Aoi Tohsaka? What is she doing here so late?
Lin Jiuan was confused but still replied, "Not yet."
Creaak.
The door opened, and Aoi, dressed in a white nightgown, walked in. Bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, Lin Jiuan had to admit that Aoi Tohsaka, the woman who gave birth to the beautiful Rin and Sakura, was truly stunning. Even he, who had been desensitized by the endless parade of heavily made-up and filtered influencers in modern social media, found himself momentarily captivated.
Noticing Lin Jiuan staring at her, Aoi, despite him being just a child, felt a small flicker of happiness. Having just been rebuffed by her husband and having had almost no contact with men other than him since her marriage, the attention was welcome. Her gaze toward Lin Jiuan softened even more.
Closing the door, Aoi sat down on the edge of the bed and gently took his small hand in hers. "Why are you still awake so late? Can't you sleep?"
"Yeah."
Aoi's gaze grew even more gentle, now tinged with a hint of heartache. Poor child. His past living conditions must have been so terrible that he still feels anxious about the future. But it's okay, I will take good care of you.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I will treat you as my own child. From now on, you will be Rin and Sakura's little brother. I know you're feeling insecure right now, but I will use time to prove everything I've said."
Listening to Aoi's gentle words, Lin Jiuan felt a pang of emotion. Although he was the Sixth Beast, he felt genuinely uneasy in this strange, hostile world where a Grand-class Servant could appear out of nowhere to cut him down. This was the first time since he had transmigrated that he had felt a mother's tenderness.
"Thank you."
A happy smile bloomed on Aoi's gentle, watery face. She wrapped her arms around Lin Jiuan's head, pulling him into an embrace. "Sleep with Auntie tonight, okay?"
"Okay."
Soon, Aoi was settled in the bed, lying on her side and holding Lin Jiuan in her arms. Though he had the soul of an adult, Lin Jiuan, currently basking in the warmth, didn't think of anything sordid. Nestled in Aoi's gentle and soft embrace, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
But Aoi couldn't sleep.
After the initial warmth had passed, Aoi, holding Lin Jiuan, found her body growing hotter and hotter. Her breathing became heavy and ragged. Uncontrollable thoughts began to race through her mind. Having only ever been with Tokiomi, and having just been rejected by him, she found her mind involuntarily replacing the leading man in her fantasies with Lin Jiuan.
"Aoi Tohsaka, what on earth are you thinking?"
Aoi flinched, silently cursing herself. But the images in her mind continued to appear, growing more and more explicit. A layer of mist gradually clouded her beautiful eyes, and her hands began to wander.
Soon, a look of utter shock flashed in her eyes. She looked down at Lin Jiuan, deep in his dreams, and all other emotions were replaced by astonishment.
As a Beast, and possessing the soul of a normal adult, Lin Jiuan was far from ordinary. His physical structure was no different from that of a grown man. The parts that were supposed to work... worked. In fact, for certain reasons, Lin Jiuan's "specialty" was so special that even two Tokiomi Tohsakas couldn't compare.
To Aoi, who was unaware of the inner workings and had been subtly tainted by the aura of the Beast that Lin Jiuan unknowingly emitted, this was a profound shock. But immediately following the shock, her breathing grew even heavier. Her eyes filled with the hesitation and struggle of someone about to commit a crime.
If... if... if...
Aoi felt as if an angel and a devil version of herself had appeared in her mind.
Devil Aoi: "It's fine. You're just trying it out. You won't wake him up. Besides, you've already taken him in and given him such a good life when he was homeless. Taking a little reward in secret isn't a problem, right? As for Tokiomi, he rejected you first. You're a normal woman with your own needs and desires. And you're not with a man right now, so it doesn't count as betrayal."
Angel Aoi: "Yeah, she's right!"
Since everyone agreed, Aoi took a deep, trembling breath and resolutely stepped into the abyss of sin.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully caused 'Aoi Tohsaka' to enter the 'Initial Fallen' state. Reward acquired: 'Magecraft Knowledge (Basic)'.]
Lin Jiuan groggily opened his eyes. Staring at the system panel that had suddenly popped up, he was deeply confused. I didn't do anything.
He might not be human, but Lin Jiuan wasn't depraved enough to make a move on Aoi Tohsaka, the woman who had adopted him and shown him motherly kindness and care. In fact, he had planned to do everything in his power to protect Aoi, Rin, and Sakura to prevent the future tragedy of the Tohsaka family. How could he possibly make a move on Aoi?
Gradually, as his consciousness returned, Lin Jiuan noticed something rising and falling behind the system panel. He focused his eyes and was instantly wide awake, his expression filled with shock.
"Mrs. Tohsaka?"
"Mmm, Ji-Jiuan... H-how are you awake?" Aoi was continuously shaking her head, her long, ink-black hair swaying wildly. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't.
"You... you..." This is how you take care of me?!
Who the hell is the Sixth Beast here? Me or you?!
As the eldest daughter and heir of the Tohsaka family, Rin Tohsaka was very strict with herself. At the crack of dawn, she was already up and in the courtyard, training her body and practicing her magecraft. By the time the sun had fully risen, Rin's face was beaded with sweat. Satisfied, she returned to the house.
Passing through the living room, she saw it was empty and quiet. A look of confusion crossed her face. "Where's Mother?"
Normally, Aoi would be in the living room preparing breakfast at this time. Every day, Rin would greet her mother here, go upstairs to shower, and by the time she came back down, breakfast would be ready. But today, the living room was empty, with no sign of her mother.
"She's not up yet? Did she catch a cold?"
Curious, Rin went upstairs, intending to check on her mother's room. But as she passed Lin Jiuan's room, she inadvertently heard voices from inside. The sound was muffled, and Rin couldn't make it out clearly, but did one of the voices belong to her mother? Why would her mother be in his room so early in the morning?
Before Rin could listen more closely, the door to Lin Jiuan's room suddenly opened.
"Rin?" Aoi looked at her daughter standing at the door in surprise, a flash of panic crossing her face.
It really is Mother. The young Rin didn't notice her mother's panic, merely curious as to why she was here so early. "Mother, why are you in his room?"
"Well, I was worried Jiuan wouldn't be used to our home since he just arrived, so I slept with him last night."
Hearing this, a hint of envy appeared on Rin's face. It's the legendary 'sleeping with Mother'! As daughters of the Tohsaka family, they were raised under Tokiomi's strictest standards. Neither she nor Sakura could remember their mother ever sleeping with them. Although Rin considered herself a little adult who didn't need a grown-up to sleep, she still really wanted to sleep with her mother.
But this first-time experience, something that even her own daughters had never had, was stolen by this boy who had only arrived yesterday. Looking at the boy behind her mother, who wasn't even as tall as her, Rin felt the emotion known as jealousy for the first time in her life.
But then, Rin's attention was drawn to the way her mother was walking. Why was she limping?
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