Akira could not understand the intentions of the man who called himself Cherry Blossom. However, she decided there was no harm in satisfying her scientific curiosity. If she could learn something new, perhaps the day would not feel wasted.

"I am a little interested in the method used to delay the flowering season of the trees. These plants have a stringent flowering pattern, and with climate change, they are flowering earlier each year than ever." She said.

Cherry Blossom's eyes shone with an attentive glow. He never found anyone with a keen interest in flowers or botany. Most women who talked about flowers were only interested in their beautiful colours or conferred floral meaning.

He liked it when his flowers were admired for their beauty, but no one ever asked how he did it. The curiosity made him happy.

His fascination with the girl increased.

He had heard about this new daughter of the Yamazaki family. While he did not like getting involved in the gossip and politics of the Mountain Ridge families, he preferred to remain informed about the occurrences.

The news about Akira was less than flattering and bordering on libel. The most interesting bit was how she had driven her cousin mad due to her jealousy.

He remembered that cousin. She was quite the gifted pianist for her age. If she kept developing and did not meet accidents, she could be as respectable in the field as Satou Makiko. It seemed that the Yamazaki clan was not lacking in artistic talent.

"What are your guesses?" Cherry Blossom asked Akira with a teasing smile.

Akira looked at a tree before turning back to the man.

"There are only two possibilities: chemical hormone control or induced mutation." She said. "Of course, I have heard that the garden does not use any chemicals that could harm the natural environment. So, the trees are probably mutants." She responded.

Cherry Blossom smiled and clapped his hands at the response.

"You are quite right. These babies are my special creations. I figured out a method to introduce a vector into the tree that delays and prolongs the flowering season." He smiled as he patted a tree.

Akira nodded in understanding. It was what she expected.

"Naturally, I patented the system and built a glorious garden to celebrate my first triumph in the world of botany." Cherry Blossom indicated to the garden before turning to Akira and assessing her with that gentle smile.

"Would you like to know the secret of my success with the vector?" He asked with an intent to lure in Akira. "Of course, I intend to tell all my secrets to only one woman in my life."

Akira frowned at both the words and the suggestive look in Cherry Blossom's eyes.

She understood the implications behind his words, so she did not want to know these secrets.

However, before she could respond to the man, she felt someone pull her by the waist and hold her to a warm chest.

An alarm rang in her mind because she had not sensed anyone approaching. Then, she inhaled the scent of cool mint merged perfectly with a cherry blossom aroma, and it intoxicated her senses.

She wanted to fight his hold for a short moment, but she decided against it. She was supposed to watch him. If she alienated him and embarrassed him before Cherry Blossom, he might not trust her, and her mission would become harder.

At least, that is what she told herself as she remained docile in the strong arms.

"My Akira does not know all my secrets yet, so she does not have time to learn about irrelevant people," Kaito spoke with a dangerous edge to his voice. "Mr Cherry Blossom needs to find someone else to listen to his weal and woe."

Cherry Blossom looked at the two people with increasing interest.

He had also heard of the son of the Takahashi family. From the rumours, he was a careless and foppish man without ambition. He was apparently raised in a poor region before attaining some success. But he had quit his job to enjoy the family wealth.

No one took him seriously in the Takahashi family despite welcoming him back to the fold. Cherry Blossom theorised that he was a dispensable pawn for the Takahashi patriarch against his insolent eldest son.

Cherry Blossom smiled at the man. It seemed like the truth in the grapevine about Takahashi Kaito could not be further from the rumours. He could see that this man called Kaito was not a simple one.

However, the more interesting thing was that Kaito and Akira seemed to know each other. What are the chances that the two returnees of wealthy families were close and even together?

It seemed like Mountain Ridge was about to get a little more interesting.

Still, he would not give up on the first woman to perk up his interest in a long while.

"Is that so?" Cherry Blossom used Akira's words to challenge Kaito. "Akira, you are welcome to explore my garden on any day. Perhaps we can exchange some insights."

With that, he turned and left.

Kaito turned Akira by her shoulders to face him. Her large doe eyes looked into his narrowed wicked ones. She did not know if she was imagining it, but there seemed to be a strange madness brewing in the dark eyes.

"What did I tell you about other men?" Kaito asked with a tight voice.

Akira did not know what he was going on about, but she wanted to appease her mission target.

"I did not touch him. I only chatted with him a little because he is a strange person." She responded honestly.

Kaito became angrier, and the storm in his eyes became a little more turbulent. He grabbed her waist and pulled her against his body.

"I thought I was the only strange man you know." He said while lowering his head.

Akira looked up and their eyes met, creating a strange tempestuous connection. She licked her lips to alleviate the sudden feeling of dryness. Kaito watched her small innocent action with the enraptured obsession glowing in his eyes. His arms tightened around the delicate waist.

"I had not met him yet." She finally responded.

"And?" Kaito asked with that dangerous edge slipping back into his voice.

"I did not hold his hand," Akira remembered what Kaito had said.

Kaito growled and pulled her tightly against his body as if he was trying to absorb her into his person. Akira was a little dazed. She wondered why she did not push him away and hit him where it hurts. She had never been so close to anyone.

"What are you thinking about while I am holding you?" Kaito asked while looking into the clear eyes.

Akira did not respond as she questioned her sanity. She could not put a finger on the cause of her unusual behaviour when it came to Kaito.

The possessive madness churned in the wicked man's eyes before he bent his head a little more and bit the tempting lips below his in punishment.