After an absurdly long and intense kiss, Kazusa, nestled in his strong embrace, blushed as if she had been submerged in warm water.
Waves of heat and comfort rippled around her, the lingering pleasure swirling in her senses.
The rush of emotions, driven by hormones, sent countless ripples through her heart, keeping her mind heated as she replayed every detail of their intimate moment.
Then, as passion temporarily receded, reason reclaimed control.
Oh no. Chi—he must think I'm a shameless girl now.
The thought made her hastily cover her lips with one hand, avoiding eye contact with her boyfriend as she quickly escaped the bathroom.
Her abrupt closeness, followed by an equally sudden retreat, was honestly adorable to Chisato.
Given his experience with his desk neighbor since they first met, he could pretty much guess what was running through her mind.
He decided to let her be—for now.
The real problem was explaining all of this to Youko.
Kazusa might not care too much about details, but that sharp-witted woman definitely would.
The fact that she had gone as far as pulling up hospital surveillance footage, playing it openly on the room's television without any attempt to hide it from him, sent a message that was as clear as day:
I know everything. I have the evidence. So be good and confess—don't even think about trying to cover it up.
Chisato leaned over the sink and turned on the faucet.
One of these women overheated his brain, the other overheated his body—he needed some cold water to cool down.
He didn't waste too much time in the bathroom. After all, this was inevitable.
There was no point in running away, so he might as well deal with it sooner rather than later.
After all, it wasn't like he had been caught doing something bad. On the contrary, he had done something good. He should carry himself with confidence.
With that thought, the nervousness he had felt after seeing his own "crime scene footage" on the hospital TV slowly faded away.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, only Youko remained in the hospital room.
She was leaning against the open window, her body slightly tilted forward, her hair fluttering in the breeze.
Even in the simple blue-and-white hospital gown, she radiated an elegant and refined aura.
Who would believe that a woman like this was the mother of a high school student?
Hearing him step out, Youko turned around. She knew exactly what was on his mind, so she casually tucked her hair behind her ear and explained,
"The hospital's parking lot is a bit far from the ward, and Miyoko brought a lot of things, so I sent Kazusa to help her."
Chisato nodded in understanding and gestured toward the door.
"Should I go help too?"
"No need, no need. The two of them can handle it."
Youko waved him off dismissively and then patted the seat beside her on the sofa.
"More importantly, I have a lot of questions for you right now."
Figures.
She probably sent Kazusa away so she could have a private conversation with him.
Chisato glanced at the TV. It was turned off now.
He nodded and sat down.
Youko didn't speak right away. Instead, she crossed one leg over the other, rested her right hand on her cheek, and turned slightly to scrutinize him with an intense gaze.
A soft, impossibly gentle smile played on her lips.
Under her stare, Chisato felt incredibly uneasy. He tried to meet her eyes, but the second their gazes locked, he panicked and immediately looked away.
His reaction made Youko's smile deepen, exuding an undeniable feminine charm.
"No need to be so nervous, Chisato. You were a lot more composed when you visited my house last time. I still haven't forgotten how delicious the meal you cooked was."
"…"
Yeah, well, last time, you were wearing proper clothes.
The buttons on a hospital gown had much larger gaps, and with Youko leaning forward like that…
Not to be inappropriate, but he had definitely seen things he shouldn't have.
Still, he didn't have a single impure thought—just pure embarrassment.
Because this was Kazusa's mom.
He wanted to respond to her teasing, but after hesitating for so long, he couldn't find the right words.
He considered dropping a subtle hint, reaching for his own collar to demonstrate, but halfway through, he chickened out and awkwardly scratched his face instead.
There was no way to do this!
How was he supposed to bring it up?
Right now, he was the only one feeling awkward. If he said something, they'd both be suffering!
So Chisato decided to just go with it. He lowered his head and stared at the floor, sitting as obedient as a scolded child.
"You're acting like you've done something to betray me, Chisato. Don't worry—I should be thanking you, not the other way around."
To show her appreciation, Youko reached out and playfully pinched his cheek.
Chisato felt his embarrassment ease up slightly.
"Youko-aun—"
Then he suddenly remembered how sensitive she was about her age and quickly corrected himself,
"Youko-san, I didn't actually do anything—"
"No need to be so formal. Just call me 'Mom' like Kazusa does."
Cough—!
Youko's words were spoken so naturally, but they nearly made Chisato choke.
Seeing his reaction, she frowned in thought.
"Hmm, I guess jumping straight to 'Mom' might be a little too much… How about something in between? You can call me 'Mother-in-law.'"
"…"
Is there any difference at all?
Chisato turned his head toward Youko, his gaze still lowered as he stared at his own lap.
"Youko-san, the thing you wanted to talk to me about... This isn't the main point, is it?"
Youko chuckled.
"Then I'll get straight to the point. In the surveillance footage, I saw that you deliberately sent Kazusa away before feeding me something."
"My miraculous recovery—it's directly related to whatever it was you gave me, isn't it?"
Although she had already figured out most of the answer, she still wanted to confirm it for peace of mind.
Chisato nodded honestly. He had already made up his mind not to deny it.
"I knew it..."
"The situation was urgent at the time, and that was the only way."
Chisato kept his head lowered.
"And I sincerely apologize for saying that you snore in your sleep."
"That doesn't really matter anymore. Can you tell me what exactly you fed me back then?"
"Simply put, it was a type of medicine—one that can cure most malignant diseases."
"That... That kind of medicine, where did you get it?"
This was the question Youko was most curious about.
But this time, Chisato didn't answer immediately. He hesitated for a moment before saying,
"Youko-san, I can't tell you that."
"I see..."
That was within her expectations. If he didn't mind others knowing, he would have just openly given her the medicine in the first place.
"Then let me ask a different question. Is there any possibility of mass-producing this medicine?"
She was asking this on behalf of her friend, Norimasa Takayanagi.
Chisato answered seriously,
"There is no possibility of mass production. So Youko-san, now that you've recovered, please take care of your health."
"It would be best to get regular check-ups at the hospital."
Youko nodded in understanding, but she still wasn't ready to give up.
"Is it a technological limitation? Or a funding issue?"
"Neither."
Chisato shook his head.
"Youko-san, have you ever heard of Lonesome George? He was the last known Pinta Island tortoise. When he died, the species went extinct."
Hearing his explanation, Youko fell silent.
So, that medicine was one of a kind. Once it was used up, there would never be more.
She let out a slow breath and sat up straight, unintentionally covering the view she had previously exposed.
Now, Chisato could finally look at her without feeling uneasy.
"Something so precious... You just used it on me like that?"
"It wasn't 'just like that.' You are Kazusa's mother. That alone was reason enough. And the outcome was absolutely worth it."
Chisato stated his thoughts plainly.
"Using just a tiny pill to ensure Youko-san's recovery and to bring back Kazusa's smile—that was a deal too good to pass up. There was no reason not to do it."
"..."
Youko gazed at him, her lips curving slightly in a subtle smile.
"Kazusa, whether it's her social skills or her piano performance level, is still far behind me as her mother."
"But in one thing, she far surpasses me—if I had even half of her ability to choose a man, I wouldn't still be single now."
Chisato had no idea how to respond to that.
But Youko didn't seem to expect a response. She continued,
"I understand the general situation now. Let's move on to the real business."
Real business? Weren't we just talking about serious matters?
Noticing his confusion, Youko smiled.
"A hero who saved both my and Kazusa's lives—how could I not show any gratitude?"
Chisato quickly protested,
"Youko-san, please don't—"
"Alright, from now on, be a good boy and just listen to me."
Youko gently pressed her index finger against Chisato's lips.
"Over the years, I've traveled across the world—competing, holding solo concerts, endorsing musical instruments, publishing piano textbooks in various languages, starting companies, investing in different industries."
"After working so hard for so long, I've made a modest fortune."
"So, let me briefly outline my liquid assets. In my personal account at the Japan Bank, I have around 170 million yen."
"My U.S. account holds about 2 million dollars, and my Swiss account has around 3 million Swiss francs."
"Because of my work, I also have accounts in other countries with smaller amounts, but those aren't worth mentioning."
"As for fixed assets, you already know about the house Kazusa and I settled in."
"My company, Youko Co., Ltd., has two locations—its headquarters in Tokyo and a branch in Vienna."
"Besides that, I own two villas in Palm Beach, I hold shares in two opera houses in Vienna, and I also have an investment in a Bordeaux winery..."
Listening to all this, Chisato started to feel overwhelmed. He knew Youko was wealthy, but he hadn't expected her to be this wealthy!
Forget the liquid assets—just the two villas in Palm Beach alone were enough to make him flinch.
Palm Beach? That's one of the most expensive real estate areas in the U.S.! A top-tier vacation spot for the world's wealthiest elites!
"Youko-san, you don't need to tell me all this."
Chisato had to interrupt her. If he didn't, he feared he might lose his drive to work hard in life.
"You're Kazusa's boyfriend and my savior. We're going to be family sooner or later, so you'd have to know these things eventually."
"Kazusa grew up pampered and has no sense of money, but in this world, without money, you can't move an inch. When I retire, these assets will be managed by you anyway."
Youko spoke casually about her future plans, as if she wasn't joking in the slightest.
"Now, back to the main topic. Regarding my gratitude to the hero who saved me and my daughter—if I had to name my most precious possession, it would be Kazusa."
"But she already belongs to you, so I'll have to be more practical and reward you with something mundane but useful."
She held up one finger.
"Here's what I'm thinking—I'll transfer 100 million yen to you for now. How does that sound?"
"!!?"
Huh?!
Chisato was genuinely shocked.
Judging by Youko's relaxed expression, it seemed like 100 million yen was no different from 100 yen to her.
"Please don't joke around! I can't—"
"Don't be so hasty. Hear me out first. Of course, my gratitude isn't worth just this little bit of money—I've already decided to spend my whole life repaying you.
"My plan is to give you 100 million yen now, and keep the rest for my work and other expenses."
"That way, my established career can continue generating money."
"Every year from now on, I'll give you 50% of my previous year's earnings—at least 50 million yen annually, as a minimum guarantee."
"As for the fixed assets I mentioned, once you and Kazusa get married, if you want them, I can transfer them to you as well. How about that?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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