"What?"
"You want to buy the only keepsake my father left me."
"No... absolutely not. I refuse."
Kazahana Koyuki crossed her hands in a gesture of refusal toward Xuandou, a trace of anger appearing on her fair, delicate face.
Xuandou smiled and raised his right hand.
"One hundred million."
"No, not even for one hundred million. This is the only thing my father left behind."
"Five hundred million."
"Not even for five hundred million, Lord Xuandou. To me, this is priceless. Please stop pressuring me."
Kazahana Koyuki spoke softly, making no attempt to hide the resistance on her face. She ventured cautiously:
"Lord Xuandou, I'll give you five hundred million. Considering that I provided you with information, could you pretend this never happened?"
Five hundred million?
You've got this completely backward. What do you take me for? Am I that kind of person?
Still, did being a star pay that well?
Tsunade had only earned a little over a billion ryō in fees over all these years. How could Kazahana Koyuki offer five hundred million just like that?
No, aside from the money she earned as a star, her father, Kazahana Sōsetsu, must have left her considerable savings as the former Daimyō of the Land of Snow.
That was how she could produce five hundred million all at once.
Xuandou understood.
He could no longer make Kazahana Koyuki submit simply by throwing money at her. For an individual, once money reached a certain amount, it was merely a number.
With that thought, Xuandou spoke pointedly:
"According to what you said earlier... I avenged your father's murder. That should certainly make me your benefactor."
"Your benefactor is asking you for one favor. I don't want your five hundred million, either. Just lend your benefactor the keepsake your father, Kazahana Sōsetsu, left