No matter who they are, every parent hopes their child will rise above the rest and live a better life.
And everything Yamato Miku had just said was, in fact, true. With the Yamato family's standing and resources, combined with the talent and strength Yuto had already displayed, none of what she described was mere fantasy—it was all genuinely achievable.
"But if we're talking about marrying into the family," Jingū Saori said calmly, "then wouldn't Yuto-kun naturally be considered a member of the Yamato family anyway? Providing resources to one's own outstanding clan members is only proper, isn't it?"
Admittedly, nothing Yamato Miku had said was wrong. Yamato Kuka truly was the textbook definition of a flawless rich beauty. If a man were willing to marry into her family, calling it 'skipping two hundred years of hard work' wouldn't be an exaggeration in the slightest.
But thinking about it more carefully, one quickly realized something else.
Once he married in, Yuto would already be part of the Yamato family. As the spouse of the sole heir, receiving resources was only natural—it wasn't some special favor.
And with Yuto's own qualifications, even without relying on the Yamato family, becoming a top-tier powerhouse was only a matter of time.
More importantly, Yuto already had reputation, status, and fame. He didn't need to rely on something like marrying in to rise to prominence.
Because he had already risen.
Based on his current ranking on the Exorcist Registry, among the younger generation of exorcists, nearly everyone else could only chase his shadow.
"You can't quite put it that way," Yamato Miku replied, her tone steady but firm. "If Yuto marries into the Yamato family, then Ayami-fujin and Ryūki would also be able to move into the Yamato estate. Their safety would be far more secure there.
"And if Ayami-fujin truly has reservations about the idea of marrying in, then there's another solution. Kuka and Yuto could simply have more children."
She continued smoothly.
"The Yamato family only requires an heir—there's no rule saying the other children couldn't inherit the Amanoin family name."
"In fact," Yamato Miku added, "with the spiritual aptitude of both Yuto and Kuka, their children might turn out to be even more exceptional than they are. When that happens, not only could the Amanoin family be revived, but with the Yamato family's support, the two houses could even become the closest of allied families."
Her gaze shifted slightly.
"And lastly—this is the most important point. I don't know who this young lady beside you is, but the matter of Kuka and Yuto's marriage is a private affair between the Yamato and Amanoin families. What I truly wish to hear… is Ayami-san's opinion."
Having her words repeatedly countered by Jingū Saori, even the ever-composed Yamato Miku was beginning to feel irritated. To her, the woman before her had become nothing short of an obstacle.
After being rebuffed so directly, Jingū Saori wanted to continue arguing—but after a moment's thought, she realized she genuinely had no grounds to press further.
She didn't actually have much to do with Yuto. At heart, she was only Ayami's close friend.
At most, she could offer advice. This wasn't something she could decide.
To be honest, the moment Ayami learned that the aloof, solitary Yuto had willingly accompanied Yamato Kuka to meet her parents, she had already, subconsciously, accepted the idea.
Compared to others, Ayami didn't feel much resistance toward the concept of marrying in at all.
Her sense of attachment to the Amanoin family name was almost nonexistent. As long as Yuto truly liked Yamato Kuka, she genuinely didn't care whether he married in or not.
And just as a flicker of hesitation appeared on Ayami's face—just as she was about to speak—
Spider-Hime, who had been distracted and restless the entire time, finally couldn't take it anymore.
With a visibly anxious expression, she abruptly grabbed Ayami by the arm and pulled her away, completely ignoring everyone else.
"Excuse us for a moment," Spider-Hime said stiffly. "There's something private we need to discuss with Lady Ayami."
Dragging Ayami into the hallway, Spider-Hime immediately spread her yokai energy around them, forming a soundproof barrier. Only then did she turn to Ayami, her face tense with urgency.
"Lady Ayami… aren't you being a little too hasty about Lord Yuto's marriage? There's something crucial you've forgotten."
She swallowed, then spoke in a low voice.
"Lord Yuto is a half-yokai. And the Yamato family is a famous exorcist clan. Even though Lord Yuto's ability to conceal his yokai power is flawless…"
Her eyes widened.
"Once he marries that sword-shrine-maiden and they have children—no matter how perfectly Lord Yuto explains things—the moment a child is born, everything will be exposed."
At those words, Ayami—who had been puzzled by Spider-Hime's unusual agitation—felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head.
She froze.
That's right.
Both Yuto and Ryūki were half-yokai.
And how could half-yokai ever marry into a major exorcist family?
With human–yokai relations already so strained, and the Yamato family being one of the most prominent clans in the exorcist world, once Yuto's identity was exposed, it wouldn't just endanger Yuto himself.
It could very well drag the Yamato family down with him.
A few minutes later, Ayami and Spider-Hime returned to their seats, their expressions calm once more.
The outcome, from that point on, was inevitable.
No matter what, Ayami always placed Yuto's and Ryūki's safety above everything else.
In the end, she politely but firmly declined Yamato Miku's proposal.
As for her reason—she stated that she couldn't accept Yuto marrying in, as he still bore the responsibility of reviving the Amanoin family.
That said, Ayami didn't completely shut the door.
She made it clear that she would not interfere in Yuto's romantic choices. If Yuto truly liked Yamato Kuka, then whatever decision he made, she would support him as his mother.
When Yamato Miku left the Amanoin residence, her expression was far from pleasant—and filled with confusion.
From Ayami's earlier reactions, it had been obvious that she was on the verge of agreeing. Yet after being pulled aside by that jorōgumo, Ayami's attitude had clearly changed.
What they discussed, Yamato Miku didn't know.
But one thing was certain—this visit had been for nothing.
Whether Amanoin Yuto could be secured as the ideal son-in-law would now depend entirely on her daughter's own efforts.
After seeing Yamato Miku off, Spider-Hime stared at the closed front gate and finally let out a long, relieved sigh.
Thankfully, she'd reacted quickly enough.
Otherwise, Lord Yuto would have been snatched away by that sword-shrine-maiden.
At the same time, the incident filled her with a deep sense of crisis.
Whether it was Yamato Kuka or Kujō Hinano, both were top-tier beauties—and they spent their days working side by side with Lord Yuto.
It was far too dangerous.
And yet she, Spider-Hime, was supposed to be Lord Yuto's personal maid. Despite that, the time she spent at his side didn't even amount to half of theirs.
At this rate, even if Lord Yuto were the densest, most ironclad straight man alive, sooner or later he would be conquered.
She couldn't let things continue like this.
As the most dedicated "maid" of them all, she had to stay by Lord Yuto's side—and erect a firm defensive line.
She absolutely could not allow those messy, troublesome human women anywhere near Lord Yuto.
..
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