Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 169: The First Recorded Plot Deviationn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lynn stared blankly at the maid who was fleeing the crime scene in a panic, her footsteps echoing as if running for her life.

D*mn it, I knew it.

Sure enough, showing off never ends well—especially not in front of Tiya and the World’s Will.

And here it is—instant karma.

Ignoring whatever consequences might unfold later, Lynn pinched his nose, squatted down, and began inspecting the body for any remaining clues.

Judging by the distinctive mark of the "King of Malice" on the ground, the perpetrator was likely a corrupted Extraordinary who worshiped "Malice," rather than an actual demon. For someone to create this crime scene without him even noticing, their rank had to be high—likely Third Rank at the very least, with no clear upper limit.

Also, judging from the situation, it seemed like the perpetrator mistook the unfortunate Raven-Masked guy for him.

If that’s the case, things just got interesting.

This narrowed the list down to the Mosgra Family, the Divine Order Church, and Saint Roland VI.

Saint Roland VI could probably be ruled out immediately.

After all, Lynn knew perfectly well that in his current condition, Saint Roland VI desperately needed the sealed artifact core within Lynn and the assistance of Yvelia, the Demon of Creation. Until he secured what he wanted, no one would be more invested in Lynn’s survival than Saint Roland VI.

In fact, under certain circumstances, this reliance could even serve as a sort of talisman. Take, for example, the night in the Council Hall: Lynn had openly humiliated Eunice, enraging the emerging noble factions led by the Mosgra Family. By all accounts, he should’ve been dead on the spot. Yet, Saint Roland VI still covered for him in the end.

Honestly, he had to give his… cough… his Imperial Majesty a thumbs up for that.

With Saint Roland VI out of the picture, the likeliest culprits were the Divine Order Church and the Mosgra Family.

Judging by animosity alone, the Mosgra Family topped the list.

However, this whole setup felt a bit too sloppy.

While Lynn regarded most of the Mosgra Family as incompetent—Eirina being the sole exception—even Marquis Mosgra wasn’t dumb enough to lash out so impulsively and risk such blatant retaliation against his own family.

This kind of impulsive, emotionally-driven act seemed more like something a woman prone to emotional decision-making might do.

That said, Lynn didn’t know the full truth behind the situation and didn’t want to speculate further.

He did discover one odd detail about the body, though.

Even though all the limbs had been severed and neatly placed on the ground, one arm was missing. Where it had gone, he couldn’t say.

And that was all the information he could gather from the corpse.

After a brief moment of silence, Lynn rose to his feet and silently mourned for the unfortunate fellow.

At the end of the day, the guy had taken the fall for him simply because he switched masks.

Even so, Lynn felt no guilt beyond the silent moment of respect.

After all, the real fault lay with the mastermind behind it all. He hadn’t known anything beforehand, making him a victim in this situation. Dwelling on it wouldn’t solve anything.

Moments later, a rush of hurried footsteps echoed in the distance. A group of heavily armed guards charged into view, their expressions grim as they locked their sights on Lynn.

“Sir, please step into the first-floor hall for a discussion.”

The elderly knight leading the group spoke in a heavy tone, his eyes filled with suspicion.

The guards were on high alert, their tense postures suggesting they expected Lynn to explode into violence at any moment.

After all, his bloodstained attire and the barely healed wound on his chest painted a troubling picture. But as Shirina’s guest, none of them dared treat him disrespectfully.

Lynn glanced at them, waving a hand dismissively. “Relax. If I were the killer, I’d have… Never mind, it’s pointless to explain to you. Lead the way.”

Moments later, surrounded by the guards, Lynn arrived in the grand hall.

The entire estate had been placed under lockdown. Ladies who should’ve been returning home after the banquet instead huddled together in the sitting room, casting nervous glances at one another.

They looked tense—some even seemed faintly thrilled by the unexpected drama.

To these noblewomen, what had unfolded tonight was nothing short of the juiciest gossip.

As Lynn was escorted in, the women’s gazes immediately turned toward him. Many looked visibly shocked.

But before anyone could utter a word, the sound of rapid, uneven footsteps came from the staircase—urgent and chaotic, as if someone was in a desperate rush to see someone.

From where he stood in the first-floor sitting room, Lynn didn’t even have to look up to see who was descending the stairs.

A stunning figure in a black evening gown appeared, her crimson heels clicking against the floor. Her calves trembled slightly with each step, as if she feared that what awaited her would be an unbearable truth.

But the anxiety in her eyes also betrayed her concern for someone’s safety.

When her face came into view, her crimson eyes locked with Lynn’s midair.

In that moment, Lynn could clearly see the wave of relief in Yveste’s gaze. It was as though she wanted to cry but was forcing herself to hold back.

Of course, she didn’t cry—she never would.

Realizing this, Yveste abruptly remembered the role she was supposed to play: the cold and aloof ice queen, not some overly concerned puppy.

As this thought crossed her mind, Lynn saw her do something incredibly endearing.

Out of sheer pride, she instinctively halted her frantic descent. But her footing slipped, and she nearly toppled forward, her legs buckling under her.

She only managed to steady herself by clutching the banister, one hand lifting her skirt to regain balance.

Realizing that Lynn had seen the whole thing, Yveste’s expression grew faintly embarrassed. Straightening up, she brushed back a lock of hair, huffed softly, and acted as though nothing had happened.

Moments later, she descended the staircase with the poise of an empress making a grand entrance—aloof, elegant, and commanding.

At some point, she’d removed her mask, revealing her true face.

Thanks to the negative effects of her cursed sigil, no one dared meet her gaze or even glance in her direction—no one except Lynn, who was privileged enough to witness her in all her glory.

Exuding an aura of unapproachable majesty, Yveste parted the surrounding guards and stepped into the center of the hall. Without hesitation, she took Lynn’s hand and pulled him aside.

When her gaze fell on the wound and bloodstains on his chest, she frowned imperceptibly. “Who was it this time? Tough to kill, were they? How did you end up hurt?”

It was clear she assumed Lynn had gotten into another fight and casually killed someone in the process. To her, it wasn’t even worth worrying about.

“I didn’t kill anyone.” Lynn froze for a moment, then answered slowly.

“Mm, I know… So, who was it?”

“I really didn’t.”

“Don’t lie.”

…

Lynn took a deep breath.

Moments later, Shirina descended the stairs as well.

Seeing that Lynn was unharmed, she let out a quiet sigh of relief—not out of any personal feelings toward him, but because she’d just realized how important Lynn was to little Yveste.

If something had happened to him here, the rift between Shirina and Yveste might never have been repaired.

Still, her gaze lingered on the wound on Lynn’s chest. Frowning, she spoke coldly, “You dared kill someone at my banquet?”

As the eldest princess of the empire, Shirina's expression was solemn as she sternly questioned Lynn.

It was clear that, to these two sisters, such an act was entirely in line with Lynn’s character—there was no sense of incongruity at all.

But this time, it really wasn’t him.

Lynn felt incredibly wronged, his gaze briefly showing a flicker of frustration as he braced himself to argue, “I believe there’s been some kind of misunderstanding between the two of you about me—”

Before he could finish, Yveste, seemingly annoyed by Shirina’s tone, spoke up with a frosty voice: “Even if he did kill someone, so what? Who gave you the right to scold him?”

Shirina: “...”

The atmosphere instantly fell into an awkward silence.

This master-servant duo was unmatched when it came to ruining the mood. Either of them could, at the cost of sacrificing any lively atmosphere, become the absolute center of attention in any setting.

Of course, Lynn wasn’t trying to stir things up—he had no choice in the matter.

Fortunately, Yveste’s attention shifted moments later.

The sound of heavy, hurried footsteps echoed through the estate as a team of armored Extraordinaries marched briskly into Shirina’s mansion.

Leading them was a young man with meticulously slicked-back hair and hawk-like eyes. His sharp gaze swept across the room as if searching for a specific target.

The sight of their uniforms and the golden thunder emblem on their chests made Shirina’s expression subtly shift. Her gaze grew cold as she glanced around the room.

A body had barely turned cold, and the Enforcers, under the Imperial Council, had arrived as if they had sniffed out the crime like hounds.

Clearly, there was a mole within her circle that needed to be rooted out.

Noting this intelligence in her mind, Shirina stepped forward, taking the initiative.

“Honored members of the Enforcer Squad, what brings you here so late at night?” she asked.

Despite the fact that the one addressing them was the eldest princess, the young man leading the squad showed no hint of deference. He merely offered a slight bow before adopting a strictly businesslike tone.

“We received a report that a crime has occurred in your residence. The perpetrator is suspected to be ‘The Grafting Butcher, Borchumann,’ whom we have been tracking recently.”

“Given that this case is of significant interest to His Majesty and the Three Great Churches, we hope Your Highness will not interfere with our work.”

In other words, even as a princess, Shirina was being told to stay out of their way—a blunt and disrespectful statement.

However, Shirina had not risen to her position by being easily angered by mere words.

“And what exactly do you intend to do?” she asked calmly, taking an inadvertent step forward, shielding both Yveste and Lynn behind her.

Yveste remained silent for a moment before turning her gaze away, as if indifferent.

Lynn, however, furrowed his brows slightly, as if realizing something.

He recalled Yveste mentioning earlier that, after the Orne City incident, Saint Roland VI had entrusted her with overseeing the Night Punishers.

The Enforcers, on the other hand, did not fall under the same administrative system. They reported directly to the Imperial Council.

To draw a comparison, the Night Punishers functioned somewhat like the Five-City Patrol and Defense Department from Lynn’s previous life, tasked with handling various Extraordinary cases among the populace. The Enforcers, however, were akin to the Imperial Secret Police—more powerful, expansive, and encompassing the responsibilities of the former.

And sure enough, the next moment, the young man leading the Enforcers swept his piercing gaze across the room, his eyes locking briefly with Lynn’s.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk played at the corners of his lips before he raised a hand.

“Arrest them.”

In an instant, the well-trained team of Extraordinaries surged forward, surrounding Lynn and the others in the center of the room.

One of them stepped forward, holding a set of cold, metal restraints, and advanced toward Lynn.

Seeing this, Shirina’s expression grew heavy as she cast a significant glance at Yveste.

Just as she had suspected earlier, even as a Sixth-Rank powerhouse, Yveste had her vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

Now, it seemed those hidden forces lurking in the shadows were finally making their move against her.

As a fiery crimson glow began to bloom, the suffocating presence of death descended upon the room like a reaper’s shadow.

In that moment, Yveste’s gaze turned icy cold, her black hair rippling despite the still air. Instinctively, she prepared to slaughter the insolent fools before her.

However, just as her hand began to rise, Lynn, who had no intention of stopping her initially, suddenly froze, his pupils contracting.

A familiar yet eerily foreign system notification echoed in his ears.

Familiar, because of its cold, mechanical tone.

Foreign, because of its content.

[S-tier Storyline Character: Yveste Roland Alexini – Plot Deviation Reduced to 11.07%.]