Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 179: A Shocking and Bloody Scene (Part Two)

“Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

As the carriage slowly stopped by the roadside, Kesha, the female steward, softly informed Yveste inside.

The Princess seemed lost in thought. It took her a few seconds to snap back to reality. “Hmm, I know.”

She appeared distracted, her mind elsewhere.

It wasn’t until her gaze settled on the insignia outside—a hand gripping thunder—that she realized they had arrived at the Enforcers' Headquarters.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly stood, glancing at the others in the carriage before offering a faint smile. “Why the long faces? We’re about to meet him.”

Inside the carriage, Greya and Morris exchanged hesitant glances, while Eleanor, wearing a charming little dress, seemed excited for her brother’s impending release.

Afia, seated beside Eleanor, licked her fur nervously. She glanced at her mistress but only let out a soft “meow” before falling silent.

Before long, the group disembarked, climbing the steps to the main entrance of the Enforcers’ Tower.

After verifying their identities, Yveste led them inside.

It was Lynn’s second day in custody.

For two days, everyone had been tirelessly working outside the prison on his behalf.

But this time, their adversary was the Imperial Council.

In other words, they were fighting not just the Empire but the entrenched powers that had long dominated its vast structure.

The resistance was far greater than they could have imagined. Even Yveste felt stifled, unable to leverage her usual methods effectively.

Lynn had been found at the scene of the crime. No matter how the law was interpreted, the treatment he received followed procedure to the letter, leaving no room for criticism.

Even the constant harassment in recent days adhered to this impeccable logic.

For someone like Yveste, who preferred solving problems with force, this was maddening.

Thankfully, it was almost over.

With that thought, Yveste’s gaze turned cold, and she took a deep breath before continuing.

As they reached the corridor, a group of people waiting for them came into view.

Surrounded by several Extraordinary guards, a neatly dressed middle-aged man wearing a monocle stood at the forefront. He was speaking quietly with Fourth Prince Joshua beside him.

It wasn’t just Prince Joshua. Even Princess Shirina’s group was present, awaiting the verdict on Lynn Bartleon.

Upon spotting Yveste and her entourage, the monocle-wearing man offered a polite yet distant smile. “Third Princess, you’ve arrived.”

His tone was courteous, but there was no hint of respect in his eyes—only detachment and disdain.

In Glostein, neither nobles nor commoners harbored goodwill toward this princess.

Moreover, there seemed to be old grudges between their factions.

Yveste’s cold gaze swept over him without a reply.

This was Blake Cortes, the eighth councilman of the Imperial Council.

The Cortes family, which he represented, had already revealed their stance by targeting Lynn.

The Cortes family wielded tremendous economic influence within the Saint Roland Empire. Their investments spanned coal, healthcare, railways, and education.

Thinking back, Lynn had caused two major incidents during his time on the frontier.

Once, he had seized two million gold coins from the local church and nobles to fund Duke Tyrius’s army.

The other time, he had stirred greed among countless merchants and nobles with rumors, luring them to Orne City to profit from disaster relief, only to spark riots that left them bankrupt.

Perhaps this feud with the Cortes family began during those events.

The Cortes family likely had deep ties with the local merchants and nobles involved. Some of the embezzled taxes might even have lined their pockets.

Lynn’s actions cost them dearly, and their retaliation was swift.

When Yveste ignored his words, Councilman Blake didn’t seem angry. Instead, he calmly said, “Now that everyone is here, shall we proceed to Lynn Bartleon’s cell?”

“Enforcers, lead the way.”

“Tiya, what’s on your mind?”

In the dim, damp underground prison, Xiya slowed his pace to walk beside Tiya, asking softly.

He had noticed her unease—not just today but since the night she had refused to see him. For some reason, she had been avoiding him ever since.

Hearing Xiya’s voice, Tiya snapped out of her thoughts, her body trembling slightly. She averted her gaze, clutching the edge of her robe nervously.

If Lynn, with his deep understanding of psychology, were present, he would have immediately recognized this as a guilty reaction.

“I... I’m fine, Xiya,” Tiya stammered.

“No, you’re not.” Xiya frowned at her. “You’ve been acting strange ever since that night.”

“Is there something on your mind?”

He wanted to ask if it was about Lynn but was afraid of an answer that might unsettle him.

Of course, there was something.

In her heart, Tiya answered.

She was troubled by that man.

Ever since she had returned from the interrogation room, his frail figure lying in her arms had haunted her thoughts every night, filling her with an indescribable guilt.

The feeling kept her restless and sleepless.

She didn’t understand why.

In the past, her mind would always be preoccupied with Xiya.

It was all that man’s fault!

If he hadn’t said those strange, cryptic things, she wouldn’t be in this mess!

Now even Xiya was starting to suspect something!

With that thought, Tiya hurriedly adjusted her emotions, tucking her hair behind her ear and forcing a faint smile. “I’m really fine.”

Seeing her unwillingness to open up, Xiya suppressed his frustration and nodded. “If there’s anything, let me know. I’ll always have your back.”

“Thank you, Xiya. I’m very lucky.”

Though she said so, her heart felt unmoved.

As they approached the cell door, Tiya’s unease returned.

The man’s words from yesterday echoed in her ears.

Was Xiya truly that kind of person?

Feeling confused, she glanced at Xiya, only to find him looking back at her.

Their eyes met.

Seeing the concern and sincerity in his gaze, Tiya felt a wave of calm and even a hint of warmth.

No matter how many admirers he had, he never neglected her.

Surely that man was lying.

Someone as proud and upright as Xiya couldn’t possibly have done the treacherous things he was accused of.

Reassured, Tiya’s anxiety and tension dissolved.

She instinctively reached out to lightly hold Xiya’s fingertips, but an abrupt sense of rejection poured over her like cold water.

She nearly forgot.

Except for that man, she couldn’t physically touch any other male without feeling repulsion.

What’s happening to me?

Could it be that I subconsciously treated Xiya as a stand-in for him?

For a moment, Tiya’s heart raced wildly, and her face turned pale.

Unfortunately, Xiya didn’t know her inner turmoil. Observing her small action, he thought she was trying to overcome the curse’s rejection to hold his hand but failed.

He was touched.

“It’s okay, Tiya.” Xiya smiled warmly. “Don’t think of me as some lustful brute. Being able to walk side by side and talk like this makes me happy enough.”

He spoke generously.

Yet to Tiya, his words sounded even harsher.

The truth wasn’t like that at all.

Clenching the edge of her robe tightly, Tiya slowed her steps slightly.

In the end, all of this started going wrong after meeting that man.

If she could just repay the guilt weighing on her heart, then she could sever ties with him completely.

With that thought, she took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic emotions inside her.

At that moment, the elderly Enforcer from yesterday came forward.

With so many important figures present, he dared not neglect his duties.

“Open the door,” Councilman Blake commanded coolly.

“Yes.”

The elderly Enforcer responded, pulling out a key slowly. His eyes flickered with a shadow of malice as he did so.

He eagerly anticipated the reactions on everyone’s faces once the door opened, especially those close to that boy.

Smirking inwardly, he quickened his actions. Years of witnessing interrogations and executions had twisted his personality, making him cruel and cynical.

However, Princess Shirina seemed to sense his ill intent and frowned. “What vile thoughts are you entertaining just now?”

The Enforcer froze for a moment.

At the same time, Yveste also noticed something amiss.

“This... is a communal cell for thirty inmates?” she asked icily, taking a step forward. A faint but menacing aura radiated from her. “Even if he was arrested, without conclusive charges, he shouldn’t be placed here.”

“What have you done?”

Even though the prison suppressed Extraordinary abilities, Yveste, as a Sixth-Rank Demigod, unleashed a terrifying burst of presence that engulfed the room.

Most people present felt suffocated, their faces turning pale.

The elderly Enforcer, in particular, bled from his nose and mouth, collapsing to the ground.

Damn it.

Was this the monstrous princess the capital always whispered about?

Despite his near Fifth-Rank strength and the prison’s suppressive properties, he couldn’t withstand even a fraction of her pressure.

The malice in his gaze vanished entirely, replaced by fear.

The silence in the cell area was deafening, which immediately struck everyone as wrong.

Prisons like this, especially communal ones, were typically filled with shouting and noise as prisoners vented their frustrations.

But now, even as they stood right outside, not a single sound emerged. The stillness was so complete that it felt eerie.

Eleanor, following closely behind Yveste, turned pale.

“Do you think my brother... is okay?”

Having only recently reunited with Lynn, she felt helpless at the thought of his uncertain fate.

Afia, perched on her shoulder, also showed a hint of worry, licking the young girl’s cheek gently.

Greya stepped forward and tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. Your brother’s a weirdo. If anyone’s going to be fine, it’ll be him.”

Hearing this, Fourth Prince Joshua, standing beside Councilman Blake, chuckled. “Not necessarily.”

Eleanor glared at him with tearful eyes.

Her feelings toward him were a mix of fear and resentment.

Noticing her expression, Joshua’s smile grew colder. “It seems you don’t understand the nature of this place.”

After leaving his cryptic remark, he fell silent, letting Shirina explain after some hesitation.

“The Enforcers’ Prison is a highly unique place. It can be considered a high-tier Sealed Artifact in its entirety.

“Anyone held here, as long as their rank doesn’t exceed its limits, will find all Extraordinary abilities nullified.”

In other words, unless one used brute force like Yveste, even a Fifth-Rank Legendary trapped here would be reduced to an ordinary person.

A Fifth-Rank Legendary couldn’t resist; what chance did Lynn have?

If anything had indeed happened inside, Lynn—stripped of all Extraordinary powers—would have to rely solely on his physical strength.

Unfortunately, Lynn’s path as an Extraordinary focused on “Saint Perception,” a research-oriented route similar to Milanie’s. At lower ranks, it enhanced thinking and memory but didn’t bolster physical strength.

Moreover, all his items and Sealed Artifacts were confiscated when he was imprisoned.

The situation looked grim.

Joshua’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

He didn’t know who orchestrated this, but it was undoubtedly a favor, helping him deal with a potential threat.

Ever since that night, Joshua had been haunted by nightmares of Lynn defying imperial authority and killing Eunice in public, waking up in a cold sweat each time.

The entire matter seemed to linger in Joshua's mind like a recurring nightmare, one he couldn’t shake off.

Now, with the prospect of seeing Lynn perish in this prison, how could he not feel thrilled?

The idea that Lynn might defeat over thirty inmates with his bare hands was laughably unrealistic.

Not only Joshua but most others also held grim expectations.

If Lynn had access to extraordinary powers to enhance his physical strength, it might have been plausible. But this was the Enforcers' Prison.

All anyone could do was pray that nothing terrible had actually occurred inside.

Eleanor, on the verge of tears, gently tugged at Yveste’s sleeve.

Behind her, Greya and the others appeared tense, as though bracing for the worst.

At the back of the group, Tiya unconsciously stood on her toes, her delicate hands nervously clenched. She seemed desperate to catch a glimpse of the situation inside the moment the door opened.

All eyes were on the elderly Enforcer.

He trembled on the ground, gritting his teeth, unwilling to say a word.

Yveste’s eyes glinted with a mix of madness and icy resolve as threads of crimson light began to shimmer in her palm.

“Your Highness, please remain calm,” Blake Cortes, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.

In an instant, Yveste turned her predatory glare on him, like a lioness protecting her cub.

“By choosing this moment to speak up, should I interpret this as the Cortes family aligning with whoever is behind this?” she asked, her voice cold and menacing.

It felt as though a single word from Blake could unleash her fury.

Blake, however, remained composed. “If the Cortes family wanted to retaliate, we wouldn’t resort to such petty schemes.

“Moreover, no matter what happened last night, it’s already in the past.

“So why not have him open the door first? Afterward, whether his actions were appropriate or whether the Enforcers have been bribed, these matters will be thoroughly investigated, and justice will prevail.”

Yveste took a deep breath, suppressing her growing agitation and killing intent.

She couldn’t bear to imagine what might happen if Lynn were truly harmed.

It’s my fault.

Why did I let him leave with the Enforcers as he wished?

If I had been more resolute, perhaps none of this would’ve happened.

The atmosphere turned icy and silent.

Under the intense scrutiny of everyone present, the elderly Enforcer struggled to his feet, beads of sweat streaming down his face. With trembling hands, he pulled out the key.

Click.

The heavy locks disengaged, and the prison door creaked open.

The first thing that hit them was the overwhelming stench of blood, so strong it felt almost tangible.

“?!”

Everyone was horrified.

What kind of brutal scene had unfolded to create such a suffocating smell of blood?

Eleanor burst into tears, her emotions spiraling out of control.

But the next second brought an earth-shattering twist.

Inside the cell, blood was splattered across every wall and the floor, much of it dried over time.

However, the real shock lay ahead.

Scattered throughout the cell were dozens of twisted, lifeless bodies, piled like discarded trash into a grotesque mound.

At the very top of this mountain of blood and corpses sat a shirtless young man, leaning casually against the wall with his hands clasped behind his head, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling.

Hearing the commotion at the door, he turned his attention toward them.

Seeing the stunned crowd staring at him with a mix of shock and disbelief, he froze for a moment before raising a hand and offering a casual greeting.

“Morning.”