Chapter 446: I Get Two Rings?!
But just as all the girls were crowding around Nala, cooing and gasping over how elegantly the engagement ring shimmered on her finger—its gemstone catching the moonlight with a fire like starlight locked in crystal, Cassius, who had stepped slightly aside to watch them with a satisfied smile—suddenly blinked, his brows lifting.
"Oh, oh! Damn, I totally forgot!" He said, clapping his hands together in sudden realization.
The girls paused mid-swoon. Nala slithered halfway around Skadi and turned toward him, her eyes suspiciously wide. "Forgot...what?"
"I’ve got one more thing to give you, Nala." Cassius grinned. "I meant to do it earlier, right after the first ring, but then things got all kissy and teary, and I got caught up in the moment. But when I saw that tail of yours wiggling around just now, it reminded me."
"Another gift?" Nala said, slinking forward, her curiosity now sharpened like a blade. "Is it food? A weapon? A secret passage to your treasure vault?"
Cassius chuckled. "No, no. Just hold on a second."
To the surprise of all four girls, Cassius rubbed his storage ring once more, and this time when he pulled something out, it wasn’t a velvet box or delicate ornament—it was a large, dark, shimmering ring made of obsidian, black as midnight and smooth as polished glass.
But what caught everyone’s attention wasn’t just the material, it was the sheer size of it.
"That’s...not a ring, that’s a bracelet." Julie leaned forward slightly.
"It’s huge." Aisha added, blinking. "You could fit four fingers in there."
Cassius nodded, holding the obsidian ring in both hands.
"This isn’t just any ordinary ring. It actually belonged to a queen—an ogre queen, actually, from centuries ago. It’s enchanted, of course. Has a few defensive charms, some warding properties, and probably a bunch of other cool stuff we haven’t even figured out yet."
He looked up at Nala, voice softening.
"I was only supposed to give you one ring, like any sane, traditional man proposing marriage would. But then I saw your tail and then I couldn’t help but think that it deserves to have a ring of its own."
"...You say that like it’s a separate entity." Nala muttered under her breath.
"Because it kind of is." Cassius laughed. "The way it twitches, the way it flares, the way it hugs me when you don’t even realize...it’s got personality. So I couldn’t just leave it out. That’d be rude. So I figured, it deserves a ring too."
And then, without another word, Cassius slowly knelt in the water and gently lifted the snow-white tip of Nala’s long tail.
The spring’s soft mist curled around his hands as he delicately slid the obsidian ring up along the glossy scales. It moved smoothly, until finally, it nestled perfectly, snugly near the tip.
Nala watched, stunned silent.
And then, as he let go, her tail flicked once, twice, like it wasn’t quite sure what had happened.
She stared at it. Then again. Then shook it left, right and the ring didn’t budge. It sparkled faintly, humming with old magic.
She then looked up up at Cassius in awe like she couldn’t believe what was going on here.
"You really...gave me a second ring."
Cassius scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
"Well, I mean, your tail is part of you. Right? So—"
But before he could even finish, Nala pounced.
"Cassius!!!" She shrieked joyfully as she threw herself into his arms with such force that he stumbled back into the shallows, water splashing everywhere. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
She clung to him, kissing him all over his face,, all while her tail curled around his leg like a vine.
"Other girls get one ring in a proposal! ONE! Even queens—QUEENS, only get one!..But me? I got two. TWO RINGS! From you! You love me that much!"
She cried, as if the heavens themselves needed to hear it.
"I’m the happiest girl in the world, Cassius. I swear, I’ll never let you go!"
She hugged him tight, burrowing into his chest, her smile radiant and tear-bright and Cassius laughed softly, and gently returned the embrace, stroking her hair.
But just as he was about to glance toward the trio and smugly ask them what they thought, he paused, then squinted.
The three women, Aisha, Skadi, and Julie, stood there, arms crossed or hands on hips, their expressions...mixed.
It was a complicated look. Part pride for their friend. Part affection.
And part pure, unmistakable jealousy.
"Wait...What’s with those looks?" He blinked.
He looked down at Nala still snuggling against him.
"Why does it look like you three are about to gang up on me and beat me with soap bars?"
And in response, Aisha stepped forward, her smile sardonic.
"Come on, Cassius. It should be obvious." She folded her arms, brow arched. "We were thrilled for Nala. Genuinely. It was touching. Beautiful. Sweet. You made her feel like a goddess."
"But..." Cassius drawled, eyes narrowing.
"But then..." Aisha continued. "You had to go and add a second ring. And not just any ring. A royal artifact. An enchanted, ancient, obsidian relic." She sighed dramatically. "You realize, of course, that once you did that—the joy turned into envy."
"Nala’s the same as us, Master." Skadi pouted, hands on her hips. "We all confirmed our love around the same time. Yet here we are...no rings."
"Eh? That’s true..." Nala, peeking over Cassius’s shoulder, blinked.
Skadi nodded seriously before adding nervously,
"I mean, I’m not asking for a big, shiny crystal ring that glows and hums and protects me from curses and death beams, or anything...I’d even take a wooden one, honestly. Just a little gesture would be nice, Master."
Julie, blushing furiously, looked off to the side.
"I-I mean, it’s not like I want a ring or anything." She muttered. "But still. Making us watch while you give two rings to someone else right in front of us...a little rude, don’t you think?"
She then glanced at Nala sincerely saying, "No offence, Nala. Really. You deserve it. I’m genuinely happy for you."
"None taken." Nala said warmly, slithering out of Cassius’s arms and over to their side. "I completely understand. I’m a girl too. If I watched someone else get pampered like that, I’d be furious."
Then she turned to Cassius, eyes narrowed.
"Cassius...you really are a bad person."
"Eh?!"
"You made three women who love you stand and watch you shower another woman in affection, and jewelry, while they stood there ringless."
She folded her arms and stepped beside the other three, all four now staring him down in a perfect line.
"N-Nala! You were just kissing me like crazy and saying how you love me not five seconds ago!" Cassius gawked.
"I still love you, Cassius." She said sweetly. "But sisters stick together. And right now, I’m demanding justice."
"That’s right, Nala!" Skadi nodded sagely.
"Couldn’t agree more." Aisha cracked her knuckles.
"Sorry. You brought this on yourself." Julie tried to look intimidating and kind at the same time.
"This is mutiny..." Cassius stared, dramatically betrayed.
And seeing the tide had turned completely against him, he gave in and raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright, you’ve made your point."
He looked at the trio seriously.
"Honestly? Even right now, I do have rings I could give you. I could propose to all three of you on the spot and make it official. It wouldn’t be weird. You’re mine."
Their eyes lit up, until he held up a finger.
"But..." He said gently. "I’ll just say that every single one of my wives back home has a special moment tied to their ring that I’ve given them. Moments that meant something...That made it theirs."
He turned to each of them as he spoke.
"To Isabelle, it was while we were cooking together. She’d always loved the kitchen, and I proposed while we made dumplings."
"To Vivi and Diana, I proposed in the hospital, during a chaos storm, with hundreds of people watching. It was messy. Beautiful. Theirs."
"And to Portia, Avery and the other pretty maids in my household, they’ve all had their special moments with me."
Then he gestured to Nala.
"And tonight? This is Nala’s moment. Her night. Her memory."
He them turned back to the trio, his gaze soft.
"And similarly I want the same for each of you. I don’t want to take away from her night. And I don’t want to give you something rushed. I want your rings to come at the perfect time. A moment you’ll never forget."
He paused.
"But of course, if you really want a ring right now, I’ll do it. I won’t say no."
There was a moment of silence.
And then, slowly, Julie smiled.
"You really do know a woman’s heart." She said softly. "Honestly...we were joking. Mostly. We didn’t want you to actually propose right now." She chuckled. "But we panicked and got a little petty. That’s all."
Aisha nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah...You’re right. I don’t want a rushed moment. I want my moment." Then she pointed a warning finger. "But don’t forget. Got it?"
"Same! Mine’s gotta be epic, Master!" Skadi pumped her fist. "I want it to happen during a feast. You’ll be feeding me meat, dozens of different types. And then, you’ll kneel with a ring while holding a giant turkey leg, and I’ll be crying from happiness and grease!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
But amidst the sound of giggles and the sparkle of obsidian and silver on Nala’s hand and tail, Cassius’s smile slowly faded into a thoughtful murmur.
He glanced at the trio of women, Aisha, Julie, and Skadi, still bright with laughter, but now without the shimmer of jewels to match the mood. His brows furrowed slightly.
"...You know." He said slowly, cutting through the laughter with a calm, earnest voice. "I’ve been thinking. I feel kind of bad."
The girls turned to look at him.
"I mean, I just made all of you stand there and watch while I gave Nala not one, but two rings." He said, rubbing his neck. "And here you are, not a single gift from me tonight. No ring, no shiny token, nothing...That’s not right."
Julie opened her mouth, likely to protest, but Cassius held up a hand.
"I know they’re just gestures. I know you’re not the kind to care about fancy gifts or shiny things. But still...I want to make it right. Even if it’s not an engagement ring just yet, I want to give you something to wear. A promise that your day will come too. Something to keep close until then."
Before anyone could say a word, he turned and stepped toward Skadi.
Her eyes widened. "Wha—me?"
With a smooth flick of his wrist, he summoned a gleaming silver bracelet from his storage ring. Simple yet elegant, with a sturdy charm hanging from the chain and faint glowing runes etched along the sides.
"It’s nothing too fancy." Cassius said, gently lifting her hand and slipping the bracelet on her wrist. "But it has a few effects. Enhances strength a bit. A little reinforcement for combat. Just enough for someone like you to remember me every time you throw a punch."
Skadi blinked at it. The metal gleamed beautifully against her skin. She flexed her fingers, then balled a fist, like testing if it changed the weight of her swing.
She didn’t say anything.
Not yet.
Cassius then turned to Aisha. "Now for you."
Her breath hitched slightly as he approached, already flustered. "Cassius, that’s really not necessary—"
But he was already holding something small and delicate in his palm.
"This..." He said. "is a silver earring that enhances mana capacity slightly. Makes magic flow smoother. But more than that..." He gently raised it to her ear, brushing a stray strand of hair aside. "It’s a good luck charm. For when I’m not around."
He slid the earring into her earlobe with practiced care, the silver glinting softly against her skin.
She stared at him, speechless.
Then finally, Cassius turned to Julie.
She was stiff, eyes on the ground, hands fidgeting behind her back like a girl waiting for detention.
"Julie..." He said softly, stepping close. "For you...I wanted something that brings out your natural grace—so rather then a piece that has effects, I chose a ordinary one that I thought would look amazing on you."
He summoned a necklace this time, a delicate silver chain with a smooth, pale blue gemstone at its center. It wasn’t overly ornate, but it shimmered with a gentle, quiet elegance.
"I thought this would suit you." He said. "It makes you look even more mature. More composed. Like a true lady of the court."
Julie’s breath caught in her throat.
With one hand, Cassius gently lifted her chin, and with the other, draped the necklace over her neck, fastening it with a soft click. His fingers brushed the back of her neck lightly as he adjusted it, then trailed back around to gently touch the gemstone that now lay just above her chest.
"...It looks beautiful on you." He murmured, his eyes full of quiet admiration.
Julie’s lips parted, but no sound came out.
Fulfilling his duties, then stepped back then, finally looking over all three of them, satisfied.
"There. That should do it. Now everyone’s got something, right?"
Cassius half-expected a chorus of teasing praise, maybe some smug remarks or banter.
But instead—
All three of them just stared at him.
Skadi was blinking slowly, as if processing what had just happened. Aisha’s eyes were wide, almost startled. And Julie...Julie looked like her soul had just been yanked out of her body and replaced with butterflies.
They weren’t smiling.
They weren’t teasing.
They were dreaming.
"...Is something wrong?" Cassius asked, tilting his head in confusion. "You don’t like the gifts? Are they too tacky? Too plain? Or—"
He didn’t get to finish.
Skadi darted forward first, throwing her arms around his left side in a tight hug. "Master! Master! I love you!" She muttered against his ribs, with a childlike excitement in her voice.
Aisha followed an instant later, wrapping him from the right, resting her head against his shoulder wordlessly.
Julie hesitated, just a second, and then stepped in, arms winding around his chest with trembling hands, face hidden in his chest as she whispered,
"Thank you..."
Cassius blinked, stunned, arms half-raised as all three pressed around him in silence, their warmth enveloping him on all sides.
And then came the fourth.
Nala slithered up from behind, arms slipping around his back as she laid her cheek between his shoulder blades, purring softly.
"I’m part of the family too." She said. "You don’t get a group hug without me."
And like that, he was engulfed.
Four women. One on every side. Holding him tightly.
Cassius stood in the center of it all, arms half-raised in surprise before he chuckled, letting them fall naturally around whoever he could reach, basking in the warmth of their embrace.
He exhaled a breath that came from somewhere deep. A place he hadn’t realized was tense.
"...I really made the right call putting jewelry in that storage ring." He muttered to himself, a lazy grin spreading on his face.
When he first got it, he’d debated using that precious space for gear, supplies, maybe a few potions. He’d wondered if jewelry was a waste, if it was too sentimental, too impractical.
But now?
Wrapped in the arms of four brilliant, fierce, and loving women, each one wearing something he’d chosen with care, he felt like he’d unlocked a treasure far greater than gold.
He hadn’t just given them gifts.
He’d won their hearts.