𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙏𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙎 // 𝘔.𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘢 𝘹 𝘖𝘊

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Kiyo's Dilemma! (Part 1)

In the spacious and luxurious living room of their mansion, Kiyo felt the weight of her family's expectations pressing down on her like a heavy cloak. Surrounded by opulence, with the soft afternoon light streaming through large windows and maids quietly circulating with tea and pastries, the setting was a stark contrast to the tension brewing between her and her mother, Kazue.

Kazue sat regally in her plush armchair, embodying the strict matriarch, her gaze fixed firmly on the white haired girl. "I understand your concerns, Kiyo, but think about what this marriage can do for us. It would secure our company's future and raise our status," she stated, her voice as composed as her demeanor.

Kiyo, seated across from her, fidgeted slightly, her nerves betrayed by the slight shaking of her hands, causing her teacup to clink against the saucer. She mustered her voice, striving for steadiness. "Mother, I get the benefits, but shouldn't marriage be about love and happiness too? I want to marry someone I love, someone who makes me happy."

"Happiness is a luxury, Kiyo. We need to think strategically. You are not just yourself; you are part of this family and its legacy," The older woman replied firmly, setting her cup down with a soft clink that seemed to echo her resolve. "The man we picked is decent, smart, and comes from a good family. What more could you want?"

"But mother, I barely know him," The golden eyed girl protested, her voice rising in frustration before it quieted under her mother's stern gaze. She felt deja vu. She had this conversation with her mother multiple times, but it seems like her mother forgets every time.

"Your future is linked with our family's," Kazue answered sharply, her eyes briefly scanning the attentive servants, a reminder of their public setting. "It's my job as your mother to steer you toward decisions that ensure our security and wealth. You'll see it's for the best."

Feeling trapped and desperate for a breath of freedom, Kiyo's courage began to crack as she looked into her mother's eyes. When she finally nodded in agreement, a part of her felt defeated, her inner voice crying in frustration, acknowledging how all her hard work went down the drain. 

Kazue noticed her daughter's trembling hands. Leaning forward, her voice firm. "Kiyo, a woman of your standing cannot afford to show such frailty, especially not in matters of such importance. Compose yourself. You are my daughter—strength and poise must define you."

She was breaking, she can feel it. The girl who found freedom in a school club, who found friends she could trust, who found love. That girl is slipping away.

She's weak.

Kiyo quickly straightened up, halting the tremor in her hands and setting her teacup down gently. Looking her mother in the eyes, she responded with a rehearsed steadiness, "You are right, Mother. I apologize for my momentary lapse. It will not happen again."

Her demeanor shifted back to the familiar, proper princess, the obedient daughter following her mother's orders without question. Kazue nodded, slightly approving of the change. "Very well. Remember who you are, Kiyo. Our family depends on your ability to uphold our traditions and our name."

It had been three years since Kazue arranged a marriage proposal for Kiyo, the white haired princess finally thought her mother was listening to what she said over and over again. How foolish of her to think that.

---

It was a year before Kiyo had entered high school. She had accepted a marriage proposal that her mother arranged for her. It was nothing new, she had gone through it before.