"Ah?!"
Kobeni and her younger brother froze in shock.
"O..Onii san..." Kobeni stammered, her voice trembling. "T...this kind of thing... how could I not know about it at all..."
Kotaro crossed his arms, a sneer spreading across his face.
"Well, you know now."
He fully supported this marriage.
To him, Miyazaki Koichi was nothing less than a lifeline.
There were not many men willing to spend twenty million yen just to take a wife.
Yes, the man was more than thirty years older than Kobeni.
Yes, it was unfair.
But Kotaro did not give a damn.
As long as Kobeni married that old bastard, he could finally marry into money and status himself.
Whether Miyazaki Koichi was insane or dying soon did not matter.
Once the money was paid, everything worked out.
If the old man died, Kobeni would inherit everything anyway.
Then she could remarry and profit again.
From his point of view, he was practically helping her.
Kobeni bit down on her lower lip.
Marry a man nearly sixty?
It felt unreal.
After years of being pushed around, she forced herself to look at her father.
"Papa... Brother is joking, right?"
Naoto cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
"Kobeni, you are already twenty one. You are not young anymore."
"Yes, exactly," Haruko added with a bright smile. "Girls your age already have children. Miyazaki Koichi has been married before, which is a good thing. Experience means he will take better care of you."
"I..."
Kobeni's body trembled. Her mind went blank.
At that moment, she understood.
She was not family here.
She was the meal.
Everyone else sat at the table, ready to carve her up.
Yori clenched his fists.
His sister had done everything for him.
She paid his tuition. She even saved his life.
If he stayed silent now, he would be no better than them.
He forced himself to speak.
"Papa... Mama..."
His voice shook.
"C...can we slow down? He is way too old. He and Sister are not a good match at all..."
Miyazaki Koichi's expression shifted slightly.
"Haruko san, Naoto dono... it seems your family is not very welcoming."
Panic flashed across the table.
Slap.
Kotaro lunged forward and struck Yori across the face.
"Yori!"
"You little brat, stay out of adult matters!"
"What the hell does this have to do with you?"
"Eat your food and shut up!"
"No one is going to think you are mute if you keep quiet!"
Yori held his cheek as tears welled up.
It hurt like hell.
Naoto glared at him coldly.
"Exactly. Kotaro is right."
"You are just a child."
"Do you still want to go to university?"
"Do you want to become a civil servant like your brother?"
Yori sniffed, his chest rising and falling.
University?
His father thought that mattered?
His tuition had long been paid by Kobeni.
And his grades were garbage anyway.
What future were they threatening him with?
His sister had given him everything.
He could never repay that.
So even if he got beaten, he would not shut up.
Yori wiped his tears and straightened his back.
"Stop it, Papa!"
"I never wanted to go to university!"
"And I do not want to be a civil servant!"
"I can work and support myself just like my sister!"
"And you all..."
His voice grew louder.
"You never respect her!"
"You just cling to her and suck her dry!"
"You, Mama, and you too, Brother!"
"You never care about how she feels!"
"For your stupid marriage money, you are forcing her to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather!"
"What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
Silence fell.
"Kobeni..."
Her eyes trembled.
This kid... at least she did not raise him for nothing.
But the others looked furious.
Truth was never pleasant.
Naoto slowly removed his belt, his expression dark.
"You ungrateful little shit. Looks like you need to be taught a lesson."
"Now now," Miyazaki Koichi said, raising a hand to stop him. "Violence is not necessary."
Haruko laughed awkwardly.
"Please do not mind him. Children say foolish things. Do not take it seriously..."
Miyazaki Koichi watched quietly.
He had seen enough families like this.
Under normal circumstances, he should have walked out.
But Kobeni...
She was beautiful, hardworking, and clearly capable.
Not some useless decoration.
The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt.
This deal was worth it.
"Do not worry about it," he said with a smile. "I am not petty enough to argue with a child. I am very satisfied with your daughter. You just need to convince her."
He paused, then added,
"The twenty million yen is no issue. Once we are family, if you need help, you can always ask."
"Really?!" Haruko's eyes lit up.
She thought everything had been ruined earlier.
But this turned out even better.
Her expression hardened as she looked at Kobeni.
"Kobeni, your brother is a child, but you should not act like one."
"Where will you find a husband like Miyazaki Koichi?"
"Parents decide these matters."
"Your father and I have already agreed."
"This engagement is settled."
"From now on, he is your husband."
"No! How can you—mmph?!"
Yori tried to speak again, but Kotaro shoved a towel into his mouth.
"Shut it."
Kobeni's thoughts spun wildly.
Damn it.
Think.
There had to be a way out.
Then suddenly...
A face appeared in her mind.
Cael.
And Reze's teasing suggestion about getting married together.
That was it.
That was the answer.
Kobeni took a deep breath and looked straight at Miyazaki Koichi.
"I...I am sorry... Even if my parents force me, I cannot marry you."
Her voice shook, but she forced the words out.
"Because... I already have a boyfriend."
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