The Sugimoto family, originally a samurai clan, has a history of strengthening the bonds between women to prevent succession-related chaos and maintain order. In the Sugimoto family, the male head is merely a seed; the continuation of the lineage is maintained by the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law… The secret rituals conducted without the husband's knowledge also serve as our own purification and confirmation of reproductive function… This is… my and Riko's… first night together…
