At that moment, after hearing the series of announcements, Yukino's father and mother both revealed expressions of surprise.
However, neither of them showed the slightest excitement.
As far as marriage alliances were concerned, the couple had never planned such a future for either Haruno or Yukino.
Yukino aside, Haruno was currently studying in Tokyo and had already gained a certain level of recognition within the circles of wealthy heirs there.
But her parents had always intended to raise her as the future head of the Yukinoshita family.
If Haruno were married off through a political alliance, she would inevitably lose the ability to lead the Yukinoshita family in the future.
Worse still, the Yukinoshita family itself might eventually be absorbed by the Shinomiya conglomerate.
That was an undeniable reality.
Because of that, they had already decided long ago that once Haruno graduated, they would arrange for a husband who would marry into the Yukinoshita family instead.
Of course, if Haruno managed to find a suitable partner on her own, they would happily accept it.
As for the two unmarried sons of the Shinomiya family—
No matter how one looked at it, neither of them was suitable.
Both were considerably older than Haruno.
Even the youngest, Yunying Shinomiya, was already thirty years old.
Completely unsuitable.
Haruno herself had no interest in the matter either. In fact, she looked down on the three men standing on the stage.
Glancing around the hall, she couldn't help sharing the same thought that had crossed Yukino's mind earlier.
Those women eagerly watching the stage…
Even if they succeeded in marrying into the Shinomiya family, they would likely end up as nothing more than decorative ornaments—beautiful birds trapped inside a gilded cage.
In families like this, women rarely possessed any real status.
Even Kaguya Shinomiya, standing on the stage right now, was no exception in Haruno's eyes.
She was simply a tool the Shinomiya family intended to use to secure alliances.
In another corner of the banquet hall stood members of the Fujiwara family, a well-known political lineage.
Three girls with pink hair, each possessing a different but equally charming appearance, stared at the stage in disbelief.
Among them, the girl standing in the middle—Fujiwara Chika, the second daughter of the Fujiwara family—had long pink hair with soft curls and a butterfly-shaped ribbon tied on her forehead.
Her cheeks puffed up angrily as she glared toward the stage.
"How awful! They're treating Kaguya like a tool for marriage alliances!"
Her older sister, Fujiwara Toyomi, quickly tugged at her sleeve and whispered,
"Chika, lower your voice. Careful what you say."
"But it's the truth!"
Chika stomped over to her father and grabbed his arm.
"Dad, did you already know about this? Can't you help Kaguya somehow?"
Mr. Fujiwara, who currently served as a diplomat, gave a helpless smile.
"I'm sorry, Chika. I truly didn't know about this beforehand."
"Not just me—even your uncle and the rest of the Fujiwara family were unaware."
"As for helping Miss Kaguya…"
He sighed lightly.
"That's unfortunately impossible. Our family only has daughters right now. If we at least had a son of a similar age, perhaps something could be arranged."
Mr. Fujiwara understood the Shinomiya family very well.
He knew that within that household, Kaguya Shinomiya would likely remain nothing more than a political asset.
But the Fujiwara family, as a political dynasty, had limited cooperation with the Shinomiya conglomerate. Aside from Chika's personal friendship with Kaguya, there were hardly any meaningful ties.
Stopping the Shinomiya family's marriage arrangement was simply beyond their power.
"…Sigh."
Chika looked up at the stage again, her voice soft and troubled.
"Kaguya must feel terrible right now."
After the brief uproar in the hall subsided, Gan'an Shinomiya raised one hand slightly.
The entire room immediately fell silent.
After scanning the audience, he continued speaking.
"The first two matters we discussed earlier allow you ample time to consider your options and communicate with my children."
He paused.
"Now, I will announce the third matter."
His tone became noticeably heavier.
"This is the most important matter tonight—and one that must be decided upon today."
He slowly looked around the hall.
"Most of the families present here are prestigious households from across the Kanto region."
"I assume some of you are already aware of the existence of certain special entities—evil spirits and cursed spirits."
"And of the people who deal with them."
"Jujutsu sorcerers. Exorcists."
The moment those words were spoken, the hall erupted into murmurs.
Some guests looked confused.
Others, however, stared in shock.
Those who reacted strongly were people who already knew that cursed spirits and evil spirits truly existed.
What they couldn't understand was why Gan'an Shinomiya would reveal such matters so openly in front of everyone.
For centuries, these things had remained hidden in the shadows.
Special groups had dealt with them quietly, maintaining balance within the human world.
In the Fujiwara family's corner, Mr. Fujiwara narrowed his eyes slightly.
A possibility began forming in his mind.
Could it be…
The Shinomiya family was no longer satisfied with their current status?
Were they trying to expand further?
Economically speaking, as one of Japan's four great conglomerates, the Shinomiya family had already expanded into nearly every major industry.
They had also been investing heavily in emerging fields like the internet sector.
If that was the case…
Were they now trying to extend their influence into the world of jujutsu and exorcism?
In truth, many powerful families around the world maintained certain connections with the hidden world.
There were two main reasons.
First, to protect their families from supernatural threats.
Second, to obtain resources that could not be accessed through ordinary means.
But what Gan'an Shinomiya was proposing now…
Sounded very different from those traditional arrangements.
And he continued speaking.
"Cursed spirits and evil spirits are very real."
"Every year, countless missing-person cases occur. A significant number of them are caused by these entities."
"Of course, for families like yours, this is not a serious problem. Once you understand their existence, you can simply hire capable sorcerers or exorcists to protect your household."
He paused again.
"But what I wish to discuss tonight goes beyond that."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Have you ever considered granting your own families similar power?"
"Perhaps even something greater."
He slowly spread his arms.
"With the right methods, even extending your lifespan far beyond that of ordinary humans… is entirely possible."
At that moment, Gan'an Shinomiya clapped his hands.
From behind the stage curtain, three figures stepped forward.
A man and a woman—each dressed differently.
Their expressions carried faint, mocking smiles as they gazed down at the audience.
The moment Yukino saw them, her body tensed.
One of them was a bald, muscular man wearing a black apron that made him look like a butcher from a meat shop.
Another was a young man with long golden hair and a dazzling smile.
And the third—
A tall man with long blue hair.
The moment Yukino sensed their presence, the instinctive perception of her nekomata bloodline made a chill run down her spine.
These people…
Were absolutely not good people.
In fact, the blue-haired man felt even more dangerous than the other two.
Much more frightening.
Without thinking, Yukino reached out and gently tugged at her parents' sleeves.
When they turned toward her, she whispered urgently,
"This matter is not something our family should get involved in."
"Please… don't participate."
Just as her mother was about to respond—
Gan'an Shinomiya spoke again from the stage.
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