Demon Progenitor Development Project

"Besides, I don't want to marry a rich lady I don't get along with and then live with her for the rest of my life. You know some of my habits, don't you?"

Muzan was speechless.

This is indeed a problem; in terms of lifestyle, Shugo is completely out of step with 99% of the nobles of Heian-kyo.

Muzan deeply understood this point while living in the Ubuyashiki family.

Inheriting Shugo's lifestyle, Muzan eats three meals a day, washes his hands before meals, brushes his teeth until they are shiny in the morning and evening, and takes a bath unless it is unbearably cold, fully embodying modern hygiene habits.

He was out of place with the Ubuyashiki family, and even his supposed father had doubts about it. The servants were initially very puzzled.

In Heian-kyo, nobles would take a bath primarily because divination had revealed bad luck, and they needed to remove the negative energy or pray to the gods.

Muzan didn't believe in God at all. Looking at the barely perceptible dirt under his father's fingernails and the overly strong incense scent on his body, he scoffed at such claims.

"I don't want to be forced by my father to marry a wife I don't like. It's not good for me, and it's not good for the noble lady I'm betrothed to." Hiiragi carefully expressed his true feelings.

He had absolutely no interest in finding a scapegoat; this behavior was utterly shameless.

So far, Fujiwara Shugo is the only one struggling to cope with the massive army of people trying to force him to have children.

"Are you saying you only want to marry one wife? Not a concubine?" Muzan understood the implication and looked at Fujiwara Shugo with considerable surprise.

In ancient times, which high-ranking and powerful man didn't have a multitude of wives and concubines? Whether the number of men who could remain faithful to one woman for life can be counted on two hands throughout history is still unknown.

Hiiragi nodded.

"One wife is enough. More than that will cause trouble and more disputes." Having been exposed to palace intrigue dramas, Shugo still has lingering fears about the brutality of the struggles in the inner quarters. The recent example is Lady Tokuko.

Shugo couldn't stand that those close to him weren't on his side, and he couldn't stand anyone invading his private space. In his previous life, he considered himself aloof and unsociable, and even had a bit of a phobia of psychological fastidiousness.

Hiiragi was well aware of how out of step his view of love was in ancient times.

Shugo; Pure Love Party will never admit defeat!

Shugo, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, also has a similar obsession with relationships.

Upon hearing this, Muzan looked at Shugo with a very complicated expression, feeling that Shugo was being too kind.

Which of those aristocratic ladies these days isn't enduring their husbands' infidelity?

"So what kind of woman do you like?" Muzan asked, feigning curiosity.

"I don't know," Shugo replied after sorting through his memories.

Shugo: "I've never really liked anyone in a meaningful way, so I can't tell you what kind of person I like."

That statement is actually a bit exaggerated.

He didn't have it in this life, but he did in his past life. In his past life, Shugo's first love was in elementary school when he had a vague crush on the girl who sat next to him.

My deskmate is an outgoing and generous person who is very popular in class, has many friends, excellent grades, and has won many awards.

It's normal for Shugo, who was introverted and unremarkable in class at the time, to have feelings for such a dazzling person.

The drab little bird naturally loves the radiant peacock.

Shugo's affection for her ended when her textbook was destroyed.

One day in class, my deskmate forgot her textbook, so I lent it to her. After class, I went to the restroom and found a group of people gathered around my desk. My deskmate apologized to me, embarrassed, because someone had accidentally knocked over her water cup, which soaked the textbook that was in the middle of it.

Shugo didn't say anything, but went to look at the damaged textbooks. The soaked books had been vigorously wiped with tissues, and it was clear that someone had tried to salvage them.

But it didn't work.

The paper was so worn out that it was impossible to read. In the end, Shugo asked the teacher for another textbook and was even lectured by the teacher. The vague goodwill he had felt for the teacher completely disappeared.

After that, Shugo never fell in love again; when he did, it was only because he liked two-dimensional characters.

After all, he makes a living by creating paper dolls, and in this life, apart from making wooden carvings of Muzan Neko, he hasn't done anything else.

Paper dolls won't shatter his beautiful fantasies, nor will they cause the house to collapse, unless the author is called jxjj.

This life is even less likely. He plans to become a near-immortal ghost, so naturally he can't have too many deep emotions, as that would only make each parting too painful.

Therefore, Fujiwara Shugo seemed indifferent to many things, and was completely like a lazy bum.

Ultimately, Shugo didn't have such a strong desire to save the women poisoned by heroin. He was still living a life of aristocracy and apathetic commoners who were completely out of place with him, and he had no desire to marry and have children.

Every little thing in his life tells Shugo that he is in a foreign land, making it difficult for him to truly integrate into this world.

The cultural expressions of the East Asian cultural sphere are inherently subtle, and even his parents and relatives could not bind Hiiragi to them with affection.

Hiiragi subconsciously avoided further entanglements and rarely expressed his emotions to others.

If someone were to take a closer look at Shugo Fujiwara's social circle, they would be quite surprised.

Fujiwara Shugo seemed to have connections with many young nobles, but he didn't have any close friends he could talk to. The relationships were superficial and based on mere formalities.

Aside from work, Fujiwara no Shugo spent his days practicing swordsmanship and studying medicine. He never had any romantic scandals with any women, and his detached and ascetic lifestyle made him a breath of fresh air among the nobles of Heian-kyo.

So much so that countless noble ladies secretly admired him.

Recalling the past, a slight unease arose in Shugo's heart. Just then, he walked to the edge of the artificial hill used for decoration, and the shadow cast by it cut his face into a gloomy color.

Shugo was reminiscing about the past, completely unaware of Muzan's scrutinizing gaze.

Having said what he wanted, Shugo felt much more relaxed.

There are some things you can say to your peers, but some things you can't say to your parents.

"If a woman appeared before you, not only would she be exceptionally beautiful and charming, but her lifestyle would be exactly the same as yours, would you fall in love with her?" Muzan cleverly posed this hypothetical question.

Upon hearing this question, Shugo was somewhat surprised, wondering why Muzan would suddenly throw out such a strange question. However, despite his doubts, he honestly gave his answer: "Probably not."

Upon hearing Shuuga's answer, Muzan paused for a moment, seemingly taken aback by the response. But Shuuga quickly added, "There might be feelings of affection, but marriage is out of the question."

After saying this, Shugo revealed a faint smile, as if he were explaining his true thoughts to Muzan.

At this moment, Muzan's tense nerves gradually relaxed. Through Shugo's response, he keenly sensed that Shugo didn't seem to have much enthusiasm or longing for marriage.

It could even be said that even if Shugo were to get married in the future, the marriage would most likely be merely a formality, like a glamorous decoration.

Thinking of this, Muzan was secretly overjoyed. In his view, no matter what, he would always be the one Shuuga loved most, and no one could easily break the deep and unique emotional bond between them.