Chapter 23 – The Evil Dragon Misunderstands That Her Son Has a Lover 【Part 2】

And a few hours later, in the evening.

Ryuuji returned home together with the beastman Sheila.

He opened the door…

Thud!

There was a sound of something being hit and a cute “Oww!” scream.

Wondering what it was, he looked down and saw Mom sitting seiza-style right in front of the door, pressing her forehead with her hand.

“M-Mom!? Are you okay!?”

Ryuuji hurriedly approached her.

“I’m fine. No problem at all.”

She stood up smoothly and said.

“Is there a bump on your forehead?”

Probably Mom had been standing right in front of the door and it smacked her in the head.

Ryuuji worriedly touched her forehead.

It didn’t feel swollen.

And then it happened.

“…………. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

She burst into loud tears.

“M-Mom!? Did it hurt!?”

“I-it’s nooooot thaaat…! I’m just so haaappy thaaat my sooon is worrying about my safetyyyy~!!!”

Karma Abyss wailed like a child.

Ryuuji felt relieved.

Good, she seems okay.

Mom being over-the-top is normal, so he was actually reassured.

“Let’s make today a national holiday—the day Ryu-kun worried about Mom’s safety!”

“Wasn’t there already one for that?”

Karma Abyss jumped up, wiped her tears, and said something stupid, but Ryuuji lightly ignored it.

“It’s always good to have more holidays. If the name overlaps, let’s call it 【Mark Two: The Day Ryu-kun Worried About Mom’s Safety】!”

“Anyway, Mom—”

Since the conversation wasn’t going anywhere, Ryuuji decided to get straight to the point.

That’s why he had gone out to the city with Sheila today.

“I have something I want to give you.”

“Something to give me? Ryu-kun gives me healing every single moment of every day, though.”

“Not something intangible like that.”

Ryuuji smiled wryly and pulled a small box from his pocket.

When he opened it…

“A brooch?”

It looked like a brooch made by processing diamond from the Adamantine Kabuto.

A large diamond sat on a gold base.

“Nope, not a brooch. Mom, can you lend me the necklace I gave you before?”

Mom nodded and handed over the silver necklace she was wearing.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. The necklace I gave you feels a little too plain, right?”

“N-n-n-no way! My son bought it with his own money! That alone makes it the best present ever! It deserves to be designated a national treasure!”

“No it doesn’t, geez.”

Ryuuji smiled bitterly, but felt happy inside.

Because she treasured the gift he gave her so much.

Still, the necklace really was plain—no decoration, no gem at all.

It just looked cheap.

Ryuuji attached the brooch he had just bought to the necklace and finished it.

“Yeah. Done. Here, Mom.”

He handed it over.

“This is…! This is aaaah!!!”

It had been a simple necklace moments ago.

Now that the diamond brooch was attached, it looked like a proper chest ornament—at least that’s how it felt to Ryuuji.

“I was looking for a gem that would suit you. I asked what would look good, and Sheila suggested—”

Ryuuji glanced back at the rabbit beastman fidgeting behind him.

“How about the diamond we got from the Adamantine Kabuto we beat last time~?”

The boss monster they defeated last time had dropped not only mana crystals (sellable items) but other drops as well.

One of them was a lump of diamond.

“The jewelry store clerk introduced me to a shop that could process it, so I had this made.”