Chapter 2

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"Are you...really all right?"

"Yes, my injuries were healed with magic, so there's no problem."

"In that case..."

I pretended not to notice that she was subtly asking if my head was okay. It certainly made sense for her to worry after seeing someone fall off a ladder immediately upon mentioning hypnosis, but nothing good would come of dwelling on it for me.

"But still...hypnosis, huh? You never know what trends will catch on next."

"It became popular even in the royal capital?"

"There was a street performer who used it once, but it didn't really take off."

As a performance art, it was too much work for such little payoff, so no one bothered with it. But at its core, hypnosis is just about implanting suggestions. Perhaps without needing any elaborate equipment, this form of entertainment could flourish in rural areas.

"I tried it myself, and I really couldn't unclench my fist!"

In any case, I'm thrilled that Maria has been socializing with women her own age as part of their playful pastimes. She rarely had time to play growing up due to her orphan status and her desire to repay the previous priest who raised her as soon as possible. Becoming a wife and mother has given her more opportunities to interact with others, which makes me genuinely happy.

She told me:

Once you clench your hand, you can't open it.

I smelled flowers even though there weren't any around.

A frail woman lifted a rock.

When I sat down with my limbs stretched out, she touched her finger to my forehead, rendering me unable to stand.

A tap on my elbow made it tingle and numb.

I couldn't help but feel that these latter effects had nothing to do with hypnosis whatsoever, but since Maria seemed to be enjoying herself, who was I to complain?

"Maria seems quite susceptible to hypnotism."

Indeed, my Hypnotic Magic spell is still active on her right now.

"That's just it!"

"H-huh?"

Thud—plop! ♡

In response to my words, Maria leaned eagerly forward, causing her breasts to bounce obscenely. I wasn't sure why she suddenly got so worked up while we were having such a pleasant conversation.

"I fall for everyone's hypnotism easily, yet when I try using it myself, no one gets affected by it!"

"Oh..."

"But you all react like Lord Ain did just now!"

Hypnotism relies heavily on suggestion, after all.

It was understandable that she would fall for hypnosis so easily given her straightforward nature. And considering how serious she is, I bet she's practicing it with all her might—so much so that just watching makes me want to laugh. But as my urge not to chuckle grows stronger, Hypnotic Magic starts seeming less and less important.

"So, Maria, you're feeling frustrated?"

"...Well, yes, but..."

"Heh-heh."

"Lord Ain!"

"My apologies."

Her assertiveness could be a good sign.

Putting that aside, hypnotism, huh... It doesn't seem like something worth intense training over, nor do I think it will stay popular forever. More importantly, I want to take her soon to impregnate our third child, but... Hmm...?

"Fine, I'll do it for my beloved wife."

"My lord?"

"I will assist you to learn hypnosis."

"Really?!"

Of course.

A husband should always act for his wife's sake—though admittedly, perhaps not quite so erotically...

"Ah, Lord Ain...?"

"I'm right here."

Maria sat on a chair, anxiously searching for me even though I was standing directly in front of her eyes.

"Why must I wear this blindfold?"

"When deprived of sight, your other senses become heightened."

There's just something incredibly erotic about blindfolding a gorgeous woman with a voluptuous body and making her sit down like this. Oh man. I wanna have sex with her right now...

"First, I'll hypnotize Maria."

"You can perform hypnosis too, Lord Ain?"

I can use some seriously powerful magic.

However, this time isn't for Hypnotic Magic.

"I'm about to put Maria under hypnosis now, but you mustn't open your mouth under any circumstances."

"So as long as her mouth stays closed, it's fine?"

"Yes. Even though Maria knows she shouldn't open her mouth, once my hypnosis takes effect, she'll have an irresistible urge to do so."

"That sounds...a bit scary."

"Well, let's enjoy that suspenseful atmosphere, shall we?"

"All right!"

"Very well, here we go. Remember, no matter what happens, you must not open your mouth."

She nodded silently.

At this point, I could tease by saying something like, "If you say 'yes,' then you've already opened your mouth," but I knew she wouldn't fall for such a simple trick. Besides, that would be deceit rather than genuine hypnosis.

And if someone were to ask me whether what I'm about to perform is actual hypnosis, I'd firmly assert otherwise.

Facing Maria, who was equally nervous and excited,

I proceeded to strip off all my clothes.