53 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

**Chapter 53: Explosion!** "Ms. Melanie, do you have any knowledge of pharmacology?" "Are you underestimating me?" "Then... could you formulate a potion for me based on my requirements?" "What are the requirements?" "Could you create a potion that appears, smells, and tastes just like Water Ghoul Toxin Essence, but lacks the actual toxicity of it?" "Oh, you're trying to deceive someone?" "Ah, the intuition of women is terrifying... so, can you do it or not?" "Yes, I can." ... A thick, slightly sweet, icy liquid made its way down his throat. A faint numbness crept through his body, spreading from the parts where the liquid flowed. In Lin En's memory, the Water Ghoul Toxin Essence was a relatively common extraordinary potion, typically used as an anesthetic in surgeries. An overdose, however, would result in cardiac paralysis and death. Of course, Lin En would never risk his life foolishly. After narrowly surviving the torments of various systems, hypnosis experiments, and Ivyst's clutches, he had no desire to die so frivolously. Moreover, he didn’t see any reason for this venture to be worth such a gamble. Hence, he entrusted Ms. Melanie with the task of concocting the potion. Whether or not Ivyst would eventually see through the truth wasn’t a concern for the moment. What mattered now was significantly altering her pivotal storyline, thereby influencing the future Endwitch. And naturally, to enhance the authenticity of his performance, Lin En once again employed his innate ability, the Deceiver. Perhaps due to frequent use, he felt increasingly adept at it. He could even convince himself of a lie like "I've been poisoned by Water Ghoul Toxin." Thus, at this moment, Lin En's face appeared pale, his gaze unfocused, and his body seemed on the verge of collapse. As his entire body succumbed to numbness, he instinctively tilted backwards. But in the next instant, a cascade of thorns from all directions gently cradled his body. Staring into Ivyst’s wide, beautiful eyes filled with disbelief, Lin En curved his lips into a mysterious smile. "Do you need me to count down for you?" Leaning against the thorns, as if indifferent to life and death, he began, "Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight..." Before he could finish, a chilling coldness enveloped his entire being. A thin layer of frost slowly enveloped his body. Due to the cold, his metabolic rate plummeted, his heartbeat slowed drastically, and the flow of blood through his body became sluggish. Lin En grimaced from the freezing sensation. At least she wasn’t completely ignorant. However... "Do you really wish to die? Did I give you permission?" Ivyst's complexion grew increasingly somber. She quickly approached Lin En, clamping a hand on his throat. Just as she was about to exert pressure, some thought made her withdraw most of it, leaving just a gentle grasp. Though fury and confusion swept through her mind, reason dictated that now was not the time to grapple with such matters. If an antidote couldn’t be found, he wouldn’t last much longer. Ivyst had no desire to see him die. Putting anything else aside. Just the fact that he boldly declared something against the lie-detecting ring meant she couldn’t allow Lin En to rashly give up his life. A seventy percent chance of winning the royal selection? Though uncertain of its truth, he was the first subordinate to ever speak such words to her in years. No matter what, she wanted to win—to gain the recognition of St. Roland VI, to have Empress Catalynna on her knees begging mercy at her feet, and to earn the respect and fear of the populace and nobility. This couldn’t end here. If Lin En were to die, she would endlessly regret losing such an opportunity to change the tides. She must find Melanie immediately! The thought flashed through Ivyst's mind instantaneously. Without bothering to don other clothes or change her slippers, she prepared to tear through space to bring Melanie over by any means. But before she could act, a voice piped up beside her. "Are you looking for this?" Lin En lifted another vial containing a pale blue potion and said. The antidote! Once consumed, it would rapidly neutralize the excess Water Ghoul Toxin and alleviate the paralysis symptoms. Seeing this, Ivyst halted, her voice icy, "Give it to me." "I refuse," Lin En’s smile remained, even carrying a hint of mockery. "Is this something important to you?" "That's truly surprising!" "A malevolent, despicable, arrogant woman like you... actually finds something worth caring about?" "Oh, I see now. Maybe you're afraid that after my death, you'd never find anyone as brilliant as me again, leading you to ultimately lose to your sister, Catalynna, and end up in utter disgrace." "Thinking about it is truly amusing—that such would be your demise." "Ivyst, you wicked woman, may you live alone, cursed by my dying eyes!" Lin En laughed maniacally, a tinge of unhealthy flush painting his cheeks. He exploded! He and Ivyst had completely exploded! Lin En felt euphoric, as though touched by pure gold, a tingling euphoria sending shivers down his spine. The pent-up frustration over the past days and the rejection experienced at the hands of the Endwitch all poured out at this moment. Ivyst gazed at his frenetic expression, her brow furrowing, her face an image of anger. "Are you mad?" "No, you’re the mad one," Lin En grinned. "And, stop what you're doing behind my back." "I know you're a tyrant at heart, fond of seizing violently and arrogantly... if you think you can, give it a try. The moment you act, I’ll shatter this potion." "And by the way, this is the last vial in the manor’s stock." Lin En spoke unabashedly. The blood-red thorns that had silently risen around them stiffened. "What do you want?" Ivyst asked coldly, her gaze locked on him. "Tell me, if you have any requests, I will try to fulfill them." Everything that transpired tonight had completely deviated from her expectations. At this point, she wasn’t even questioning why Lin En would take such bold, radical actions. Staring at the potion in his hand, Ivyst found it absurd. This man... seemingly using his life to threaten her? Could something like this really happen? Receiving Ivyst's gaze, Lin En slowly opened his mouth, "I want you to apologize for everything you've done to me up to now." "Moreover, I want you to personally admit that you've lost to me." "Ivyst, a proud woman like you, I bet you've never bowed to a man in your life?" "I want tonight to be forever etched in your memory." [Cannot automatically load the next page in reading mode. Please exit reading mode and click 'Next Page' to continue reading.]