Chapter 201 If That's the Case, I'd Rather Die - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Outside the hallway, feeling the cool night breeze, Tia found her earlier tumultuous thoughts gradually becoming clearer. In an instant, a flood of incredible emotions surged through her heart. Aside from the twelve years of lost memories, this was the first time in recent years that she had taken such a "rebellious" action. Although it was rebellious, it was a breach of the laws of Saint Roland. Strictly speaking, like Lynn, she was now a fugitive wanted throughout the city. In the past, such a scenario would have been unimaginable. In the last two days, she had been constantly on the run or caring for the unconscious Lynn, too exhausted to think about what would come next. But just now, even Lynn had brought it up, so she instinctively started to consider it. Ultimately, she needed to return to the Silent Church. Besides, that place had practically been her second home, and there was also the upcoming Moonlight Ceremony to think about. As the Silent Saintess, it had been ingrained in her since childhood that she existed to serve the Goddess from the day of her birth. And the Moonlight Ceremony was a ritual wherein every Saintess offered her entire being to the Goddess, thereby achieving purification. At that time, all the followers of Silence would witness the sacred descent of the deity. This was an opportunity, a responsibility she could not shirk. Yet now, instead of being secluded and preparing for the ceremony, she was fleeing around Glostine with a criminal who had killed the prince, avoiding capture. Tia dared not imagine what fate awaited her upon returning to the church. Of course, what terrified her most was seeing her brother Xia's face filled with disgust and disappointment towards her. Was she afraid? Naturally, she was. Before the night she chose to take Lynn away, she had been the revered Saintess, living a fulfilling and spiritually enriching life, surrounded by those she loved and who loved her. Yet now, all of that had become a fleeting dream. Surprisingly, there wasn't much regret in it. She felt that even if time were to rewind and she faced the same scenario again, she might still make the same choice without hesitation. Since that was the case, whatever the future held, she could only take one step at a time. Tia sighed softly. Just then, her keen hearing detected disturbances from the tavern downstairs. Listening intently, she realized a few city guards were extorting protection fees from the innkeeper. "...wanted notice...man and woman...be cautious..." As they left, snippets of their conversation reached Tia's ears, revealing key information. It seemed the entire Glostine was under lockdown, with exits blocked. Getting that guy out of the city wouldn't be easy. Moreover, the inn had caught official attention and they couldn't stay any longer. They had to leave by morning. But Tia wasn't adept at escaping and fell into silence. Suddenly, she recalled the resourceful person in the room who excelled in dubious methods and should know well about such matters. With this thought, Tia felt a bit relieved, gripping her moonlight scepter and returning to the room. "You..." As she approached the bedside, ready to speak, her face suddenly changed. Lynn, who had just been awake, was now lying still on the bed, his face pale, chest motionless, as if he had lost all signs of life. The journey through the temporal passage was both lengthy and brief. It felt like years had passed, yet only seconds had ticked by. When Lynn sensed his consciousness returning to his body, the familiar weak and uncomfortable feeling washed over him once more. He slowly opened his eyes. He expected to find himself in that damp, musty dark room again. Unexpectedly, what greeted him was a warm, sweet breath, as if someone was closely observing him. Lynn instinctively opened his eyes, meeting a pair of emerald green eyes. In that moment, he discerned a hint of tension and worry in the girl's gaze. Realizing this, a warmth surged in his chest. "Wei Ya?" Lynn instinctively spoke out. The response was swift. Seeing him gradually awake, Tia instinctively straightened up, shyly averting her eyes and pretending to nonchalantly tidy her hair behind her ear. "...I thought you were dead." Kneeling on the bed, she gingerly moved back with her knees, eventually standing beside the bed. Noticing Tia's embarrassment, Lynn gentlemanly ignored it. Simultaneously, a strange and oppressive emotion emerged within him. Just moments ago, in the Pantheon, even the Witch had mercilessly sentenced her to death, telling him that the maiden's fate was one of inevitable tragedy. Yet in the blink of an eye, here she was, so vibrantly alive before him. This undeniably had a tremendous impact on Lynn's heart, starkly contrasting his expectations. In the present moment, Lynn, with no clear idea of what to do, could only mask his complex emotions with a smile. "It's getting late, Tia, you must be really tired by now, right?" Hearing this, Tia, her face slightly flushed, looked at him again. "I have some questions about our next steps." "Currently, the entire city of Glostine is under lockdown. Trying to leave the city at this time seems almost impossible." "After giving it some thought, the only option might be to try our luck at the Black Market in the northern district, to see if we can find any secret passages or hire some gang members to smuggle you out." "What do you think?" She looked at Lynn, hoping for some advice. However, he merely nodded. "I think that's a good plan, Tia. Thank you." Tia felt a slight disappointment in her heart upon hearing this. Even though this plan was the result of careful deliberation, she didn't believe that her intelligence alone could outmaneuver the entire city's inhabitants. It seemed he didn't have a strong desire to escape. She recalled past instances where this guy showed a reckless disregard for his own life, always gambling it away. Why would someone be so careless with their own life? Didn't he know that someone was worried about him? Of course, Tia wasn't referring to herself, but to others like the Third Princess. Seeing Lynn uninterested in discussing the topic any further, Tia, though hesitant, decided not to press the matter. After a brief silence, she spoke softly. "The Lower City is vast, and the Black Market in the northern district is hours away. Along the way, there are many official checkpoints to get through. It's not going to be easy." "So, we should get some rest and gather energy. We leave tomorrow." With that, Tia walked to the window, observing the surroundings before gently drawing the curtains closed. Having finished these tasks, she moved to the sofa nearby, clutching her moonlight scepter as she gently sat down, apparently planning to spend the night there. However, someone else couldn't bear it. "You can't do that." Lynn suddenly spoke. "What is it?" Tia opened her eyes and looked at him again, only to find Lynn struggling to prop himself up, attempting to sit upright. "The one who needs rest the most right now is you." He looked at Tia seriously. Tia was stunned for a few seconds, then frowned. "Lie down. Your wounds still haven't healed, and moving could easily reopen them." "Not unless you agree to rest on the bed," Lynn interrupted, gesturing to the open space beside him. "The bed is big enough, and we’re both properly dressed. It's just for rest, nothing more." Indeed, Tia was mentally exhausted to her limit. But the last trace of stubbornness in her heart kept her from conceding. Seeing her reluctance, Lynn paused for a few seconds, an expression of melancholy flickering in his eyes. "I'm sorry, maybe I've misunderstood." "I thought something changed between us after all of this, so I got a bit carried away. I'm really sorry." Observing the boy's dejected expression, like a dispirited puppy, a trace of tenderness arose in Tia's heart. After a brief silence, she slowly stood up. "A blanket...must separate us." A few minutes later... Feeling the faint, gentle fragrance hovering near his nose and the girl's slightly hurried breathing in her nervousness, Lynn tried to pull a smile. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage one. "This is a fated tragedy." The Witch's words still echoed, casting a somber shadow over Lynn's heart. "By the way, Tia." After a long silence, he broke the quiet. "…" On the opposite side of the bed, Tia did not respond, but her body tensed slightly, her delicate feet lightly brushing against the bedsheets under the silk covers. For a girl inexperienced in matters of the heart, sharing a bed with an unfamiliar male was perhaps too intense an experience. So much so that she didn't know what to do. Unaware of the girl's internal struggle, Lynn continued softly, "If...I mean, if." "If one day, you were faced with two paths." "One leads to certain death, as ordained by fate, and the other allows you to live, but at the cost of becoming a puppet for some being." "What choice would you make?" As he said these words, Lynn gently caressed a certain object in his grasp. It was a conical spike, cold as ice, exuding a faint aura of corruption and malice as he touched it. After speaking, the air fell silent once more. This time, the silence lingered for a long time. So long, that Lynn almost began wondering if she had fallen asleep, when suddenly, the girl's light voice broke through the quiet. "Rather than be controlled, I would accept death by fate." Upon hearing this, Lynn's hand, which clutched the spiked object, trembled slightly.