Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +30 Advance Chapters I have to stop if there is no support
Yukinoshita Yahan still wore her perfect smile, as she always did—flawless and radiant, exuding warmth and approachability.
"Aunt, as you've seen, Fujihara-kun and I aren't particularly close. If it weren't for encountering you today, I wouldn't even have known about this connection."
The implication behind Yukinoshita Yahan's words was clear—a polite refusal. She had no intention of helping her aunt with this matter.
It wasn't that her relationship with her aunt was as strained as it was with her mother. Rather, Yahan simply didn't believe this was something she should involve herself in.
She bore the name Yukinoshita and was expected to act in the best interest of the Yukinoshita family. Her aunt, now part of the Fujihara family, had long since severed ties with the Yukinoshitas after her falling out with Yahan's mother. To Yahan, her aunt no longer had any real connection to their family.
"Yahan, you've always been clever and perceptive about social matters. Though we haven't met often, I've heard so much about you," her aunt pleaded earnestly.
"I believe someone as capable as you could surely build a good rapport with Fujihara Toru."
Fujihara-san was growing desperate, grasping at every possible solution like a drowning person clutching at straws. Her voice trembled with anxiety.
Yukinoshita Yahan's smile remained intact, but her expression grew colder.
If it were her younger sister, Yukinoshita Yukino, standing here instead, she might have bluntly said something cutting—something that would sever all ties between them permanently. But Yahan, the elder sister, was more tactful. She couldn't bring herself to utter those seemingly rational yet harsh words that her sister might say without hesitation.
Still, Yahan's tone carried a hint of irritation. "Aunt, I don't know what happened between you and Fujihara-kun to make you think of asking me for help—or rather, using me like this."
"But let me be clear: there are some things that aren't within my ability as a younger relative to resolve. If you're facing difficulties, you should address them directly and work on improving your relationship with Fujihara-kun yourself."
Her aunt's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. There were things she didn't want to reveal to Yahan—things she found too humiliating to admit as an elder.
But desperation overrode her pride, and she blurted out:
"I understand all that! I do want to mend my relationship with Fujihara-kun. I'm not the same reckless young woman I once was—I truly wish to live harmoniously with him as his stepmother."
"But even your uncle, Fujihara Yoshitaka, barely interacts with him anymore. As his stepmother, what can I possibly do? Besides, Fujihara Toru doesn't even live in the Fujihara household—I don't even have opportunities to see him!"
"Yahan, please… I'm begging you. I'm at my wit's end."
"The patriarch of the Fujihara family has never liked me. Now that he finally has a grandson, he treasures him dearly."
"And your uncle has grown increasingly distant toward me over the years. If… if my relationship with Fujihara Toru remains strained, he'll surely divorce me."
"What will I do then? The Yukinoshita family won't take me back—you know how strong-willed your mother is. She'd never accept me again. If that happens, I'll truly be left with nowhere to go."
Tears streamed down Fujihara-san's face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Seeing her aunt cry tugged at Yahan's heartstrings. She wasn't an emotionless woman by nature. While her actions were often guided by pragmatism and self-interest—a lesson ingrained in her by the Yukinoshita upbringing—it wasn't who she truly was deep inside.
Yahan's resolve softened slightly.
She understood her aunt well enough. After marrying into the Fujihara family early on, her aunt had settled into the life of a housewife, developing no skills or means of independence. If her husband divorced her, while the Fujiharas wouldn't leave her penniless, they'd likely provide only a modest monthly allowance.
Given her aunt's extravagant lifestyle, such a drastic change would be unbearable for her.
Her aunt was right—returning to the Yukinoshita family wasn't an option either. Yahan's mother had taken full control of the family estate, even sacrificing her own happiness by marrying someone she didn't love, in exchange for sole ownership of everything. Their grandfather had initially intended to leave a portion of the family fortune to her aunt, but back then, her young and headstrong aunt had proudly rejected it, believing that marrying into the prestigious Fujihara family made the Yukinoshita inheritance unnecessary.
Now, it was clear her aunt regretted that decision. But regrets, Yahan knew, rarely came with solutions.
Seeing the shift in Yahan's expression, Fujihara-san seized the opportunity, pressing further: "Yahan, you wouldn't just abandon your aunt to fend for herself on the streets, would you?"
"And besides, I've contributed to the Yukinoshita family too! Much of its current success owes itself to the support of the Fujihara family."
"All of the Yukinoshita family's assets will one day belong to you. Building a rapport with the future head of the Fujihara family now aligns perfectly with the Yukinoshita family's interests, doesn't it?"
"I'm not asking you to do anything drastic. Just… try to get along better with Fujihara Toru. Mention me occasionally when you speak with him, so he doesn't view me with hostility."
Her aunt's voice quivered with desperation.
She cherished her current life deeply.
Though her husband had grown colder toward her over the years, he had never stinted on her expenses. She spent her days indulging in beauty treatments and attending lavish salon gatherings with other high-society wives. As the wife of a prominent government official from the esteemed Fujihara family, she commanded respect among these women, who treated her with utmost deference.
How could she possibly give up such a life?
This was the dream existence of a wealthy, upper-class housewife—the envy of countless others!
Even her older sister, the current head of the Yukinoshita family, despite appearing affluent, lived a life fraught with caution and stress. The Yukinoshita family was small and fragile; one misstep, and it could crumble under the weight of external pressures.
In contrast, the Fujihara family stood firm and unshakable, weathering storms that would topple lesser clans. Families like theirs were exceedingly rare in Japan.
"Since you've asked me this way, Aunt, I suppose I can try to reach out to Fujihara-kun more often."
Yukinoshita Yahan relented.
Approaching a man with ulterior motives wasn't something she particularly disliked—after all, she saw this as serving the Yukinoshita family's interests.
But was it truly right to form connections with others based solely on calculated intentions?
The thought crossed her mind briefly, but Yahan quickly shook it off, forcing herself to forget.
She couldn't afford to think like her sister, Yukino, who lived sheltered in her ivory tower, protected from the harsh realities of the world. These burdens, Yahan resolved, would fall upon her shoulders as the elder sibling.
Yet, deep down, she couldn't help but wonder: Was this really the life she wanted?
Her aunt beamed with relief. "Good, good! Yahan, do visit my home sometime. I'll make sure to treat you well."
"Mm, I'll keep that in mind," Yahan replied with her usual bright smile, though her words carried a tinge of insincerity.