The father's attempt at feigned indifference was so transparent it nearly made Horitake burst into laughter.
The man was truly a character. He was sitting on a mountain of "inventory" that he hadn't been able to move for years, and now that a serious buyer had finally walked through the door, he was so terrified of a price cut that he was putting on airs.
Sir, Horitake thought, do you have any idea how frantic and hilarious you look right now?
Unsurprisingly, Mitsuri's mother had reached her limit. She gave her husband a sharp, subtle poke in the ribs, accompanied by a look that promised a very long conversation later that night.
The father, clearly a man who lived under his wife's thumb, flinched. His resolve crumbled instantly. Abandoning his stoic facade, he turned to Horitake and finally spoke.
"So, Horitake-kun... what exactly brings you to our home today?"
After everything that just happened, do you really still need to ask? Horitake mused. But he kept his thoughts to himself.
He straightened his back, his expression turning solemn. He wanted to leave the best possible impression on Mitsuri's parents. Clearing his throat, he began with official gravity:
"I've come to visit you today, sir and ma'am, because I hope that you will—"
Before he could reach the most critical part of his sentence, Mitsuri's youngest sister suddenly bolted upright, her face glowing with excitement.
"Is Big Brother here to take Big Sis away as his wife?!" she chirped. "That's amazing! Big Sis had so many matchmaking failures and nobody wanted her—now someone finally does!"
Out of the mouths of babes.
The sudden outburst was so blunt that the four adults in the room nearly face-planted onto the tatami mats.
Horitake sat there, his lip twitching uncontrollably. Good heavens, Mitsuri, he thought, what exactly is the situation in this house? The question of whether you can get married isn't just your parents' obsession—even your little sister is losing sleep over it?!
Beside him, Mitsuri exploded in a blush of pure rage. She snatched her sister up and began drilling her knuckles into the girl's temples.
"My dear little sister," Mitsuri hissed, "what exactly do you mean by that? What do you mean 'nobody wanted me'?"
Despite being subjected to the "Kanroji Claw," the little girl struggled in her sister's arms, refusing to back down. "But it's true! You went to all those meetings, and every single one was a disaster! Now that this Big Brother finally wants you, you can't let yourself get stuck living at home forever!"
Mitsuri's aura flared. "What do you mean 'stuck living at home'?! That's a horrible thing to say! I am the eldest daughter of the Kanroji family, not some expired goods sitting in a warehouse!"
The little sister winced in pain but continued to wiggle. "But it's the truth! And besides, I didn't come up with that! Papa says it all the time! I'm just repeating what he said!"
The silence that followed was deafening. The elder Kanrojis looked like they wanted to vanish into the floorboards.
Horitake, meanwhile, was fighting a losing battle against his own amusement. This family is... incredible!
With a final, desperate squirm, the little sister escaped Mitsuri's grasp. She blew a playful raspberry at her older sister and scurried over to Horitake's side, hiding behind him.
She was a sharp one, this little sister. She had analyzed the battlefield instantly.
Staying near Mitsuri meant further physical punishment. Going to her parents meant a lecture. But hiding behind her "future brother-in-law"? That was safety.
She knew that since Horitake was a first-time guest, everyone—parents and sister alike—would have to maintain some semblance of manners in front of him. As long as she clung to him, she was untouchable.
Peering up at Horitake with huge, sparkling eyes, she asked, "Big Brother, are you really here to marry my sister?"
Horitake looked down at the clever little girl and gave a helpless nod. "That's right."
He then turned back to the parents, his gaze unwavering and sincere.
"Sir, Ma'am, the reason I am here today is because I wish to marry Mitsuri. I hope you will entrust her to me. I promise you, with everything I am, that I will cherish her and treat her well for the rest of our lives!"
He threw a "straight ball," pitching his intentions with absolute directness.
The ball was in the parents' court now. How would they respond?
Under normal circumstances, the father might have tried to negotiate or prolong the "interrogation" to save face. But his youngest daughter's antics had completely demolished his rhythm. He had no leverage left.
It was like a business negotiation where the seller accidentally blurted out their absolute minimum price five minutes into the meeting. How could he possibly play hard to get now?
He was holding "stock" that he was desperate to move, and the buyer was offering a premium.
The father's shoulders slumped, and he gave a long, weary sigh. "Sigh... Mitsuri is my eldest daughter, the apple of my eye. But, for various... reasons... no matter how hard she tried, no one seemed to want her."
"What 'various reasons'?!" the mother interrupted, finally snapping. She abandoned her polite facade and looked Horitake straight in the eye with brutal honesty. "It boils down to three things, young man!
"Our daughter has a strange hair color. Our daughter has a monstrous appetite. And our daughter is freakishly strong. Those three traits have scared off every man she's ever met.
"Horitake-kun, are you aware of these three 'special' circumstances? And even knowing how unusual our daughter is, are you truly willing to accept her?"
Seeing his wife lay all their cards on the table with such bluntness, the father looked utterly defeated. He sank into a brooding silence.
Seeing the mother's sincerity, Horitake met her gaze with equal gravity.
"Ma'am, please rest easy. I am well aware of all those things. And yes, I am more than willing to accept Mitsuri—not in spite of those things, but including them."
The mother's face lit up with relief, but a shadow of doubt remained.
"I'm overjoyed to hear that," she said softly. "But... I have to ask. Doesn't her hair color bother you at all? Aren't you worried about your wallet with how much she eats? And her strength... doesn't it make you feel, well, inadequate? Why would you accept someone so peculiar? You don't have to force yourself for our sake."
Horitake's lip twitched for the umpteenth time.
Goodness, Ma'am, do you always talk about your own daughter like she's a defective product? Do you want her to get married or not?!
Judging by the indignant look on Mitsuri's face, her thoughts were exactly the same as his.
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