The Imperial Ball (3)
I stared at the display case in utter disbelief. What the hell is this situation? I had come to buy a fountain pen. So why was I now standing here with this villainess, looking at couple rings?
Whether she knew about the chaos swirling in my mind or not, the store clerk—the true culprit behind all of this—continued explaining the rings to Aria with enthusiastic professionalism.
“This one is a couple ring set with a one-carat diamond, and this platinum band has no diamond but features a simpler design, making it much more comfortable for everyday wear.”
“How much are they?” Aria asked.
“Yes, the one-carat diamond ring is priced at twenty gold. The simpler platinum band is ten gold, which is relatively affordable. Most people prefer the simple design for engagement rings, so many choose to wear this one first and then switch to something more extravagant after the wedding…”
Insane. That tiny ring with a pebble-sized stone cost that much? Listening to the explanation, I was inwardly horrified. Twenty gold was roughly twice the annual income of an average commoner. Shocked, I began looking for an escape route.
But for some reason, Aria was seriously contemplating the two rings, her gaze shifting back and forth between them.
Surely she isn’t actually thinking of buying it.
They say “what if” has a way of biting you. And that was exactly what happened.
“Then I’ll take the simpler design, please.”
“Understood~ An excellent choice!”
“Wait, just a second…!”
I could no longer stand by and watch. I stepped between them, grabbed Aria by the wrist, turned her around, and whispered sharply.
“My lady, this isn’t what we agreed on…! You said you were only going to look, not buy anything.”
“I-I never said I wouldn’t buy it. Isn’t it my freedom to spend my own money however I want?”
“……”
What kind of nonsense is that? My head was starting to spin. I spoke firmly, as if hammering each word into place.
“In any case, even if you buy a couple ring, I will absolutely not wear it. Just so you know.”
“Don’t misunderstand! I’m not buying it to wear with you, Lord Leo…”
“Then why are you buying it?”
“I’m going to wear it myself.”
“…By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“A couple ring?”
“Is… is there a problem with that?”
Wear a couple ring by herself? That made no sense. …Or so I thought. But judging by her attitude, it didn’t seem like she would listen no matter what I said. In the end, I simply gave up and decided to let her do as she pleased.
“Sigh… Do whatever you want. Buy it or don’t…”
“I was going to, even if you didn’t say anything.”
Aria spoke with a stubbornness I had never seen from her before, her tone slightly petulant. Come to think of it, she had always been quite headstrong despite how she looked. Still, even if she bought the ring, without knowing my finger size, it would be impossible to get it fitted. So as long as I didn’t tell her, everything would be fine.
That was what I had thought at the time.
“May I ask the ring sizes for both of you? Left ring finger, please.”
“I’m a size 12, and my fiancé is a size 17.”
“……”
Wait a minute. How the hell do you know my ring size, you crazy woman? Did she secretly measure it while I was sleeping? Or did Sebastian or Hannah tell her again? Either way, it was definitely not good.
If this woman showed up in front of my parents wearing that ring alone on her left ring finger… the consequences were painfully obvious.
‘Leo! Why is your fiancée wearing a ring while you are not!’
‘Leo, I don’t remember raising you to be such a worthless man…’
“……”
Shit. No. Absolutely not. This was a fight I could not afford to lose. No matter what, I had to stop her from buying that ring.
But by the time I realized that, it was already too late.
Simple Platinum Couple Ring — 10 gold
Engraved with names on the interior.
Free after-service for scratches or damage.
“Here you are. We’ve engraved the names on the inside as well. If it gets scratched, please visit us anytime for after-service. Feel free to stop by~”
“Thank you. Please charge it to the Grace family account.”
“Understood. May you have a beautiful love!”
The clerk was already handing Aria a small, beautifully wrapped ring box. How is this so fast? Wasn’t this supposed to be a custom order? As if mocking my thoughts, Aria hugged the box tightly to her chest with a blissful smile.
…Damn it.
**
After leaving the store and walking down the street, I glanced at the silver couple ring sparkling on Aria’s left ring finger and asked with a heavy sense of unease.
“Um, my lady… Are you really going to wear that ring everywhere?”
“Yes. I bought it to wear, after all.”
“……”
Her completely natural response left me speechless. It did look good on her, though. The silver band on her left ring finger suited her brilliant silver hair perfectly, as if it had been made for her from the beginning.
But there was one huge problem: the matching half of that couple ring belonged to me.
What am I supposed to do about this? Trapped with nowhere to retreat, my head began to throb.
…Fine. If I can’t avoid it, I should at least understand why.
With that thought, I called out to her with a serious expression.
“My lady.”
Noticing the change in my demeanor, Aria dropped her childish attitude and answered calmly.
“What is it?”
“Do you really want to wear a couple ring with me that badly?”
“Y-yes…!? I told you earlier. I bought it to wear by myself…”
“I’m asking you seriously.”
“……”
As expected, Aria couldn’t answer right away. She pressed her lips tightly together. Was she at a loss for words? Or did she have something to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it?
Whether it was the confession incident on my bed last time or this couple ring incident today, no matter how I thought about it, it seemed like this woman harbored feelings for me. If that wasn’t the case, none of this made any sense.
After hesitating for a moment, Aria finally answered in a small voice.
“…It’s been my dream since I was little. To wear a couple ring on my left ring finger like this…”
“A dream… you say.”
“Yes.”
I could understand that much. Noble young ladies often dreamed of romantic situations like engagements and marriages from a young age. Still, spending ten gold on a childish whim? I wanted to ask, but even that wasn’t quite right. For the daughter of the Grace family, ten gold was probably no more than a month’s allowance.
The real question was why I had to play the other half of that dream.
Honestly, I couldn’t understand why the daughter of the far wealthier Grace family was so obsessed with me. There were plenty of men richer and more handsome than me. So why me, of all people?
Both in the past and now, I couldn’t figure out why this woman was drawn to me. At this point, it almost felt like we had been lovers who lost each other in a previous life. Her behavior had far too many incomprehensible parts.
But then Aria’s next words snapped me out of my thoughts.
“And… with Leo… so…”
“Pardon?”
What did she just say?
“N-no, it’s nothing!”
“No, you definitely said something just now.”
“L-let’s hurry! We’ll be late!”
“What? Wait, my lady…!”
I hurriedly chased after Aria as she suddenly broke into a run. Coming shopping with this woman was definitely a mistake, I thought.
**
The imperial ball was held in a grand banquet hall located in the western part of Edward Palace, the innermost section of Raphael Castle. By the time we arrived at the castle gates, the area was already bustling with crowds of nobles. Most of the empire’s high-ranking aristocrats had probably gathered here. It was that grand of an event.
After a simple inspection of our belongings, Aria, I, and our two escorts passed through the gates and walked through the castle interior. Outside, the sun had already set, leaving the sky dim. As we walked along the garden path leading to the ballroom, I found myself arguing with Aria once again.
“I told you from the beginning that I won’t wear it.”
“But whyyy… Just wear it until the ball is over. Please?”
“Even if you ask like that, I won’t wear it.”
The cause of our argument was none other than the engagement ring Aria had bought at the Mountain store earlier. She had claimed she bought it to wear alone, but now she had suddenly changed her tune and was begging me to wear the matching ring just for the duration of the ball.
Of course, I had no reason to grant that request. Wearing it would be the same as advertising that we were a couple. For someone planning to break off the engagement with her in a year, it would bring me nothing but trouble.
“Young lord, how about this then?”
Seeing my firm refusal, Aria seemed to have switched tactics.
“…What do you mean?”
I answered, willing to at least hear her out.
Aria thought for a moment, then spoke with a determined expression.
“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. If I win, you wear the ring.”
“And what do I get if I win?”
“If you win, I’ll never bring up the ring again. And I won’t wear it either.”
“……”
For a moment, I was tempted. If I won now, the risk of her showing up in front of my parents wearing that ring would disappear. It was worth a shot.
“Fine. I accept your proposal.”
I would win. No matter what.
“Great! Then let’s start right away. Rock, paper…”
“Wait, hold on…”
“Scissors!”
At Aria’s sudden countdown, I reflexively formed a hand gesture and thrust it forward.