65. Reading Romance Novels with Mom (2)
65. Reading Romance Novels with Mom (2)
[Episode 65] - Romance Novel Read with Mom (2)
Head spinning, vision swirling, stomach churning.
That was the only way to describe my current state. My head was spinning from the booze, my vision was swirling from the intoxication, and since I'd been drinking on an empty stomach, my insides were churning. I wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but...
"So... I don't get this. Why is the young lady angry at the young master here? The young lady was the one who slapped the young master first, right? I don't understand why she'd be the one to get angry after hitting him first."
"That's..."
I couldn't sleep because the Princess, who was sitting between my legs, kept asking questions. According to the Princess, this novel was a book recommended by Viola, the daughter of the Countess. She had smiled brightly and told me that all the young ladies these days learn about love from books like this, and that everyone enjoys reading them.
'Even so, isn't this a bit too mature for a ten-year-old to be reading...?'
I frowned as I read the passage the Princess didn't understand. As expected of a romance novel, the story was about a young master and a young lady whose love was impossible, but who were struggling to make it happen. So, to summarize...
'...It's a romance fantasy web novel.'
It was similar to the romance fantasy web novels I used to enjoy in my modern life. And it was the kind that would definitely have a 19+ rating attached to it. It featured a "bad boy" young master who forces himself on the young lady and steals kisses, but later in the story, he reforms because he can't live without her.
I frowned after reading the passage the Princess pointed to: [The scene where the young master forcibly steals the young lady's lips]. Even so, this wasn't appropriate content for a ten-year-old.
At ten, you should be reading fairy tales, not this...!
"...This book is still too advanced for you. Why are you reading it when you don't even understand it?"
"Ack...! Give it back! I borrowed it from Viola!"
I slammed the book shut right there in her lap and held it high above my head. The Princess, suddenly deprived of her book, stretched out her short arms and squirmed to get it back, but she couldn't reach.
I really didn't understand why she was so intent on reading a book like this... I placed the book where her hands couldn't reach, then pulled the squirming Princess into a tight hug, telling her to calm down.
"How about Mom tells you a fairy tale instead? You like listening to fairy tales, don't you?"
"No! I've already memorized all the fairy tales you tell me! You always tell the same stories!"
I'm out of material, what can I do?! How many times do you think I've read them to you?! A sudden surge of frustration welled up, but I held it in and looked at the Princess's face.
The Princess, her cheeks puffed out enough to burst, huffed in annoyance. She was still struggling to get out of my arms, clearly unhappy that I'd taken the book.
'I know the appeal of these books since I used to read them all the time, but... still... for a ten-year-old, it's a bit...'
Certainly, that genre of novel had a certain spicy appeal. I knew that flavor well, having spent whole days reading web novels in the past, but I felt she was far too young to know that kind of stimulation.
This book even had a sex scene in the latter half. In other words, if this were the modern world, it would have had a 19+ label slapped on it without a doubt. I just hoped the Princess hadn't understood the latter half.
I tried my best to soothe the Princess by stroking her hair, poking her puffed-out cheeks, and tickling her sides, but it was no use. No matter how hard I tried, the Princess kept her cheeks puffed out and held out her hands, protesting for me to return the book.
The Princess's gaze burned with a fire that seemed impossible to extinguish. It felt like this argument would never end, so I sighed and picked up the book I'd set behind me. I'll just explain the parts she's curious about...
The Princess smiled brightly, looking truly happy to have the book back.
"...I'll explain just one thing you're curious about. But in return, you have to ask for my permission before reading books like this from now on. Understand?"
"Umm..."
She looked a bit pouty, as if dissatisfied, but the Princess nodded soon after. Then, she opened the book again and began searching for the sentence she didn't understand. I liked that she tried to learn when she was curious, but... the irony that it was a romance novel was not lost on me.
"Found it! I have no idea what's happening in this scene!"
"Let's see..."
[Today was the first night of their marriage. In a room without even a candle lit, the young lady sat nervously in her negligee, tucking her hair behind her ear, showing her tension. The only light source entering the room was the soft moonlight, but the young lady's face was flushed red, visible even to the young master. The young master approached her, and his lips touched her neck—]
Slap!!
Right in the middle of reading the paragraph, I slammed the book shut. The Princess looked angry, asking why I did that again, but I didn't have the courage to explain this to her. No, why did she have to be curious about this part? The following paragraphs were exactly what I expected, and they were the scenes I had been dreading.
'It's a sex scene...'
I was starting to get scared of the young Princess's intellectual curiosity. The Princess struggled to open the book I was pressing down on, demanding I open it again...
"Mom!!"
"......Can't you ask Vin Chaud about this later...?"
It was scarier and more troublesome because it came from pure innocence rather than knowing what she was doing. I blocked the Princess from opening the book with one hand, while rubbing my face with the other, letting out a small sigh. If this kept up, I was going to have to give the Princess sex education right here and now.
'This is driving me crazy, seriously.'
It wasn't that the Princess receiving sex education was the problem. I had already thought about giving her sex education before she entered the Academy. Of course, I hadn't intended to do it myself. I had planned to call in a lecturer or a courtesan recommended by the ministers to teach her.
So... what I mean is...
I had no confidence in teaching the Princess about sex. While I obviously knew the biological facts as an adult, I was at a complete loss as to how to explain it in this situation. No matter what, giving sex education while reading a sex scene in a romance novel just wasn't right.
And I couldn't exactly start explaining sperm and eggs here, either. Overcome with embarrassment that reached the top of my head, I stammered as I explained to the Princess.
"T-Titania, you're too young to know about this kind of thing. When the time comes later..."
"When is that time??"
"...How about when you turn thirteen? I promise to bring in a proper instructor then."
The Princess frowned as if thinking for a moment, then muttered grumpily.
"But I'm curious now..."
"Titania... everything has its time..."
"What's a vulva, and why is the young master on the young lady's lower body—"
"Cough, cough! Titania!"
I choked on my spit, startled because Titania had started reciting the lewd content of the book. I quickly covered her mouth with my hand, telling her not to say any more, but she tried to swat my hand away, saying not to stop her. When my hand wouldn't budge, she flicked her tongue out and licked my palm.
Damn it...! If I'd known this would happen, I would have put sex education on the curriculum sooner...!
I looked at Titania with a flushed face and continued.
"...Titania, you shouldn't say things like that in front of others. What you just said is very embarrassing for people."
"But the book..."
"Books are good...! But...! Don't believe everything the book says. The book you mentioned is a novel, and it contains only the authors' imaginations."
Titania hung her head, looking dejected.
Titania was a smart child. She had been a child who asked about everything because she was curious from a young age. Come to think of it, wasn't it natural for a curious Princess to be curious about this?
I let out a small sigh, put the book back behind me, and lay down on the bed with the Princess. They say you can't stop human curiosity... I thought to myself that I should bring in a sex education instructor as soon as we returned to the castle.
'Once the Princess learns about what she was talking about, she won't say things like that anymore, right...?'
I patted the Princess's belly to comfort her. She was a child who always found out everything she wanted to know, so how frustrating must it be to not be able to find out what she was curious about for the first time? The Princess let out a deep sigh and snuggled into my arms.
Seeing that, I felt a pang of pity. I lifted my head and kissed the forehead of the Princess who had crawled into my arms. Perhaps feeling a bit better, the Princess smiled faintly.
I thought she might fall asleep now, but she didn't seem sleepy yet, and she started poking my side with her finger, playing around. I was too tired from the alcohol to care and tried to ignore her and fall asleep, but—
Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.
She was poking my stomach, my side, and even my chest, playing around. I glanced down and glared at the Princess, who was looking up at me from my arms with a mischievous grin. So, you're not sleepy yet, huh?
I grinned, pulled the Princess's face up to mine, and showered her with kisses. It was punishment for avoiding me earlier because I smelled like alcohol. Like a bird pecking at feed, I showered the Princess with kisses on her forehead, cheeks, ears—there wasn't a single spot I missed.
Smooch, smooch, smooch, smooch!
"Hahaha! Stop! Mom, stop it!"
She laughed and squirmed to avoid me, but it was no use. I pursed my lips one last time to kiss her cheek, but at that moment—
The Princess, twisting her head from the ticklishness, collided her lips with mine. At that moment, Titania's eyes went wide, and she stared at me.
I had avoided kissing her on the lips until now because it felt wrong... but well, whatever, it was already done.
I kissed the Princess's lips once more, then pulled her into my arms and patted her belly until she went quiet. Perhaps she was exhausted from playing, but for some reason, the Princess didn't say a word.
As it suddenly went quiet, the alcohol and sleepiness I hadn't felt while playing came rushing in at once. As I blinked, opening and closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep before I knew it.
*
Soft, steady breathing.
In the room where only her and her mother's breathing could be heard, Titania raised her hand and touched her own lips. Then, she recalled the conversation she'd had with Viola earlier.
'They say giving your first kiss is "giving your purity"! If someone forces a kiss, they say "having your purity stolen"! The first kiss has "purity" in it!'
'I see!'
Her first kiss. The book had clearly stated that the first kiss contained "purity." Titania felt like she understood the protagonist's heart in the novel, just a little bit.
In the book, the description of the first kiss was written like this: "Something warm and moist landed on the lips." It was exactly as described in the book.
However, the book said it tasted sweet, but it wasn't like that at all. Titania licked her lips with her tongue again to taste it, but she couldn't feel any sweetness. All she could feel was the faint, lingering smell of alcohol.
For some reason, Titania's heart was pounding.
Just like the description in the novel, thump-thump. It felt like her whole body had become a heart, beating wildly. She felt like she was angry, but also like she might cry.
Titania couldn't figure out what this feeling was.
But only one thought filled her mind.
'Mom stole my purity...!'