At that moment, Maki could sense a pressure she normally wouldn't have noticed.
It wasn't an illusion or baseless anxiety. She understood very clearly—this was a real and pressing crisis that the Shijo family was facing.
Faced with this situation for the first time, she felt a wave of panic.
Time for progress was running out.
If the compensation offered to her aunt wasn't increased to 80%, then this fragile stability wouldn't last much longer.
Once the external pressure disappeared, internal unrest within the Shijo family would begin to show.
These were problems that came with growth.
When a family hasn't fully developed yet, everyone is willing to put in the effort. They're united, working hard, knowing that danger still lurks outside.
But once survival is no longer an issue, and things become too comfortable, the unity that held the Shijo family together would begin to crack.
This was bound to happen.
Maki could see it—her parents were always on edge, and the same went for the other family members.
The high-stress state they had been under for so long was now easing, and with that easing came the inevitability of mental fatigue.
There had been some relief from the long-standing tension, but that relief would soon ripple into the family's internal atmosphere.
If no one stepped up to guide them, things could spiral quickly.
Maki understood that her brother had that potential.
Mikado had strong learning ability and a natural talent for management. He was capable of becoming the next head of the family.
But there simply wasn't enough time.
They had already missed the best opportunity to strike against the Shinomiya family—when her aunt was still in the process of seizing power.
If that plan had worked out, the Shijo family would've gained the stability they needed.
But unfortunately, it failed before it even began.
And from that point on, the Shijo family was no longer seen as a threat by the Shinomiya family.
"Miss Maki, I think your family needs a more stable environment to adapt."
"Your parents created a quiet period of one year. That's already a significant result for your family. Half the family's domestic assets have been transferred overseas. In this atmosphere of unease, they adopted that kind of testing approach. Given the compensation made, the time you've earned is already quite long."
But one year was too short. Far too short.
"Do you think that if our Shijo family hadn't used this method to test Auntie, we might've bought more time?"
"Unfortunately, I don't think so."
Ren gave his answer almost without hesitation.
"Your parents used such an aggressive method for two reasons. First, to force the environment into one suitable for growth. Second, to lower the standards of succession so that the family can advance."
"At a point when most of the domestic businesses have already been ceded, if the heir can bear the pressure and lead the family to recover, then their position as successor will be solidified."
"This approach can stabilize the unrest within the family and rally everyone back together to prevent internal collapse."
"Besides, in the past, the Shijo family was seen as a vassal of the Shinomiya family. The Shinomiya family would remain wary of you, but they wouldn't completely cut you off. In business, your two families weren't adversaries, but rather complementary."
"But now, that's changed."
"The moment the Shijo family could no longer play the role of a vassal, it started cutting ties with the Shinomiya family. And once that happened, the consequences began."
"Outside companies started wondering whether they should keep working with the Shijo family. Would they be targeted by the Shinomiya family if they did?"
"From that point on, your families became commercially incompatible. Even if the Shijo family had capability, it would be difficult to function on the island."
"On top of that, the Shinomiya family has the backing of Sanzenin. That alone drastically limits the space for your family's future growth."
"Because the label attached to the Shijo family is still too heavy."
Maki thought seriously about what Ren said and could only sigh in the end.
That was the reality.
Power within the Shinomiya family had already been consolidated under her aunt. And with Sanzenin's endorsement, there was practically no opposition left.
However, after that transition of power, the Shijo family made no statement. It was clear they had no intention of continuing as the Shinomiya family's vassal.
Once they reached this point, it was inevitable that trouble would follow in the business world.
Many companies that used to work with the Shijo family would start to hesitate.
Even without Auntie saying a word, those companies would begin to sever ties one by one.
Whether this was truly a test of her aunt or not, the Shijo family wouldn't last under these circumstances.
Maki realized this quickly.
Whether it was meant as a test for her aunt or not, the truth was that the Shijo family had been cornered by the shift in the Shinomiya family's power structure.
Unless they publicly announced their continued allegiance, they couldn't maintain their commercial operations.
But would the Shijo family be willing to go back, now that they had the chance to break free?
Clearly, her parents' attitude answered that. They had no intention of doing so.
So no matter the final result, they had already chosen their path.
And it was a path that would take even more time—more than the previous decline.
With that conclusion, Maki closed her eyes.
This was indeed a desperate situation.
But she also understood this wasn't her aunt's fault.
It was the Shijo family's own stance that had led to this.
Just as Ren said, the "vassal" label had become too heavy.
What used to be nothing more than a limitation had now turned into a fatal weakness.
It made Maki start to consider what she could do for the family.
But in the end, the conclusion she reached was painfully clear.
There was nothing she could do.