Chapter 31: The Ring Belongs to You

Flora felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

“A-Again?!” she bristled reflexively. “Don’t just say things like that out of the blue!”

Her face flushed red all the way to her ears.

“I… I never agreed to…”

“I know,” Ilya interrupted, her tone very gentle.

Her hand remained on Flora’s head, not pulling away.

“I just don’t want you to endure everything alone.”

Flora’s voice got stuck in her throat.

She wanted to argue, but found she no longer had the strength.

“… If you’re like this, it’ll be hard for me to refuse,” she whispered.

Ilya’s gaze softened.

“Then don’t refuse,” she said. “At least, not for now.”

She patted her head gently again.

“Good work.”

Flora’s face turned completely red from the effort of holding back her emotions.

She turned her head away and sullenly sipped her tea, though her heart was racing uncontrollably.

She still wasn’t ready to accept all of this.

But she had to admit, this feeling wasn’t bad.

The room fell silent for a while.

Flora held the cup of fruit tea, taking small sips as the heat in her face had yet to fully recede. Ilya didn’t speak again; she simply stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the courtyard outside.

It was as if she were confirming something, yet also giving Flora time to process.

The silence wasn’t awkward, but it made Flora gradually realize — Ilya had no intention of leaving yet.

She couldn’t help but look up.

Ilya’s gaze shifted back at that moment, landing on her with an accuracy that was impossible to avoid.

“There is one more thing,” Ilya said.

Flora’s heart skipped a beat.

“… I knew it,” she muttered. “You couldn’t have just come here to deliver tea.”

Ilya didn’t deny it. Instead, she took a few steps closer and sat on the chair opposite her.

“In your room,” she said calmly, “the very bottom drawer.”

Flora’s fingers tightened.

The teacup wobbled slightly in her palm.

“… How did you know I looked through that drawer?” she asked instinctively.

Ilya raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t exactly try to hide it.”

The words were spoken naturally, but they left Flora speechless.

She remained silent for two seconds before slowly speaking. “You mean… that ring?”

Ilya nodded.

“That ring belongs to you from now on.”

The words were spoken softly, but they hit Flora like a stone dropped into her heart.

“… Huh?” She nearly choked on her tea. “Wait, wait… what do you mean by that?”

She reflexively set her cup aside and sat up straight.

“Isn’t that yours? Or does it belong to the castle? You never said that thing could be taken whenever I wanted!”

Seeing Flora immediately enter a defensive state, Ilya’s tone softened even more.

“It was prepared for you from the beginning,” she said.

“… That sounds even more suspicious, okay?” Flora couldn’t help but retort.

Ilya didn’t respond to the jab but continued. “It is a storage ring. The space isn’t huge, but the structure is stable. It’s very suitable for your current use.”

Flora’s brow gradually furrowed.

“You really did know,” she whispered. “You knew it was a storage ring, and you knew it was in the drawer.”

“I knew,” Ilya didn’t deny it.

“Then you also know…” Flora paused, her tone becoming cautious. “That it reacts to my mana?”

Ilya’s gaze shifted imperceptibly for a moment.

“Yes,” she replied.

At that moment, alarm bells went off in Flora’s head.

“Then why didn’t you say anything before?” she lowered her voice. “You knew I’d find it, and you knew I’d notice something was off. Yet you just left it in the drawer without giving me any hints?”

She even scooted back, instinctively creating some distance.

“You weren’t trying to test me, were you?”

Ilya looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

“It wasn’t a test,” she said. “It was a choice.”

“What choice?”

“Whether or not you would accept it.”

Flora was stunned.

“And if I didn’t accept it?”

“Then it would stay in the drawer,” Ilya replied, “until you were willing, or… no longer needed it.”

She spoke so calmly that it was actually unsettling.

Flora bit her lip. “So you’re here to tell me that I ‘must’ wear this thing now?”

“No,” Ilya shook her head. “I am here to tell you that it is yours. You have the right to decide how to use it.”

She paused, then added, “But I hope you will wear it.”

Flora narrowed her eyes. “Reason?”

Ilya looked up at her, her gaze steady.

“Utility,” she said. “It isn’t convenient for you to carry things around right now. A storage ring is very handy.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Flora clearly didn’t believe her.

“You said it so solemnly just now, I thought I was going to hear something like ‘symbol of destiny’ or some other nonsense.”

Ilya gave a light chuckle.

“Those words,” she said, “are still too early for you.”

That sentence made Flora’s skin crawl.

“You’re definitely still hiding things,” she gritted her teeth. “And it’s related to that ring.”

Ilya did not refute her.

“I won’t force you,” she emphasized again. “But I hope you can get used to wearing it.”

“Why?”

Ilya looked at her, her voice dropping even lower.

“Because it will protect you.”

This time, Flora couldn’t immediately respond.

She remembered the strange pulsing sensation she felt when she first touched the ring. It was like a breath, or an answer.

She also remembered how perfectly the ring fit when it settled on her finger.

“… Do you mean magical protection, or something else?” she asked quietly.

Ilya didn’t answer directly.

“You don’t need to know that much right now,” she said. “Just remember, it won’t hurt you.”

“Besides,” her tone shifted slightly, “it has already recognized you.”

Flora was startled.

“How do you know?”

Ilya looked at her left hand.

“Because it didn’t reject you,” she said. “That ring is very picky about people.”

Flora instinctively looked down at her fingers.

They were empty.

She had put the ring back in the drawer long ago, treating it like a dangerous item whose safety hadn’t been confirmed.

“… I thought you’d be angry,” she whispered.

“Why?”

“Because I touched something you prepared without permission.” She pursed her lips. “And I was even thinking about whether I should pawn it for travel money to run away.”

Ilya: “…”

The air froze for one second.

Then, she slowly closed her eyes.

“Flora.”

“Yeah?”

“Next time you have those kinds of thoughts,” she said, her tone calm but carrying a hint of a warning, “you don’t have to tell me.”

Flora ducked her head. “… Oh.”

Ilya stood up and walked toward the desk.

She pulled out the bottom drawer with practiced ease.

The ring lay there quietly.

She took the ring out, turned around, and held it out to Flora.

“Now,” she said. “Put it on.”

Flora stared at the ring, her heart betraying her by skipping a beat.

“I have the right to refuse, right?”

“You do.”

“Then can I… not wear it for now?”

Ilya watched her for a few seconds.

“You can,” she said. “But I hope you remember that it has always been yours.”

Flora hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to take the ring.

That familiar, faint warmth touched her fingertips once more.

“… You really,” she muttered under her breath, “calculate every single step perfectly.”

Ilya didn’t deny it, only watching her.

“I am only ensuring,” she said, “that you have the room to make a choice.”

Flora remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she slowly slid the ring back onto her left index finger.

In that instant, the familiar pulse synchronized with her heartbeat once again.

She let out a soft sigh.

“… Fine,” she said. “I’ll wear it for now.”

Ilya’s gaze softened.

“Thank you.”

The “thank you” was spoken softly, but with great sincerity.

Flora turned her face away, the tips of her ears starting to heat up again.

“… You really are good at making it impossible for people to refuse.”

She didn’t see it, but at that moment, Ilya almost let out a sigh of relief.