"Father, is there no way to stop Mikado Sanzenin?"

  "That madman won't stop unless he gets what he wants."

  "Right now, the Shinomiya family is nothing more tha on the chopping block. Unless you kneel and beg Mikado Sanzenin for mercy, surrendering pletely to his arras, the Shinomiya family will only face destru."

  Gan'an knew Mikado's character far too well.

  If someone dared to provoke him, there was only oh forward: plete submission.

  However, Oko couldn't accept it.

  "Is there really no other way?"

  "If you've provoked that old man, no one save you."

  Gan'an sighed deeply. While he wao help his son, he had to admit the harsh truth: Mikado Sanzenin was simply too powerful, a height the Shinomiya family couldn't hope to reach.

  Normally families like the Shinomiya family were rarely touched by the gover, so long as they didn't cause too much trouble.

  The colpse of a family could destabilize the nation's ey, and the Shinomiya family was no exception. The gover didn't want to see them fall, as it would impact tless jobs. This allowed the Shinomiya family to act recklessly for years.

  But this situation was different.

  If Mikado Sanzenio fully take over the Shinomiya family, the eic ripple effect would stabilize quickly. In fact, the nation's eight even see a surge under Sanzenin's leadership.

  In such a sario, no one would care about the Shinomiya family's survival.

  Gan'an saw the unwillingness in his eldest son's expression and reminded him sternly.

  "Oko, the Shinomiya family ot fall."

  "If we colpse, we'll all die. Every single one of us."

  "You uand this, don't you?"

  "…"

  Oko naturally uood.

  The Shinomiya family had offeoo many people and other families over the years.

  Now, with Mikado Sanzenin's methods on full dispy, the entire isnd nation was watg, eager to see the Shinomiya family's downfall.

  If the Shinomiya family surrehey would bee nothing more than a dog uhe Sanzenin family's leash.

  Perhaps no one would dare to directly attack the Shinomiya family, but they would lose everything, just like the tless families they had crushed in the past.

  And if the Shinomiya family chose to fight to the bitter end?

  Theher families would simply stand by, watg as the Shinomiya family was torn apart piece by piece.

  The vultures wouldn't attack yet, because Mikado Sanzenin would take the lion's share.

  In the first sario, the Shinomiya family might still retain some sembnce of their legacy.

  But ier sario, there would be nothi, not even the name of Shinomiya.

  "Oko, who caused this?"

  "…"

  "Was it Kaguya?"

  Seeing his eldest son's reluce to answer, Gan'an slowly pieced it together.

  The only person who could prompt Mikado Sanzenin to act so decisively was his granddaughter, Nagi Sanzenin.

  sidering Nagi's age, the only e she could have within the Shinomiya family was Kaguya. The answer was clear.

  As for whether Oko had directly offended Nagi Sanzenin, Gan'an sneered inwardly.

  He didn't even have the ce to challenge Mikado Sanzenin's granddaughter, let alone his son.

  "Oko, it seems you've lost to Kaguya."

  "…"

  Oko lowered his head i.

  He had always seen himself as the stro tender for the Shinomiya family's succession. He could trol any situation, everig Kaguya's freedom.

  But now, Kaguya had taught him a lesson: once she stepped off the chessboard, there were bigger pyers waiting to crush him without hesitation.

  All his past tactics were rendered meaningless.

  ---

  While the Shinomiya family faced internal chaos, the Shijo family was equally uled.

  "What's going on this time?"

  No one in the Shijo family could pinpoint the cause of the Shinomiya family's sudden crisis.

  Even Oko's iigations had yielded no answers.

  Mikado Sanzenin's name remained hidden in the shadows.

  To outsiders, it seemed as though the Shinomiya family had simply made a critical misstep, leading to their downfall.

  "I don't know the exact details, but it's clear that external forces are coordinating with the political and business worlds to crush the Shinomiya family."

  "Aill don't know who's behind it?"

  Most of the Shijo family members had gathered to discuss whether they should seize the opportunity to strike.

  "Father, should we take a as well?"

  Shijo Tei, the family's heir, had a sharp mind and a reputation for calcuted deaking.

  Now that he was gradually taking on more responsibilities within the family, he naturally wao capitalize on the Shinomiya family's misfortune.

  "No."

  Shijo Makoto, the current head of the family, immediately rejected the idea.

  "The Shinomiya family is being suppressed by the political and business worlds in a mahat is abrupt and unpreted. There were n signs, and even the Shinomiya family appears to be caught off guard."

  "But look around—has anyone else made a move yet?"

  "Have the Hayasaka family acted? They have more reasons to attack Shinomiya than we do."

  "It's not that no one wants to act, it's that no one dares to act."

  While the surface appeared calm, the waters beh were already turbulent.

  The Shinomiya family's sudden downfall made it clear how powerful the unseen hand behind this was.

  Everyone uood that the Shinomiya family was in dire straits, but whether they were truly doomed depended entirely on the person pulling the strings.

  "No one will atil the dust settles."

  Makoto's tone was firm as he advised his son.

  "Tei, you're a smart man. Learn patience."

  "…Uood, Father."

  Tei relutly suppressed his ambitions.

  ---

  Meanwhile, the Suzuki family also held their owing.

  "Husband, who do you think is behind this?"

  "There's only one possibility."

  Suzuki Shiro adjusted his gsses, his voice steady.

  "Mikado Sanzenin."

  "!?"

  Suzuki Tomoko was momentarily stunned.

  "Mikado Sanzenin… Didn't that old maire from the spotlight?"

  "Retired? Mikado Sanzenin may no longer appear on the front lines, but if he has a reason, he'll still act."

  "A reason?"

  Tomoko looked at her husband in fusion.

  "Does Mikado Sanzenin have a reason to attack the Shinomiya family? Would the Shinomiya family even dare to provoke him?"

  "That's not it."

  Shiro dismissed the notion ht. The Shinomiya family wouldn't dare provoke Mikado Sanzenin.

  He then pulled out a photograph, showing a bck car parked outside the Shinomiya estate.

  "Tomoko, guess who was ihat car?"

  "…Was it someone from the Sanzenin family?"

  "Mikado Sanzenin's granddaughter, Nagi Sanzenin, and the eldest daughter of the Saginomiya family, the mysterious shrine maiden Isumi Saginomiya."