Chapter 43

“Chapter 43: Hypnosis Again”

Feeling Ivyst’s gaze, Lynn lowered his head.

The Liars’ Devourer’s passive effect told him that this woman was speaking the truth right now.

But inside, he couldn’t help but scoff.

Any wish could be granted?

If he were to say he wanted to touch her… would she really agree? Even if she pretended to agree, it would likely turn into another round of wordplay, just like last time.

A woman’s words are worth only half-trust at best.

Lynn suspected that Ivyst asked this just to test his sincerity, to see if he had any thoughts of escape left.

Unfortunately for her, he saw right through it.

With that thought, Lynn shook his head repeatedly. “Just being able to receive your lessons before His Highness makes me feel fulfilled. I have no other wishes; I only hope to stay by your side as I am now.”

Too bad he overlooked one detail.

This wasn’t just some simple Western fantasy novel; it was a real world.

Many things didn’t follow the original plot and wouldn’t go by the book.

For example, that ring Ivyst was wearing.

He never expected her to pull a fast one like this.

After hearing Lynn’s flattery, Ivyst should have been in a good mood, like before.

But when she glanced at the ring shimmering on her finger, her eyes narrowed sharply.

This guy was lying again.

However, Ivyst didn’t get angry; instead, she said calmly, “You’d better think carefully. I rarely make promises like this.”

It was really Lynn’s stereotype.

Ivyst was trying to win him over by dangling such a sweet fruit in front of him.

So at that moment, when she said she would grant him a wish, it wasn’t a lie.

Of course, there were certain conditions attached.

The wish could be for money, sealed items, power, status, or even someone’s life.

In short, it had to align with Ivyst’s preferences.

If he really asked to just escape or wanted a beautiful girl to serve him, he’d definitely get a beating.

Unfortunately, Lynn hadn’t grasped that layer yet.

“I have no wishes, or rather, your wish is my wish.”

He wouldn’t fall for it again.

Lynn silently thought.

He looked determined as if he had lost something important before.

Feeling the heat radiating from the ring, Ivyst was annoyed enough to want to laugh.

Weirdly enough, back when this guy was always talking about escaping, she had used all sorts of methods to keep him by her side.

For that, she had played many tricks and told plenty of lies.

But now that Ivyst genuinely wanted to grant him a wish, he was the one to start playing coy.

Why couldn’t he just make it easy for her?

Why not just obediently make a wish? At that moment, Ivyst’s rebellious feelings were sparked.

The more Lynn wanted her promise, the more she wanted to see the despair on his face when hopes were dashed.

But when Lynn rejected her good intentions with lies, Ivyst wanted to force him to comply.

In the end, she was just that kind of malicious woman.

Feeling Ivyst’s silence, Lynn seemed to sense something.

He had just raised his head when he noticed Ivyst’s expression had somehow turned cold.

“Bad little lying dog,” her voice was ice-cold, “a naughty dog deserves to be punished.”

This is bad!

Lynn had almost developed a reflex, instinctively activating the Liars’ Devourer.

And sure enough.

In the next second, Ivyst suddenly acted without any warning, revealing the glowing Eye of the Mind mark on her palm right in front of Lynn.

Suddenly, his consciousness felt like it was leaving his body; everything turned sluggish and hazy.

No way! Aren’t you supposed to have some wind-up before you make a move?

Thankfully, this guy had prepared ahead. Seeing that his body had seamlessly entered a false hypnotic state, Lynn heaved a sigh of relief.

On the other side, watching Lynn suddenly becoming vacant, vacant-eyed, Ivyst had no doubts.

She stepped a few paces closer, leaning her voluptuous backside against the edge of the desk, creating an alluring curve.

Then, with a graceful motion, Ivyst lifted her leg wrapped in black silk, gently rubbing the tip of her boot against Lynn’s chin, as if teasing her pet dog.

She didn’t immediately ask Lynn his true wish.

At this moment, while the ring’s effect was still active, Ivyst pressed her shimmering red lips together.

“Who’s more beautiful, me or Cyrilina?”

“Of course it’s you.”

The ring showed no reaction, and Ivyst’s lips tightened slightly.

“If you and Cyrilina fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?”

“I’d save you and throw a rock at her for good measure.”

“Who’s the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Ivyst Roland Alexini.”

“How do you rate my outfit today?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Hmm?”

“This dress highlights your beauty perfectly, but because of that, I wouldn’t want anyone but me to see it.”

Hearing this, Ivyst could no longer suppress the smile creeping onto her lips, her expression brightening.

This guy wasn’t just clever; he could talk too.

Most importantly, all of this was genuine, and the ring didn’t react at all.

Ivyst’s previous dissatisfaction vanished without a trace.

When someone is hypnotized, they speak their true thoughts; what was she doubting?

She thought silently.

Meanwhile, Lynn was sweating profusely.

At that moment, he finally realized something was off with Ivyst.

This woman seemed to be able to discern his lies!

Recalling how she kept glancing at her ring earlier, Lynn couldn’t guess what was happening. Thankfully, the previous questions hadn’t strayed into the realm of untruth.

After all, Lynn had never actually met Cyrilina; his knowledge of her was limited to novels, where she was described as the most beautiful woman in the empire.

As for the appearance of her original self, there didn’t seem to be any memories of it.

And Ivyst was indeed the most beautiful woman he had seen so far, so that wasn’t a lie.

As for his opinion of her outfit, that counted as true as well.

Even though Lynn had always wanted to keep his distance from Ivyst, feeling possessive over a beautiful woman is just in a man’s nature.

At this moment, his body was young and full of vigor, so he was no exception.

But none of this was the source of Lynn’s real anxiety.

The crux of the matter was, he had no clue if the Liars’ Devourer could cancel the ring’s lie-detection effect.

Even if it could, Lynn didn’t dare to gamble.

This meant that, at this moment, he was stuck in a predicament where he could only speak the truth.

This was even worse than being hypnotized! Lynn screamed in his mind.

If Ivyst suddenly felt like asking him whether he was truly in a hypnotic state, then it would be game over.

Stay calm, stay calm.

Lynn tried to relax himself, thinking of a strategy for response.

After going through so many tests, Ivyst should’ve been convinced of her hypnosis by now.

So why would she suddenly ask him something that questioned his state? Rather, this seemed to be an opportunity.

Recall the plan from before, and Lynn’s heartbeat quickened slightly.

Just then, Ivyst asked her next question.

“Tell me, what’s the real wish you’re trying to hide? Anything but escaping from me.”