Heartwarming / Inter Nos

• In Chapter 17, Shizuru gives Natsuki a Forceful Kiss, then thinks better of it, running off without Natsuki. She beats her hand bloody against a tree in self recrimination, until Natsuki finds her in the snow. Shizuru is afraid Natsuki is going to slap her for her forward kiss. but instead, Natsuki takes her back to their quarters, and treats her injury. She tells Shizuru never to do that again, and it takes a bit of effort for her to make Shizuru realize that she meant leaving without her. Natsuki then returns the kiss that Shizuru gave her earlier, leading to a Relationship Upgrade, and the two become an official couple.
• In chapter 51, Suou recalls that it is Natsuki's birthday. Besieged as they are, the only gift she can give is a sword that is a Himemiya family heirloom. She tells Natsuki that it is not only a birthday present, but a token of their friendship. After Suou's death, Natsuki considers it one of her most precious possessions.
• After Natsuki's left leg is amputated below the knee, she is clearly grieved by its loss. Shizuru reassures her by kissing the bandaged stump.
  It was a firm message, and Natsuki no longer cried when inspecting her stump after that.
• When Shizuru plans to leave Natsuki in the city of Argus while she goes on her campaign against the Mentulean army, Natsuki, believing that she was being treated as an invalid and cripple, lashes out and strikes Shizuru. Shizuru realizes that she had been unfair to her lover, and takes the hand that struck her and kisses it. Shizuru amends her plans to have Natsuki waiting for her at a Himean camp on the border. She also tries to explain to Natsuki how fearful she is of losing her again.
  Shizuru: A world without you would not survive me.
• Chikane, moved by Shizuru's descriptions of Natsuki, as well as reading accounts of Natsuki in her late sisters letters, is decidedly fond of the Otomeian woman, and offers to adopt her into her family. The two meet at the port of Argus, and at first, there is a bit of a sad moment, because Natsuki sees in Chikane the same eyes as her late friend, Suou, and is momentarily speechless. But the two bond, and though the story wasn't finished, it was strongly hinted that Natsuki was considering the offer of adoption seriously.
• Alyssa is less than pleased to find that Natsuki had a foreign lover, when she'd hoped to be united to her herself. However, she puts Shizuru to the test, demanding that Shizuru return her injured cousin to her. She finds quickly that Shizuru is not a person to be trifled with. Alyssa later tells Otanara, one of Natsuki's soldiers, that she had, in fact, been testing Shizuru, to see if she would fight for Natsuki or if she would have willingly handed her over the moment that having her became inconvenient. Otanara asks what would have happened if Shizuru had handed Natsuki over. Alyssa doesn't answer, but the implication is that she would have killed Shizuru for daring to play with her cousin's heart. Instead, she found her worthy of being Natsuki's lover. For now.