Chapter 162

“This is more chaotic than I thought.”

It was deep night at Mosgra Manor, where a fair number of members of the Snow Eagle Family had gathered in the main hall.

They wore serious expressions, their eyes dark and heavy, all focused on the coffin in the center of the hall.

Inside the coffin, after being dressed up by the Retainer, Eunice—who was pierced through the chest by Lynn’s spear—looked just like an ordinary person, except her eyes were tightly shut, and her face still bore the marks of terror and despair.

She lay silently in the coffin, surrounded by a riot of flowers filling the gaps around her.

Before long, a middle-aged noblewoman in a black veil covered her face with a handkerchief and finally broke down, wailing uncontrollably.

“Father, my two children, my two children were killed by that little bastard from the Bartleyon family! You must avenge them!”

“Dalian, Eunice… Boo-hoo, my poor child!”

The black veil noblewoman instinctively collapsed to the ground until a servant helped her up.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Mosgra, standing at the forefront, looked gloomy and responded slowly, “Avenge?”

“The first time, he shot Dalian in front of Duke Tilius, yet the Imperial Capital didn’t even hold him accountable.”

“And the second time, he committed the act right in front of His Majesty, yet he still received a special pardon from the Emperor. Lawless, indulging in freedom.”

“Tell me, how exactly should we take revenge?”

The hall was deathly silent.

“I’m afraid that after this, those people will think our Mosgra family has completely fallen from grace, and past enemies will come to kick us while we’re down. Damn it, what’s the Emperor thinking? Is he trying to support that waste of space?”

Among the crowd, a high-ranking family member stood up indignantly.

“Waste?”

Upon hearing those words, the head of the Mosgra family shot a piercing gaze in his direction.

Realizing the intensity of that gaze, the man stammered, “B-but, he was stripped of the divine factor. Logically, he should no longer have any chance of becoming a Transcendent, so isn’t that…”

“Even at Second Stage, Eunice, who was painstakingly trained by the family, had outstanding strength,” the Marquis of Mosgra growled, “yet even she wasn’t a match for that kid.”

“You have to remember, it has been just over a year since he was stripped of the divine factor.”

“Waste? Say that again and see what happens?”

At this moment, the atmosphere turned bizarre.

Among the crowd, several young Transcendents who prided themselves on their power suddenly wore nonchalant expressions.

To them, Lynn’s ability to act so ruthlessly must have relied on that monstrous Third Princess.

On his own, he probably couldn’t even defeat any of them.

Looking at these oblivious fools, the Marquis of Mosgra felt his vision blur with anger.

The family had expanded so quickly in the Imperial Capital in recent years that none of these pampered wastes had the potential to grow into great talents.

At this point, they were still deceiving themselves with reasons like “luck” and “I could do it too.”

It was simply hopelessly stupid!

The Marquis of Mosgra’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his expression icy as he swept his gaze across everyone.

He was about to say something when another person interrupted him.

“Head of the family, I think the most important thing right now is not revenge, but rather contacting Miss Irina as soon as possible. No matter how bad things get at home, as long as the eldest daughter stands firm, we always have a chance to turn things around.”

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Mosgra’s expression softened slightly.

It seemed there were still some sensible people in the family.

“I just received news,” the Marquis took out an opened letter and casually handed it to a family member beside him. “Just last night, Irina left her army stronghold alone to launch a decapitation mission against the Fifth Army of the demon race.”

“Although it wasn’t a total success, she still managed to take down the arm of the Fifth Army Commander, ‘Ercas,’ and then retreated successfully.”

“That was a legendary major demon who was almost about to promote to Sixth Stage, known as ‘The Butcher,’ and was number ten on the Empire’s wanted list—far more formidable than that Xia Asolante.”

“Irina said in her letter that she would settle accounts for all the injustices the family has suffered once she returns to the Imperial Capital.”

“But until then, everyone must keep quiet, no matter what happens.”

“Understood!”

With Irina’s promise, the crowd suddenly felt invigorated.

Seeing this, the Marquis of Mosgra’s expression eased slightly: “Since everyone understands, then let’s get to work.”

“As for Eunice’s funeral, let’s keep it low-key. There’s no need to notify anyone except for a few families we have connections with.”

The Marquis of Mosgra instructed one by one.

However, upon hearing his words, the black-veiled noblewoman, who was sobbing, suddenly showed a fleeting hint of resentment on her face.

She was the biological mother of Eunice and Dalian, but not the biological mother of Irina.

As the eldest daughter of the Mosgra family, Irina had been born before the black-veiled noblewoman married into the family.

Moreover, she had always been at odds with her stepmother.

Seeing her stepdaughter excel day by day, jealousy began taking root in the depths of the black-veiled noblewoman’s heart.

And everything that was happening right now made all the negative emotions that had built up over time completely erupt.

Her biological daughter was murdered right before her eyes, yet the family had no thoughts of revenge and even had to be controlled by a younger generation, shrinking away like quails at her beck and call?

Not to mention, they were even going to hold her daughter’s funeral under such constraints.

As a mother and a member of the Mosgra family, how could she endure such humiliation?

If you don’t seek revenge, then I’ll do it myself!

By the following evening.

As the carriage slowly pulled up to Princess Shirina’s mansion, Lynn instinctively raised his head and glanced across.

At this moment, Ivyst, wearing a familiar black-patterned mask, silently gazed out the window.

Her long hair seemed meticulously styled, slightly curled and cascading onto her shoulders, while a black form-fitting gown hugged her flawless figure, with dainty feet encased in strapped high-heeled shoes peeking out from beneath the hem, gently swaying.

Ever since last night’s incident, Lynn hadn’t slept a wink, tossing and turning in bed.

Throughout the day, he had tried numerous times to approach Ivyst to ask her questions.

Only to be met again and again with the butler Kesha’s rejection.

“His Highness does not wish to see you.”

That’s what she said.

How could that be?

For a long time, he had been hotly pursued by Ivyst, to the point that he felt it was perfectly normal.

Even though she always acted reluctant, in reality, he was already used to this daily routine.

That routine of being entangled by a passionate body.

Although things hadn’t progressed to the final step, Lynn was very sure.

As long as he put on a pitiful expression and pleaded with her for a bit, casually saying bad things about the Witch Miss, Ivyst would undoubtedly be unable to resist pouncing on him, breaking through the final barrier.

But as a man, with a sense of responsibility to save the Witch Miss, his conscience wouldn’t allow him to act like such a scumbag.

Moreover, if he did go that far, he’d be tied up by her for life.

This was something that tormented him deeply.

And the lingering memory stone he discovered last night threw Lynn’s thoughts into total chaos.

All along, he had viewed the Witch Miss as a belief in his heart.

After all, it was she who extended a helping hand when he was at his lowest, granting him unparalleled power.

Even though he had the system assisting him, Lynn was clear that no god would accept a forsaken like him except for her.

Thus, he always wanted to repay her.

Not only for the repeated assaults on the Church of Heavenly Justice, but now he even dared to venture into the proximity of the original male protagonist’s females, disregarding the world’s will for corrective forces and risking his life.

All of this stemmed not only from the pride of being a transmigrator but also a faint admiration for that cold silhouette.

But what did he see on that recording stone last night?

His memories had actually been altered?

With this thought, a faint bewilderment flickered in Lynn’s eyes.

If his memories were modified, combined with what was shown in the scene, the true situation would become apparent.

He hadn’t first met the Witch Miss; it turned out he had interacted with Her Highness the Princess long before.

And through some inexplicable hypnosis method, an unexpected intimate relationship had developed.

If this was the case, it was no wonder they always said parts of their memories had been lost.

What he thought was a normal reaction after the Level 0 Sealed Item incident turned out to possibly be a manipulation by the Witch Miss.

Lynn took a deep breath.

If this were true, then why?

Why would the Witch Miss want to alter his memories? What benefit could that bring to such a lofty deity?

Additionally, the stone’s placement seemed somewhat deliberate. It would be normal if the Witch Miss hadn’t discovered it; after all, it resembled an ant by the roadside and wouldn’t attract attention unless one was deliberately searching.

Besides, she was only a wisp of consciousness descending here, and the container he provided was merely a Second Stage body.

With such conditions, knocking out a half-divine like Ivyst was already enough to make him shout “Witch Miss is awesome.”

Thus, what truly puzzled Lynn was Princess Shirina.

This stone was most likely intentionally placed there by Ivyst.

Moreover, the footage recorded on it seemed a bit cut off, merely showing a side favorable to her.

As if she was merely a pitiful victim, wanting to reclaim her beloved pet.

Though Lynn had to admit, he was indeed moved by the sorrowful display Ivyst showed on the recording stone, and even felt a bit soft-hearted.

But evaluated from the level of that woman, such behavior seemed somewhat premeditated.

Like she was guiding him to think in a direction adverse to the Witch Miss.

But why had the Witch Miss not denied the claim about altering memories?

Out of pride, she scorned to lie?

Additionally, if everything that happened last night was indeed Ivyst’s deliberate guidance, then why didn’t she seize the moment after he saw that footage and instill some negative ideas about the Witch Miss into him?

Not only that, she had even refused to see him.

Only relying on Princess Shirina’s earlier dinner invitation had they barely shared the same carriage.

Now, the two were heading to a banquet as male and female companions.

Even so, after testing the waters with a few words, he always received a lukewarm response.

Normally, at this moment, Princess Shirina would have likely pinned him in his seat for a deep kiss lasting several minutes.

Ugh.

What a messy situation.

Lynn let out a barely audible sigh.

However, this sigh, though very slight, still reached Ivyst’s ears.

A smile crept onto her lips.

This operation had indeed achieved considerable results.

However, just this wasn’t enough.

With this thought, she suddenly pulled out a handkerchief, raised it to cover her mouth, and lightly coughed a couple of times.

As red droplets spread across the pristine handkerchief, Ivyst’s expression remained blank, though her complexion had paled slightly.

She didn’t draw attention to it, retracting the handkerchief into her pocket, as if not wishing Lynn to see this scene.

But both were in the same carriage.

No matter how well she thought she was hiding, it was impossible to escape Lynn’s sight.

Watching Ivyst silently retract the bloodied handkerchief and then coldly look out the window, for some reason, a tinge of pity rose in Lynn’s heart.

Why do I feel such heartache for her?

Realizing his loss of composure, Lynn clenched his fists tightly.

The atmosphere fell into silence.

After a moment, unable to bear such an atmosphere any longer, Lynn suddenly stood up, took two steps forward, and rested his hands on Ivyst’s delicate shoulders.

“Your Highness, what exactly is wrong with you?”

He looked earnestly at Ivyst, then noticed a streak of blood on the corner of her mouth.

After hesitating for a moment, he wanted to reach his thumb out to wipe it away.

Sensing Lynn’s concern, Ivyst’s heart rate soared dramatically.

Yet for the sake of her meticulously crafted plan, she resisted the urge to jump on him affectionately.

Moreover, Ivyst forced herself to present a cold expression and even blocked Lynn’s approaching hand.

“Don’t do such affectionate things to me,” Ivyst said coldly, “if your precious Witch Miss finds out, who knows? She might come looking for trouble with this Princess.”

“And you saw the result; this Princess is no match for her.”

“As for you, there’s no need to put on such a concerned facade.”

“After all… no one likes a loser.”

Ivyst’s gaze didn’t even linger on Lynn.

Lynn frowned.

He could understand her reasoning.

This felt similar to a matriarchal society where two prideful lioness leaders of different clans fought for the mating rights of an underaged cub.

Though saying it this way might be a bit crass, the reality was indeed so.

Both Princess Shirina and the Witch Miss had extreme pride.

Though their expressions differed, the essence was the same.

And now, it was clear Ivyst had lost this battle, being severely injured and thus feeling despondent.

This was akin to admitting her failure outright and relinquishing her beloved possessions.

Even if the Witch Miss didn’t demand it from her, such humiliation would still be etched in her heart.

At least from Lynn’s perspective, that was how it seemed.

With this thought, his intention to ask Ivyst about the recording stone faded somewhat.

But to his surprise, the next moment, Ivyst brought up the topic herself.

With her right palm facing up, she extended her hand towards Lynn.

Seeing this, he thought she wanted to hold hands and instinctively grasped her beautifully delicate hand.

Do you want to hold paws?

So cute!

Ivyst subtly tightened her legs together, a faint blush creeping onto her flawless face, making her look enchanting.

Fortunately, the mask concealed any peculiarities from Lynn.

She shook off Lynn’s hand and then lightly coughed, saying, “Give me that recording stone.”

Lynn froze for a moment, not expecting her to bring up this topic voluntarily.

He had initially thought this was just a way for her to frame the Witch Miss.

But what was happening now?

For a moment, Lynn felt an unprecedented confusion wash over him.

“Did you not hear me?”

Until Ivyst’s calm voice rang out again, Lynn snapped back to reality, pulling the stone from his pocket and placing it into her palm.

Ivyst wasted no time, crushing the recording stone into powder with ease.

“You saw the content on it?”

She casually asked.

Lynn remained silent for a moment before nodding, “Your Highness, what exactly was on it…”

Knowing Ivyst’s personality, even if it were fake, she would insist it was real and compel him to believe it.

However, her next answer once again caught Lynn off guard.

“Fake,” Ivyst replied calmly, openly admitting everything, “the scenes were fabricated by me, initially aimed at smearing that cheap woman. But since I’ve lost to her, such tricks are pointless now.”

“Besides, you shouldn’t be unable to guess the authenticity of this thing.”

“After all, I, this Princess, have always been such a vile and unscrupulous villain.”

Ivyst lightly brushed a strand of her carefully groomed hair away from her ear.

She was lying.

The footage on that stone was real.

In a moment, the Liars’ Devourer activated, revealing the embedded deceit to Lynn.

His gaze instantly turned complex.

This facade of the Princess looked to him like just a desperate smokescreen.

She probably didn’t want to lose her pride after losing to the Witch Miss, thus forcing herself to display her pain and pitiful state to him.

But the more she denied the authenticity of the footage, the more devalued she made herself; Lynn’s suspicions about the Witch Miss deepened.

Was it possible… she really altered his memories?

Was it their first encounter that happened between him and Ivyst?

(P.S.: My relative passed away somewhat unexpectedly. I’ll be at the funeral home keeping vigil for the next three days. I won’t take leave, but daily updates may be slightly delayed. Apologies.)

Looking for monthly tickets.