Slowly, the green-haired youth got off Arvin's lap. A moment later, the air around his body rustled softly, and Yonna changed his form back into the figure of a beautiful woman with long green hair.
Arvin also stood up, took a deep breath, and then adjusted his pants which had been pulled down, leaving his shaft continuously exposed while the male form of Yonna was sitting on his lap.
"Are you going back now?" Yonna asked in her original soft voice, her hands picking up and putting her nightgown back on.
"Yes, I have to go back now before they notice my absence." Arvin replied, stepping closer to her. He stared intently into the woman's green eyes. "Take good care of yourself while I'm away. And wait for us to return from there. Occasionally, I will check on your condition here."
Hearing the farewell, Yonna stepped forward and hugged Arvin very tightly. She rested her head near the youth's shoulder, inhaling his body scent deeply as if she was unwilling to let him go tonight.
"I will definitely return and propose to you in front of the others." Arvin said in a very soft baritone tone. His hand slowly rose, beginning to stroke and caress the long green hair of the woman in his embrace. "Wait here until that time comes, Yonna."
"Yes, I will definitely always wait for you here, Sweetheart." Yonna replied, tightening her hug.
After feeling satisfied enough conveying her feelings, Yonna finally slowly loosened her arms and released the hug. Arvin took a step back, preparing to focus his mana and use his teleportation magic again.
"See you later, my fifth spouse." Arvin said with a faint smile on his lips.
The title 'fifth spouse' spoken in that calm tone successfully made Yonna's heart flutter wildly. Those words kept echoing in her ears, providing an extraordinary sense of validation. Spontaneously, Yonna smiled broadly, but at the same time, tears of happiness fell uncontrollably, wetting her smooth cheeks.
Seeing Yonna suddenly crying in silence, Arvin stopped his mana. With quick steps, he approached her again, raised his hand, and gently wiped the tears from Yonna's cheeks with his thumb.
"Please don't cry anymore, Yonna." Arvin said soothingly. "Haven't I promised to check on your condition again later?"
That very simple and sincere attention made Yonna's feelings grow even warmer. The gentle touch from her future husband truly made her feel highly protected and comfortable.
She tried to take a deep breath, braced herself, and then wiped the remaining tears still on her face. "Yes, I'm sorry. If you come back here again, I will welcome you immediately."
But in her mind, Yonna completely understood what Arvin wanted to see before leaving the mansion: casting away her sadness.
The green-haired woman smiled so broadly that she showed her neat teeth to her future husband.
Seeing that sincere smile, Arvin returned the smile. His feelings were now much calmer, and he reactivated his teleportation magic to pierce through space toward the temporary house where his four spouses were.
"Alright, I'll be going now." Arvin bid his farewell for the last time.
Along with that, a golden magic circle with a bright glow appeared beneath his feet, illuminating the dim guest room.
Yonna took a few steps back so she would be out of the range of the teleportation magic circle's area. "See you later, sweetheart."
Arvin nodded slowly while continuing to look at her.
Zap!
Instantly, Arvin disappeared from her sight. A gentle gust of wind swept away the remnants of magic in the air. All that was left was Yonna, all alone in the room that felt quiet once again.
Yonna stood in silence for a few seconds, looking at the empty spot where Arvin had just stood. Then, she stepped out of the room and walked back toward her own bedroom.
But tonight, her steps felt very light. Her heart was filled with the blooming flowers of happiness. Soon, she would finally officially become the fifth spouse of the man she loved the most.
....
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away from the capital.
The cold night air immediately greeted Arvin's skin as he reappeared on the porch of the temporary house. The atmosphere outside the house was very quiet. Only the sounds of nocturnal insects calling out to each other and the gust of the night wind could be heard.
However, as soon as he turned around and looked, he was surprised. Alrain stood leaning against the wall, right in front of the tightly closed main door, with his arms folded across his chest.
"Are you done visiting her, My Love?" Alrain greeted softly, a faint smile etched on his cute face.
"Yes, and she is doing fine over there!" Arvin answered quickly, stepping closer to his second spouse. "Then, why are you standing here all alone?"
Alrain straightened his body. "Of course I am standing guard in front of this door so that not a single student or teacher comes out and finds out about 'that', right?"
Arvin instantly understood what Alrain's words meant. The green-haired youth intentionally held back his sleepiness to keep watch, ensuring the secret about the teleportation magic remained safe and no one saw him disappear or appear suddenly from the porch.
Seeing such great dedication, Arvin smiled in relief. Alrain's promptness in taking a preventive measure was truly extraordinary.
"You are truly amazing!" Arvin praised sincerely, his tone of voice radiating pride. "You really haven't changed since the past, have you? Always reliable."
Smiling, Arvin reached out his hand and affectionately ruffled his spouse's hair. Instead of protesting because his hair was messy, Alrain closed his eyes and smiled broadly, feeling very happy and appreciated by his husband's gesture.
"Thank you, Alrain." Arvin said sincerely.
"It is already my duty as your spouse, My Love!" Alrain replied quickly, looking into his husband's eyes full of love. "Let's go inside now, the night is already very late, and the wind is getting colder too."
Arvin nodded. He reached for Alrain's hand, grasped it tightly, and then together, they stepped back inside the house.
Inside the dim first-floor hall, most of the male students were snoring softly, oblivious to anything that had happened. However, in one corner of the room, there was a pair of eyes that had quietly opened.
Kylen, the fifth prince of the Flamort Kingdom, was still awake. He accidentally saw and carefully observed the two youth figures who had just entered from outside.
It was Arvin and one of his green-haired spouses. The two of them walked through the gaps between the beds while continuing to hold hands affectionately, their gazes locked onto each other with unfeigned tenderness.
Are same-sex relationships a common thing in the Astoria Kingdom? Kylen thought curiously, his eyes unable to look away from the two youths' clasped hands. Even his academy friends seem to be very supportive and understanding of their relationship. This truly boggles my mind and makes me curious about the environment and culture of the academy over there.
Kylen's thoughts continued to spin, but slowly their direction began to stray.
But... where were the two of them late at night like this that they had to go out of the house in the middle of the cold? Kylen swallowed hard, his brain suddenly conjured up various scenarios. Did... did the two of them just finish having intimate relations secretly out there?
Kylen shook his head, trying to cast away his wild thoughts. Wait! Wait! What am I thinking about?! Why am I thinking about those dirty things instead? I am not interested in that blue-haired guy at all. I am just... I am just curious about the habits of the academy students.
Ah... whatever! he said again in his heart. Stop thinking about it, Kylen! For now, I have to go to sleep immediately and rest my body because tomorrow morning, our long journey to the Victoriaz Kingdom will be resumed.
Kylen then began to close his eyes tightly, trying to invite sleepiness. But, his efforts were in vain. His eyes were indeed closed, but his brain kept screaming. He couldn't sleep because he kept thinking about the scenes he had thought of earlier.
The image of Arvin valiantly swinging his sword of darkness to decapitate the Grizzly Forest, his handsome and flat face, along with the youth's gentle gaze when holding his spouse's hand, kept spinning in Kylen's mind like a motion picture projection that refused to die.
Damn it! Kylen cursed frustratingly in his heart. Why won't his image go away?! Why do I keep thinking about that handsome guy instead? Did... did I subconsciously fall for him because he saved my life this afternoon?
Kylen's heart beat faster.
No! No! This is impossible! This must just be the effect of shock! I am a prince of the Flamort Kingdom, it is highly impossible and illogical for me to have an attraction to a male who is the same as me! Especially since that guy is a descendant of the Vedegra family!
He changed his sleeping position again, turning his back to the direction of Arvin's bed, and tried to go back to sleep. However, the throbbing in his chest refused to calm down.
Kylen still found it difficult to fall fast asleep. The thoughts about Arvin truly had taken his mind hostage without mercy. Even as morning approached, he remained awake.