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Chapter 135 ~ A Home Completed

While they were talking in private, Karen had told her mother that she had made a boyfriend. 

Akane had noticed another person in the room when she realized that this was not a dream, but she didn’t truly recognize him since her mind was filled with her dear daughter. 

Turns out, it was her daughter’s boyfriend!

She couldn’t believe her little girl got a boyfriend already! She was ecstatic that she had finally found someone she loves!

From how she was talking about this “Tsubakihara Yuuji” and the things he had done, Akane could tell that he was a very nice and kind young man who loved Karen dearly, and she was very happy with him. 

However… She truly didn’t expect him to be this handsome!!!!

She thought her late son was already extremely handsome, but he made him look like an average person!!!

Karen was familiar with this shocked look. After all… almost everyone who saw her boyfriend had this sort of shocked and awed look.

Normally, she’d be annoyed since the people who’d gawk on him were other girls. She was fine with the girls Yuuji had told her about, but she wasn’t keen on letting just any random vixen touch her boyfriend so easily. 

Although the tigress had been tamed thoroughly by her beloved, she still had her sharp fangs and the fierceness that would be directed towards anyone outside her family who dared touch her beloved.

But since this was her own mother… She couldn’t help but be embarrassed…!

“A-Are you really my daughter’s boyfriend?”

“Hm? Of course. I treasure her deeply and I have been in her care quite a bit. I truly love her.”

Karen’s face went a shade of red darker when she heard Yuuji’s words. 

H-How could this guy just say those kinds of things so easily?! And to her mother as well! Look, even her mother couldn’t help but blush!

“I-I see…”

Akane looked at him for a moment, still recovering from the shock. But soon, a soft, warm smile graced her gentle face as she held Karen’s hand.

“Please take care of my daughter. Though she might seem abrasive on the outside, she’s a very gentle and soft-hearted person inside. I hope you can understand that part of her and love her with all your heart.”

“M-Mom…!”

“Please rest assured, Ms. Kozuki. I find her rough front and her soft inside equally cute. I am well aware of both her sides, and I love her dearly regardless. I will take care of her with all my heart.”

“Y-Yuuji…!”

“Fufu~ Then, I will leave her to you~”

Karen looked at her mother and Yuuji back and forth as they smiled at each other, her face blushing extremely redly. A-Although she’s happy, being in the middle of them was extremely embarrassing!

Please! Let her find a hole to bury her head in until this is over!!! She can’t stand this!!!

Soon, Akane began asking Yuuji about how he and Karen met. But Karen had told her about it when they're having their private chat just now!!! Why was she asking Yuuji again?!

“Fufu~ Of course I’d want to ask Yuuji-kun as well~ I’d like to hear it from his side~”

And with her insistence, Karen had no choice but to endure the humiliation and embarrassment of her boyfriend telling his and her romantic life to her mother…

Meanwhile, Yuuji was enjoying Karen’s cute embarrassed reactions, so he decided to tell his mother in law everything, except about their involvement with the Black Knights. 

“We met… on my first day transferring into the Ashford Academy. She was the one who was assigned to lead me to my class, given we would be in the same one. Though, she was quite cold at first.”

“Ufufufu~”

Karen glared at him and pouted her lips as Akane giggled. She had purposefully gloss over that detail so that her mother wouldn’t find out about how distant she had been treating others. But, this guy just had to tell her that!!!

“But, after spending more and more time together in class and in the Student Council, we grow closer and closer everyday. And before I knew it… I fell in love with her.”

Karen felt her heart skip a beat the moment Yuuji turned towards her and uttered those words of love. But, she quickly averted her face away in embarrassment. 

“Oh my~ Ufufufu~ How sweet~”

Akane giggled as she watched her daughter being all embarrassed. But then, her eyes widened in sudden realization and she quickly turned towards Yuuji.

“Wait… Yuuji-kun, you’re full-blooded Japanese, right…?”

Yuuji nodded.

“Yes I am.”

“...Then how can you attend Ashford academy…?”

While Ashford would welcome students of any ethnicity and background, it was extremely difficult for a Japanese student to actually enter. 

First and foremost, the tuition fee for Ashford Academy was something that most Japanese could not afford, given their economical condition under Britannian rule. Even Suzaku’s own tuition didn't come from his own pocket, but rather from the government subsidy. It was one of the benefits he gained by becoming an honorary Britannian and a part of their military. 

Secondly, with the majority of students being Britannian, discrimination against Japanese was bound to happen. And it wouldn’t come only from other students. Teachers and staff, who held enmity against the Japanese, could very well treat the Japanese unfairly, making their lives in the academy extremely tough. Even trying to be accepted into the academy would be extremely difficult, no matter how much they excel in their studies. 

“Ah… Well… I was actually raised by Britannian parents, and they gave me a Britannian identity. They… passed away when I was little, so I’ve been growing up alone ever since. And circumstances lead me to this academy.”

“Ah… I’m very sorry, Yuuji-kun…”

Yuuji shook his head and smiled softly at his future mother-in-law.

“Please don’t be, Ms. Kozuki. It is a thing of the past. And now, I’m very happy with my life.”

Akane smiled gratefully. And seeing his soft, melancholic smile, an urge welled up deep within her chest to embrace the boy and pull his head to her chest to comfort him. 

Fortunately, she managed to hold the urge back thanks to her daughter’s presence.

“I'm glad… But how about your tuition, Yuuji-kun? Are you working as well? Or did you get a scholarship?”

Yuuji smiled softly, touched by her concern. But before he could answer, Karen jumped in and answered in his stead.

“Mom, money is actually the one thing he’s not lacking in this world…! If he wanted to, he could even buy this hospital in a blink of an eye!”

“Eh…?! Yuuji-kun, is that true…?!”

“Ahahaha… Karen is exaggerating, but I am living quite comfortably. And please rest assured, I am fully capable of taking care of Karen and you in the future.”

Upon hearing those words, Akane’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat as her face blushed redly.

S-She understood well that he meant he could take care of her as well when he marries Karen. But… s-she just couldn’t help but think of it as him marrying her and taking care of Karen as his step-daughter!!!

W-Was the effect of Refrain still messing with her mind right now?! How could she think of such a thing!!!

“Mom… Mom…?! Are you listening…? Mom!”

“A-Ah! Y-Yes?!”

Akane snapped out of her daze after she felt her daughter shaking her. She quickly paid attention to her daughter, trying to brush off her embarrassment for even thinking of such things.

“Yuuji has a house, no, a mansion! He has a very big house, and there’s plenty of room there! And now that you’ve recovered… I don’t want you to return to that house and be under the same roof as that… woman. So let’s move to Yuuji’s home together!”

“Eh…?!”

Her eyes widened in shock at her daughter’s words.

“B-But…”

In truth… She also couldn’t stand living under the same roof as her anymore. The only reason why she stayed and worked as a servant there was so she could be with Karen. 

And if she’s moving… then she won’t have any more reason to stay. But…

Akane hesitated and glanced towards Yuuji. 

“I would be happy to welcome the both of you. As Karen said, there’s plenty of room there. And although I have two friends staying there with me as well, I’m sure they won’t mind your presence. In fact, they rarely stay there, so it has actually been a bit lonely.”

Akane thought for a moment… And looked at Yuuji once more with hesitance in her eyes. She truly didn’t want to be a bother to him. After all, although he was her daughter’s boyfriend, they’ve only met for less than an hour.

“I-Is it really fine…?”

“Of course. I would be very happy to welcome both of you to my home.”

“...Then, I will take you up on your offer.”

“That’s great!”

Karen exclaimed and Yuuji also nodded his head with a wide smile.

“But! I can not simply stay there freely…! Please let me “work” there as your housekeeper!”

Yuuji’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Akane. He wanted to refuse her and tell her that there was no need for her to “work” in exchange for staying in his home.

But… seeing the insistence in her eyes, he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer… 

Seems like I found out where Karen got her unyieldingness from…

He sighed and nodded.

“Very well. But, since you’ll be “working”, you will be compensated monthly for your assistance in keeping the house.”

“E-Eh? B-But-”

“Ms. Kozuki… Please.” 

Before Yuuji’s insistence, Akane couldn’t utter any words in rejection. 

She glanced towards her daughter, and saw her nod with a wide, excited smile on her face. 

And finally, with a heavy sigh, she relented.

“I understand… Thank you very much, Yuuji-kun.”

“It’s my pleasure. Then, shall we move in now?”