Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Unbreakable Maternal Bonds
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"I must have underestimated my mother more than I thought."
"Hnng...."
"Honestly, I figured since what I did to her wasn't exactly praiseworthy, she'd probably end up hating me for it."
But her reaction was the complete opposite.
It was downright astonishing.
"Turns out mothers really are something else, aren't they? Right?"
"Hnng... Ahh...."
"She's the same age as Teacher Ashley, yet she feels so incredibly mature and impressive. Meanwhile, our teacher just...."
"Hiiik...."
"...puts on these cute little reactions for her students."
Comparing her to Ashley, Rozalin was truly remarkable.
My Ashley, meanwhile, had been getting treated like a cuddle toy since morning.
Of course, as far as I was concerned, I much preferred being the one dishing out that treatment.
Was it just... that I found Rozalin impressive?
"...Miss. Breakfast is ready."
"Got it. Teacher?"
"Y-Yes...."
"......."
After a bit of playtime with Ashley, Lize was subtly showing signs of jealousy.
It wasn't because of the play itself—just that I was treating Ashley like my personal attachment doll.
Lately, whenever I had nothing to do or was alone, I'd call Ashley over to fondle and pass the time, which meant Lize had to handle more of the housework.
That was probably why.
She wasn't jealous enough to make it obvious or anything.
If anything, it was more like she felt a deep regret over not getting to spend time with me.
"Lize."
"Yes, Miss."
Right before we sat down to eat.
I called out to her.
"Aren't you hungry for breakfast?"
"W-Well, yes...."
"Hmm.... Very hungry?"
"Not particularly. I don't need a big breakfast."
"I see."
In that case... this should be fine.
I did feel a little bad doing this first thing in the morning, but...
I figured this would be much better for Lize.
"Come over here for a moment, then."
"Understood."
"And...."
I slid my chair back just enough to make room under the table.
Then I spread my legs slightly.
"Lick."
"Ah...."
Lize's face upon hearing that... looked positively delighted.
Lize is a bit of a pervert, too.
A fair bit, actually.
.
.
.
"Mother."
"You're here?"
"Yes, I am."
Rozalin had grown somewhat accustomed to basement life by now.
She barely reacted when I came down like this.
It was no different from visiting her room in the mansion on any ordinary day.
"What brings you down today?"
"Just wanted to spend some time with you, like always."
"...I see."
She seemed quietly pleased.
Frankly, I still couldn't quite wrap my head around reactions like that from her.
No matter how I thought about it... this wasn't normal, was it?
Of course, I had somewhat expected—and even aimed for—this kind of response from her.
Stockholm syndrome, shaken bridge effect, whatever—locking her in the basement after the kidnapping, then treating her kindly....
That strategy had worked to some degree, sure.
"But why are you okay with this?"
I still didn't get it.
This wasn't because of what I'd done to her.
"I've done all this to you."
"How could I ever hate Camellia...?"
"That's not what I mean."
It was starting to frustrate me a little.
Why?
How could she act like none of this fazed her?
How could she not even get angry?
Was I the weird one?
"I drugged you, kidnapped you and shut you in this basement. And I didn't hold back on all sorts of awful things I shouldn't have done to you. Why?"
"It's Camellia."
"...Ha."
The smile on Rozalin's face as she said that was so... genuinely kind.
Even the saintesses I'd gone to the Academy with at the same time wouldn't have smiled that warmly, I thought.
Not that I'd ever met them one-on-one or anything.
She just treated me that way—like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Not an act. Sincere.
"Because I'm your daughter?"
"Yes."
"........"
What did being a "daughter" mean to Rozalin?
What did family even mean?
I had no idea.
My head was starting to hurt.
We weren't even blood-related, and we'd only spent about half of the past twenty years together.
Frankly, it felt too tenuous to really qualify as family.
She hadn't been with me my whole life—just half of it.
Just a third of her own life.
"Mother...."
Why was she like this?
I wasn't some psychologist, so it only made it harder to understand.
It felt like talking to a brick wall.
"Don't you have any thoughts on me doing all this?"
"Not at all."
"Then why? Why aren't you resisting?"
I hadn't seen her resist once since she'd been down here.
Sure, when we were naked and pressed together, she'd weakly try to push her legs against me sometimes.
But setting that aside.
No sudden attempts to escape the basement.
No straining violently against her restraints.
No biting her tongue to harm herself....
Nothing like that. Not even once.
"I'm raping you without your consent."
I might have done it out of love for her, but it was still rape in the end.
A terrible act, and I knew that full well.
"Why are you okay with it?"
"...Because it makes Camellia sad?"
"...What?"
Her response left me stunned yet again.
What was she even thinking?
Her capacity for acceptance was beyond comprehension.
It was something I simply couldn't understand.
I still hadn't figured out who Rozalin really was, even after all these years.
Over ten years of knowing her, and still.
Even if she'd been shunned by her family since childhood, developing some attachment to relationships as a result...
This was too much.
No matter how you sliced it....
"...Mother."
"Yes? What is it?"
"...You said you don't hate me."
"That's right."
"........"
I didn't get it.
My head throbbed.
I just crawled into the lap of Rozalin, who was sitting on the bed.
I'd grown taller and more busty since childhood, but I was still just a smidge below average height.
Around 160 cm, give or take.
The proportions were good, so I didn't mind.
Anyway, it made slipping into her embrace easy.
"I love you."
The words just slipped out.
Words that wouldn't get the reply I wanted.
A conversation that made it painfully clear how differently we saw each other.
I still viewed her as a woman; she still saw me as her daughter, her family.
"I love you."
It pissed me off so much.
"I love you."
Still buried in her arms, I hugged her even tighter.
It was just a signal.
A way to show her how much I liked her.
Meanwhile, she stroked my head slowly, like a mother comforting her child.
That only made me angrier.
"Say it back."
"Yes, my daughter. Mommy loves you too."
"...Not like that."
If she'd hated me... it might have been a little better.
At least then she wouldn't see me purely as her daughter.
It would have shifted her perception in some other direction.
But...
"As a woman. Say you love me. Like that."
"Camellia."
"...Why can't you?"
Why did she insist on treating me like family?
I couldn't understand this reaction at all.
What was I lacking?
My face, my figure, my wealth—they were all perfect.
The only issue... my personality?
Was it my personality?
But I could cosplay as a good girl 365 days a year if needed.
I could do it endlessly for her sake.
Why wouldn't it work?
"We're family."
"Family?"
"Yes."
"Ha."
It was exasperating.
Watching her stubbornly respond like this had gone beyond frustrating.
At first, I hadn't expected it to go this far.
I thought mixing our bodies a bit would make her see me differently, even slightly.
Now I was convinced that wouldn't cut it anymore.
Just....
"Kiss me."
"Hm?"
"Kiss. Open your mouth."
I wanted to do something.
Anything.
"Mmch, slurp.... Slurp...."
"Hnng.... Mmph...."
I swirled my tongue through her mouth.
At first, she tried to block me with her teeth, but when I kept tapping them with my tongue, she just gave in and opened up.
I tangled our tongues as I pleased and kissed her as I wanted.
"Mmph.... Hnng... Haa...."
Until she struggled to hold her breath.
Until her head spun.
Until her weak taps on my arm did absolutely no damage.
I kept the kiss going.
To Rozalin, who had no idea how to even use her tongue properly, regardless of past kisses.
To my stepmother, who couldn't even think to breathe through her nose.
To Rozalin, whom I loved so much that I was doing this insane thing.
"Hnng...!"
I dragged it out for about thirty seconds longer.
"Phaah... Haaah.... Haa...."
The moment I pulled away, she gasped for air raggedly.
I loved seeing her like that.
Rozalin, breathless because of me—it was so satisfying.
So I dove right back in for more.
"Churp, slurp, slurp...."
"Hnng.... Haa....!?"
I pushed her down onto the bed and straddled her for the kiss.
A kiss with my stepmother, who had no clue how to use her tongue.
Her breathing grew harsher by the second, and her tongue started moving a little.
Unable to breathe properly, her face began to flush....
"Phaah... Haa... Wait.... Haa...."
"Mother."
"Haa...?"
Rozalin still wasn't wearing any underwear.
I'd given her some clothes when she first came down here, but...
No undergarments were included.
"Why...? Another... kiss?"
"Your nipples are showing so clearly."
"Huh...?"
That made them easy to see.
Her nipples, faintly visible through her shirt, had hardened bit by bit from the kissing.