"Oh my, Lena actually brought a boy home? But isn't he a bit too young? Lena, so you like such little boys? No wonder you rejected all those blind dates before."

Lena's mother rubbed her cheek with her right hand, speaking with a troubled look. Truly, no one knew a daughter better than her mother—she laid bare Lena's secret with just one sentence.

"Huh!? What are you saying, Mom? Th-this guy is just my savior!"

Exposed on the spot, Lena instantly blushed crimson, waving her arms wildly as she frantically tried to cover up. But no matter how you looked at it, she only made it worse.

"Eh~? Is that so?"

"O-of course!"

The flustered Lena instantly distanced herself, crossing her arms with an arrogant pose to hide her guilt. Kuber couldn't stand it anymore and stood up to greet her.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am. I'm Coburn William, an adventurer."

"Oh my, such a polite child! Hello, little Kuber. I'm Nicole—just call me Auntie Nicole~"

Nicole looked at the boy, barely twelve, with surprise. He was so well-mannered that she suddenly felt like teasing him.

After some small talk, the three sat at a low table. Nicole faced Kuber, while Lena sat to the side. Compared to her quiet, awkward daughter, the mother was mature and lively, steering the conversation effortlessly. Nicole and Kuber chatted animatedly, while Lena looked utterly disgusted beside them.

"My, a B-rank adventurer at your age, Kuber? Auntie's never seen such promise!"

"Haha, not at all! You don't look thirty-five at all, Auntie. At first, I thought you were Lena's older sister!"

"Oh-ho-ho~! Stop it! Don't tease your auntie."

"I'm being completely honest."

They exchanged flattery back and forth, the conversation flowing smoothly, both enjoying themselves.

Suddenly, Kuber's smile froze. His heart skipped a beat as something smooth and silky rubbed slowly against his calf.

He glanced at the impatient Lena beside him, then at the grinning Auntie Nicole across the table.

Swallowing hard, Kuber subtly lifted the tablecloth and peeked underneath. His head buzzed instantly, dizziness washing over him.

(deleted)

"Ahem!"

He coughed to cover his fluster, gulping tea from his cup. After a quick glance at Lena to confirm she hadn't noticed, he quietly slipped his hand under the tablecloth again.

(deleted)

A mischievous idea struck Kuber. He grabbed the naughty little foot firmly and lightly tickled its sole.

"Snicker~"

The effect was immediate. Nicole across the table burst out laughing before she could stop herself.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

Lena looked puzzled. Why had her mother suddenly laughed?

"N-nothing... I just remembered something funny."

Nicole flushed, straightening up to pretend nothing happened. Her eyes locked on Kuber, sharp with embarrassment and anger. She kicked him twice hard before yanking her foot back.

Kuber, shameless as ever, brought the hand that had taken advantage to his nose and gave it a light sniff.

Hmm, no odor. So the world's mysterious rule held true—beautiful women never had smelly feet.

Nicole stood up, smiling sweetly. "Well, it's getting late. Auntie will start dinner. What would you like to eat, little Kuber?"

Kuber grinned back. "Mmm~ Could I have chicken-and-egg rice bowl?"

"Of course." Nicole turned to Lena beside her. "Lena, help me in the kitchen? If you don't learn to cook well, your husband will hate you someday."

"O-okay!"

Lena instinctively glanced at Kuber and hurriedly agreed. The girl who'd never cared about cooking now wished she were a master chef.