episode_0150

[146th Episode] – Confession (2)

“I love my mother, Vivian.”

“……”

The gaze that settled on her skin was uncomfortably intense.

She wanted to run away and hide immediately, but there was nowhere to hide. Even when she lowered her head or closed her eyes, the piercing red eyes kept watch, ensuring she couldn’t escape.

“Not as a mother, but as a woman.”

Titania’s fingers, which had been wiping her hand, slowly began to intertwine again. One, two, three, her fingers intertwined without hesitation, preventing Vivian from escaping by binding her next to her.

“So, please see me as an ‘adult’ a little.”

“……”

“See me, see you, as someone who loves you.”

The unadorned emotions crashing in felt suffocating.

With every syllable of her voice, it seemed like she was pounding on her heart, pleading to open up. She had to endure, she must endure, after all, she was this child’s mother.

“See me not as a daughter, but as a ‘woman.’”

Beyond her clasped hands, Titania’s heartbeat resonated, erasing the line she had drawn so firmly. The line she had drawn as a mother and daughter blurred as Titania crossed over it, leaving behind faint footprints.

In the waves of emotion that felt like choking, Vivian uttered a lie. Overwhelmed by the act of breathing, she found herself speaking a lie she couldn’t even understand, just to breathe.

“I still, love your father.”

But the lie she unknowingly spoke was merely a source of amusement for Titania. Chuckling, Titania leaned her forehead against Vivian’s head and asked,

“Why are you telling lies that will be exposed right away?”

“……. ”

“You’ve never longed for your father even once until now. Do you think I would believe that you miss him now? Do you think such unbelievable lies would work on me?”

After letting out a small sigh, Titania put her hand under Vivian’s armpits as she sat on her knees, lifting her up to face her, keeping their eyes locked.

They faced each other, but Vivian avoided Titania’s gaze by lowering her head. Her green eyes only looked at the ground, evading Titania’s eyes.

Titania paused for a moment and then spoke softly, “Right now, I’m not asking for a decision.”

She carefully examined Vivian’s face. Vivian’s trembling lips made her look as if she were scared.

“Just think to yourself, ‘This is how I feel about you.’”

Seeing Vivian’s expression, which seemed like she would burst into tears at any moment if pushed further, Titania gently wiped Vivian’s cheek with a sigh.

“Please just know that I love you. I can wait for your answer for 10 years, 20 years, or even longer.”

Titania lowered her head, pressing her forehead against Vivian’s, and smiled. Yes, she could wait forever. Even if her mother aged again, or even if she grew older herself.

Vivian, touching foreheads, chuckled softly and replied in a hoarse voice, “When that time comes, I’ll be a wrinkled old lady, you know?”

“Do you think I only love you for your appearance?”

Even saying this, Titania slightly furrowed her brow, as if Vivian still didn’t understand her own heart. It wasn’t just about loving her mother’s appearance.

“I don’t care if you age, it doesn’t matter. Even if you change, the person I love will still be you.”

“What’s so great about me anyway…”

“We’ll save that discussion for later, it seems never-ending.”

At Titania’s joking tone, Vivian burst into laughter. Titania, who was tidying Vivian’s swaying bangs in front of her face, also smiled warmly.

As if conceding defeat, Vivian sighed softly and smiled wryly. She looked at Titania in front of her and gently cupped Titania’s cheek with her small hand.

“When did you grow up so much?”

Vivian gazed at Titania’s face as if examining it. Looking at her this way, Titania’s face somehow felt different. Not a childish face, but a truly mature one.

It was a face that gave off a strange sensation, making Vivian wonder if Titania’s face had always been like this. It seemed like a different Titania from the one she knew. A slightly grown-up Titania.

Vivian let out a small sigh and nodded her head.

“My goodness, you’ve really grown up.”

Titania smiled at the words that held various implications.

Now, Mother wouldn’t be able to see herself as just a ‘daughter’ anymore. It was clear that the way she looked up at her, her warm touch, and every attitude towards her would no longer be that of a daughter. For now, that was fine. It was good that she couldn’t simply call their relationship ‘mother and daughter’ anymore. Now, it felt like there was just one step left before becoming ‘lovers’ with her mother.

“So, may I receive my birthday present now?”

“A present?”

Titania smiled and tapped her lips with her finger. It was the usual gesture, but for some reason, Vivian felt awkward and slightly pursed her lips, tilting her head back.

“Yes, a birthday present.”

At the sight of Titania urging her with her finger as if to quickly kiss her, Vivian let out a long sigh. Yes, she should give her a birthday present.

As she raised her head to kiss her, Vivian furrowed her brow at the inexplicable fluttering in her chest. The gaze from Titania, as if waiting for a kiss, felt burdensome.

“…Close your eyes.”

The effect of the confession was immediate.

They had kissed hundreds of times before, yet Vivian had never once heard such words from her mother. At her mother’s command to close her eyes, feeling embarrassed by her own gaze, Titania happily closed her eyes.

Raising her head, Vivian gazed at Titania’s lips with an awkward expression. It was just a simple kiss, yet it felt strange. It was because of the confession that she now saw Titania not as a daughter, but as a ‘woman.’

Is it normal for a daughter to love her stepmother as a ‘woman’? Vivian didn’t not love Titania. However, it was difficult to call this love “romantic love.”

At first, I was really angry. How did she raise Titania? With what kind of heart did she keep her by her side? Could that child see herself in such a way? I really wanted to believe it was just an adolescent misunderstanding.

But even so –

How could I not love her?

She had been raised for a lifetime. As much as she could say she had lived here looking only at this child, Titania was half of Vivian’s life. She was a child who repaid love as much as she gave it.

In this sudden life here, when it was tiring, difficult, and painful, she was always there, smiling and sharing love by her side. This child who was always by her side –

How could I not love Titania?

Vivian closed her eyes gently, slowly lifted her head, and approached Titania. She wrapped her cheek and gently turned her head to kiss her. Warm, soft, moist sensation.

Just touching lips, the whole body felt hot. Even though she had kissed hundreds of times before, today, kissing Titania’s lips felt so embarrassing and maddening.

When the lips, which made no sound when they touched, separated, they made a wet sound and moved away. When the lips fell and Vivian gently opened her eyes –

Rip- A tearing sound was heard.

“Huh?”

Clearly, before kissing, she had looked up at Titania, but after the kiss ended and she opened her eyes, she found herself looking down at Titania. Moreover, even a large hill appeared as she lowered her head.

The source of the tearing sound was none other than Vivian’s nightgown. The nightgown she was wearing on her suddenly enlarged body tore like rags. It barely covered the critical areas, leaving the lower part exposed.

“Huh?”

Titania opened her eyes at Vivian’s bewildered voice. Clearly, just before she closed her eyes, her mother had returned to being an adult through their kiss. This meant—

“Wait, Titania, I—!”

In that moment, unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, Titania kissed Vivian right away. Startled, Vivian, frozen in place, could do nothing but receive Titania’s passionate kiss with her eyes wide open.

It was not the light kisses they had shared until now, but a deep kiss between lovers.

Titania’s tongue boldly invaded Vivian’s surprised lips, swiftly exploring the inside of her mouth. It darted and teased, tracing the roof of her mouth.

Like a snake coiling, the tongues entwined. To prevent Vivian from escaping, Titania pressed even more forcefully, making the kiss rougher, to make her fully aware of the situation.

It was through my kiss that your curse was lifted.

I was your fated match!

I, your daughter, I, I, I!

Saliva that couldn’t be swallowed spilled over their lips and trickled down their chins. The kiss was so intense it hurt as their teeth clashed. Even as saliva pooled around their chins, Titania paid no attention.

“Ugh… Ugh…!”

Vivian, struggling to breathe amidst the saliva, unsure if it was hers or Titania’s, pounded on Titania’s shoulders with her fists, causing Titania to stop the kiss and lift her head.

Titania, wiping their mingled saliva from their chin with the back of her hand, looked down at Vivian with a sly smile. The feeling of the wall that had separated them crumbling in an instant was overwhelming.

“The curse, is it lifted?”

“Haa… Haa…”

“Through our kiss, the curse has been lifted.”

As Vivian struggled to catch her breath after the rough kiss, Titania opened her mouth again and lowered her head. As she leaned in for another kiss, Vivian reached out and pushed Titania’s shoulder.

“Just a moment…! Just a moment! I, I’m not in the right state of mind… Right? Can’t you give me some time…? Time to think…!”

At the request for time, Titania bit her lower lip.

Where is there clearer evidence than this?

Despite proving herself as the destined partner by breaking the curse with her own kiss, her mother seemed confused. It was as difficult to endure as she had been holding back for years…

Titania let out a long sigh and wiped her face before responding.

“…I understand. I promised to wait, so I will.”

In that moment, she was so excited that it was hard to contain herself. The fact that her mother’s curse had been lifted by her own kiss and her mother’s sudden appearance in a state of undress were truly provocative.

“For now, go and see Veronica after sleeping and waking up.”

“Uh, okay…”

Titania, who groaned, took out pajamas from the drawer and handed them to Vivian. She couldn’t keep wearing the torn to shreds pajamas. She had to cover up the provocative sight, at least for now.

Titania, scratching her head irritably, let out a really deep sigh.

“…She’s in trouble tonight.”

The next morning.

“Mother, mother. Please wake up quickly.”

“Hmm…?”

Titania shook Vivian’s shoulders to wake her up. When Vivian blinked and looked at Titania, she saw an expression of anger that she had never seen before.

“Why, why are you so angry…?”

“I’m not angry. More importantly, look in the mirror.”

“What?”

Titania handed Vivian a small hand mirror. As Vivian raised the mirror to look at her face, she could only widen her eyes in surprise, just like yesterday.

“Wha-what…? Did the curse not break yesterday…?”

She clearly remembered the curse being lifted yesterday, but when she woke up, she was back to her previous condition. Her hands and feet had shortened again, and her cheeks had become chubby, turning her into a 10-year-old child.

As Vivian looked at Titania with an incredulous expression, Titania clicked her tongue in annoyance and muttered as if telling Vivian to listen.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have covered it up somehow yesterday…”

“What…?”