It was an item that I had created with all my heart. My emotions were complicated, and I was thinking about various things that I usually don't.
I thought about how I had suddenly advanced in life thanks to my legendary class. I thought about the time when all I could do was remain as a lab rat, where I had no right to even think about a future for myself.
To think I'd be enjoying so much freedom and would stand where I am standing now.
It was beyond incredible for me.
Making a ring was a decision that I had come up with on a whim. First of all, for me, these NPCs were way more than just chunks of data. They were real people in their own world. They had emotions and had the capability to judge good and bad.
And for someone like me who had seen the world from angles that no one would believe in. These NPCs seemed more realistic than ever to me.
And as such, I kept thinking about Jezebeth and Ena. Was it alright for me to get together with Ena? I liked her a lot, but it was still way apart from feeling butterflies in my stomach. The same was true for Jeze, although I had known her longer. I liked her a lot, as a friend and a companion who had first acknowledged my existence and accepted me.
Then there was some romantic tension too, but she was killed just before anything could evolve between us.
And that was also the reason why I was so snapped and pissed at her death.
It was a new bond and was something that I had gained for the first time in a very long while. I was pissed and frustrated at not being able to protect the only person I had any type of connection with.
As I was drowning in such thoughts, I thought about wanting to give a happy life to Ena, and not wanting to make her sad ever, I managed to gather two sponsors during this time around and ended up with the Ring of Mortal Fate.
It had some really amazing options and effects, like really amazing. But it was the first time I wasn't able to wear a piece of equipment that I had created. Maybe it was due to my intentions when making the item, and due to the high existence that had forced the ring's original Epic rating to Legendary 5 star.
"Oh my goodness. To think a Legendary 5-star accessory would be the engagement gift from Lord Shura! Legends are indeed different."
"I had my doubts earlier after seeing his demonic appearance, but now I am certain that he's indeed a legend's heir."
"Indeed. But still taking out such a heaven-defying item so casually, I am afraid that even his majesty the emperor won't be able to do so."
"Shush! Watch your words, the princes and princesses are here too."
The people clamoured about as soon as they saw the ring with the legendary 5-star halo.
It was common knowledge that all legendary items had a halo above them, and every time they were taken out, they'd show off that halo with the number of stars they were blessed with as if flexing to the world about how awesome they were.
"Shura… this…"
Ena looked at me flabbergasted. Her eyes got moist immediately as if unable to contain the surging emotions inside her.
'',
****
Although she had liked Shura, she knew that Shura liked someone else, someone he was willing to bring back from death. And he even succeeded!
Ena had always had the guilt that she was hoarding Shura against his will. Even if she wanted something more out of her and his relationship, she didn't want to force it on him. But Jezebeth had told her that she was totally fine with sharing Shura.
After all, she and Shura didn't have that deep of a bond yet. And in this world, a powerful man such a Shura was surely going to have just more than one wife, no matter if he or the others liked it or not.
Yet, Ena still craved that he would pay more attention to her, even if just a bit. She thought that Shura had no interest in her, which hurt her pride as a human as well as a princess who had turned down countless marriage proposals.
But right at his moment, she was proved wrong. She thought that Shura was just engaging with her out of pure obligation, but right now, he had offered a gift that she couldn't imagine even a royal princess would get.
"What are you staring at? Bring your hand here."
Shura said teasingly, bringing another drop of tear to Ena's eyes. But her face had a beautiful and warm smile. A smile that even her parents hadn't seen.
Ena offered her slender hands and Shura put the ring on her ring finger.
—-Swoosh!
Just as the ring was placed on her finger, a cool wind started blowing inside the banquet hall, making her gown flutter. Her hair kept waving crazily as a bright light appeared on her forehead.
A few moments later, the light subsided and formed a flame-like pattern on her forehead as a bright golden-coloured tattoo.
Just then, the NPCs who had a status screen and the players present at the scene received a notification in front of them.
[You have witnessed the birth of a true saintess!]
[All allocatable stats +10.]
[For a week, experience and drop rate has been increased by 30%.]
[Praise the saintess who has been chosen as the apostle of the goddess Aphrodite!]
[The saintess has received blessings from goddess Aphrodite on her engagement!]
"....."
The people who had just witnessed such a situation with their own eyes couldn't help but feel their jaws being dropped to the ground.
The fact that Ena was no longer the Saintess of the forest goddess had spread like wildfire, so the people who witnessed the current scene were even more shell-shocked.
'.',
To think that she had been promoted from the saintess of a normal goddess without a cult to a saintess of Aphrodite! This was beyond a blessing. It was like a miracle.
And everyone witnessed how this miracle happened. It happened as soon as Shura put the ring on her.
"Oi, oi. My finger is waiting too."
Shura said like a hooligan, showing his ring finger to Ena, telling her that it was his turn right now.
"Hehe, I am sorry. Dad, give me the ring."
Ena apologised cutely and asked for the ring that her dad had prepared for Shura. It was a simple ring with a green coloured gem on it, unlike the one that Shura gave, which was a lot more flashy.
She put the ring on Shura's ring finger, and then both held onto each other's hands, locking their eyes.
Finally, the both of them leaned in a bit and their lips locked together, the warm yet cold feeling of each other's lips touching sending a shiver of happiness inside their bodies.
Although it was ethereal, the kiss lasted just a short while, to onlookers, it was nothing more than a small peck.
"I now announce that Earl Shura has been engaged to my daughter, Cheers!"
Harold said as he took a glass of wine from a maid who was standing with a tray of wine and raised his glass.
The others also raised their glasses and cheered openly. Sharing the happiness of the duke.
What Shura forgot to notice was the eyes of Lorcan. Ever since Shura's entry, Lorcan had looked at him with nothing but contempt. But right after the princess of Wenselm turned into a saintess after Shura put a ring on her, Lorcan's eyes changed from that of disgust to that of interest.
Because according to him, there was no way a demon would be able to turn a person into a saintess. This Shura was definitely not that simple!
"His majesty, the emperor is entering."
Just when the festive atmosphere was going on, a guard announced the entrance of the Emperor of Sahhan, making everyone present in the room drop silent.
The emperor of Sahhan, a man of great importance and also the man who was said to be the strongest on the central continent, had come to the engagement of a duke's daughter.
Not to mention, he hadn't even informed anyone prior to this.
"Tsk, the old man sure likes to create a scene."
Lorcan, who was well aware of how his father actually was, clicked his tongue in annoyance. Things would either turn very interesting or very nasty if he had appeared on the scene, and people inside the banquet hall hoped it wasn't the latter.
Nobody wanted to face the emperor's wrath, at least no one on the central continent did.
Just when everyone was having a heart attack, a handsome young man who looked to be in his late twenties entered the room with an authoritative aura.