Startled by the opening of the door, everyone turned their heads around with the exception of Young Master Shiba Yahiko who was still looking around the main part for his loved cousin.
He seemed to be out of the crowd, as the crowd was totally flabbergasted, as they looked at the new entries.
Takeshiba Aika was wearing a beautiful red traditional dress that made her look even more beautiful than she was, as her beautiful face was accentuated by the red color.
But not only that, she had her hair shinny hair made in a bun that seemed to be more like a crown on top of her head.
As her rosy and white skin seemed to be just a continuation of her dress, and the look of love and pride in her eyes, as she smiled towards her partner, made the crowd even more stunned.
If Yoshida Gina was a fairy from the fairy world, then Takeshiba Aika looked like a queen or empress in front of her people.
But even though she was so beautiful, she wasn't the reason why the crowd was rendered speechless, as they were more focused on the person accompanying her.
Eric was in a traditional suit for the groom, but his natural blonde hair and his facial characteristics made it pretty obvious that he was a foreigner.
He looked really handsome, and charming in that outfit, as together with his walk and moving he looked like an Emperor accompanying his Empress towards the wedding altar.
All the girls were kind of embezzled by his looks, finesse, and attitude, but the fact that he was a foreigner still prevailed over any other kind of thought.
Just what was this? What was going on in here? Wasn't this supposed to be the engagement of Takeshiba Yuto only?
Then remembering about what was said earlier, they came to a self-conclusion that this was the surprise that was prepared for the night.
But everyone had only one thought running through their mind at the moment, they didn't like this surprise at all.
Even if this was supposed to be some kind of joke, then it would be the most tasteless joke they had ever seen and been a part of.
One of the princesses of the high society was walking side by side to a foreigner? This was something that had never been allowed to happen before.
Each of the faces of the Masters of the big families was solemn and gloomy as they saw them entering towards the dancing stage.
This was a clear provocation and statement from Master Takeshiba that he didn't care about them or their unspoken rules anymore.
It was like he was slapping them through their faces, showing that the Takeshiba family had decided to break out from the five families and stand on its own.
The reason why they had been able to stay at the top for so long was that even though they were fighting each other, they still protected their common interests in front of others.
That and the fact that they had never allowed for outside blood to enter their circle, at least on the public view that was never allowed.
Yet now, Master Takeshiba was officially, and in the face of anyone present engaging his daughter not only to someone outside the 5 big families, but also a foreigner.
But there was an even more important question right now, who was Eric, and why had Master Takeshiba accepted this engagement.
Everyone knew that Master Takeshiba was a sly snake, and he would never do something without thinking about it thrice and being assured of his decision.
So, what was Eric's status and background, was he the heir to some large power on the foreign or some kind of powerful expert?
But if he was truly the heir to some big power in the foreign, then wouldn't this mean that Master Takeshiba was plotting something with the foreigners.
Didn't this mean that he was betraying the country, and trying to rebel? Even though they were all-powerful in their own right, they all knew that they couldn't compare to the Council of Five.
The Council of Five didn't try anything against them, because no one would come out as a winner if they did.
Both sides would be truly damaged, and the only one benefiting from this war would be the vultures surrounding them.
But they weren't afraid of one family, no they were afraid of the power of the five, but now it seemed like the Takeshiba's would be taken out of the equation.
After all, they could easily say that the Takeshiba's were traitors of the country, and colluding with the foreigners, even if Eric had no kind of background.
All these thoughts were running through their minds as they saw Eric and Takeshiba Aika walk towards the dance floor.
Of course, one or two of them were extremely pleased with what they were looking at because this meant that the Takeshiba family would get restrictions from the other families if they didn't back from this.
And even if they did back out, they would still be a topic of mockery for the upcoming times. This would certainly lower their prestige and face-value throughout the whole country.
Right at that moment, their entrance was noticed even by Young Master Shiba Yahiko, who was still wondering where his loved cousin was.
Seeing her in that outfit he felt that she was truly beautiful, and for a moment he thought he was dreaming with open eyes, as he said,
"Someone pinch me please, I think I am dreaming!"
But then he heard a sweet voice close to him,
"You are not dreaming she is really beautiful!"
Even though that wasn't a pinch, it surely awakened him from that moment of deliria, as he then rubbed his eyes, and looked at the view in front of him once again.
Only to be stunned looking at his loved woman walk through the aisle with another man. A man he had never seen before, who on top of it looked like a foreigner.
In one instant his dream turned into a nightmare, as he shouted in a startled voice,
"What does this mean!?"
His shout was loud enough to be heard over the music, and all the gossip, as it completely stunned the whole crowd, and awakened them from their stun.
For a moment, everyone turned their eyes towards him, making him feel a bit pressurized, but then they all started gossiping and chatting in a low voice.
But the people in the crowd weren't the only ones to have awakened, as Young Master Yuzuriha was in the same boat as Shiba Yahiko, as he turned towards Master Takeshiba and started saying,
"What is the meaning of this Master Takeshiba!? I ask for an explanation!"
Master Takeshiba had expected the reaction, and also the fact that people would start asking for explanations, but he didn't expect to be asked from a useless idiot of the young generation.
For that reason, he just ignored this kid, but he wrote his name to his blacklist nonetheless. Seeing that he was being ignored made Young Master Yuzuriha even angrier, as he decided to ask once again, this time in a ruder tone,
"What is the meaning of this Takeshiba Tomiy… Slaapp~!"
He wasn't able to continue what he was saying because at that moment he got a tight slap from his father, that shocked him down to the soul, as he heard him say in an out-loud voice,
"Respect you, elders! This is not your place to speak, and even less direct to him like that!"
He wanted to argue those words but he couldn't, he could feel the chills as he looked at his father like that, as if he even said a word he would deeply regret it.
Master Yuzuriha was truly disappointed by this good-for-nothing son he had. He had given him anything he wanted, as he was trying to educate him.
But unfortunately, this son of his had turned completely useless and wasn't even able to understand his place, and respect.
When he hit him a moment ago his heart bleated out, but he had to do that, otherwise, Master Takeshiba would treat him even worse.
No matter how much he hated the old man, and the Takeshiba family, he still respected Takeshiba Tomiyasu and knew that he was going to make his son pay in blood for every word.
Like this, he hoped that his son would be safe, as he then turned towards Master Takeshiba and said,
"I am truly sorry for the conduct of my son Master Takeshiba, but you couldn't really blame him! Not to mention him, even us don't understand what this situation means."
The few dark clouds on Master Takeshiba's face disappeared, as he calmed down once again, and said in an oblivious voice,
"What kind of situation are you talking about, Master Yuzuriha!?"
Master Yuzuriha hadn't expected a situation like this or an answer like this. After all, in plain sight, there was nothing wrong with this situation.
Forbidding the descendants of the big families to marry outside of their circle was clearly an unwritten rule, but exactly because it was unwritten kept the lower families in check.
If they made such a thing public then they would need to face the consequences, while the consequences wouldn't be really grave, they would still affect them a lot.
Then as if adding salt to the injury, Master Takeshiba started speaking in a loud voice,
"Everyone I am sorry that my surprise might have startled you, but my daughter has fallen in love with this poor kid, and today I have decided to accept their love.
While he is poor…
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶