Chapter 164

“Chapter 164: I’ll Strike in Minotaur Form”

Lynn didn’t even know what was going on with him or why he suddenly blurted out such words.

Perhaps it was due to Her Highness the Princess’s coldness and distance in the carriage, or maybe some sort of compensation for her loss to the Witch Miss.

The people around him fell silent, each looking at him with various expressions.

Especially Princess Shirina, her eyes filled with gloom and helplessness, as if regretting why she had poked her nose into this in the first place.

It was clear she knew this guy was trouble from the start.

However, at this moment, Ivyst, the leading lady in this little saga, remained speechless for a long time.

It was surprising that Lynn, for the first time, looked at her with such fiery intensity, yet she showed no reaction.

It was as if the sickly woman who used to be moved by Lynn’s longing no longer existed.

“Thank you.”

Ivyst softly replied to her subordinate’s almost confession-like passionate words.

It was appropriate and polite, leaving no room for criticism.

But the lack of any criticism was the biggest problem of all.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Could it really be?

Was this still the Ivyst he knew?!

Lynn felt a strange absurdity as he sensed Ivyst’s unusual behavior.

Despite the fragrant scent of roses lingering in the air so clearly, the pristine red lips he had kissed countless times still glistened with dewy color, making him instinctively want to take them in his mouth.

A hint of irritation bubbled up in Lynn’s heart.

It was as if for the first time things were beyond his expectations.

He could understand Ivyst’s reaction, of course.

It seemed losing to the Witch Miss had struck her harder than he had anticipated.

But where was this inexplicable sense of confusion and agitation in his heart coming from?

Was he angry at her cold reaction?

Why?

In a moment, Lynn furrowed his brows, filled with confusion.

Meanwhile, Ivyst didn’t allow her gaze to linger on him for long and calmly lifted her head to look at Shirina, “Can we end this boring little game now?”

Upon hearing this, Shirina let out a sigh.

“Hope you enjoy yourselves.”

With that, she prepared to leave, surrounded by a few noble girls.

But before she could turn around, Ivyst spoke up again, “The banquet can happen anytime. I, the princess, didn’t come here for something so boring.”

“Shirina, I need to ask you something.”

Upon hearing Ivyst’s cold words, Shirina paused for a few seconds, then nodded understandingly.

No wonder Ivyst agreed to attend today’s dinner.

Her true intent was clearly beyond just a simple meal.

Realizing this, Shirina whispered something to the neighboring noble girls.

Once they dispersed, she cast a glance at Ivyst and the silent Lynn nearby.

“You two, come with me.”

She said softly.

To her surprise, Ivyst looked at Lynn, “You stay.”

Without caring for the expression on Lynn’s face, she silently followed behind Shirina as they headed upstairs.

Once they reached the third floor, the noise and clamor that had been swirling around began to quiet down.

“Let’s talk in my study.”

Shirina pointed to a room in the distance.

For some reason, Ivyst suddenly furrowed her brows, “Where’s the washroom?”

The washroom?

As a Sixth Stage Transcendent, she should have long since transcended such bodily functions.

Shirina felt perplexed but pointed towards the end of the corridor.

A moment later, Ivyst appeared in the washroom with a cold expression.

She carefully locked the door, ensuring no one would enter before letting out a sigh of relief.

Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, the calm and cool demeanor Ivyst had maintained finally relaxed.

After a rustling sound, a warm piece of purple fabric appeared in Ivyst’s hand.

On the fabric lay faint, wet spots.

In the mirror, Ivyst’s originally pale little face seemed to suddenly overload, taking on a lovely rosy hue—truly captivating.

The aloof gaze she had previously forced herself to maintain in front of Lynn couldn’t be pretended anymore.

In just a few seconds, her crimson beautiful eyes misted over, enchanting and shimmering, filled with emotional intensity.

“Ah.”

Remembering her darling little dog wagging its tail and begging for affection, she instinctively reached her hand toward the bottom of her skirt.

Clearly, she wasn’t as calm as she seemed on the surface after what Lynn had just said.

In reality, her heart was brimming with excitement and burning desire.

If it weren’t for the earlier presence of people around her, she might have already revealed her wildest side to Lynn.

But it hadn’t happened after all.

After all, Ivyst already had her battle plan set.

This battle plan included everything from last night’s conflict to removing the curse marks on her face and regaining her appearance identical to the Sorceress of the End—everything was essential.

Only after overcoming the insecurities and fears that had lingered in her heart for over twenty years would she stand a chance of winning next time against that damned woman.

A woman’s appearance and looks are intricately tied to love and desire.

No matter how much Lynn tried to assure her that the curse on her face wouldn’t affect him, Ivyst still couldn’t overcome that psychological barrier.

After a while, the washroom filled with sounds of pleasure intertwined with pain.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you, Master.”

“Just wait a bit; it’ll be over soon.”

The sound of rushing water fluctuated between urgency and slowness.

Ten minutes later, Ivyst emerged fully dressed, appearing as if nothing had happened, her expression cold as she entered Shirina’s study.

This was also the first time the two sisters got to be so close alone together since childhood.

Looking at the hot tea Shirina had brewed for her, Ivyst didn’t reach for it but coldly spoke, “Tell me everything you know about the Hreymius Tomb.”

And just like that, they left?

Lynn stared wide-eyed at the backs of the two leaving, looking somewhat bewildered.

Clearly, he was still confused about Ivyst’s reactions displayed today.

It was as if she was the one with sealed memories.

After a long silence, Lynn scratched his head in annoyance.

Looking at the party scene buzzing with excitement before him, he took a champagne glass from a passing servant’s tray and gulped it down. Although Ivyst had told him to wait here, Lynn was at a loss for what to do with himself.

Before coming, he had already imagined a scene where Ivyst would face the difficulties and ridicule from the noble girls of Glostin at the banquet, and he would bravely step in to defend her.

But in the end, nothing happened.

She just came to talk business with Shirina.

Lynn sighed gently.

At that moment, his keen intuition suddenly picked up on someone in the corner glaring at him with hostility.

His previously relaxed mind instantly became tense.

At the same time, using the act of drinking to subtly glance at the gleaming silverware hanging on the wall.

The silverware was well-kept, shining brightly, allowing him to vaguely sense the source of that gaze.

It was a petite girl with light brown short hair.

Although she wore an old-fashioned half-mask, the exposed skin suggested that she was ordinary looking, with an unremarkable demeanor and physique, and a couple of freckles on the tip of her nose—exactly the kind to blend into the crowd without leaving an impression.

!

However, there were just too many noble girls at the event, each enhanced by cosmetics and transcendent tools; any random pick would reveal stunning beauties.

In contrast, that “ugly duckling” in the corner was particularly memorable.

What a clumsy disguise.

[Character Name: Tiya Youhest]

[Plot Level: S]

[Plot Deviation: 0.55%]

After catching a glimpse of the personal information provided by the system, Lynn set down his glass of wine.

The irritability and disappointment in his heart vanished in an instant.

In their place arose a newfound sense of excitement.

It seemed this might not be such a boring night after all.

Though he had no idea how long Ivyst intended to talk with Shirina, it probably wouldn’t leave him with too much time.

Thus, he wasn’t going to let this unexpected delight slip away.

In the next second, the power of the Liars’ Devourer surged within him.

“Excuse me, did you perhaps wear the wrong mask?”

Lynn suddenly donned an apologetic expression and leaned towards the man beside him.

The man didn’t notice a thing and nodded in agreement, “Then let’s switch back.”

A moment later, Lynn took off the raven mask and swapped it for a beautifully crafted bull mask, silently slipping out of the banquet hall.

I shall strike in minotaur form!

All alone!

Looking at the figures of Shirina and Ivyst leaving, Tiya, hidden among the crowd, felt a slight sigh of relief.

Perhaps the Goddess of the Crescent Moon was looking out for her, creating such an opportune coincidence.

So, Tiya no longer masked her gaze, keenly observing the black-haired youth drinking alone.

At the same time, she began to think carefully.

How could she lure that guy away to a deserted spot?

Tiya hesitated.

Generally speaking, approaching someone directly was the best method.

After all, men often became distracted after a drink, and if they saw a girl trying to flirt, their minds would mostly wander to dirtier thoughts.

But right now, her appearance had undergone heavy disguise—it was even hard for her closest ones to notice the difference.

Meaning, she now looked quite ordinary, even below average in terms of male aesthetic standards.

Had I known, I should have made myself look prettier.

Tiya lightly bit her lip, feeling a bit frustrated.

Meanwhile, not far away, the solitary Xia also seemed a bit bored, but his scrutinizing gaze kept drifting to the faces of female guests.

It was as if he were searching for someone.

Realizing this, Tiya couldn’t help feeling a tinge of nervousness as if she was a thief caught in the act.

It seemed her brother Xia had become suspicious of her unusual behavior, leading him to attend this banquet in an attempt to find her.

What should I do?

Just as Tiya was anxiously contemplating, her peripheral vision suddenly caught the boy donning a bull mask sneak away from the banquet.

Oh?

Tiya’s eyes brightened slightly, believing she grasped an unprecedented opportunity.

So she stopped hesitating, lowered her hat brim a little, and stealthily followed the path that Lynn had disappeared into.

Darn it.

At the banquet, after rejecting several female invitations, Xia somewhat annoyedly downed the contents of his cup.

Shirina wasn’t around; that monster-like Third Princess had gone to the study to talk business.

That was fine.

But he had searched for quite a while and still hadn’t spotted Tiya in the crowd.

This can’t be!

After all, Her Highness had personally handed two invitations to her.

For some reason, an unsettling premonition of things going awry flooded his mind.

It wasn’t just his fancy but a peculiar ability he had possessed since childhood.

This ability had repeatedly saved him from danger and had become one of his major competencies.

The air was infused with a scent of various perfumes.

This scent made Xia, who was used to women’s natural fragrances, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

With that thought, he loosened the bow on his collar, then put down his glass of wine, hands in pockets, heading away from the crowd for some fresh air on the fourth-floor balcony.

When Tiya discreetly followed the figure up to the fourth floor, she found he had vanished into the corridor.

The glass wooden door leading to the balcony was ajar, as if indicating someone had just stepped inside.

Tiya took a deep breath and quietly made her way to the balcony.

Simultaneously, her mind replayed the originally planned operation.

Upon meeting, she’d use her extraordinary ability to take control, and if he complied, she’d move right into the next questioning phase; if he stubbornly resisted, then it would have to be…

Just as Tiya was recalling the plan, the door creaked open, revealing an unexpected scene.

Shirina’s mansion sat high up, and being on the fourth floor, the cool, clear moonlight bathed the entire balcony, gentle and lingering.

It would be wonderfully romantic to be alone here, perhaps with two glasses of wine, chatting about life and dreams with that special someone while leaning over the balcony’s edge.

Moreover, as the Silent Saintess, she particularly loved the feeling of being enveloped by moonlight.

However, the appearance of the masked boy shattered the previously serene and beautiful atmosphere.

He had somehow climbed onto the balcony, arms spread wide, standing on the railing’s edge, just a step away from plummeting.

Even a Transcendent could sustain injuries or even die at such heights without strong physical capabilities.

Does he want to commit suicide?!

The sudden turn of events thoroughly scrambled Tiya’s meticulously planned strategy.

As she looked at the unforeseen situation, the typically puppet-like cold girl expressed an unprecedented look of shock on her face.

(ps: Things are mostly wrapped up; I will resume the original update schedule starting today, and there will be another update tonight.)

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