In the driver's seat, Hayata's body trembled like a sieve.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, his voice laced with a sob.
"Your Excellency, please, let go!"
"I... I'm really not part of the Kujō Family!"
"I'm just the driver Madam Kaori specifically arranged for Mr. Matsutake; I have nothing to do with him!"
In the back seat, the man wearing Matsutake's face ignored his plea.
He rely repeated his command calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Turn around, back to the villa."
Hayata's body trembled violently, as if struck by an invisible whip.
He dared not hesitate any longer and quickly nodded.
"Yes! Yes! I'll turn around imdiately!"
He clumsily operated the steering wheel, and the car cut a harsh arc on the narrow mountain road, tires scraping the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The car turned around, heading back towards the heavily guarded estate.
Zhou Huai crossed his legs, watching the driver's pale face through the rearview mirror.
"Very good, thank you for your cooperation."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the back of the front seat.
"Now, tell about this Matsutake."
"Be sure to be detailed."
"If I find out you're lying..."
Zhou Huai didn't finish his sentence, but the cold killing intent had already perated the air, tightly enveloping Hayata.
"You know the consequences."
Cold sweat stread down Hayata's forehead like a river, instantly soaking his collar.
He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead while narrating voluminously.
"Mr. Matsutake... he... his real na is Matsutake Gen, and he's the vice president of the Imperial Capital Ikebana Association."
"Because his flower arranging skills are excellent, he is highly regarded by Madam Kaori, which is why he was invited to the Kujō Family, specifically to take care of the precious flowers and plants in Madam's garden."
"He also..."
Hayata dared not conceal anything, spilling everything he knew about Matsutake, no matter how trivial, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
From Matsutake's daily routine to his words and actions, even so unknown small habits.
Zhou Huai listened quietly, comparing and reconstructing this information with the mory fragnts stolen by the token of the faceless.
A more vivid and three-dinsional image of "Matsutake" gradually ford in his mind.
Soon, the black wrought-iron gate adorned with a Ghost Face (ghost mask) relief reappeared in their sight.
The guards at the entrance, seeing the black sedan that had left less than ten minutes ago return, all showed confused expressions.
The captain of the patrol team, who was in charge, frowned slightly, stepped forward, and raised his hand to signal the car to stop.
The sedan slowly ca to a halt.
Zhou Huai's face had already adopted Matsutake's characteristic arrogant and rigid expression.
He rolled down the window, his cold gaze sweeping over the captain, letting out a soft snort from his nose.
The captain's posture was very low, bowing slightly.
"Mr. Matsutake? Why are you back so soon?"
Although his tone was respectful, there was a hint of imperceptible scrutiny in his eyes.
Zhou Huai, currently playing the role of Matsutake, slowly rolled down the window and looked at the captain with those cold eyes.
The captain's smile froze on his face.
He felt that Mr. Matsutake at this mont ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) was different from Mr. Matsutake just now.
That look was no longer the usual arrogant swagger of soone borrowing a tiger's prestige, but rather a... a deep-seated indifference.
"Do I need to report my itinerary to you?"
The captain felt a chill in his heart from that gaze and subconsciously took half a step back.
He forced himself to maintain his Aura, giving a dry laugh: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, it's just a routine inquiry."
"After all, Takamagahara hasn't been peaceful lately, and increased vigilance is also for Madam's safety."
Zhou Huai snorted coldly.
He didn't waste any more words with the other party but directly turned his gaze to the driver in the driver's seat.
"Hayata."
The driver trembled all over and quickly responded, "Here! Mr. Matsutake!"
"Tell him why we're back."
The driver swallowed, gathered his courage, and said to the captain outside the window, "Captain, it's... it's Madam Kaori who changed her mind at the last minute."
"Madam said she no longer likes 'Heart of the Ocean' and wants to switch to 'Kiss of the Crimson Fla'."
"Mr. Matsutake is rushing back to confirm the specific style with Madam."
The captain was stunned upon hearing this.
Madam Kaori's capriciousness was well-known, so this reason was plausible.
But he always felt sothing was off.
Just as he was about to ask a few more questions, Zhou Huai's cold gaze fell on him again.
"What?"
"Madam's decision, you want to interrogate that too?"
"Or do you think your authority has grown so great that you can interfere with Madam's private affairs?"
A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on the captain's forehead.
If this accusation was placed on him, he couldn't bear it.
He quickly bent down, his posture humble to the extre.
"I wouldn't dare! I absolutely wouldn't dare!"
"It was my big mouth! Please forgive , Mr. Matsutake!"
Zhou Huai no longer looked at him, rely uttering two words faintly.
"Open the gate."
"Hai!"
The captain, as if granted a great pardon, scrambled back to the guard booth and personally pressed the gate-opening button.
The black wrought-iron gate slowly slid open to both sides.
The vehicle smoothly entered the villa area.
In the driver's seat, Hayata's tense body suddenly relaxed.
He felt his shirt on his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.
His hands were still trembling uncontrollably at this mont.
For him, those short few dozens of seconds of interrogation felt as long as a century.
Fortunately, the other party's attention had always been on Mr. Matsutake in the back.
Otherwise, he would have definitely given himself away.
Fortunately, they managed to get through it.
The sedan drove on the wide internal roads, with ticulously manicured garden landscapes on both sides.
Occasionally, patrol teams of guards in black suits would pass by.
Silence fell inside the car.
Hayata dared not speak, only cautiously observing the expression of "Mr. Matsutake" in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
But the other party just leaned against the backrest, eyes slightly closed, as if already asleep.
Just when Hayata thought the silence would continue, the person in the back seat suddenly spoke.
"At the next intersection, turn left."
Hayata subconsciously responded.
But as the car approached the intersection and he saw the direction the left fork led, his movents suddenly stiffened, and a clear look of confusion and hesitation appeared on his face.
"Mr. Matsutake, that way is... is Young Master Kazuya Kujo's residence."
"What are we going there for?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hayata regretted it.
He saw in the rearview mirror, a faint smile slowly curved on Matsutake's face.
Zhou Huai's voice was very soft, yet it was like an ice-tempered knife, pressed against Hayata's throat.
"Are you in such a hurry to die?"
"Are you trying to probe my information instead?"
"No... no! Mr. Matsutake! I absolutely did not an that!"
Hayata was so scared his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, nearly losing his grip on the steering wheel, and quickly shook his head like a rattle-drum.
"I... I just... I was just a little worried."
"As far as I know, you and Young Master Kazuya Kujo usually... don't have any contact."
"If we go there so rashly, what if... what if it arouses suspicion from others..."
He dared not continue speaking.
Zhou Huai sneered inwardly.
This driver was quite clever.
"Don't worry about things that aren't your concern."
"Shut your mouth and drive your car."
"Hai!"
Hayata felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and dared not utter another word of nonsense.
He slamd on the accelerator, and the car instantly sped up, turning into the left fork without hesitation.
At the sa ti.
In Kazuya Kujo's villa.
Polina let out a suppressed gasp.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she bit her lower lip hard, a trace of blood oozing from her pale lips.
Kazuya Kujo, who was applying dicine for her, paused his movents.
Before he could speak, a gust of wind, laden with fury, swept from his side.
Karen grabbed him by the collar, lifting him completely off the ground.
"How many tis have I told you! Be gentle! Be gentle!"
"Don't you see Young Miss Polina is in so much pain?!"
"If I had known you were this incompetent, I would have done it myself!"
Kazuya Kujo allowed Karen to hold him like that, without the slightest anger, his face even showing a hint of guilt and distress.
He looked at Polina on the sofa, his gaze focused and affectionate.
"Your Excellency Karen, please calm down."
"The dicine I'm applying for Young Miss Polina is the Family's secret 'Curse-Breaking Spirit Ointnt'."
"This ointnt will directly impact the curse power on her wound, so pain is inevitable."
His tone shifted, becoming incredibly devout, as if he were reciting a sacred oath.
"I love Young Miss Polina so deeply, how could I bear to see her suffer even a bit of harm?"
"I wish I were the one enduring all this pain right now."
Karen listened to his confession, his anger increasing rather than diminishing.
He suddenly threw Kazuya Kujo to the ground with a dull thud.
"Stop with that useless nonsense!"
"If it weren't for the false information you provided, how would Polina have ended up like this!"
Kazuya Kujo awkwardly got up from the ground, tidying his disheveled clothes.
Upon hearing Karen's accusation, a wave of sorrow instantly surged onto his handso face.
Two lines of clear tears silently stread down his cheeks.
"You're right... This matter, it's all my fault."
"I really didn't expect that my uncle... he wouldn't even trust ."
"I've hard Young Miss Polina..."
He choked, beating his chest and stomping his feet, looking utterly remorseful.
Karen watched his deanor, about to flare up again.
On the sofa, Polina, who had been silent, spoke impatiently.
"Both of you, say less."
The argunt abruptly ceased.
Karen's anger on his face instantly receded, replaced by a fawning expression.
"Polina, how do you feel?"
Polina ignored him, rely staring coldly at Kazuya Kujo.
"The injury isn't healing."
"If I continue to stay here, it will only be a dead end."
She struggled to sit up, but it tugged at her wound, making her gasp in pain.
"Think of a way to get us out of the city."
The sadness on Kazuya Kujo's face faded, replaced by a look of difficulty.
He quickly walked to the sofa, his voice full of helplessness.
"Young Miss Polina, you don't know."
"Tokyo City has now activated the Advanced level of alert, with layers of blockades."
"Even for , to leave the city requires a pass personally signed by the Family head, and an absolutely valid reason."
He quickly added, seeing Polina's increasingly cold gaze.
"But don't worry, for you, I will definitely find a way!"
"I'll go beg my father right now, even if I have to kneel and plead with him, I will definitely..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
A rapid and heavy knocking sound ca from the door.
Kazuya Kujo frowned, an annoyed expression appearing on his face at being disturbed.
He turned and growled towards the door.
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb unless it's important?!"
A respectful yet nervous reply ca from outside the door from the guard.
"Young Master Kazuya Kujo, I'm very sorry!"
"It's... it's Madam Kaori, who sent Mr. Matsutake over."
"She said there's an urgent matter she wants to discuss with you."
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