“Why don’t you wear your ring?”
“…Ring?”
“The wedding ring.”
Assad answered with a strange look.
Cayden naturally thought of the wedding ring Assad mentioned. Remembering that ring, so dazzling it was intimidating just to look at, made him feel cold inside.
The wedding ring, which must have been prepared for another bride, not him, was truly magnificent… and heavy.
Even without an eye for such things, he could guess that its value was thousands, no, millions of times more than his own worth. How could he wear such a ring? He was afraid of accidentally scratching it or losing it.
Anyway, Assad must have only reluctantly worn the ring during the wedding ceremony, enduring something he disliked…
Cayden’s thoughts were abruptly cut off when he unconsciously looked at Assad’s left hand. Among the two rings on Assad’s left ring finger, the particularly ornate one caught his attention. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed it until now.
“I’ve never taken off my wedding ring. Unlike you, who has never worn your wedding ring until now.”
“…”
“I should say I’ve been trying to fulfill my duties as a husband.”
Aside from wondering why wearing a wedding ring was a husband’s duty, Cayden felt sorry toward Assad.
If he had known earlier that Assad had been wearing his wedding ring all this time, he wouldn’t have kept his finger empty. At least when he was with Assad, he would have worn the ring.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine.”
Assad released Cayden’s hand and immediately opened a small jewelry box that he had placed on the corner of the table.
The jewelry hidden inside the black box was a thin-edged ring. It wasn’t incredibly ornate like the wedding ring, but rather had a quite modest appearance. It was identical to the other ring among the two on Assad’s ring finger.
“If nothing else, I should be the one to gift you a ring. I can’t leave such a private matter between spouses to Amun.”
Assad took hold of Cayden’s left hand once more. He casually slipped the ring he had brought onto the stunned man’s ring finger.
“Well, the previous wedding ring didn’t suit you anyway. But this one… seems fine.”
Assad looked up and met Cayden’s eyes. Cayden, who had his mouth half open in surprise, had to lower his head in embarrassment.
The unexpectedly gifted ring was modest only in appearance; it sparkled no less brilliantly than the wedding ring. It was a dazzling that felt almost presumptuous. Yet somehow, it didn’t feel as intimidating as the wedding ring.
“I chose it for you. There’s no way it wouldn’t be suitable.”
“It’s something Assad chose for me.” Could that be why it didn’t feel intimidating?
Looking up cautiously at Assad’s confident face, Cayden couldn’t help but think that.
“It may not suit me, but that couldn’t be helped. I had to match it to you rather than myself.”
Assad smiled and waved his left hand in front of Cayden’s eyes. The two rings on his ring finger sparkled with different lights. Both were rings he shared with Cayden.
During the somber wedding ceremony, Cayden had felt only fear while exchanging rings with Assad. But today… he felt a strange flutter in his chest. The hand Assad had held felt warm.
Cayden remained silent. His head was spinning dizzily. But he quickly composed himself and met Assad’s eyes.
“From now on, I’ll never take off the ring.”
Except when washing, he added, rambling unnecessarily as he expressed his profound gratitude to Assad. He thanked him not just for the ring, but for each of the other gifts Assad had sent. He couldn’t even properly remember what incoherent nonsense he had spouted.
Assad simply listened to Cayden. He just looked at Cayden with a smile on his lips.
Even after Cayden finished speaking, Assad didn’t open his mouth. Cayden also didn’t continue the conversation.
For quite a long time, Cayden stole glances at Assad, who was gazing at the ring on Cayden’s finger. All the while, Cayden tried not to assign any meaning to the attention Assad was giving him.
“…”
Finishing his reverie, Cayden abruptly stood up.
He felt somewhat awkward. Thinking about Assad at this late hour made him feel as if he were committing a sin.
Cayden turned toward the window where moonlight was streaming in.
Under the soft light gently illuminating the dark bedroom, Cayden idly caressed the ring. He quietly cherished this joy, different from when he received the bracelet from Amun.
The beautiful ring Assad had given him didn’t match his rough hands at all. But knowing this, he still had no intention of removing it from his finger.
When the time came to leave Helio, this ring, like the wedding ring, would find its place inside a jewelry box. But until then, it could stay with him. Since Assad had spoken of a husband’s duty and hadn’t removed his ring, Cayden should follow suit. Using the excuse of a partner’s duty.
…As if they were a real couple.
“How childish.”
Cayden, laughing softly, lay back down on the bed. He turned his body away from the moonlight. Though that faint white light wouldn’t wear down the ring, he wanted to be careful.
‘Perhaps… I’m doing this because I want to keep it for myself alone.’
With a smile on his lips, Cayden closed his eyes. The jewel supported by the thin band shone brightly even in the darkness.
* * *
“Ah… I’m tired.”
Heka lay down on the sofa with a groan. Fatigue was evident on the fine face of the man nicknamed the Desert Flower.
He didn’t dare contemplate washing up and changing into nightclothes. He didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger. His body felt so drained that he thought he might have to spend the rest of the day lying down.
It had been an exhausting outing.
Today, Heka had set foot in the palace hidden within the vast imperial grounds. It was to meet the rumored Crown Prince Consort.
Heka was the second son of Kuram, one of Helio’s three ministers. He was also Kuram’s only omega child.
The ambitious Kuram had worked diligently to make his beautiful son the future empress. Heka had also followed his father’s wishes without complaint, which is why Kuram’s efforts finally bore fruit. His son and the Crown Prince became engaged. To be precise, it was a promise between Kuram and the Emperor.
So, Heka was supposed to be Helio’s Crown Prince Consort. That is, if the god hadn’t suddenly broken the silence.
With one breath from the god, the path he had been walking was abruptly cut off. It was as if he had been seized by the nape and pushed out of the path.
After his marriage to Assad fell through, Heka spent about ten days lying in bed, denying reality.
But on the fifteenth day, he got up and left his bed. He had come to his senses. He didn’t want to waste precious time wallowing in despair. He was young, after all. His remaining life was too precious to spend regretting and dwelling on lost opportunities.
Heka regretted the broken marriage. But he thought it couldn’t be helped. If it was the will of the god, what could a mere human do?
Of course, Heka’s father, Kuram, wasn’t as calm as his son. He cried every day, cursing the Crown Prince Consort who had taken his son’s place.
Heka showed no particular reaction to such behavior from Kuram. He only thought it sounded more romantic the more he heard it. A man with nothing to his name, paired with Helio’s Crown Prince through a divine oracle. Wasn’t it a sweet story that people couldn’t help but love?
But Kuram’s thoughts differed from Heka’s. And sure enough, from a certain day, Kuram began to prod his son, whose reaction was lukewarm.
“My child, go meet the Crown Prince Consort. See with your own eyes whether the god’s choice is perfect or not. Based on that impious judgment, you can either step back or push forward. That’s what your father believes.”
It sounded like a suspicious plot.
Kuram’s nagging continued. To the point where Heka thought his ears might bleed if he heard more.
Finally, Heka decided to meet the Crown Prince Consort as his father Kuram wished. It was to avoid the annoying nagging. …And he was also a little curious about this person named Cayden.
That was today’s business.
The meeting was easily arranged. It was thanks to his father, who had already made overtures to the Empress. He had told her that he was concerned the Crown Prince Consort, who had come to Helio without any connections after receiving a sudden oracle, might be lonely, and he wanted to introduce his son, who was of similar age.
The Crown Prince Consort was waiting for his visitor in the reception room on the first floor of the Western Palace. A young male servant, who seemed to be on the verge of adulthood, stood guard beside the Crown Prince Consort with his tense face. It was ridiculous how he stood there with fire in his eyes, as if Heka might harm the Crown Prince Consort.
This was the first time Heka had seen Cayden. It was natural since only a small number of people designated by the Emperor were qualified to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Assad. Also, Cayden had never once shown his face at any banquet or gathering, let alone dinner, held inside or outside the imperial family.
The Crown Prince Consort, whom he was fortunate enough to meet, was unexpectedly… an attractive man. Despite giving an impression of being cold and sensitive at first glance, there was no sense of a wall. Even the man’s attire, which his father had ridiculed as suffocating just to look at, didn’t come across as bad. It suited him well, regardless.
He did seem a bit gloomy, as rumored. It was a melancholy he himself might not be aware of. Perhaps the problem was his excessive concern for others’ opinions. Meanwhile, the servant, who should have been mindful of the guest, was glaring at him as if he would devour him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
