"Akira, do you know why your father and I ended up together?"
Sayuri continued to hint at something.
"Other than Dad having the same hobbies as you, I can't think of any other reason."
"To be honest, I'm not surprised. After all, Dad was from the UK, and twenty years ago, society wasn't as open-minded as it is now."
"Exactly, Akira. Your dad was my best choice, and I was his," Sayuri said with a playful smile.
"I can tell that what bonded you guys more was friendship rather than love," Akira added with a sigh, rubbing his forehead.
"Looks like I can't hide anything from you, Akira. You're just too sharp."
Sayuri leaned in and kissed him again."Akira, carry me to the bath. Let's take a bath together."
Sayuri requested again, her tone as natural as if she were asking for a glass of water.
But Akira wasn't ready to give in just yet.
He didn't want his moral boundaries to collapse too quickly.
"Mom, Eriri is also part of our family. Why don't you call her too?"
Akira believed that bringing up Eriri would make his mother back off.
However, he had underestimated her.
Sayuri's violet eyes flashed with mischief as she responded with perfect reasoning.
"Eriri is a half-blood, not a traditional Japanese person."
"She doesn't need to adhere to our customs."
"Besides, Eriri's body isn't suited for long baths."
"She nearly passed out the last time we went to a hot spring."
"Did you forget?"
Akira remained unmoved, causing Sayuri to switch tactics.
She immediately started fake crying.
Sob sob sob!
"Akira, were all those promises to fulfill my wishes just lies?"
"You won't even grant me such a small request?"
At this point, what else could Akira do?
With a look of helplessness, he stood up and lifted Sayuri into his arms.
"Remember to turn off the lights downstairs first, then carry me upstairs."
"To my room."
Sayuri clearly had everything planned out in advance, giving precise instructions.
"Hehe! Make sure Eriri doesn't catch us."
"Akira, I know how skilled you are."
"If you don't want to be noticed, you can move completely silently."
"Mom, so you do know we need to hide this from Eriri."
Akira sighed, exhausted.
It was obvious that Sayuri had let go of her inhibitions.
She was truly letting herself go.
"Haven't you read enough manga to know that whenever the main couple's relationship progresses, something always interrupts them?"
Sayuri stated with complete confidence.
"Eriri gets jealous so easily."
"She even gets jealous of me."
"Every time I kiss you, she practically boils with envy."
"Then why do you keep doing it?"
"Because I enjoy watching her grit her teeth in frustration, knowing she can't do anything about it."
Sayuri whispered mischievously into Akira's ear like a little devil.
"Mom, you've been teasing Eriri since she was little."
"Haven't you had enough?"
"Oh? Are you worried about your tsundere little sister?"
"I know you're only trying to help her."
"You want to push her to be more honest with herself."
"Eriri's tsundere nature is too severe."
"It's a personality trait that can easily cause her trouble."
Kiss!
"Akira, how did you get so smart?"
"Compared to you, Eriri feels like a clueless little monkey."
"She definitely didn't inherit my intelligence."
"If Eriri hears you comparing her to a monkey, she's going to explode."
"Hehe! Akira, stop wasting time."
"Are you trying to delay things?"
Sayuri narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction.
Akira realized his stalling tactics had failed again.
"Mom, can we go to my room instead?"
"There's a bathroom and bathtub in there too."
"No."
"My room isn't just the master bedroom."
"It also has special props."
Akira was stunned, but seeing Sayuri's secretive smile, he knew she wouldn't explain further.
Since they were already heading upstairs, he decided to let it go.
Carrying Sayuri, he turned off the lights one by one and silently climbed the stairs.
The wooden steps didn't make a single sound.
As they passed by Eriri's and his own room, Sayuri whispered softly in his ear.
"Akira, lock your room from the outside with a key."
Mom, have you planned this too thoroughly?
She really wasn't leaving anything to chance.
Sighing, Akira pulled out his key and locked his door.
Then, the two entered the master bedroom on the second floor.
A massive suite spanning over a hundred square meters.
Sayuri turned on the lights and locked the door behind them in one swift motion.
"Phew! Finally, we can talk normally."
"I was afraid to even whisper in the hallway."
"Did you remodel this room with soundproofing?"
Though phrased as a question, Akira already knew the answer.
"Akira, I have needs too."
"And your father rarely stayed here."
"Even when he did, he slept in the guest room."
"As a diplomat, he was always busy."
"And every so often, he had to go to those 'special clubs' to relieve stress."
"Do you mean those kinds of clubs?"
Akira asked, covering his face, struggling to accept the reality.
"Exactly the ones you're thinking of."
"Great. Now my image of Dad as a noble gentleman is completely shattered."
"Didn't he tell you that everyone wears different masks?"
"Did you forget?"
"I just never thought Dad would be this ridiculous."
"At least your father was a gentleman."
"He's still better than those who enter fake marriages just to hide their true nature."
"We once thought we could be lifelong partners in crime."
"But let's not talk about him anymore."
"He's completely irrelevant to me now."
READ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD AT p @ treon. com/KyokaSuigetsu
(replace @ with a)