At five thirty in the evening, the Yukinoshita family's car arrived at the estate where the banquet was being held.
When the door opened, Yukino stepped out alongside her older sister Haruno. As she looked at the luxurious estate before them, a faint sense of unease stirred in her heart.
What bothered her most was the security.
There were far too few guards.
Only a handful stood at the main entrance, and a few more were stationed at nearby intersections. For an event hosted by a powerful family like the Shinomiya conglomerate, the level of security was almost laughably low.
Yukino had heard from Haruno before that whenever the Shinomiya family appeared in public, their security presence was overwhelming.
Even ordinary banquets hosted by major families maintained extremely strict security measures. The Yukinoshita family's own New Year banquet, which invited numerous influential figures, had always been guarded far more heavily than this.
Something was wrong.
Definitely wrong.
Seeing the troubled expression on her sister's face, Haruno asked curiously,
"Yukino, what's wrong?"
Yukino pressed her lips together before shaking her head and quietly following behind their parents.
Once they entered the banquet hall, their parents went off to greet acquaintances. Haruno stayed behind to guide Yukino and help her get accustomed to the environment.
After scanning the guests who had already arrived, Haruno leaned closer and whispered,
"Do you see that? There are a lot of young ladies from various families here tonight—most of them in their early twenties. From what I know, when the Shinomiya family hosts banquets, they usually involve important business cooperation. The attendees are typically representatives handling major projects for their families."
She paused thoughtfully.
"But tonight feels a little different."
Yukino had noticed it as well.
After following Haruno to pick up a small plate of food, she overheard several girls chatting nearby.
Later, the two of them found an empty sofa in a quiet corner. As Yukino ate slowly, she continued observing the banquet hall.
"Maybe they're here to catch a wealthy husband."
Haruno raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Yukino continued calmly,
"Didn't you say the Shinomiya family's eldest son is already married? The other two sons are still single. And the youngest daughter of the Shinomiya family is attending tonight as well."
She glanced around.
"There are quite a lot of young men here too."
Haruno smiled.
"Hmm… that theory sounds quite likely."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"But Yukino, are you looking for someone you know?"
Yukino withdrew her gaze and shook her head.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to speak.
"Haruno… something might happen at tonight's banquet."
She lowered her voice.
"I suggest you tell Father and Mother not to interact too closely with other families tonight—especially the Shinomiya family."
"Something might happen?"
Haruno narrowed her eyes and looked directly at her sister.
"Little Yukino… did you hear some kind of insider information? Can you tell your sister?"
Yukino shook her head.
"There's definitely something suspicious about this situation, but I don't know exactly what will happen."
She paused briefly.
"But I'm certain part of it involves the Time Vessel Association."
"The Time Vessel Association?"
Haruno's expression immediately grew serious.
She had already found it strange that a relatively obscure religious organization from Tokyo had personally delivered the invitation.
Now that Yukino had independently come to the same conclusion, Haruno's curiosity deepened even further.
"I understand."
Haruno stood up.
"I'll go speak with Father and Mother and remind them to stay cautious. Yukino, wait here for a moment."
After saying that, she left to find their parents.
Yukino remained seated on the sofa, quietly eating dessert while trying to suppress the unease rising within her.
She wondered if Luo Yu and Ranni had already arrived.
Soon, the clock reached six o'clock.
Haruno called Yukino over to join their parents.
Seeing how serious Yukino looked, her parents exchanged glances. Surprisingly, they agreed with Haruno's earlier warning and temporarily set aside their plans to pursue new business partnerships at the banquet.
Standing beside her sister, Yukino surveyed the hall again.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
In one corner of the hall, several unfamiliar individuals had appeared.
They wore formal suits, but their expressions and demeanor clearly marked them as something other than ordinary bodyguards.
There were both men and women among them.
Jujutsu sorcerers?
Or members of the Time Vessel Association?
Yukino began silently analyzing the situation.
Just then, the surrounding conversations gradually quieted.
The entire hall fell silent.
Under the attention of every guest present, an elderly man with white hair and a weathered face was escorted onto the main stage.
Yukino recognized him immediately from news reports.
The man sitting in the wheelchair was the head of the Shinomiya family—
Gan'an Shinomiya.
The three men surrounding him were likely his three sons.
However, Yukino's gaze eventually settled on someone standing slightly behind them.
A girl with long black hair.
She wore a black evening gown, her delicate features beautiful and refined.
Yet within her crimson eyes lingered a chilling coldness.
The youngest daughter of the Shinomiya family?
This girl had never appeared in the media before.
So this was Kaguya Shinomiya.
As the Shinomiya family appeared on stage, murmurs spread quietly through the crowd.
Many of the male guests had already fixed their attention on Kaguya.
On the main stage, Gan'an Shinomiya slowly swept his gaze across the hall before speaking into the microphone.
"Thank you all for attending the Shinomiya family's banquet tonight."
"There are three matters to announce this evening. I will keep things brief and address them one by one."
He paused.
"The first matter… some of you may have already heard rumors."
"Yes. It concerns my youngest daughter, Kaguya. She has reached the age where it is time to consider marriage."
A ripple of surprise spread across the hall.
Gan'an Shinomiya continued calmly.
"If any families present tonight have suitable unmarried sons, you may register with the Shinomiya family. We will select an appropriate candidate to become Kaguya's husband."
The moment those words were spoken, the hall erupted.
Although Kaguya Shinomiya had little claim to inherit the Shinomiya conglomerate, she was still a member of the Shinomiya family.
A marriage alliance with them would elevate any family's status instantly.
Families with eligible young men immediately grew excited.
After allowing the murmurs to settle slightly, Gan'an Shinomiya spoke again.
"The second matter concerns my second son, Qinglong, and my third son, Yunying."
"They too have reached the age to marry. Many young ladies from distinguished families are present tonight. If there is mutual interest, you may take the opportunity to speak with them during the banquet."
Those words sent another wave of excitement through the hall.
Even daughters of powerful families rarely had the chance to interact directly with the Shinomiya sons.
Opportunities to develop any kind of connection were even rarer.
Yet tonight, the Shinomiya patriarch had openly announced their marriage intentions.
Many of the young women present were practically trembling with excitement.
Each of them was ready to seize the opportunity.
Watching their reactions, Yukino frowned slightly and whispered to Haruno,
"Do they really believe marrying into the Shinomiya family will make their lives perfect?"
She glanced toward Kaguya on the stage.
"You can tell just by looking at her. The Shinomiya family clearly doesn't care about the wishes of their daughters."
Haruno nodded in agreement.
At the same time, she cast a faintly resentful glance toward their mother.
Even though she was the heir of the Yukinoshita family…
When it came to her own marriage—
She had just as little freedom as Kaguya Shinomiya.
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