A Little Complaint

Lu Yan stared blankly at the astonishingly bright Tacit Mark, feeling the scalding heat emanating from Aemeath's palm, his breathing becoming even more disordered.

"A-Yan..."

At this point, Aemeath's previously firm expression softened slightly.

She pouted, and the tears that Lu Yan had just wiped away from her eyes quickly welled up again, much to her dismay.

She was on the verge of tears again.

Just moments ago she had been like a majestic female knight, vowing to protect the prince, but the moment she saw Lu Yan's eyes filled with emotion, all the toughness she had been putting on melted away.

"You... you say something..." Aemeath's eyes welled up with tears, her voice soft and trembling with hurt and nervousness, "If you dare to refuse, I... I won't talk to you tomorrow, and I won't talk to you the day after..."

Looking at the girl's adorable appearance—tears welling up but still uttering harsh words—all of Lu Yan's shock and helplessness vanished in that instant.

Lu Yan smiled.

His smile no longer held the previous awkwardness, nor any trace of anxiety or worry.

He did not pull his left hand away from Aemeath's grasp, but instead leaned forward slightly, extended his right hand, and gently wiped away a single, glistening tear that had just spilled from the corner of Aemeath's eye with his fingertips.

"Good."

Lu Yan's voice was deep and mellow, possessing a magical power to soothe all unease.

He looked into Aemeath's eyes, his smile gentle to the core, his tone full of indulgence and doting:

"Then I'll entrust my protection to Knight Aemeath."

Upon hearing this definitive answer, tears finally streamed down Aemeath's face, but a radiant smile instantly bloomed on her cheeks.

Her smile was brighter than the starry sky outside the window on a summer night.

"You said it, you can't go back on your word!"

Aemeath sniffed with a smile on her face.

She eagerly picked up the pink, shimmering men's ring with her right hand and steadily aligned it with Lu Yan's left ring finger.

This time, she didn't give Lu Yan any chance to hesitate; her movements were surprisingly swift.

The moment the cool inner wall touched Lu Yan's fingertips, Lu Yan could clearly feel the warm and vibrant pink Frequency belonging to Aemeath spreading from his fingertips to his entire body.

It was a wonderful feeling, like her heartbeat, which had made a home in her body ever since.

Aemeath carefully and meticulously pushed the ring along Lu Yan's ring finger, her expression one of intense focus.

The moment the thick men's ring finally slipped past the knuckles and firmly nestled at the base of the ring finger, the name "Lu Yan & Aemeath" engraved on the inner side clung tightly to Lu Yan's skin.

"You're wearing it!"

Aemeath let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes practically overflowing with joy.

She didn't immediately let go of Lu Yan's hand, but instead raised her own left hand and placed it next to him for comparison.

Under the warm orange light, she pressed her slender hand, adorned with a women's ring, tightly against Lu Yan's large hand, with its distinct knuckles and adorned with a men's ring.

The two hands together create the most heartwarming scene in the world.

She compared her ring to Lu Yan's. The two platinum rings, one large and one small, were placed side by side.

The forget-me-not vines on the ring face seemed to be truly intertwined at this moment.

Even more remarkably, the golden Frequency flowing on the woman's ring and the pink light shimmering on the man's ring resonated faintly at extremely close range.

Two faint lights, one gold and one pink, intertwined quietly in the air, as if proclaiming to the world some kind of unbreakable bond.

Aemeath gazed at the perfectly matched rings, her sense of satisfaction swelled to its peak.

She wasn't satisfied with just "comparing" her fingers; instead, she spread her five fingers wide and slipped them between Lu Yan's fingers.

Their fingers were intertwined.

Her palm was pressed tightly against Lu Yan's palm, and the two rings made a very slight metallic clinking sound as they clasped together, a "ding" that sounded like the tolling of a church bell.

Aemeath felt the warmth of Lu Yan's hand in her palm, and the astonishingly Tacit Mark light on her chest gradually softened and returned to calm.

She knelt on the carpet, looking up at her flushed face, still wet with tears, as she gazed at Lu Yan, whose fingers were intertwined with hers, and finally couldn't help but giggle.

"Hehehe..." Aemeath held Lu Yan's hand and shook it gently.

Looking into Lu Yan's eyes, she announced with immense pride:

"Now A-Yan is mine."

"My eyes are sealed... my heart is locked too. Even if you disappear again, I can find you through this ring."

Lu Yan patted and ruffled Aemeath's hair, then smiled and said, "Silly girl, I'll always be yours."

The clock on the living room wall ticked softly.

Aemeath leaned against Lu Yan's broad chest, letting his warm breath brush against the top of her head.

My heart, which had been pounding with excitement, finally found its steady rhythm.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze passing over Lu Yan's shoulder and landing on the clock not far away.

The clock has quietly passed ten o'clock.

"Oh dear, it's already past ten o'clock..." Aemeath muttered softly, her voice still soft and hoarse from crying.

Lu Yan tightened his arms around her waist slightly, and nuzzled his chin against her neck. "Hmm, time flies. I thought we'd only been sitting here for a short while."

"It's not just a short while!"

Aemeath suddenly sat up straight from his embrace, her golden eyes, which had just been washed by tears and were now shining brightly, staring intently at Lu Yan.

She pouted her full, pink lips, and a sly smile suddenly appeared in her originally gentle gaze.

Do you know how long I stayed on the sofa waiting for you to take out that little box?

As Aemeath spoke, she extended her left hand, which was adorned with a ring, and poked Lu Yan's muscular chest without any hesitation, her fingertips tapping his heart again and again.

Lu Yan wasn't annoyed by her provocation; instead, he felt an indescribable tingling sensation in his chest.

He took the mischievous little hand in his grasp, enveloping it in his palm, his thumb gently stroking the forget-me-not vine on her ring finger, his eyes warm and gentle.

"I'm sorry, I'm just too clumsy. I couldn't find the right words or the right time to speak."

"Hmph~ You think you can get rid of me with just an apology?" Aemeath didn't pull her hand back; instead, she leaned her entire body weight against him, following his force.

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her ahoge (cowlick) bobbing slightly on her head, "But... A-Yan just made me overthink things for a really, really long time~"