And so, after they met at Kyoto Station, Airi immediately began her interrogation of Kutsuco, barely offering a greeting.
As there were eyes around, they entered a suitable café, where Airi once again attempted to extract information from Kutsuco.
Yugen, wisely avoiding the topic, was simply drinking his coffee when Shiori, seated opposite him, spoke in a low voice.
"Hey, Yugen.
Is Kutsuco your girlfriend?"
"...I can only say she's in a position that's mostly not wrong.
This matter is kept secret even among the Ten Master Clan heads."
"I see.
Recently, you've been busy with the competition, and then I heard Kutsuco took time off school and went ahead to Kyoto, and since then she's been like that..."
"That's something I can't do anything about."
After all, Kutsuco is a young lady of the Yotsuin family, one of the Hundred Families and a pillar of the 'Nine-Headed Dragon'.
Airi, on the other hand, is a young lady of the Isshiki family, one of the Eighteen Assistant Houses.
He subtly understood the feelings Airi had for him, but the engagement talk itself, with the exception of Izumi, was largely kept within the immediate family.
Judging from what Princess Sen has conveyed, once the next head of the Yotsuba family is solidified, a search for fiancées for the next Kagurazaka head would also be initiated.
"Besides, I can't predict how many fiancées I'll end up with.
If it were the 'Crimson Prince,' the story would be more straightforward."
"...Unlike Masaki, I think you're quite approachable, Yugen."
"Masaki would probably collapse if he heard that."
Well, Masaki himself is preoccupied with Miyuki, to the point where he barely looks at other girls.
As he was thinking this, Kutsuco, with teary eyes, clung to his arm.
It seemed she had reached her wit's end and was asking for help.
"Help me, Yugen.
I can't handle this."
"...Understood.
Airi, what I'm about to tell you is a fact kept secret even among the Ten Master Clan heads, so please listen with that in mind."
"H-huh, yes, I understand."
After deploying a voice alteration barrier, he partially disclosed information about his engagement.
While Kutsuco, a party involved, and Shiori, who was subtly listening, were relatively composed, Airi couldn't hide her surprise.
"M-multiple fiancées already...
As expected, Yugen-san, you are truly an extraordinary person."
"Currently, there are many undisclosed facts.
More importantly, Airi.
I don't recall ever disliking you, but why were you so anxious?
Well, I can guess."
"...Roughly as Yugen-san surmises."
According to Airi, there had been talk of an arranged marriage at the time of last year's Nine Schools Competition, and Airi wanted to refuse that proposal.
At this point, she apparently harbored feelings for him.
Her success at the Nine Schools Competition led to the annulment of that proposal, and now the Isshiki family began to scheme to propose a marriage with the Mitsuya family.
However, the sticking point here was Masaki and Shinkurou's disrespect towards Yugen, who at the time did not bear the Mitsuya surname.
Masaki's mother was a collateral relative of the Isshiki family, and the Ichijou family and Isshiki family were related.
Masaki's disrespect not only affected the Ichijou family but also indirectly the Isshiki family, and furthermore, it left a bad impression on Gouzou, causing them to hesitate.
"Ah, the 'lolicon' remark.
Grandfather laughed and said he wasn't at all displeased; rather, he found it amusing."
"Is that so?
However, in that situation, my uncles were concerned that if I announced myself as a fiancée, it would become another Saegusa family fiasco."
"So that's how it is."
Under the laws of this country, monogamy is the norm, and even among the Ten Master Clans, while remarriage occurs, bigamy does not.
He knew of cases where people kept mistresses and even had children, but he had no reason to disparage a childhood friend, so he kept silent.
"So, since Kutsuco returned after New Year's, I've wondered about her becoming more feminine than before.
And thinking that Yugen-san might be involved... I'm sorry."
"Apologizing to me won't do much good...
Say, Kutsuco.
Can I, for argument's sake, interject about the ranking?"
"That shouldn't be a problem.
After all, you're the one who ultimately decides."
"Yugen, what are you planning?"
The current engagement ranking is: first, Miyuki (niece of the Yotsuba family head); from second place onwards, Shizuku (daughter of the Kitayama family), Himeri (eldest daughter of the Ise family), Kutsuco (daughter of the Yotsuin family), Yuka (eldest daughter of the Tsukuba family), Celia (relative of the Kujou family), and finally Izumi (third daughter of the Saegusa family).
Given the significant involvement of the Saegusa family in this incident, he has no intention of dissolving the engagement itself, but he will demand a penalty concerning the engagement.
Furthermore, since Airi's mother has favorably viewed Airi's situation, saying "If you like her, please marry her," he has no intention of disregarding that.
"Airi, please ask the Isshiki family to make an overture to the Mitsuya family before the year ends.
I'll talk to the Mitsuya family head."
"Eh... Eh?!
Are you serious?"
"Completely serious.
Or is Airi dissatisfied with an engagement to me?"
"That's not it at all!
On the contrary, I would be happier marrying Yugen-san than some stranger in a political marriage...
Wait, why are Shiori and Kutsuco looking at me like that?!"
Observing Airi's beaming expression, Shiori and Kutsuco cast warm, somewhat pitying glances at Airi.
Noticing this, Airi raised her voice.
"Airi, who couldn't focus on work because she was worried Kutsuco might be dating Yugen, is saying that?"
"Ugh... I deeply regret that matter, Shiori-san."
"Fufufu, Airi is quite something, isn't she?"
"It's mostly Kutsuco's fault!"
"Why me?!"
Regarding engagements, he had been told by Princess Sen and Gouzou, "If you find another girl you like, don't hesitate to bring her in."
However, given the current situation where he was already snatching up beautiful women, he had no intention of doing anything extra.
Therefore, he decided to bring Airi in to resolve the matter.
He would place her seventh in the ranking, including the Saegusa family's penalty.
Speaking of which, when he visited the Isohata family in relation to Erika's armed CAD, he did converse with Isohata-senpai's sister, but he always maintained a clear boundary.
However, after returning home, he received an email from his senpai asking, 'My sister keeps saying she wants to talk to you, how should I respond?'
Since his brother consulted him out of a desire not to disregard his sister's feelings, he gave her his private chat app address, and they occasionally communicate.
He certainly had no intention of getting involved with her, and doing so would indirectly connect him to the Chiyoda family as well.
Not that he had anything bad to say about Kanon.
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