“That’s not it!”
“I… I was just… forced!
Yes, it’s all this body’s fault!”
“Just now, suddenly I wanted…”
Ye Lu, the entire succubus, was about to burn up, rambling incoherently.
But the more she explained, the more Mom misunderstood, not listening to a single word.
“Mm-hmm… Mom understands.”
Mom hadn’t gone far; she was still standing at the door of her room, having run into her the moment she stepped out.
Propping her cheek with one hand, looking at Ye Lu’s current flustered state, she smiled with relief and satisfaction, her expression like saying, “How wonderful~ my daughter has finally grown up.”
But it was completely wrong!
She really hadn’t done anything at all!
Just… just replenishing the necessary nutrients for her body.
‘What’s there to care about?
Right!
She herself didn’t care!
Even the most manly man gets hungry and eats, isn’t that normal?’
She desperately tried to justify her actions in her mind, hoping Mom would understand.
But looking at Mom, she wasn’t listening at all, just laughing to herself, laughing endlessly.
“No need to explain anymore, Mom believes you.
After all… Ye Lu is our family’s bravest manly man.
The future of the household is entrusted to you.”
“…Huh?”
‘What kind of talk is that?’
She looked down at her own disgraceful outfit—what manly man wears a girl’s JK uniform at home? …Manly man.
Ye Lu’s expression soured; she couldn’t hear any praise in that.
Arms crossed.
Glaring at the mother who said that.
‘Hey… Mom, dare you say that again?’
“Really!”
Mom waved her hands.
Her voice was actually trembling.
“B-Because… thinking that Ye Lu could hate Mom that much… Mom was really sad too…”
She looked up, her eyes sincere.
“So, we realize we were wrong.”
“All along, it was our fault.”
“Wuh?”
“Since Ye Lu doesn’t want to become a girl, doesn’t want that kind of happiness, then Mom… will never force you.”
“It’s just that Mom truly only knows now.”
“That Ye Lu wanted to get stronger in a manly way, coolly and powerfully… with strength, not like this…”
“After all… after all, before, Ye Lu would hide from us, unwilling to talk heart-to-heart, so we never knew what Ye Lu wanted…”
“It’s hard to say, but Mom went and asked the Young Master who defeated you to understand your true intentions.”
“So… Ye Lu, from now on Mom and Dad will both support you, support your sword practice, support you buying many, many boys’ books, support your becoming strong, masculine, and handsome.”
“So… don’t hate Mom anymore, okay?”
After that long speech, Mom lowered her head, looking at her with eager expectation.
“…”
Ye Lu didn’t appreciate it at all.
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
Mom opened her mouth.
“Huh?”
“Hmph.
Say it now, not earlier, not later.”
“Had to wait until I failed, when everything was beyond recovery, to say it.”
“What are you trying to change by saying this now?
Can I still turn back into a man?”
“Isn’t that ridiculous?”
Her voice was not at all polite, as if she wanted to vent all her pent-up resentment.
“Th-This…”
After a long pause, she slowly raised her head.
Her expression was somewhat dejected.
But it also seemed to carry a glimmer of “pulling out the final trump card.”
“Ye Lu, look at this,” she said.
“?”
“What…”
Just as Ye Lu was puzzled, Mom stepped aside.
Then, Dad, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up and stepped forward.
On his delicate face hung a gentle smile.
In his hands, he held something that looked strangely familiar.
What was it?
‘Ah!
I recognize it!’
‘This is the Holy Sword!’
‘What he’s holding is actually a silver Holy Sword?!’
‘Why is a Holy Sword appearing here!’
Ye Lu was so excited she nearly lost it.
Her wagging tail openly revealed her emotions.
‘The Holy Sword!
A week ago, it was haunting my mind!
I dreamed of having it!’
‘For it, Ye Lu would spare no expense.’
‘Borrowed money everywhere, asked around everywhere.’
‘Just to completely change my fate at that moment.’
‘But it never worked out.’
This, before the duel, had almost become an inner demon for her.
The Demon King’s Army could buy secondhand ones.
But even secondhand, they were exorbitantly priced.
Ye Lu was a minor then, with no way to earn money.
She wanted to borrow money but couldn’t; loans were denied; let alone holding that sword in her hands.
In the end, predictably, she ended up losing.
The Holy Sword… as the name suggests, was the Holy Sword—the sword used by heroes.
But it was just a mass-produced replica, and even a replica could sell for a high price on the market.
Ye Lu stared at the sword, distracted.
She didn’t understand what her parents meant.
Their family conditions were good… but not good enough to buy a whole Holy Sword, right?
“Wuh…?”
‘No!
Mom is wearing a maid outfit with a short skirt—why is the seam coming undone!’
…
‘No… this is made from cheap material.’
‘That never happened before.
She always wore high-quality stuff.
I remember clearly—when I was little, I hated it.
I wanted to tear her clothes off the hanger, but no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn’t tear.
The material was too good, even infused with magic… at least Mom’s was.’
‘And now?’
‘The skirt is splitting!
And it’s one of those QQ outfits that need to withstand violent tearing!’
‘How strapped for cash…’
‘That’s right—they actually lowered their quality of life.’
‘Just for this Holy Sword that’s completely useless to me?’
Sensing her concern, Mother came over and hugged her gently for the second time, saying with relief, “It’s okay…”
“Ye Lu doesn’t need to worry.”
“This money was earned by Mom and Dad while playing games, selling the excess vital essence we got.”
“Because… your dad is too despicable… I said no, no, but he always stuffs me full, hmph~ and all it brought was indigestion.”
Dad spoke up with a wronged tone.
“That’s not right…”
“Shut up~”
A coquettish scolding.
“….”
“V-Vital essence?”
‘Dumbfounded.
It’s absurd, but… if vital essence can be sold for money, then our family must be rolling in it?’
‘Then… the luxury decoration in our house all these years…? And the carefree life…’
She looked at Dad behind Mom, who was warmly hugging her—his dark circles that would never fade…
‘How pitiful!!’
‘Wuwu…’
‘Even more guilty…’
‘So that’s it… It was all a misunderstanding?’
‘My hated parents, indulging themselves endlessly like this, twenty-four hours a day, anywhere, anytime.’
‘When it comes down to it, was it all for the sake of living?’
‘What the heck, so that’s how it is.’
Ye Lu turned around and gently wrapped her arms around Mom’s shoulders.
Even after countless bear hugs, this was the first time she actively leaned into her embrace.
“Thank you… Mom…”
“Dad too…”
Ye Lu wanted to hug Dad right then, but she saw the sword in his hands.
Her tail shot up high, eyes sparkling.
It had to be said—even after becoming a girl, that old obsession hadn’t changed one bit.