Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 5: The Fool Who Claims to Be Smart

When Lynn regained consciousness, he was enveloped in darkness.

Judging from the coarse sensation against his skin, his head was covered with a burlap sack, blocking his sight.

Lynn could feel himself lying on a platform, face up, with the occasional jolts beneath him suggesting he was in a moving carriage.

His hands were cuffed behind his back, rendering him immobile.

Still, he managed to press his right index finger lightly against his left wrist, hidden from view.

Not far off, he could faintly hear a clock tower chime, gradually fading behind them as the carriage sped away.

The bell tolled ten times.

In contrast, the carriage interior was silent, as if he were the only occupant.

But he knew better—Maurice, with his ability to control shadows, could very well be lurking in some corner, watching him.

As for Little Black… or rather, Afia, he had no idea where she’d gone.

Not that he minded.

At least this gave him a chance to think about his next move.

One thing, however, struck him as odd.

Since meeting Maurice and the others, the system had gone silent, without a single notification or warning.

Although he didn’t know the reason, Lynn felt a sliver of relief.

Finally, some peace.

With this in mind, Lynn reviewed his recent interactions with Maurice.

Who exactly was this "lady"?

And what did she want with him?

He had no answer to the first question, but he had a hunch about the second.

It likely had to do with the Bartleyon family name.

But now, as a disgraced, exiled criminal, all privileges stripped away, he was essentially a nobody.

In fact, from what he remembered, the previous owner of this body had even attempted suicide a few times.

He couldn’t see what use he could be to anyone.

Lost in thought, Lynn’s journey into the unknown soon came to an end.

The carriage slowed.

The slight jolt snapped Lynn back to reality.

Shortly after, the door opened, letting a rush of cool air into the carriage.

At the same time, a hoarse, elderly woman’s voice sounded from nearby. “Mr. Lynn, time to get off.”

Someone climbed in and helped him up.

Lynn didn’t resist. Even if he managed to break free of his handcuffs, he couldn’t take on the lady’s subordinates alone.

Besides, having guessed part of their intent, he felt oddly calm.

—That is, until he met the man who called himself the interrogator.

…

Is this… underground?

Though blindfolded, Lynn could sense that he was being led down into some underground facility.

The descent took around five or six minutes, down what felt like a long flight of stairs, followed by a winding corridor before he was finally forced into a seat.

Then, the sack was yanked off his head.

However, his cuffs remained, keeping his hands tightly bound behind him.

As his vision adjusted, the bright light made him squint. He found himself in a clean, if stark, room.

Apart from the bare cement walls, there was only a single table in front of him.

A few moments later, the door opened.

A blond man entered, cold-faced, and took a seat across from Lynn, pulling out a chair.

He placed a stack of papers and a pen on the table.

Without any pleasantries, the man spoke. “Are you Lynn Bartleyon?”

Lynn sized him up.

The man appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, tall, and good-looking, his blond hair gleaming under the light.

One look told Lynn this man was proud, perhaps even arrogant.

People like this were actually easy to deal with.

So Lynn gave a cold smile. “Yes, that’s me.”

He then cockily propped his boots up on the table, pointing the soles towards the man.

“If you’ve gone to the trouble of capturing me, you should already know my background.”

“Maybe you think the Bartleyon family is far removed from here, that Orne City is beyond their reach… But if that’s what you think, you’re dead wrong.”

“Baron Augusta and my father go way back. If you don’t want this to come back to bite you, you’d better release me while you still can.”

The Augusta family was well-known in Orne, with extensive local influence, like a proverbial "big fish" in the area.

Finally, the blond man spoke. “You say your father and Baron Augusta are close?”

“Of course.”

“Then why don’t I know about it?” the blond man replied, expressionless. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rhine Augusta, the eldest son of the family.”

“……”

Lynn quickly dropped his legs from the table, feigning shock.

It was as if he couldn’t believe the Augusta family was the one that had captured him.

Seeing this reaction, Rhine’s scorn deepened. “To be honest, having to interrogate someone at this hour is a pain. If we could be a bit more considerate of each other, it would be much appreciated.”

“But you don’t seem to realize your situation.”

“From that little speech of yours, I gather you think you’re pretty clever.”

“Unfortunately,” Rhine suddenly stood and headed towards the door, “the people I despise most are half-witted fools who think they’re smart.”

Moments later, two guards entered, cracking their knuckles, smirking.

…

“Rhine, Her Highness the Princess didn’t authorize you to torture him. You’re overstepping your authority!”

Outside the cell, Maurice’s figure emerged from the shadows on the wall, his expression severe as he glared at the blond man.

Rhine cast him a sidelong glance. “Her Highness just finished dealing with the Creation Faction’s rebellion and is resting at the estate. She’ll be here later.”

“As her scribe, in her absence, I have the right to proceed this way.”

Maurice shook his head. “Then I have nothing more to say, but you should keep one thing in mind.”

“The man in that cell is cunning, with a deep-seated streak of madness. Be cautious.”

“He’s nothing but a pathetic fool.” Rhine sneered. “If he were truly clever, he wouldn’t have earned the label ‘Disgrace of the Nobility’ and been exiled to this border town.”

“It’s you and Afia who are the fools, bungling even a simple task. Once Her Highness arrives, I’ll let you explain yourself.”

“Enough nonsense.”

Maurice gave a cold snort, then melted back into the shadows.

As he disappeared, Rhine’s face showed undisguised disdain.

He and his family, the Augustas, had pledged allegiance to the Princess only after she arrived in Orne City.

Maurice, Afia, and the others, on the other hand, had served her for much longer.

Rhine had urged the Princess more than once to discard those "lowly ruffians," insisting that the Augusta family’s support was all she needed.

Unfortunately, she seemed sentimental, disregarding his suggestion.

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