The conversation with the Head of the Drago family was arranged in the study on the second floor of the castle.
Lin Shu followed Saefina into the room and saw Sa’an dressed in a sharp suit-skirt, handing a black cloak to a maid nearby as if she had just returned from outside.
Her expression remained cold, but her emotions were not as volatile as when Lin Shu had last seen her.
“Saefina, what is the name of that human familiar of yours?” She took the main seat on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Lin Shu.”
“Mhm.” She gave a short response, lifting her chin slightly to gesture toward the opposite seats. “Both of you, sit.”
Lin Shu noticed that Sa’an had tacitly agreed to use her name. This was a good sign, indicating that the Family Head was beginning to acknowledge her or accept her presence.
“You handled the crisis at the shop very well.”
“I heard that after reopening, the foot traffic is even higher than before the shop was attacked?”
“Yes. After listening to Lin Shu’s suggestions and referencing human social rules, we implemented some small events.” Saefina turned her gaze toward Lin Shu, signaling for her to introduce them.
Lin Shu bowed her head slightly and said:
“It was mainly… buy one, get the second half off, and an activity where they could bring accomplices to ‘slash a price.'”
“Slash a price?” Sa’an’s expression shifted slightly, seemingly startled by the violent terminology.
Lin Shu hurried to explain, “It’s a metaphor, Lady Head. It is actually an activity that encourages customers to form groups to buy things.”
*Sorry, demons of this other world, for making you experience the sting of ‘slashing a price’ as well.*
“Although the crisis has been resolved, it is only temporary.” Sa’an’s tone shifted. “I have just returned from a meeting of the various vampire families. Right now, the Tepps family stands alone at the top. To isolate us, they even dared to publicly bar me from the door!”
“Truly insufferable!!”
Her voice involuntarily rose due to her agitation.
Lin Shu carefully maintained her posture, her expression calm.
The Matriarch’s anger wasn’t being vented at them this time; it was directed at the Tepps family. The humiliation she suffered externally was clearly more painful to her than their internal problems.
“Aunt, are you planning to stop compromising with them?” Saefina straightened up in her chair, asking curiously.
Sa’an took a deep breath and took a small sip of tea from the cup on the table to calm herself. “I can no longer back down.”
During the period when the shop was attacked, she had sought out the Tepps family multiple times to communicate, but she was rejected every single time.
It wasn’t until Tepps publicly barred her from entering that this merciless treatment finally extinguished Sa’an’s last glimmer of hope.
She finally understood that constant concessions would not earn her the respect of the other party; it would only lead to further trampling of her dignity.
The fact that Saefina and Lin Shu had successfully turned the situation around had also given her a certain level of confidence.
“Right now, we have a sum of capital, but we lag behind the other families in terms of connections.”
“After the Tepps family cut off cooperation, many temporary members who relied on our family left. We have even fewer people available to us.”
Saefina calmly picked up her teacup. “I understand what you mean, Aunt. If we want to continue standing our ground, it would be best to start expanding our own core strength.”
Sa’an nodded and pushed a folded piece of paper toward her. “This is a list of individuals who might be interested in collaborating after my various inquiries. Saefina, I am leaving this matter to you.”
Lin Shu listened quietly, understanding the situation.
In other words, the Drago family intended to accumulate “manpower” to strengthen their own power.
“Lin Shu.” Sa’an suddenly spoke her name.
“Yes, Lady Head.” Lin Shu sat up straight.
“Saefina told me everything. In view of your performance, I can allow you to stay in Drago.”
She turned back to Saefina and said, “When you go out to make connections with other demons, you must use her well.”
“Since she was once a familiar of the Tepps family and has now turned to Drago, she is an excellent billboard.”
“She is a great bargaining chip. She can showcase our family’s potential and can also take on commissions. She will be very useful in negotiations.”
*It sounds like they’re going to hang me out like a sign?*
Lin Shu couldn’t help but tighten her grip on her hands, which were resting on her knees.
She had already endured the scrutinizing gazes of countless demons. Moving forward, would she need to face even more appraisal?
As Saefina listened, the smile in her eyes vanished.
She set down her teacup, her expression becoming serious. “Aunt, I don’t agree. What are you treating her as?”
Sa’an’s brow furrowed, clearly dissatisfied.
“You don’t agree? What exactly do you want?”
“I am letting her stay because I am giving you face and because she has some modicum of use. Do you intend to continue opposing me?!”
She turned to Lin Shu, her voice cold. “Get out. I want to speak with her alone.”
Lin Shu subconsciously glanced at Saefina, wanting to see what she wanted.
But this movement seemed to enrage Sa’an.
“I am the Head of Drago! I am telling you to get out of this room right now!”
Lin Shu immediately stood up, bowed slightly, and quietly withdrew from the room.
As she closed the door, the light from the room grew smaller along with the closing gap, mirroring Lin Shu’s uneasy heart.
The Drago family had agreed to let her stay, but she still had to follow the Family Head’s opinions.
*It’s fine… I’ve long since grown used to the malicious gazes of demons.*
*Everything will be okay,* Lin Shu silently told herself.
*****
Inside the main hall of the Tepps family castle.
“Liya, my dear daughter, what on earth happened to you?”
A male vampire sat on a high platform, his voice filled with authority echoing through the empty room.
“You have always been the pride of the family, and yet this mission was a failure.”
“The Drago family, on the other hand, has managed to stand back up. This has utterly humiliated us.”
A heavy sigh hammered against Liya’s heart.
Her eyes were dull, devoid of their former brilliance, as she stared blankly ahead.
Seeing her so defeated was rare, so Liya’s father could only wave his hand.
“For the time being, do not handle any more affairs. Go back and properly adjust your state of mind.”
Liya walked away with slow steps, closing the door behind her.
The complete and utter failure had left her heart cold and discouraged, yet a voice of refusal kept screaming within her.
*As long as Lin Shu can come back…*
*I can do it too! I can be good to Lin Shu too; it’s just that Lin Shu didn’t have time to see it yet! I still have a chance to prove it to Lin Shu.*
*What does Lin Shu like?*
Liya’s footsteps in the corridor suddenly halted as this question nailed itself into her brain.
In the flashes of memory, Lin Shu’s figure was always centered around her, but she had never seen Lin Shu doing anything in her spare time.
In Liya’s memory, Lin Shu’s hobbies and past were a complete blur.
Liya suddenly grabbed the collar of a passing maid.
“Lin Shu… what did she used to like? Was there anything she wanted, or anything she liked to do?”
“Answer me!!”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.