Chapter 169 The first decrease in plot deviation - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Lynn gazed impassively at the maid fleeing the scene, panic-stricken and disheveled. Damn it, he knew it. Indeed, showing off never ends well—especially in front of Tiya and the will of the world. And just like that, karma struck instantly. Ignoring whatever might happen next, Lynn crouched down, covering his nose, and began searching the corpse for any remaining clues. Judging from the unique mark of the King of Malevolence on the ground, the perpetrator was likely a fallen extraordinary being who worshipped "Malevolence," rather than an actual demon. The ability to stage such a crime scene without him noticing suggested that their rank was not low. Starting from Tier 3, with no upper limit. Additionally, it seemed the culprit mistook the unfortunate guy wearing the raven mask for Lynn. If so, then things were getting interesting. He had just returned to the capital, and his movements were already being monitored. They even knew about the mask he wore after disembarking. Apart from a few adversarial forces that bore grudges against him, Lynn couldn't think of anyone else who might want to assassinate him. That narrowed it down to the Mosgra family, the Church of Divine Justice, and Saint Roland VI. Saint Roland VI could be ruled out first. Lynn was quite aware that Saint Roland VI, given his current situation, desperately needed the core of the sealed item within Lynn's body, as well as the help of the evil demon Yuvillia. Until he obtained what he wanted, Saint Roland VI wanted Lynn alive more than anyone else. In fact, in certain circumstances, this could even serve as a protective charm for him. For instance, on the night in the council chamber, after Lynn publicly killed Eunice, it angered the emerging noble factions led by the Mosgra family. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have survived. Yet, in the end, Saint Roland VI shielded him. He ought to give a thumbs up to his old father-in-law, ahem, old majesty. Excluding Saint Roland VI, the potential perpetrators naturally pointed to the Church of Divine Justice and the Mosgra family. From a vendetta perspective, the Mosgra family was the primary suspect. Additionally, the execution of this matter seemed rather crude. Though Lynn considered everyone in the Mosgra family, besides Irina, as fools, he doubted the Mosgra Marquis was foolish enough to retaliate so impulsively. Such rash vengeance seemed more like something a woman driven by emotion might do. However, without knowing the truth behind the scenes, Lynn refrained from further speculation. Moreover, he found something else on the corpse. Although the limbs had been severed and arranged on the ground, upon closer inspection, Lynn noticed one arm was missing. Where it went remained a mystery. That was all he could discern from the body. A moment later, he slowly stood up and paid silent respects to the unfortunate fellow. In essence, this guy took the fall for him just because of a swapped mask. Yet even then, Lynn felt no guilt beyond a moment of silence. After all, the real wrongdoer was the mastermind. He knew nothing in advance and should be considered a victim. There was no point in dwelling on internal conflict. A moment later, as a hurried clatter of footsteps approached, a group of heavily armed guards stormed in, eyeing Lynn with a grave demeanor. "Sir, please come to the first-floor hall for a word," an elderly knight leading the group spoke with a serious tone. Everyone stood at the ready, as if bracing for Lynn to suddenly lash out. After all, he was blood-stained and bore a freshly healed wound on his chest, looking grim from any angle. Yet, since he was Hillaryna's guest, no one dared to act rashly. Seeing this, Lynn waved dismissively, “Relax. If I were the killer, you all would've... never mind, it's pointless explaining. Lead the way.” Shortly after, surrounded by numerous guards, he was escorted to the hall. At this moment, the whole mansion was under lockdown. The ladies, who should have gone home after the dinner party, were huddled in the living room, exchanging wary glances, silent and tense. They seemed a bit on edge, or perhaps slightly thrilled by the unexpected criminal incident, being part of it. Upon seeing Lynn escorted by guards, many of the girls cast surprised looks. To them, the night's events were prime gossip material. But before those ladies could open their mouths, a flurry of footsteps suddenly echoed from the staircase—a rapid, chaotic pace, as if someone was in a hurry to meet someone. Since Lynn was in the living room, he could see who was descending the stairs with a simple glance up. It was a stunning figure dressed in a long black gown. Her calves trembled in high heels, but she climbed down in big steps as if afraid of seeing a result she couldn't accept, yet anxiously concerned for someone's safety. When the woman's face finally appeared, her fiery eyes met Lynn's gaze in midair. In that instant, Lynn clearly saw a flash of relief in Evester's eyes, as though she was about to cry. Yet, in the end, she didn't cry, nor would she. Then, coming to her senses, Evester remembered that her current persona should be that of a cold and disheartened iceberg, not a caring and concerned admirer. Reflecting upon this, Lynn observed as her Highness formed an adorably awkward maneuver. Trying to maintain her composure, she halted her frantic steps, only to stumble and nearly fall flat. She managed to remain standing by clinging to a nearby handrail, clutching her skirt with one hand. Spotting Lynn's glance, Evester seemed somewhat embarrassed and slowly straightened up, tucking her hair behind her ear with a soft huff. Soon after, as if nothing had happened, she loftily and indifferently descended the stairs, hands lifting her gown, like an empress gracing the assembly. She had removed her mask at some point to reveal her true face. Thanks to the negative effects of the seal, no one dared look her way, let alone catch her gaze. So only Lynn got the privilege to witness this scene. With an imposing presence, Evester parted the surrounding guards, stood in the center, took Lynn's hand, and pulled him aside. Upon noticing the wound on Lynn's chest and the bloodstains, she frowned—almost imperceptibly—and asked, "Who was so hard to kill this time? How did you get injured?" Clearly, Evester assumed he had gotten into some altercation and casually dispatched the opponent. To her, it was no big deal. "I didn't kill anyone," Lynn replied after a moment's pause. "Yes, I know, so who was it?" "I really didn't." "Don't be disobedient." "...” Lynn took a deep breath. Shortly after, Hillaryna also descended. Upon seeing Lynn unharmed, she too breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she had any special feelings for Lynn. It was simply because she just realized, to her surprise, that Lynn held such a significant place in Little Yve's heart. If he had really died here, the rift between him and Evester would have never mended. Yet upon spotting the injury and bloodstains on Lynn's chest, she still furrowed her brow. "You dare to commit murder at the imperial banquet?" As the empire's grand princess, Hillaryna sternly questioned. Clearly, both sisters believed it was perfectly in character for Lynn to do such a thing. Yet this time, he truly hadn't. Lynn felt utterly wronged. A hint of frustration flashed in his eyes as he braced himself to defend, "I think the two of you have some misunderstanding about me..." However, before he could finish, displeased with Hillaryna's tone, Evester coldly stated, “So what if he did kill someone? Who gave you the right to scold him?” Hillaryna: "..." An awkward silence enveloped the room. This pair of master and servant were expert atmosphere disruptors. Anyone present would have become the center of attention, sacrificing the lively atmosphere for it. But in truth, Lynn didn't want to be in that position; he felt rather helpless about it. Fortunately, a moment later, Evester's attention was diverted elsewhere. With a clamor of heavy and chaotic footsteps, a team of heavily armed extraordinary beings strode into Hillaryna's mansion. Leading them was a young man with perfectly slicked-back hair and eyes like a hawk, sharply and keenly scanning the entire room as if searching for a specific target. Upon seeing their attire and the golden thunder emblem on their chests, Hillaryna's expression subtly changed. Her gaze turned icy as she glanced around. Barely any time had passed since the incident, yet these enforcers from the Imperial Council had arrived as if drawn by the scent. There was a deep-seated mole in her midst that needed unearthing. Memorizing this piece of intelligence, Hillaryna took the initiative to step forward. "Members of the Enforcers team, what brings you here so late?" she inquired. Her tone was cordial yet firm. Seeing that the one who stepped forward was the Grand Princess Hillaryna, the young man in the lead displayed no respect. He gave a slight nod and spoke in a businesslike manner. "We received a report just earlier that there seems to have been an incident in your mansion. The perpetrator is suspected to be the 'Limb Collector, Burr Shuman,' whom we have been pursuing recently." "This case has been given high priority by His Majesty and the three major churches, so we hope Your Highness will not obstruct our work." In other words, even if you’re a royal princess, don't interfere with an Enforcer’s duties. His words were devoid of any tact. However, having reached her current position, Hillaryna would not be easily provoked by a few mere statements. "What is your intention?" she calmly countered, taking a subtle step forward and positioning herself protectively in front of both Evester and Lynn. Noticing this action, Evester fell silent for a moment, then nonchalantly diverted her gaze. Lynn, on the other hand, seemed to sense something, as he furrowed his brows. Evester had mentioned before that after the successful completion of the Orne City incident, Saint Roland VI handed over the management of the Night Executors to her. The Enforcers, nonetheless, were part of a different organizational branch, directly under the Imperial Council. If an analogy was needed, the Night Executors were akin to the ancient patrol officers of the capital, responsible for handling various extraordinary matters. The Enforcers, meanwhile, resembled a feared secret intelligence service. Comparatively, the latter had greater power and scope, their jurisdiction encompassing the former's. As expected. The next second, the leader of the Enforcers— that slick-haired young man—glanced around with his hawk-like gaze. When his eyes "accidentally" met Lynn’s, an imperceptible smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the young man gave a wave of his hand. "Seize them." In an instant, the well-disciplined extraordinary team rushed inside, surrounding Lynn and the others. One among them drew out cold shackles, advancing toward Lynn. Seeing this, Hillaryna exchanged a grave look with Evester. Just as she had suspected. Though a formidable sixth tier, she still had her weaknesses and vulnerabilities. And now, those lurking powers were finally making their move against him. As fierce red light began to bloom and a chilling, impending sense of doom descended, Evester's eyes turned cold, black hair billowing. Instinctively, she prepared to execute these insolent fools on the spot. However, just when she was about to act, Lynn's eyes suddenly contracted, despite having no intention of preventing any of it. A familiar yet strangely foreign system notification softly resounded in his ear. It was familiar for its cold, mechanical tone. And foreign for its current message. “The deviance of the S-rank plot character 'Evester Roland Alexini' has now decreased to 11.07%.”