There was no helping it. Kotomi Izumi said that because she had her own considerations.

Kotomi knew that her father and mother cared deeply for Yui Yuigahama, especially her mother. Akina pitied Yui's family circumstances and also greatly liked Yui's personality.

If Mom finds out that when we went to Third Uncle and Third Aunt's house today, I made Yui serve me food, peel fruit for me, and then deliberately acted fierce toward her, then without needing to say anything else, once I get home I'll definitely get my butt spanked again.

Kotomi smiled helplessly to herself. That was exactly why she had told a small lie.

Ever since learning that Kotomi might be juggling three relationships at once, hopping back and forth between Megumi, Iroha, and Yui, Akina Izumi had first given Kotomi's backside a thorough beating, then unconsciously begun slipping into the role of a mother-in-law.

If Akina were asked to choose one of the three as her daughter-in-law—or son-in-law—she truly could not decide. Giving up any one of them felt unbearable.

So whenever she thought of such matters, Akina could not help wanting to smack Kotomi's little butt again. How had the obedient little milk cake she raised turned into such a trashy little scumbag girl after growing up?

If she were only trashy in words or thoughts, things would still be manageable.

The key problem was that her precious eldest daughter Kotomi was an action-oriented scumbag girl who turned thoughts into reality. If she took a liking to some girl, she truly dared to pursue her.

Even if she already had many girlfriends, she still dared to make a move.

And not only that. When it came time to confess, Kotomi could still righteously say, "I will love you properly. This heart of mine belongs only to you. My heart is very small. Once it holds you, it can no longer hold anyone else."

When Akina heard that, anger immediately rose in her chest, and she scolded:

"You little troublemaker. Your Third Uncle and Third Aunt just called the house and told us everything. They said you were especially fierce to Yui at the dinner table today! Think you've grown capable now, have you? Learned how to bully the softest persimmon? That silly girl Yui only knows how to treat you well. Not only do you not cherish her, you even bully her. So you only pick on the weak and fear the strong? Why don't I ever see you dare bully Megumi?"

???

A row of little question marks seemed to pop above Kotomi's head. She understood everything before that, but what did the last sentence mean?

"Mom, is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like that last sentence sounded as if you were saying I'm some henpecked wife who can't stand tall in front of Megumi?" Kotomi said helplessly, tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Isn't that true?" Akina, as always, spoke bluntly.

"..."

For some reason, even though Kotomi wanted very much to refute it, she could not think of any words to use.

So she could only brace herself and continue the topic.

"Mom, it's not like you don't know why I deliberately acted fierce toward Yui in front of Third Uncle and Third Aunt. It was to reassure the elders at home. I wanted the family to know that in my relationship, I'm the one in the dominant position and won't be bullied," Kotomi said gloomily.

"Of course I know that. But the reason I called today is to ask whether you understand the meaning behind bringing Yui to eat at an elder's home now," Akina asked, sounding both helpless and earnest.

Not only Akina, but Kaneyoshi Izumi had also been startled when he learned Kotomi had taken Yui to Third Uncle and Third Aunt's house for dinner. His precious eldest daughter had truly made a rather unexpected move.

If one were to call Kotomi foolish, then judging from the details of how she behaved and handled matters during dinner, that could not be true. Without exaggeration, Kotomi's performance today had been nearly perfect—steady, smooth, and without a single flaw.

If Kotomi truly intended to marry Yui, then today's actions could be said to have laid an excellent foundation for the future. The road of their relationship would proceed smoothly under the approval of the Izumi family.

But if one said Kotomi was clever, that did not seem entirely right either.

After learning she had taken Yui to Third Uncle and Third Aunt's house, her parents' first thought was—Kotomi was being too hasty.

If Kotomi truly wished to tell the family: I have a girlfriend now. Her name is Yui Yuigahama, and I want to marry her.

Then the timing she had chosen was simply too rushed.

Even delaying it by half a year or a full year would not have made it look as urgent and impulsive as it did now.

The main reason was that not long ago, the Sakayanagi family had proposed marriage to the Izumi family, hoping Arisu Sakayanagi would marry Kotomi Izumi.

Although the Izumi family had not signed any formal engagement agreement and had only verbally agreed, since both sides had shown intent for the two children to be together, the Izumi family would naturally prioritize a marriage between Kotomi and Arisu Sakayanagi.

From the most realistic perspective, if Kotomi Izumi married Arisu Sakayanagi, the relationship between the Izumi family and the Sakayanagi family would grow much closer.

And Kotomi was not only the granddaughter of the Izumi household, but also the maternal granddaughter of Ryu Hishinaga.

Therefore, if Kotomi married Arisu Sakayanagi, it would be equivalent to tightly linking three major financial conglomerates together.

The benefits produced from that could not be described in a few simple words.

Even if many people in high society were unwilling to see the three great conglomerates become so closely tied, what could they do about it?

No matter what, if Kotomi Izumi married Arisu Sakayanagi, both the influence created and the profits that followed would be enormous.

Conversely, if Kotomi did not marry Arisu Sakayanagi and instead married Yui Yuigahama, whose family background was ordinary, then from a realistic point of view it would be like giving up a vast mountain of gold and silver. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Yakken Izumi and Ryu Hishinaga had always believed children should make their own choices and decide their own feelings. There was no need to consider realistic factors. They only needed to ask themselves whether they truly liked the person.

So whether Kotomi chose to marry Arisu Sakayanagi or marry Yui Yuigahama, at the very least her parents, grandparents, and maternal grandparents would all support her.

It was only that some elders in the family might have a few objections.

Thus, the safest method would have been to delay matters for half a year or a year, let the influence of the Sakayanagi family's proposal fade somewhat, and only then bring Yui to meet the family.

For Kotomi to bring Yui to Third Uncle and Third Aunt's house right when the Sakayanagi proposal had just happened truly made her seem too hasty.

However, both of her parents also understood clearly that Kotomi could not be blamed for this.

After all, Kotomi still did not know that Arisu Sakayanagi had already proposed to both the Izumi family and the Hishinaga family, asking to take her as a wife.

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