Chapter 77

"Hmm... I'm worried."

It was the day when Yurisa and Naoki Tachibana went to the Takasegawa family to pay their respects. Daisho Tachibana, who had returned to his hometown, was spending a very anxious time.

Of course, the reason was Yurisa's visit to the Takasegawa family.

In Daisho's mind, Yurisa had been sold to the Takasegawa family in exchange for a large sum of money. He was worried that the Takasegawa family might do something terrible to her.

"You're worrying too much, I think... Big brother."

The one who reprimanded Daisho was Maiko Tachibana, a sixth-grader and Daisho's younger sister by seven years.

"From what I can see... Yurisa doesn't seem to be unhappy."

Then Maiko recalled Yurisa's recent behavior. She spent her days in the room given to her (which was actually a converted storage room), gazing at the necklace given to her by her fiancé, with a silly smile on her face.

As a step-sister, it was nice to see her sister happy. However, it was also quite, no, very creepy.

(Those are probably designer items... I wish I could have something like that, Yurisa.)

The Tachibana family was known to be wealthy, but in reality, they were not as well-off as they appeared.

Of course, they maintained a lifestyle above the middle class, but it was a stretch.

At least, a primary school student like Maiko would never be able to own designer items.

"Of course. Yurisa can't say no."

She's just hiding her true feelings. She must be unhappy, no doubt.

Maiko couldn't deny this when she heard it.

"Maybe... but..."

Maiko, being a child, didn't know the details of the arranged marriage, but she had a vague sense that a lot of money was involved.

Given Yurisa's personality, she wouldn't be able to refuse.

While Daisho and Maiko were talking...

"Hmph... After being so picky, it's only right that she can't say no now."

Eimi Tachibana, their mother, interrupted their conversation with a displeased snort.

It was a well-known fact that Eimi strongly disliked Yurisa. She was particularly upset about this "engagement."

Yurisa had repeatedly refused marriage proposals and was selective about her suitors, which Eimi found very annoying.

Moreover, Eimi was also irritated because Yurisa had taken away Kosegawa Yugen, who was originally supposed to be Maiko's fiancé.

Adding to that, Yurisa was acting like a tragic heroine and spreading rumors about Eimi to Yugen, which made Eimi even angrier.

Yurisa's actions and attitude strongly reminded Eimi of her sister, Yurisa's mother.

"You shouldn't be talking about such things."

Especially when Yurisa, an unpleasant presence, was not around. The fact that the children were talking about her, and even worrying about her, was unpleasant for Eimi.

She forcefully ended the conversation between Daisho and Maiko.

Unable to stand up to their mother, the two obediently stopped talking. Daisho, however, looked quite dissatisfied.

That night, after Eimi, Yurisa, and Maiko had gone to bed, Naoki and Daisho were facing each other.

"...So, Dad. What's this about?"

Daisho, looking displeased, asked Naoki. It was unusual for Naoki to call Daisho for a talk.

Usually, when Naoki said he had something to talk about, it meant a lecture.

For Daisho, who was still somewhat rebellious even as a college student, a lecture from his father was not a pleasant experience, especially when he had nothing to feel guilty about.

"Last November, the Takasegawa family formally protested. Do you remember anything about that?"

"...I don't recall doing anything wrong."

Daisho frowned, already viewing the Takasegawa family as enemies. He didn't want to hear anything related to Yurisa's marriage or the Takasegawa family.

Besides, the last time Daisho had met Yugen was during the summer break, which didn't match the timeline.

"You apparently talked about the marriage to someone else. Is that not true?"

Daisho finally understood the purpose of this lecture. It seemed that his conversation with Shota Kobayashi about Yurisa's marriage had reached the Takasegawa family.

The official announcement of the engagement between Yugen and Yurisa had not been made yet, and both families had agreed to keep it confidential.

While it wasn't a complete secret, it was supposed to be a public secret, and those involved were not to speak about it openly.

"...I only talked to Yurisa's friend."

To Daisho, this seemed like a silly issue. If everyone already knew, there was no need to keep quiet. Moreover, Yurisa's friend wasn't a stranger.

"That's what you call a stranger."

Naoki quickly dismissed Daisho's excuse and said firmly, "I told you that this engagement is important for the company, for both families, and for Yurisa. If your careless actions lead to a broken engagement, what do you plan to do?"

"If a mere conversation can break the engagement, it shouldn't have been made in the first place!"

Daisho, who actually wanted the engagement to be broken, retorted. Naoki sighed in response.

"The problem is not just that. It seems you also told a boy who admires Yurisa some lies. I heard that this boy tried to harm Yurisa and the Takasegawa daughter."

In reality, the boy had been defeated by Ayako, but the possibility of harm could not be denied. Yugen, who appeared calm, had reported this to his parents in a way that suggested he was very angry.

This had damaged Shota's reputation, but to Yugen, a cold and calculating man, Shota's reputation was irrelevant. What mattered was the safety of his beloved sister and Yurisa.

"Harm? ...He wouldn't do something like that!"

"I'm not asking for your opinion. Is it true that you told him lies?"

"I didn't tell any lies."

"Did you not say that the Takasegawa family is using money and power to force Yurisa into marriage, and that Yugen is forcing her to marry him?"

"Because that's the truth."

Daisho insisted that he had only told the truth and had not said anything false.

Naoki frowned in response.

"...It seems you have a misunderstanding. Before Yurisa's marriage, there were discussions about business deals and loans with the Takasegawa family. Yurisa's marriage to Yugen is for the good of both families."

"It's all about how you phrase it. The fact remains that Yurisa is being used as a sacrifice."

Daisho believed that Yugen was in love with Yurisa or desired her body and was using his family's power to take her. Even if this wasn't true, and the marriage was for the good of both families, Yurisa was still being used as a sacrifice.

Naoki's eyes widened when he heard Daisho's argument. While it was true that Yurisa was being put through a lot, Daisho's view was very different from his own.

"She is not a sacrifice, and I never intended for her to be one. I considered Yurisa's happiness. The Takasegawa family is one of the most prestigious in the country. If Yurisa marries into that family, her future will be secure. Yurisa also wants the engagement."

Daisho was now the one who was stunned. If Naoki was serious, he was completely misunderstanding the situation.

"Yurisa wants the engagement? There's no way she would."

"Why do you think you know? Yurisa has said she wants to marry Yugen. Even before that, she asked for the arranged marriage."

Naoki was trying to rebuild the Tachibana family, but the future was not bright. Before the deal with the Takasegawa family, Naoki's company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Considering Yurisa's future, it was not a bad idea to find her a good match early.

So, he proposed the idea of an arranged marriage to Yurisa. Accepting an arranged marriage did not mean she had to marry. If she didn't like the person, she could refuse. If she didn't find anyone she liked, that was fine too. If Yurisa said no, he would have stopped.

However, Yurisa seemed open to the idea. She didn't show any reluctance and nodded. After a few arranged meetings, when it seemed she hadn't found anyone she liked, he was about to stop.

That's when the Takasegawa family mentioned that Yugen was interested in Yurisa.

Naoki explained this to Daisho, who sighed and slammed his hand on the table.

"You don't understand Yurisa at all! You're not paying attention to your children!"

"If Yurisa was asked about an arranged marriage, she wouldn't be able to say no, given her position!"

Daisho shouted and stormed out to his room. Naoki was left in a daze for a moment...

"...Hmm, is that so?"

He held his head and whispered, "If that's the case, I've done a terrible thing..."

The two were slightly out of sync.

Hmm, this is a father-son relationship, isn't it?

If you think so, please bookmark, rate (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★), and I believe the two will work together to make Yugen and Yurisa's love story more exciting.

Love burns brighter with a little obstacle.