That 15 year age gap

I get you but I do like this take on age gap tho, hear me out. They meet only a couple of times when the MC was a kid and barely interacted, so the ml wasn’t like grooming him or even remotely interested on the mc at the time. He genuinely saw him as a kid and nothing more. And when they met as adults the ml wasn’t interested at first in a romantic or sexual way. He covered up the mc in multiple occasions, rejected the mc’s advances and established boundaries multiple times. It wasn’t until the mc pursued the ml multiple times and made his intentions clear and basically showed the ml he was in fact an adult with full understanding of what he was doing, that the ml even took an interest. Idk I think those were the things that made me like the age gap here instead of it feeling creepy. That’s just my opinion tho
(=・ω・=)

I wouldn't say it's grooming, I didn't perceive it this way. It's more so this weird relationship where it's emphasized how the MC is seen as a kid, not a full adult, by the ML, yet the ML isn't firm enough with his boundaries and ultimately lets the MC get the sexual relationship he wants (let's be honest, the ML was always about to fold and give in, he was just as tempted as he was reluctant). I'm on chapter 16 now and the ML still treats him like a kid. So it's strange, given his perspective on MC, that he gave in to the sexual relationship the MC wanted as, again, the ML clearly sees him as immature and childlike. He's freshly 20 (still veeery young compared to a full grown 34 year old), so of course he's not a kid, but the author has made him childlike with his behavior, personality, qualities (how pouty, bratty, and inexperienced he is or how he still sleeps with a teddy bear), which contradicts the side of him that supposedly knows what it wants sexually.

Don't get me wrong, I like this MC for a change in a typical Cinderella plot - he's got the spirit to fight, he's got a personality of his own, and he knows what he wants. It's just the ML who contradicts himself a lot and I don't find him as wholesome as the story is trying to portray him. He's sleazy imo. Cums in the MC two times despite knowing he could bring him in great danger by impregnating him. Says there would be basically no way for the MC to consent if they were to write up their contract ("Clause blabla - you can't run away from sex; paragraph blabla - no limit on cum count"), and says asking the MC if it hurts or he should stop is 'just a formality'. In this way, the story is a bit indecisive - what is this ML supposed to be? A subversion of the sadistic, shitty ML who kidnaps/buys the Cinderella MC -trope or a man who wants to do the right thing under very wrong circumstances? As of now, the ML seems to wear sheep's clothing tbh. He says the right things and tries to be all gentle and caring, until he does all the things we know red flags do - no respect for consent, using the MC' body first, thinking of the consequences later, etc. It's conflicting to me.