"I—"
Jinno Sumire still wanted to say something, but Jinno Takashi suddenly slammed the table. With a loud "bang," he directly cut her off.
"Shut up!", Jinno Takashi pointed at Jinno Sumire and roared in anger, "As a w0man, you should've stayed at home obediently, supporting your husband and raising children! It's only because you have no brothers and your husband is useless that I let you help manage the family. And now you're so greedy for power, you even dare to talk back to me!"
"Know your place and know mine. I, Jinno Takashi, am the head of the Jinno family!"
"As my daughter, as a member of the Jinno family, you dare to argue with me, the family head? That's outright rebellion!"
"Letting you manage the family was already against the rules. You made a few insignificant achievements and now you're proud of yourself, refusing to hand back the authority. This is outrageous!"
"You need to understand something. What I give you is yours. What I don't give you, you don't get to touch!"
Facing Jinno Takashi's furious expression, Jinno Sumire's face turned icy. She didn't back down and continued, "You let me manage the family because under your control the Jinno family was declining day by day, every aspect dropping badly. Isn't that why you were willing to hand over power to me?"
"If I hadn't worked hard to manage the family, with your personality and ability, the Jinno family would probably have less than ten percent of what it has now!"
The moment Jinno Sumire finished speaking mercilessly, Jinno Takashi flew into a rage.
"Nonsense!"
"When I was managing the family, development was average because the economy was in a downturn. It was the overall environment!"
"When you managed it and it looked decent, that's because you caught a good era!"
"When you stand in the wind, even a pig can fly. Do you really think you're that capable, Jinno Sumire?"
"You dare belittle your own father, you unfilial daughter!"
"What a cursed wretch!"
"Fine, forget about the family business for now. Let's talk about the matter of continuing the Jinno bloodline!"
"I've already investigated it. That boy called Hikari is not your husband at all!"
"He's from the same generation as Ai, and you actually teamed up with him to fool me, saying you're husband and wife. Jinno Sumire, have you no shame? You've disgraced the entire Jinno family!"
Although she had already guessed that if Jinno Takashi came to confront her like this, he must have found out about her fake relationship with Hikari, when she heard him say it to her face, her pretty face still turned pale.
Seeing her pale expression, as if she knew she was wrong, Jinno Takashi spoke smugly, "Let's see how you argue now. You find some pretty boy bastard and dare to bring him to my door pretending to be married, even acting in front of me, your father. You've completely thrown away your dignity, you wretch, you wretch!"
Hearing his words, Jinno Sumire suddenly shouted, "The only reason I asked Hikari-kun to help me was because you forced me!"
"You have no ability yourself, can't produce an heir, and you keep pushing me to remarry to expand the Jinno family line."
"If you're so eager to expand the bloodline, why don't you work harder yourself? You've ruined who knows how many women and still can't produce a single one, and then you shift the pressure onto me. You've really got some nerve!"
Hearing her almost openly say he was incapable, Jinno Takashi's dark face turned pale with anger.
"Good… good! Jinno Sumire, you dare talk to your father like that? Good! Good!"
"You really think I don't know about you and that boy? You think you've been tricked silly and still have the right to criticize me?"
"I'm telling you, I already know you two are just pretending!"
After Hikari defied him that time, Jinno Takashi held a grudge and planned to investigate him, then find an excuse to kick him out of the Jinno family and slowly look for a chance to torment him.
That was Jinno Takashi's original plan. But after sending people to investigate, he uncovered many unexpected gains, including, by accident, the matter of Jinno Sumire and their fake relationship.
After learning that their relationship wasn't real, he also discovered that Jinno Sumire was unwilling to hand back authority and even wanted to sideline him.
To be honest, in terms of ability, he, already old and declining, was indeed far inferior to his daughter, whose management skills were outstanding.
Under Jinno Sumire's management, the Jinno family had developed very well, and the people in the family trusted her deeply.
With her current prestige, if he tried to forcibly seize power back, the entire Jinno family would likely fall into turmoil, maybe even split apart.
But Jinno Takashi was unwilling. With his inflated self-regard, he could not accept that his once obedient daughter was now stepping over his head.
Before, it was perfect when he controlled all major affairs and finances while Jinno Sumire handled the detailed matters. But now she wanted to sideline him and control the family herself. That was something he absolutely could not accept.
He had only discovered this recently, and Hikari had only approached her recently as well. So Jinno Takashi naturally suspected that it was Hikari's appearance that had stirred up her ambition.
"This kind of betrayal from inside the family is absolutely unacceptable!"
"So I came up with a good idea."
"You haven't been with a man for a long time, have you? That's why you were bewitched by that pretty boy called Hikari."
"In that case, I'll bring your husband back so you can experience the joy of being a woman again."
"At that time, you'll hand the family authority back to me, and you'll live properly with Naoya-kun, doing your best to expand the Jinno family line and produce heirs."
"At the same time, the Naoya family and the Jinno family will formally renew the marriage alliance. In other words, you'll marry Naoya-kun again and bear him children."
"The children you have will inherit both the Jinno and Naoya families. You'll just assist your husband and son properly. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Jinno Takashi hid certain ugly thoughts in his heart and presented his plan in a polished way to Jinno Sumire and the almost irrelevant Naoya. By the end, he even put on a solemn, well-meaning expression, as if he were doing it all for her own good.
But after hearing all that, Jinno Sumire was furious. She wasn't stupid, and she knew Jinno Takashi very well.
So she clearly understood what lay beneath his grand words. He barely even tried to hide it. The malice was almost naked.
Thinking about how he planned to completely strip her of her power and turn her into a machine to bear children for the Jinno family made her feel sick.
She no longer wanted to talk to him. If it meant splitting the family, then so be it.
"Marin! Come here! Marin!", Jinno Sumire loudly called for her personal maid, intending to have her summon the guards to escort Jinno Takashi and Naoya away.
But after calling several times, no one answered. Her expression immediately darkened.
She turned to look at Jinno Takashi. Sure enough, he was looking at her smugly.
"I've transferred your people away. Everyone here now is mine. So you'd better behave, understand?"
Hearing that, Jinno Sumire's heart sank.
This helpless scene felt painfully familiar.
After what happened with Eigen before, she had deliberately arranged for more guards and shrine maidens she trusted to protect her. The people around her were all reliable.
But you can guard against outsiders day and night, yet it's hard to guard against a thief inside your own house.
Recently, because she had been busy reclaiming industry assets, she had sent many people out. There weren't many left by her side to begin with.
On top of that, Jinno Takashi still held the advantage of being the Jinno family head. It was easy for him to secretly win over or dismiss her trusted aides.
Looking at his smug expression, she knew that in the shrine now there were probably only a few shrine maidens with no fighting ability.
Compared to the dozens of armed thugs Jinno Takashi had deliberately brought today, they stood no chance.
If she were captured and imprisoned by him, forced every day to bear children with that cowardly husband Naoya, she would lose all her power and status and become nothing but a breeding machine. That would be the end.
Thinking of that, Jinno Sumire desperately tried to figure out a way to escape.
Seeing her flustered appearance, Jinno Takashi, convinced victory was certain, simply turned to chat with the son-in-law he approved of.
"Naoya-kun, you heard what I just told Sumire, right?", Jinno Takashi asked with a smile.
"I… I heard some…", Naoya kept his head lowered, replying timidly, hardly daring to raise his voice.
Jinno Takashi was very satisfied with this obedient, nonresistant personality. He patted Naoya's head and smiled, "Naoya-kun, I want you to get along well with Sumire from now on. Combine often, produce many children for the Jinno family, and continue the bloodline. All right?"
Naoya lowered his head and shook it, "I… I don't think that'll work, Father-in-law. With Sumire's personality, she… she probably won't agree to share a room with me."
Though timid, he wasn't completely stupid. He knew Jinno Sumire looked down on him.
But Jinno Takashi let out a cold laugh and patted his shoulder, "Don't worry. No matter how capable she is, she's still a woman and my daughter. I'll make her obediently share a bed with you! When the time comes, you can do whatever you want, as long as you give me several children!"
"Really?", Naoya's eyes lit up instantly.
He wasn't incapable in that area. He was a normal man. It was just that facing a strong-willed woman like Jinno Sumire, his weak personality made him too scared to even function.
But outside, he frequented red-light districts.
Even after all those years of playing around, he had never met a woman as top-tier as Jinno Sumire.
Her looks and figure were secondary. What truly mattered was her identity.
The shrine's priestess. The one in power of the Jinno family. Any one of her titles put her worlds apart from those street girls in red-light districts. No matter how he made them act, they could never imitate that noble aura. How could that not excite him?
Before, he feared her strong personality and knew he could never control a woman like her.
But now this proud wild horse was about to have a bridle forced onto her by Jinno Takashi, her head pressed down.
At a time like this, if he rode her and had his turn, that should be fine, right?
Though she was his nominal wife, he had never imagined he could truly touch her.
Thinking of her noble status and stunning beauty and figure, even the usually timid Naoya couldn't help swallowing in excitement.
Then he suddenly asked Jinno Takashi eagerly, "By the way, Father-in-law, when the time comes, can I find a few more people to play with Sumire together?"
"Uh… why would you want that?", Jinno Takashi frowned, looking at him suspiciously. Did this guy have a strong sense of revenge? That would require caution.
But Naoya's answer surprised him.
Embarrassed to admit that he already had some problems in that area, Naoya smiled somewhat blankly and said, "If more people play with one person together, it's happier, it feels better! My friends in the city took me along before. We brothers all went together."
"And if more of us join in, it'll also make it easier for Sumire to get pregnant and help expand the Jinno bloodline."
At first, Jinno Takashi felt annoyed and was about to refuse. But hearing that last sentence, he suddenly felt it made some sense.
With Sumire's proud personality, Naoya alone could never suppress her. Bringing a few more people to crush that arrogant spirit might not be impossible. And Naoya didn't seem very bright. If a few more men were involved in producing heirs, perhaps the Jinno family's future generations would be better.
Looking at the excited Naoya, Jinno Takashi finally nodded, though he didn't directly promise anything.
He simply turned to his men and said, "Men, take this rebellious daughter of mine away and lock her up for a few days!"
Although he was eager to subdue Jinno Sumire and make her obediently bear children for the family, she was still his daughter. He didn't want to immediately resort to extreme methods like drugging her and forcing her, which would completely destroy family ties.
He planned to first use confinement and withholding food and water to grind down her spirit, hoping she would willingly unite with Naoya for the family's continuation.
If she still refused afterward, then using drugs or following Naoya's method of forcing her wouldn't be impossible.
Jinno Takashi and Naoya hadn't avoided speaking in front of her. She heard everything.
Noticing the merciless look in Jinno Takashi's eyes, she clearly understood that if she were truly locked up, given her personality, it would end badly.
She would never yield, and Jinno Takashi was selfish and ruthless.
She had thought of many solutions, but in the end she realized she had none.
Because the one scheming against her was her own father, together with Naoya, she truly had no way to turn the tables.
Clenching her teeth tightly, Jinno Sumire even began considering suicide, thinking she might as well let that old bastard lose his bloodline entirely.
But at that moment, a slight commotion came from the doorway, making her, who had been thinking of death, freeze.
"Please move aside…"
"Excuse me, please let me through. Thank you."
A very polite voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
Jinno Takashi looked toward the side hall entrance. When he saw who it was, he first froze, then glanced at Jinno Sumire, and finally waved at his men.
"All right, stop blocking him. Let him come in."
With Jinno Takashi's order, the polite figure stepped into the side hall.
Seeing that familiar figure, Jinno Sumire's beautiful eyes filled with surprise, "Hikari-kun?"
"Aunt Sumire, hello. Father-in-law… no, Family Head Jinno, hello," Hikari greeted them politely with a smile.
Seeing Hikari stroll into the side hall so brazenly and stand right beside him greeting him, Jinno Takashi felt anger surge up again after being deceived so many times. He was so furious he almost laughed.
He raised his hand and pointed at Hikari's nose, "Boy, you actually dare to walk into the trap yourself. Do you even know what's going on?"
Unlike Jinno Takashi, who had never seen Hikari fight, Jinno Sumire had witnessed some of his terrifying skills.
And though their marriage was fake in name, the reality between them was very real. So seeing him appear now, she no longer cared about saving face and directly begged for help.
"Hikari-kun, they want to imprison me and force me to have children with that coward. They even said they'd find several people to do that kind of thing to me together. Please… please help Auntie!"
"As a father, the Jinno family head would really go that far? Is that true?", Hikari narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Jinno Takashi with some surprise.
Seeing their expressions, especially the way Jinno Sumire sounded almost like she was acting spoiled while asking Hikari for help, Jinno Takashi couldn't help sneering.
"So what if it's true? So what if it's false?"
"Jinno Sumire, just now you stood there proudly confronting me. Now you're at the end of your rope, begging some brat to save you. A woman is still just a woman, no calm judgment at all."
"And Hikari, don't think I don't know. I know you've got some cheap tricks. I took you into account. Today I specially brought more than a dozen men."
"I don't know how you slipped away from the men I sent before, but face to face, ten against one, you'll be crushed into a dead dog!"
After being deceived by the two of them for so long, enemies meeting made his eyes burn with hatred. After speaking, Jinno Takashi could no longer hold back.
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