Hearing Rebecca’s complaint, Amelia simply let out a soft, resigned sigh.
"Oh, Rebecca..."
She set down her coffee before offering her daughter a sympathetic smile.
"You really need to let go of this dream of finding a boyfriend who’ll spank you every single day."
Rebecca pouted.
"But that’s the ultimate sign of love..."
"I know," Amelia replied with a helpless chuckle, "but be realistic."
She took another sip of her coffee before continuing.
"There isn’t a man in this world who’s willing—or even capable—of doing something like that every day out of sheer devotion."
Rebecca looked away with an unconvinced expression.
"People with that kind of... endurance are professionals."
She shrugged casually.
"That’s why discipline trainers exist."
"Instead of chasing an impossible fantasy, you should find a kind young man who genuinely loves you and enjoy your youth together."
Rebecca puffed out her cheeks.
"...You’re probably right."
"Of course I am."
Amelia smiled warmly.
"You deserve someone who cares about you, not someone who promises impossible things just to impress you."
Throughout the conversation, he remained completely silent, mechanically eating his breakfast.
...What?
His mind had ground to a halt.
Did she just say... there are professionals for that?
He slowly lowered his fork.
This world’s economy actually has an entire profession dedicated to fulfilling masochistic desires...?
Every answer he received about this world somehow raised two more questions.
The more he learned about its culture, the more he felt as though common sense itself had been turned upside down.
...This place is unbelievable.
Alexia, who had been quietly eating her breakfast, suddenly tilted her head in curiosity.
"Mom?"
"Hm?" Amelia replied.
"Weren’t you the one who told us you married Dad because he promised he’d spank you every day at least once?"
The dining room fell silent for a brief moment.
Amelia could only let out a helpless sigh before a nostalgic smile appeared on her face.
"That was... more of a romantic promise than a realistic one, Aly."
She stirred her coffee absentmindedly.
"Your father certainly said that before we got married."
A wistful chuckle escaped her lips.
"But after the wedding..."
She shook her head with mock exasperation.
"He turned out to be just like every other man."
Rebecca sighed dramatically.
"I knew it..."
"He always got flustered whenever the moment came," Amelia continued with a fond smile. "He’d apologize, promise he’d do better next time... and then the exact same thing would happen again."
She rested her chin on one hand.
"I won’t deny that I was disappointed back then."
Her gaze softened as she looked at her three children gathered around the table.
"But I also loved him very much."
A gentle smile spread across her face.
"So, in the end, I chose to cherish the life we built together instead of dwelling on a promise he couldn’t keep."
Her eyes filled with warmth.
"And that life gave me the three most precious treasures I could ever ask for."
She reached across the table and affectionately ruffled Alexia’s ponytail before glancing at Rebecca and finally at him.
"So despite everything..."
"I have no regrets."
The dining room grew quiet.
He watched the exchange while absentmindedly sipping his juice.
...Even in a world where everyone’s values are completely different...
Family is still family.
For all of its bizarre customs and upside-down common sense, the affection Amelia held for her late husband and her children felt completely genuine.
It was, strangely enough, one of the most normal things he had seen since waking up in this world.
Alexia gave their mother a bright, affectionate smile.
"Love you, Mama."
Rebecca chuckled before getting up from her chair and wrapping Amelia in a gentle side hug.
"Thanks for everything, Mom," she said warmly. "And... thank you for raising us."
Amelia laughed softly as she hugged Rebecca back.
"You girls..."
Watching the two of them, he hesitated.
If I don’t say anything now, it’ll feel strange.
Taking a quiet breath, he looked at Amelia and smiled.
"...Love you too, Mom."
The words had barely left his mouth before the dining room fell deathly silent.
Rebecca froze with her arms still around their mother.
"...Huh?"
Alexia’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"...Eh?" Alexia whispered.
Both sisters slowly turned toward him as if they had just witnessed the impossible.
Rebecca blinked several times as though she had misheard him.
Amelia herself sat motionless, her eyes widening in complete shock.
Then, almost instantly, her eyes began to glisten.
"...You..."
Tears welled up faster than he could process what was happening.
"H-Huh...?"
Before he could say another word, Amelia hurried around the table.
The next moment, she was sitting on his lap, wrapping both arms tightly around him and pulling his head against her chest in a desperate embrace.
She rested her lips gently against his head.
"I love you too, my baby..."
Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I love you so... so much."
She hugged him even tighter, as though afraid he might disappear if she let go.
"I love you more than anything in this world."
He sat there completely stunned, unsure how to respond.
"..."
The inherited memories surfaced almost immediately, explaining everyone’s reaction.
His previous self had always loved his mother.
Deeply.
But he had never known how to express those feelings.
Then came adolescence.
Like many teenagers, he had begun distancing himself from his family, believing it was embarrassing to show affection.
Whenever Amelia fussed over him or tried to hug him, he would brush her away with an irritated expression.
Sometimes...
He had even said things he regretted.
"Stop treating me like a kid."
"You’re so annoying."
"Just leave me alone."
None of those words reflected how he truly felt.
They had simply been spoken in the heat of adolescence, when pride often spoke louder than the heart.
Even so...
They had hurt Amelia.
She never blamed him, never argued back, and never stopped loving him.
She simply smiled through the pain, hoping that one day her son would grow out of that phase.
Today...
For the first time in years...
He had looked her in the eyes and simply said,
"Love you, Mom."
To Amelia, hearing her son openly tell her he loved her was something she had secretly wished for over the years but had never expected to hear.
Rebecca smiled softly, her own eyes growing slightly moist.
"...Looks like our little brother finally outgrew his rebellious phase."
Alexia wiped at the corner of one eye before grinning brightly.
"I was wondering when he’d finally say it."
Still trapped in Amelia’s warm embrace, he could only let out a helpless smile.
...Looks like I accidentally pressed the emotional button.
For all the absurdity this strange world possessed, moments like these reminded him that the bonds of family were universal. Some things, no matter the world, never truly changed.
*****
Advance Chapters are available on Patreon.
With Exclusive Character Arts On It.
So Be Sure To Check It out.
patreon.com/ITz_DeaD