Buena Village, on a leisurely afternoon.
Roxy sat upright at her desk, teaching her student-Rudeus Greyrat-
a more refined technique for channeling mana into the intermediate earth spell, "Earth Bullet."
Rudeus propped his chin on his chubby little hands, seemingly listening with the utmost attention.
Yet his clear, childish eyes kept drifting uncontrollably toward Roxy's fair, slender left hand, resting lightly on the book.
More precisely, toward the ring on her left ring finger, which occasionally caught the sunlight and gave off a faint gleam.
"Teacher,"
Rudeus suddenly spoke, interrupting Roxy's clear, accessible explanation with just the right measure of childish innocence and curiosity.
He extended a pudgy finger and pointed at the ring on her left ring finger.
Then, in a deliberately innocent voice, he asked loudly, "Teacher, you're wearing such a pretty ring!"
Roxy paused, instinctively raising her left hand.
She looked at the ring she had never taken off since a certain someone had given it to her.
An exceedingly faint yet tender smile involuntarily curved her lips.
The ring's design was actually quite simple. The diamond set into it was rather small, too.
It could hardly compare to the gemstone rings worn by modern-day tycoons, whose stones were often the size of pigeon eggs.
"Oh, you mean this!"
In a fine mood, Roxy gently wiggled her finger.
The tiny diamond on the ring scattered the sunlight into brilliant, star-like sparkles.
"Ciyou gave it to me. Why?"
Roxy's tone was casual, as though she were mentioning the most ordinary thing in the world.
Yet those very casual words,
to Rudeus-a boy harboring the soul of a thirty-four-year-old shut-in-were nothing less than a bolt from the blue.
I knew it. I knew it... That guy gave it to her. They're married. Those two really are already married!
*A