Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 171: Tiya’s Visit to the Prison

Thud!

With a heavy sound, the ancient tome slipped from Tiya’s hands and fell to the floor.

The young nun beside her, who had been helping organize the bookshelf, let out a playful chuckle.

“Oh dear, what’s the matter with our Saintess today? You’ve been so absent-minded—you can’t even hold onto a book properly. Haha, could it be that you’re thinking about a man?”

Though Tiya always maintained a sad yet gentle demeanor in front of others, at the end of the day, she was still an inexperienced young girl.

While such remarks technically went against the rules and codes of conduct for clergy, a little teasing in private wasn’t likely to draw a scolding from the senior nuns.

What’s more, as one of Tiya’s very few friends, the young nun often worried about her cold and doll-like demeanor.

That was why she frequently made jokes like this, hoping to stir Tiya’s heart and awaken the human side of her personality.

Anyone who had witnessed Tiya praying to the goddess in the Holy Maiden’s Prayer Hall would have likely felt the same unease.

There was a profound sense of distance, as if she were both near and untouchable at the same time.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

When bathed in moonlight, her entire aura became icy and noble, as if the very essence of Tiya’s consciousness had vanished, leaving only an ethereal shell behind.

The young nun often feared that one day, the Tiya she knew would completely disappear from this body.

What would she become then? No one could say.

Tiya, however, didn’t respond to the young nun’s teasing.

After a brief moment of silence, she slowly squatted down, gathering the fallen books. Among them, she discreetly slipped the ancient tome detailing the techniques of hypnotic sigils into a hidden compartment.

At the same time, her mind replayed the news the young nun had relayed moments earlier.

She had thought it would be a long time before she heard that name again.

Yet it had only been two days, and his presence lingered like a ghost, refusing to leave her life.

She had spent the entire night trying to calm herself, wrestling her mind away from thoughts of that man.

But with just one sentence, the young nun had dredged up all those unspeakable memories again.

Tiya’s heart surged with turmoil.

The Grafting Butcher, Borchumann?

Why would that man be tied to the notorious serial killer who had committed dozens of murders in the Imperial Capital?

From the sound of it, he had been caught at the scene and labeled a suspect.

But Tiya knew this was impossible.

Even from a timeline perspective, Lynn, who had spent over a year at the frontier, wouldn’t have had the opportunity to commit such a series of murders in the capital.

Besides, he had been with her all night last night.

Even though certain things had occurred that she wished had not, Tiya had no intention of denying them either.

Wait...

Recalling the young nun’s earlier words, she suddenly felt as though she had missed a crucial detail.

“Louise, can you repeat what you just said about the situation?” Tiya asked softly.

“Huh?”

The young nun, Louise, looked at her in shock, as if she had just heard something incredible.

After all, apart from her elder brother, Xiya, the Saintess had never shown any interest in anything.

This reaction was downright extraordinary in Louise’s eyes.

Dusting off the faint grime from Tiya’s hands after picking up the books, Louise lowered her voice and replied, “I only heard it from some of the faithful who came to pray, so I can’t say for sure if it’s true or not…”

“According to what they said, when the man was arrested, he was found at the crime scene. He neither admitted to nor denied the accusations of murder.”

“The main reason they’re treating him as a suspect is because when they found him, his chest was soaked in blood, and there was a wound that looked like it had already healed—likely a result of the victim’s last struggle.”

“Tell me, how could such a thing happen at a regular noble’s banquet? If he didn’t kill someone, why would there be such evidence left behind?”

“Something must have happened in private, which is why he looks so suspicious!”

Louise pounded her small fist into her palm like a little genius, her eyes sparkling.

Clearly, her time cooped up in the church doing tedious and repetitive work had left her starved for excitement, making her eager to indulge in stories of strange happenings.

But as these words reached Tiya’s ears, her body stiffened.

Her normally impassive and stunningly beautiful face betrayed a flicker of complicated emotions.

Perhaps, in this entire world, only she and Lynn knew the truth.

That man hadn’t been trying to kill anyone—he had been trying to kill himself.

And it was Tiya who had stopped him, leaving a wound on his body in the process.

This was what led to him being caught at the scene and accused of being the mastermind behind the serial killings.

He was innocent.

But no one else knew that.

At this realization, a tremor of unease ran through Tiya’s heart.

Or… could it be that someone, unwilling to let Lynn’s recent high-profile return to the capital go unpunished, had deliberately fabricated this charge to make him a scapegoat?

If that was the case, then he was in grave danger.

Tiya clenched her fists slightly, trying to find a shred of satisfaction or relief within herself.

If Lynn died, then all those strange and inexplicable events that had occurred between them would vanish as though they had never existed.

She would bury these memories deep within her heart and never tell anyone.

And after that, the subtle estrangement that had begun to develop between her and her elder brother Xiya might finally disappear.

This should have been something she welcomed.

Yet, after some soul-searching, Tiya furrowed her brows, feeling a wave of unprecedented confusion.

Because she couldn’t find those emotions within herself.

Instead, a vague and inexplicable feeling hovered at the edges of her mind, never dispersing.

It took her a long, long time to understand it.

That feeling was guilt.

Because Lynn Bartleon was being falsely accused.

And she was the only one who knew it.

At this moment, the compassionate side of the Silent Saintess, buried deep within her, began to awaken.

Even toward someone like Lynn, whom she considered despicable, she couldn’t help but feel a trace of pity.

Because to her, some things were simply black and white.

Right was right, and wrong was wrong.

As Louise noticed Tiya’s silence, she hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“There’s another piece of news,” she said.

“They say he’s currently being held in the Enforcers’ prison, awaiting interrogation.”

“Considering how far-reaching this serial murder case is, with victims that include members of the Three Great Churches and even the military, representatives from all sides have been dispatched to investigate him.”

“Even our own church is sending someone over. Even if they don’t get any answers, at least it will show that the church isn’t taking Sister Trina’s death or the desecration of her body lightly.”

Louise spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.

But to Tiya, her words struck like thunderclaps.

What if that man reveals everything that happened last night?

The Saintess, a symbol of purity and nobility, had embraced a man she’d only met three times and even gifted him the Moonlight Elixir.

If such news spread throughout the Imperial Capital, she would surely face unprecedented punishment from the church!

But that wasn’t even the most pressing issue.

If her brother Xiya found out…

The mere thought of that possibility drained all the color from her face.

And then, Louise dropped a bombshell:

“Oh, and I heard that the military’s appointed interrogator is none other than Xiya Asolant.”

Buzz!

Tiya’s mind went completely blank.

When Tiya finally returned to her quarters, she found herself standing quietly in front of the dressing mirror.

Staring at her reflection, the breathtaking young girl in the moon-white priestly robe, she instinctively reached down and pinched the fabric of her robe.

Then, slowly, she lifted it.

Because she was wearing white silk tights, her otherwise flawless skin was faintly obscured, only revealing a soft, healthy tone beneath the fabric.

Fixating on the green “Eye of the Mind” mark at the top of her thigh, Tiya remained silent for a long while.

Finally, she made a decision—one that went against the goddess’s commandments.

She was going to visit the prison.

And before things spiraled beyond the point of no return, she would hypnotize him, planting a suggestion deep within his mind.

I hope it’s not too late, she thought.

Taking a deep breath, Tiya began removing her white silk tights, the sound of the fabric faintly rustling.

This was to ensure that nothing would hinder her movements, allowing her to execute the hypnosis as quickly as possible.