After deciding to usurp the throne, Lin Shu had discussed the battle against Saian with Serafina.
“Aunt will definitely resist. We have to be prepared before then,” Serafina said, pondering a strategy.
Lin Shu asked, “What is her skill?”
“She releases blood from her body to form a Domain around her. Within that Domain, she can move at extreme speeds and attack at will.”
“That must be a massive amount of blood loss…” Lin Shu remarked.
“The battle will be difficult. I’ll have Eve prepare doll support. When the time comes, my little cutie needs to get to my side immediately.”
After Serafina left, Lin Shu thought about other methods on her own.
‘How can I break Saian’s skill with the minimum cost?’
Saian knew Serafina cared about her. If she were there, Saian might use her as a hostage for leverage.
‘Maybe I can use that as a starting point and make myself the bait…’
Lin Shu summoned a small section of thorns and looked at the spikes on them. Saian’s large-scale Domain skill probably drained her significantly, making her crave blood.
‘If I poison myself first, then deliberately show weakness to get captured by Saian… once she is overexerted and sucks my blood out of instinct, the poison will be transmitted through the blood.’
Everything was linked. Lin Shu decided to take the gamble. But she couldn’t tell Serafina; she would definitely oppose it. Serafina’s genuine reaction at the time would also prevent Saian from becoming suspicious.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
***
Time returned to the present.
When Saian realized Lin Shu’s blood was poisoned, she coughed several times, trying to spit it out. But the toxin had already taken effect. A feeling of numbness climbed up her limbs. The hand choking Lin Shu loosened, and Lin Shu slumped to the ground.
She had won the bet!
Lin Shu gasped for air and shouted to Serafina with all her might, “Master, now’s the time!”
Serafina reacted instantly. Erupting vines immediately surrounded the frozen Saian, locking her firmly in place. She grabbed her parasol, and the blood bats she summoned slammed into Saian like a gale with a loud *boom*.
“Ugh!” Saian groaned. The strength in her body dissipated, and she collapsed to the ground. The pool of blood instantly flowed back into her body, and the field collapsed.
Lin Shu also lay weakly on the ground due to the poison and her injuries. Seeing that Saian was no longer able to fight back, Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief. Once her tensed nerves relaxed, the wound on her arm throbbed with a tearing pain.
“Lin Shu!” Serafina rushed over and picked her up, only to realize that a section of thorns had been stabbed into her arm joint earlier. The toxin had spread from there.
Lin Shu gritted her teeth in pain, but still reminded her, “Master, don’t worry about me… deal with Saian first…”
Serafina placed Lin Shu on a lounge chair in the distance and turned toward Saian.
“Aunt,” Serafina said, standing before Saian and reaching out her hand. Saian struggled to get up, but she couldn’t move due to her injuries and the poison.
*Bang!!*
Serafina’s hand gripped her neck, slamming her heavily against the hall wall. What she had done to Lin Shu was being returned to her in full.
“You’ve worked hard managing the family all these years.” Serafina smiled. “You can rest well now. I’ll take over the family’s future.”
All the members of the Drago family gathered in the hall. They looked at the mess in shock, understanding the general situation. Serafina stood in the center of the hall and announced:
“Starting now, I, Serafina Drago, will officially take over as the Head of the Drago family. The former Head, Saian, is unwell and requires long-term recuperation. She will no longer handle family affairs.”
Faced with the established fact, the servants bowed one after another. “Yes, Head Serafina.”
Lin Shu let out a sigh of relief as she watched this. From now on, the Drago family’s business could move forward in a more positive way.
Serafina looked at Lin Shu and smiled in relief. Now she could protect her little cutie in her own way without being restricted. Soon, a maid who could use healing magic was summoned to treat Lin Shu’s wounds.
“The wound on your arm is healed. I’ll try to dispel the poison in your body.” The maid was about to raise her hand.
“That won’t be necessary,” Serafina stopped her.
“Huh?”
Both Lin Shu and the maid were confused as they looked up at Serafina.
“Dismissed.” Serafina dismissed the maid first.
Lin Shu sat stiffly on the sofa, blinking her only movable eye in a panic. She had a bad feeling. Serafina slowly sat down beside her.
“My little cutie, when did you come up with that idea?” Although Serafina was still smiling, her tone hid a hint of anger.
“What idea?”
“Stop playing dumb. Your trick of using yourself as bait to poison Aunt.”
“Ah, haha… it was an emergency. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing…” Lin Shu tried to brush it off, but seeing Serafina’s suddenly serious expression, she couldn’t laugh anymore.
“You risked your safety again! Just like when we were getting the Scarlet Filaments in the underground jungle, and now this. I won’t allow this anymore! I won’t let you put yourself in danger every single time.”
As Serafina spoke, she pulled Lin Shu closer. Lin Shu could feel Serafina’s arms trembling slightly.
“I understand.” To put her at ease, Lin Shu nodded obediently.
Serafina looked up, her tone shifting. “Just promising isn’t enough. Bad behavior must be punished so that my little cutie learns her lesson.”
Lin Shu: ‘Wait, this development… could it be…’
Serafina wrapped her arms around the back of Lin Shu’s knees and waist, picking her up horizontally.
“Whoa!” Lin Shu was suddenly airborne, but she was still weak and couldn’t even struggle.
“Wait, Master…!” Lin Shu cried out, watching helplessly as Serafina carried her up the castle stairs. When they passed the cleaning maids, Lin Shu instinctively shut her mouth, her face turning bright red.
‘This is so embarrassing! Being carried by Serafina like this!’
The maids bowed their heads, pretending they hadn’t seen a thing. Serafina carried Lin Shu back to her bedroom, sat on the sofa, and flipped Lin Shu over, laying her facedown across her lap.
“Eek!” Lin Shu felt a chill on her lower body as she felt her skirt being lifted.
Serafina looked at her with a smile. Lin Shu lay there helplessly. With her skirt pulled up to her waist, the scenery beneath was completely visible to Serafina.
“You’re wearing black today, aren’t you?”
‘Don’t say it out loud!’ Lin Shu wanted to cry. “Master, I’m sorry. I really know I was wrong.” Sensing that her bottom was about to suffer, Lin Shu immediately begged for mercy.
But Serafina ignored her and raised her hand high. “Now, as punishment for my little cutie’s misbehavior…”
*Slap!*
Her palm descended, and a crisp slapping sound rang out.
“Mya-ah!”
The combination of shame and pain made Lin Shu cry out involuntarily.
“Hmm, it’s better to take them off. That way, it’ll leave more of a mark.” As she spoke, Serafina pulled down the black undergarments.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!!”
*Slap!*
Faint red handprints were left on her peach-like buttocks.