SCIAW: Chapter 421/422

Chapter 421: The Shijo House

Will Kaguya date a boy?

Maki had never considered this question before. After all, it had only been about two months since her aunt transferred schools. She didn't expect that her aunt could fall for someone so easily.

Trust was an essential requirement for her aunt.

Without at least the baseline of trust, her aunt would remain wary of everyone.

Yet after just two months of contact, her aunt was already dating a boy who was practically a stranger?

Maki scrutinized the boy in front of her. The thick glasses made it hard to distinguish his features, but he was taller than her, with a proportionate build.

By all appearances, he seemed like a normal guy.

But Maki was convinced that he wasn't ordinary. Her aunt wouldn't trust just any boy so easily.

Moreover, they started dating after just two months of knowing each other.

Maki was certain of this.

"Auntie's boyfriend…"

She couldn't help murmuring to herself, still somewhat in disbelief.

Still, she tried her best to keep her emotions in check. At the very least, there was one thing she could be sure of:

No one would dare pretend to be her aunt's boyfriend.

"Are you seriously not joking with me?"

"I think Miss Maki should be well aware of Kaguya's personality. If you went to confirm whether it's true or not, how do you think she would feel?"

...This guy is definitely my aunt's boyfriend!

The fact that he could say that so accurately meant his relationship with her aunt was anything but ordinary.

Given how little a classmate of two months should know about her aunt, it was impossible for him to understand her that well without being close.

Maki exhaled softly and calmed herself, adjusting her emotions.

"So, you came to see me purely out of interest~?"

"That's right."

"Does Auntie know about this? Or more accurately, wouldn't she be angry about this?"

"My interest in you won't make Kaguya uncomfortable. Miss Maki, do you understand what I mean?"

"I do."

It wasn't the kind of interest that had romantic undertones, but rather interest in her as a person. Maki understood what he meant.

And with that, she felt somewhat relieved.

He was her aunt's boyfriend. Given that her aunt controlled the Shinomiya family, he had to be reliable in every way. So, this meeting was probably just a casual introduction.

"But I'm curious. Why would Auntie's boyfriend be interested in me?"

"Because Miss Maki also has interesting qualities. For example, like Kaguya, you choose to silently endure when you can't change the situation, but won't hesitate to act when you can."

"But judging from how much you care about your family, you probably wouldn't go as far as Kaguya did."

Just moments ago, Ren had already used divination to gain insight into the Shijo family's situation.

Though the Shijo family had long been suppressed by the Shinomiya family, the elders of the Shijo family still valued their descendants and did not treat Maki as a disposable pawn.

Perhaps the Shijo family understood this dynamic more clearly than the Shinomiya family.

Recognizing that internal conflict would be disastrous, the Shijo family had always presented a united front against outside threats.

"Of course, that unity only exists because of the pressure from the Shinomiya family."

Maki naturally understood the implication behind those words, and she didn't deny it.

"Yeah, I think so too."

"Because of the Shinomiya family's oppression, the Shijo family has become united. But once the Shinomiya family stops targeting us, internal chaos will erupt in no time."

"I think that's why Mom, Dad, and Mikado are willing to give up most of their domestic assets to appease Auntie's anger."

Maki wasn't naive. Her parents were definitely under pressure from within the Shijo family, but they were also considering the family's future.

"We're using Auntie's presence as a threat to prolong the perceived danger to the Shijo family, keeping us in a state of external pressure, and in turn, maintaining internal stability."

"But this method can only work once."

"External threats won't hold the family together forever. Once real conflict breaks out, it could trigger even bigger disasters."

"This lie is the biggest landmine. If it explodes, it could shatter the Shijo family completely."

Maki felt the weight of this reality pressing on her heart.

Of course, she understood. That landmine would definitely explode one day. And when that time came, even the external pressure wouldn't be enough to bring order back to chaos.

Even if the family lost profits due to external aggression, someone would have to step up and shoulder the consequences.

But when that moment came, no one would be willing to play the fool.

If it really came to that, the Shijo family would follow in the Shinomiya family's footsteps and maybe fare even worse.

"Miss Maki, do you think that day is coming soon?"

Maki closed her eyes, pained by the thought, silently calculating when the conflict might reach its boiling point.

"Two years… maybe just one."

"If Mikado can take over the family business within a year and lead the Shijo family to greater heights, then the internal friction might be kept under control. But if he can't, the conflicts will only build up over the next year, until they erupt completely."

Maki couldn't treat everyone like fools, and she didn't think the order maintained by such a method would last long.

No one is truly stupid. Once their personal interests are affected, and they realize it was because their parents sacrificed them to maintain the family's order, the backlash would be instant.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 422: The Results Are the Same

At that moment, Maki could sense a pressure she normally wouldn't have noticed.

It wasn't an illusion or baseless anxiety. She understood very clearly—this was a real and pressing crisis that the Shijo family was facing.

Faced with this situation for the first time, she felt a wave of panic.

Time for progress was running out.

If the compensation offered to her aunt wasn't increased to 80%, then this fragile stability wouldn't last much longer.

Once the external pressure disappeared, internal unrest within the Shijo family would begin to show.

These were problems that came with growth.

When a family hasn't fully developed yet, everyone is willing to put in the effort. They're united, working hard, knowing that danger still lurks outside.

But once survival is no longer an issue, and things become too comfortable, the unity that held the Shijo family together would begin to crack.

This was bound to happen.

Maki could see it—her parents were always on edge, and the same went for the other family members.

The high-stress state they had been under for so long was now easing, and with that easing came the inevitability of mental fatigue.

There had been some relief from the long-standing tension, but that relief would soon ripple into the family's internal atmosphere.

If no one stepped up to guide them, things could spiral quickly.

Maki understood that her brother had that potential.

Mikado had strong learning ability and a natural talent for management. He was capable of becoming the next head of the family.

But there simply wasn't enough time.

They had already missed the best opportunity to strike against the Shinomiya family—when her aunt was still in the process of seizing power.

If that plan had worked out, the Shijo family would've gained the stability they needed.

But unfortunately, it failed before it even began.

And from that point on, the Shijo family was no longer seen as a threat by the Shinomiya family.

"Miss Maki, I think your family needs a more stable environment to adapt."

"Your parents created a quiet period of one year. That's already a significant result for your family. Half the family's domestic assets have been transferred overseas. In this atmosphere of unease, they adopted that kind of testing approach. Given the compensation made, the time you've earned is already quite long."

Maki knew this.

But one year was too short. Far too short.

"Do you think that if our Shijo family hadn't used this method to test Auntie, we might've bought more time?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think so."

Ren gave his answer almost without hesitation.

"Your parents used such an aggressive method for two reasons. First, to force the environment into one suitable for growth. Second, to lower the standards of succession so that the family can advance."

"At a point when most of the domestic businesses have already been ceded, if the heir can bear the pressure and lead the family to recover, then their position as successor will be solidified."

"This approach can stabilize the unrest within the family and rally everyone back together to prevent internal collapse."

"Besides, in the past, the Shijo family was seen as a vassal of the Shinomiya family. The Shinomiya family would remain wary of you, but they wouldn't completely cut you off. In business, your two families weren't adversaries, but rather complementary."

"But now, that's changed."

"The moment the Shijo family could no longer play the role of a vassal, it started cutting ties with the Shinomiya family. And once that happened, the consequences began."

"Outside companies started wondering whether they should keep working with the Shijo family. Would they be targeted by the Shinomiya family if they did?"

"From that point on, your families became commercially incompatible. Even if the Shijo family had capability, it would be difficult to function on the island."

"On top of that, the Shinomiya family has the backing of Sanzenin. That alone drastically limits the space for your family's future growth."

"Because the label attached to the Shijo family is still too heavy."

Maki thought seriously about what Ren said and could only sigh in the end.

That was the reality.

Power within the Shinomiya family had already been consolidated under her aunt. And with Sanzenin's endorsement, there was practically no opposition left.

However, after that transition of power, the Shijo family made no statement. It was clear they had no intention of continuing as the Shinomiya family's vassal.

Once they reached this point, it was inevitable that trouble would follow in the business world.

Many companies that used to work with the Shijo family would start to hesitate.

Even without Auntie saying a word, those companies would begin to sever ties one by one.

Whether this was truly a test of her aunt or not, the Shijo family wouldn't last under these circumstances.

Maki realized this quickly.

Whether it was meant as a test for her aunt or not, the truth was that the Shijo family had been cornered by the shift in the Shinomiya family's power structure.

Unless they publicly announced their continued allegiance, they couldn't maintain their commercial operations.

But would the Shijo family be willing to go back, now that they had the chance to break free?

Clearly, her parents' attitude answered that. They had no intention of doing so.

So no matter the final result, they had already chosen their path.

And it was a path that would take even more time—more than the previous decline.

With that conclusion, Maki closed her eyes.

This was indeed a desperate situation.

But she also understood this wasn't her aunt's fault.

It was the Shijo family's own stance that had led to this.

Just as Ren said, the "vassal" label had become too heavy.

What used to be nothing more than a limitation had now turned into a fatal weakness.

It made Maki start to consider what she could do for the family.

But in the end, the conclusion she reached was painfully clear.

There was nothing she could do.

(To be continued.)