"Father, what did you just say?""The Yukinoshita engagement banquet?"Hayama Hayato stared at his father, a tremor running through him. He pressed urgently, "Who is getting engaged? Which young lady is it?"
Hayama Sr.'s expression was complex, a mixture of resignation and factual reporting. "It's a dual engagement."
"That's… that's impossible! The law doesn't permit that!" Hayato's voice rose in disbelief. "What about bigamy laws?"
"My foolish son," his father sighed, his tone indicating he was explaining a fundamental truth of their world. "For the old families, the law holds little weight. Politicians are often just pieces on the board for the great households. An engagement to two is not unheard of. Some of these families still maintain systems of… attendants within their homes."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Furthermore, it is an engagement, not a marriage. Without a legal marriage certificate, it is not bigamy. And should one truly wish to marry multiple parties, acquiring citizenship in a more permissive nation is a straightforward matter."
Hayato fell silent, the air knocked from his lungs. He clutched at his chest, a dull ache forming behind his ribs.
"Then… who is the man the Yukinoshitas are engaging to?" he finally asked, his voice tight. He needed to know which scion of which powerful family could command such esteem from Mrs. Yukinoshita that she would offer both her daughters without hesitation.
"That person is Hozuki Nozomi. You know him. He is your classmate." His father's gaze was steady. "However, according to my own inquiries, he possesses other, more significant identities."
Hearing the name, Hayato couldn't suppress a bitter, mirthless smile. Some part of him had already guessed. Yet, having it confirmed—that it was Hozuki Nozomi—was a blow he found difficult to accept. That philandering, easygoing… scoundrel. How could he possibly be worthy of marrying both Yukinoshita Haruno and Yukino Yukinoshita simultaneously?
I won't accept it! Hayato's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles whitening, eyes burning with fierce, frustrated unwillingness.
Regardless of Hayato's inner turmoil, he was soon dressed in a tailored suit, preparing to accompany his parents to the banquet. His father served as personal legal counsel to Haruhiko Yukinoshita, effectively placing him within the Yukinoshita political sphere, which granted their family an invitation. A dark, stubborn part of Hayato's mind clung to a resolve: he would find a moment to ask Yukinoshita Haruno herself. He needed to understand why she would lower herself to be engaged to such a man.
Within the Yukinoshita estate, the central figures of the evening were in their final preparations. Yukino Yukinoshita sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the open wardrobe with a familiar sense of decision paralysis. A faint, uncharacteristic nervousness fluttered in her stomach.
Which dress was right? She didn't wish to be overshadowed by her sister. Yet, in terms of sheer… presence, Haruno already held a natural advantage. This ruled out certain more daring, form-fitting styles for Yukino.
"Still deciding, Yukino-chan?"
Haruno appeared in the doorway, already dressed in an elegant gown of deep amethyst. The color complemented her delicate features and sweet smile perfectly, radiating an immense, warm femininity and approachability.
Yukino couldn't help but stare in open admiration. "Sister… you look breathtaking."
"Hehe, thank you~" Haruno's smile widened. "But Yukino is also incredibly cute, so don't overthink it. Just choose the dress you feel best in and wear it." She stepped into the room, her tone gentle. "Perhaps try a different style from mine? Hmm… What about white, or a light blue? That boy… he has a particular fondness for the pure and elegant type, you know. Don't you want to give it a try, Yukino-chan?"
At this, Yukino's lips formed a slight, unconscious pout. "He clearly likes you the most." As she spoke, her gaze drifted with a hint of envy to where the fabric of Haruno's dress was stretched taut, emphasizing her sister's more… developed figure.
"Pfft, Yukino is truly adorable, still worrying about such things." Haruno's laughter was light and affectionate. "It's only natural I'm a little more… pronounced. I am a few years older, after all. But Yukino has a very, very promising future ahead." She reached out, gently smoothing a strand of Yukino's dark hair. "Here, let me help you style your hair later. What kind of look would you like?"
The atmosphere between the sisters was one of quiet, supportive camaraderie. Both felt a shared undercurrent of anticipation and nervousness for the evening. Being engaged to the same man simultaneously was unprecedented; they wondered, with a detached curiosity, how the other young ladies from influential families would perceive them. Yet, neither Haruno nor Yukino were individuals who lived by the approval of others. Their path was their own to choose.
Across the city, in various mansions and estates, other young ladies were in similar states of preparation. The Yuuki family, as a rising power, naturally received an invitation. Asuna Yuuki found herself standing before her own wardrobe, maneuvered by her mother like a living mannequin as she was made to try on dress after dress.
Truthfully, Asuna was suited to white—it was a color that spoke of purity and grace, almost bridal in its essence. However, attending another's engagement banquet meant one must not outshine the hosts. After much deliberation, she settled on a dignified, tasteful gown that elegantly highlighted her silhouette without being ostentatious, leaving her looking gentle and lovely.
Elsewhere, Eriri Spencer Sawamura stood fuming. Her signature twin-tails remained, but they were now accompanied by a lavish assortment of jewelry at her wrists and neck—her mother's insistence.
Eriri was mortified. She looked, in her own opinion, like a nouveau riche heiress or, worse, a gold-digger. Her style was meant to be pure, cute, and sharp—the twin-tails were a statement of defiant youth, not a platform for gaudy display!
"This was my outfit, your mother's, from back in the day!" Sawamura Sayuri declared, hands on her hips, utterly self-assured. "It was this very jewelry that brought out my noble bearing! That's how I caught your father's eye!"
Eriri's eye twitched. Are you sure Dad wasn't just fooled by the glitter, thinking you were loaded, and that's how you hooked him? Moreover, true nobility wasn't something slapped on with jewelry. Look at Yukino Yukinoshita—she could sit silently in a plain room and still exude an aura of icy, unapproachable aristocracy. That scoundrel Hozuki Nozomi is completely bewitched by it.
Eriri wanted to protest. She didn't want to wear this tacky jewelry. The lipstick her mother had applied made her look too mature, too artificially glamorous, clashing horribly with her natural temperament.
But protest was futile. In the end, adorned with lipstick and a necklace that felt unnaturally heavy, she was pulled along by her triumphant mother to attend the banquet.
"Honestly, why do I have to go to that scoundrel's engagement party?" Eriri grumbled under her breath, her pout pronounced. She couldn't help but wonder what that infuriatingly composed Kasumigaoka Utaha would think, knowing the man she was so intrigued by was formally engaging himself to not one, but two young ladies.
The venue for the engagement banquet was a prestigious five-star hotel, its grand ballroom meticulously prepared under the Yukinoshita family's direction. Everything was in place, awaiting the arrival of the guests.
As time passed, the hall began to fill with the elite of society—influential family heads, their poised wives, and their impeccably dressed daughters and sons. As hosts, Mrs. Yukinoshita and politician Haruhiko Yukinoshita stood side-by-side near the entrance, offering gracious smiles and polite greetings to each new arrival.
When it seemed most guests had assembled, Mrs. Yukinoshita gave a subtle, regal nod. It was time.
The soft murmur of the crowd hushed as attention turned toward the main entrance. There, Yukino Yukinoshita, radiant in a gown of pristine white, and Yukinoshita Haruno, stunning in her deep purple dress, made their entrance. Between them, each holding one of his arms with casual intimacy, was a handsome young man in an impeccably tailored suit, his expression one of calm composure.
They walked leisurely into the center of the room, a living tableau that commanded absolute attention.
"Everyone," Mrs. Yukinoshita's clear, proud voice rang out, effortlessly carrying across the ballroom. "Thank you for joining us to celebrate this Yukinoshita family occasion. Allow me to introduce you all. This is the Yukinoshita family's fiancé. His name is Hozuki Nozomi. From this day forward, he will be recognized as Yukinoshita's son-in-law. We are honored to have you all here as our witnesses."