Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Chapter 4: You crazy man!!!

The primary component of gas is methane, which, when it reaches a certain concentration, will explode violently upon encountering an open flame.

So, as the second bullet pierced the gas line, a fireball erupted with a deafening blast!

“BOOM—!!!”

The explosion illuminated the entire room in an instant.

Scorching waves of heat swept through, shattering the distant cabinet and window glass.

Flames surged wildly, igniting the bedsheets and curtains. Orange flames danced, quickly spreading through the room’s flammable wooden structures.

It was then that a strange change occurred.

Faced with the intense flames and explosion, the shadows that had spread across the room suddenly recoiled, retreating like a tide meeting its match.

The shadow man cursed angrily, shielding himself with shadow power to protect against the flames and explosion.

He’d never expected his target to pull something so reckless just as he thought the mission was complete.

As an agent responsible for intelligence and assassinations under the Prince, the shadow man rarely revealed himself to others.

Anyone who had seen his face usually didn’t live to tell the tale.

Because of the limitations of his supernatural ability, he never took on assignments during the day.

Even so, as a third-rank supernatural being, he should’ve been more than a match for an ordinary person like Lynn.

Yet here he was, in this very room tonight.

Call it arrogance, or a moment of mercy, but he’d found himself caught off guard.

He could hardly believe this kid had resorted to such a drastic measure.

Did he really not fear dying in the explosion himself?!

In the glow of the flames, the shadow man squinted, his expression darkening.

The armor-like shadows that had cloaked his body were forced back by the fire, melting away like ink, revealing his slender frame and pale face.

The explosion had considerably weakened his power, as shadows are most vulnerable to light.

Even so, he had used his last bit of strength to protect Lynn, in obedience to his prince’s command.

But this left his own defenses thin, exposing his body to the air. Fortunately, he remained uninjured.

Without hesitation, he began drawing in shadows around him, intending to disappear into the darkness.

But before he could act, a calm voice stopped him.

“Don’t move.”

The shadow man looked up.

Somehow, Lynn had broken free from the shadows’ hold. He knelt on the floor, gasping for air, his clothes still smoldering, but his revolver was aimed steadily.

Despite his sooty appearance, Lynn’s face was lit with excitement. “So, shall we find out what’s faster—your shadow powers, or a bullet fired at 400 meters per second aimed straight at your heart from less than five meters away?”

At this moment, with no shadows shielding him, his vital points were exposed in Lynn’s sights.

One bullet remained in the chamber.

For a third-rank supernatural, their bodies weren’t resilient enough to withstand a bullet.

“......”

The shadow man’s eyes fixed on Lynn.

The half-month-long surveillance had been to confirm his findings, to ensure that Lynn possessed no hidden supernatural items.

After all, he was from the Bartleyon family, with a father who was once the Iron-Blooded Marquis, celebrated for his military accomplishments. The family had a considerable foundation.

The lack of any incidents during surveillance had lowered Lynn’s guard, while making the shadow man assume that this young man, after all that had happened, was truly an ordinary person who resorted to petty theft to survive.

So he had come tonight, feeling completely secure.

Little did he expect that even at the final moment, this boy hadn’t given up on turning the tables.

The shadow man was furious.

Normally, he could’ve killed thousands like Lynn without breaking a sweat.

But tonight, under the prince’s orders, he had to preserve the boy’s life.

“If it weren’t for...”

The shadow man gritted his teeth, his voice low.

“What are you trying to say?” Lynn asked, irritated. “You’re saying that if it weren’t for your guard being down, if it weren’t for having to protect me, if you could go all out, then this kid wouldn’t even have a chance to resist?”

“......”

The shadow man didn’t respond.

But his thoughts were plain.

“Idiot!” Lynn sneered. “After being a supernatural this long, haven’t you learned by now?”

“It’s not that the stronger one always wins. It’s that the one who wins is always stronger!”

The shout made the shadow man’s pupils contract.

Lynn’s words echoed in his mind, stirring something deep within him.

After a moment, he closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly.

“I understand.”

Seeing this, Lynn let out a sigh of relief.

He had spouted some random heroic nonsense, but it seemed to have worked.

In reality, Lynn had banked on the man protecting him during the explosion, which gave him the confidence to act.

The shadow man clearly revered this "lady" he served, so he would follow her orders to protect Lynn.

But Lynn, who was trying to escape, had no such qualms.

In the face of a supernatural threat, holding back would be the height of stupidity.

Being outmatched, he could only gamble with his life.

Lynn would’ve loved to kill the man right then, but his finger refused to pull the trigger.

This guy wasn’t here to kill him—only to take him to someone.

If he killed the shadow man, he’d be offending yet another faction.

Lynn was in no position to afford that risk.

Besides, the shadow man had mentioned that he had allies nearby.

“The City Guard station is only three hundred meters from here. I’ve fired five shots, and the gas explosion surely alarmed everyone around us. The guards will be here soon.”

Lynn took a deep breath, making his final decision.

It was a signal for the shadow man to leave before things escalated with the authorities.

“You’re right,” the shadow man muttered.

Lynn felt a weight lift off his chest, glad his gamble had paid off.

Counting the money he’d stolen from Carola, he might just have enough for a ticket out of here.

Once the man left, he’d slip away in the dead of night.

But to his surprise, the shadow man didn’t leave immediately. Instead, after a brief pause, he looked in another direction and spoke.

“Stop watching the show. Don’t you think you’ve humiliated yourself enough tonight?”

D*mn!

Lynn cursed internally.

He really did have a partner nearby!

On full alert, he scanned the area for this new threat, only to hear a pleasant female voice.

“Don’t bother looking. I’m right here, meow.”

Lynn froze, his pupils widening.

No… way…

In utter shock, he watched as the black cat he’d been holding stretched in a strange, fluid manner.

It grew larger, slowly taking a human form.

Within moments, a petite figure dressed in tight leather, barefoot, appeared out of thin air, kneeling lightly on top of Lynn. She was so light, it felt as if she weighed nothing.

The girl had porcelain skin, short hair, and delicate cat ears twitching atop her head.

With her green, slit-pupilled eyes, she examined Lynn, her gaze sparkling as if she wanted to take a bite out of him.

“Who knew that a mere human like you could do all this. Impressive!”

“Little Black? You…”

At that moment, despair filled Lynn’s heart.

Now he understood—he’d been their plaything from the very beginning.

To them, his struggle had probably been nothing more than a child’s squabble.

From the start, he’d had no chance of winning.

“By the way, I’m a girl, so could you stop calling me ‘Little Black’?” the girl said, mildly annoyed, as she nimbly hopped off him.

“Name’s Afia. I’m a third-rank supernatural and follower of ‘Bounty.’”

“Oh, and that guy over there? That’s Maurice, follower of…”

“Enough with the chit-chat!” Maurice shot Afia a glare. “Just take him already; I’ll cover this mess!”

Apparently frustrated by Afia’s loose tongue, Maurice gave her an annoyed look.

But Lynn didn’t care to remember any of it.

With a pained expression, he choked out, “Little Black, I thought we were friends!”

“I never let you go hungry, I brushed your fur every day, scratched under your chin, even let you sleep on my chest…”

Lynn recounted all their shared moments.

Now that he thought about it, he’d been treating her like royalty the entire time, not needing to worry about a thing.

Afia’s fuzzy ears twitched, and she seemed a bit touched.

“...And when you went into heat that time, I even used my hand to—”

“Pervert!!”

Before he could finish, it was too late.

Caught off guard, Afia interrupted him in shame and fury, her slender tail whipping hard across his face.

The blow left a dull ache, and Lynn’s vision blurred as his consciousness faded.

After all, being caught meant the worst he’d face was death. Taking someone down with him was still something.

Who said “dying of embarrassment” wasn’t a real way to go?

In his final conscious moment, Lynn thought wryly.

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