The Gemini Princess wants me to confess my feelings!

Kirihara Akatsuki paused for a moment, then asked with a mixture of doubt, confusion, and unease, "Who?"

His acting skills were superb, but unfortunately he couldn't fool the lady. The lady had her suspicions, but she didn't pursue the matter relentlessly or try to find a way to expose him.

Mori Akari has no evidence, and no one has any evidence to prove that the mysterious person who appeared last night to rescue Hino Harufumi was Kirihara Akira.

The lady didn't dwell on it and said, "Time flies, especially for people over middle age. Ten or eight years seem like just a blink of an eye."

"You've read 'Half a Lifetime Romance'?" Kirihara Akira said.

The lady smiled and said, "Jingzhi is my daughter, so her love of reading is naturally inherited from me."

You seem to be no match for your book-obsessed daughter... Kirihara Akira smiled.

"For you young people, three to five years seems like half a lifetime. You've grown up clinging to your parents' legs and are now taller than me," the woman said. "I watched you grow up, so you're practically my child. But your parents, my two friends, are adults. They're driven to their deaths by their own greed, and I'm supposed to watch my half-child go to hell because of their selfishness?"

Kirihara Akira was stunned; he hadn't expected his wife to say such a thing.

Is this genuine? Or is it part of a tactic to control people's minds?

He couldn't tell the difference, but regardless of which one it was, the weight of those words was definitely not light.

"I am truly grateful to you, but I don't understand why you are saying all this to me?" Kirihara Akira asked.

"I want you to forget all of this." The lady looked at him quietly for a long while, then said, "Forget them, forget the hatred, and live a good life."

"I can see that you are someone who can't sit still, yet longs for peace and quiet. As long as you promise me not to do things that no one wants to see you do, I, the Mori family, can guarantee you a worry-free life."

At this moment, Kirihara Akira deeply understood Mori Shizue's evaluation of her mother.

Mrs. Mori Akari and he rarely interacted at home, not even exchanging nods, yet she was able to pinpoint Kirihara Akira's longing in a single sentence.

One sentence directly hit Kirihara Akira's sore spot.

He longed for an ordinary, free life, and this promise, coupled with the Mori family's endorsement, was incredibly appealing.

He almost answered without hesitation—if he hadn't been rational at that moment.

Kirihara Akira thought of this family, and of the two sisters who were constantly under his control. He asked, "Then what do you want me to do?"

Mori Akari raised his head and said, "Everyone has their own path to walk. As for Kiyoha, my expectation for her is that she goes to high school, grows up to be more honest, and does not disgrace the Mori family. If there is an opportunity, it would be enough for her to assist her older sister."

If you don't have that ability, then fulfill the duties a woman should fulfill.

"..." Kirihara Akira took his words to heart, feeling uneasy, but unable to speak up for him, she could only listlessly ask, "And what about Shizue?"

"The most capable people in the Mori family have always been the women." Mori Akari said with a faint smile that could be described as arrogant, "Shizue is on the right path, and she will continue my ideas."

Mori Akari made no attempt to hide her desire for control. She was used to expressing her attitude through water, and when she needed to make a direct statement, she was never ambiguous.

Kirihara Akira smiled and said, "What you're saying isn't very fair to Kiyoha... So what path do you think I should take?"

"You just need to live a carefree life," Mori Akari said.

Kirihara Akira sighed inexplicably.

The dialogue may sound convoluted, but as far as the lady is concerned, she has actually made her point very clearly and directly.

She wanted Kirihara Akira to walk a carefree path, one that was still under her control, a path where she and the two Mori daughters would become parallel lines that never intersect. Perhaps it was precisely because Kirihara Akira's affairs involved her two daughters that she personally stepped forward, playing the villain.

Live on as a fool who has given up thinking.

There's nothing wrong with that. Being able to live without worrying about food and clothing is a peace that many people yearn for but cannot attain.

Isn't a peaceful life all Kirihara Akira wants?

But he just couldn't bring himself to respond.

Why? Kirihara Akira thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile: Even if I were to be a kept man, I'd rather be a kept man from someone as young as the Mori sisters, not a kept man from someone like Mrs. Mori, who is already married.

Kirihara Akira didn't escalate the conflict. Instead, she stood up and said, "I will repay your kindness in the future, Madam."

The premise for repaying a debt of gratitude is that he is still an independent individual. If he agrees to fall into the wife's trap, lose his freedom, and be manipulated by others, then there is no need to talk about repaying the debt—this is a roundabout way of refusing.

Although he was rejected, the lady did not hold a grudge against him.

She simply sighed and said, "It's getting late, let's go back and rest."

......

......

Back in the room, Asahi Kazuna appeared with great awareness and helped Kirihara Akira wash up.

Kirihara Akira wasn't used to being a young master and wanted her to go back and rest, but he couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he had her hand him a towel.

Asahi and Kanade wanted to serve him in a more intimate way, but Kirihara Akira refused.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes shone with a light much brighter than the night. Kirihara Akira was a person with strong self-control, not a person without desires. Willpower is a brake pad that will be subjected to repeated friction; it is a consumable. If he always thinks about testing his willpower, there will definitely be a day when he loses his mind.

Now, Asahi and Kanade were watching him with feigned resentment, which was already making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Kirihara Akira reached out, and the towel was handed to her at just the right moment.

The towel was at just the right temperature, gently wiping away the fatigue from my face.

Watching from the side, Asahi Kasano remarked, "Talking to the lady must be quite a challenge, right?"

"I'm very tired," Kirihara Akira said honestly.

"I'm sweating just imagining that scene. You're really brave," Asahi Kasano said, gesturing to his ample bosom.

Kirihara Akira said, "This is an inevitable conversation; there's no way to avoid it."

"What did Madam say to you?"

"He said a lot, but the main point was only one—to make me obey and keep me safe."

"You agreed?"

"I refused." Kirihara Akatsuki picked up her toothbrush and started rinsing her mouth, speaking indistinctly.

"Why?" Asahi asked, puzzled. "This shouldn't be a bad thing for you."

Looking at herself in the mirror, Kirihara Akira felt that this question was really difficult to answer.

After arranging his words for a moment, he said jokingly, "Perhaps it's because if he's the lady's son, he can't marry her daughter."

Asahi Kasano couldn't hold back any longer; his eyes widened, his round pupils darting outwards, and he almost cursed.

Kirihara Akatsuki spat out a mouthful of foam, shrugged innocently, and said, "I was just kidding, don't take it seriously."

Of course I know you're joking, but you tricked my second young lady with your casual remark last time! Asahi Kasane cursed the bastard in his heart.