Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

After receiving permission, Maki felt slightly relieved.

She had originally thought she'd need to bow her head even lower to gain forgiveness, but she hadn't expected her aunt to relent so easily.

However, Maki also understood that the price the Shijo family would have to pay for their actions this time would be steep.

But there was no other choice.

If her aunt hadn't relented, and the Shijo family's overseas businesses took another hit while domestic matters remained unresolved, then bankruptcy would be inevitable.

Paying a price could at least keep a sliver of hope alive, but stubborn resistance would only end in destruction.

Faced with such circumstances, the Shijo family had no choice but to spend money to avoid disaster.

And, losing money was already the best possible outcome.

If her aunt had refused, then the disintegration of the Shijo family would have only been a matter of time. At that point, whether they had a choice or not wouldn't matter—they'd be done for.

Of course, what Maki was most thankful for was that the Shinomiya family was now under her aunt's control.

If the Shinomiya family were still in the hands of Shinomiya Oko, then the Shijo family would've long been leashed like a dog.

Additionally, Maki noticed a distinct change in her aunt.

The frigid coldness with which she once treated everyone equally had become more restrained, but what replaced it was a far more suffocating presence—each word and action carried the weight of an immense iceberg.

It felt like the icy breeze from before had just been the outer chill of the iceberg. But now, the full majesty of that frozen colossus had formed, no longer needing that cold exterior to intimidate.

Is this what power does to people?

Had such a transformation occurred in just a few months?

Maki realized something painful: now that the Shinomiya family was in her aunt's hands, the Shijo family no longer had the means to fight back.

Overseas assets might be safer than domestic ones. At least they weren't under the direct influence of the Shinomiya family.

However, those assets were still vulnerable, especially with the platform rumors circulating in the island nation. Even subtle movements could shake those holdings.

Moreover, the Shinomiya family's reach overseas wasn't small. Especially after aligning with the Sanzenin family.

The name Sanzenin didn't just represent domestic wealth, it symbolized world-class financial power.

That was a level no other conglomerate in the country could dream of touching.

The scale of the Sanzenin family's wealth brought with it an unmatched level of influence.

That was the biggest reason for the Shijo family's defeat.

Sanzenin. Saginomiya. Besides the Fujiwara family, her aunt had ties to so many powerful houses… it was truly beyond Maki's expectations.

But how did she build these connections?

That was the question plaguing Maki now.

A few months ago, her aunt had seized control of the Shinomiya family, thanks to her relationship with the Sanzenin family.

Sanzenin's pressure on the Shinomiya family had seemed like a favor to Kaguya. It was just a means to facilitate a power transfer.

But no one had known about the contact between Kaguya and Sanzenin.

Otherwise, that transition of power wouldn't have been so sudden.

"Hmm? You're still standing there?"

Kaguya had no interest in what the Shijo family had done, just like she had no interest in the Shinomiya family's property now.

All she needed was for the Shijo family to keep quiet and not cause problems. If they could remain sober, she wouldn't bother with them.

Of course, her earlier attack hadn't been revenge. It had been retaliation.

If you're targeted and don't fight back, the Shijo family would only grow bolder. Giving them a counterreaction and forcing them back was Kaguya's approach.

Only when the Shijo family realized they couldn't just retreat from domestic matters would they act more cautiously.

Of course, this counterattack had been especially severe. Kaguya estimated that even after today's apology, it would take decades for the Shijo family to recover.

But decades from now, Kaguya would probably forget the Shijo family even existed. Whether they recovered or not wouldn't matter to her by then.

Maki composed herself and bowed slightly.

"Then, Auntie, until we meet again."

Though she remained curious about her aunt's transformation, Maki chose to leave.

Only after she left did Kaguya turn around.

"Hayasaka, contact Aunt Nao when we get back. Don't bother dealing with the Shijo family anymore."

"Got it."

Hayasaka gave a brief glance in Maki's direction before looking away.

But just as she turned away, she noticed Ren's gaze lingered on Maki. Curiously, she asked:

"Ren, do you know her?"

Ren slowly withdrew his gaze and gave a small nod.

"Shijo Maki, the eldest daughter of the Shijo family. She's strong-willed and not the type to bow easily. But she's also courteous and never gives off an arrogant vibe. The reason I remember her is because of one particular title she carries."

"The concubine is always miserable."

"The concubine is always miserable?"

Kaguya couldn't help but glance back at Maki's figure. She hadn't expected that someone like her would have such a nickname.

"Ren, what did she do to earn that kind of title?"

That piqued Kaguya's interest.

"She didn't do anything. That's precisely why she got that title."

Ren couldn't help but smile as he remembered her pitiful circumstances.

She really was miserable. But every time he saw her in such situations, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Chika, you should know this. In stories, the childhood friend is usually just the supporting role. The male lead rarely ends up choosing them. He always goes for the girl who drops from the sky."

"Of course I know… oh!"

Halfway through, Chika suddenly understood and turned her head toward Maki's retreating figure.

"No wonder she got stuck with that nickname even though she didn't do anything."

Childhood friends losing to girls who fall from the sky… classic.

"But even so, does she really deserve to be called a 'miserable concubine'?"

Chika raised the corner of her mouth, her curiosity and gossip-loving instincts suddenly flaring.

"So… there has to be more behind that nickname, right?"

(To be continued.)