After receiving the wonderful birthday present from Alice and carving the memories of this day into my heart, I headed back inside the castle.
And finally, the last person... the most dangerous of the lot began to move.
"...At last, it is my turn. My beloved child, happy birthday. Your mother is so very happy."
"Y-Yes, thank you."
This was bad. This was a crisis on a level I had never experienced. Her switch had been flipped from the very first second. She was already calling me her beloved child, and I could see dark hearts swirling deep within the depths of her prismatic eyes.
Feeling an indescribable chill, I stood my ground and waited for Eden-san to speak, reminding myself that she had come all this way just to celebrate.
"Ah, while I waited for my turn, every single second felt as long as a thousand years. Your mother was dying to bless the birth of her beloved child. However, it was not all for naught. Love is something that matures... the time I spent waiting while thinking of you has only caused my love for my child to swell. Ah, please do not misunderstand. I pride myself on the fact that my love for my beloved child is already vast enough to blanket an entire world. But yes, that is how it is. There is no limit to love; even now, my love continues to expand. To begin with, I am different from the meat slabs gathered in this venue. As your mother, it is only natural that I knew the birthday of my beloved child in advance and moved forward with preparations. My feelings of blessing are fundamentally different from the common rabble who scrambled to prepare gifts at the last minute. Well, even so, I suppose I can offer a modicum of credit for their desire to celebrate the birth of my supreme child. But yes, that is right. Everything until now has been a mere preamble. Ah, my beloved child... your mother has been waiting for this day forever. I was quite torn on what to choose as a gift for my beloved you. I am certain I have never thought this hard in all of history. At first, I considered creating a world for my child. Yes, a world where everything affirms my beloved child and no one can ever hurt you—I thought of crafting such a place solely for my beloved child. However, your mother knows. My beloved child is a supreme being who possesses humility and the strength to move forward on his own two feet. Realizing that my overprotectiveness must not become a hindrance to my child's growth, I tearfully abandoned that plan. Next, I thought, 'I shall give him a star.' I considered creating and gifting a star larger than the sun, filled to the brim with presents for my child. However—but... regrettably, a size of that magnitude cannot express even one-tenth of the love I feel for my beloved child. For a gift to my most beloved you, which only comes once a year, I cannot offer something that compromises on love. Then, what should I do? Your mother racked her brains over how I could convey this overflowing love for my child. I am sorry for being such an indecisive mother. But your mother simply cannot help but want to spoil her beloved you. If I could, I would embrace my beloved you in my arms right now and adore you eternally in a place where no one else's eyes can reach. My child would not need to do anything. You would only need to leave everything to your mother. I would provide meals just as a mother bird feeds her chicks. I would prepare everything my child desires. I would erase everything my child loathes. I want to cover your entire body, down to every single cell, with my love... that is what I think. However, I am also learning. My child is a stouthearted boy. You are a kind, considerate child who would not wish to leave everything to your mother. Therefore, while it is truly a pity, I shall refrain from spoiling my child to the point of melting until my child desires it. Of course, if my beloved child wishes for it, your mother will instantly create a world with just the two of us. Please do not hesitate to say so at any time. Ah, I am sorry. We have gone off-topic, haven't we? Regarding the birthday gift for my child. After agonizing over it, I have reached this conclusion. Love is not about quantity or size, but quality... Yes, that is it! Expressing love for my beloved child through quantity or size is difficult even with my power as a God. In that case, I decided that I should gift pure love itself, sharpened to the ultimate limit. Yes, that is it! The greatest gift for my beloved child can be none other than Mother’s Love!!"
...S-Someone help me! Her eyes were completely gone! This wasn't just "scary" anymore! This was her longest speech yet, and I couldn't stop breaking out in a cold sweat!
Actually, every part of her statement was littered with terrifying implications... As I thought, this person was way too scary!
And what did she mean by the final conclusion of "gifting love itself"? My instincts were screaming at a level I had never experienced before...
While my mind was gripped by the peak of confusion, Eden-san approached me with a fluid movement and...
"Now, my beloved child... please receive your mother's love."
"Mngh!?"
Without a moment's hesitation, she kissed me—Wait, what? It was soft and sweet—No, wait! What was this person doing!? And she was so strong! I couldn't pull away at all!
H-Her tongue!? Her tongue went in!? And what was this abnormal pleasure... m-my consciousness was fading...
"Hmph!"
"!?"
The moment my consciousness was about to grow hazy from a kiss so pleasurable it felt unnatural, Eden-san disappeared. Kuro appeared before my eyes, her fist still extended from the punch she had just thrown.
I-I was saved...
"...What do you think you are doing so suddenly? Interfering with a gift for my child... depending on your answer, I shall not forgive you."
"That's my line! What on earth do you think you're doing!?"
"Hmm? I was merely giving a birthday gift to my child. A kiss is one expression of love. It is fitting to express my love. My body, down to every single cell, has been perfectly adjusted and redesigned for the sake of my child. All so that my child can obtain the supreme pleasure through my kiss..."
So that's why it was so unnaturally pleasurable!? She casually mentioned redesigning her body... Seriously, this person's love was too terrifying. I guess this was what they called a yandere... though I felt like it had gone way past that definition.
As I processed this, Alice appeared next to Kuro, veins popping on her forehead.
"...Kuro-san, let's team up. I let my guard down because she's been relatively quiet lately... but as I thought, we should hurry up and erase this thing."
"Yeah, even I'm about to snap today of all days."
"...So you are saying that obstacles are a part of love. It cannot be helped. According to my plan, I was to continue kissing him for about 40 hours. If it ends like this, I will not be able to fully convey my love to my child... Come at me!"
And so, the end of my birthday party was brought to a close by a world-shaking Great Decisive Battle.
Dear Mother, Father—
How should I put this? I thought I was prepared to some extent, but the way she goes so far beyond my expectations is truly nothing short of madness. Applying the category of "yandere" to this person might be an insult to actual yanderes, but as I thought—Eden-san is the most terrifying.