Cyan blurted out strings of words, but Kaze barely reacted, not even a frown. His eyes were fixated on the road as he continued to speed through the traffic. His mind was calculating the fastest route to get to Emerald Bull Palace. As for Cyan’s words, he did not even listen to them. Cyan was annoyed that Kaze ignored her. She grunted coldly and said, “Kaze, stop wasting your energy. When you get to Emerald Bull Palace, it’s already too late. I have already texted Draig and he already replied. He’s been training there for the past two days. “You should know that Draig is the best candidate to save Snow because he can do it with just one call. If I were you, I wouldn’t go there and ruin things for them. They are made for each other. “Besides, when you offended that Ryokanian back at our place, Draig was beaten and he didn't hold you responsible. You should know that if not for me, convincing Draig not to hurt you because it would leave a bad impression on Snow, he would neve
The man looked at Snow and said, “You are from a rich background, like the most beautiful flower but the flower usually withers after a while. “No matter what you do, you should have a backup plan or leave some space for negotiation so that you won’t be in danger. You have to be careful of people who harbor malicious intent against you…” Backup plan? Snow wondered if the man was referring to the note he left for Albert. People with malicious intent? Could it refer to her trip to Emerald Bull Palace as being interfered with by bad people? Snow thanked the person in charge and then left Tri-Clarities Court. When she was at the exit, another man who worked at the place came over to her and bowed. He asked, “Are you Ms. Snow Frost?” Snow was slightly taken aback before she nodded. She came to Emerald Bull Palace because she received a message from her mother, May. Her mother informed her that she fled the Frost family and was hiding at Emerald Bull Palace. May asked f
Feeling the serene and meditative atmosphere in the small court, the anxiety and alarm in Snow faded a lot. The small side court should be a temporary lodging spot for the worshipers when they came to pay respect and it lacked the liveliness and crowd. When Snow was young, she used to accompany her mother to visit different churches and temples. This particular small court was something that her mother would prefer. Could her mother really be here? Creek! The wooden door in front of her opened up. Out came a woman whose hair was tied up high and dressed in black and red traditional Ryokanian wear. She wore a pair of clogs and had a sheathed katana in her hands. When she came over to Snow, she put her hands before her waist and bowed at Snow. “Pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Frost. I am Ali Uehara.” A Ryokanian? Snow frowned. She looked past the woman and realized the wooden door had been shut silently. Her expression shifted but she did not react recklessly. She
Snow breathed a sigh of relief at Ali’s words. She feared that after losing his dignity by collaborating with the Ryokanians, Jet might go so far as to harm her mother. On second thought, Jet’s actions made sense. Snow was in Riverbank, yet Jet could work with the Ryokanians to make an attempt on her life, even making it secretive. However, her mother was still with the Frost family and if anything happened to her, Jet, who had gained power over the entire family, would be the main suspect. At least for now, even with Jet’s influence, he could not simply and openly target an important figure of the family. With that in mind, Snow said, “Thank you for the good news. How about the second question?” “Ms. Frost, you are as curious as a kitten.” Ali chuckled once more and explained, “Let me introduce myself again. I serve the Hara family as a counselor, a servant to Reiko.” Snow was shocked by the revelation. Kaze was wrong this time. After losing a bunch of elite memb
“You should also be aware that Senji and his men, all the elite members of the Refined Blade Clan, were wiped out while trying to save Anzu. “If you want her back, no matter what you do or how many men you send, the odds are slim. So, I can act as a hostage and let you exchange me for her.” Snow made her proposal calmly and firmly. She had been collecting information from the conversation with Ali, hoping to find her value in all this. Now that she finally saw a chance to save herself, she quickly grasped onto it. Snow was confident that, to Kaze, her value outweighed Anzu’s. If the Ryokanians proposed to exchange hostages, Kaze would agree to it without a second thought. However, Ali laughed at Snow’s proposal. “I have to admit that you are a smart one, knowing how to collect information to your advantage, but I am afraid that your proposal won’t work. “We lure you here because we want to divert attention from Bronze Sparrow, so we can send more men to rescue Anzu. A
“Shrill!” Ali drew out her sword, the sound of metal on metal ringing. She said, “You sure think highly of yourself, Ms. Frost. “Chief Commander Krad takes a fancy to you, but do you think he’d cut ties with us over a dead woman?“Trust me. He wouldn’t. “He may be fond of you, but he will always choose himself over anything else. He knows how best to maximize his gains. “All he has is infatuation, but do you think he’d do anything for you? “If he really cares about you, he won’t send his brother to sort his affairs while he focuses on his career. “Once you’re gone, our fair lady will set him up with Ms. Okita. “Chief Commander Krad will know that Ms. Okita is perfect for him.” Snow burst out laughing. “I get it. Ms. Hara must know that due to her ties with other men, she doesn’t deserve Aaron. “But your people want to form an alliance with Aaron through marriage. “I stand in your way, so you want me out. “But don’t you find it funny?“I’m sure there will only b
“What are you trying to do?” Snow had a bad feeling. Ali slipped her right hand into her sleeve and pulled out a tiny glass bottle. Snow focused on the bottle, which housed several pale red pills. Ali said with intrigue, “What I have here is a popular drug in Ryokan in recent years. “It’s known as a Woman’s Moan.“It’s said that even the least receptive woman to men would thirst for them within three minutes of taking three of these pills. “I’ll let Mr. Krad in once you have taken these pills.” Snow, strong in will as she was, grimaced. It clicked in Snow the reason why Ali did not mind her buying time. Ali had other plans in mind. White in the face, Snow asked shakily, “Aiden is here too?” “Mr. Krad should be here any minute now. “He said it’d be a shame just to kill you. “Since you think little of the Krads, he wants to prove you wrong before you die. “Ms. Hara is happy to grant Mr. Krad’s wish. “We’ll make sure to capture the beautiful moment and leak
“Either way, you are an heiress of the Butterworth Frosts. Yet, Kaze didn’t even make a move on you despite you hanging around. “How does that make you feel?” Snow kept a straight face. She understood that Aiden was up to no good. Still, she was hurt. Sensing Snow’s dejection, Aiden smiled and said, “The Frosts are known for keeping their virtues. If my guess is right, you must be a virgin. “You have never experienced the joy of a woman. “Are you sure you want to die carrying the regret?“Let me show you a good time. Call it payback on Kaze before you die. “He didn’t appreciate you. “Right?” As Aiden chattered on, Ali looked at him in admiration. She understood Aiden’s plan. Instead of drugging Snow, Aiden attacked Snow psychologically to make her take off her clothes willingly. Talk about class. “Come on. Go crazy for once. At least it makes your time on earth worthwhile.” Aiden approached Snow with pace, his tone seductive. He smirked in delight upon ca
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us