Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 20: The First Hypnosis

“Good,” Evester nodded upon hearing Lynn’s response. “Let’s begin immediately.”

The elderly maid stepped forward, handing her the ancient-looking coin.

Evester weighed it in her hand, a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes. She was curious to see if Lynn, having observed the other prisoners’ fates, could bring any surprises to this game.

This coin was no ordinary object; it possessed supernatural properties.

[Item Name: Trickster’s Coin]

[Item ID: 0719]

[Item Rank: Sequence Level 6]

[Origin: Originally an ordinary copper coin, it acquired unique traits after prolonged exposure to a high-ranking Extraordinary of the Trickster faith. Although lacking self-awareness, it can read and respond to human thoughts.]

[Containment Recommendation: Store it in a wallet as a regular coin.]

This, of course, was why the cultists had all lost.

The coin adjusted its result based on the player’s choice. If someone guessed “heads,” the coin would land on tails, and vice versa. The coin, though not sentient, had a way of interpreting human thoughts, similar to the mystique surrounding the Trickster faith—an enigmatic force that mocked its victims’ fate.

There was no way anyone could win.

Unfortunately, Lynn knew nothing about this. The coin hadn’t been mentioned in the original story. However, he had been watching closely, picking up hints along the way.

“The prisoners approached the game like gamblers,” he said suddenly. “But approaching it differently might reveal a hidden pattern.”

“A gambler would think that if the first two people guessed heads and were wrong, the third would have a better chance with heads,” Lynn explained, “thinking, ‘There’s been tails twice in a row; surely heads will come up this time.’”

Evester’s lips curved slightly. “So, as the ninth player, with their failures as examples, you’d choose tails?”

Lynn shook his head. “No. I’d suspect the coin.”

“From a probabilistic perspective, the odds of eight consecutive losses are one in two hundred and fifty-six. That’s an extremely unlikely event.”

Evester’s narrowed her eyes. “So, you think I’m cheating?”

“Not at all,” Lynn sighed. “As the house, that’s your prerogative.”

“Then stop stalling and guess.” Evester toyed with the collar in her hand, as though envisioning it around Lynn’s neck.

Ignoring her attempt at intimidation, Lynn’s mind raced. While she might have a twisted sense of humor, Evester wouldn’t have rigged a game with no chance of winning.

He thought back to the prisoners. Each had chosen either heads or tails aloud, only to face inevitable defeat. What did they all have in common?

A spark of realization hit him.

“Stop stalling,” Evester said, impatience flashing in her eyes. “You have three chances.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Lynn nodded. “Understood… but since this is a game, and there are stakes, I think the initiator should play as well.”

The elderly maid raised her eyebrows, her surprise mirrored in Evester’s expression.

Of course, she’d realized that he’d spotted a pattern.

But so what?

As the third princess of the Saint Roland Empire, Evester had no reason to decline.

“Fine.”

Lynn exhaled in relief.

Seeing his reaction, Evester’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

Lynn looked up slowly. If he wanted to win, he’d need to avoid the same mistakes as the cultists.

What had led to their failure?

They’d gone first and voiced their choice.

As Lynn recalled the saying from his previous life, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” his course of action became clear.

Evester’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Which side will you choose?”

Feeling both her and the maid’s eyes on him, Lynn emptied his mind, trying not to think of either “heads” or “tails.”

“I choose… the opposite of whatever side you pick, Your Highness.”

---

He actually won?!

Standing just outside the Augusta estate, Lynn gazed at the bustling street, feeling as if he’d narrowly escaped death.

He still couldn’t fully believe that after winning the game, Evester had genuinely let him go. Not only that, but she’d given him a bag of gold to fund his trip to the capital.

He glanced around nervously. Not spotting any pursuers, he finally allowed himself to relax.

Hailing a carriage, he headed to the train station, eager to leave Orne City behind. Whether he went to the capital or to another country didn’t matter; he just wanted as much distance as possible between him and Evester.

Replaying their last encounter in his mind, he felt as if his escape was too easy. But this was his chance, and he intended to make the most of it.

---

“Your Highness, do you truly mean to let him go?” the elderly maid asked as she poured tea for Evester under the parasol.

Evester, her eyes half-closed, didn’t answer immediately. “What do you think of him, Aunt Kesha?”

“Clever,” Kesha replied calmly. Anyone who could deduce the Trickster Coin’s function and find a countermeasure so quickly was indeed remarkable.

Observing the prisoners, Lynn had identified their shared mistakes: each of them had gone first, and each had stated their guess aloud. Lynn’s solution was both simple and brilliant.

By saying, “I choose the opposite of whatever you pick,” he hadn’t voiced a specific choice. Instead, he’d left the decision to her, subtly shifting her to the first turn.

The coin, a low-level artifact without true intelligence, couldn’t discern Lynn’s intentions or read his empty mind.

Thus, when Evester made her choice, the Trickster Coin flipped to the opposite side.

Lynn had won.

Kesha, who prided herself on her composure, admitted she wouldn’t have handled the situation as deftly.

“It would be wise to use hypnosis to keep him under control,” she added, uncharacteristically talkative. “If he returns to the capital and allies with another prince, it could be troublesome.”

“No rush. Even a house pet will bark if leashed too tightly,” Evester replied calmly.

A distant chime sounded, and Evester set down her teacup, rising gracefully and slipping her black mask back on.

“The timing is just right,” she remarked. “I’m going out; I might be back late. Prepare a double portion of dessert.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

---

Late that night, Lynn stepped out of a carriage, wrapped in a thick scarf, and glanced around the unfamiliar small town, finally feeling a little safer.

So far, Evester and her people seemed to be honoring their promise. Or maybe the precautions he’d taken had thrown them off his trail.

Earlier, he’d made a show of heading to the train station, buying a ticket in front of witnesses and picking a fight with a stranger to create a memorable scene. This false trail was meant to mislead anyone tracking him.

In reality, he hadn’t planned to go to the capital at all. Six or seven days by train was far too risky.

Afterward, he’d bought a local man’s clothes, changed in a nearby alley, and disguised himself from head to toe. Finally, he’d hired a carriage, heading toward Remy, a small apple-growing town on the edge of the Saint Roland Empire, known for its fruit-based liquors.

If he was going to run, he’d run as far as possible.

As long as he stayed within the empire’s borders, Evester’s reach could extend anywhere.

Just the thought of that beautiful yet terrifying woman made him shudder.

He entered a well-lit tavern and booked a room, heading straight upstairs to rest.

Throughout it all, thoughts of Evester lingered. If he were honest, she’d caused him no real harm. She’d even tolerated his vengeance against Rhine after learning of the private punishment.

If she hadn’t been the villainous princess from the original story, Lynn might have been tempted to stay and serve her.

She was intimidating, yes, but she seemed to treat her subordinates fairly.

And in the lab, she’d kept her word and saved him.

So, he couldn’t really dislike her.

He’d always found her a fascinating character in the novel.

“A woman to love and hate,” he muttered, opening his room door.

“Then, do you love me or hate me?” a familiar voice replied.

Lynn froze.

Seated on the bed, clad in a black, fringed gown and wearing a mask, was Evester herself. She twirled the intricate collar in her hand, watching him intently.

I knew it… Lynn thought, turning to bolt.

“Help! Assault! Someone’s trying to assault me!”

Desperate to draw attention, he screamed, hoping to alert the tavern.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt an overpowering force pulling him back. An invisible grip held him fast, and he flew backward into the room.

Thud!

The door slammed shut behind him.

Clutching his head, he looked up at Evester’s serene expression.

“You broke your promise.”

Evester’s voice was as calm as ever. “I only promised to let you leave Augusta Manor. I never agreed to let you leave the Saint Roland Empire.”

Playing with semantics?

Lynn sighed, defeated.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Evester raised her hand, aiming her palm at his forehead. A green Eye of the Mind symbol slowly materialized on her palm.

Evester was about to activate the hypnosis.

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