However, I’m not my Mother’s daughter Sakurako-san speaks with an expression of pain
I’m not a child born from the lawful father and mother of Kanou house Does that mean.
I’m a child of my father’s mistress from a Ginza establishment Meaning, an affair’s child?
When they discovered that the woman was pregnant with me inside her, it was already beyond the abortion period. Then, Kanou house’s previous head, my grandfather, was still alive and well, and he decided to put me in the Kanou family register as my Mother’s child Sakurako-san said.
Though we lost our former momentum, Kanou house still has a lot of vassals helping out, so. Oh, that happened to Erica when she was born too. Erica isn’t a child of her parents too. Her mother was a former prostitute of the Black Forest. Erica’s mother faked her birth in a hospital abroad. In Kanou Sakurako-san’s case, she must’ve probably been covered up in a hospital that’s acquainted with her family.
Therefore, the fact that I’m not a legitimate child of the Kanou house had been a secret between Kanou house and the doctors so far So far?
I also knew about it. My mother was from the Kanou house after all Mariko said. Oh, I see. So that’s why Mariko and Sakurako-san are got an awkward relationship during the party in the Kouzuki house. Mariko has the noble blood in her, but. Her home is the Torii house, and they’re a family that’s an upstart during the Showa era, so they don’t belong in the nobility. That was Mariko’s insecurity back then. She’s in the upper class, even attending the school for the young ladies, but the ladies of nobility treat her differently. She’s received various privileges, like bringing a bodyguard to school. Sakurako-san is also enrolled in the same school, so Mariko had her insecurity rubbed to her since childhood. Furthermore, even if they’re from the nobility, Kanou house is already in a collapsed situation. On the other hand, Mariko’s Torii house isn’t in the nobility, and yet, they’re a family that owns a world-famous company, Torii Electronics, so they’re quite wealthy. Mariko is proud of the Torii house and her father.
Mariko, when did you discover that? I asked.
About two years ago. When the second year in middle school was ending I see. So that’s why It must’ve been shocking for Mariko to learn that Sakurako-san, the girl she thought is a daughter of the Kanou house, is actually a child from an affair. Meanwhile, she’s a daughter from her father, who’s the current president of Torii electronics, and mother, who came from the nobility, both are splendid parents. Therefore, she has that complicated emotions towards Sakurako-san. She’s not a daughter of nobility, and yet, she took some reckless steps to bring Haiji, her bodyguard, to school.
Mother told me about it, but of course, I never told anyone. I’m keeping it a secret from Father too, Sakurako-san said it herself, it’s an embarrassment to the Kanou house. I know that I shouldn’t leak it outside Kanou house’s embarrassment.
Kanou house currently is in a state where it’s managed to maintain its family status with the help of other noble families Sakurako-san said. True, Kanou house itself hardly has any assets. I hear that they’re given honorary positions in various foundations and so on, but they’re barely maintaining their status as a member of the nobility. Along with Kouzuki and Kaan house, they were also one of the big three nobility, and so they’re allowed to survive only because of that status.
It would be a betrayal of their goodwill to have a relationship with a woman from a shop and gave birth to a child while the house is still in that state Oh, they will incur the wrath of the other noble families saying Everyone’s trying to help you, and yet, what are you doing?
Therefore, we’ve kept my secret from the outside world so far Sakurako-san seems lonely.
Some people inside the Kanou house speak horrible things to Sakurako-san. I wasn’t getting along with Sakurako-san either Mariko said.
That was until I met Kou. Recently, I’ve come to realize that being cold to Sakurako-san is wrong after discovering the circumstances of the people who were living in Kou’s home Minaho-neesan, Katsuko-nee, and Nagisa, women who were forcibly kidnapped and turned into prostitutes. Yukino, Mana, the twins, and the Kurama girls who lost their homes. Agnes had no place to return to from the beginning. Many of them grew up in terrible circumstances.
That’s why I started talking to Sakurako-san in school to get close to her. Sakurako-san’s problem isn’t her fault. I thought of it that way Mariko’s changed a lot in the past few weeks. She knows thinks of how other feel. Still.
I can understand Sakurako-san’s secret now, but. I look at Sakurako-san.
So, why does Sakurako-san want to do prostitution? I can’t connect them.
Oh, well, that’s because Kou. Mariko said.
That’s because of her Great-Aunt in Kanou house Great Aunt?
The previous head of the family, our grandfather, is already dead, but it’s his sister. She’s already 80, and still healthy Oh, it’s their Grandfather’s sister, so it’s Great Aunt.
She was someone from the early Showa era when the Kanou house was still doing well. Therefore, she still looks down on people from the other noble families, and won’t even talk to me because I’m not from the nobility. She’s quite mean, pompous, and a nasty tongued woman I see.
That Great Aunt of ours was married off to another family, but.
There was a quarrel in the family she’s married into, divorced and moved back, and she’s been staying at a detached home ever since Sakurako-san said. Mariko added.
Though it’s called a detached home, it’s completely separate from the main house, she has her own kitchen, bathroom, and even entrance
Usually, she doesn’t show up to Sakurako-san and everyone at all. They’re living in the same property and yet, they live separately, something like that?
And so, a few times a year, there are family gatherings at the Kanou house’s main residence And so that Great Aunt comes too.
Great aunt, believes that the decline of the Kanou house is due to the mismanagement of her brother, meaning when Sakurako-san and my Grandfather were the head of the family. She always speaks out loud during family gatherings. Then she says If I knew that it would happen, then I should’ve taken over as the head. Despite her coming home due to her failed marriage. Great Aunt had no qualifications to be the head of the family, she never ran a company before. She’s just saying whatever she wants Mariko seems to hate that woman.
She sure is a troublesome woman, however, since she’s the oldest in the Kanou house, is on the main bloodline, nobody can resist her despite finding her annoying She’s the sister of the late previous head. Therefore, her attitude towards Sakurako-san’s father, the current head, is arrogant.
So, that Great Aunt of ours went all out during our gathering recently Mariko sighed.
My mother and I were there too. It was Grandfather’s memorial service. And so, it’s just the main and branch families of the Kanou house, but. Mariko’s expression turned cloudy.
I don’t know what bothered her, but during the middle of the gathering, the Great Aunt, started criticizing the late predecessor’s death, during his memorial service. Then, she started cursing the current head, Sakurako-san’s father Sakurako-san’s expression turned dark.
And in the end, she pointed at Sakurako-san, and said: This girl’s a daughter of a prostitute Huh?
Wait a minute, I thought Sakurako-san’s mother was from a store in Ginza, right? I asked. That was what I heard earlier.
Yes, how do I say it? I don’t know the details, but I heard that it’s a place where women dress up and pour alcohol to their customers Mariko said.
So, she’s the so-called hostess or something? It’s a high-class club or something
Yes, that, it’s that kind of shop, Kou Then that means.