"Keep your distance from that girl from the Shinomiya family, Manabe."

During a rare family dinner where everyone was present, Mother said this to Manabe after Father had gone upstairs.

She'd heard something similar from her father when she was younger.

Manabe lowered her head slightly. "Yes, ma'am."

Then added, "But I attend Shuchiin Academy, and Miss Shinomiya is the vice president of the student council. If I deliberately avoid her, that would only reflect poorly on the Shijo family's reputation."

Mother smiled and nodded. "I trust you'll handle it with the right sense of propriety."

Beside her, the twin brother blinked innocently. "Oh, that Shinomiya princess? She seems nice, though."

Then, with a careless shrug, he added, "Honestly, Mom, just because the adults from both families are always fighting doesn't mean we kids should be dragged into it. You're the one making it awkward by blowing it out of proportion."

Manabe shot him a glance. "'Princess'? If you call her that to her face, she'll probably kill you."

"No way. Princess Kaguya even came to our house when we were kids. We played together, remember? We got along just fine!"

"You mean she played you."

"Mom! Did you hear what she said?!"

Mrs. Shijo calmly picked up the newspaper beside her, rolled it up into a tube, and aimed it at Shijo Tei.

Tei might be a blockhead, but he had surprisingly sharp instincts. The moment he saw his mother's expression, he leapt three meters back. "Okay, okay, I'm done eating!"

Mrs. Shijo looked at her impulsive and obviously not-yet-mature youngest son and let out a sigh.

Manabe dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Mom, you don't need to worry too much about him. He may be kind-hearted, but he's still a Shijo. He's not that dense."

"I'd rather he be a kind-hearted fool than a clever one."

Manabe tugged at the corners of her mouth. "…You really are his mother."

The Shijo family had no strict rule of male primogeniture both sons and daughters had equal inheritance rights to the family fortune.

The eldest daughter was elegant, intelligent, and highly capable. The younger son, though also bright, had a free-spirited nature that resisted discipline. He preferred soccer to managing the family business or upholding its legacy. This was a constant source of concern for the Shijo couple.

Halfway through the meal, Mr. Shijo received a call from the company and had to retreat to his study for a sudden video conference.

When the meal was nearly done, Mr. Shijo came hurriedly down the stairs again, now dressed in a fresh suit and tie.

Mrs. Shijo approached him. "Did something go wrong with the negotiations with the Big Five banks?"

Mr. Shijo shook his head. "Shinomiya Bank tried to stir up trouble, but it's just a nuisance nothing major."

The Shijo family was trying to break into the field of instant mobile payments, which required partnerships with major banks. Negotiations had been going well until the legal team received word that Shinomiya Bank was attempting to interfere.

Shinomiya Bank was the largest private bank in Japan and the largest bank, period. No contest.

Japan, when it came to tech like mobile services or internet trends, often lagged behind the rest of the world. While other countries were already playing around with foldable and curved screens, flip phones still held a significant share of the Japanese market.

Similarly, while instant payment apps were booming globally, the Japanese market was only just beginning to sprout.

Mrs. Shijo straightened her husband's slightly crooked tie, then handed a freshly packed bento box to the young male secretary at his side. "Make sure he actually eats this later. I'm counting on you."

The secretary scratched his head with a sheepish smile. "Yes, ma'am..."

Mr. Shijo kissed his wife's forehead. "I'll try to be home by midnight."

Compared to the old, tradition-bound financial dynasties, the Shijo family had a far more relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. Watching her parents, Manabe muttered under her breath,

"You've said that a hundred times already..."

Mr. Shijo patted his daughter's head and chuckled, "That's why I said I'll try."

"What about Tei?"

Mrs. Shijo didn't even lift her eyelids. "He went upstairs a while ago. Probably watching soccer again."

Mr. Shijo shook his head with a helpless smile. "Well, a bet's a bet."

More than managing the vast family empire, what Shijo Tei loved most in the world was soccer. He had fought long and hard against the family to keep playing, but they wouldn't budge.

Eventually, he struck a deal with their parents: if he could place first in the national mock exams, he could play all he wanted during high school.

He then spent several grueling months cramming like a madman, barely sleeping or eating, studying until he nearly coughed up blood. But in the end, he beat even Shuchiin's academic genius, President Shirogane, and climbed to the very top of the pyramid first place out of millions of high schoolers.

That kind of burning passion for the things he loved… in that regard, Manabe had always envied her brother just a little.

After dinner, Manabe went upstairs and glanced at her phone. Miss Katori had messaged her again with the latest scoop on Yukinoshita.

The Yukinoshita family was already preparing a small-scale marriage meeting. Everything was ready just waiting for the appointed day.

After a moment's hesitation, Manabe knocked on her little brother's door.

"Dear mother, your precious baby boy is not watching the match, and definitely not gaming right now!"

Manabe's mouth twitched. "...It's me."

A moment later, the door swung open. "Sis? What's up?"

Shijo Tei's room was spacious, with walls covered in posters of famous football players. Glass display cases lined the room, filled with autographed balls and jerseys from countless teams.

Even the most die-hard Manchester United fan would pale in comparison to his collection.

"Can't I come talk unless I have a reason?"

"The moment you say that, it means you have a reason!"

He thumped his chest proudly. "But no worries! Your dear little brother is now a mature and dependable man. Whatever it is, I can take it!"

Manabe sat down on the sofa in his room and cleared her throat. "Tei, what do you think of arranged marriages between prominent families?"

Just moments ago, he had been all righteous fervor and bravado but now, his eyes went wide with panic.

"Uh, uh, uh... I'm still a kid!"

He staggered back in horror. "Please, spare me from the matchmaking madness!!!"

Manabe: "..."

She'd known her brother's brain worked in strange ways, but still, she was speechless.

Marrying into the Yukinoshita family? Dream on!

She beckoned him over, and when he leaned close, she whispered something into his ear.

The moment Tei heard it, he lit up with excitement.

"This is right up my alley, Sis!"

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