Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 7: Become My Weapon

Upon hearing the woman’s account, Lynn, with his head bowed low, let a cold smile creep onto his face.

His past self really was nothing more than a pitiful wretch.

Based on his memories, the reality of that war differed starkly from the official reports. Originally hailed as a battle hero, he was instead labeled a coward who abandoned his comrades and fled. Even his achievements were erased without a trace.

Lynn straightened himself up, shifting into a less uncomfortable position against the chair.

He was familiar with the theory of Theseus’s ship: every cell in a person’s body is replaced countless times over their life. So, in a strict sense, the person who’s born isn’t the same one who dies.

Then, what is it that truly defines a person?

To Lynn, it was memory. Memory shapes one’s character and qualities, determining the choices one makes at the crossroads of life.

So why draw a hard line between his current self and the previous Lynn from Blue Star?

For that reason, he had no respect for the report in her hands.

With this in mind, Lynn lifted his gaze.

Under the dim light, he observed Rhine standing silently nearby with downcast eyes, and the woman seated in front of him. Judging by her figure and bearing, she must have been unreasonably beautiful, yet frighteningly so, like a rose with sharp thorns.

Oddly, she didn’t reveal her face; instead, she wore an intricately patterned black mask that covered her fair, delicate face, leaving only a pair of cool, beautiful eyes visible.

Dangerous.

The moment he saw her, Lynn made a silent judgment.

So, this must be the “lady” that Morris had mentioned.

With this realization, Lynn sighed lightly, lifting his cuffed hands. “I must say, these cuffs are a bit too tight. Any chance you could take them off?”

He turned to Rhine, voicing his complaint.

“Save your jokes for the afterlife.”

Rhine replied expressionlessly.

At this, Lynn sighed. “Seems like we really don’t get along… Since that’s the case, I have one more request.”

The masked woman raised a hand to stop Rhine from responding. “Go ahead.”

“Let him leave,” Lynn gestured toward Rhine. “I’m guessing you want to ask me something, right? But with him here, I’m too nervous. Can’t remember a thing.”

“Fine.”

The masked woman gave a slight nod, agreeing to Lynn’s request.

“But…”

Rhine still hesitated.

Just then, Lynn was overtaken by a sudden coughing fit, bowing his head.

In the dim light, Rhine saw blood splattering from his mouth—likely internal injuries from the guard’s earlier punishment.

So he really had lost his threat.

After all, with his divine endowment factor stripped away, Lynn Bartleon was just an ordinary man. Even if he had some clever tricks up his sleeve, what could he possibly do in the tightly guarded “Cellar”?

With that last bit of suspicion cleared, Rhine nonetheless decided to issue one last warning.

After a brief nod to Her Highness, he circled the table, grabbing Lynn by the hair and leaning close to his ear. “Behave yourself.”

“…”

Lynn’s face broke into a dazzling smile.

“Hmph.”

Rhine scoffed, releasing his grip on Lynn’s hair, then turned and left.

With that, only Lynn and the masked woman remained in the narrow cell.

“I’ve granted your request. Now, answer my questions.”

“About the contents of this report—is there anything you want to say?”

The masked woman’s voice was cool yet ethereally clear.

“Something to say…” Lynn’s reply sounded half like he was answering her and half like he was talking to himself. “Madam, the fact that you could access this file means you hold a high position within the empire’s administration.”

“That being so, you should also be aware of how far those lazy bureaucrats are willing to go to cover up the truth for their own gain.”

“The events of that year… They were orchestrated by that woman. It was a total setup, a complete slander.”

“So, I refuse to acknowledge a single word.”

The air grew heavy with tension.

Through her mask, the woman scrutinized Lynn with a piercing gaze, as if trying to see through him.

After a moment, she turned to the next page in the file. “The ‘woman’ you refer to—is that your former fiancée, Miss Irina Mosgra of the Snowhawk family?”

Lynn glanced at her.

“Your statement at the time mentioned that she issued a fake military order and provided false intelligence, using you and your squad as bait. This led to the death of all one hundred thirty-two members of your unit.”

“Then, she climbed her way up the ranks over your comrades’ bodies, becoming the youngest ‘Valkyrie’ in the empire’s history after wiping out tens of thousands of demons in the Solon Mountains.”

“You even accused her of colluding with the demons, which would constitute treason.”

“Unfortunately, the empire eventually dismissed these so-called charges.”

Hearing this, Lynn took a deep breath. “You didn’t bring me to a place like this just to rub salt in my wounds, did you?”

The masked woman nodded. “Let’s move on to some information you might not know.”

She extracted another stack of papers from the file.

Under Lynn’s gaze, her cold, clear voice filled the silence once again.

“Since you were exiled to Orne City a year and a half ago, several major events have occurred in the imperial capital.”

“First, after leaving the battlefield, your fiancée Irina participated in an experiment at the Saint Roland Research Institute.”

“With the help of researchers, she successfully transplanted the divine endowment factor taken from you, advancing to the fifth rank and becoming the only extraordinary of her age to reach the ‘Legendary’ tier.”

“This solidified her reputation as the ‘Empire’s Valkyrie’ even more.”

“After that, Irina and the Snowhawk family, leading a faction of nobles, began suppressing the Bartleon family.”

“The first to be affected was your father, Marquis Bartleon.”

“Due to the mistakes you supposedly committed, he was forced to resign from his post as Minister of Military Affairs. Back home, he fell seriously ill and has been in a coma ever since.”

“Your elder brother also died during a military operation. The investigation deemed it an accident.”

“As for you, since being sent to Orne City, you must have noticed it yourself?” At this point, the masked woman lifted her gaze toward Lynn. “The servants who have turned against you, and… the forces covertly trying to eliminate you.”

Lynn remained silent.

He hadn’t anticipated such monumental changes happening back in the capital after he left.

The Bartleon family had completely fallen apart.

But as she explained this, he found himself growing increasingly curious about the masked woman before him.

“Madam, what exactly is your purpose in bringing me here?”

The masked woman nodded slightly. “In that case, I’ll be frank.”

“After experiencing so much injustice, I imagine you’re now filled with anger.” She leaned forward, clasping her hands together. “If so, I hope you can turn that anger into strength.”

“Lynn Bartleon, I want you to work for me.”

“In return, those who slandered you—I’ll silence them; those who sit high above—I’ll drag them into the depths; those who humiliated you… I’ll make them suffer endlessly.”

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