Chapter 1004 - 1000: He Likes Me Too!
Mizuno Pengyu squinted his eyes, and his smile disappeared in an instant, responding, "That should count as half a person from the Mizuno Clan. My gift here is merely a token of goodwill from the Mizuno Clan; is there anything improper about it?"
Xiao Tian remained impassive, yet his opinion of Mizuno Pengyu changed once again.
He had previously thought of him as another smiling tiger, similar to Sugai Yasuaki, though Sugai Yasuaki was evidently much more immature, only greeting with smiles while preparing to stab from behind.
However, Mizuno Pengyu was tough when needed and a smiling tiger when suitable, not sticking to a single pattern continuously.
"I initially planned to discuss this matter privately, but now it’s better to clarify things."
The middle-aged man glanced at Ozawa Miwa, showing a gentle smile, and continued, "Regarding the marriage between our two families, I think it’s best to postpone for a while, at least wait until the poison of the Heart-Breaking Fruit is neutralized, and then it’s not too late to discuss!"
None of those present were fools, and it could be said that each was more cunning than a plucked monkey. How could they not hear the middle-aged man’s tone, indicating a likely change of plan, prompting everyone to start reconsidering and seriously assessing their original strategies.
If the Mizuno Clan and the royal family were to part ways, then what stance to take and how to align requires careful calculation and contemplation.
This often tests the foresight of a leader in a group or power, yet everything becomes unpredictable due to Xiao Tian’s presence, leading everyone to silently choose to wait and see.
Mizuno Pengyu was naturally also aware of the middle-aged man’s implication, undoubtedly reluctant from the bottom of his heart to lose this piece of fat meat ready for consumption. Experienced as he was, he had prepared in advance on the way here, avoiding addressing the middle-aged man’s words, and instead said, "May I have a word with Her Highness the Princess?"
This request was reasonable from any perspective, with no justification for refusal. Although aware that speaking with Mizuno Pengyu might introduce uncertainty, the middle-aged man had to suppress his emotions and agree.
Anticipating this, Mizuno Pengyu bent down and came before Ozawa Miwa, stating, "Before coming here, I already roughly understood Your Highness the Princess’s reasons for resistance; is it true that Your Highness refuses because Sugai Yasuaki doesn’t meet your criteria for a partner?"
Xiao Tian watched Mizuno Pengyu’s lips slightly moving without any sound, knowing this was a method of secret conversation. However, with his current ability, it was difficult to eavesdrop without detection, so he abandoned such intention, instead observing Ozawa Miwa to deduce some clues from her expressions and responses.
The middle-aged man, much more capable than both Xiao Tian and Mizuno Pengyu, could naturally eavesdrop entirely unnoticed, yet he chose to openly listen, hearing Mizuno Pengyu’s words fall into his ears word by word.
No one could say anything about this, as the middle-aged man’s actions were reasonable given he was Ozawa Miwa’s father.
And Mizuno Pengyu didn’t mind this, merely waiting for Ozawa Miwa’s reply.
In contrast, Ozawa Miwa’s brows knitted tightly together. She tried to restrain herself, but her facial features betrayed a sense of disdain and resistance, uncertain whether it was resistance towards Sugai Yasuaki mentioned by Mizuno Pengyu or simply indifferent towards Mizuno Pengyu himself, or perhaps both.
Taking a glance at her father, Ozawa Miwa seemed encouraged, calmly saying, "That’s right, Sugai Yasuaki isn’t my type, so I do not want to marry him!"
Her voice was faint, but in the presence of so many skillful individuals, naturally, not a word was missed; in an instant, the experts of both the royal family and the Mizuno Clan, once sincerely cooperative, became tense and guarded against each other.
Mizuno Pengyu showed no sign of discoloration, clearly prepared, and began to coax her gently, "I heard that Your Highness the Princess highly praised the Hunter before. Might Your Highness’s romantic interest, or rather, the one meeting your criteria be the Hunter?"
"..." Ozawa Miwa was about to answer directly but suddenly felt a sense of oppression, not strong but enough to alert her, as if she was being warned to not answer recklessly.
Her heart seemed to respond, turning her head toward the middle-aged man, she saw a face devoid of expression. Though there was no definite proof, she was certain that the inexplicable oppressive feeling originated from her father; only he could do this.
Suddenly, the young princess felt conflicted, glad for her father’s transformation yet worried that she might run out of time to say some words, since the poison of the Heart-Breaking Fruit had no antidote, a deep-rooted belief among every royal member.
Thinking of that, Ozawa Miwa disregarded everything else, directly replying, "That’s right, the one I like is Brother Xiao Tian!"
The middle-aged man was anxious, while Mizuno Pengyu showed a hint of successful expectation in his eyes, feigning surprise and asking, "Do the ones you love reciprocate?"
"Of course..." Ozawa Miwa wanted to say, "Of course," but suddenly remembered that Xiao Tian never verbally expressed love for her, nor did he say anything similar. Practical as she was, her subsequent words faltered.
At this moment, anyone could hear it; Ozawa Miwa’s words lacked confidence and contained many uncertainties, leading to even more intense discussions.
Mizuno Pengyu could also perceive this, smiling, "I fear even Your Highness the Princess isn’t sure, right?"
"Who says I’m not sure?" Ozawa Miwa defiantly countered, "He likes me too!"
Unfortunately, this statement came somewhat too late. Had Ozawa Miwa asserted this firmly at the beginning, Mizuno Pengyu might have had to work harder, but saying it now was slightly untimely.
Mizuno Pengyu suspiciously replied, "Is that so? If what Your Highness the Princess said is true, then where is the Hunter now? If he truly cares for you, how could he be absent from such an important occasion?"
Xiao Tian inwardly cursed, this guy couldn’t stop mentioning me, infuriatingly to the limit; I am right in front of you, are you blind?!
Ozawa Miwa argued back, "I didn’t tell him, how could he possibly know?"
Damn!
As soon as those words came out, Xiao Tian, the middle-aged man, and all those quick to react were astounded... Ozawa Miwa’s words were tantamount to admitting she had a secret connection with the Hunter.
And Xiao Tian’s and the middle-aged man’s concern lay in if Mizuno Pengyu seized on this point to stir up trouble, it would become a major issue; the royal family’s young princess being deeply connected with their nation’s enemy would be a nearly fatal blow to the royal family...