Her brother was uncommunicative as always. His eyes had flickered toward her when she entered, but otherwise he hadn’t looked her way once. Hana ignored his attitude toward her and took a seat.
Next, Hazuki came into the room. When she saw Yanagi, she did a double take, just as surprised as Hana had been.
It had been a long time since Hana had been with Hazuki in the same space and sitting so close.
No one spoke. An awkward tension and silence hung heavy among the three of them, until their parents arrived. Their mother and father seated themselves at the table.
The servants began to carry in the dishes.
How many years had it been since they had gathered as a family around the dining table?
Not a single one of them looked like they were enjoying the reunion.
As she ate, Hana shot glances at their father, wondering when he was going to come out and explain why he had called them here, but he didn’t speak until everyone had finished their meals.
He announced, “Yanagi likely already knows, but for everyone else, a new lord will soon succeed the Ichinomiya clan.”
Hana was usually completely indifferent to news about the family and clan, but even she was surprised. Hazuki, sitting next to Hana, wore the same shocked expression, so it must have been the first she’d heard of it, too.
Their father continued, “The next lord will be the oldest son of the main family, Lord Saku Ichinomiya. The family will be holding a ceremony to formally announce his succession. You will all be attending.”
Hazuki and Yanagi nodded promptly, accepting their father’s order without a second thought.
Hana was alone in her objections. “Does that include me, Father?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied curtly.
“Hazuki is one thing, but I should think that my presence would be unnecessary,” she said, implying that there was no reason for a so-called good-for-nothing like her to be involved.
“No, you will go. Every daughter of marriageable age from the branch families has been summoned.”
“Why?”
“Lord Ichinomiya is yet to marry, and he is not promised to anyone. The ceremony will double as a search for his bridal candidate,” their father declared.
How annoying! Hana internally raged. She regretted coming to dinner.
“That said, unlike Hazuki, there is not even a one-in-a-billion chance that Lord Ichinomiya will give you the time of day. Nevertheless, you will attend the ceremony. You are a daughter of the Ichise family, tenuous though it may be.”
Hana was only treated as a daughter when it was convenient.
She could sense their father’s reluctance, but he could not have hated the situation more than she did. The flame of resistance flared up inside her heart.
What if you played hooky? the devil on her shoulder whispered in her ear. However, skipping the ceremony would only bring more trouble down on her head later on, so she gave up on the idea.
The day of the succession ceremony arrived.
Sae helped dress her in a light pink furisode, a formal kimono with long sleeves. Sae also pinned her hair up in a pretty updo and adorned it with accessories.
For once, Hana thought she looked quite cute. She was feeling good about herself as she joined the others in the main house.
Hazuki was already waiting dressed in a kimono of rich crimson, her hair adorned with opulent accessories.
The two identical twins looked at each other, both at a loss for words.
The kimonos and hair pieces had all been furnished by their parents.
Since they were going to be visiting the residence of the main family, Hana’s kimono was appropriately splendid, but compared to Hazuki’s, it looked threadbare.
Hana’s kimono wasn’t shabby—far from it—but the one Hazuki was wearing was a gorgeous piece of superior quality.
This was far from the first time their parents had shown Hazuki favor, but never before had their bias been so visibly and glaringly obvious.
“Are you ready?” their father asked, looking at Hazuki with approval. In contrast, he acted as if Hana wasn’t even there.
Their mother came up behind him and praised Hazuki effusively. “You look stunning, Hazuki. I just knew that kimono would suit you perfectly!”
“Thank you. But it is certainly…different from Hana’s kimono,” Hazuki said, searching for some sort of explanation from their parents, all while darting glances at Hana.
Hana wasn’t the only one who had noticed the glaring discrepancy, it seemed.
Hazuki looked bewildered, which was a good sign in Hana’s opinion. She was relieved that Hazuki didn’t feel a sense of entitlement toward Hana, that her sister’s personality hadn’t yet twisted to that extent.
Their parents, on the other hand, brushed off Hazuki’s confusion.
“I told you a few days ago, didn’t I? The next head will be selecting his bride today. You are an exceptionally talented practitioner, Hazuki, and a beautiful young woman if I do say so myself. Lord Ichinomiya will no doubt be drawn in by your charm as well. That is why we’ve prepared this outfit for you,” their father said.
“You will definitely be chosen. I’m sure of it. Fight. Don’t lose to the daughters of the other families,” their mother added.
“…I understand,” Hazuki replied obediently.
Watching the exchange from outside the bubble, Hana was filled with unease.
It went without saying that the next head of the family wouldn’t waste his time with a waste of space like Hana, and that was just fine by her.
What worried her was the immense pressure their parents were putting on Hazuki. They were asking for too much, and they didn’t realize it at all.
Hana would’ve brushed off their demands without a second thought, but Hazuki was still trying to live up to their parents’ expectations and had nodded her agreement.
Hana watched the three of them with a frosty gaze, not that any of them noticed. What a farce, she thought to herself.