The afternoon sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled shadows across the living room and making the aristocratic room look even more opulent.
Looking at Ayako standing before him, Yuu didn't rush to answer. Instead, he observed and thought. Ayako was tall and elegant, yet she radiated an aura of authority—the kind that only comes from years of being in power. Even at home, she wore a well-tailored black dress, its hem swaying slightly, making her look noble yet sexy.
Yuu lowered his gaze slightly, admiring Ayako's beautiful face, which showed no signs of wrinkles. Her features were exquisite and sharp. Her eyes held a mix of sternness and softness, a gaze that seemed to see through everything as she met Yuu's eyes without flinching.
The most captivating feature was the faint beauty mark near the corner of her eye, which added a touch of seductive allure to her cold, powerful persona. It made one instinctively want to conquer her.
Perhaps because Yuu stared for too long, or perhaps his gaze was too bold, Ayako was the first to look away after a few minutes. She spoke in a displeased tone, "Young man, have you thought it through?"
"Yes, I have." Yuu took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, and answered with a smile.
"Good. Once Tomoko's engagement ceremony is over, we'll arrange the engagement for you and Serena."
Marrying into the Suzuki family was the dream of countless men. But of all the men in the world, only Yuu was "lucky" enough to be given the chance. Ayako nodded in satisfaction. In her view, Yuu would surely agree. Especially since he was an orphan, joining another family would carry no social or familial pressure.
Ayako had already investigated Yuu's background, character, and abilities. She was very satisfied with him—exceeding her requirements for Serena's future husband. To come from nothing and become a teacher at a young age through his own efforts was impressive. His looks, character, and ability were all top-tier. If Serena weren't one of only two daughters, and if Tomoko weren't already promised to another family for an alliance, Ayako might have just let them be.
However, just as Ayako was happily planning the engagement, she heard Yuu's apologetic voice.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Suzuki, but I don't think I can marry into the family."
Yuu held Serena's hand, his expression sincere. "Serena knows this too... I've already promised Ran."
"Oh, Hoshimiya-sensei, really... you could have just humored Mom for a bit..." Serena sighed, her tone playful but clearly containing no real blame.
A vein popped on Ayako's fair forehead as she glared at her flighty younger daughter. She knew about Ran, of course; she had just chosen not to mention it. As long as Yuu agreed to the marriage, she wouldn't have cared about his little fling with Ran—as long as he was legally a Suzuki.
She never expected her foolish daughter to have already agreed to let Ran be the "primary" wife in secret.
Ayako's full chest rose and fell with her anger. Yuu looked on, slightly worried that the black dress wouldn't be able to hold them in, and half-tempted to reach out and help her.
Ayako glared at Serena, who was clinging to Yuu's arm. "If you don't marry into the family, Serena cannot be with you."
She didn't bother explaining the reason. She assumed Serena would tell him.
In the Suzuki family, one daughter was for alliance, the other for inheritance. The former had no choice in her partner; the latter had more freedom but had to bring a husband into the family and shoulder the future of the clan. Neither path was necessarily "worse" than the other; being born into a zaibatsu meant enjoying things commoners couldn't dream of, and that came with responsibilities. The roles had been decided long ago, and both daughters had agreed.
"Mom, don't be mad," Serena chirped, running over to Ayako. "We can just say Hoshimiya-sensei married in. It's not like anyone is going to check our marriage certificate."
In Japan, there isn't a single "marriage certificate" like in some countries; there is a marriage registration form. After marriage, one party usually takes the other's surname. If the woman takes the man's, it's a traditional marriage. If the man takes the woman's, it's "marrying in" (mukoyoushi). For a massive conglomerate like the Suzukis, if they announced he married in, no one would verify the paperwork.
"Serena, this isn't a joke," Ayako snapped. "Do you think this is playing house? This concerns the future of the entire Suzuki family."
"Ugh..." Serena knew she was in the wrong, but she didn't want to give up. After a moment of internal struggle, she said, "Then I'll talk to Ran. She probably doesn't care about the piece of paper as long as she's the 'big sister' at home."
In reality, once they accepted that Yuu was a playboy, none of the girls really cared about the legal document. Yuu knew this, but he had to take a stand. He intended to keep his promises to his women, especially to Ran, his "Goddess of Luck."
"Be quiet!" Seeing Serena so casually suggest sharing a husband with Ran, Ayako's chest hurt from stress. She glanced at Shiro, who wisely turned his head, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
Having been a "married-in" husband for the Suzukis for so many years, Shiro had enjoyed many benefits. He had been quite the wild one back when Ayako was pregnant with Serena. He had ruined his health, leading to his premature aging and his inability to give Ayako another child. He was even dysfunctional in the bedroom, leaving Ayako essentially a "living widow" for years. Shiro, who never had much status to begin with, had become a mere mascot since then. Though he felt his daughter shouldn't have to share a man, he knew he had no right to speak.
"Watch your tongue," Ayako barked at Serena. "If I hear even a whisper of this outside, you're in trouble."
The bigger the conglomerate, the more they cared about reputation. You could do anything, but you couldn't say it. Everyone in the high-society circles knew about the scandals, but no one ever brought them into the light. Even the squinty-eyed Tomoko looked like she was about to pop her eyes open in surprise.
Tomoko was indeed shocked. She had just wanted to be an observer, but she had stumbled onto some massive "tea." After the shock passed, she began to calculate. If there were already two women sharing a husband, one more shouldn't be a problem.
Yeah, I'll talk to Serena in a bit...
"I know, Mom," Serena stuck her tongue out. "But we're family here~"
"Not even at home!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Serena didn't dare push her luck further; she was the one asking for a favor now. "I'll go call Ran and discuss it. You guys chat."
Serena was clearly impatient. She had planned to take a roundabout route, but since her mother liked Yuu so much, it was much simpler. At the thought that she might finally say goodbye to her virginity tonight and experience the bliss she had fantasized about for years, Serena felt a flush of heat. Looking at Yuu's handsome face, she didn't want to wait another second; she wanted to drag him to a room for some "life counseling" right now.
Serena's conversation with Ran went smoothly. Without much hesitation, Ran agreed. Ran was the most reasonable of them all and understood the Suzuki situation. She didn't care much for the piece of paper. If her best friend needed it, she could have it. However, hearing how Yuu had stood up for her made Ran very happy. She planned to reward him properly the next time they met.
Serena finished her call and happily headed back to the living room to report the good news. Halfway there, she was intercepted by Tomoko, who had followed her on the pretext of using the restroom.
"Serena, I need to talk to you about something..." Tomoko said with a smile, pulling Serena into a corner and whispering.