Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 10: Such Beauty

Perhaps it was because Rhine’s actions had caught everyone off guard.

So, when Lynn followed the masked woman out, no one seemed to look his way.

It was too unbelievable to comprehend.

The guards patrolling the underground prison were mostly from the Augusta family, and they knew all too well that their normally stoic young master was extremely proud, always looking down on others with disdain.

And yet, here he was, completely naked and shouting, “I’m a gay man.” It was shocking beyond belief.

Had he been repressing his true nature for too long, and now, at last, he couldn’t hold it back?

A number of armored guards shivered involuntarily.

Surrounded by stares from every direction, Rhine was filled with humiliation.

He wanted to scream out, but he had no choice but to obey Her Highness’s command.

Even if he tried to clear things up afterward or forbade anyone in the manor from speaking of it, it was futile.

For nobles, gossip was an endless source of delight.

He had no doubt that by tomorrow, rumors of him being gay would sweep through Orne City’s upper-class circles.

For someone as proud as he was, it was more painful than death.

With a bitter heart, Rhine subtly signaled one of his guards, trying to get them to clear the area.

But the guard, catching his gaze, averted his eyes and even took a step back.

Seeing this, Rhine finally gave up hope.

In that moment, he felt his anger rising and blood surging; he coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

…

The path out of the prison was so unexpectedly smooth that even Lynn found it hard to believe.

He’d thought he’d be discovered or have to use the masked woman as a bargaining chip for some time, but nothing happened.

As he stepped onto the final stairway to the outside, the breeze hit his face.

Lynn breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, he only needed to find a carriage, head to the train station with her, and board the earliest train to the capital in the morning.

“Madam, have a carriage prepared,” Lynn murmured. “Don’t worry; once this is over, you’ll be back.”

The masked woman gave him a glance, saying nothing, and walked forward.

Soon, an elderly woman approached them.

“Do you need a carriage, Your Highness?”

Her aged voice was familiar to Lynn, as though she was the one who’d helped him out of the carriage.

Realizing she’d seen his face before, Lynn instinctively lowered his gaze. But he was startled to find that the elderly housekeeper didn’t even glance his way. ṟ𝓪Ŋȏ𝔟ÈꞨ

“Yes.”

“It’s ready and waiting up ahead.”

The housekeeper bowed low.

The masked woman didn’t reply and walked forward in silence.

Lynn’s body tensed; he didn’t want her to recognize him at the last moment.

Yet strangely, the old woman never looked at him, as if she didn’t care at all.

Puzzled, he followed the masked woman to the carriage.

The carriage was elegantly decorated, with intricate thorn patterns etched on it.

Wearing fine leather boots, the woman stepped into the carriage, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed out the window in silence.

Just as Lynn was about to follow her in, the elderly housekeeper’s voice sounded behind him.

“Your Highness, the kitchen has prepared a red velvet cake for dessert, along with freshly brewed tea. You may have them whenever you wish upon your return.”

She bowed meticulously and left.

But at the words “Your Highness,” Lynn froze mid-step.

Your Highness?!

The title hit him like a thunderbolt.

“You…”

He looked up stiffly at the elegant woman sitting by the window.

Even though he’d mentally prepared himself, he’d underestimated her true identity.

Who would’ve thought that the mastermind who’d orchestrated his kidnapping, planning to use him as a pawn, was one of the most noble and pure-blooded individuals in the empire?

Why, in a remote border city like Orne, would he encounter such a figure?

Cold sweat soaked through the fabric on his back as his heart pounded wildly.

At that moment, the gun in his hand felt as if it were burning hot.

Though he didn’t know exactly which princess she was, the novel’s main plot focused on the imperial succession, depicting intense power struggles between various princes and princesses.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that each one was ruthless to the core.

One princess even turned dark, becoming the most powerful villain in the entire novel—powerful enough to tear apart the gods and nearly destroy the world.

How could he possibly survive against someone like that?

Lynn prayed silently, hoping his luck wasn’t that terrible.

It had been two weeks since he’d arrived in this world, and he hadn’t yet encountered any of the characters from the story.

Who’d have thought that today, he’d run into one.

Feeling anxious, he opened the system.

The system had been so useless and had backfired on him so often that he hadn’t developed the habit of checking it regularly.

Besides, his focus had been on outsmarting them, and he’d forgotten all about it.

Now, he was paying the price.

The masked woman noticed his changing expressions and allowed a slight smile to curve her lips.

“Interesting to see you looking like this. Rather cute.”

“Allow me to introduce myself.” She crossed her legs, sat up straight, her regal figure and the dignity of her rank now fully on display. “My name is Evester Roland Alexini, Third Princess of the Saint Roland Empire.”

“Lynn Bartleon, should I call you bold, or simply blind?”

Character Name: Evester Roland Alexini

Plot Level: S

Deviation from the Storyline: 0.00%

Lynn’s last hope vanished.

The system wasn’t holding back any warnings due to “negative behavior”; it simply recognized that he was on the right path.

So completing the initial quest was this simple. All he had to do was nothing.

He’d overthought everything.

But why her, of all people?

Why the villainous princess who, in the end, was left without even a shred of dignity?

Her crimes had provoked the wrath of gods, nearly destroying the world, and in the end, everyone associated with her faced retribution, no matter how far they fled.

Grinding his teeth, Lynn cursed the system inwardly.

As he regained his senses, he noticed his hands and legs entangled in blood-red thorns.

The thorns, sharp and snake-like, tightened around him, pinning him in place.

Even a slight movement brought pain and numbness.

“The kidnapper’s game ends here,” Evester said coolly, reverting to her usual icy tone. “Sleep.”

“Once you wake, everything will be in order.”

As the thorns’ poison took effect, drowsiness washed over Lynn.

Looking at her indifferent face, he felt a rush of indescribable emotion.

Just like when Morris had captured him, he’d fought with all his courage and cunning.

Yet, here he was, still ensnared.

A pawn on a board, each step cornered, unable to escape the gaze of the players above.

Lynn was overcome with despair.

It wasn’t just the hypnosis experiment he’d have to face; it was that he’d boarded a ship bound to sink, with no light at the end of the journey.

He wanted to resist.

But if she was the villainous princess from the novel, he didn’t stand a chance.

Even now, with only a fraction of her power, she could easily destroy an entire city.

Killing him would be as effortless as crushing an ant.

But the more he thought about it, the more unwilling he felt.

Gritting his teeth, he resisted the waves of dizziness threatening to consume him.

Looking at her, mere inches away, with her cool and luminous eyes, he suddenly felt a strange impulse.

At the very least… he should complete the system’s initial quest.

He didn’t know how to raise the deviation percentage.

So, he followed his gut instinct.

In one swift motion, Lynn raised his hand, pressed his palm against her face, and in one quick move, tore off her black mask.

Even Evester was shocked. She hadn’t expected him to do something so bold.

“You… want to die?!”

Her voice was icy, laced with pure malice and unending fury.

In an instant, a wave of murderous intent swept over him, so intense it felt as if he’d be torn to shreds.

Lynn wanted to retort with a mocking comment.

But as the mask fell away, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Before him was a face of icy beauty, flawless and breathtakingly exquisite.

In his two lifetimes, it was the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

Yet a sinister, inky mark marred her otherwise perfect face, growing across her porcelain cheek like a curse.

To this world, that mark symbolized sin and doom, a sign of divine disfavor.

But to Lynn, the mark only heightened her allure, lending her a dangerous, captivating charm.

“So beautiful…”

In his last conscious moments, he murmured.

And inexplicably, the blood-red thorns, which had been poised to tear him apart, came to a halt.

…

[S-Ranked Character "Evester Roland Alexini" Deviation Raised to 0.01%]

[Preliminary Quest Complete, System Unlocked.]