Inside a black stretch limousine departing from Sensō-ji Temple.
In the authentically luxurious compartment, Oko Shinomiya coldly retrieved a bottle of red wine from the built-in fridge and poured himself a glass.
Only after finishing his wine while gazing at the passing scenery did he mutter to himself:
"That Silver Princess from Aldegia proved more troublesome than I anticipated."
"No matter what benefits I offered, she wouldn't budge on releasing those medical devices."
"It seems even these Nordic nobles have caught wind of the old man's condition. Did that person present at the time tip them off?"
Kaguya Shinomiya, seated opposite on the sofa, didn't respond to Oko Shinomiya's words, even suppressing her breathing slightly.
She knew perfectly well Oko wasn't speaking to her, merely thinking aloud.
Any unsolicited response now would only earn her Oko's icy glare and warning.
Having learned her lesson, Kaguya naturally wouldn't repeat the same mistake twice.
Still, she listened carefully to Oko's revelations.
And precisely because she listened, doubts arose in her mind.
From Oko's tone, it seemed the Shinomiya Group had set its sights on some cutting-edge medical equipment from Aldegia Kingdom, but negotiations had stalled.
The reason? Aldegia apparently knew about the illness of the current family head - her father, Gan'an Shinomiya.
Judging these devices as life-saving equipment for Gan'an, was Aldegia holding out for a better price?
'Why is my eldest brother telling me this? This shouldn't be information I'm privy to...'
Numerous questions swirled in Kaguya's mind.
Leaving aside that she'd only just learned about her father's serious illness from Oko, his very motive for sharing this with her seemed highly suspicious.
After all, this wasn't something she needed to know. As far as Kaguya was concerned, inheritance matters were strictly between her three brothers.
What purpose could disclosing their father's critical condition and need for advanced medical treatment serve?
Unless... he's testing whether his imprisoned youngest sister harbours ambitions for succession?
That's impossible...
Though unclear about his reasons, Kaguya understood perfectly how the various Shinomiya branches viewed her.
Since childhood, she'd endured her family's cold shoulders. In such an environment, merely hinting at succession ambitions would invite suppression from the entire clan.
Kaguya wasn't foolish enough to attempt such folly.
If not her, then perhaps Oko was actually probing her third brother, Un'yo Shinomiya, who shared similar circumstances?
'Is he using me to gauge Un'yo's thoughts... or even testing whether Un'yo leaked information to the Aldegia Kingdom?'
Kaguya mentally analysed Oko's true target and intentions behind this veiled confrontation.
Meanwhile, Oko Shinomiya, who had only muttered a few words to himself, watched Kaguya Shinomiya's struggles with cold, detached eyes, as if observing a butterfly trapped in a glass jar.
Before Kaguya could reach a conclusion, Oko spoke:
"Speaking of which, Minister Fujiwara's daughter dragged you along to meet new friends earlier. Who did you end up meeting this time?"
Hearing this, Kaguya's expression stiffened, her emotions torn between relief and tension.
However, she had anticipated this question before getting into the car and thus replied promptly:
"Fujiwara-san merely introduced me to some new acquaintances of hers—a rather young gentleman who apparently holds the position of Director in some department."
Oko's expression turned knowing as he remarked indifferently:
"Oh? Official departments don't use titles like 'Director,' let alone appoint young people as their heads... Was it some small enterprise's department?"
Kaguya rested her hands lightly on her knees and said offhandedly:
"Now that I think of it, Fujiwara-san mentioned that he was the head of a department called the Hidden Management Department."
"Probably another small company, right?"
"The Hidden Management Department..."
Oko's expression froze, his grip on the wine glass tightening involuntarily.
"That lunatics' leader, then..."
He spoke with clear apprehension before taking a deep breath and narrowing his eyes:
"I've heard Minister Fujiwara is quite close to a certain high-ranking official in the SDS, even considering an arranged marriage... Could it be this person?"
At these words, Kaguya, who had been feigning nonchalance, suddenly stiffened.
'What was this about?'
'Minister Fujiwara is considering an arranged marriage?'
'Does that mean Fujiwara-san introduced me to her fiancé?'
In an instant, Kaguya was no longer calm.
'No way, that can't be... But come to think of it... As the eldest daughter, Toyomi would naturally need to marry a promising young man to inherit Minister Fujiwara's political resources.'
'And since Luo Shu, as the SDS Director, isn't pursuing a political career, the arranged marriage would naturally fall to Fujiwara-san as the second daughter.'
'If that's the case... Did Fujiwara-san really take me to meet her fiancé?'
'Oh no, I was so focused on maintaining a polite smile and responding formally to Luo Shu... Did I come across as too rigid to Fujiwara-san's fiancé?'
As Kaguya frantically replayed the earlier conversation in her mind, Oko gave her a meaningful glance.
As the eldest son of a zaibatsu family, he didn't believe for a second that Kaguya was truly unaware of what kind of organisation the Hidden Management Department belonged to. But even if she didn't, it hardly mattered to him.
Even if Kaguya managed to leverage SDS connections through this, it wouldn't be a bad thing for Oko.
The more channels his tools could access, the more advantageous it was for him as the future family head.
To that end, he might even grant Kaguya more freedom—perhaps even encourage it.
After all, this was freedom Kaguya had traded for using her own precious bargaining chips.
"Since you've met that Director, you should maintain good relations with him."
Oko spoke lightly, casually tossing her a carrot:
"From now on, you may handle matters concerning the Fujiwara family's second daughter and that Director in your own discretion."
The implicit meaning was that she could use Chika Fujiwara and Luo Shu as excuses to leave the cage called 'home' without permission.
Kaguya Shinomiya understood this perfectly. Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, she replied softly:
"I understand, Elder Brother."
Oko Shinomiya merely glanced at her and said nothing more.
The atmosphere in the car grew silent until Kaguya returned to her residence. Watching Oko's car drive away, she didn't hear another word from him.
Being long accustomed to this, Kaguya found herself preoccupied with another matter instead:
'Has Fujiwara-san's marriage arrangement really been confirmed...? I should probably have Hayasaka verify this...'
With this thought, Kaguya turned towards the manor gates.
At the entrance, a group of maids and attendants, including Ai Hayasaka, stood waiting, clearly having been there for some time.
...
Sensō-ji Temple.
At the banquet, seeing most guests had dispersed, Luo Shu finally rose from his seat after sitting for a long while and exhaled deeply:
"It's time."
Standing up, he glanced around at his already-standing companions before turning to walk directly towards the funeral hall.