had Sia lingered a bit longer, or stopped dwelling on those complex thoughts, his acute senses might have picked up on something. At this moment, a spear-like moonlight had solidified and deeply pierced Lynn's chest. Blood gushed forth from the wound, relentlessly dripping to the floor, forming a gleaming pool. Tia stared blankly at the scene before her. For some reason, she couldn’t utter a word. When Lynn embraced her and leaned in as if to kiss her, she instinctively retaliated. Yet, the boy didn’t evade, allowing the light spear to pierce his chest. However, the kiss never happened; he only moved close to her ear. Perhaps, from the beginning, he never intended to kiss her. He orchestrated the scene to create the illusion of a couple, hastening Sia's departure to help her out of a tight spot. Seeing Tia's stunned expression, Lynn's eyes showed no hint of blame or resentment. "To prevent a misunderstanding between you two, I'm willing to endure the humiliation of assisting a rival in love and would never do something against your will." Lynn smiled as though the wound didn’t exist. But even Tia could sense bitterness in his eyes. Her hands, previously grasping the fabric of his shirt, unknowingly tightened their hold. An awkward silence enveloped them. It wasn’t until Lynn coughed violently, spitting blood, that Tia snapped out of her tumultuous thoughts. Realizing that they remained entwined since the beginning, she panicked, letting go of Lynn's back as if shocked, intending to push him away. Yet, seeing the blood trickling from his lips, Tia couldn’t bring herself to be forceful, subconsciously restraining most of her strength. Thus, the hands meant to push him ended up gently pressed against his chest. With the minimal distance between them, Tia's forward momentum sent her crashing into his arms. Like a couple playfully teasing each other. Vote for the next chapter!!!