How could this be... Even if Hovis and Forse had made no stops along the way and maintained a brisk pace, they would still have needed at least a quarter of an hour to reach the nearest Night Church... Fortunately, I had been cautious enough to pray earlier for the blessing of the "Knight of Fools," and indeed, I have just successfully hypnotized Hovis and Forse. Odile's thoughts surged in rapid succession, only to be swiftly suppressed. Her gaze first appeared confused, then gradually brightened with sudden clarity, as though she had finally awakened from a long dream and remembered the various things she had previously overlooked or neglected. "Mr. Lambis, how have you come to be here..." Odile's voice sounded slightly wavering, as if still immersed in the dream. As she spoke, she skillfully managed her emotional state—channeling the inevitable undercurrent of anxiety into a natural thought flow, without causing any noticeable disturbance. This unexpected shift left her uncertain about how to proceed next. Undoubtedly, she understood that she first had to address Herwen Lambis’s subsequent questions without giving the half-god the slightest cause for suspicion. Yet if that were all, he might leave within just a few minutes, and then Tho and Forse would still not have reached the Night Church, having failed to complete the diversion. In that case, forcibly lighting the hat ornaments and summoning "the World" would likely create flaws in the final resolution, leaving the underlying隐患 unresolved. No, rather miss it than push the plan forward without proper preparation... Patience, endurance, caution—these are the keywords of the mystical world... At least, for a long time, Hervin Lembis has only been using me, not directly harming me. Even if he wishes me to marry the Prince, the entire process will take well over six months. I still have ample time to wait for my second, third, fourth, or even fifth opportunity... The only issue is to inform Hux and Folshe, so they can swiftly and truly hide themselves. While Odile's eyes have regained their clarity, subtly revealing a sense of alertness and fear, she has already made up her mind swiftly. Observing her reaction and hearing her question, Herwen Lambis smiled gently: "This should be the first time you've truly hypnotized someone. I was concerned about potential surprises, so I came here specifically to wait. Heh, given your background, you probably don't get many opportunities to use such abilities on a regular basis..." His voice was soft and full of care, gradually melting away Odile's initial wariness and fear. Within Odile's inner world, she experienced a renewed sense of mental separation—part of her now elevated, viewing the 'island' and the 'sea' from above. This made her clearly aware that the sense of comfort and attraction she had just developed were the result of being guided. Seeing Odile's demeanor return to normal, Herwen Lambis nodded lightly: "How did they respond to your questions?" "Audrey said with quiet assurance: 'The investigation into the Viscount of Stafford, as well as the pursuit of the king's secrets, all stemmed from her own initiative. She harbored deep doubts about the cause of her father's death. He had been the previous Master of the Household, the Earl Mason of Dillber.' However, she did mention that her actions had been blessed by the presence of someone unseen.'" As Audrey spoke, her words nearly faltered, for the "her" who stood in the spiritual sky, gazing down upon the islands of consciousness and the vast sea of the mind, witnessed a figure swiftly rising from the depths, ascending along the manifested steps, piercing through the realm of the unconscious, and reaching the island of her "mental body." The figure wore a black three-piece suit, with silver hair flowing down, clearly another version of Hewin Lambis. This Hewin Lambis bore no smile, his demeanor notably stern and gloomy; parts of his skin were covered in grayish scales, and his eyes—having shifted from a pale blue to a golden hue—had also risen vertically, as though transformed into those of some creature. If she hadn't previously experienced something similar, Audrey wouldn't have been able to maintain composure at this unusually tense moment, keeping her words flowing without interruptions or stumbles. Watching Audrey's pure and graceful face, Hewin Lambis smiled and asked further, "Which being's protection?" Audrey shook her head, and as a result, the consciousness island responded with corresponding shifts: "As soon as the topic comes up, both Tho and Forse become resistant, showing signs of breaking free from the hypnosis. I didn't dare press further." Of course, 'protection from a being' could mean either the attention of the 'Cardinal' gentleman or the presence of the goddess... Quietly, Audrey, who remained clear-sighted beneath the spiritual sky, murmured to herself. Hewin Lambis continued to probe into the details of the earlier hypnosis. A few minutes later, he nodded satisfiedly: "Good. You truly have the gift of hypnosis. Once the recent matters are settled, I'll prepare the 'Dream Walker' potion for you and personally conduct the ceremony. 'Don't be too resistant to love and marriage—you're not yet twenty, and this is precisely the time to pursue such things. Your charm will win over everyone's affection; enjoy their glances and attentions as much as you like.'" Using subtle side hints and gentle guidance, Herwen Lembis gradually eased Oudelie's resistance to love and marriage. That stubborn fool... With the spirit sky above, Oudelie puffed out her cheeks, murmured a resentful comment, and, through conscious manipulation of her own consciousness island, revealed a touch of bashfulness and yearning. Following the principle of gradual progression, Herwen Lembis had not expected immediate success. Seeing this, he withdrew his intruding consciousness, allowing his ethereal self to gently detach from the island. He then said, "Forget what I just said—those were thoughts that arose spontaneously within you. 'When I am gone, when my silhouette fades from your sight, you will forget that I came.'" Hearing this, Audrey in the realm of spirit could not help but silently exhale a sigh, for it meant that Hewin Lembis would be leaving. Though only five minutes had passed since Hewin's arrival—enough time for neither Tho nor Folvith to reach the nearest night church—Audrey still urgently wished for Hewin Lembis to depart soon. To be in the presence of such a half-god from the realm of the audience was simply overwhelming. There would be time later, as long as her consciousness remained intact. Audrey, do not be discouraged, do not be anxious. She quietly soothed herself in her mind, watching Hewin Lembis turn and walk toward the hall. She didn't relax, didn't breathe, striving to maintain her composure. Suddenly, Hwen Lembis stopped, turned around, and with her soft blue eyes slightly narrowed, looked at Odile and asked, "When you first saw me, why were you so afraid?" ... Me? At that time, I was so unexpectedly surprised that I couldn't quite hide some of my emotions, could I? Odile felt a slight tingling at the crown of her head, her thoughts racing, and with a surface expression of confusion, she replied, "Really? Isn't it quite normal to be briefly startled when someone suddenly appears beside you?" Hwen Lembis nodded, as if agreeing with this explanation. He glanced at Odile again, then suddenly added, "You've always carried a magical item that can change shape—why wasn't it with you today?" For an audience member, this was a somewhat unusual detail. It's terrible... I've been carefully hiding my lies beneath my clothes most of the time. How could he have detected one that wasn't hidden this time? He'd quietly accessed certain memories, deliberately leaving unprotected memories to appear normal. Facing Herwen Lambis, Audrey felt her thoughts nearly stagnating. The reason she wasn't wearing her "lie" was simple: she was afraid the accessory would amplify her emotions, making it difficult to fully conceal her true thoughts when facing a half-divine observer. And thus, she had anticipated encountering Herwen Lambis today—a situation that should never have occurred under normal circumstances! In an instant, Audrey caught a sudden inspiration, smiled with mild bewilderment: "It amplifies my emotions and reduces the likelihood of successful hypnosis. To be safe, I removed it earlier." "Hewen Lambis nodded gently. "So that's it..." Just as Odile slightly relaxed, this half-divine observer suddenly narrowed his eyes. "If it were only that, then indeed there would be no doubt. But combined with your initial fear—something that went beyond what was merely expected—it becomes far more complex..." As he spoke, the pale blue of his eyes lifted, quickly turning to a golden hue. Within those golden vertical pupils, Odile's image in her knight's attire was clearly reflected. A soft hum resonated, and Odile's thoughts grew increasingly hazy, with only the "her" in the sky of spirit maintaining a faint sense of clarity. Waves surged across the surface of the mental ocean surrounding her consciousness island, rising and sweeping in. At the same time, the shadowy, ethereal Hwen Lambis returned to the island, re-entering the submerged portion and causing successive gray-scale dragon scales to drift into the island's foundation—the vast human unconscious realm. Audrey felt her thoughts becoming distorted, yearning to speak, to reveal all her secrets. Drawing upon the clarity of the spiritual sky's "her," she managed to hold back, suppressing any revelations, knowing that if this continued, serious problems would inevitably arise. She gathered a few scattered thoughts, relying on the angel's blessing and the divided consciousness to ensure that Hwen Lambis remained unaware. These subtle thoughts included the gentle movement of her hand into the left side of her pocket. At this moment, Hwen Lambis, now more deeply entrenched in the realm of the mind, grew even more stern, and emitted a cold sigh: "Indeed, something is amiss." "If there's no issue, Audrey would have already begun from the most crucial point, unveiling all her secrets and private matters, rather than remaining silent! Likewise, due to the swift nature of this manipulation, Audrey simply didn't have time to organize or consolidate all her secrets—any attempt to conceal something would immediately reveal whether she was still lucid. With the anomaly, Hewen Lambis, no longer hesitating, his gaze grew increasingly cold, gray-white scales emerging across his skin surface. The storm on the Sea of Souls intensified dramatically, and Audrey, beneath the Spirit Sky, began to waver. Her final defenses within her consciousness were rapidly eroded by the relentless waves of impact, on the verge of shattering. 'Hmph!' Hewen Lambis further intensified the storm in his mind, satisfyingly sensing that Audrey's entire consciousness island now trembled—this meant he was about to fully master her! At that very moment, an ancient, somewhat cumbersome word echoed in his ear: 'Fate!' Hewen Lambis, startled, lifted his head to see Audrey's green eyes shimmering with the most brilliant and enchanting golden hue.