Chapter 324: Rings

Words : 1113 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 324: Rings To be perfectly fair, it wasn’t just the duchess who was left dumbstruck by this news. The people outside, who had honestly looked like fish after allegedly not listening to such an emotionally charged confrontation, were now staring at the abyss or each other in confusion. Cece, for one, was concerned for her friends and these kids who might have bitten off more than they could chew as she thought about it from the perspective of someone who had just escaped a bad marriage. Gisella, meanwhile, was no longer glaring at her brother. She was now glowering at him with the weight of all their ancestors. How on Solaris did he not mention such an important thing to them?! Because surely. Surely someone knew about this, right?! Nope. But how could he tell them when he had no idea at all? And it wasn’t just him. All of them in the duchy, including Duke Leander, just thought they were in a relationship like any other youngster. However, more than the three of them, it was Ollie who turned out to be the most surprised. Unlike the adjutant, who had an inkling that his Captain was in for one hell of a bumpy ride, Ollie had always thought that they were in such a harmonious relationship because of love. Just like those in the books written with them in mind. So what was this?! And how was his brother able to hide his marriage for this long from the people of the duchy?! See, that would have to be because of a certain Duke who had a flair for the sentimental dramatics. There was a ring. Actually, several. And it was because of these that no one from the duchy would’ve thought that something was amiss. While the people of the Empire now look at rings as the most common jewelry used for marriages, it hadn’t always been that way. Ancient humans used to have this tradition and were big on the concept, but it died out when the wars started. After all, what was the use of jewelry for people at war? But then the space buttons were made, and more and more people had to find ways to wear them, so jewelry made a comeback. However, that just introduced more ways for people to show their ties and affiliations. And one particular heir to the Duchy of Kyros took that a bit too seriously. He gave a ring for every successful major battle he was in. Apparently, a promise and a way to ward off flies when they weren’t together. Why rings? Because his beloved fiancée only had one neck, two ears, ten fingers, and ten toes. And if he didn’t want her hurting just to wear his gifts, then he better forget those ears. So, one prospective duchess could be found wearing rings on each finger to placate a giant dragon. And if one were keen on preserving their lives, then they wouldn’t dare ask her about the toes. But as absurd as it looked. His gesture was a hit. Practically reviving the industry as people started giving rings to their special someone before going off to war. But even then, these were just rings, and the marriage bureau still existed to attach marriage contracts to different kinds of jewelry. Save for specific families who had those rare life-binding contracts. Allegedly originating from ancient elves, these contracts were governed by tighter rules but with greater benefits. But as for what these benefits were, the commoners would have to ask the elite nobles. Such as Luca Soren Kyros, who was apparently sporting one, much to the horror of a certain mother. At first, the duchess didn’t lose all hope. Obviously, she panicked, hyperventilated, died for a few seconds, and then revived herself metaphorically. But she thought that marriages like this should be the easiest to break if needed. Common. Temporary. Easy to cancel. For contract marriages meant that it was nearly impossible for the seas of consciousness to integrate together. But who was she kidding? Non-integrated sea of consciousness? Psssh. Even her husband’s energy did not welcome her like that. But then she saw it—the actual array of glyphs running from her baby’s finger and into his heart. Practically a death sentence, one she was very familiar with, as she herself had one. But only after years of thinking about it and getting her husband to agree on it did they enter into one. It was why it took them a while to get married, because even when they could’ve done so as soon as they turned into adults, she didn’t want to do so if Leander was going to insist on not using the life-binding contract. And this was the real reason for all those rings. She was getting all the rings except for the one she wanted, as Leander tried to compensate for it by proposing and promising that many times. But she understood his rationale. It wasn’t because there was no love. In fact, it was because of the same love that he didn’t want to tie her lifespan to his. However, that was him forgetting that she’d rather not survive if he was planning on dying early. It was a hard-fought battle, one where the young Leander had to get to a point where he felt he would be able to survive long enough for his beloved. And only then did they marry. And only then did they integrate their seas of consciousness. So, what was this? How was it even possible to reach this point when her son had only been here for two months?! Is this what happens to people who end up as roommates?! She wanted answers. Maybe, maybe not. Or they could ask the latest batch of samples for their results. But that would only be possible after she ensures the survival of these kids, especially that one who looks like he’s about to meet his maker. "Xavier," she said with a serious look. "You said you need to work on processing energy, right?" The prince, who realized she must have thought about a few implications, nodded solemnly. "Yes, Your Grace." "Then do it. Do it soon." "And once we’re out of this dungeon, I hope you don’t mind if we sit down for a chat." She gave a polite smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was going to train him. Personally. It was then that Kyle noticed the three adults next to them shivering as if they were threatened. Now, now. A threat would’ve been way better. "?" It was something he’d unfortunately learn in the future.

Chapter 324: Rings

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