In the living room, Yukino Yukio had emerged from her room sometime earlier and was now sitting on the sofa, resting while anxiously waiting.
Nearly half an hour had passed since her daughter and Roland had entered the room. She wondered how their matchmaking was progressing.
Logically, it shouldn't take this long. After all, Roland had initiated the matchmaking, and Haruno had received strict orders to succeed at all costs. With both parties willing, shouldn't they have concluded things in two minutes?
Or had they established a relationship and immediately plunged into a new battle?
The kind that could lead to... consequences.
Yukio couldn't help but consider this possibility. Young people had needs, and in a situation where both parties were willing, such a development seemed inevitable.
Speaking of which, when Roland had held her hand in her room earlier, she had chosen to accept it, even gripping his hand in return.
Looking back, could that moment be considered mutual consent between them?
If Haruno hadn't suddenly returned, would her interaction with Little Roland have inevitably led to... consequences as well?
Could Haruno have ruined something good?
Pah!
What good thing?
What nonsense!
How could she suddenly start thinking about such things? What morally depraved thoughts were these?
Roland was a child she had watched grow up since he was small, practically like one of her own.
And now?
She was actually considering developing that kind of relationship with him?
What was wrong with her? All he had done was hold her hand!
Was there any need to let her imagination run wild like this?
Yukio: "..."
Yukio's heart was filled with guilt over her own thoughts. She had to admit something felt wrong.
The truth was, she loved Roland dearly. She didn't know why she felt so strongly, but it had to be familial love—it had to be.
But when she realized Roland's feelings for her were different, it seemed to flip a switch inside her, making her aware of the possibility of another kind of relationship between them.
A relationship that shouldn't exist, yet Roland had initiated it.
With Roland's indirect confession, the pressure now fell squarely on Yukio.
Should she accept or reject him?
The more Yukio pondered the matter, the more frightened she became. After earnestly questioning her heart, she realized that, regardless of whether she would agree, she felt absolutely no aversion to the idea.
Not only did she feel no aversion, but the mere thought of their intimate moments together filled her with a secret delight and thrill.
Even if she ultimately refused, it wouldn't be out of moral outrage. More likely, it would be due to societal norms.
Strictly speaking, they weren't blood relatives or even distant kin. What kind of "ethics" applied here? The only reason she couldn't let go of her role as his elder was that she had watched Roland grow up.
"Sigh..."
Yukio sighed, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. She leaned back against the sofa, letting her thoughts drift aimlessly, indulging in wild fantasies.
For now, she reserved her decision on whether to accept Roland's proposal.
After all, it must have taken immense courage for him, even to indirectly confess his feelings to her, his elder. How could she possibly trample on such sincerity?
Of course, this didn't mean Yukio valued everyone's feelings so deeply that every confession would throw her into turmoil. It was simply because she cherished Roland.
If anyone else had dared to make such advances, they would have been met with a response colder than the harshest winter.
Yukio sat on the sofa, lost in thought, until she spotted Roland emerging from Haruno's room. Her bored, almost drowsy gaze instantly brightened with renewed interest.
Then she saw Haruno walking toward her, her arm tightly around Roland's. Their fingers were intertwined, leaving no doubt about the outcome of this matchmaking attempt.
"It seems I can offer my congratulations to you both," Yukio said, watching Roland's hand being held by another. A strange mix of emotions stirred within her.
On one hand, Haruno was her beloved daughter; on the other, Roland was the boy she cherished. Their union would undoubtedly be the best possible outcome in her eyes.
After all, as she had said before, Roland had long been as dear to her as her own child. If they were to marry, wouldn't Roland have to call her "Mother"?
Though that would mean she could no longer give her blessing to their relationship...
Hmm, now that she thought about it, why did she suddenly feel so conflicted?
Never mind! What was the point of overthinking? She should just let things unfold naturally...
"Don't you trust your daughter to handle things? From now on, Roland is part of our family!" Haruno, determined to keep her mother from discovering her fake relationship, poured every ounce of her acting skills into the performance.
Her radiant smile and the way she tightly held Roland in her arms left no doubt about her satisfaction with the arranged meeting.
As for Roland, he wasn't much of an actor, so he decided to simply let Haruno take the lead.
"Of course I trust your judgment," Yukio said forcefully. "Since you've both decided, you should set a wedding date soon. Better to tie the knot quickly before anything changes."
This was her way of ensuring Roland became fully integrated into their family—securing a marriage certificate as soon as possible was the safest course of action.
"Uh... marriage?" Haruno froze, the sudden turn of events nearly shattering her carefully crafted facade.
To be honest, she never expected her mother to bring up marriage so soon. They had only just succeeded in the arranged meeting—shouldn't they have some time to adjust?
Who could have predicted her mother's impatience? She wouldn't even give them time to date, demanding they marry first and fall in love later.
Marry first, fall in love later? You've clearly watched too many CEO dramas!
Oh, wait, her mother is a CEO. Never mind then.
Never mind my ass!
If they actually went through with this marriage, wouldn't their fake love become real before it even began?
Haruno had considered the possibility of their act turning into genuine feelings someday, but wasn't that day arriving far too soon?
Roland hasn't even graduated high school yet! What's the rush?
Caught off guard, Haruno hastily replied, "Isn't this a bit too fast? Roland hasn't even graduated high school yet, and he's not even 18, even though he says he is—the legal marriage age."
Yukio dismissed her concerns. "The legal age isn't a problem. Once you have a child, the registry office will definitely issue your marriage certificate. These days, the government is practically begging young couples to have kids."
"A... a child?"
Even with Haruno's impeccable acting skills, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily at those words.
It seemed Haruno had underestimated her mother. She'd thought her mother only wanted them to get married quickly, but now it was clear she wanted a grandchild too.
They were both adults; who didn't know that having a child required intimacy? And even a few attempts might not succeed. Even if they did, it wouldn't be detectable for at least a week. So, to ensure a stable pregnancy within that week, her mother was essentially telling her to stay home and "make a baby" with Roland?
Good grief!
"What's wrong? Are you secretly unwilling?" Yukio noticed the change in Haruno's expression and grew displeased.
Her daughter's reaction showed she clearly wasn't mentally prepared for this. If Haruno had truly accepted this marriage, she should have understood these things were inevitable. Could it be that she hadn't accepted it at all?
As the matriarch of the Yukino Family, Yukio was skilled at reading between the lines. In just a brief moment, she sensed something amiss in her daughter's reaction.
"It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just... I hadn't thought that far ahead," Haruno said with a wry smile. She hadn't even had a proper chance to tease that bratty little brother of hers during this "Fake Love" period, and now she was the one being pinned down for ten months? The irony...
"I believe I taught you to always have foresight in everything you do. You should understand that marriage and children are inevitable. If your hesitation drives Roland into someone else's arms, the loss to the Yukino Family would be immeasurable. Do you grasp the stakes?" Yukio's said as she folds her hands beneath her breasts which size is definitely E or DD, but her authority brooked no argument.
"That may be true, but Roland and I still have some things to discuss," Haruno protested weakly. Besides, why would Roland running off be a loss to the Yukino Family? He's not one of our business partners.
Is this about the Yukino Family's loss, or your own personal loss?
Whose man is he, anyway? Your daughter's, or yours?
"There's no room for 'buts.' Making it happen is your responsibility," Yukio said sternly.
This time, Haruno didn't dare to argue back.
Let's not forget that the Yukino Family's traditions were notoriously strict. Haruno had grown up under her mother's relentless pressure, and she knew firsthand how domineering her mother usually was. It was only in Roland's presence that she became so... utterly lacking in authority.
That's it!
If she couldn't convince her mother, why not let Roland handle it?
He was right here, the one person her mother unconditionally doted on. Why should she subject herself to her mother's oppressive aura?
With a sudden change of tack, Haruno declared, "In that case, I'll be blunt. Whether it's marriage or children, I'm willing. The problem is, the one who's unwilling happens to be your beloved Little Roland!"
Yukio: "..."
Roland: "..."
Well, Yukio was speechless this time.
But Roland stood frozen in place. Didn't we agree to handle any unexpected situations with acting?
So your idea of "acting" is to bail out at the critical moment and dump the blame on me?!