Chapter 209 Sorry Tia, Hypnosis is Fake - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

"Whew—" In the darkness, the faint glow of burning tobacco was clearly visible. Wisps of white smoke slowly exhaled from his mouth. The nicotine, while calming, slightly soothed the indescribable irritation in his heart. Sia, the rising star of the military and the youngest captain in history, was now sitting in the confinement room, a cigarette he had swiped from the prison guard clutched between his fingers. He took drag after drag. In truth, he hadn't originally taken up the bad habit of smoking, as his extreme self-discipline deemed such vices destructive to one's will and harmful to the body—in a sense, akin to the devil's whispers. Yet lately, troubles had arrived one after another, and his mind was weighed down by countless worries. Left with no choice, he had decided to try his comrades' suggested method. According to his original schedule, Sia should have returned to the Sancta Pharos Fortress after attending the conferral ceremony in the Imperial Capital hosted by Saint Roland VI. However, the reality was far different. Initially, at what was supposed to be his moment of honor—the conferral ceremony—a destitute noble youth had appeared out of nowhere, arrogantly stealing his limelight and usurping the glory meant for him. The ceremony was never rescheduled; instead, Saint Roland VI's medal was simply handed over to him by the military. This was not a big deal, as Sia was fundamentally indifferent to such ceremonies. He preferred battles, relishing the thrill of teetering on the brink of life and death time and again. Besides this, his only desire was to protect those close to him. Sia had been born in a small village at the border. On the day of his birth, his parents and older sister perished in a demonic onslaught, leaving the infant Sia to be taken in by a hunter who raised him. Such a life experience led him to cherish those dear to him more than others did. Women, brothers, comrades. Though somewhat obstinate by nature, often ignoring those he found disagreeable, this was Sia's creed. Yet now, his most sacred creed had been shattered. His woman, Tia, had run off in public with a male stranger she hadn't known for long. This expression might sound harsh. However, he couldn't fathom any other explanation. Recalling their first encounter, the young man had brazenly described some unique characteristics of Tia's body, and with certainty, spoke of a shared past, leaving Sia feeling deeply unsettled. Tia, who should have been under his protection, seemed to harbor secrets unknown to him. Combined with a series of strange events concerning her, it seemed things had spiraled beyond Sia's control. For someone as stubborn as he was, when things went out of control, his usual calm and steadiness vanished, replaced by impatience and anxiety. Thus, when Sia refused the order to return for the fourth time, deciding to stay in the capital to search for Tia, his actions inevitably drew the ire of the military. However, having just slain a fifth-tier greater demon at the frontier and recently set up as a paragon by the military, any discipline was certainly not imminent. Yet the subsequent events turned completely beyond control. One day after finishing a fruitless search, Sia dragged his weary body back to the military for a meal, only to encounter a noble offspring seeking gilding through the military. This man had long been at odds with Sia, and they were no strangers to verbal spats. Initially too exhausted to engage in arguing, Sia ignored him. But seeing Sia's lack of interest only prompted the other to spew all manner of foul insults. When the slur "coward" reached Sia's ears, the pent-up rage and vexation accumulated over days instantly ignited. When he came to his senses, the opponent was already lying beaten to a pulp, with broken bones and barely clinging to life. As the instigator and under family pressure from the noble youth, Sia was indisputably thrown into confinement. Being unable to continue his search for Tia only drove the already nearly broken Sia into further despair. "Damn it" He coughed lightly, extinguished the cigarette, and cursed. Just how long would he remain stuck in this hellhole? At this moment, Sia's heart brimmed with murderous intent, yearning to find that detestable scoundrel and settle everything once and for all. If only he had taken the chance to eliminate him back in the interrogation room. Sia clenched his fists tightly. Fortunately, there was a glimmer of hope. Just as he was consumed by fury, the confinement room door was suddenly opened. Blinding white light streamed through the entrance, prompting Sia to squint his eyes, having been in darkness for several days. A tall young woman, flanked by several respectful high-ranking military officers, walked in slowly. "Your, Your Highness?!" Recognizing her identity, Sia's mouth opened in astonishment. Upon entering the room, the strong scent of cigarette smoke and Sia's unkempt, desolate appearance made Princess Silina frown, a flash of disappointment reflecting her disdain. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have come to save you." Her voice turned icy, filled with displeasure. Hearing this, Sia gritted his teeth, appearing as though he wanted to speak but ultimately lowered his head. If he considered Tia his destined partner, then Princess Silina was more like a goddess in his eyes. Even so, she was a woman he was determined to win over in this lifetime. Her previous hints and occasional closeness indicated, in subtle terms, that the Princess held some affection for him. Such affection was in its budding stage, requiring an unprecedented event to catalyze rapid progress between them. However, Sia knew he was currently in a rut, so he could only silently bow his head. Before he could think of anything to say, a document was suddenly thrown into his lap. "Recently, the military received classified information from the Silent Church," Silina spoke, her tone softened by compassion for him, "There's now a trace of Tia's whereabouts, and reliable forces are organizing to rescue her." "Also, as a woman, I'll defend her a bit. The document suggests she was captured rather than colluding, her heart never succumbing to evil." "Swoosh!" Sia shot up from the bed, astonishment and disbelief filling his eyes. "What did you say?!" Grea returned to the Bartheon residence late in the evening. A maid helped him out of his overcoat as he hurried towards the council room. At that moment, the entire room was well-lit. Stepping through the door, an inexplicable sense of anomaly struck him. Everyone sat silently, heads down. Upon hearing him, they uniformly turned to look at Grea. Grea was taken aback. Normally, in such meetings, he'd stay on the fringes, either keeping a low profile or discretely bantering with Lynn; he was rarely given much heed being the second son of the Augusta family. Today, however, was different. From the moment he entered the room, Grea sensed a unique tension. "Where did you go today?" The first to ask was his elder brother Lain. Lain's eyes were penetrating, glaring at him as if trying to read his inner thoughts. Was he exposed? Grea's heart skipped a beat. Recalling Lynn's serious face, full of anticipation as if about to embark on a significant effort, Grea took a deep breath. As brothers, he might not be able to help, but at least he wouldn't hinder them. Rest assured, I would never betray you, even unto death. With this resolve, Grea adopted a solemn demeanor: "Today I" "Where is he?!" Before he could finish, the rapid click of high heels echoed behind him, soon followed by an icy rage that seemed intent on obliterating all. Without even needing to look back, Grea's trembling legs told him exactly who stood behind him. The almost tangible worry and resentment, coupled with an oppressive intensity that even bystanders could feel, was heavily palpable. Anyone able to resist kneeling was almost superhuman. “N..North District.” Though his willpower urged him to resist, the answer slipped from his throat first. In the next second, the intense pressure behind him vanished, and Evester's figure abruptly disappeared from view. Looking at the others who had lowered their heads, trying to remain unnoticed, Grea wiped the sweat from his forehead. To endure 0.13 seconds in front of her Highness, he'd surpassed 99.99% of existences on this planet. Truly remarkable, Grea silently mused, conveniently forgetting the so-called fraternal bond he had just betrayed. "Oh yeah, it seems the single cell in the estate's basement has been completed," someone in the meeting room suddenly remarked. Ah crap. He almost forgot about that. Take care, brother, and don't get caught. With that in mind, Grea offered a silent prayer for someone. “Creak—” Tia gently pushed open the inn's room door, removed her scarf and feminine brimmed hat, and hung them on the coat rack by the door. At the same time, she dismissed the disguise effect of the magical artifact. With a subtle shimmer, an elf maiden with porcelain-like flawless skin appeared, smoothing out her slightly curled brown hair as she removed her boots, walking barefoot into the room. Ow. Moving slightly aggravated the cursed knife wound on her shoulder, sending a sharp pain through her, causing her to wince slightly. “Back already?” On the bed in the room, a young man closed the book he was holding and glanced at Tia with a gentle smile. “Mm.” Tia hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to start a conversation, simply nodding in return. It was an odd sensation. As depicted in stories, it was like a hardworking husband returning home and feeling instantly rejuvenated at his wife's smile. However, the situation was somewhat reversed—she was the husband, and the one on the bed, Lynn, was the wife. Wait, what am I thinking? Tia flushed faintly, though it was barely noticeable in the dim room, lit only by the gentle flicker of the fireplace. “I need to talk.” “Tia, I—.” After a brief silence, they both spoke at the same time, then stopped, surprised. “Go ahead, you first.” Lynn resumed first, pressing his lips into a thin line and gesturing for her to proceed. Tia didn’t play coy, suppressing the random sense of discord in her heart, and pulled out the vial warmed by her body heat, containing the Moonlight Elixir: “Take it.” Lynn took the vial with some surprise. After realizing it contained a divine-grade potion capable of healing any injury, he was visibly taken aback. He knew how scarce it was and remembered using Tia’s share in the interrogation room. She hadn't yet restocked her supply. Getting this outside official channels was nearly impossible; he knew that all too well. For a moment, Lynn was speechless, lips moving as if to speak. But Tia didn’t give him the chance, pulling out a map next. “I found a way out. Here, on this map.” Tia sat on the bed's edge, leaning slightly towards Lynn, carefully explaining, “The Cortes family estate has a hidden passage leading hundreds of miles away to Xilin Town. You can start from there, and then…” “And you?” For some reason, with an escape route at hand, Lynn didn't show the expected excitement. Instead, he posed an intriguing question. Of course, I— Tia started to answer “return to the Silent Church,” but paused. What would returning accomplish? Was she truly ready to face the Mother Superior and everyone there? Moreover, how was she supposed to face Brother Sia? She was at a loss. Previously, she had poured her heart and soul into rescuing Lynn. But now, as the ordeal neared its end, unresolved issues she wished to avoid reemerged. After a long silence, Tia straightened up slightly, her gaze wandering to a distant point: “What do you wish I would do?” Her voice was tense, anxious, yet held an inexplicable hint of expectation. Once again, silence filled the room. As seconds ticked away, Tia’s heart gradually chilled. The response conveyed by silence was self-evident. Simultaneously, her shoulder wound throbbed with intense pain, leaving her dizzy and at her limits. “I'm—I'm going to the bathroom.” Not even aware of her own expression, Tia stumbled to her feet and walked away, closing the bathroom door behind her. Facing her pale reflection in the mirror, Tia slowly removed her clothes from her shoulder, revealing the bandaged knife wound. Once-pristine white flesh now bore a long cut, deep enough to expose bone, tinged with an evil and putrid purple hue. The violet spread not just from the wound, snaking across her alabaster skin. It was alarming how quickly it had spread to a palm-sized area. Any more delay, and it might be life-threatening! Yet, she wasn’t going to seek sympathy from Lynn by displaying her wound. She endured silently, returning her clothes to their place. Having done so, she turned around, startled to find an unexpected figure behind her. At that moment, Lynn's gaze, filled with complex emotions, was fixed on her clothed shoulder, harboring unknown thoughts. Feeling his gaze, Tia grew self-conscious and uneasy, diverting her attention: “I'm fine, you should go.” “How could it be nothing?” Lynn interjected abruptly, handing her the Moonlight Elixir. “You need this more than I do.” Saying this, he tried to take her hand and return the potion. Tia, however, panicked slightly. Compared to her own injuries, she recalled the first time she saw Lynn's strange curse-like scar, almost crying at the thought of his enduring pain. This weighed heavily on her heart until finding the Moonlight Elixir brought a sense of relief. After all, he was injured saving her. Regardless of anything else, she owed him for that. Now, weakened from the fight, curse, and shoulder wound, Tia really didn’t want to waste time on this argument, resorting to her last tactic. Once accustomed, it becomes easier to rely upon. Under Lynn’s scrutiny, Tia slowly lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing the Soul Eye mark at the top of her thigh. “Be good, drink the potion.” Seeing Lynn standing motionless, she wasn’t angry, softly encouraging him instead. She had expected him to obediently comply as before, following orders and gulping down the Moonlight Elixir. Unexpectedly, something caught her off guard. Instead of obedient submission, Lynn’s eyes turned a striking blood-red. “Don’t move.” A formless power surged across her, the words feeling like an immutable decree, freezing her in place. “You—” A torrent of horror and absurdity flooded her heart, making Tia’s emerald eyes contract slightly. "Two things," the young man's voice was gentle, yet inexplicably tinged with a raw cruelty, "First, I owe you an apology." "Tia, the hypnosis was fake."