That evening, Leon finally got some time alone with his mother. He was kneading her shoulders and rubbing her back.

“Does that feel good, Mother?” Leon asked.

“Mmm~ Leon’s gotten better at this. Thank you, dear.”

Leon’s hands were just the right strength, leaving Alisa completely relaxed. Under his massage, the fatigue of the day began to fade.

Most people wouldn’t go out of their way to learn something like this—least of all the legendary Sword Saint. But Leon had secretly learned it elsewhere as a birthday present for his mother.

To outsiders, he seemed like a cold man, but Alisa knew her son simply wasn’t good at expressing himself. Deep down, he was a boy who treasured his feelings.

“I’m glad you like it. That’s all that matters.”

Alisa blinked, as if a thought had just occurred to her.

“I’m glad you can say that. So, couldn’t you do something for your future family, too?”

“Huh?”

“Still playing dumb? I mean Little Fio, of course. Why not show off your massage skills for your fiancée, Leon?”

Alisa’s words caught Leon off guard. His hand slipped, changing his mother’s expression, and he hurriedly apologized. “Sorry, Mother! I pressed too hard just now.”

“…You silly boy. Come sit beside me.”

Leon nodded guiltily and sat beside Alisa, but his mind stayed fixed on what she’d said about his fiancée.

Getting married to Fio someday? That’s way too soon, isn’t it? We’re not even friends yet. But if Fio really would accept me…

Alisa knew her son well. Seeing the expression on his face, she smiled.

“Leon, do you know what expression you’re making?”

“No… Is it weird?”

“It is. A stranger might think you’re furious right now, like someone’s just slandered you,” Alisa said. “But I know my boy. You’re actually really embarrassed, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

Leon didn’t hide his thoughts much when he was with his mother.

“It’s obvious you really like that girl. This is the first time since you were born that you’ve been so forward with a girl, isn’t it? My son’s grown into a fine man. I’m so happy.”

“Mother…”

A warm feeling welled up in Leon’s heart.

When Leon was little, his father had warned him that women were terrifying creatures and that he had to stay away from them—especially beautiful women!

A series of events that followed only drove that impression deeper into his subconscious, making him wary of women.

But Fio was different. She didn’t try to approach him like other women did, and that made Leon all the more interested in her. The more time they spent together, the more he found himself unable to pull away.

“But Leon, you’re so clueless—you have no experience at all. Little Fio’s super dumb! Aren’t you worried some other lolicon will kidnap her?”

Alisa had already decided her son was a hopeless lolicon—the sort who wouldn’t even spare a girl with an intellectual disability.

His mother’s words startled Leon. He’d now decided that Fio was the only one for him, and he’d never consider another woman.

He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if Fio ran off with someone else.

“…Mother, what should I do? Fio really doesn’t seem to like me.”

“It’s okay. I have plenty of experience with this sort of thing.”

“Mother, please enlighten me.”

Seeing her son look up to her, Alisa basked in the admiration and gave him her answer.

“It’s simple! Get her on board first, worry about the ticket later! A girl as stupid—ah, I mean innocent—as Little Fio is easy to win over.”

“Mother, what are you saying?”

“That’s how your father and I got together! Back then, Collette was such a bashful boy. So I used a little medicine to open his heart and unleash his desires, and we did it for three days and three nights,” Alisa said. “For the first three days, he was still pretty strong-willed, so I drugged him for another three. After that, he barely spoke and just cried nonstop. Then I drugged him for three more days, and Collette became as obedient as a little baby. He’d just meekly follow me around.”

Leon broke into a cold sweat as he listened. Alisa was talking about something absolutely terrifying, yet she didn’t seem to think anything of it.

Only now did he realize that every woman around him was crazy—including his mother! How could he have been stupid enough to ask her for advice about this? What kind of example was she supposed to be?

He couldn’t help feeling sorry for his father back then. His warning that women were terrifying hadn’t come from nowhere.

“Well, Leon? Want me to help?”

“Um… I…”

“I know you’re still a virgin, but I also know you read plenty of smutty books. It’s not like you know nothing about this stuff. And don’t you want to hold Little Fio?”

Alisa’s words stirred Leon’s heart. Just imagining it—replacing the characters in those censored books he’d seen with himself and Fio—made the idea feel dangerously terrifying.

Leon believed that sort of thing should only happen once they’d built a bond, both agreed to it, and were ready for the future.

I’m not doing this for some vile desire! How could I do something like that to Fio? Leon, you can’t even think about it! Leon shook his head, trying to banish those outrageous thoughts.

“…Mother, it’s late. You should get some rest.”

Leon left those words behind and hurried away as if he were fleeing.

Watching her son’s flustered retreat, Alisa laughed. “What a shy, reserved boy. Don’t worry, Mom understands you. I’ll pull out all the stops to help you get Little Fio!”