Who gave the Yukinoshita family their current status?
Seiran Mizunotsuki.
Who guaranteed the Yukinoshita family's future safety?
Seiran Mizunotsuki.
How did the Yukinoshita family acquire their magical protection (the Crow)?
Seiran Mizunotsuki.
It could be said that the life and property of the entire Yukinoshita clan were tied to Seiran.
So, no matter how big or small the matter was, shouldn't they have asked Seiran first?
That was inevitable.
Since Seiran gave the Yukinoshita family the opportunity to gain a foothold at the top of society, then Yukino—whether she admitted it or not—had an "Emperor" standing above her.
But what did she do?
Yukino found strangers who were suspected of being in the Extraordinary Field. But instead of reporting it to her family or her "Lord," she tried to use them to gain independence. She tried to take advantage of the tiger.
Regardless of whether this matter was done right or not, and regardless of whether it would have ultimately been good for the Yukinoshita family, her fundamental stance was wrong. Her loyalty was crooked.
To be honest, the fact that Yukino was present at the Onmyoryo Mountain incident didn't actually matter to the Gods. It didn't matter to the ancient ghosts if Yukino was a pawn of the Great Wizard Douman.
But her attitude wasn't right.
If her attitude was correct (if she had reported it), then even if she made a mistake, the "Mistress of the Harem" (Reiko Yukinoshita) could have naturally borne the consequences. Seiran would have protected them.
But because her attitude was wrong—because she tried to hide it—it was a massive mistake that shook the very foundation of Reiko's position as the favored Queen.
Perhaps this kind of thing is a small matter for Extraordinary beings.
But for the Yukinoshita family, and for the powerful mortals watching, it was a massive political scandal.
After hearing her sister Haruno's harsh explanation, Yukino's eyes widened.
Shameless…
Such a shameless statement.
The logic of her mother, Reiko, and her sister was simply destroying Yukino's worldview. They didn't care about morality; they only cared about obedience and power dynamics.
But Yukino obviously caused a massive disaster. This could be seen from the ambiguous, cold attitudes of the other Chaebols on the news.
Reiko and Haruno were obviously right.
If they weren't, someone from the other factions would have already come up to their door to settle the score violently.
Reiko didn't want to look at the face of this foolish daughter anymore.
The family is unfortunate.
The descendants are unfilial.
Just when Reiko was about to give a few final, harsh instructions, her exclusive mobile phone rang.
Reiko's pupils shrank. It was the direct line.
She hurriedly answered the phone, preparing to explain a few submissive words to her man, Seiran.
But the gentle, rational, female voice on the other end of the phone completely broke Reiko's defenses. She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.
"Mrs. Yukinoshita. From now on, I will be answering your calls."
It was Eri Kisaki.
"I hope you understand what this means."
Reiko's body swayed as if she was about to faint.
Breathing heavily, she asked a question in a difficult, trembling tone.
"Do I need to retreat to Chiba?..."
"...No, no. That won't be necessary," Eri replied coolly. "And besides, that is not something I decide. Lord Mizunotsuki still favors your... dedication."
Click.
The call ended.
The anger in Reiko's chest dissipated, replaced by a cold, crushing hollow. As if she had been overworked to the bone, she sat down dejectedly on the sofa.
Her collapse attracted the anxious looks of Haruno and Yukino.
Reiko just glanced at the two of them lightly.
It's gone.
The status we once had is gone.
They didn't have to retreat to Chiba Prefecture and be completely "banished to the Cold Palace" (exiled). But their current situation was not much better.
Because they, the Yukinoshita family, had finally been driven off the throne of the "First Wife."
And another, unexpected woman (Eri) had taken the seat.
At this moment, Reiko thought of many things.
She closed her eyes and kept making ruthless decisions to ensure their survival.
"Haruno. Sell all the real estate we recently purchased in Tokyo at a low price."
"Also, donate all the liquid assets obtained from the sale directly to Ms. Kisaki Eri's law firm."
"...Yes, Mother."
Haruno responded hesitantly, her heart bleeding.
All the investments they made during this period were wasted. For the Yukinoshita family, it was like breaking a bone. Because all this wealth had been painstakingly moved from Chiba Prefecture.
It was a massive bribe. A tribute to the new Queen to beg for mercy.
Shortly after, business calls kept coming one after another.
Either contracts were abandoned, or cooperation was terminated.
The companies that used to be well-mannered and begging for their favor now avoided the Yukinoshitas like snakes and scorpions. The Chaebols were isolating them.
For a while, the Yukinoshita family seemed to be excluded by the whole city.
Seeing her sister exhausted and busy fielding cancellations, Yukino felt completely useless.
She could not do anything. She could not help.
She had only caused trouble.
Turning her head, she happened to meet the cold, frosty gaze of her mother.
Are you satisfied…? Reiko's eyes seemed to say.
Naive idealistic beliefs need a strong background to support them.
If you don't have that backing, then you have to pay the inevitable price.
This was the price.
Now, the Yukinoshita family was like a rat crossing the street.
No one dared to step on them (because Seiran hadn't ordered it), but everyone avoided them.
But Reiko was a strong woman with ambition.
Her family still had a chance.
At least, not being completely banished meant that Seiran was not really going to turn his back on them completely.
Yukino lowered her head without saying a word.
She finally realized her mistakes.
She was not unreasonable; she just wasn't as ruthless as her mother or as cunning as Haruno. Her vision was not as broad.
"Let's go to Suginami Ward..." Reiko stood up, smoothing her dress.
Hearing this, Yukino understood immediately.
Status is not something you talk about; it is something you earn through action.
The identity of the "Hostess" was gone.
But they were still the mistresses of Lord Mizunotsuki.
As long as they kept that label, the Yukinoshita family would not fall completely.
This was the opportunity Reiko meant.
Compared with ordinary people, they were already lucky enough. If an ordinary family suffered such a political blow, how could they ever have a chance to make a comeback?
But Haruno was in surprisingly high spirits at this moment.
Is it finally my turn to push Yukino into the bedroom?
Don't worry! I have accumulated enough experience from watching Mother to ensure that Yukino won't make a fool of herself the first time.
Tokyo: Tropical Land Amusement Park
At the same time, Ran Mouri walked out of the park with an extremely confused expression.
What a warm service…
If it was a business owned by the Suzuki Zaibatsu, she would not be too surprised, because Sonoko Suzuki was her best friend.
But this park was clearly part of the business territory of the Shinomiya Zaibatsu…
It just so happened that some familiar classmates from Sobu High School had formed a group to hang out, but they were blocked outside the amusement park due to a "VIP Private Event."
Ran wanted to help them, but Sonoko was not around, so she couldn't pull any strings.
Holding her own pre-booked amusement park ticket in her hand, Ran was embarrassed and didn't know whether she should go in alone.
This was the place where Shinichi Kudo was last seen before he vanished. She wanted to go in and check the details.
But since her classmates were blocked outside the gates, would it be inappropriate for her to go in alone?
However, while she was waiting not far away, a Park Manager came running over. Sweat was dripping down his back as he nodded and bowed to her frantically.
"I am so sorry, Miss Mouri! I am so sorry for neglecting you!"
"Eh?"
"Please come this way! You can play anything you want for free! The VIP areas are all open to you!" The Manager gestured wildly. "Look, it seems that there are your classmates over there. Do you need me to let them in as your guests?"
She nodded in confusion, feeling incredibly weird.
Ran was quite happy to be able to help her friends, but… noticing the excited discussions of her classmates, and their grateful, curious eyes towards her, it was clear what they were thinking.
They were whispering, discussing whether Ran Mouri was secretly the daughter of a hidden Chaebol.
Ran blushed, scratching her cheek nervously.
It is so weird, this feeling…
She decided to call her mother, Eri Kisaki, to tell her about the strange VIP treatment.
But when the call connected, the intermittent, sticky, breathless voice on the other end made Ran feel uneasy.
"M-Mom? Are you okay?"
"Ah… Ran… Yes, I'm… mmph… just very busy with… paperwork right now…"
Ran listened again with a ruddy face, quickly hanging up.
Eh… it's still so weird…
But those classmates who were lucky enough to enter the amusement park didn't think it was weird at all.
Instead, they excitedly began to participate in a discussion on the school's online forum.
Topic: Is Mouri-san secretly the daughter of a major Chaebol?
.....
.....
.....
Support me and read advance chapters on patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter