April 19th.
1:55 PM.
Luo Shu stood at the top of the slope, watching as the Sawamura Family's gates automatically opened before him.
The endlessly flowing fountain, the meticulously trimmed money tree... Compared to yesterday, the Sawamura residence seemed unchanged, yet in his heart, it felt undeniably different.
'It looks much more deserted now.' Luo Shu gazed at the seemingly empty villa and thought to himself with some irony, 'After all, I was the one who ordered all the staff to be taken away for investigation.'
Although he had obtained intelligence about Enigma from Nia Honjo and confirmed the innocence of most Sawamura Family members, certain procedures still had to be followed.
Given the incident where the head of the household was basically assassinated by a retainer's family member, without an official clearance certificate from the SDS, the Sawamura staff might struggle to find employment in the future.
After such an event, even Luo Shu couldn't guarantee whether Sayuri Sawamura would dismiss all the household staff.
Shaking his head, Luo Shu stepped through the automatically opened iron gate and made his way to the main entrance.
Kochiyo Rurukawa, still dressed in her maid uniform, stood coldly at the door waiting for him. However, compared to her usual aloofness, there now seemed to be a trace of distress on her face.
"Good afternoon, Mr Luo Shu." Kochiyo Rurukawa bowed politely to him.
"So it's you again, Rurukawa..." Luo Shu smiled at her and joked casually, "Sometimes I think you should just become my maid. That way, you wouldn't have to wait here every day—you could come with me instead."
Kochiyo Rurukawa seemed slightly surprised by this remark but maintained her composure as she replied:
"If you require a maid, Mr Luo Shu, I can recommend some suitable candidates."
"Hahaha, rejected just like that." Luo Shu laughed heartily, unbothered by her refusal, and cheerfully asked, "Are Sayuri and Eriri home?"
Hearing Luo Shu address the mistress so casually, Kochiyo Rurukawa's eyelid twitched slightly, but she said nothing. Instead, she turned and stated:
"Madam and the young lady are already waiting. Please follow me."
Luo Shu nodded and followed Kochiyo Rurukawa through the corridors, arriving once again at the reception room.
Upon pushing open the door, he saw Sayuri Sawamura leaning her head against the sofa, seemingly resting, while Eriri lay on the sofa with her head pillowed on Utaha Kasumigaoka's lap, a blanket draped over her.
Noticing Luo Shu entering, Utaha raised a finger to her lips, signalling for silence while gesturing towards Eriri.
"Did she just fall asleep?" Luo Shu's expression turned slightly complicated as he observed Eriri, whose head rested on Utaha's lap, with tear stains still faintly visible at the corners of her eyes.
Logically, Luo Shu should have felt pity and tenderness in such a situation—just as he had indulged Eriri's whims in the past.
But the moment he recalled Robert's true identity and that of 'Lady' Enigma, his emotions became decidedly more nuanced.
The person wasn't dead, just... gender-swapped. Expecting him to feign grief in this scenario would require acting skills far beyond his capabilities.
At that moment, Utaha gently stroked Eriri's ear with her right hand, administering a mental soothing spell until Eriri sank deeper into sleep. Only then did she look up at Luo Shu:
"Finished handling matters?"
"Done. That person recently provoked a powerful enemy and plans to take refuge at the garrison for a while."
Facing Utaha, Luo Shu saw no reason to conceal the truth, offering a concise explanation of yesterday's outcome.
"I see."
Utaha nodded in understanding, realising why Nia Honjo had proactively contacted Luo Shu—apparently due to formidable adversaries.
Though wary of these so-called 'powerful enemies,' Utaha considered it a worthwhile trade if it secured a Spirit's allegiance—an outright bargain, even.
After all, for the current Hidden Management Department, a Spirit represented an instant Demigod Rank combat asset requiring no additional training.
Reading Utaha's expression, Luo Shu immediately grasped her train of thought—along with its divergence from reality. But explanations would have to wait, for their hushed conversation had abruptly roused Sayuri Sawamura.
"My, did I doze off just now?"
"Yes, madam." Kochiyo Rurukawa, who had been approaching to wake Sayuri, withdrew her hand respectfully. "You might require proper rest."
"My apologies, last night kept me rather busy—I'm not quite myself today."
Covering a yawn, Sayuri flashed Luo Shu a playful smile:
"But I doubt Luo Shu minds, do you?"
Her eyes twinkled with their usual mischievousness as she blinked at him.
Witnessing this demeanour, Luo Shu felt both admiration and hesitation—uncertain whether to reveal the truth.
"Oh? Why so conflicted? Keeping secrets from me?"
Sayuri suddenly scrutinised Luo Shu before crescenting her eyes mischievously:
"Could it be... you're delighted to see me as a widow, little Luo Shu?"
"Should I interpret this as reminding me to mind my manners?"
Luo Shu sighed helplessly. A moment's hesitation had provoked this response—typical of Sayuri.
If before she'd joked about ethical boundaries, now she was clearly drawing the line.
Is this also a change brought about by widowhood?
No, for Sayuri Sawamura, it should actually be the loss of a wife.
"How could that be? Little Luo Shu really is such an overthinker. That's not good—you'll go grey early."
Hearing Sayuri Sawamura's elder-like tone, Luo Shu was brimming with the urge to retort internally.
'You say that's not what you meant, yet your words still assume the role of an elder. Don't you find that contradictory, madam?'
But contradictions aside, Luo Shu had to admit he was no match for Sayuri Sawamura in a battle of wits.
A mature woman was on a completely different level from a young girl like Eriri—there was at least three Utaha Kasumigaokas' worth of difference between them.
Thus, when it came to Sayuri Sawamura, Luo Shu could only resort to dirty tricks.
"My hesitation just now was merely because I was considering whether to share the investigation results with you, madam."
Luo Shu emphasised the word "madam," a subtle change Sayuri naturally picked up on. However, she didn't mind whether Luo Shu changed his attitude for now—after all, the decision-making power lay entirely in her hands. If she wasn't willing, no one could force her under normal circumstances.
"So, what were the results?"
Luo Shu lowered his eyes and said earnestly:
"Are you certain you want me to say it here?"
He had already caught sight of Eriri's ears twitching out of the corner of his eye.
"Say it here." Sayuri Sawamura was eerily calm, almost unnaturally so. "It's time for her to grow up, even if the cost is high."
'Does she know Eriri is pretending to sleep?' Luo Shu gave Sayuri a surprised glance but said nothing, pausing briefly before speaking slowly:
"I recall that although you haven't publicly professed faith in Christianity, you still underwent baptism and received a Christian name, correct?"
"Yes." A hint of nostalgia and sorrow crossed Sayuri's face. "He was the one who chose it for me."
The identity of "he" went without saying.
"What is your Christian name?" Luo Shu asked solemnly, his tone carefully controlled to avoid emotional fluctuation.
"Maria." Sayuri sighed. "The name he gave me was Maria, the same as the Virgin Mother."
Hearing this, Luo Shu lowered his gaze, struggling to suppress the corners of his mouth as he all but laid his cards on the table:
"The results of my investigation indicate..."
"In Mr Robert's eyes, you were likely the woman in the world most suited to the name Maria."
Sayuri visibly froze, tilting her head slightly to the left as if she hadn't quite processed the words.
But soon, realisation dawned on the mature woman. Her face paled dramatically, disbelief flooding her expression.