Chapter 94

Ignoring her response, Lynn shoved the flowers into the white hat lady’s arms and once again sprinted off.

The lady seemed taken aback, staring blankly at the flowers in her grasp.

Just then, a cold female voice tainted with murderous intent suddenly echoed from the shadows beside her.

“Madam, should we dispose of him?”

As one of the guards assigned to her by the Second Prince Felix, he considered himself utterly derelict for not beheading that clueless brat before he sent flowers.

He had no idea who he had just spoken to.

“Stop with the killing all the time, Xia Aisha,” the white hat lady said with a feigned reproach, leaning closer to smell the bouquet. “It’s so fragrant.”

“But I’m already a mother of two, who would have thought someone still calls me ‘beautiful lady’?”

“What an interesting little guy.”

The lady stroked her face, chuckling softly to herself.

When Lynn finally found Ivyst, she was sitting on a bench under a streetlamp.

For some reason, she had taken off her mask and set it aside, revealing her pale, delicate face and gazing wistfully at the sky.

Because of the curse mark on Ivyst’s face, the usually bustling street was utterly empty.

They probably all ran away out of fright.

Seeing the silent princess, Lynn didn’t want to disturb her peace, so he walked quietly to sit beside her.

But as soon as he sat down, he heard her flat voice, “Who allowed you to sit? Kneel in front of me.”

Dammit.

Lynn cursed under his breath.

He slowly walked a meter in front of Ivyst and knelt on one knee.

“Thud!”

With a couple of light sounds, the crystal high heels that had been on his feet fell to the ground.

Then Lynn felt Ivyst’s delicate and cool feet slide into his embrace, the exquisite chill uniquely captivating.

He instinctively looked down and noticed a slight swelling on the once slender ankle of the princess.

Those high heels… seemed to be ill-fitted.

It was no wonder she had sported such a scowl all day.

“Five minutes.”

At that moment, after watching the stars, Ivyst suddenly spoke.

“What?”

Lynn instinctively asked.

“It took you a whole five minutes to find me, as a dog, that’s a serious dereliction of duty.”

Ivyst’s tone hinted at an unknowable resolve.

Lynn held her snow-white foot, bowing his head, “I’m sorry. But Your Highness, you needn’t worry about being lost; after all, Orlen City is this small. Even if I couldn’t find you, with so many people in the manor…”

“Whether they find me or not doesn’t matter.” Ivyst said calmly, “But if you can’t find me, I will kill you.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Women with bad moods don’t play fair, better just go along with her.

Lynn sighed.

“Also, if you’re so late next time, I still might kill you.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Chapter 95: Fourth Hypnosis

After receiving her satisfied reply, Ivyst finally lowered her head.

“Where are the flowers?”

Seeing that Lynn’s hands were empty, she couldn’t help but frown.

“Your Highness, I ran through all the surrounding streets but couldn’t find a single flower shop. If you’re in a hurry, I can…”

“I’ll let you off for now.” Ivyst snorted coldly, “Make it up next time.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lynn felt her delicate foot move slightly, then shift to cross over the other.

After dropping the topic, another silence enveloped them.

Thinking about it, it seemed their exchanges were never many when alone.

Only when Ivyst thought he had been hypnotized did she ever slightly open her heart.

Perhaps apart from himself, no one had seen the true side she hid deep within.

After an unknown time, her clear, melodious voice spoke again.

“Have you read ‘The Chronicles of Shino’?”

This question seemed somewhat out of the blue, leaving one utterly baffled.

However, Lynn’s spirits suddenly lifted.

Here it comes!

Having been treated like a servant all day, the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The first time he had ventured to the Temple of the Gods and met the Witch Miss, he had seen her sitting on the steps, holding a book.

Although at that time, his focus was entirely on the temple’s grandeur and the shock of realizing it belonged to a timeline a hundred thousand years later, he had still caught a glimpse of the book in her hands.

‘The Chronicles of Shino’.

This was a novel mentioned in the original text.

Since it had been referenced many times, Lynn had a clear impression of it.

It depicted a story of a small character rising from obscurity to become a marquis through the trials of war, bloodshed, glory, and honor over a span of fifty years, covering the life of the protagonist from youth to old age.

Lynn’s understanding of its content was about this much.

However, the real reason he remembered this book was not just that.

In the Saint Roland Empire, every underage prince or princess was required to read ‘The Chronicles of Shino’ after learning to read, to instill lofty ideals and ambitions from a young age.

Princess Shirina was especially fond of this book.

She had even subconsciously noted it because the plot’s similarities to the original protagonist’s rise led her to view him in a different light thereafter.

This marked the starting point of the original text’s plot between the male and female leads.

As a member of the royal family, Ivyst had surely read this book as well.

From the Witch Miss’s reaction at that time, it was evident that it had a significant impact on her too.

It was even possible that her first desire to participate in the royal selection stemmed from this book.

So upon receiving this trial, Lynn had immediately rushed to the library in Augusta Manor and read the book overnight.

One plot segment had left a deep impression on him.

At that time, the protagonist Shino was just a rookie in the military, laughed at by everyone for being a greenhorn.

On the eve of the army’s expedition, fearing he might die and leave regrets, Shino secretly snuck out of the camp and went to confess to a noble lady trapped in a baronial estate.

To his surprise, the noble lady reciprocated his feelings, and after exchanging heartfelt confessions, Shino made a bold decision.

He took the noble lady, caged like a bird in the estate, out for a date disguised as lovers, allowing her to experience the splendid outside world for the first time.

However, all this was but a transient dream.

After a night of joy, the lady would ultimately return to the cage-like estate, expected to marry the gluttonous viscount of the territory once she came of age, like a caged canary.

The follow-up story was less intriguing.

To Lynn, who had experienced the web fiction boom of the 21st century, it sounded simply like the cliché of “thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west,” with Shino returning years later, acclaimed as a hero, getting noble titles, and winning back the noble lady.

However, in this era, ‘The Chronicles of Shino’ was undoubtedly a timeless masterpiece filled with humor, excitement, tears, and inspiration.

That’s probably why these princes and princesses adored it so much.

After all, Lynn remembered being equally obsessed when he first read ‘Fights Break Sphere.’

Returning to the subject.

For those who had read ‘The Chronicles of Shino’, the plot of the midnight rendezvous with the lady was undoubtedly an unforgettable moment.

After all, in the original text, Princess Shirina was exactly how she was eloped.

So Lynn’s entire date plan today had been inspired by the book.

Clearly, the princess had also caught onto this.

Thus, Lynn slightly lowered his head: “Yes, Your Highness, I have indeed read it.”

Ivyst remarked coolly: “So, did you prepare this performance today to convey something to me?”

As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished; something was definitely up.

Clearly, Ivyst had picked up on this.

If possible, please don’t take me along on your tasks next time, let me return to the imperial capital first.

Lynn desperately wanted to say this.

But he knew very well that with Ivyst’s temperament, once he made this request, it would become utterly impossible to realize.

Thus, without hesitation, he answered: “I sensed that your mood seemed off yesterday. Coincidentally, I happened to see that scene last night, so I impulsively wished to gather the courage to take you out for a stroll.”

At that moment, Ivyst wasn’t wearing her ring, so he could lie freely.

“Why this book?”

“In the Saint Roland Empire, I doubt anyone dislikes it.”

“Heh.”

For some reason, Ivyst suddenly let out a derisive laugh at Lynn’s response.

Lynn looked at her in confusion.

“’The Chronicles of Shino’ is the book I despise most in my life.”

?

!!!

Why would you be holding onto this book and reading non-stop a hundred thousand years later if you hated it?

Lynn’s head spun.

Could it be that was not the Witch Miss’s hint, but rather he had overthought it all?

Could he really not grasp this opportunity to escape from her presence?

Instantly, he felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness wash over him.

But still, Lynn managed to force out, “Can you tell me why, Your Highness?”

Ivyst’s gaze suddenly grew vacant, as if her consciousness had traveled back in time a decade or so.

“When I was young, Shirina and the others loved this book, so during our playtime, we often acted out some classic scenes from it.”

“That annoying woman always got to play the heroine, surrounded by her siblings, laughing so heartily.”

“While I was always stuck playing the wicked witch skilled in curses, defeated in the final chapter by their combined efforts.”

She slightly lifted her head, gazing at the endless starry sky, murmuring wistfully.

Looking at Ivyst in her current state, Lynn’s heart tugged slightly.

Perhaps it wasn’t true hatred.

Maybe in countless moments of the past, she had also felt envious.

“Speak.” After a moment, Ivyst casually moved past that topic, “I can sense you have a purpose for everything you’ve done today, but at this point, I’m too lazy to scrutinize anything.”

“While my mood is still okay, whatever wish you wish to realize, I’ll grant it.”

“Even if it’s to return to the imperial capital early, it’s all the same.”

Ivyst’s crimson eyes glanced over, looking down at the boy who held her feet.

Unlike the previous teasing and taunting.

This time, there was no malice in her eyes, only the authority befitting a princess.

With Liars’ Devourer, Lynn sensed that what she was saying now was the truth.

I… I succeeded?

Indeed, the one who understood her best had to be the Witch Miss herself!

I had finally found the only pathway leading to a brighter future amidst countless dead ends!

Lynn mentally cheered.

But he suddenly realized that he didn’t feel the excitement he had imagined.

Why was that?

His gaze was fixed on the stunning red-eyed lady before him.

The gentle breeze flowed as her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall, swaying with the wind.

Ivyst instinctively raised her right hand, gently pressing it to her ear, letting her flowing skirts dance gracefully.

I should say I want to return to the imperial capital first.

Lynn ought to have responded like this.

Yet for some reason, gazing at Ivyst’s now gentle and relaxed demeanor, the words that were on the tip of his tongue inexplicably shifted into something else.