In the bedroom of Cobblepot Manor, Oswald had scrubbed himself spotless in the bathroom and brushed his teeth three times.
He sprayed cologne on his neck, wrists, and chest, three spritzes in all. He had specially ordered it from Paris, and it smelled like a garden after the rain.
Standing before the mirror, he smoothed the collar of his robe one last time, took a deep breath, then opened the second drawer of his nightstand.
Inside lay a palm-sized dark green velvet box. He had prepared it three days ago.
He glanced at Ririko, who was lying on her stomach on the bed.
She was scrolling through her phone, her legs raised behind her and swinging back and forth. The hem of her silk robe had slipped up to the middle of her thighs.
She lay on his enormous bed with its Egyptian cotton sheets, her head sinking into a pillow, her hair spread across it.
Oswald's Adam's apple bobbed. Maybe today he would finally succeed.
He walked over to the bed and cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "Darling, I bought you a present."
Ririko lazily held out a hand to him, palm up, and gave it a little wave.
Oswald gently placed the velvet box in her palm and carefully sat down beside her.
"You'll love it. I spent ages picking it out."
Ririko moved the box in front of her and flipped the lid open with one hand.
Inside was a diamond ring, its center stone roughly two carats. A tiny inscription on the inside of the band looked like the initials of Oswald's name and hers.
Ririko snapped the lid shut.
"I'm not saying yes."
Oswald's smile froze.
His fingers curled against his knee, and a hint of hurt crept into his voice:
"We've been