“Mr. Matsutake?”
Kazuya Kujo’s brow furrowed slightly.
What could he want with him?
A flower arranger responsible for tending the garden, he usually didn’t even have the right to speak to him.
But he was, after all, a favorite of Madam Kaori.
And Madam Kaori was his nominal aunt, the Kujo Family Head’s most beloved concubine.
He couldn’t easily refuse.
Kazuya instructed the attendant at the door: “Please invite him to the reception room; I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
The attendant bowed and withdrew... A mont later.
Kazuya Kujo t Mr. Matsutake.
The other party was still dressed in his immaculate kimono, his face rigid, his expression calm.
But for so reason, Kazuya always felt that today’s Matsutake was a little different from usual.
Those eyes, which always held flattery and ingratiation, now only contained a tranquil stillness, like an ancient well.
It was as if he was looking at a stranger completely unrelated to him.
Kazuya Kujo suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and sat down in the main seat.
He picked up the tea that the maid had just brewed and spoke in a calm tone.
“Mr. Matsutake, is there sothing you need?”
Zhou Huai didn’t beat around the bush; he got straight to the point.
“I want to see Polina.”
“Crack.”
A crack appeared in the teacup in Kazuya Kujo’s hand.
The scalding tea spilled out, burning the back of his hand, but he didn’t seem to notice.
A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
But his good upbringing allowed him to steady his emotions and not lose his composure on the spot.
He put down the teacup, slowly wiped the water stains from the back of his hand with a handkerchief, and showed a perfectly appropriate look of confusion on his face.
“What is Mr. Matsutake talking about?”
“Polina? I don’t know anyone by that na.”
A faint smile appeared on Zhou Huai’s face.
“Young Master Kazuya, there’s no need to pretend anymore.”
“I know that the woman who broke into the Ise Grand Shrine is hidden in this villa.”
Kazuya Kujo’s pupils suddenly constricted.
Zhou Huai continued, his tone unhurried.
“If you continue to play coy with , I’ll have no choice but to invite the guards outside to search.”
“After all, catching a thief who broke into the Shrine would be a great achievent.”
“At that ti, what do you think the Family Head will think of you, his nephew, for harboring a wanted criminal?”
Kazuya Kujo suddenly stood up from his seat.
He stared intently at Matsutake’s face before him, his voice trembling slightly with anger and fear.
“Who exactly are you?”
“What exactly do you want to do?”
Zhou Huai also stood up, his smile unchanged.
“My purpose, I’ve already stated it.”
He took a step forward, and the invisible pressure made Kazuya Kujo instinctively take half a step back.
“Take to see Polina.”
Kazuya Kujo’s chest heaved violently, his mind racing.
This person in front of him was definitely not Matsutake.
Who exactly was he? How did he know ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) all of this?
Was he soone his father sent to test him? Or was he a spy from the Ōmiya Family?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, only to be rejected one by one.
After a mont of struggle, he finally gave up resisting.
Since the other party dared to co to his door so openly, he must be absolutely confident.
No matter how much he struggled, it would be futile.
Kazuya Kujo slumped his shoulders, his voice hoarse.
“Follow .”
He turned, leading the man with Matsutake’s face, through the long corridor, towards the depths of the villa... pushing open a heavy door.
Inside the luxurious room, a strong sll of dicinal herbs wafted out.
On the sofa, a golden figure lay quietly.
In another corner, the tall Kalen suddenly jumped up from the sofa.
He saw a strange middle-aged man following behind Kazuya Kujo, and his face instantly filled with ferocious killing intent.
“Bastard!”
Kalen’s roar echoed like thunder in the room.
“You actually dared to betray us!”
His muscles bulged, and he pushed off the ground, charging towards Kazuya Kujo like an enraged bull.
“I’ll kill you first!”
“Kalen, stop.”
Kalen’s movents suddenly stiffened, stopping in front of Kazuya Kujo.
He turned his head, his face full of grievance and confusion.
“Polina!”
On the sofa, Polina slowly sat up.
Her alluring eyes passed over Kazuya Kujo’s shoulder and landed on Mr. Matsutake.
“If Kazuya-kun really wanted to betray us, he wouldn’t have brought just one person.”
Her words were soft, but they instantly cald Kalen down.
Polina’s gaze brazenly scrutinized Zhou Huai.
“Tell , who is this?”
Zhou Huai’s heart tensed.
He could feel an invisible, seductive ntal Energy, following the other party’s gaze, trying to invade his mind.
As expected of the Desire Dominator.
This woman used her abilities at all tis.
Zhou Huai deliberately avoided her gaze, his eyes falling on the exquisite Persian rug beside her.
“Excuse for the intrusion.”
Mr. Matsutake’s face held a gentle smile, his voice calm.
“A simple self-introduction, my na is the Ever-Changing Star Lord, from the Great Xia Country.”
Ever-Changing Star Lord?
From the Great Xia Country?
Hearing this introduction, Kazuya Kujo and Kalen were both suddenly startled.
Kazuya Kujo adjusted the gold-rimd glasses on his nose, a hint of horror flashing in the eyes behind the lenses.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
The other party might be a powerful expert from a Hidden Family, or a spy sent by the Ōmiya Family.
He had never imagined that the other party actually ca from the Great Xia Country.
Kalen’s reaction was even more direct; his tanned face instantly filled with vigilance.
“Soone from the Great Xia Country?”
“Do you also want a piece of the pie?”
It was Polina on the sofa who showed an expression of “as expected.”
“Mr. Ever-Changing Star Lord, your thods are truly remarkable.”
“So many fools from the Sakura Country couldn’t find us, yet you, an outsider, found us first.”
“And to be able to blend into the Kujo Family’s villa area so stealthily, it’s truly impressive.”
Zhou Huai, controlling Caesar, wore Matsutake’s gentle smile and bowed slightly.
“I also greatly admire Ms. Polina’s courage.”
“To dare to intrude into a place like the Ise Grand Shrine, stirring up such a storm, and still escape unscathed.”
Polina’s eyes flickered; she didn’t take the bait, but directly cut to the chase.
“Tell , what are your intentions after going through so much trouble to find us?”
Zhou Huai’s gaze swept over the three people present, his voice calm but powerful.
“The Sakura Country, with its despicable thods, stole the Divine Artifact, the pendulum of life, from our Great Xia Country.”
“My plan is very simple.”
“To cooperate with the two of you to reclaim the pendulum of life.”
Kalen scoffed upon hearing this, just about to open his mouth to mock.
Polina, however, spoke first; she gently shook her head.
“Although I would very much like to cooperate with you.”
“But now I’m afflicted with the Ise Grand Shrine’s curse, and my injuries simply cannot heal.”
“I’m afraid it will be difficult for to be of much help to your actions.”
Zhou Huai’s gaze fell on the hideous wound on her thigh.
He indeed saw black corrosive power continuously eroding the wounds on Polina’s leg and arm.
Her health bar also remained at around fifty percent, unable to recover.
It seed that the dicine provided by Kazuya Kujo was not having much effect.
Zhou Huai looked up at Kazuya Kujo.
“Is there no better dicine that can lift this curse?”
A bitter expression appeared on Kazuya Kujo’s face.
He nodded, then shook his head.
“There is, yes.”
“But that level of ‘Curse-Breaking Spirit Incense’ is a special dicine specifically for Shinto curses.”
“Within the Family, it is also among the highest-level controlled materials.”
“If I were to actively apply for such dicine, it would inevitably arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives.”
“At that ti, Ms. Polina’s whereabouts would likely be at risk of exposure.”
Zhou Huai fell silent upon hearing this.
He lowered his head and pondered for two seconds.
“I will find a way to deal with the dicine.”
Upon hearing this, Kazuya Kujo and Kalen were both stunned.
A hint of surprise and disbelief flashed in Kazuya Kujo’s eyes.
Sothing that even he, a direct Young Master of the Kujo Family, was helpless against, what could an outsider do?
Kalen, even more unceremoniously, curled his lips, his eyes full of disdain.
Only Polina, a strange glint in her erald eyes, looked at Zhou Huai with interest.
Zhou Huai ignored their reactions and turned his gaze back to Polina.
“Before that, I would like to ask Ms. Polina about the situation inside the Ise Grand Shrine.”
Polina leaned back on the sofa, adjusting to a comfortable position.
“What do you want to know?”
Zhou Huai’s voice beca serious.
“I want to know, when you broke into the Ise Grand Shrine that day, did you see the pendulum of life?”
However, before Polina could speak.
Kalen, from the side, spoke first.
He said indignantly:
“We were all deceived!”
“There was no pendulum of life at all in that damned Ise Grand Shrine!”
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