"How did this happen?!" One of the oldest elders, Kurosaki Jiro slammed his hand onto the tatami mat, hard enough to shift the tray of drinks to spill tea. "We have not had a girl born in the main line in generations! And now, there are two!"

Numerous elders whispered among one another, their reactions varied on their thoughts on this situation. Throughout the documentation of their family, Kurosaki daughters didn't last long outside of the womb. Dying far earlier than sons. Fragile and weak. Useless in the grand scheme of the main line's aspirations.

Yet, Kurosaki Hisano and the new unnamed daughter survived.

This elders meeting was long due.

They would have met up for this reason had it not been for outside obligations. Also, the stubborn denial of Kurosaki Hisano being a visible presence in Kurosaki manor caused them to push aside this issue.

Lady Yukina heard them with half an ear. Although she was not Lady Kurosaki anymore, she continued to present herself to these meetings. She was an elder without the title. Having lived in Kurosaki manor almost her whole life, she felt inclined to give her own opinion.

None of these men dared to chase her out. She saved this family's face far too many times. Her connections outside of this town brought them valuable brides and husbands for their children. The hidden scandals were an aspect Yukina intervened to squash before their circles found out. Many of the elders' families brought shame to the clan to which she stepped in to clean the mess.

They owed her.

Giving into her pettiness, Lady Yukina voiced out loud. "My sons fucked their wives, that's how."

The elders snapped their heads toward Yukina, scandalized at her crassness.

Yukina didn't care. She was not Lady Kurosaki anymore and a widow. She was allowed grace in the manner she spoke. At least, she spoke in this manner behind closed doors. These elders knew her real face, the true woman behind the title. The metaphorical grasping at their pearls was humorous at best.

She set down her cup onto the saucer and sneered. "No need to faint in my presence."

Elder Jiro coughed into his hand. "We know how these children were made. I'm asking how these daughters have managed to live this long."

Yukina shrugged her shoulders. "This current century has better doctors to tend to expectant mothers. Before you ask if they have underlying conditions, both of those girls are at the peak of health."

Whispers rose up again.

Lady Yukina added in. "My sons have done their duty to this clan. They have created the next generation of the main line. The fact there are two daughters is nothing to be scared about. Remember, there is an heir ."

" One heir," An elder named Takashi, whose gaunt face was hidden behind a beard, snipped. "Iwao should have a son as a spare!"

Another elder named Kiseke, whose yukata was always lined with golden strings, rolled his eyes. "Iwao and Risako will not copulate again. I hear from the servants that she rejects the idea of being in the same wing as her husband and daughter. Her possessions have been relocated to the other end of Iwao's home."

A different elder interjected, "He has husband rights to her body! He can bring another child into this clan!"

"Such backwards thinking, Aoi. Do you really think you can convince Iwao to force himself on her?" Elder Kiseke clicked his tongue.

"He knows the importance of a son!"

Yukina ended the squabble by saying. "You elders told my son to have a child . He had a child . There were no specifications on the gender of the child in question." She waved a hand, bringing a servant to top off her tea. "Nagare, who has taken on the burden of the mastery, is the one who needed an heir not Iwao."

The elders meeting continued on.

Yukina, smug in having curbed talk of her granddaughters, ate more of the snacks that were on the main tray.