Chapter 168: A Ring of Stardust
Soleia smiled at Ralph. "Look at our rapidly growing family. With so many new members, the issue of children would be resolved very quickly indeed."
Rafael wheezed at Soleia’s joke. His wife certainly had a strange sense of humor.
"No! My ring is special!" Evangeline protested, clutching at it protectively.
But the damage was done― no one took her words seriously. They laughed among themselves and cheerfully chattered about their rings.
Evangeline took a small step back, an ugly flush blooming on her cheeks as she realized what Sir Ralph’s new wife had done. An angry scowl crossed her face as she glared at Soleia, but Evangeline wasn’t a fool. She would deal with this woman later. It was time for her to make a hasty escape.
But her hand trembled, and the ring she was so proud of flaunting had slipped out of her grasp without any warning. Before Evangeline could make a desperate attempt to grab it, it fell on the floor with a sharp crack and rolled away.
It stopped right in front of Soleia’s feet. Soleia bent down and picked it up carefully, her smile widening as she received absolute proof that the ring had nothing to do with Sir Ralph. After all, there was still a possibility that Sir Ralph had been drunk enough to create a ring for her.
"This ring is made out of old copper," Soleia said.
There was a tiny crack running through the width of the ring, most likely from the fall. It was lighter than she expected. If she used enough force, she could probably smash it to pieces with a rock.
"There’s rust on one side... My dear husband, how could you make something so cheap that could break from one blow? Three coppers is a bit too expensive. I would price this at one copper at most."
"My dearest, you run a tough bargain," Rafael said, the pressure in his chest easing as he realized Soleia was simply pulling his leg. He would not have to share his marital bed with the entire town.