“*Ugh… What is going on…?*”
The Crown Prince groaned, clutching his left hand.
It was all because of that ring that had been buzzing incessantly.
“*Why won’t it just stop…?*”
But the more serious issue was that the ring’s vibration had not ceased for quite a while.
The soul returned by the Ring of Miracles could never stay long in this world.
It was destined to exist in an incomplete state without a body.
Thus, the time a summoned soul could remain in the living world was short; at most, ten minutes, but even the longest would be an hour.
“*Ugh…!*”
This ring was signaling that the soul had already been in the living world for three hours.
Even asking the Emperor yielded no explanation for this phenomenon.
Since it was a ring crafted with the help of a Majin, it shouldn’t have malfunctioned.
This really meant the soul was indeed lingering in this world.
“*Who on earth is Han Ah-reum…?*”
The name the ring had revealed was Han Ah-reum.
It was the name of the soul summoned by Schlus Hainkel.
As soon as that name appeared, he had mobilized every means to uncover its identity, but…
“*Your Highness. There is no one by the name of Han Ah-reum—*”
“*Couldn’t find anyone, huh?*”
“*Yes. That’s correct. There has never been anyone with that name in the past. If they were an Elf or a Subhuman rather than a citizen of the Empire, I might have thought otherwise…*”
“*Enough. Just get out of here.*”
He had gotten no information at all.
He had only learned that someone named Han Ah-reum had never existed in the Empire.
However, the form of that name bore no resemblance to any language from the continent, making the thought of it belonging to a Subhuman or Elf completely unlikely.
“*Ugh… What is this…?*”
After the courtier left, the Crown Prince finally let out the groan he had been holding back.
The intensity of the vibration was weak enough that others wouldn’t notice it from the outside, but it felt oddly strange as it spread not just through his fingers but throughout his entire body.
If he had to express it, it felt like something was poking deep inside him.
In any case, it was bizarre.
“*I can’t even take this off…*”
The ring would only stop vibrating when the soul returned to the afterlife.
To clarify this unprecedented situation where a soul without a body had been lingering in the living world for over three hours, it was essential to accurately record the duration of its stay.
This meant he needed to keep wearing the ring continuously.
“*Hah… Hoo…*”
By now, he seemed to be getting used to the vibrations, allowing him to suppress his groans.
His cheeks remained flushed, though.
The Crown Prince sighed deeply and returned to his usual composed posture.
‘*I might be slightly addicted to this…*’
What had initially been startling vibrations were now no longer uncomfortable.
In fact, he rather wanted to feel it continuously.
Feeling a bit perverted, the Crown Prince felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
What would happen if rumors spread that he enjoyed the vibrations of the ring?
“*Ugh… Hehehe…*”
Just that thought sent shivers down his spine.
*
“*Hehe! Julia!*”
“*Sister Erika, you’re back!*”
Erika burst into the room, ready to break down the door.
Julia closed the book she had been reading and welcomed her sister.
To her, Erika always seemed so childish.
“*Hehe. So, what book are you reading? Romeo and… Juliet?*”
Peeking at the book cover, Erika tilted her head in confusion.
It was a title she had never heard of before.
*Is it a new release?*
“*What kind of book is it?*”
“*The background is a bit peculiar, but the main story is about love.*”
“*A love story…?*”
Julia’s smile made Erika feel a sense of urgency.
Julia had never talked about love before.
Maybe she was finally at the age to develop an interest in such things, but there had to have been a decisive incident that led to this change.
That incident was undoubtedly her encounter with Schlus Hainkel.
Since meeting that unrefined man, Julia had clearly become different.
She would sometimes sit lost in thought while eating.
She would persistently ask the maids about Schlus’s recent activities.
She even asked Erika how he was doing…
In any case, it was all incredibly unpleasant.
“*Julia.*”
“*Yes, sister?*”
“*About the time Schlus Hainkel came to our house last week…*”
“*Yes…?*”
“*Did that man say anything strange to you? You can tell me honestly.*”
“*Uh…*”
As Erika approached, placing her hand on her heart, Julia averted her gaze with discomfort.
She simply couldn’t bring herself to say that Schlus was a boy she had known in her past life.
“*He didn’t say anything.*”
“*Really?*”
“*Yes, really.*”
It was the truth.
Without any real conversation, Schlus just left, biting his lip.
Despite this, Erika could not shake her suspicious gaze.
Regardless of the truth of Julia’s response, she felt certain that Julia was hiding something from her.
Julia’s clumsy lies were too obvious, allowing her to easily catch on.
So, what was she hiding?
Erika decided to probe a little.
“*Then, can I ask how you feel about Schlus Hainkel?*”
“*Huh? How do I feel about Schlus?*”
“*…*”
Erika had clearly called him by his full name, but Julia responded only using his first name.
As if she were addressing a close friend.
This annoyed Erika, making her pout.
“*I don’t really think too deeply about it.*”
“*But if you had to say something?*”
“*Um, if I had to say…*”
Julia fidgeted with her fingers, trying to organize her thoughts.
What did she think of Schlus again?
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to speak entirely honestly, so Julia chose her words carefully.
“*An interesting person. And…*”
Julia gently closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, ready to continue her sentence, what she saw left her in disbelief.
‘*Huh?*’
The scenery around her had completely changed.
It was an entirely foreign space she did not recognize at all. It looked like an entirely different world.
Seated on what appeared to be a bed, Julia was covered with a white blanket.
Turning her head, she noticed a man sitting in a chair.
Although he was a stranger, for some reason, he reminded her of Schlus, and she didn’t feel particularly hostile.
In fact, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The man smiled warmly and took Julia’s hand into his.
His hand was thin and bony. *My hands shouldn’t be that dry yet, should they?*
Feeling a chill, she woke up from the dream at that very moment.
The scenery around her returned to normal, and Erika’s gentle voice reached her ears.
“*And?*”
“*…A nostalgic person.*”
As if in a trance, the words flowed out of Julia’s mouth automatically.
Since it was an unconscious utterance, Julia was a bit surprised herself.
“*Julia?*”
Erika exclaimed in shock and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket.
Only then did Julia realize that tears had been streaming down her cheeks.
What was that vision she had seen earlier?
And what were these tears?
She couldn’t understand, but—
“*Oh, I’m fine. It’s just something got in my eye…*”
Her eyes continued to well with tears.
Without fully understanding why, Julia repeatedly wiped her eyes.
Feeling an unexplained frustration rise deep within her…
*
“*That happened.*”
Erika sighed heavily, collapsing onto the table.
Iris, listening to the story, forced a smile as if to ease the awkwardness.
Her younger sister Julia had been acting strangely ever since Schlus’s visit, but today she had suddenly burst into tears…?
It was clear what the reason could be.
“*It’s all Schlus Hainkel’s fault! Ever since he came to our house, Julia has been different!*”
“*I think she might have feelings for Schlus. Why is that his fault?*”
“*Feelings? Julia? No way! It can’t be! That guy must have said something weird to our Julia and made her all flustered! He must have ulterior motives towards her! Ugh!*”
Erika shuddered in disgust.
Even though she was now 13, Julia hadn’t grown past the level of a 10-year-old’s body.
The thought of that man harboring such intentions towards Julia made Erika shudder.
Schlus’s list of accusations would have to include pedophilia.
Meanwhile, Iris—
‘*Huh? That can’t be true, right?*’
She tilted her head in confusion inside her mind.
Schlus was undoubtedly in love with his attendant Emilia.
Perhaps Erika was misunderstanding the situation.
Iris debated whether to tell her or not but—
‘*Nah. I think I’ll just keep that to myself.*’
She shut her mouth again.
Even if she spoke up, it was doubtful Erika would be convinced, and most importantly, it seemed more fun to let Erika continue in her misunderstanding.
“*Ugh. That guy is just creepy. I can’t believe he keeps sacrificing his life to save others.*”
“*Well, people can be contradictory.*”
“*But did you see? The ring on Schlus’s ring finger?*”
“*Yes, I did.*”
As the conversation shifted, Iris’s eyes gleamed.
A ring that hadn’t been on Schlus’s finger before suddenly appeared.
Given its silver color and plain design, it didn’t look like an engagement ring; it seemed more like a wedding band.
Had he already matched it with Emilia?
Since it looked like he was doing well on his own without needing help, Iris felt an inexplicable sense of pride.
“*Huh?*”
“*What is it, Erika?*”
“*By the way, I heard the Crown Prince has recently started wearing a ring too. On his left ring finger.*”
“*Could that ring…*?”
“*It was silver and reportedly had no distinct markings…*”
Erika trailed off.
She felt she understood what this implied.
Schlus started wearing a ring after his visit to the Imperial Palace for medal conferment.
The rumors of the Crown Prince wearing a ring began circulating around the same time.
Was it really just a coincidence?
“*Schlus didn’t receive any title, right?*”
“*No. As far as I know, he just received the Black Eagle medal.*”
Erika and Iris exchanged glances.
They were both thinking the same thing.
If he had achieved remarkable feats by eliminating the Empire’s enemies, he would likely receive some form of reward beyond just a medal.
In most cases, that reward meant a title.
Yet, Schlus had left the palace without receiving a title.
This meant he had received his reward in another form…
That reward couldn’t possibly be…?
“*N-no way. The Crown Prince couldn’t possibly marry a commoner.*”
“*Right? That can’t happen, right?*”
The two laughed nervously, yet the tension remained.
The famously nonchalant Crown Prince could actually decide to marry a commoner if he took a liking to her…
And Schlus might shamelessly demand marriage from the Crown Prince…
