Yukio didn't know what she was thinking. Roland was already with Haruno, already her daughter's man.
Yet, right in front of her daughter, she secretly intertwined her fingers with his.
As mentioned before, Roland's act of holding hands was undoubtedly a confession of love. What, then, was her acceptance of this gesture?
She knew full well that Roland already had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was her own daughter.
Instead of rebuking his infidelity, she was secretly helping him betray her daughter behind her back?
A wave of guilt washed over Yukio as she thinks about it. How had she become so morally bankrupt?
Could she face her daughter after this?
Could she uphold her role as a mother?
Clearly, Yukio understood that their relationship was forbidden and should end immediately.
But...
When Roland nuzzled his face into her chest, his adorable demeanor ignited an overwhelming reluctance within her.
As Roland grew older, their intimate moments had gradually diminished.
For instance, when he was little, she used to lovingly bathe Roland. But now, she certainly couldn't do something like that anymore, right?
Now that she'd finally managed to get Roland to act affectionately towards her, if she missed this opportunity, it might never come again. How could she bear to stop?
Oh well, she thought. After all, Little Roland and Haruno weren't officially engaged yet; they'd only reached a preliminary agreement. So, her actions didn't quite qualify as "stealing her daughter's fiancé."
Let's just consider this her last burst of maternal affection before Little Roland gets married.
Yes, the very last time!
With that thought, Yukio finally banished her guilt. She quickly held the back of Roland head and pressed his face hard against her chest. While letting him enjoy her love, she couldn't help but lower her head slightly and kissed Roland on the head.
In an instant, the atmosphere between them became incredibly intimate once more, making Haruno's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Haruno understood that Roland's affectionate act was a tactic to dissuade her mother from pressuring them into marriage. But...
Did you really have to bury your face in my mother's chest to act cute?
And her mother too—why didn't she object when Roland buried his face there?
What was the meaning of pressing Roland's head down even further into her chest?
Are you sure this is an act of affection, and not something morally questionable?
She knows well that her mother Yukio loves wearing traditional Japanese garments like kimonos and yukatas. These garments are known for their loose fit and ease of removal—a gentle tug is all it takes to slip them off her shoulders.
This looseness makes it easy for her cleavage to be exposed. Sure enough, when Roland threw himself into her arms and began pawing at her, a glimpse of it appeared.
And now her mother is pressing his face into her chest? Are you trying to suffocate him with excitement?
By the time Roland emerges from her embrace, he'll likely be completely bewitched by her alluring aura.
Haruno sighed in despair, rubbing her forehead. Clearly, she found their "affectionate" behavior inappropriate. But upon reflection, this wasn't the first time they'd been so intimate, and Roland was only doing it for the sake of the act.
So, despite her disapproval, Haruno couldn't bring herself to criticize them.
After all, she couldn't exactly call her own mother shameless, could she?
Haruno didn't dare challenge her mother's authority, even though her mother's dignity seemed to have completely vanished in this moment.
She stood awkwardly to the side, like a spare lightbulb, watching her mother and Roland's intimate display.
Haruno had assumed they would simply exchange a few affectionate gestures and be done with it. After all, with someone else present, surely they wouldn't take things too far?
But she had underestimated her mother's devotion to Roland. This was, after all, her mother's "last time" to dote on him, so naturally, she wanted to prolong the moment.
For over five minutes, Haruno stood there, dumbfounded, as the pair showed no sign of separating. She felt like an idiot, rooted to the spot.
The scene reminded her of a trope in dramas: when a group of classmates go to karaoke, and you realize everyone else is paired up, all lovey-dovey, while you're stuck alone in a corner watching them. How awkward would that be?
Haruno's current situation felt eerily similar. Eventually, she couldn't bear to watch any longer of that .. and retreated to her room, her face clouded with frustration.
Fine, she thought. If you want this "last moment" of intimacy, go ahead and have your fill. I'll come back when you're satisfied.
As it turned out, it hadn't worked at all!
Haruno had underestimated the shamelessness of those two. She had assumed that leaving them alone would allow them to indulge in some harmless affection.
Instead, her departure had freed them from all restraint. Far from moderating their behavior, they had become even more brazen.
For instance, Haruno had been idly scrolling through her phone in her room when she suddenly remembered, two hours later, that the two lovebirds were still in the living room.
Surely they must have finished their... unusual display of affection by now?
Putting down her phone, Haruno quietly opened her door to peek into the living room.
What she saw made her exclaim, "Good heavens!"
The two lovebirds showed no signs of separating. They remained in their original positions, with Roland's face still buried in that enviable spot. Two whole fucking hours?!
If Haruno hadn't occasionally seen Roland nuzzle slightly in her bosom, she might have worried he had suffocated.
But that wasn't even the worst part. The most outrageous thing was her mother.
Her mother's kimono had become noticeably looser, as if it were about to slip off her shoulders at any moment.
Yet her mother seemed oblivious, leaning back on the sofa with her eyes closed, a blissful expression on her face, as if she were eagerly waiting for the garment to fall off on its own.
It was clear that Roland's actions had long ceased to be mere playful affection; he was blatantly taking advantage of the situation.
And instead of stopping his inappropriate behavior, her mother was closing her eyes as if inviting him to indulge himself?
As if that weren't enough, just as Haruno glanced over, they seemed dissatisfied with their current position. Their bodies slowly tilted sideways until they both collapsed onto the sofa.
Yes, they had gone from sitting to lying down.
Haruno: "..."
Why do you have to make such a spectacle out of a simple cuddle?
Haruno strongly suspected that if she continued to let them carry on like this, their bodies would grow increasingly warm, burning away their restraint and leading them to commit some truly scandalous acts.
Haruno felt that given the current situation, it was highly likely.
If she continued to let things slide, those two would definitely lose all restraint. She was absolutely certain of it!
Things had escalated to the point where Haruno could no longer stand by.
Roland was clearly her man even if it's fake now, yet her mother had been monopolizing him all this time. What kind of nonsense was this?
If things remained this way after they got married, Haruno feared she'd be spending every night alone in her room, while her mother's room would be buzzing with activity.
Who's the one getting married here, damn it?!
Furious, Haruno finally snapped. She slammed her bedroom door shut with a loud bang, expressing her displeasure and warning the two in the living room to cut it out.
Do you really think you can cross that line? Do you think I don't exist?!