Kyoto, Shinomiya Family Old Residence.
Names like Kujo, Shinomiya, and Ichijo clearly belong to ancient Kazoku families, once offshoots of the Fujiwara clan.
However, during the shogunate era, the Shinomiya family was not among the Five Regent Houses but merely a branch.
As Japan moved into modern times, the Shinomiya family seized the opportunity of industrial reform and climbed to the peak of the capitalist society through the power of their zaibatsu.
The Shinomiya family's old residence sits atop a small mountain in Kyoto. It is not the most extravagant or expansive among Kyoto's Kazoku estates.
After all, during the shogunate, the Shinomiya family was not especially powerful.
Kaguya Shinomiya, the eldest daughter of the current family head, knelt in the main hall in a lavish kimono adorned with bamboo and chrysanthemum motifs, quietly listening to her older brothers' instructions.
Her ink-black hair flowed like silk, and her wine-red eyes were cold and distant. She seemed like an ice sculpture or a porcelain doll being puppeteered, leaving a chilling yet beautiful impression.
Opposite Kaguya sat her eldest brother, Oko Shinomiya, sipping tea.
Also dressed in traditional attire, Oko wore a haori over his kimono and was bald, nearly forty years old, exuding a stern, rigid presence.
Beside him knelt Seiryū Shinomiya, their second brother, who looked to Oko for direction in all things.
"Kaguya, I've already spoken with Father and arranged a marriage for you. Do you have any objections?"
Oko spoke from above, tone lofty and dismissive, not so much asking for her opinion as declaring a decision.
Raised with the elite education of the Shinomiya family, Oko had long been taught to prioritize the family's interest above all else.
While he wasn't an unparalleled genius, the family's vast resources allowed him to grow into a capable man.
As their father's health declined and he gradually stepped into the background, Oko, the eldest son, naturally began taking over the family's authority.
To Oko, Seiryū was nothing more than a loyal follower. He'd never oppose him.
Their third brother, Un'yo, though ambitious, was of average ability and still too young. The family elders wouldn't support him, so he wasn't useful either.
Kaguya held slightly more value in Oko's eyes.
Not because she posed a threat. As a woman, she had no right to compete for the family inheritance. Rather, as the eldest daughter, she was a prime asset for political marriage, just like the princesses of old.
A useful tool must be kept close.
Kaguya knelt, hands folded on her thighs, head slightly bowed. Her voice was emotionless.
"I have no objections, Brother."
Oko nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. You shouldn't have any objections."
"Always remember, Kaguya, you are the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family. Your purpose is to contribute to the family's expansion."
"The Shinomiya family has given you a privileged life. You must, in turn, give back to the family."
Her answer pleased him.
Kaguya had also received the elite Shinomiya education from a young age, drilled to prioritize interests. Oko believed that, for the family's sake, she would act accordingly.
Still, he didn't trust her completely. Necessary control measures had to be in place.
Kaguya kept her head bowed, her face unreadable, as if the matter of her marriage meant nothing to her. She was like a puppet.
"Your fiancé is named Fujiwara Toru, the eldest son of the Fujiwara family."
"Fujiwara family? I thought they didn't have any male heirs this generation?"
For the first time, a flicker of surprise appeared on Kaguya's icy face. She recognized the name.
"Fujiwara Toru is the illegitimate son of Fujiwara Yoshitaka," Oko explained calmly.
"Yoshitaka fathered him before marriage, then ignored the child. But his wife turned out to be infertile. To this day, they have no children."
"Toru enrolled in Shuchiin Academy as a third-year high school student last year. I personally oversaw the paperwork. At the time, you were still in your third year of junior high and didn't know much about the high school division."
"Old Master Fujiwara is very pleased with him. He's almost certainly going to inherit the Fujiwara family and will be backed by their political power."
"In fact, the Shinomiya and Fujiwara families had an agreement even before you were born: the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family would marry the eldest son of the Fujiwara family. But due to the lack of a male heir, the engagement was scrapped."
"Now that they have a son, we must honor the agreement."
Though the Shinomiya family had significant assets, the Fujiwara family still looked down on them.
Politically, the Fujiwara still held far more power.
If they wanted to break into politics, this marriage was the perfect route.
A few hundred years ago, the Fujiwara clan was the Shinomiya family's main branch. This match was ideal in every way by Kazoku standards.
But the Fujiwara family had only produced daughters. Of course they couldn't ask Kaguya to marry one of them.
Oko had already begun considering other marriage candidates for her. The sudden appearance of Toru made him ecstatic, beyond even his expectations.
The Fujiwara family alone was already a top-tier match. But on top of that, Toru was also the adopted son of the current CIA Director. That nearly made Oko dizzy with joy. When fortune rains, it pours.
Though the Shinomiya family has businesses across the globe, to powerful American conglomerates, they are still nothing but underlings. Used when needed, discarded when not.
They had always sought a way to connect with America's upper class. And here it was.
Oko's expression turned cold.
"Remember, you are the daughter of the Shinomiya family. You must embody the Yamato Nadeshiko spirit—gentle and obedient. Do everything your husband's family asks of you. Understood?"
Oko was a staunch male chauvinist, the worst kind of Showa-era relic. He never allowed disobedient women.
Feudal fossil.
Kaguya muttered inwardly, though her expression remained composed.
Despite her rebellion in thought, the education she received since birth ran too deep. She wouldn't go against family orders in action.
Oko's tone softened.
"You may leave. Rest for the night. Return to Shuchiin Academy in Tokyo tomorrow. I'll arrange for you to meet your fiancé."
"Yes."
Kaguya bowed low on the tatami, stood up, and walked out gracefully.
Once she had left, Oko called out, "Come in."
The sliding door opened. A beautiful young woman entered, dressed in a tailored women's suit, her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She knelt respectfully on the tatami.
"The Hayasaka family has done well until now. I need you to do even better."
"Watch Kaguya closely. Don't let her step out of line. Especially don't let her get close to any men. She's at the age when curiosity about gender is strong, and it's easy to be misled."
"Even if Toru was raised in America and thinks differently from us Japanese, I can't take any chances. Understood?"
Oko's voice was calm but carried immense pressure.
"I will obey your command, Oko-dono," Hayasaka Ai replied blankly.
Still unsatisfied, Oko added coldly, "Your parents are still employed by the Shinomiya family. The Hayasaka family's bankruptcy left them with heavy debt."
"As long as you remain loyal, that debt is nothing. You can live in comfort. But if you disobey, you know what happens."
Ai's heart clenched. She instinctively tightened her fists, then loosened them, bowing again.
"Go accompany Kaguya. Despite her education, she's still too naive. She needs your guidance."
After Ai left, Seiryū finally spoke.
"Brother, aren't you being too attentive with Kaguya?"
"I don't care about her," Oko said coldly. "She's a tool. I plan to control Toru through her."
"Control? Isn't this cooperation?"
"It starts as cooperation. But mere cooperation limits our benefits. If we control Toru, we indirectly control the Fujiwara family. Everything they have becomes ours."
Oko's voice brimmed with ambition.
"...We can use his identity to push the Shinomiya family into America and make him our front."
Seiryū hesitated.
"But he's a top student at Tokyo University. Controlling him won't be easy..."
"So what if he is? How many Tokyo University elites are working for the Shinomiya Group like loyal dogs? He's just a young man. Young men are unstable, easy to manipulate."
"Have you seen his file? His private life in America was a mess. Sure, he studies well, but he's clearly the playful type."
"This world isn't as innocent as kids think. Once we get something on him, control is just a matter of time."
"And if he cooperates, the Shinomiya family will support him too."
Oko looked down, smug and confident, as though he already saw the family's rise in his grasp.
Seiryū's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"As expected of Brother. You've planned everything flawlessly."
"Seiryū, just follow my lead. You'll have everything—money, women, power."
"Haven't I always listened to you, Brother?"
...
Elsewhere, Kaguya quietly met with her third brother, Un'yo Shinomiya.
Though Un'yo was nearly thirty, much older than her, she felt a slight fondness for him.
Unlike the others, he'd played a role in raising her. Most of her thinking had been shaped by him.
"Kaguya, did you meet with our brothers? They've arranged a marriage, haven't they?"
"Yes."
She answered plainly, her expression cold as always.
"Good. This is our chance. Your fiancé, Fujiwara Toru, has the backing of both the Fujiwara family and American connections."
"If we use him wisely, we might even take back what's rightfully ours. Even just holding our own against Oko would be worth it."
"Kaguya, I've always been good to you. You'll support me, won't you? They only want to use you. I'm the only one who truly cares."
Kaguya was naive, perhaps, due to her upbringing. But not foolish.
You care about me? Heh. To you, I'm just another pawn.
She mocked him silently, but said aloud, "I'll support you, Brother."
"Good. Very good."
Un'yo paced, deep in thought.
Seems I should ask Hayasaka Ai to teach Kaguya some necessary knowledge... especially about gender.
Though Ai technically belongs to Oko, Un'yo had always pretended not to know. It allowed him to use her too.
Kaguya just stood there silently, watching Un'yo.
Everyone in the Shinomiya family treated her as a tool. She knew this all too well.
But she didn't resist. She couldn't resist.
Her upbringing had made sure of that.
Her body, her marriage, her soul... all just bargaining chips.
(To be continued.)
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