My love index is at its maximum.

What would it feel like to remove my fingers...? The minister's thoughts began to wander.

As if pressing her advantage, Shimamoto Kana leaned closer and put her arms around Kuriyama Sakura's shoulders: "Sakura, before he ruins you, wake up."

Kuriyama Sakura felt somewhat embarrassed and remained silent.

Gradually, Shimamoto Kana's gaze, which had been fixed on her, began to turn cold, completely devoid of warmth. It was as if ice water had seeped into her nerves, a chilling sensation.

To forcefully suppress the chill, Kuriyama Sakura asked, "Did my arrival upset Shimamoto-sensei?"

“Of course, this is my and Tazaki’s home,” Kana Shimamoto replied in extremely concise words.

The voice sounded like a reprimand, and Kuriyama Sakura's back trembled slightly. The tremor reached Shimamoto Kana's palm, and she smiled meaningfully: "I don't think any wife would welcome a woman who can be put on her husband's arm at any time into her home."

Tazaki Tsukasa peeked out through the crack in the door and could hear their conversation very clearly, but all that existed was the conversation itself; the topic of their conversation lacked coherence.

Kuriyama Sakura lowered her head and stared silently at her toes.

Kana Shimamoto smiled knowingly and watched her from the side.

Even though the heating was on, the living room felt surprisingly cold.

Suddenly, Tsukasa Tazaki felt as if he were standing at a distance, watching drifting ice.

Perhaps it was because the branches outside the window were swaying in the cold wind that it felt as if stepping into the living room would immediately plunge one into a bottomless abyss of ice.

Mrs. Tazaki is terrifying...

Tsukasa Tazaki pulled his neck back and focused on making his own meal.

As for how the Minister will deal with Mrs. Tazaki's advances, that's her own business...

"Ah~"

After a brief sigh, Kuriyama Sakura frowned slightly: "...So, Shimamoto-sensei is going to kick me out?"

His voice was clearly tinged with confusion.

From Shimamoto Kana's perspective, such hostility is understandable. However, from any angle, she shouldn't have shown it so obviously.

“Even if things don’t go as planned, you should still give a clear and unambiguous response.” Shimamoto Kana observed her expression, her gaze seemingly trying to discern her true intentions: “Because if things don’t end well, you two will be entangled in an endless mess. That’s a huge problem for me.”

"It takes time to summarize and conclude..."

"That won't work either."

Shimamoto Kana interrupted her, tapping her fingers on the table with a thud, and said with a smile, "Don't use this as a shield. As Mrs. Tazaki, I will only consider things from Tazaki Tsukasa's perspective. You need to be decisive, understand? Before you get completely involved, please stay clear-headed. I don't want my Tazaki to stumble because of you."

Kuriyama Sakura fell silent again.

“Think about it, what if you still dump him in the end? How heartbroken would he be?” Shimamoto Kana continued in an almost accusatory tone. “My Tazaki is very stubborn. Once he’s made up his mind, it’s hard for him to let go. I can’t persuade him otherwise. But I can’t just watch him walk into this quagmire you’re in. You understand my feelings, right?”

Kuriyama Sakura, who had been looking down with a pained expression, suddenly raised her head and became serious.

"...What a low-level provocation."

Her voice, which had been trembling and weak, was so faint that it seemed to be about to disappear, making it impossible to tell whether she was angry or disdainful.

Well, whatever.

She's taken it seriously now.

Silently shaking her shoulders and exhaling damp breath, Kuriyama Sakura turned her head, a smile playing on her lips: "This provocation was really clumsy, but very effective. The phrase 'my Tazaki' successfully enraged me. Since Shimamoto-sensei has put it this way, I'll accept the challenge. After all, I've always been a competitive person!"

With a slightly embarrassed expression, Kana Shimamoto rested her cheek on her hand and sighed in frustration: "You may have misunderstood me."

“That’s Shimamoto-sensei’s own fault.” Kuriyama Sakura stood up, lifting her skirt, and looked towards the kitchen: “…This is something that doesn’t even need to be considered. The answer has already been decided. Given enough time, he will definitely become hopelessly infatuated with me, and if I want him to, he will definitely belong to me!”

That's all.

Brushing aside the ponytail that had fallen onto her shoulders, Ms. Kuriyama smiled bravely and fearlessly.

With the air of a victor, he strode out and headed towards the attic.

She planned to take a shower, change into clean and refreshing clothes, and then enjoy a delicious dinner.

Also, tonight when you go to sleep, you must keep Tsukasa Tazaki on the second floor, leaving Kana Shimamoto alone in the room!

Kana Shimamoto watched Sakura Kuriyama's retreating figure and muttered softly, "If you're willing... then you can't escape..."

Then.

The wife put on her slippers and went into the kitchen.

Hugging Tsukasa Tazaki from behind as she washed vegetables in the sink, she said smugly, "I've gone to so much trouble for you, you scumbag."

Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at her.

Those deep, complex eyes seemed to be silently asking, "Do you understand what to do next?"

And then there was her smiling face, which seemed to be eagerly awaiting the answer to the riddle. Tazaki Tsukasa responded with a mischievous grin: "In the not-too-distant future, I will definitely make Kuriyama call you 'older sister,' preferably when the three of us are lying in the same bed."

Chapter 299 The night is getting darker at the Tazaki family

After preparing the meal, I brought it to the living room.

"It smells so good!"

The minister's voice came from the staircase, and Tsukasa Tazaki turned around to look.

She carried the cat and slowly walked down from the second floor. The room lights illuminated her young body, which had just finished bathing, like spotlights. Her dark hair was still damp, her cheeks were flushed, and her usually clear eyes were softer than usual.

After staring blankly for a few seconds in surprise, Tsukasa Tazaki realized it again.

Judging solely by looks, the department head is truly in a league of his own. Even setting aside Tsukasa Tazaki's personal subjective impression, the answer would probably be the same from an outsider's perspective.

If it weren't for her large breasts holding her back, she would probably be the only woman in the world with a charm score of 10.

"...What are you looking at?"

Kuriyama Sakura subconsciously examined herself.

She was wearing fluffy pajamas, a clean and simple style, and cotton slippers on her feet, dressed in a casual style that looked like she was "getting ready to go to the convenience store across the street".

"No, it's nothing." Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head. "Put the cat down, wash your hands, and come eat dinner."

As the two were talking, Shimamoto Kana, who had just finished showering, also came into the living room.

The room was heated, so she simply wore a very light white floral dress. Although it wasn't as tight as a pencil skirt, her waist and hips still looked firm, perky, and alluring.

In addition, her smooth thighs and lotus root-white calves were exposed, and Tsukasa Tazaki couldn't help but swallow after just a few glances.

Kuriyama Sakura also stared at her blankly.

The white nightgown, tied with a belt, was so sheer that the outline of her body was clearly visible.

It was the first time the department head had seen Shimamoto-sensei dressed like a young housewife, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Her slender neck was exposed beneath her high bun, and her curves were incredibly beautiful, from her round, high breasts to her slim waist and full hips.

As she looked down, Kuriyama Sakura subconsciously glanced down at her shoes, where she could see the tips of the shoes directly.

Is the gap really that big...? The minister frowned unhappily.

"Hmm, is dinner ready?" Shimamoto Kana walked between the two.

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded: "We can eat now."

Looking closer, her skin, fresh from her bath, was radiant and glowing with a rosy hue. The scent of her body cream, enhanced by the hot water, was like a moving fragrance, filling the air with a warm, sweet aroma.

At this moment, Mrs. Tazaki looked incredibly sweet and alluring.

This fragrance should have been pleasant, but to Kuriyama Sakura, it smelled extremely dangerous.

She personally prefers light floral scents, or refreshing scents like mint and bergamot. The scent emanating from Shimamoto Kana was far too aggressive; she frowned, staring at Shimamoto Kana like a cat whose private territory had been invaded.

The minister was on high alert, while Kana Shimamoto was in the opposite mood, extremely happy.

Humming a cheerful tune, she took out wine and a wine glass from the refrigerator, tiptoed to the sofa, sat down, and then rolled around on her back.

Stretching comfortably, her smooth legs peeking out from under her skirt twitched a few times. She tilted her head and called out sweetly to Tsukasa Tazaki, "Honey, come have dinner with me soon~"

moment.

Kuriyama Sakura got goosebumps all over.

To her, that deliberately affected, coquettish voice was as unpleasant as someone scraping the blackboard in the classroom with sharp fingernails.

It was intentional!

Mrs. Tazaki did it on purpose!

Tsukasa Tazaki was absolutely certain of this.

The two have been living together for so long that they can be considered an old married couple. The wife has never been so flirtatious before. Kuriyama Sakura finally came to stay here for one night, and she turned into this. If it's not a story, then is spring coming early to check in?

Kana Shimamoto stared at the two people standing dumbfounded at the top of the stairs, and smiled charmingly: "What are you waiting for? Come on over~"

"Minister...Minister..." Tsukasa Tazaki forced himself to smile naturally and kept his tone calm, "Let's go eat, or the food will get cold..."

Kuriyama Sakura turned around and glared at him with icy eyes.

Her slightly puffed-out cheeks seemed to be sending a signal that "I'm really going to get angry."

Mei, the cat held in her arms, glanced at Tsukasa Tazaki, then stretched her neck and yawned widely before returning to her original position of lying on her chest.

"Ms. Shimamoto..." Tazaki Tsukasa looked helplessly at the older woman lying on the sofa and said wearily, "You're supposed to be an intellectual librarian, please don't ruin your image..."

Hearing this, Shimamoto Kana nodded as if she understood: "I understand. Then I'll hide my current enthusiasm for now and go to your room to find you after Kuriyama-san goes to sleep."

“…Let’s eat, let’s eat.” Tazaki Tsukasa tugged at Kuriyama Sakura’s sleeve and walked toward the sofa.

The long sleeves of her pajamas were pulled up slightly, revealing the girl's fair wrists with very sexy bones.

Dinner was quite plentiful, including a mixed vegetable dish with various mushrooms and potatoes, boiled shrimp, braised beef, and clam soup.

The three of them sat around a small table, carefully eating their food. The food itself was simple, but Tsukasa Tazaki's cooking skills were already at a master level. He controlled the seasonings very precisely, and after a few bites, they felt warm all over.

Kana Shimamoto poured some white grapes into a wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Don't drink so much," Tsukasa Tazaki advised.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll reward myself with a couple more drinks." Shimamoto Kana poured herself a little more, gently swirled the glass a few times, slowly swallowed, and then half-closed her eyes to savor the mellow aroma of the wine.

This series of movements is full of elegance and beauty; it's something you absolutely can't do without experience attending cocktail parties.

Kuriyama Sakura ate her food in silence.