Chapter 287: Proof
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 287: Proof
“Ugh... the sunlight...”
On a plush bed, the warm morning sun filtered through her eyelids. Sera woke up, stretched luxuriously, and propped herself up.
“Nghhh...!!”
For some reason, her head felt incredibly clear, and her entire body was brimming with energy. Rubbing her bleary eyes, Sera blinked as her vision came into focus and she looked around.
“Eek?! Yu—Yoo Eon...?”
To her left, Yoo Eon was leaning against the headboard, eating a sandwich and staring intently at her.
“Even your stretching is cute.”
“Ah, uh...”
To her right lay Iris. Sera wondered if she was still asleep, but Iris was simply lying there with her eyes open, blinking slowly.
“Iris... you’re awake, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And Dora... is right here too.”
“Good morning.”
Theodora was also half-reclining, resting while sharing sandwiches with Yoo Eon. It was a scene of three women and one man sharing a single bed. The order was Theodora, Yoo Eon, Sera, and then Iris.
“How are you feeling?”
“I—I think I’m okay...”
Actually, ‘okay’ was an understatement. Recalling the memories of last night, she expected her body and the bed to be a sticky, damp mess.
Instead, the sheets were crisp and dry. There wasn't a hint of sweat on her, and her skin felt smoother than usual—it practically glowed. While being completely naked in the same bed was a bit embarrassing, she didn't exactly dislike it.
Things were still a little awkward with Iris, but thinking back on the blissful experience of the previous night, Sera found herself feeling strangely forgiving.
Slide...
Sera reached under the covers and gently took Iris’s hand. Iris slowly turned her head toward her.
“What?”
“N-nothing, just because...”
At Sera’s vague response, Iris reached out properly and interlaced their fingers in a firm grip.
“Want to go again?”
“What?! N-no! It’s not that..! I just...”
It might have been her imagination, but when Sera moved her right hand to stroke her lower abdomen, she felt a wave of heat rush through her. If her memories of yesterday were correct, then surely...
Inside here...
“Sera?”
“Hieek?!”
“Haha, why are you so surprised? Are you hungry?”
“Ah, y-yes! Now that you mention it, I am a bit peckish.”
The moment she answered, Yoo Eon handed her a sandwich. Sera pulled the duvet up to her chest, leaned against the headboard, and took a bite.
“What about Iris?”
“Not really. I want to sleep more.”
“I see...”
“We have to leave soon, so go sleep at home.”
At Yoo Eon’s words, Iris pouted ever so slightly but nodded nonetheless.
In the silence of the quiet hotel penthouse, the occasional chirping of a small bird could be heard. There was the rustle of the fresh duvet and the soft sound of chewing.
Whoosh...
Yoo Eon used a gust of wind to toss his empty sandwich wrapper accurately into a distant trash can. Theodora, watching from the side, gave a small reaction.
“Oh.”
“Impressive, right?”
“Do mine too.”
“My pleasure.”
The duvet, warmed by the sunlight streaming through the window, provided a pleasant sense of comfort. There was a feeling of liberation in being completely unclad, and a sense of fulfillment whose cause she could easily guess.
I’m happy.
It was 11:30 AM on a morning graced by a cool, early autumn breeze.
* * *
“Oh, my sweetheart and my son-in-law. Welcome back.”
“Dad, you’re back? Where did you sleep the night before last?”
“Passed out on the brewery floor. My body’s all stiff; must be because of the stone floor.”
“I told you to sleep in a proper bed...”
Sera’s father greeted them by merely turning his head while lying flat on the desk. Theodora had gone back to the Southeast temporary office to handle some light paperwork, as she had a schedule later that evening.
Iris had, as usual, retreated into her hideout—the one designed like a magic item shop.
The clothes and other items they had bought in Roanmarie had all been moved to their respective homes using storage artifacts. Now, the only things left inside the artifact were the clothes Sera had purchased.
“Son-in-law. Come with me next time. Beer is truly a wonderful thing.”
“Do you really love alcohol that much?”
“You bet I do. Look at this.”
Still lying on the desk, the father lifted his shirt slightly and patted his bulging belly.
“It’s so full of beer that I can hear it sloshing every time I move.”
“Your body has gotten smaller, so you should drink accordingly.”
“I did drink accordingly. If I were my old size, I would’ve had three times as much.”
“Haha...”
Looking behind him, Yoo Eon saw Sera looking down at her own stomach. Of course, her chest was large enough that she probably couldn't even see her belly.
I feel like I have a sloshing sensation every time I move, too...
Sera thought to herself, though Yoo Eon had no way of knowing that.
Even though they had slept well on a high-end bed, there was no place as comfortable as home. Calling it ‘his’ home might be a bit of a stretch, but calling it his in-laws' place made it fit well enough. And now, it truly felt like home.
“Sweetheart, what about my granddaughter?”
“Ah, speaking of which...”
“Right. Yura is still at the Lymain residence.”
“You left her there? Did you lose custody?”
“Haha... No, sir. They offered to look after her for a bit while we were busy.”
Yoo Eon figured Yura had probably been eating lots of delicious food while staying with Lady Lymain. He worried she might be upset when she had to return to the inn. It would be a problem if she developed a taste for expensive things.
“By the way, where are the other kids?”
“Ravi and Tresha? They went out to play. They should be back soon.”
“I see.”
It was a relief to hear they were getting along well. He had expected as much, since neither of them had particularly prickly personalities. If he had to nitpick, Ravi felt a bit more like a child.
Tresha seemed to have matured at some point, and her childish outbursts had become rare.
“Yoo Eon, what’s your schedule like from now on?”
“All the truly busy work is finished. I plan to take things slow and rest for a while.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
They entered Sera’s room to put away the clothes she had bought. Yoo Eon continued the conversation while taking things out of the storage artifact.
“Sera, you seem happy that I’m staying home.”
“O-of course I am...!”
Sera turned her head away in embarrassment and playfully tapped his shoulder. If he hadn't come to this world, he never would have met her.
“....”
“Y-Yoo Eon...?”
“Could you... do it with your mouth?”
“R-right now?!”
Sera’s expression was one of pure shock. When Yoo Eon nodded, her lips quivered before she suddenly dropped to her knees on the floor.
“J-just a moment...?”
“Pardon?”
“H-hurry up and take them off... I have to go say hello to Mom soon...”
“Ah, no. Sera. That’s not what I meant. I meant I wanted you to say you love me. With your mouth.”
“Ah, ughhh...!!”
* * *
“My cute daughter. I hope you were a good girl for your grandmother.”
“Yeees.”
“Oh, what a good girl. I should give you a reward... hmm.”
He had bought a cute necklace in Roanmarie to give to Yura, but to his surprise, she was already wearing a thin necklace that looked expensive even at a glance.
“Lady Lymain? This necklace is...”
“Yura said it was pretty, so I gave it to her as a gift. I told her to cherish it, as it wasn't cheap.”
“Mmm...”
This made the necklace he had bought look incredibly shabby. What should he do? If Lady Lymain mentioned it was expensive, it likely cost an astronomical amount.
“Come here, sweetie. For your reward, Daddy will give you a kiss.”
“Eeeeh.”
At the mention of a kiss, Yura immediately ran and clung to the back of Lady Lymain’s legs. No, how could this be? Weren't daughters supposed to love kissing their dads at this age?
“Lady Lymain. Please raise Yura well. It seems she dislikes me.”
“No. I like Daddy.”
“Then why won't you let me kiss you?”
“Mommy will be jealous.”
“Oh?”
Sera would be jealous of him kissing Yura? That was absurd.
Come to think of it, maybe I haven't given Sera enough kisses.
They hugged every time they met, but he realized he hadn't actually given her many kisses.
“Ahaha, I see. But it’s okay, I gave Mommy lots of kisses before I came.”
To be precise, Sera had given him many. Though they weren't on the mouth, but elsewhere.
“Then it’s okay.”
“Right, come here.”
He scooped up the trotting Yura, spun her around in a large circle, and showered her cheeks with affectionate kisses. Her soft, toddler cheeks smelled faintly of sweet desserts.
“You ate something delicious behind my back, didn't you?”
“Gasp.”
“I caught you. You ate it all by yourself without giving any to Daddy.”
Cradled in his arms, she turned her head slightly to peek at Lady Lymain—a clear signal for help.
“Don't tease the child.”
“I like Grandma.”
“My, she already knows how to pick her allies. Yura is clever.”
“Yeees.”
He felt like her vocabulary and her charm were growing by the day. So this was the joy of parenting.
“Lady Lymain, we’ll be going now.”
“Very well. Come visit even when you don't have business. It gets lonely.”
“Ahaha... I understand. I have plenty of time now, so I’ll come by to show my face occasionally.”
After receiving an explanation about a scheduled transport job and letting Yura say goodbye to her grandmother, they returned home. No matter how he looked at her, Lady Lymain didn't feel like a ‘grandmother’ at all.
At most, she looked only four or five years older than Theodora. Sera’s mother was the same; he wasn't sure if they looked young because of their mana or if the two of them were just special.
“Mommy!”
“Yura! Welcome back! Did you miss Mommy?”
“Yeees.”
When they returned home, Ravi and Tresha, who had been out, were also back.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in your cat form.”
“Ahem. Walter can carry me and fly around. Yoo Eon, do you know the feeling of soaring through the sky?!”
“I mean, I do know.”
“Oh... right. You did.”
Tresha had brought in several pieces of mail from the mailbox outside and was looking through them one by one to find her own.
“Tresha? Did you get a letter?”
“Ah, my mom said she would send a letter from home.”
“I see.”
“There’s one for you too, Brother. From the... Guild Headquarters?”
“Oh, is it here already?”
When he took the envelope Tresha handed him, he heard something clinking inside the thin paper.
“Here, Yura. Could you cut this open for me?”
“Okay.”
Snip...
He turned the envelope, cut by Yura’s wind magic, upside down. Something resembling a dog tag made of a thin chain slid out into his palm.
“This is...”
“Hm? What is it, Yoo Eon?”
“Ah, that’s—!”
Sera looked confused, but Ravi recognized it instantly.
It was a unique metal, a mysterious silvery-white that reflected faint, pastel primary colors.
“Gasp!!!”
“W-what is it, Ravi?!”
“Holy cow! Is this for real, son-in-law?!”
“What’s going on, Dad?!”
“Haha...”
It was the Explorer’s Plate proving his Orichalcum Grade.