98 – 98. Wedding Ring (1)
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Why did Maximilian return the wedding ring he had given to Beatrice to his father?
Anxiety crept in.
Could there have been a problem with Beatrice’s identity?
Even when discussing Beatrice with courage at the Fortress of Immortality, there had been a strict silence on questions related to her. Something had definitely changed.
‘What on earth has happened…’
The symbol that adorned the epilogue.
The fruition of love between the heroine Beatrice and the hero Maximilian.
It lay right in the palm of my hand.
A complex feeling dominated my mind.
Since receiving the wedding ring from my father, a sense of foreboding had been lingering.
“It’s beautiful. Indeed, a wedding ring suitable for the heroine of a romance fantasy.”
A brilliant blue diamond shining in the center of the ring.
A band crafted from carved silver.
And inside the ring were romantic phrases confessing love to a partner.
It was a piece of jewelry that belonged to the top tier.
Surely, if assessed by an appraiser, it would fetch a sum close to a million.
But I had no intention of recklessly selling the wedding ring. The shimmering blue wedding ring was a deeply cherished treasure gifted by the Hoënberg lineage to their partners.
“Ethan!”
“…Ah, yes.”
A girl with long green hair approached with quick steps.
It was Rue.
Roaming the Voltaria Palace grounds as if it were her own home.
Today, she must have roamed the garden of sponsorship with her friends from Luinon.
“What a gorgeous ring! But where did you get it from?”
“It’s nothing.”
When Maximilian had gifted the wedding ring to Beatrice, it had been a private moment between the two. Hence, it was natural for Rue, who did not appear in the epilogue, to be unaware of the wedding ring.
How should I explain this?
No,
There’s probably no need to explain.
After a moment of hesitation, I gave up on explaining and retrieved a handkerchief from my pocket to wrap the ring.
As I tucked the ring back inside, I ignored Rue’s innocent curiosity. She protested by poking my side, but I simply glanced at her from the corner of my eye.
* * *
Edanant left Rue behind and headed towards Jeblinne.
Perhaps because he hadn’t shown the ring,
Rue puffed up her cheeks, showing dissatisfaction, and turned to Elizaveta.
“Ha, ha! Ethan is so rude! I begged him so much as his partner, but he completely ignored me! From now on, I’ll ignore Ethan too!”
“Ethan was wrong. To disregard the request of a silly and cute fairy. Oh, would you like some cookies?”
Looks like they’re fighting again.
Clearly, Edanant must have been at fault.
Since their mental ages were somewhat similar, Edanant and Rue often quarreled.
Elizaveta, observing Rue’s disgruntled appearance, offered her a cookie. Rue happily accepted, munching on the chocolate-filled cookies.
“hehehehe, delicious.”
The tormented heart melted like cotton candy at the sweet taste of the chocolate.
The fairy, with chocolate-covered lips, smiled mischievously.
“Seems like Edanant ignored you again.”
“It happens every time. Edanant is lacking in consideration, just like Maximilian. Seems that all the men of the Hoënberg lineage are like that.”
As Ludmila, who had coincidentally visited Elizaveta’s chamber, watched Rue experiencing the ecstasy of chocolate, she murmured.
Elizaveta nodded in agreement.
“If Edanant marries next year, you’ll have a hard time, dear sister.”
“I like that nonchalant side of Edanthe…! Sometimes it goes a bit overboard.”
“The Red Dragon of the Empire acted just as expected.”
“Kikik!”
They plan to hold a wedding next spring or summer.
Upon hearing those words, Elizaveta playfully smiled and teased her sister.
“I’m envious. Jealous.”
And I hope my sister will be happy.
Various emotions were reflected in the emerald eyes of the antagonist Emyra.
Despite loving Edanthe, she sincerely congratulated them on their upcoming marriage. Seeing her younger sister like that, Ludmila smiled wryly and replied.
“Edan had a ring I’d never seen before! I asked to have a quick look… but was totally ignored!”
A ring.
A ring. A ring.
Ludmila and Elizaveta’s minds came to a halt for a moment.
As if to prove it, the movements of the princesses drinking tea in the bedroom froze completely like statues.
“I couldn’t see it clearly, but it was a very beautiful ring! Even from afar, the gem sparkled brightly!”
No doubt.
The wedding ring was unmistakable.
They must have already prepared the wedding ring.
Ludmila and Elizaveta both jumped up simultaneously with excited reactions.
“Edanthe already… p-prepared a wedding ring.”
“A ring! Are you sure about this?!”
Joy and happiness surged.
The anticipation of soon receiving a wedding ring grew.
“No, maybe Edanthe will give the wedding ring to me instead of my sister…! Of course, my sister was proposed to first, but Edanthe is fickle, so I might have a chance!”
I want it.
Desperately wanted it.
How happy would it be to receive a wedding ring from Edanthe?
It would be like a dream.
Surely, experiencing ecstasy if received from a beloved person.
Imagining Edanthe bending one knee and slowly putting on a beautiful wedding ring, Elizaveta either became greedy or turned the happiness dial up to the max.
“It’s probably best to keep it a secret. Edanthe is probably secretly preparing a proposal by now.”
Hm.
With her arms crossed, Ludmila said.
With a flushed face, exuding confidence to prove strong expectations.
When will the proposal come?
Today? Or tomorrow?
Imagining Edanthe diligently preparing a proposal alone, she burst into laughter. Perhaps he was secretly preparing a proposal… The smile on her lips wouldn’t fade away.
“Edanthe, despite usually showing an indecisive side, sometimes displayed boldness. Like when he daringly kissed me on the terrace at midnight. Hmph! I have guts too, even with Rue and Liza right next to us!”
She tried to calm her mind for a moment.
But the smile that had risen to the point of reaching her ears simply showed no signs of subsiding.
Happy.
What to do with this joy.
How to suppress this joyful heart.
Now, the moment of triumph is imminent.
After 27 years of desperately enduring the title of an old maid, the time had come to graduate.
Ludmila hoped that along with presenting the wedding ring, Edanthe would make a romantic proposal.
***
While Ludmila and Elizaveta were fueling their desire for the wedding ring,
Edanthe was meeting with Geblinne.
The second covenant of the Sole Deity.
Because he faced an extremely serious issue that could not be ignored.
“Why haven’t the kings of the nations declared covenants at the gathering of glory?”
“They must have thought it wasn’t the right time. Perhaps they wanted to leave it as a card to use later.”
Information is power.
Of course, the covenant was no different.
Didn’t the news of the Sole Deity’s covenant bring numerous kings ruling the continent to the imperial court?
What kind of scheme is this?
Edanthe pondered the cunning of glory while biting his tongue.
“Even so, I have something on my mind today…”
“What’s the matter?”
In response to Javelin’s question, Edanthe pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. More precisely, it was a wedding ring neatly stacked on the handkerchief.
A ring with a blue diamond set in it.
Witnessing the dazzling radiance, Javelin widened her eyes and stared at Edanthe.
“My father gave it to me. It’s the wedding ring he handed to Maximilian in the past… He said he returned the wedding ring to my father.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“If the Marquis of Hohenberg gave a warrior a wedding ring, it must be a significant piece of jewelry.”
“It was the wedding ring handed over when my father proposed to my mother. He said he promised eternal love by giving the ring. Well, my mother passed away early, though.”
“Ah, eternal love…!”
Who would have thought such a romantic story would be tied to such a beautiful wedding ring.
I want it.
I will have it by any means necessary.
Even if I have to pay a fortune to get the wedding ring that Edanthe’s mother received.
Javelin gazed at the wedding ring with a hint of extreme desire, determined to possess it no matter the cost. The resolve to acquire the wedding ring, even at a great price, was palpable.
‘A wedding with the Crimson Dragon? Do as you wish! But I will have the wedding ring at all costs!’
As the First Lady of Sanghwang Kingdom harbored intense greed,
Edanthe spotted a bat perched by the window and made his way towards it.
It was a summon sent by Ariel.
Just as pigeons were used to relay messages on the battlefield, the bat was dispatched for the same purpose.
– Master, all apostles have been gathered. They will soon arrive at the promised meeting place.
“Thank you.”
The apostles of the Disaster God were a means to restrain the cursed deity.
It was unthinkable that the protagonist chosen as the new hero of Sanghwang Kingdom was gathering the apostles of the Disaster God scattered across the continent. Having dealt with numerous cultists in the past, it was even more unexpected.
He might not be able to dethrone the deity from its throne.
But he could certainly throw filth at the deity’s throne.
