"Face...? If you had a face, you wouldn't be saying such things."
Amamiya Rin felt sick.
This party, this person before him, everything about this villa—it all stirred in him a revulsion that welled up from the depths of his heart, and even... a faint trace of murderous intent.
Though Amamiya Rin's reason pressed that sliver of killing intent down into the deepest recesses of his heart, the undisguised loathing on his face was like frozen ice, showing not the slightest sign of melting.
"Face...?"
Takaichi seemed not to have heard clearly.
Or rather, in that instant her brain refused to comprehend such a blatant offense.
The smile on Takaichi's face stiffened, and her brow furrowed slightly.
"Amamiya-kun, did you just say something?"
She repeated herself, seeking confirmation from Amamiya Rin.
"Pestering men relentlessly isn't exactly a thing decent people do."
Amamiya Rin answered coldly.
Amamiya Rin's attitude could no longer be summed up simply as aloofness; that expression of disgust was almost identical to the way Tomie looked at men she had no interest in.
As his words fell, a small area around them went instantly silent. The nearby conversations and clinking of glasses ceased abruptly, and several gazes turned their way, some shocked, some curious.
Tsubakihara Tomomi and the other two all drew in a sharp breath together, and Sato Kei even instinctively took half a step back.
As Takaichi's aide, she knew all too well what a ruthless and venomous face lay hidden beneath Lady Takaichi's seemingly elegant exterior.
To dare publicly humiliate Lady Takaichi—this man was finished... she only hoped that before he was completely ruined, she might get to share in the spoils with Lady Takaichi a few times.
Sato Kei looked at Amamiya Rin with a touch of regret, yet that gaze betrayed an undisguised wickedness.
The smile vanished entirely from Takaichi's face.
But even faced with such a blunt and merciless reply, she did not erupt at once. There was no immediate fury, no loss of composure into shrieking abuse.
Takaichi merely tilted her head slightly, her gaze sliding from Amamiya Rin's eyes slowly down to his tightly pressed lips, then to his throat, his chest, his abdomen, his crotch...
Her eyes grew cold and cruel—it was not the look of someone regarding a human being, but rather of someone appraising a toy she was about to take apart.
"Heh... what a rare reaction. It seems you've got some sort of misunderstanding about me. But it's all right—once we lay ourselves bare to each other, whatever misunderstanding there is can be cleared up."
Takaichi let out a very faint laugh, a fire kindling in her eyes. Her tongue flicked lightly across her lower lip, and her words carried a sticky, lewd dampness.
The maid beside her seemed to understand instantly, quietly circling around behind Amamiya Rin.
Amamiya Rin's gaze sharpened, locking onto that plain-looking maid.
A dangerous aura... this one didn't seem to be an ordinary person.
Even as his mind made that assessment, Amamiya Rin's eyes settled on Takaichi's fragile throat.
If it came to the worst, he could only seize this woman and use her as a hostage.
The power of authority only held sway beyond ten paces; at this close range, taking her down would be no problem.
Still, this was truly rotten luck—why did danger find him no matter where he went?
A flicker of irritated gloom passed through the depths of Amamiya Rin's heart.
"Hey, you ugly woman over there, stay away from my boyfriend."
At that very moment, a sweet but anger-laden voice cut in, like a pair of scissors brazenly slicing open the taut silence.
Everyone present turned at once toward the source of the voice, only to see Kawakami Tomie striding over in a fury, her ravishing face full of disgust, her gaze scraping like a blade across Takaichi and the others.
The maid who had been about to circle behind Amamiya Rin halted, turning a questioning glance toward Takaichi.
The instant Takaichi saw Kawakami Tomie, her face darkened abruptly, and a flash of astonishment and disbelief raced through the depths of her eyes.
"Boyfriend?"
This young man was Kawakami Tomie's boyfriend?
Takaichi's gaze swept back and forth between Amamiya Rin and Tomie in disbelief.
This young man of such singular bearing, who gave off an aloof, serene impression—he was actually that... that monster's boyfriend?
A powerful sense of absurdity and apprehension surged up at once.
The apprehension, naturally, was because of Tomie's strange, unfathomable allure, and the mad chain reaction it might trigger behind the scenes.
As for the absurdity... how could such a clean-natured handsome man, one who coveted neither wealth nor pleasure, possibly be entangled with Tomie?
"Stay away from my boyfriend! Can't you see he's displeased? At your age, still here flaunting yourself like a slut—why don't you take a look in the mirror and see how ugly you are?"
Kawakami Tomie shoved aside Tsubakihara Tomomi, who was in her way, without the slightest courtesy, stepped to Amamiya Rin's side, and reached out to hook her arm directly through his. Tilting her chin up slightly, her beautiful eyes glanced sidelong at Takaichi, brimming with naked contempt.
Faced with Tomie's words, so direct and so deeply insulting, the wicked fire in Takaichi's chest blazed up. Disgust and murderous intent churned violently in her eyes, almost on the verge of bursting out.
A piece of merchandise good for nothing but bewitching men—and she dared to swagger before her?
Takaichi's chest heaved violently several times, the corners of her mouth splitting into a ferocious arc; she could hardly wait to give the order right then to have this monster killed.
Yet, much as she wanted to do so, when she noticed those men trailing behind Tomie like lapdogs, she drew a deep breath and used reason to suppress the impulse.
"Oh my, so it's Miss Tomie's boyfriend. How rude of me."
Takaichi reacted with lightning speed; the stiffness on her face instantly turned into an impeccable social smile, and she even took half a step back to signal her concession.
"I merely saw that Amamiya-kun seemed a little reserved, and wanted to fulfill my duties as host. But since he has a girlfriend, then naturally there's no need for me to meddle."
Takaichi's gaze lingered for a moment on Amamiya Rin's face. The fervor and greed hidden deep within had not entirely been extinguished—if anything, they had grown more intense.
Tomie's boyfriend? That label added a few degrees of allure to Amamiya Rin, making her want all the more to pin this man down beneath her.
But not now. To clash with Tomie here would throw everything into utter chaos. Once they had left, then...
Takaichi worked her dark calculations in her heart while maintaining a proper smile on the surface, nodding to Amamiya Rin and Tomie.
"Please make yourselves comfortable, you two. Enjoy yourselves."
With that, she turned and walked away, the maid immediately following.
Tsubakihara, Sato, and Tanabe—the three of them exchanged glances, their expressions filled with uncertain alarm.
Lady Takaichi actually backed down? How was that possible? Her status was so exalted, second among women only to the young lady of the Tokugawa family—who on earth was this woman?
Apprehension and dread flowed through their hearts. Seeing Takaichi yield, the three dared not press the matter any further; after bowing their heads to Amamiya Rin, they sheepishly withdrew.
"A pack of old, ugly women—well, at least they have some self-awareness."
Tomie curled her lip at Takaichi's retreating figure, speaking with contempt.
Takaichi's retreating back stiffened, and then she walked away even faster.
____
👻🔥P-a-t-r-e-o-n: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Zenless Zone Zero: Rewriting Fate in New Eridu — new on The_Mikudayo
📚 40 chapters ahead over at Walnut-chan — your support is what pays for the translations
Help us hit our targets:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all