Chapter 96

“Chapter 96: The Hair-Raising Truth (3k)”

This time, Ivyst didn’t start with a clean slate; instead, Lynn was ready and activated the Liars’ Devourer half a second early.

While maintaining a sluggish state of hypnosis, he subtly glanced at Ivyst sitting by the window.

Then, he suddenly noticed a crumpled piece of paper quietly lying on the windowsill beside her right hand.

The wax seal on it bore the emblem of a World Tree, signifying that it was a letter from the royal family.

Is this the reason for her recent gloomy mood?

However, there was one thing Lynn couldn’t comprehend.

She had promised him the truth back when they were on the street, so why had she instantly put him under hypnosis afterward?

Typically, Ivyst would use this tactic only when she didn’t want him to recall the specifics.

Lynn fell into contemplation.

Just then, Ivyst’s light voice drifted over: “Drink the wine on the table.”

He instinctively looked up and found a half glass of red wine sitting on the desk to his right, reflecting a scarlet hue under the moonlight.

This isn’t just to sip on, is it? Looking for a drinking buddy?

Though confused, Lynn obediently followed her command while pretending to be hypnotized.

Before long, the subtly bitter high-end red wine was down the hatch.

After watching Lynn finish the entire glass, Ivyst finally averted her gaze.

It was a night filled with peculiarities.

What if she spiked the wine? Was she planning to take him down before carrying out her task?

Lynn lost himself in wild thoughts.

But after a long while, Ivyst remained silent.

The moonlight draped over her, adding a chill to her demeanor.

Yet, to Lynn, the princess before him had shed her usual coldness and dignity, replacing it with an aura that was either gentle or serene.

“Felix was right,” Ivyst finally spoke, “To my father, to the royal family, and even to the entire empire, I’m merely a ‘tool’.”

She opened up without any preamble, not mentioning the cause, simply letting her feelings spill over.

Lynn was dumbfounded.

In the original narrative, most of the attention was focused on the male protagonist and a bunch of female characters.

Hence, during the early to mid-stage of the royal selection competition, Ivyst the Third Princess hardly got much spotlight, often getting the short end of the stick.

It was only in the later arc where she truly evolved into the ultimate antagonist.

Moreover, her backstory was barely mentioned in the book.

So at this moment, Lynn was as lost as a swimmer in a river of stones, unable to grasp a lot of things.

Hearing Ivyst unexpectedly pour out her heart left him feeling deeply bewildered.

A tool?

Though he didn’t know the extent of her current strength, it surely couldn’t be below the Sixth Stage.

Even if she couldn’t oppose deities, in this country, aside from a few major churches and ancient families with deep roots, along with a handful of Level 0 Sealed Items, there was hardly anyone who could restrict her.

If it didn’t involve vying for the throne, even if Ivyst fled the country, she could topple any regime at any time outside the five great empires.

So Lynn was utterly puzzled.

With such immense power, why was she still considered a tool?

However, Ivyst remained oblivious to his thoughts.

She gazed out at the moon, speaking to herself: “As a cursed being abandoned by the gods, I actually shouldn’t have been born into this world.”

“Back then, there were many voices wanting to send me to the gallows. Yet, my father stood up under immense pressure to keep me safe.”

“My childhood was filled with bullying and discrimination, but at least it allowed me to grow with the dignity of a princess until now.”

“I once genuinely thanked him, grateful for everything he did for me.”

“There were even a few moments when I truly believed in unprovoked kindness and love in this world.”

“Until that day.”

As she spoke, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of Ivyst’s lips, raising her head to gulp down the wine in her glass.

Perhaps due to the slight intoxication, a few drops trickled down, falling into the deep valley of her chest.

“I vaguely remember it was on my seventh birthday.” Ivyst set down her glass, curled up her legs, and gently held her knees, “Besides the usual physical examination by the nuns from various churches, no one showed up for my birthday party.”

“At that time, I still maintained a bit of childlike spirit, feeling angry and throwing a tantrum about it.”

“Looking back now, I realize that was merely to gain others’ attention.”

“So when the nuns were checking my body, I suddenly felt my emotions and power spiraling out of control. I angrily grabbed the Sealed Item they were using, wanting them to stop this measuring-like behavior.”

“That was a Level 4 Sealed Item, which should have had some level of indestructibility.”

“But when I regained my senses, I found that item turning into dust, slowly dispersing in my hands.”

“This act shocked everyone present, causing an uproar in all the churches of the imperial capital that night.”

“Yet, as the instigator, I came down with a fever.” Ivyst paused slightly, tucking a strand of her fallen hair behind her ear, “That high fever lasted an entire week, and my consciousness felt like it was drowning in a boundless ocean, suffering from a sensation akin to drowning.”

“Thankfully, I pulled through in the end.”

“When I woke up, the first thing I saw was my father, Sixth Saint Roland.”

“I thought he’d be worried about my safety, guarding my bedside day and night, but to my surprise…”

“To my surprise, when he saw me, a hint of disgust flickered in his eyes, and his voice had an unprecedented distance and stiffness.”

“He said to me…”

“Ivyst Roland Alexini, the empire has tolerated your existence in this world for seven whole years, so from today on, it’s time for you to repay the empire and fulfill your duties as a ‘tool’.”

At this point, Ivyst suddenly broke into a faint laugh.

“Aren’t you curious what ‘tool’ really means? And where exactly my powers come from?”

Of course, he was curious.

At this moment, Lynn was fully absorbed in her narrative.

“I don’t know either.” Ivyst murmured, “I just know that since the day I was born, every night in my dreams, I see a white-haired woman who looks a lot like me.”