Chapter 543: A Night for the Two of Them

After announcing their relationship to their friends, Tauro and Aeris visited Marquis Van Dyne the very next day via Ragune’s [Dimensional Corridor], both to greet him for the first time in a year and to formally report their relationship.

Marquis Van Dyne was surprised enough by their first visit in a year, and at first he was exasperated to learn that the two had only just started dating. Still, Aeris looked so happy that he decided that was more than enough.

Mei, Marquis Van Dyne’s new wife and Aeris’s former personal maid, burst into tears of joy when she heard that her former mistress and Tauro were now dating with marriage in mind.

Aeris scolded Mei, telling her to pull herself together now that she was her mother, only to end up crying along with her.

After finishing their report, Aeris spent time with her younger twin siblings, playing with and soothing the babies. The group stayed in the Van Dyne Marquisate for the rest of the day and decided to spend the night there.

Separate rooms were prepared for Tauro and Aeris, but Aeris went to visit Tauro’s bedroom.

Dressed in her nightclothes, Aeris—now an adult and a beautiful young woman—looked especially charming.

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Tauro felt his heart racing at the sight of her, but since they couldn’t exactly talk in the hallway, he let her into the room.

“I was thinking we could sleep together.”

Aeris already possessed the charm of an adult woman, but when it came to such matters she was still innocent, so Tauro understood that her words probably meant exactly what they sounded like.

Understanding that, Tauro replied with a wry smile.

“Well, yeah… we can’t really sleep together when everyone’s around.”

He climbed onto the bed.

Aeris followed, slipping under the covers and snuggling up close beside him.

Then she turned slightly toward Tauro and gently took his right hand in both of hers.

“…I’ve wanted to do this.”

Her face flushed red as she said it shyly.

Caught off guard by Aeris’s pleasant scent and her bold action, Tauro felt the blood rush to his head and tensed up—but he squeezed her hand back and turned to face her.

They ended up gazing at each other, but since both of them were shy and had little knowledge of such matters, nothing happened—only the sound of their pounding hearts as time passed.

“…Let’s keep taking care of each other from now on.”

Still holding her hand, Tauro rested his forehead against Aeris’s, closed his eyes, and spoke softly.

“…Yeah. Me too. —Well, we have to get up early tomorrow, so shall we sleep?”

Aeris replied happily. She let go of his hand, slipped a bit deeper under the covers, and hugged Tauro tightly.

“!—Aeris?”

Tauro was startled by the sudden closeness, feeling her against his entire body—but her embrace was so gentle and comforting that he didn’t feel tense.

“…Being with you like this, Tauro, makes me feel calm…”

Resting her forehead against his chest, Aeris murmured this, and before long she began breathing softly in her sleep.

Tauro lightly hugged her back. Feeling just as at ease, he soon drifted off to sleep as well.

The next morning.

When Aeris opened her eyes, Tauro was already awake, still lying beside her.

“Good morning.”

Aeris answered Tauro’s greeting.

“Good morning… Ah—thank you for staying by my side until I woke up.”

Aeris was still sleepy, but she noticed Tauro’s concern and thanked him with a happy smile.

She then got out of bed and headed back to her own room.

After watching her leave, Tauro thought to himself in the now-empty room.

Sleeping beside my girlfriend, huh… I never experienced this even in my previous life, but this is really nice.

Satisfied and pleased with his first experience, Tauro got ready for the day.

At the front entrance, Marquis Van Dyne had gathered with his wife Mei, Aeris’s younger twin siblings, and Maria and the other guardians of the marquisate to see Tauro, Aeris, and their companions off. Maria was the dragonfolk [True Saint] who had healed Aeris.

“Tauro-kun. Please continue to take care of my daughter. —And one more thing. You’ll be an adult in a year. When that time comes, let’s have a drink together.”

Clearly fond of Tauro, the Marquis was in high spirits, promising to share a drink with him once he came of age.

“When that time comes, I’ll find some good local liquor and bring it with me,” Tauro replied.

“Dad, we still don’t know what will happen in the future, so don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Aeris tried to rein in her father, who was getting carried away.

“Aeris, for a father, sharing a drink with his son—or his daughter’s husband—is something of a dream, you know?”

The Marquis replied with a surprisingly serious expression.

“That’s exactly why you’re jumping the gun. Tauro might get tired of me someday, you know.”

“That’ll never happen!”

Tauro and the Marquis replied in perfect unison, without a moment’s hesitation.

Seeing the two of them, Aeris smiled, clearly pleased.

“Hehe. All right, I understand. Tauro, let’s get going. —Ragune, please.”

Aeris took charge of the situation and asked Ragune to open [Dimensional Corridor].

“What, already? It’s been a year—why not stay a bit longer?”

“If we want to come, we can always come anytime.”

Aeris said this, kissed her younger twin siblings goodbye, and then joined hands with Tauro and the others.

Ragune opened [Dimensional Corridor], and when Tauro invoked [Spatial Transfer], the group returned to the northern city of Swen.

“…They’re gone, huh. Sigh…”

Marquis Van Dyne let out a disappointed sigh.

“I’m glad that Lady Aeris is doing well.”

Mei said this, still calling her “Lady Aeris” out of habit from her days as a maid.

“I’m truly glad things finally progressed between her and Tauro-kun… She looks happy, so I suppose I should be satisfied. —Ah, right. I need to inform Count Graunewald as well. Sheeps, prepare a letter.”

With that instruction to his butler, Marquis Van Dyne headed straight for his study.