"Apologies," Taro said calmly. "But I currently have no intention of going to Inazuma."
Yae Miko's eyes—tinged with bitterness and urgency—met his, but he merely shook his head, utterly unmoved.
"Inazuma… how should I put it?"
He exhaled. "Aside from a few charming girls, I don't like much about it."
"One decree hunts eyes, another seals the nation.
A god in hiding, a puppet ruled by delusion—Inazuma is a mess."
"The people suffer, the country itself teeters on collapse."
"Among Inazuma's upper ranks, save for a rare few, the rest—villains, every one of them."
"The only one truly loyal to the Thunder Lord, Lady Raiden Makoto, was Kujou Sara."
"The Three Commissions?" He snorted. "One let the wolves in, one oppresses the people, and one funds rebellion."
"And as for you, the Grand Guuji of Narukami Shrine—you're among the masterminds behind that rebellion."
"Truly," he said dryly, "Inazuma is full of talent."
What a noble bunch.
"Judge by deeds, not intentions?" He chuckled. "Fine. The deeds are right there."
"All facts, all written in plain sight. What defense could there be?"
"You want dialectics now? Don't twist it into sophistry."
"M-Mr. Taro, please, allow me to explain—"
Yae Miko's voice rose, flustered.
"Pause." He raised a hand.
"A deal is a deal. Business is business."
"Inazuma's problems have nothing to do with me. You came, you brought the payment—so the trade begins."
He didn't hate her. In truth, he even felt a faint respect for the original Raiden Makoto, and a bit of pity for the puppet who inherited fragments of her memory.
But that didn't mean he'd dive into that swamp called Inazuma.
"Throughout Inazuma's history," he said, "it's been chaos after chaos. Hard to empathize with any of it."
"At best, there are only a few exceptions worth mention."
"If I were to summarize?"
He smirked faintly. "In the words of the Fox Lord himself—two words: defies heaven."
"Understood… forgive my impatience, Mr. Taro," Miko murmured after a pause, finally regaining composure.
Panic wouldn't help now.
What mattered was figuring out how to serve this man's interests.
Powerful. Precise. Capable of resurrecting gods themselves.
Someone like that—fawning would only annoy him.
As he said, it was a transaction—one still not finalized.
He could withdraw anytime.
No rash moves. She needed another angle.
Taro's tone softened slightly. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious."
"Prepare a list and hand it to Eula later."
"Once everything's ready, the transaction will proceed."
"That's all."
He turned and nodded toward the blue-haired knight.
"Eula, I'll leave the rest to you. Take your time—no need to stay up late."
"I understand, sir."
Eula smiled gently and bowed.
"Good."
In the next instant, Taro's form vanished completely—leaving only the fading shimmer of his presence.
"Eh…" Yae Miko sighed softly. "Then I'll keep trying. I'll find the breakthrough."
"Follow me," Eula said, turning toward her.
"You're a guest. You'll need proper lodging. There's time."
With one last glance toward the house, Eula rose gracefully into the air, flying toward the Yujing Terrace.
"Clear stance…" Miko murmured. "Definitely taken sides."
"Maybe she's the breakthrough."
She followed reluctantly. "I'll visit Ganyu tomorrow. Tonight, I'd better draft that list…"
"Let's just hope Mr. Taro's appetite isn't too big."
If he wasn't satisfied… things could turn ugly.
After all, she'd even brought the Electro Archon's Gnosis as a bargaining chip.
Later that night.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Boss."
Huoliya greeted him at the door, smiling brightly.
"Midnight snack's ready. Would you like to try it?"
"Tonight's meal is special."
"Special?" he echoed, arching a brow. "How special?"
"Has Yingda returned yet?"
Taro looked around—no sign of the little troublemaker.
"She hasn't gone and fallen into one of her own traps again, has she?"
"The little girl went to the Adventurers' Guild," Huoliya said with a soft laugh.
"Have to admit, that kid's clever."
"The other girl already took the bait."
"Well done."
Taro chuckled. "Seems you've got quite the impression of me."
"Alright, Boss," Huoliya said sweetly, looping her arm through his.
"Enough talk. It's our private time now. Come along."
"There's a surprise waiting."
"...A surprise?"
Taro raised an eyebrow, instantly wary.
After what happened with Yingda, that word no longer sounded reassuring.
She's not planning to imitate her, is she?
He didn't press it, simply followed, curious to see what she was up to.
Huoliya closed the doors behind them, lit a few candles—
their red glow flickered across the room.
"Boss," she purred, "surprised?"
She pushed him gently into a chair, then busied herself around the table.
Candlelight dinner.
At least, that's what she called it.
But the details… something felt off.
The candles were bright red, each bearing the character double happiness.
The wine—an aged jar of Daughter's Red.
The dishes—five distinct flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty.
And the goblets—two golden cups joined as one.
A paired wedding chalice.
Was this a dinner or a wedding night?!
"Come now, Boss~"
Huoliya's smile was radiant as she poured the wine.
"Shall we drink this cup together?"
Her eyes gleamed with the triumph of a schemer whose plan had just succeeded.
Taro stared for a second. "You're really pulling all the stops tonight."
Still, he didn't expose her.
He lifted the cup, matching her movement.
"Alright."
Together, they drank.
The sweet wine burned pleasantly down their throats.
Huoliya's eyes shimmered with teasing allure as she reached for the chopsticks.
"Boss, try this one—it's a bit sour."
"Alright."
"This one's sweet."
"Mhm."
"This one's a little bitter."
"Not bad."
"And this—spicy."
"Fine."
"And this one's salty."
"Okay."
He eyed her quietly. "A full set of flavors, huh?"
"Life's five tastes," he thought—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty.
Classic symbolism.
"Boss, tonight's such a lovely night…"
"I get it," he interrupted with a small smile.
Red candles flickered.
The scent of wine filled the air.
Her golden hair ornaments swayed as she leaned closer, eyes glimmering like molten gold.
It was less candlelight dinner and more wedding feast.
Huoliya's laughter chimed softly.
The night stretched on.
(End of Chapter)
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