The already half-done food finished cooking in no time, and soon the two of us sat alone together at the table.
Sensing my gaze on her, Aunt Ayaka lifted her head and met my eyes.
"What is it, Ren? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, wiping her lips with her fingers as if to check.
I shook my head.
"No… I was just thinking how we haven't seen each other in a while, and yet you've somehow gotten even younger and more beautiful. Honestly, when you opened the gate earlier, I almost didn't recognize you."
"Haha~"
Aunt Ayaka let out a soft laugh, covering her mouth with her hand as her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"And your mouth is still as sweet and sly as ever… you naughty boy," she chided playfully before giving me a playful, sidelong glance. "Still, even if you're just saying it… thank you. You should come visit more often. See? It's only been a week since I last saw you… but it feels like a year."
Speaking those words at the end, she let out a deliberate little sigh, and her voice carried a soft, almost girlish lament, like a little girlfriend venting and pouting.
The faint scent of her breath drifted over to me, and I couldn't help but ask meaningfully.
"Did you miss me?"
"Why wouldn't I? Those neighborhood women are all the same, gossiping about others all day—not my cup of tea. So I'm just here, all alone… bored out of my mind."
"Sorry for not being here, Aunt Ayaka. But my Mana Circuit only matured recently. I had to focus on getting the basics down and adapt to the overflowing Mana… I really didn't have any time," I replied in a sincere tone, as though I truly meant every word.
"In fact," I continued, "tomorrow I have to go register at the Association and then sort out Academy matters to figure out which one would suit me best."
"Do you have any academy in mind?"
Aunt Ayaka asked instinctively at first, but then her expression froze as her mind processed what I'd said. A look of bafflement crossed her face as she quickly asked,
"Wait… matured Mana Circuit? But… you only turned eighteen today, didn't you? No… more than that—you haven't been here for almost a week. Doesn't that mean… your Mana Circuit matured a week ago?"
As the weight of the situation finally sank in, her eyes went wide, almost popping out of their sockets, and her mouth opened wide in shock.
This was a world of modern fantasy, where everyone was born with a Mana Circuit, which took about 18 years to get mature enough to allow one to use Mana.
Of course, most people's Mana Circuits never mature at all. Conversely, there were rare cases where a person's Circuit matured right on the verge of turning eighteen.
The closer one's Mana Circuit matured to exactly eighteen, the better their aptitude, and the greater and faster their potential to grow stronger.
But almost everyone's circuit matured only after they turned 18. To awaken it a week before that age, like me, meant that person was a once-in-a-century genius, and all such figures had grown up to become legendary figures.
Considering that, her shock was more than justified. But in response, I simply winked at her and pressed a finger lightly against her sexy lips, teasing playfully:
"Shhhh. It's a secret. Only my parents know… and now you too."
In fact, what no one knew was that I was actually born with a matured Mana Circuit. It had only been disguised as immature by the Lustbound Codex to keep this anomaly hidden from this world's destiny. And that disguise was only recently lifted once the extent of my situation fell within the bounds of this world's common sense.
Even so, what was revealed was enough to shock the world.
A glimpse of that shock could be seen on Aunt Ayaka's face. She was so stunned she didn't even seem to notice my finger on her lips.
Nevertheless, I didn't push it further and quietly withdrew my hand once she calmed down and nodded seriously.
After having processed the explosive revelation, she paused for a moment, then spoke uncertainly.
"Why hide it? Isn't this… a good thing?"
"Indeed. And soon, it will be public knowledge. But not yet."
I shook my head and let out a faint sigh before continuing.
"My parents have their reasons. Most likely waiting for the right moment to make a big splash with the announcement. They told me that if this news were to leak prematurely, although they wouldn't lose anything, there wouldn't be any fun, so I should keep it a secret for the time being."
Aunt Ayaka, who understood better than most just what kind of family I came from, couldn't help but be bewildered by the "fun" part, whose value, if quantified, would be an amount most people couldn't even dream of.
"Then… why tell me?"
"Because you're special, and I trust you."
"I…"
Hearing those words, spoken so bluntly and without hesitation while I looked directly into her eyes, left her momentarily speechless.
Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed her hand before she could react, which jolted her from her thoughts, and she instinctively tried to pull away—but I held it tightly, refusing to let go.
"Let go, Ren. You're drunk."
"I am," I admitted, "but my heart has never been clearer. I'm serious, Aunt Ayaka."
With those words, I made my intentions clear.
Though nothing more was said, she clearly understood the unspoken meaning, breaking her composure as her cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze, murmuring in a voice so faint it was barely a whisper:
"But… it's wrong. And… I'm so old."
Hearing those hesitant words, I cheered in my heart.
'Done.'
She hadn't outright rejected me. Instead, she gave this flimsy excuse, which only meant one thing: deep down, she had already begun to yield. It was just that she couldn't yet bring herself to step over the line of morality and social taboo.
But that didn't worry me in the slightest.
The night was young, and I had no intention of going home without fucking her tonight.
As for those barriers in her heart?
I would break every single one of them, just like I would break open her pussy with my cock.
'Hehe.'
Laughing sinisterly in my heart, I stood up from my chair and looked at her.
I knew Aunt Ayaka could see the hunger in my eyes, the kind of hunger that wanted to pin her to the dining table, strip off her top, pull her black bra up, suck her big breasts wildly… and ravage her completely.
Her heart raced as I stopped in front of her and leaned down until my face was so close I could catch the faint fragrance of her breath.
Those ruby-red lips and wide, bewitching eyes, full of fear, hesitation… and something else, filled my vision.
I could feel the heavy breathing of my best friend's mother on my face, and I wanted to press my lips against her soft, moist lips, pry open her teeth with my tongue, and taste the sweetness of her mouth.
Nonetheless, I remained calm and deliberately spoke slowly but clearly, with each word brushing against her face.
"You're beautiful. Far more beautiful than you can imagine."
"…Really?" She asked hesitatingly.
"Yes."
I nodded, leaning in even closer, my lips approaching hers…
But just at the final moment, I stopped, smiled, and sat back on my chair, as though I was perfectly satisfied with her reaction.
"…."
My actions left Aunt Ayaka dumbfounded, her face flushed red not only because of the anger at being toyed with but also due to the lingering heat of the sensual tension I'd stirred up just moments before.
Of course, her anger had no effect on me, and I ignored it completely.
After all, a woman like her had to be first agitated, aroused, and then simmered in her desire until she was so worked up, she'd welcome my advances herself.
'To jump far, sometimes you have to take a step back.'
Seeing my unbothered and shameless behavior of pretending as if nothing happened, the helpless Aunt Ayaka's shoulders slumped slightly, as if she suddenly felt a little exhausted.
I also understood that pushing too much at a time could easily backfire, so changing my flirtatious grin to an expression as serious as someone infatuated in love, I declared.
"You're not old, Aunt Ayaka; you're beautiful. And I dare to say that if I had not known, I would have thought you were Shouya's older sister."
"Drunk liar!"
She retorted almost instantly. Then she shook her head slightly, as if to laugh it off, but I could see her fingers tightening a little around the stem of her wineglass.
"Yeah," I admitted with a chuckle, "but drunk or sober… you really are beautiful, Aunt Ayaka. Always thought so. But tonight… you're even hotter."
"You're impossible," she whispered, and then, ignoring me, she gulped down the wine in her glass.
Nevertheless, I ignored her antics and spoke casually, as though nothing had just happened.
"Speaking of which, you've got such a great figure, Aunt. I heard from Shouya that you've started doing yoga recently?"
This time, she looked up at me, with a hint of wariness in her eyes. Seeing that, a meaningful smile appeared on my face, and I didn't bother to hide it as my gaze roamed hungrily over her body.
"You know, I was trained by some of the best since I was young, and I've got a lot of experience… So how about I help you out, Auntie, and teach you yoga properly tonight?"
——x————x——
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