Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 146: Do You Even Deserve This?

The most heart-stirring moments in life are always the beams of light that pierce through the darkest despair—especially when that light comes from someone you believed to be long dead.

When that sudden voice rang out, Eleanor’s heart seemed to stop, and she instinctively opened her eyes.

What greeted her was an almost absurd scene.

Countless black threads, as if tearing through the void itself, shot forth from all directions. They pierced through the bodies of Joshua’s four Third-Rank Extraordinary subordinates in an instant, leaving them no chance to resist.

The four let out muffled groans of pain before collapsing heavily to the ground, their blood pooling across the marble floor.

“Ahh!!”

Gasps erupted from the surrounding students, many of whom had never witnessed such carnage. Noble girls, pale-faced, covered their mouths in horror at the sudden, gruesome turn of events.

No one had expected the lively banquet to so abruptly shift into such chaos.

Having spent more than a decade growing up alongside the man she called “brother,” she knew him intimately—every detail, every mannerism.

There was no mistaking the voice that she had longed for day and night.

“...”

Tears that had been welling in her eyes finally spilled over, streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the ground.

The Extraordinary force restraining her dissipated, and Eleanor stumbled as she turned toward the direction of the voice.

Her gaze was filled with equal parts hope and fear—afraid that what she had just witnessed was nothing more than a cruel dream.

And there he was.

Against the light, a black-haired young man in formal attire strode into view, his cerulean eyes—so similar to hers—shining with both reassurance and encouragement.

It was as if he were silently saying, You’ve done well.

“B-Brother?”

Her lips trembled as the word escaped, her frail body swaying as if overwhelmed by sudden joy.

Despite this, Eleanor lifted her skirt and staggered forward.

Wearing high heels, she quickly found them to be a hindrance. Without hesitation, she kicked them off, her delicate, bare feet slapping against the floor as she ran toward the black-haired young man she had yearned for so long to see.

Tears fell silently behind her, a testament to her turbulent emotions of relief and elation.

“Brother!”

She threw herself toward him like a fledgling returning to its nest, wanting nothing more than to burrow into his embrace.

She had dreamt of this moment countless times and waited for it even longer.

Now, her hopes had finally taken root and blossomed into something beautiful.

As their gazes met, Lynn, who had entered the aristocratic banquet like an uninvited storm, felt a profound sense of peace settle over him.

Though he had always hidden behind the excuse of being a transmigrator to suppress his feelings, fearing that Eleanor might reject him as an unworthy brother, her unabashed attachment overwhelmed those concerns.

Blood ties outweighed any logic.

At that moment, the emotional bond between them felt undeniable and genuine.

Lynn realized that what his beloved sister needed most right now wasn’t promises or words of comfort.

With this in mind, he opened his arms, allowing the petite girl to fling herself into his embrace.

As her familiar scent wafted into his nose, he felt a rare sense of tranquility—a sensation even the princess or the witch could not provide.

“Brother... I... I missed you so much...”

Eleanor sobbed against his chest, her voice muffled but full of emotion.

Lynn said nothing, gently stroking her hair as he let her vent all her pent-up grief and longing.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Of course, neither Yunis nor Joshua, nor the gathered students, were truly frozen in time.

Rather, they were stunned beyond words by the scene unfolding before them.

How could it be him?!

When Yunis saw the tall, snow-cloaked figure stride into the hall, she stood rooted to the spot in shock.

The man who was supposed to have been exiled to the frontier—or even dead from the upheaval there—was suddenly, inexplicably, here.

Bold and unrestrained, he had appeared at the banquet as if to mock them all: Fooled you, didn’t I?

But no one found it funny.

Was this resurrection? Or...

For some reason, Yunis felt her heart race, and an unexplainable fear crept over her.

Memories of the proud, invincible boy who had always shone like the sun flashed through her mind.

No, why am I afraid?!

He had been stripped of his Divine Factors and exiled to the frontier! Even if he’d returned to Glostein, clinging to the Third Princess for support, he was nothing more than a defeated cur making a final, pitiful stand.

After all, it was Prince Joshua himself who had conducted the transplant surgery back then!

Clinging to this belief, Yunis instinctively glanced at Joshua.

To her surprise, the bespectacled prince furrowed his brows deeply, seemingly baffled by the situation.

“To instantly incapacitate four Third-Rank Extraordinaries... at least a Level 2 Sealed Artifact. But that doesn’t add up. Such artifacts require at least a Third-Rank wielder to barely manage... So how is he...”

Joshua didn’t seem angered by his subordinates’ injuries. He didn’t even glance at them. His attention remained fixed on Lynn.

After all, no one knew better than Joshua that the Divine Order Church had personally stripped Lynn of his Divine Factors and branded him as a forsaken one, destroying any chance of him becoming an Extraordinary again.

And Felit—he had lied.

That wretch had claimed Lynn was dead, yet here he stood.

How calculating. Next time, the research institute would sever all ties with him.

With this thought, a contemplative look appeared on Joshua’s face.

Meanwhile, the surrounding students, unaware of the deep-seated animosities, were captivated by the scene.

Upon seeing Lynn’s strikingly handsome features, many gasped in awe.

“It’s him!”

“Lynn Bartleon? He’s back?”

“Didn’t they say he was stripped of his Divine Factors and became an ordinary person? Then how is he using such powerful Sealed Artifacts?”

“Did he return to Glostein to...?”

The hall buzzed with whispers.

At the center of it all, however, Lynn and Eleanor ignored the crowd.

Eleanor, having cried for what felt like ages, finally lifted her head. Her red, swollen eyes blinked up at her brother with an almost childlike expression.

“Brother, I thought... I thought I’d never see you again...”

“What happened to you over this past year...?”

Eleanor, having seemingly found her pillar of support, shed her earlier defiance. Even her voice unconsciously took on a softer, more dependent tone, tinged with a childlike plea.

Hearing this, Lynn gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and patted her head. "Once we’re home, I’ll tell you everything, little sister.”

“But for now, there’s something more important to take care of.”

His voice suddenly turned colder, and he held Eleanor closer as his sharp gaze swept across the room.

Under his calm stare, Yunis instinctively averted her eyes, only to quickly realize that he was just a "broken dog" from a fallen family. Her expression hardened, and she glared back defiantly.

Joshua, however, stood unflinching, his hands clasped behind his back, and stepped forward slowly.

"Lynn Bartleon, you’re quite bold," Joshua said with a smile. "Knowing that someone tried to assassinate me, yet daring to incapacitate my four Extraordinary guards in front of so many witnesses."

"According to the Imperial Code, your actions warrant the death penalty."

“Brother, we should leave!” Eleanor tugged at Lynn’s sleeve, her voice filled with worry. “Don’t clash with them... I’m fine, really.”

“Stand aside and just watch.”

Lynn ruffled her hair again, positioning her safely behind him.

As his first act after returning to the capital, Lynn intended to make this performance grand enough to instill both fear and caution in the right people.

“Imperial Code?” Lynn repeated with a slight shake of his head. “I had assumed that Prince Joshua was merely a bookish man dabbling in dubious experiments, but it seems you also have a knack for humor.”

“Oh? Do tell.” Joshua’s tone remained composed, his curiosity piqued.

Lynn’s gaze was calm but piercing. “If we’re talking about the Imperial Code, then you, as the instigator of the ‘Ruins Plan,’ standing here and lecturing me with such self-righteousness… Do you even deserve to?”

His words were heavy with implication.

The moment Lynn uttered those four words, Joshua’s façade of composure shattered. His eyes flickered with shock, quickly replaced by a glint of murderous intent.

The Ruins Plan was a classified secret known only to the emperor, Joshua, and a handful of high-ranking officials. How had Lynn learned of it?

Was there a leak? Joshua’s mind raced with possibilities.

The atmosphere grew stifling, as if a fight to the death was only moments away. No one dared to even breathe too loudly, for fear that blood would soon stain the room.

Then, unexpectedly, Lynn broke the tension with a low chuckle, its meaning indecipherable. “But, well, you do have an impressive father, so perhaps I shouldn’t blame you for anything.”

What?!

Gasps rippled through the students.

Did he just... imply something about the great Saint Roland VI, Emperor Calderon?!

Was Lynn Bartleon courting death?!

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Nobody dared to interrupt, nor did they have an excuse to leave without permission. All they could do was remain frozen, compelled to witness this unfolding spectacle.

It was clear that no one could guess what Lynn, the long-absent second son of the Bartleon family, was planning.

“Brother...” Eleanor murmured timidly, hiding behind him.

Lynn squeezed her small hand gently in reassurance.

After a brief silence, Joshua surprised everyone by not reacting with fury. Instead, he removed his glasses, wiping them clean with a cloth from his sleeve.

“In a sense, you’re not wrong,” he replied coolly. “I do have a remarkable father. You, however, do not. That’s the difference between us.”

“Now, Lynn Bartleon, having crashed our banquet and disrupted my dance with your sister, what is it you’re trying to accomplish?”

After placing his glasses back on, Joshua’s tone returned to its usual calm and collected demeanor.

“While I find your remarks laughable, there are certain matters where appearances must be maintained,” Lynn said with a dry chuckle. “I’ve come here today to request justice, Your Highness. To have you preside over a case and render a fair judgment.”

“Justice?” Joshua’s brows lifted slightly, an amused smirk forming on his lips. “You’re certainly an entertaining one.”

“Very well, let’s hear it.”

Instead of responding to Joshua directly, Lynn turned his gaze toward Yunis.

Finally, he looks at me...

Yunis, who had been simmering with anger from being ignored, now glared back furiously, her fists clenched.

As a member of the Mosgra family, she couldn’t fathom how a Bartleon heir, already defeated and overshadowed, could still act so condescendingly toward her.

But before she could say anything, Lynn’s dark-haired head tilted slightly, a strange smile curving his lips.

Then, he clapped his hands.

The sound was followed by the heavy thud of hurried footsteps.

In the next moment, dozens of frontier guards stormed into the grand hall, dragging with them a crowd of people whose heads were covered with burlap sacks. The group filled the open space, causing the surrounding students to instinctively retreat toward the walls, unwilling to share the room with these rough-looking figures.

At Lynn’s signal, the head guard shoved one of the captives forward, kicking the back of their knees to force them to kneel. The burlap sack on their head muffled their groans.

Joshua narrowed his eyes at the scene, silently observing.

“You... uncivilized fool!” Yunis hissed through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. “Leave this hall immediately before I have you thrown out myself!”

The absence of security personnel was conspicuous, likely dealt with by Lynn’s forces before the spectacle began.

Rumors of her brother Dallion’s death at Lynn’s hands suddenly came to the forefront of Yunis’ mind. It was said that incident had also connected Lynn to the Third Princess and Duke Tyrius.

Had this so-called failure actually become something formidable?

Her growing irritation did little to soothe her nerves. Yunis resolved to contact her family to handle this escalation.

Yet Lynn showed no interest in conversing with her.

With one swift motion, he removed the burlap sack from the captive’s head, revealing the tear-streaked face of an older woman.

The moment she saw the woman’s face, a sinking feeling clawed at Yunis’ chest.

What is he planning?