to administer the affairs of state
treacherous; dangerous; untrustworthy; sneaky; cunning
discord; (on) bad terms (with)
it's precisely for that reason that ...; which is precisely why ...
talk; dialogue; conversation
secret; private; surreptitious
true state; actual condition; reality
to corner; to drive to the wall; to run down; to track down; to chase after
to take the middle (between the two); to split the difference
being familiar with; having a thorough knowledge of; being well-informed about
particle; atom; little piece; not at all; not the slightest
grumbling; muttering; nonsense
knowing; (an) acquaintance
to have a controlling presence; to have a certain aura
tearoom; tea house; tea-ceremony room; tea arbour; tea arbor
private talk; confidential talk; secret talk
to give (time, money, goods); to donate; to do; to perform; to apply (processing, makeup, etc.); to add (e.g. ornamentation, annotation)
fort; fortress; stronghold; fortification
(fixing) boundaries for religious practices; prohibition (of items, people, spirits, etc. that would hinder Buddhist practice); fence between inner and outer sanctums in a temple; (arch.) short two or three-fold lattice around the front desk of a store; barrier; dimensional barrier
strange; unfamiliar; mysterious; suspicious; (lit.) of an unknown nature
magic; sorcery; incantation
kind; sort; type; similar example; parallel; the like
retainer's stipend; official pay; salary
practical use; application; conjugation; inflection
name; given name; title; fame; renown; pretext
to suit; to match; to become; to be like
interior design; interior; upholstery
rearranging; remodeling; remodelling
function; facility; faculty; feature
to conceal one's true nature or feelings; to feign friendliness; to play the hypocrite
unexpressed; unspoken; implied; implicit
frank; direct; plain; straightforward; point-blank; concise
mask; disguise; guise; mask
to tear off; to peel off; to rip off; to strip of (clothes, rank, etc.); to deprive of; to divest of
to ask again; to repeat one's question; to ask back; to ask in return; to counter