Misunderstanding (2)
The room fell into heavy silence.
Elisha's radiant smile stood out oddly in that quiet, almost as if it were mocking the strange tension filling the air.
In contrast, Eily and Melina wore different expressions, but their gazes were fixed unwaveringly on me.
Their expectations were simple. A straightforward explanation would probably diffuse the atmosphere.
But my mouth clamped shut in that instant, and my throat refused to let any words escape.
"Arnold, really..."
Melina spoke first. Her voice trembled unlike her usual composure. The emotion in it went beyond mere anger or disappointment—it carried waves of suppressed feelings.
"Why... why give a gift like that only to Elisha...?"
The look in her eyes was sharp as a blade, tangled with sorrow and fury, carving deep wounds.
"No, that's not—"
My attempt at an excuse died in my throat. I simply didn't know what to say.
I'd given her the ring purely for practical reasons. Yet somehow, they were staring at me with disappointment and betrayal hanging in the air like a pall.
"Arnold, don't you think you should be fair... to everyone?"
Melina's cold voice followed. She turned her head away as if indifferent, but she couldn't hide the emotions she was trying to suppress. Her face feigned coolness, but beneath it, hot feelings swirled.
At that moment, Eily backed her up, her tone even sharper.
"Exactly! We're a team that goes into dungeons together. We have to trust and rely on each other—showing special treatment to just one person like this is a problem, isn't it?"
Eily's voice was firm. Her gaze pierced me like a critic's judgment.
She had a point. In a team where fairness mattered, even something this small could sow discord.
The issue was that my intentions had been entirely different.
"Arnold, thank you. I'm really touched."
But Elisha was still clutching the ring, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me. Her voice was pure, her smile genuine without a trace of pretense.
The problem was that her innocence seemed to irk the other two even more.
"Ugh......"
Unlike Elisha's bright demeanor, the room's atmosphere grew heavier by the second. Melina and Eily's eyes chilled, and a subtle solidarity formed between them.
I lifted my head and drew a deep breath. I had to resolve this.
"This ring is just for dungeon exploration. I gave it to Elisha because it suits her abilities best—there's no other meaning behind it."
I spoke calmly, but my explanation only poured oil on the fire.
"So... that means nothing suitable for us?"
Eily asked softly, her voice like ice.
I shook my head. "That's not—"
"Arnold, we're a team. But if you show favoritism like this, it'll cause problems for all of us."
Melina's tone was resolute. Her usual gentleness was gone. Her eyes were fierce, laced with deep betrayal.
The situation was spiraling worse.
Elisha looked baffled, as if she didn't grasp it, while Eily and Melina pressed me relentlessly.
I pressed a hand to my forehead and sighed inwardly.
"What exactly is the problem?"
When I asked, Melina puffed her cheeks in a pout, crossing her arms. Her attitude brimmed with clear dissatisfaction.
"Obviously, it's the ring. You know what it means for a guy to give a girl a ring, right?"
"What meaning does it hold?"
My innocent question froze the air for a moment. Melina, Eily—even Elisha—stared at me in shock.
"You really don't know...?"
"It could be a friendship ring."
"Haa..."
Melina sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead. Frustration and exasperation filled her eyes.
"Listen, when a man gives a woman a ring, it's a proposal or an expression of absolute love."
"Right, and friendship rings? Those only exist in fairy tales, don't they?"
Eily pointed out sharply.
Only then did I realize what I'd overlooked—the symbolism of rings between men and women.
Now I understood the magnitude of my blunder. In this world, it seemed giving a woman a ring carried that specific connotation exclusively.
Especially considering my engagement to Elisha, it was more than enough to spark misunderstanding.
"I see... But actually, I didn't prepare one just for Elisha."
The moment those words left my mouth, the atmosphere flipped like the turn of a palm.
"Eh...?"
Life returned to Melina and Elisha's eyes, while a hint of emptiness crept into Elisha's.
"R-Really?"
Melina asked in a faintly trembling voice.
"For real...?"
Elisha echoed, as if she could hardly believe it.
"Yeah. Like I said earlier, I prepared them to make dungeon runs smoother."
"Not just for Elisha—for everyone."
As proof, I pulled out the other accessories from my pouch and handed them out one by one.
To Melina, an elegant necklace adorned with a sacred stone; to Eily, a silver locket containing a magic stone; and to Varis, a subtle golden bracelet that seemed to hold the warmth of sunlight.
"They're all made with sacred stones, so they'll help keep your mind clear in the dungeon."
"Wh-What? It was really just that? Th-Thank you!"
Melina smiled, clutching the necklace.
"Mine too? Thank you, Master. I'll treasure it...♡"
Eily gripped the locket tightly, her eyes shining.
"Mine... too? Uh... thanks. Really, thank you."
Varis scratched his head awkwardly, accepting the bracelet.
Everyone beamed with joy upon receiving their gifts—except one.
There was someone who now looked utterly deflated, a far cry from the start.
"What... so it didn't mean that?"
Elisha murmured softly, staring down at the ring in her hand. Disappointment was plain on her face.
"And here I got all excited for nothing."
Her cheeks flushed faintly before fading, her gaze struggling to regain composure.
"Anyway, I gave them out to prepare for next week's dungeon dive. No big meaning."
I explained as evenly as possible.
"Still... I'm happy to receive something like this from you."
Melina sounded a bit wistful but replied with a smile.
"To me, it's more precious than anything!"
Eily hugged the locket to her chest, unable to hide her delight.
The tense mood gradually melted away.
Sensing the lighter air, I tossed out a casual question.
"By the way... friendship rings don't exist here?"
Everyone tilted their heads, looking at me.
"Nope! That's why I was thrilled thinking you chose me..."
Elisha grumbled a little.
Melina shook her head too.
"At least elves don't do that."
"I'm not sure about friendship rings either... My knowledge of other cultures is limited."
"First time hearing about it."
Eily added cautiously, and Varis shrugged.
It seemed friendship rings weren't a thing in this world.
In my original world, they weren't common, but people did exchange them as symbols of friendship sometimes.
I'd even shared one with a childhood friend back home—purely platonic, of course.
"Haa, got it."
This was clearly my mistake, applying my world's common sense here blindly.
Ding... Ding... Ding...
A faint bell tolled from afar. The massive chime ringing three times signaled the start of class.
Everyone hurried to their feet, heading to the classroom.
"Arnold, come on."
Elisha beckoned with a wave.
"Master? Time to go."
Eily said with a gentle smile.
I stood there blankly for a moment, watching their backs.
Then a complicated thought crossed my mind.
Come to think of it, quite some time has passed since I came here.
Has the same amount of time passed on Earth? Are my family and friends doing fine without me? And her... is she okay too?
"Master?"
Eily tapped my shoulder with a worried look.
"Right, let's go."
Caught up in tangled thoughts, I'd zoned out.
I'd forgotten until now, but returning to my world was part of my goals.
With the harem route effectively blocked, though, I'd need to find another way.
"......"
For now, I'd think about it later. Right now, nothing came to mind except nostalgic faces from the past.