Although he didn't know why, Noah sensed that Sakura seemed to be hesitant and conflicted.
Sensing that Kariya was shouting louder and louder downstairs and seemed about to come upstairs, Noah had no choice but to leave the study first.
Meanwhile, Byakuya was already standing in front of the stairs, glaring downstairs with displeasure and even disgust.
Noah was quite curious about this scene.
"Hey, isn't he your younger brother? Why do you seem to dislike him?"
When Byakuya came to his senses, he subconsciously showed respect, but because the look of disgust on his face had not been completely wiped away, he looked somewhat comical.
"Well, Lord Noah, you don't know this, but that guy has been mentally unstable since he was a child, and he certainly doesn't respect me."
Noah could see a hint of jealousy, envy, and resentment in his eyes.
Noah had seen too many people like Byakuya, and he understood what he was thinking almost instantly.
He was just an ordinary person, while his younger brother had a Magus's talent that surpassed his own and had been designated as the heir of the Matou family at a young age.
At the same time, his brother possesses the spirit that he lacks, daring to defy even that terrifying old guy, and eventually successfully escapes from the Matou family, living a free and unrestrained life.
It's probably a mixture of envy and jealousy, a feeling of being far inferior, and then a sense of disgust that arises in an attempt to suppress that sense of inadequacy.
Often, people know what is right, but because of their desires and cowardice, they cannot take that step and live a twisted and repressed life.
Noah rolled his eyes as he experienced the Matou family's situation once again.
At the same time, he couldn't help but think of a question: after he left, who would take care of Sakura's education and protection?
First of all, Sakura possesses extremely outstanding aptitude for Magecraft, so she cannot live like an ordinary person and must be trained in a Magus family.
That limits the number of choices.
Stay at the Matou family's house? No way.
This guy probably wouldn't dare to have any bad intentions, but given his lazy, cowardly, and selfish nature, even if he's just offering advice and serving others, he'll likely lead Sakura astray.
Moreover, the Matou family will likely decline soon.
Sending her back to the Tohsaka family? That's even more unacceptable.
For a child, no matter the reason, being sent to a dangerous place will only be seen as being abandoned by their parents.
Even if both parties tacitly pretend that nothing happened, the rift between them will only deepen. Living in that kind of environment would definitely be quite psychologically damaging.
In other words, Noah must find someone who can protect Sakura.
Finding a nanny from a group of Magi who are mostly twisted, cold blooded, and lacking in a sense of good and evil is probably no easier than winning the Holy Grail War.
Ugh, this is so annoying.
Distracted, Noah waved his hand, interrupting Byakuya's rambling.
"Alright, alright, go and find a way to get rid of him. Don't reveal my presence, and it's best to pretend everything is as before."
"Yes! Please leave it to me!"
Upon receiving the order, Byakuya, stood tall and proud like a teenager with delusions of grandeur, almost raising his hand to salute.
For Byakuya, these past few days have been arguably the happiest days of his life.
The mere fact that the old guy died was enough to make Byakuya laugh for, even if it meant becoming a penniless vagrant.
Not to mention, he was still the head of the Matou family and could continue to enjoy a life of luxury.
Even though his life and death were still in the hands of others, Noah treated him no differently than an ant, ignoring him most of the time and showing no concern for his private life.
For the first time, Byakuya felt that life was full of sunshine. He hadn't even drunk any alcohol in the past few days and was preparing to make a name for himself as the head of the Matou family!
Watching Byakuya walk away, looking radiant and even much younger, Noah didn't leave. Instead, he continued to listen to the sounds in the corridor.
He wanted to see if Kariya, who had received good reviews, could be Sakura's guardian.
"Hey! Kariya, what are you doing back here again?"
"Byakuya? I'm here to see Zouken! Tell him to come out! I don't believe he's not here!"
"You son of a bitch, I'm the head of the Matou family! I'm your brother! Look me in the eye when you speak!"
"Zouken! I know you're here! I've come to make a deal with you! I'll fight the Holy Grail War for you! In exchange, spare Sakura! Do you really want to wait another sixty years?"
"Look at me!!!"
Sakura slowly walked out of the study and saw Noah slowly close his eyes after hearing those words.
Unfavored children are often better at reading people's expressions and moods, and Sakura was one of them.
What she saw on Noah's face was neither indifference nor contempt, but a rather complex expression.
It was a bit like the expression on his face a few days ago when she taught him how to fry eggs but failed more than ten times, but with a hint of disappointment in it.
This left her a little confused. Why would Noah be disappointed?
While Sakura was thinking, Noah suddenly looked down at her.
"Sakura, I need to talk to Matou Kariya about something. Do you want to go back to your bedroom?"
Noah didn't explain, but Sakura could sense that it seemed to be something related to her.
Sakura didn't speak, but walked to Noah's side, took his hand, and pressed it against her face, squinting her eyes, tilting her head, and rubbing against him like a kitten that loves its owner.
Sigh, how can I feel at ease with you like this?
Noah pinched Sakura's face and looked downstairs.
Byakuya almost got into a fight with Kariya, who was about to rush up to him.
However, Noah was certain that he wasn't doing this to complete the task he had assigned, but was simply angry because he had been ignored by his brother.
What kind of thought process is this?
"Byakuya! That's enough, bring him up here!"
Noah thought he would have to say a few more words to bring the Matou brothers, who were caught up in the fight, back to their senses.
Fortunately, the two men, bruised and battered, quickly made it upstairs.
"Sakura!"
He was a man dressed in simple sportswear. He should be relatively young, but he seemed to have been worn down by life's hardships. His skin was somewhat rough, and he actually looked a bit older than Byakuya next to him.
Even so, the strong and sharp spirit emanating from his eyes was incomparable to Byakuya.
The moment he saw the small figure in the purple dress, Kariya seemed to forget the bruises on his face and rushed toward Sakura with a look of joy.
"Sakura! I've finally found you! Come with me!"
Overwhelmed with joy, Kariya didn't even see Noah beside him; all he wanted to do was rush forward and carry the girl away, just like he used to.
However, Sakura nimbly took a step back, hid behind Noah.
The girl's complex yet wary gaze brought Kariya back to his senses, and he then noticed the silver-haired youth looking down at him.
No, although he was tall enough, his overly handsome face made him look somewhat immature compared to a young man.
From the example of Zouken, Kariya learned that most Magi have methods to maintain their youth.
But when he saw the youth's clear eyes, he knew that the other party was definitely not an old guy, but someone whose appearance matched his age.
But this young man, just standing quietly in front of him, exuded a majestic nobility that made him want to kneel down and worship.
Even Kariya, who never lacked courage in front of Zouken, couldn't muster any thought of fighting him at this moment.
Kariya quickly found the reason. There was an insurmountable distance between them, so vast that they couldn't even see each other clearly, let alone cross it.
The other party was like a mountain standing under the sky; just standing there quietly made him clearly aware of his own insignificance and humility.
This is a powerful figure, even more terrifying than Zouken. He could probably kill him with just a glance.
It will probably be very difficult to rescue Sakura from him.
Now, Kariya has completely stopped thinking about Zouken's problem.
Like Byakuya, the moment he saw Noah appear at the Matou residence, he knew that the old guy must be dead.
Noah could vaguely sense from Kariya's eyes how chaotic his thoughts were at that moment.
Noah gave Byakuya a look and then led Sakura toward the study.
"Kariya, please come in and have a seat."
Although Kariya rarely came to this study, he still felt a little strange seeing the youth treating him like a host.
What's even stranger is that he felt no resistance whatsoever; he simply followed behind like a child visiting another family with adults.
After sitting down in the chair opposite the new sofa, Kariya heard Noah across from him speak.
"To make a long story short, I've already killed Zouken. In my personal opinion, it would be best if Sakura could stay away from the conflicts and find a place to live quietly..."
Before Noah could speak, Sakura suddenly grabbed his arm, squeezing it quite tightly.
But following closely behind was Kariya, who suddenly stood up.
"Then! Please entrust Sakura to me! I will take her away from Fuyuki City and give her a stable life!"
The next second, Kariya's excitement was easily extinguished by Noah's gaze.
"I had considered it before, but I gave up just now... because you're too stupid."
Kariya's face flushed instantly.
"What did I just hear? You actually said you're going to make a deal with that old guy? I wonder how stupid you have to be to make such a decision...just one question, what will you do if that old worm goes back on his word?"
Like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, Kariya's face instantly turned pale.
"You know, if I hadn't come, you might be the only one in this world who would have saved this child. Yet you actually handed over the power to decide your own life to the enemy? So what if that old guy broke the deal? Who can punish him? I'm afraid the only price he'll pay is laughing until tears stream down his face while your body is lying on the ground."
With his defenses breached, Kariya let out an angry roar.
"What can I do? I don't know Magecraft! What else can I do?!"
Noah's casual glance was enough to freeze his anger completely.
"Really not? Then why don't you try explaining the situation to Tohsaka Tokiomi?"
The moment that name was mentioned, Noah clearly sensed a change in the breathing and heartbeat of Sakura and Kariya.
Outside the window, the city was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing magnificent and splendid.
But that beautiful scene seemed to be isolated by the suddenly frozen air in the room.
Although Noah embraced Sakura and patted her back to comfort her, his gaze toward Kariya showed no tenderness.
"From the perspective of saving Sakura, there should be many ways, right? Whether it's seeking help from other Magi or breaking into the Matou family while Zouken is out, it should be better than directly cooperating with Zouken. Besides, shouldn't the first thing an ordinary person thinks of is finding the child's parents?"
Under those calm eyes, devoid of even indifference, Kariya felt not only incredibly small, but also completely exposed to his innermost thoughts and feelings.
Even the darkest corners, those shadows he had never noticed before, were exposed to the light.
"I'd like to ask you, why didn't you ever think of looking for Tohsaka Tokiomi?"