Chapter 36: My Mother Or My Enemy

Mika stared down at the two women clinging to him like warm, soft vines, and sighed.

Yelena, in particular, looked so damn cozy right now, her head resting against his shoulder, her elegant fingers lightly tracing on his chest as though she was perfectly content to stay there forever.

And then Mika’s thoughts drifted.

What if...What if it wasn’t Yelena?

What if instead of Charlotte’s mother teasing him and snuggling up to him, it was some random girl or woman who dared to get this close?

That thought alone sent a visible shiver down his spine.

No...He didn’t even want to consider that possibility, since he knew Charlotte far too well.

If it were some other girl, Mika was absolutely certain Charlotte would go full crazy mode.

No hesitation. No mercy. The poor girl would probably "vanish" overnight, her disappearance splashed across the national headlines, while Charlotte smiled sweetly in front of the cameras like she knew nothing.

And the authorities?...They wouldn’t find a damn thing, not a speck, not even a hair strand. Charlotte was too thorough for that.

Her love and possessiveness weren’t just intense; they were terrifying.

But Yelena...Yelena wasn’t "some other girl."

She was Charlotte’s mother. That one person Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to fight, no matter what. Mika had seen how much Charlotte adored her mom.

And not just her mom...The rest of the goddesses too. The other four goddesses had also raised Charlotte since she was a child.

To Charlotte, they weren’t just her mom’s friends or allies, they were practically her mothers too. And just like Mika and the other daughters considered each other sisters, the goddesses themselves were like sisters as well.

Mika smirked faintly. That was probably why Charlotte tolerated her mom snuggling up to him like this. Maybe it was because she trusted Yelena wouldn’t ever think of him romantically.

But then again...what if she was wrong?

What if one day I pursued Yelena, and she actually pursued me back?

The idea sent a chill down his spine, not because he didn’t want it, but because of the chaos it would cause.

Would Charlotte stay calm and accept it? Or would she engage her mother in a full-on fight?

A fight between Charlotte and Yelena, two SSS-class blessed beings...just thinking about the environmental damage that would cause gave him an instant headache.

"Ugh...future Mika problem." He muttered under his breath.

Right now, he had a more immediate issue:

Both mother and daughter were pressed against him, and it was driving him insane.

Yelena was just as ridiculously soft as Charlotte, and with both of them pressed up against him, it was like being sandwiched between two warm, squishy pillows.

They kept fidgeting ever so slightly, unintentionally rubbing their breasts against him and holy hell, with how curvy both of them were, there was no way he couldn’t notice.

His brain was screaming at him to stay calm, but his lower body had other ideas. He could already feel the heat pooling there, his cock twitching dangerously as it strained against his pants.

’Don’t think about it. Don’t think about how good it’d feel to grab a handful of those hips and just—’

Mika swallowed hard, sweat beading at his temple.

"Damn it... you two are gonna be the death of me."

He muttered under his breath, trying to shift his position but only managing to make things worse as their breasts pressed even harder into him.

He’d been struggling to hold back with Charlotte for so long already. Now, with Yelena added to the mix, it was almost too much.

If this continued any longer, they’d both realize what he really wanted: both mother and daughter.

And that was definitely not something he could afford for them to know right now. So Mika cleared his throat loudly and shifted slightly, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Ahem...as much as I’d love to keep this going." He began, looking down at the two of them. "I think you’re forgetting something important."

Charlotte blinked up at him innocently, still snuggled against his chest. "What is it?"

"I’m the patient here." Mika said flatly, gesturing vaguely at the hospital bed beneath him. "I’m supposed to be recovering. You know...weak, feeble, almost at death’s door, remember?"

"...And yet here you are, both of you, crawling on top of my fragile, injured body like this."

Yelena looked up at him with a teasing smile. "Oh, please. If you’re strong enough to break my spell earlier, you’re strong enough to handle a little snuggling."

Mika’s lips twitched. "That was pure instinct. I’m still on the verge of collapsing."

Charlotte pouted, tightening her grip on his shirt as she pressed herself even closer. "No, you’re fine! You feel warm and strong to me, not fragile at all."

"Yes, it’s just as Charlotte said. And you know..." Yelena murmured with a teasing lilt in her voice. "You don’t feel fragile at al, Mikal. In fact...you feel too sturdy."

Mika raised a brow. "Too sturdy?"

"Yes." She said with a little pout, lightly tapping his chest. "It’s like hugging a marble sculpture. Hard and unyielding. Honestly, you should gain some weight, put on a little more softness. Then you’d be much more comfortable to hug."

Charlotte smirked in agreement. "Yeah, Mama’s right. You’re all muscle. It’s kind of annoying."

"Annoying?" Mika echoed dryly.

"Yes! You’re like a damn rock." Charlotte said as she rubbed her cheek against him possessively. "Where’s the fun in hugging a rock? You should let me fatten you up with desserts or something."

Yelena gave a mischievous smile, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, I’m already planning to. I’ll prepare rich stews, buttery breads, and sweet cakes every day until he gets some proper softness on his frame."

’Great. These two are conspiring now.’ Mika rolled his eyes so hard it felt like they’d spin out of his head.

He stared at them both, still plastered to him, and thought grimly, ’They’re not going to get off, are they?’

Clearly, a few dry remarks wouldn’t work on them. If he really wanted to pry them off, he’d have to take it a little more seriously.

So Mika drew in a deep breath, let his expression shift into one of solemn concern, and looked at both women with furrowed brows.

"Listen..." He said, voice lower and more serious now. "I really wasn’t joking earlier. I do feel weak right now. My body isn’t in the best condition, and honestly..." He paused for effect, glancing between the two of them. "I don’t know how long I can carry both of you like this."

The shift in tone was immediate.

Charlotte gasped, her head snapping up as her eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

Yelena froze, her teasing smile fading instantly. "Mika...?"

"I’m serious." Mika said softly, furrowing his brows. "You’re both...heavier than I expected. And I don’t mean that as an insult." He added quickly, seeing Charlotte’s expression twist. "I’m just saying my body feels like it’s reaching its limit."

The moment those words were uttered women immediately pulled away as if burned, their eyes wide with horror.

"Mika! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!" Charlotte exclaimed, scrambling off him and kneeling beside the bed with both hands on his arm. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize, I thought you were fine! I didn’t mean to make it worse!"

Yelena moved back as well, but she seemed even more shaken than her daughter. A rare expression of panic flickered across her graceful face as she reached forward again, her hands hovering uncertainly over his chest and face.

"Oh no...Mika, I’m so sorry..." She whispered, her voice softer now, almost breaking. "I...I completely forgot how fragile you might be right now. I’ve been so happy to see you after all this time, I just..."

She trailed off, her hands finally resting on his cheeks as her thumb brushed lightly across his skin, as if checking for a fever.

"Mika..." She said again, her voice trembling now. "Does it hurt anywhere? Is your breathing okay? Do you feel faint? Oh gods, what if I’ve caused some internal damage, what if I’ve—"

"Yelena, calm down—" Mika tried to say, but she was already leaning closer, her fingers fluttering over his shoulders and chest like a healer searching for hidden injuries.

"I should’ve been more careful! What kind of guardian am I? Hugging you like that when you’re still recovering..." She muttered, her tone frantic now. "I’m so, so sorry. I was just so happy to see you I lost my head completely."

Mika chuckled softly at the sight of her, the normally poised and serene goddess now so flustered and worried over him.

"Hey...it’s okay." He said gently, his lips quirking into a small smile. "Really. It’s all right."

Yelena looked up at him with wide, teary eyes. "But—"

"It’s all right." Mika repeated warmly, reaching out to pat her hand. "I was joking earlier. You’re not actually hurting me. I just said that to get you two off me before I suffocated."

Charlotte gawked at him for a moment before a triumphant grin spread across her face. "Ha! I knew you were fine!"

Yelena, however, didn’t look amused. Her brows furrowed, and she leaned back slightly, staring at him as if trying to gauge the truth in his words.

"You’re not lying to spare my feelings, are you?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yelena. I’m fine." Mika groaned and sat up a little straighter. "The tests were done earlier, everything came back normal. The doctors even said I’m ready for discharge."

But Yelena wasn’t convinced. She frowned and then placed her hand over his wrist. A faint glow of divine mana began to spread from her fingers as she tried to channel it into his body.

Except...nothing happened.

Her frown deepened, and she let out a quiet sigh.

"Just like always..." She murmured, shaking her head with a reluctant smile. "No matter how many times I try, I can’t sense anything from you. Your body rejects my mana completely, Mika."

Charlotte nodded with an exasperated sigh. "I tried too, you know, Mama. Back when you were unconscious. It was like trying to pour water into a black hole, it just sucked it all up and gave nothing back."

Yelena pursed her lips, clearly not happy with that answer. Then her eyes lit up with an idea.

"...Perhaps I should call Fauna."

She mused aloud.

"She’s much more experienced with these sorts of anomalies. If she checks you herself, she’ll surely have a way to—"

"NO!" Mika’s voice cracked with sheer panic as he shot upright, grabbing her wrist.

Both women stared at him in surprise.

"Not Fauna!" Mika yelped frantically, his eyes wide with pure terror as he shook his head violently. "Anyone but her! If she finds out about this, she’ll stick to me like a leech."

"...She won’t let me out of bed for weeks! Weeks! I’ll lose my mind!"

Yelena blinked at his outburst, caught off guard, then slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh bubbling up. "You really think she’d do that?"

"Think?!" Mika grabbed her shoulders like a man on the brink of madness. "I know! You don’t understand, Yelena. I’ve lived through it!"

"What are you even—"

"She’ll baby me to death!" He wailed dramatically, his face going pale as if reliving a nightmare. "She’ll wrap me up like a burrito in thirty blankets, force-feed me soup every ten minutes, and hold a thermometer to my mouth like her life depends on it!"

"...And God forbid I cough, she’ll bring out the steam baths and herbal compresses!"

Yelena’s shoulders trembled as she tried harder not to laugh.

"Don’t laugh, dammit! Don’t laugh!" Mika snapped, his face red with equal parts embarrassment and panic. "I’m having a crisis here!"

Yelena finally burst into laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach as she laughed out aloud. She tried, really tried to hold it back, but the sight of Mika, of all people, looking so horrified was too much for her brain to process.

This was Mika. The same boy who wouldn’t even blink at soloing an S-rank Rift blindfolded, with both legs tied together, his arms behind his back, and carrying a damn piano on his shoulders for fun, looking like he’d seen death itself.

And what had him shaking like a leaf?

A woman so sweet and delicate-looking, she didn’t even seem capable of swatting a fly.

That only made her laugh harder, her voice breaking into hiccups as she clutched at her ribs.