"So? Perhaps you'd like to explain exactly why you brought those things into this country?"
A short while after the exchange between Yugo’s group and the unwanted guests from Yamato, Setsuna—wearing a smile even as a vein throbbed in her temple—interrogated the fathers while they knelt in formal seiza.
She made it abundantly clear that none of those men were even remotely suitable as marriage prospects. Her father, Motonari, offered a sheepish, apologetic reply.
"Look, we’re sorry... We did our best to talk them out of it."
"The discussions have been going on for years, you see. I don’t know if you remember, but you all met briefly as children."
"There has been talk of forming marriage alliances or making you fiancés for a long, long time. But given who the candidates were, we kept refusing."
"Is that so? Then why did you give in and bring them along this time?"
The fathers tried to emphasize that they had been holding them back, but Setsuna was not in a forgiving mood.
When she demanded to know why they hadn't been able to stop the heirs' impulsive behavior this time specifically, the men shrank back and offered an explanation.
"Until now, they didn't seem to feel any sense of urgency. They figured they could just propose once you all returned to Yamato. However, word of Yugo’s recent heroics and the fact that you all belong to his group reached them. From there, the rumors swelled, and they became convinced that you might already be in a romantic relationship..."
"So they got it into their heads that the women they intended to marry had been snatched away by another man—and a disowned commoner in a foreign land at that. They were absolutely livid."
"That’s how it is. They are the heirs to houses with power equal to our own. Once they set their minds on it, stopping them from traveling was nearly impossible, regardless of official house business. We figured it was better to accompany them so we could keep an eye on things, but..."
"Regardless, you’ve caused nothing but trouble for us and Yugo."
"I do not wish to be rude, but when Father acts like this, Yugo’s Trust in us falters, for sooth! And that means the fulfillment of my love moves further away! I truly wish you would stop this, for sooth!!"
"S-Sorry... I am truly sorry..."
The three daughters watched with weary sighs as the three men bowed their heads deeply in apology.
After observing the interaction between the parents and children, Yugo shared his own thoughts with the fathers.
"As for me, I’m used to getting dragged into messes, so I don’t really mind. It feels like this is just how my life is lately... but as a father, I wish you’d stood up for her when that guy talked about making Setsuna his Legal Wife. It might be rich coming from me since I stayed quiet too, but still."
"You're right. I apologize. I was far too focused on being a neutral bystander."
As a father, he should have voiced a grievance against Enji’s words, which treated his daughter like an object. This was especially true since the man intended to take Setsuna as his wife. Motonari, having no choice but to bow and apologize in the face of Yugo's words, spoke with deep regret.
Yugo sensed that the man was genuinely reflecting on his actions and said no more, but Ryuga offered an even sharper critique.
"Your minds are so weak I can't believe you're the Heads of Houses that produce Warrior Shrine Maidens. I expected a more serious effort to contain this disaster."
"Ryuga, calm down. I get how you feel, but that’s a bit too much—"
"It’s not too much, Yugo. If you think about it, you’d realize immediately that there’s a massive landmine buried here regarding Raiha, wouldn't you?"
Ryuga shot a glance at Raiha as he spoke.
While she twitched in response to his gaze, Ryuga looked away and directed his eyes back toward the fathers.
"The odds of this happening are zero, but let’s suppose for a moment that this girl were to marry that Masanaga character. In that case, what would you do about the problem with her eyes? Do you intend to be 'idiotically honest' and tell him Raiha is a Half-dragon? Anyone can see what an unthinkable disaster that would cause."
Yugo gasped at the perfectly logical and grave point raised by his partner.
Indeed, such a scandal could never be allowed to go public. He found himself agreeing that Raiha's Groom Selection should be handled with extreme caution. Before him, Ryuga continued.
"In a way, your judgment was correct. You likely acted out of a Trust that if you dumped these people on Yugo or me, we would handle it. But I’m done with this. The only reason I’m fighting is because they insulted my parents. Don’t mistake this for us being on your side."
"I am truly sorry. I have no excuse for such pathetic behavior."
"Your heads are so cheap. You think everything can be solved by bowing every time something goes wrong. Your daughters, who actually speak their minds without fear, are far more impressive."
Ryuga spoke with biting irritation as Ujiyasu continued to bow.
The discussion, fraught with complex relationships and heavy secrets, was held in an atmosphere of suffocating tension—though it seemed a few people present didn't quite share that mood.