Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 152: Night of Wind and Tide (2)

Dragon Raja 3

“They say pets take on their owner’s personality. Maybe observing the cats more closely will give you a sense of the owner’s character.”

“But the two cats have completely different personalities,” Kimura said with a wry smile. “The cunning older sister and the timid younger brother.”

“Maybe the owner has a split personality,” the driver whispered. “Regardless of whether he’s cunning or timid, it’s certain the owner is a bit of a madman, right?”

Kimura smiled helplessly. Talking about the owner like this was very rude… but deep down, he really wanted to agree with the driver.

Since then, the Kuroishi Residence has been home to two cats, a butler, and a few maids in charge of cleaning. A company specializing in historic building restoration regularly sent people from Tokyo to repair the house, replace worn-out tatami, prune the ancient cherry trees in the garden, and groom the cats. Like the driver, they were just doing their jobs and had never met the owner. The company had signed a ten-year contract with the owner to maintain the Kuroishi Residence, ensuring it was always in top condition, ready for the owner’s arrival.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. The previous owner had already passed away, but the new owner remained untraceable.

Every morning and evening, Hiroshi Kimura would fill the hot spring pool facing the ocean with water. The owner once conveyed through the driver that he hoped there would always be a hot spring waiting for him at home, but that quaint hot spring pool had been empty for ten years.

Hiroshi Kimura grew older year by year, transforming from a dashing middle-aged man to a frail elder. In a few years, he would retire. In his prime, he never imagined that the final chapter of his career would be so ridiculous—year after year guarding an empty mansion, as lonely as a tomb keeper. The two cats, on the other hand, had hardly changed, except they had grown a bit fatter. The average lifespan of a cat was just over ten years, meaning they were already elderly, but they showed no signs of aging. After each year’s new coat grew in, they looked as snow-white as kittens for a while, only to gradually darken and appear like adult cats a month later. The elder sister bullied the younger brother day after day, chasing him around the entire house.

Ten years passed, the house did not change, the cats did not change, and they continued to wait every night in the best state possible for the master who never showed up. The only one who aged was the butler. Sometimes Kimura felt like the mansion was enchanted—dormant all these years, waiting for that one destined person to awaken it.

A wild gust of wind descended, scattering cherry blossoms, and making the garden seem as if a pink snowstorm had taken over.

Kimura looked up to see a black helicopter skimming over the roof. This often happened; young members of the Coast Guard were curious about the mansion and would often fly low over the Kuroishi Residence under the pretense of duty. But there were no socialites bathing in the hot spring, just scattered petals all over the garden each time.

“Gentlemen! Could you fly a little higher? Cleaning up the garden is a lot of work!” Kimura shouted angrily, waving his hand.

The wind noise from the helicopter gradually faded away, but a moment later, faint splashing sounds came from deep within the garden.

Kimura was initially stunned, then felt a rush of blood to his head… there was no mistaking it—someone was bathing in the hot spring! Given his strict management, none of the maids would dare use the owner’s exclusive hot spring. If a thief had snuck in, surely their aim would have been the valuable furnishings rather than sneaking into the bath. Having ruled out every impossible situation, the truth remained… the owner was here! The owner had finally arrived! That helicopter flying over the roof was not from the Coast Guard; it was the owner’s aircraft! The owner had directly landed in the garden and was now taking a bath!

Kimura’s hands and feet trembled with excitement; ten years of waiting had finally led to a result!

“Calm down! Calm down! Don’t panic! Don’t lose the dignity of the Residence!” he yelled internally.

Should he wear a kimono or a suit to greet the owner? Should he wake the maids who were already asleep? Should he line them up to welcome the owner, or should he prepare a late-night snack? Kimura was somewhat flustered, never imagining the owner would arrive in such a way.

But on second thought, the owner’s first action after arriving was to soak in the hot spring, so he probably wasn’t one for formality. A hot spring was meant for leisure and enjoyment, and having a large group of people waiting on the owner would be less than ideal. Still, having no one serve would also be improper, so Kimura set off running towards the garden.

In the corridor leading to the hot spring, there was a pair of pointed, high-heeled shoes, along with a scattered suit, stockings, sunglasses, and lace underwear… Kimura paused, his image of the owner taking a 180-degree turn. From what he could see, unless the owner had a penchant for cross-dressing, she was clearly a young girl. Kimura quickly scanned the scene, analyzing the situation: The owner wore a Christian Dior number two suit, black Christian Louboutin heels, Wolford black stockings, and La Perla black lingerie… This was a young girl, in her twenties, standing between 165 to 170 cm tall, weighing about 50 kg. She was dressed quite formally, but it was entirely different from what Kimura had imagined. These were all top-tier brands, fitting the owner’s identity, but too orthodox—she felt more like a young, capable Wall Street financial executive. But the owner shouldn’t be this kind of person, right? The kind of person who could buy a mansion in fifteen minutes and leave it idle for ten years—shouldn’t she be some idle, wealthy heir? Shouldn’t she wear hip-hop street brands? Pants hanging low, limited-edition sneakers, T-shirts from unknown designers, with a rebellious attitude? How could someone dressed so strictly and meticulously be an eccentric?

Hanging on the doorknob was a bronze key, the key to the front door of the Kuroishi Residence, of which there were only two—the other hanging from Kimura’s waist. The truth was now undeniable: the owner had arrived, albeit ten years late.

“Hiroshi Kimura, butler of the Kuroishi Residence, welcomes you!” Kimura stood at the door, loudly introducing himself.

“I’m glad someone’s still awake at this hour. Are there any eggs left in the house? I’d like to make an onsen tamago,” the girl in the hot spring said with a light laugh.

“I’ll bring them immediately; please wait a moment!”

Onsen tamago, or hot spring egg, is a Japanese pastime where eggs are boiled in the hot spring water until they are cooked just as you start sweating—a fun way to enjoy them with sake.

“I’ve brought the Kubota Manju sake and fresh eggs,” Kimura returned with a tray in under a minute, panting heavily but speaking with composure.

“If you don’t mind, please bring them over.” Through the cherry tree branches, Kimura could see the owner stretching, her figure graceful and long.

The owner had given her command, and Kimura couldn’t refuse. Years ago, there were actresses who had jumped naked into the hot spring in his presence without any hesitation. Now, as an old man, he was indifferent to many things. A young girl’s body meant nothing to him.

He made his way through the cherry grove, finally seeing the long-awaited… Though it felt odd to use that word, he indeed had dreamed of meeting this elusive owner.