Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 163: I Will Strike in Minotaur Form

Lynn had no idea what had come over him—why he had suddenly uttered such a heartfelt declaration.

Perhaps it was a response to Her Highness’s coldness and distance in the carriage. Or perhaps it was his way of trying to compensate for the blow she had suffered from losing to the Witch.

The people around them all fell silent, each casting different looks at him.

Grand Princess Shirina, in particular, looked at him with a mixture of frustration and helplessness, as if regretting why she had even bothered to stir this pot in the first place.

She had known from the beginning that this guy was nothing but trouble.

Yet, the centerpiece of this little drama, Yveste herself, remained unusually quiet.

Despite Lynn’s impassioned words—his first such declaration directed at her—she showed no reaction whatsoever.

It was as if the obsessive, emotionally vulnerable woman he had once known was gone entirely.

“Thank you,” Yveste said softly, her tone polite yet detached, acknowledging his words with an air of impeccable decorum.

It was so flawless that it left no room for criticism.

But the fact that there was nothing to criticize was the biggest problem.

The air instantly grew awkward.

How… how is this possible?

Is this still the Yveste I know?!

Noticing her unusual behavior, Lynn felt a rare and absurd sense of unease.

The faint scent of roses lingering in the air was unmistakably hers, and those familiar lips—ones he had kissed countless times—were as glossy and alluring as ever, practically begging to be kissed again.

Yet a growing frustration welled up within him, as though for the first time, something had slipped completely beyond his grasp.

He could somewhat understand Yveste’s reaction—clearly, losing to the Witch had dealt her a far greater blow than he had anticipated.

But where was this inexplicable restlessness coming from?

Am I angry at her cold reaction?

Why?

Furrowing his brows, Lynn was left grappling with a mess of unanswered questions.

Meanwhile, Yveste didn’t spare him another glance. Her expression calm, she raised her gaze to Shirina.

“This pointless game is over, isn’t it?” she asked coldly.

Shirina let out a sigh.

“Enjoy yourselves,” she said, stepping back as a few noble girls gathered around her, preparing to leave.

But before she could turn away, Yveste’s voice rang out again.

“The banquet can happen whenever it pleases you, but I didn’t come here for trivialities like this.”

“Shirina, I have something to ask you.”

Hearing Yveste’s icy tone, Shirina froze for a moment before understanding dawned on her.

Of course.

It was no wonder Yveste had agreed to attend this evening’s masquerade ball—her true purpose had nothing to do with the event itself.

Realizing this, Shirina whispered a few words to the noble girls at her side, who quickly dispersed. She then turned her gaze to Yveste and the silent Lynn beside her.

“Follow me,” she said softly.

But before they could move, Yveste glanced at Lynn and said, “You stay here.”

Ignoring the look on his face, she walked off without another word, trailing after Shirina.

As they ascended the staircase to the third floor, the noise of the banquet below gradually faded, leaving only an eerie silence.

“Let’s talk in my study,” Shirina suggested, gesturing toward a room at the end of the hall.

But Yveste unexpectedly frowned. “Where’s the washroom?”

The washroom?

As a Sixth-Rank Extraordinary, her body had long surpassed the limitations of human physiology. Things like mundane biological functions should no longer be a concern for her.

Though puzzled, Shirina pointed toward the end of the corridor.

Moments later, Yveste appeared in the washroom, her expression icy.

After locking the door securely and ensuring no one could intrude, she exhaled softly, her cold demeanor finally beginning to crack.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Yveste’s previously calm and collected expression began to melt away.

The sound of rustling fabric soon followed, and a piece of purple cloth—warm from her touch—appeared in her hand, faintly dotted with tiny, damp spots.

Her once-pale cheeks suddenly turned crimson, as if overheating, giving her an otherworldly beauty.

The detached gaze she had carefully maintained before Lynn could no longer be sustained.

In mere seconds, her crimson eyes misted over with a thin layer of water, her gaze dreamy and shimmering with emotion.

“Ah…”

Recalling her adorable little dog wagging its tail and seeking her affection, she unconsciously reached her hand beneath the hem of her gown.

Clearly, Lynn’s earlier words had stirred far more in her than her outward composure had let on.

In truth, her heart was already racing, her emotions ignited.

If it hadn’t been for the people around them earlier, she might have revealed her most unrestrained side to Lynn on the spot.

But that moment never came.

After all, Yveste had carefully planned her moves.

From the conflict last night to the removal of the cursed sigil on her face and the restoration of her appearance to match the Witch’s, every step was part of her strategy.

Only by defeating the insecurity and self-doubt that had plagued her for over two decades could she face that wretched woman with absolute confidence.

A woman’s beauty, her appearance, was intrinsically linked to love and romance.

Even though Lynn had repeatedly assured her that the cursed sigil on her face didn’t matter to him, Yveste had yet to overcome that psychological hurdle.

Shortly after, the sound of muffled cries—both pleasurable and pained—echoed faintly within the washroom.

“Forgive me, my dear master… I wasn’t trying to ignore you…”

“Just wait a little longer… until… afterward…”

The sound of water dripping and flowing, alternately hurried and slow, filled the space.

Ten minutes later, Yveste emerged from the washroom, her attire immaculate, her expression as icy and composed as ever.

When she entered Shirina’s study, it was as if nothing had happened.

This was the first time in their entire lives that Yveste and Shirina had spent such a close and private moment together.

Yveste, however, didn’t bother with the tea Shirina had brewed for her. Instead, she said coldly, “Tell me everything you know about the Heremius Tomb.”

...

They just left?

Watching the two figures disappear up the stairs, Lynn’s eyes widened in disbelief, unsure how to process the situation.

Yveste’s behavior tonight had left him utterly confused, almost as if she were the one with sealed memories, not him.

After standing in silence for a long moment, Lynn scratched his head in frustration.

Looking around at the lively masquerade, he grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray and downed it in one gulp.

Though Yveste had told him to wait for her, Lynn found himself at a loss for what to do with his free time.

Before coming here, he’d already imagined a scenario in which Yveste would face ridicule and mockery from the noble girls of Glostein, prompting him to step in and defend her with sharp retorts.

But in the end, nothing like that had happened.

She was here for a conversation with Shirina—nothing more.

Letting out a soft sigh, Lynn felt a dull sense of disappointment.

But then, his sharp instincts suddenly kicked in.

From the corner of the ballroom, he felt the weight of a hostile gaze fixed on him.

The fleeting haze in his mind was replaced by a razor-sharp focus.

Raising his champagne glass to his lips, Lynn used the silver plate on the wall—polished to a mirror-like shine—to catch a glimpse of the source of the gaze.

There she was.

A petite girl with short, light-brown hair.

Her face was partially concealed by a plain, rigid half-mask, and though her exposed skin and features were unremarkable, her freckles and average build made her stand out among the crowd.

In a ballroom filled with noblewomen enhanced by makeup and extraordinary accessories, each one a beauty in her own right, this “ugly duckling” hiding in the corner was anything but inconspicuous.

What a poor disguise.

【Character Name: Tiya Yuhesti】

【Plot Level: S】

【Deviation: 0.55%】

Seeing the information presented by the system, Lynn’s mood immediately shifted.

The irritation and boredom from earlier vanished without a trace, replaced by a spark of excitement.

Looks like tonight won’t be as boring as I thought.

Although he didn’t know how long Yveste would be talking to Shirina, it probably wouldn’t give him much time to work with.

This unexpected turn of events, however, was not something he planned to pass up.

In the next moment, the power of the Lie Eater surged within him.

“Excuse me, sir, have we accidentally swapped masks?” Lynn suddenly turned to a man standing beside him, wearing an apologetic expression.

The man, oblivious to the subtle ploy, nodded in agreement. “If that’s the case, let’s swap them back.”

Moments later, Lynn removed his raven mask and replaced it with a finely crafted bull mask.

Quietly and inconspicuously, he slipped out of the ballroom.

I shall move… in my Minotaur form!

...

Tiya finally relaxed.

Watching Shirina and Yveste leave the room, she felt as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Perhaps the Moon Goddess herself had smiled upon her, creating this rare and perfect opportunity.

With her target now alone, Tiya’s gaze grew more deliberate as she studied the black-haired young man quietly sipping his drink.

At the same time, her mind raced.

How do I lure him somewhere private?

Tiya hesitated.

The most straightforward method would be to approach him directly.

After all, men tended to lower their guard while drinking, and if a girl were to start a conversation with him, most of them would assume something indecent was on her mind.

But her current appearance—hidden under layers of disguise—made even those closest to her incapable of recognizing her.

In other words, her outward persona now looked plain and ordinary, completely average from a male aesthetic standpoint.

I should’ve made myself look prettier, Tiya thought irritably, biting her lower lip.

Meanwhile, Xiya, standing alone in the distance, seemed just as bored.

His eyes occasionally scanned the female guests, his gaze lingering on their faces with mild curiosity.

It was as if Xiya was looking for someone.

Noticing this, Tiya couldn’t help but feel a surge of guilty panic.

It seemed that her abnormal behavior had finally drawn Xiya’s attention, which was why he had attended the banquet—to search for her.

What should I do?

Just as Tiya was consumed by anxiety, she caught sight of the black-haired boy in her peripheral vision. He had, at some point, swapped his raven mask for a bull-headed one and slipped out of the banquet hall unnoticed.

Huh?

Tiya’s eyes lit up slightly.

This is the perfect opportunity!

Without hesitation, she pulled her hat a little lower, trying to obscure her face further as she discreetly followed Lynn to wherever he had disappeared.

...

Damn it.

Back at the banquet, Xiya—after rejecting several invitations from women to dance—downed his drink in irritation.

Shirina was nowhere to be seen; she was off discussing who-knew-what with that monstrous Third Princess in her study.

That was fine.

What wasn’t fine was that after searching the crowd for ages, he still couldn’t find any trace of Tiya.

This doesn’t make sense.

He distinctly remembered that Shirina herself had handed two invitation letters directly to Tiya.

A nagging sense of unease began to creep into Xiya’s mind, the kind that told him something was veering off its intended course.

This wasn’t mere paranoia—it was a peculiar ability he had possessed since childhood.

This intuition had saved his life countless times, and by now, it was one of his most reliable strengths.

The air around him carried faint hints of overused perfumes, their chemical scents saturating the room.

Accustomed as he was to the natural fragrance of women, this cloying mix made Xiya uncomfortable.

Loosening the bowtie at his collar, he set down his glass and shoved his hands into his pockets, heading toward the quieter parts of the venue.

This oppressive atmosphere was unbearable. He decided to step out onto the fourth-floor balcony for some fresh air.

...

By the time Tiya reached the fourth floor, quietly following the figure she’d been trailing, she found that he had disappeared down the hallway.

The glass-paneled door leading to the balcony, however, was left slightly ajar—suggesting that someone had recently passed through.

Taking a deep breath, Tiya moved stealthily toward the balcony, her mind running through the plan she had carefully prepared.

The moment they met, she would use her extraordinary abilities to subdue him.

If he cooperated, she would proceed to interrogate him directly.

If he resisted… then she would have to...

As Tiya replayed her plan in her head, she slowly pushed open the door to the balcony.

But what greeted her was a scene she hadn’t anticipated in the slightest.

Shirina’s mansion was located on elevated ground, and the fourth floor offered a stunning view of the moonlit landscape. The cold, silver radiance of the moon bathed the entire balcony in a gentle, romantic glow.

It was the perfect setting for intimacy—a secluded spot where one could sip wine and share dreams with a beloved companion, leaning against the railing as the world stretched out beneath them.

For Tiya, the Silent Saintess, the moonlight had always been a source of comfort. She loved the feeling of being wrapped in its soft, ethereal glow.

But the serene atmosphere was utterly shattered by the sight of the masked boy on the balcony.

There he stood, having climbed onto the railing. His arms were spread wide as if ready to take flight, his body swaying slightly in the cool night breeze.

One more step forward, and he would plummet to the ground below.

Even for an Extraordinary, without a strong physique or abilities, a fall from this height would result in severe injury—if not death.

He’s… he’s trying to kill himself?!

The unexpected situation completely threw Tiya off her carefully prepared course.

Staring at the scene before her, the doll-like girl—always so emotionless and cold—felt her composure crack for the first time.

Her face betrayed a rare expression of shock and disbelief.