Chapter 218: Humbling Yourself for Another Man - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

When Tia’s ethereal voice reached Sia’s ears, there was a fleeting moment of joy as he relished in hearing a response. However, the next instant, upon discerning the underlying implications of her words, Sia felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss. He stood frozen in place, his expression rigid. “Tia? What... what did you say?” Clearly, Sia never anticipated that the girl who once adored him with all her heart, who had promised to be with him, would now seem so utterly unfamiliar. In the past, such a situation was inconceivable. He even found it hard to accept, initially thinking he might have misheard. Yet, after a prolonged silence, with no reply forthcoming from behind the door, Sia’s heart gradually sank into despair. Forcing down a multitude of emotions, he clenched his fists and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. “...Can you open the door so we can talk face-to-face?” Sia spoke again after a pause, though this time he himself could distinctly perceive the chill in his own voice. On the other side, Tia felt an overwhelming sense of agony. Due to the goddess’s blessing, the surge of disgust and revulsion emerging from her innermost being was not false; no matter how much she tried to deceive herself, she couldn’t erase the physical aversion. And it wasn’t limited to Sia. Were it any other man in front of her, even if it were her own kin, the outcome would be the same. Except for that one person. Why was he the only exception? Reflecting on the past with Sia brought Tia a sense of sorrow. To this day, were her feelings for Brother Sia still the same as they were back then? She didn’t know and was too afraid to ponder deeply, fearing that once she arrived at an answer, it would leave her devastated. Tia never thought of herself as someone fickle, yet what she was doing now was indeed causing him pain. Ultimately, could what she had truly be considered a blessing? Apart from twisting her life to such a distorted extent, making her feel utterly controlled and unable to act according to her desires, it seemed to bring no benefits. At this moment, Tia’s small hand hovered over the doorknob, her eyes rimmed with red. As mentioned earlier, at her core, she was someone who softened easily. Especially after knowing Sia for four years and experiencing so much on the battlefield together. Countless times they faced danger together, supporting each other through thick and thin. These experiences were ever-present in her mind, haunting her like a spell, clear as day, endlessly subjecting her to pangs of conscience. Forget about him, the one before you is your true lifelong partner. Perhaps it was an illusion. Tia vaguely felt as if another persona had popped up in her head, subtly influencing her with a gentle voice. Unconsciously, she gripped the doorknob. It was akin to a significant crossroad in life. Tia was well aware. Once she opened that door, it signified her decision to sever ties with those unbearable memories and return to her rightful path, to Brother Sia’s embrace. Originally, it was what she most desired. Ever since meeting Lynn and the subsequent chaos in her life, she had at times wished he would completely disappear from the world, allowing her, the Silent Saintess, to return to her previously smooth-sailing life. Yet in the end, on the balcony of Shirina’s residence, even with the opportunity to end his life, she ultimately hadn’t acted. Perhaps that decision back then set the stage for the future. That guy who messed up her life, that shameless person who deceived her with countless lies, still left an indelible mark on her heart. The night he stood up for her at the Tomb of the Silent, those nights eluding official pursuit, each event surpassing the role of the Silent Saintess, with absurdity so profound it would be forever unforgettable. “...” Tia closed her eyes as tears of clarity slowly streamed down her face. Yet the motion she hesitated over for so long, of opening the door, ultimately remained unfulfilled. Had her memories with that guy merely stayed within the confines of that night two days ago, perhaps she could have steeled her heart to make a different choice. But she learned the truth from Louise thereafter. It was such an unfair situation. Tia thought silently, as if reprimanding the boy who had quietly dismantled her former life. In this moment, perhaps staying silent was the best choice. Perceiving such a prolonged silence, Sia turned pale, as if hit in the chest, stumbling backward by two steps. It turned out that their relationship had unwittingly become so distant. He was angry and laughed bitterly, shaking his head repeatedly. When did everything start to change? Ah. After that guy appeared, the strong sense of control he'd had over his life vanished entirely, and things started spiraling beyond his grasp. Recollecting their first encounter, he had felt an almost uncontrollable aversion and hatred toward the name Lynn Bartleyon. As if a vast and magnificent entity discovered an insignificant “imperfection,” yet no matter the means, could not eradicate it. Perhaps the possibility of coexistence between them never existed from the beginning. The day in the interrogation room, he should have used an accident to eliminate him. Still, back then, Sia’s pride held him back from claiming victory under such an uneven power comparison. Yet that small lapse led to disaster. No. Perhaps, it's not too late. Feeling the rising anger and humiliation within, as though he’d been disgraced, shame flooded his heart. He dared not ponder what might have transpired between Tia and that wretched person in her absence. Delving deeper would plunge him into a spiral of doubt and agony. And now, the only thing he could do was hope that his ensuing actions wouldn’t come too late. Pray that after killing that guy, Tia would have a change of heart. “You must have been enchanted by him,” Sia suddenly looked up. “But I don’t blame you.” “Moreover, forget my earlier words about wanting Lynn Bartleyon arrested.” “Even if the military has no leads, I will seek divine guidance for his whereabouts. I have good relations with the Church of Abundance, and the bishop there holds me in high regard, considering me a candidate for the Mother of Abundance’s chosen one.” “Maybe, that’s a decent choice, but until this matter is resolved, none of it matters.” “Tia, after all this, I just wanted to tell you one thing.” “In the end, it’s all that guy's fault.” “So going forward, I, Sia Asorant, have only one goal.” “I will employ every means to hunt him, using all my knowledge to corner him, relishing his cries and screams of despair until he regrets having been born into this world.” “You know it; call it arrogance or obstinance, but all my life, I’ve been someone who makes good on his word.” “Once said, it must be done at all costs.” In an instant, Sia's body floated effortlessly, as if a deity, gently hovering in mid-air. “Creak!” Accompanied by a rushed door opening, Sia, ready to depart with his flying ability, was taken aback. He couldn’t believe his eyes, staring at the abruptly opened door and the elven girl with red-rimmed eyes behind it. “No...” Her expression was fraught with tension and helplessness. As someone who had once been her lover, it was the first time Sia witnessed Tia displaying such a pleading, desperate look—so humbly vulnerable. Clearly, their bond should have been closer, but here she was, acting so cautiously for another man. But that was not the point. Perhaps it was because Tia could only see one person’s image in her mind at the moment, which caused her to overlook Sia’s feelings. From his perspective, all the heartfelt words he had painstakingly uttered didn't prompt her to open the door. Yet, just one threat directed at Lynn Bartleyon was enough to cause Tia to open the door in a panic. It was at moments like these that one could glimpse a person’s true thoughts. In contrast, that person wasn’t even present. Realizing this, Sia, hovering in mid-air, felt as if he had been struck by lightning, nearly plummeting to the ground. And then, belatedly, Tia turned pale as well. “I... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” In that moment, she didn’t think much beyond the fact that Lynn, already the target of a city-wide manhunt, was likely in dire straits. If Sia, armed to the teeth and with the assistance of the deity from the Church of Abundance, were added to the list of pursuers, Lynn might not survive the night. No matter the observable turbulence Lynn had caused recently, at heart, he was merely a Tier 2 superhuman. Anyone else in his shoes could have easily perished amidst the chaos. Even so, he stood no chance against Sia. This thought was so overwhelming that Tia unconsciously ignored how her actions might affect Sia, as though stabbing him directly in the heart. True to form, he exploded. “Very well.” Sia, having regained his poise, took a deep breath, his expression turned worryingly dark, “You both... very well.” In the next moment, he sprang away, like a meteor, whipping up a torrent of air as he vanished. Tia was left standing in the night, tears streaming silently down her face. Her small, pale hands balled tightly. No, this can’t continue... If it does... he'll die. I must do something. [Deviation of S-tier character "Tia Yuhsitz" storyline now reached 57.55%.] With the system notification ringing in his ears, Lynn opened his bleary eyes. What’s going on? Another increase in storyline deviation? Faced with this unexpected boon, Lynn was somewhat bewildered. Still bleary-eyed from waking up, he instinctively tried to stand, only to find himself unable to execute the motion. Then he sharply realized he seemed to be in a prisoner’s state, blindfolded, hands bound behind his back, leaning against a cold wall. He had evidently lost the ability to move freely. Realizing this, Lynn instantly cleared away all fog from his mind, solemnly assessing his surroundings. During the memory blackout, it seemed the breaking of the Endless Silk had caused him to tumble into the room, hitting his head on a table corner, rendering him temporarily unconscious. The entire turn of events brimmed with unfathomable coincidences. As a sealed item, the Endless Silk’s strength far surpassed any nanomaterials familiar from his previous life. Moreover, his body wasn't particularly heavy, and walking on it shouldn’t have snapped it. Besides that, the subsequent blackout felt out of place. All in all, he sensed a faint incongruence tied to his fate - one that had not dissipated upon waking but had instead intensified. Could it be a consequence of transference law penalty aftereffects? Such a method of repayment was unheard of, even daunting to contemplate. If at every crucial point in his destiny these subtle discrepancies manifested serendipitously, what future lay ahead was beyond his imagining. Surveying the room’s furnishings, he exhaled a tentative breath. At least it wasn't some penal institution but rather the room he'd last seen before passing out. This meant, at the very least, the situation hadn't devolved to the worst possible end. Yet considering his current bindings, his options seemed exceedingly limited. In any ensuing conversation, one misstep could mean immediate abandonment, handing him over to official superhumans. “Awake?” Just then, a woman’s calm words reached his ears. Blindfolded, Lynn couldn't see her actual appearance. He could merely discern a voice vaguely similar to Iviste’s, though somewhat less chilling, more gentle. Admittedly, they both were daughters of the same father, despite life paths that diverged considerably; they shared unerasable bloodline links, which naturally led to certain similarities. Indeed. Before him stood Shirina Roland Alexini, the very woman despised by Iviste, who had repeatedly forbidden any encounters with her. As the eldest among the emperor’s children and a formidable contender in the royal selection ceremony, she represented Lynn’s final resource. Of course, one was the esteemed princess; the other, a nobility reflecting redemption from disgrace on the border. Ordinarily, they shared no conceivable audience. Still, Lynn had sought her out. Not only was she the princess, but also, he loomed a future great witch harboring a deep-seated hatred, crucial for Lynn’s advancement trials. Only, it wasn’t the time yet. Lynn didn’t plan on approaching her with deceitful lies and illusions to win her trust, as he had with Tia. If women around him, including Iviste and Tia, harbored flaws— Compared to them, Shirina’s strength and perfection, from character to life experience, vastly outweighed theirs. Given no surprises, Lynn doubted he could sway her through manipulative tactics without jeopardizing proximity forever. Determining the correct action wasn’t at present his concern. Tonight, he genuinely wished for an honest engagement. “I truly appreciate you haven’t immediately reported me,” Lynn spoke after a pause, “Thank you for not stripping away my right to speak, unlike the encroaching shadows cloaking Grosstine.” “Then let me get to the point.” “Shirina, I want to propose a deal.” “A deal concerning the Hermius Mausoleum.”