As the room crackled with rising tension, the people around us couldn’t help but feel the weight of mana thickening in the air.

Though neither Rose nor Snow were actively releasing their power, the sheer intensity of their emotions was enough to cause a subtle disturbance—one that made the atmosphere suffocating for anyone nearby.

I sighed internally. This is getting out of hand…

“You two, calm down and stop arguing,” I said, my voice firm but not harsh.

Both of them turned to look at me, clearly unsatisfied.

Their gazes burned with unspoken protests, neither willing to back down so easily.

But as they met my serious expression, they both eventually relented, the mana in the air settling as they forced themselves to quiet their growing hostility.

Though neither of them said it outright, I could tell—they had been excited.

A ring held many implications.

In any world, the most obvious and universally understood meaning was a declaration of eternal love—a commitment between two souls bound together forever. It was no different in this world.

And for them, seeing a ring from their lover must have sent their hearts racing.

But…

“Sorry to get your hopes up,” I said, exhaling lightly. “But this ring isn’t exactly something I was planning to give to either of you.”

Their eyes widened in unison.

“What do you mean, Riley?” Snow was the first to speak, her blue eyes sharpening as she fixed me with a serious stare.

Snow was highly sensitive when it came to her position in my life—especially within the harem.

Despite knowing full well how I felt about all of them, she still carried a deep-rooted need to solidify her claim.

And now, with a ring suddenly appearing in the middle of a candlelit dinner, it was only natural for her to react this way.

Not that I could blame her.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that…”

Even as I spoke, I could feel their stares drilling into me, demanding an explanation.

Great… How do I explain this without making things worse?

The Ring of Bonds was no ordinary accessory. Its abilities, blessed by unknown forces, depended entirely on the trust between its users.

And that was exactly the problem.

This wasn’t something I could just casually explain away.

The ring’s origins, its effects, and—most importantly—who I planned to give it to would only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

Maybe I should’ve given this to Evelyn when I had the chance…

I internally sighed, feeling the weight of my own mistake.

This is my fault.

Had I been more careful, I wouldn’t have accidentally pulled it out in front of Rose and Snow.

I had brought it along with me in case I ran into Emilia—the saintess—since the ring played a key role in establishing the mission the goddess had entrusted to me.

I wanted to be prepared. I wanted everything to go smoothly.

But now…

I can’t exactly tell them that I’m planning to give this ring to Emilia.

The very thought made my stomach twist.

Not only would that lead to more troublesome questions, but the implications alone would be far worse.

A ring, a bond, the saintess—there was no way either of them would just accept that at face value.

But at the same time… lying to them wasn’t an option.

If there was one thing I valued above all else in my relationships, it was trust.

Even if it made things complicated, I wanted to be as honest as possible with them.

So that when the time came—when things truly got difficult—no lies would ever come between us.

I met their expectant gazes, both of them waiting for an explanation.

“This ring isn’t exactly something either of you need…” I said, presenting the golden rings once more.

Both Snow and Rose examined them carefully, their gazes sharp as they studied the faint glow of mana I had infused within.

“A magic item?” Snow mumbled, her blue eyes narrowing as she recognized the energy signature at its core.

I nodded.

Now it should be clear to them—these weren’t exactly the engagement rings they had initially assumed.

Though divine in nature and blessed in creation, at their core, they functioned like any other magic item, activating by drawing in energy from their user.

However, before I could relax, Rose’s voice cut through the moment.

“But… you’re planning to give this ring to someone, aren’t you?” she asked, her tone laced with quiet scrutiny.

I internally sighed. Of course, she caught on to that.

Rose had always been perceptive—one of the many things that made lying to her pointless.

Faced with no real way out of the question, I simply nodded. “Yes… Actually, someone gave me these rings a while ago and asked me to deliver them to a specific person.”

That was technically the truth.

The goddess had tasked me with helping her beloved daughter—the saintess, Emilia—and part of that mission involved giving her one of these rings to strengthen our bond.

But they didn’t need to know all of that. At least, not yet.

For now, this was as honest as I could be with them.

“And who exactly is this ‘specific person’?”

“I’m not exactly sure…” I said, avoiding their gazes.

Rose’s golden eyes narrowed. “Those rings are a pair, right? …Are you keeping the other half for yourself?”

“…Well, not exactly,” I admitted. “But I might have to use it from time to time.”

That much was true.

Although I planned to give the ring to Emilia, the approach I intended to take had shifted.

With my clone, Evelyn, around, I had more flexibility in how I built a relationship with her.

Technically, I wouldn’t even need to get involved directly—just steer things from the sidelines while Evelyn handled the rest.

That was the ideal scenario, anyway.

Just as I thought the interrogation was over, Snow, who had been unusually silent, suddenly spoke up.

“…Is this specific person a girl?”

“…No?”

My answer came a little too late.

In a technical sense, Evelyn was me. So, did that really count as giving the ring to another girl?

Rose and Snow exchanged looks, their expressions unreadable, before scrutinizing me again. I could feel their silent demand for more information.

“The fact that you can’t exactly tell us anything is whatever you’re doing right now something dangerous…?” Rose asked.

Although it was a bit of a stretch of a question especially since, I’ve only told them I was delivering a ring to someone.

Considering all the things I’ve been involved with so far it was probably a plausible conclusion she could come up with…

After a long moment, they both sighed, seemingly giving up on pressing further—for now.

Snow shook her head. “You know you can trust us more, right? There’s really no need to keep secrets from us…”

If only it were that simple.

I would’ve loved to tell them everything—to lay it all out in the open and even ask for their help. But there were things I just couldn’t say. Not yet.

It wasn’t just about this ring.

If I truly wanted to be honest with them, I’d eventually have to reveal everything—my past life, my knowledge, the real reason behind my actions.

But right now…

Right now, I was just Riley Hell.

And I intended to keep it that way for as long as I could.

A time would come when I’d have to tell them everything.

But now wasn’t that time.

“I’m sorry…”

That was all I could say.

I met their eyes and gave them a heartfelt apology. “I know I’m being a bit selfish right now, but trust me… I’m not doing anything that might hurt the two of you.”

“That’s exactly why we hate it, Riley.”

“…Hm?”

Rose sighed, shaking her head. “The two of us honestly don’t care whether whatever you’re doing might hurt us or not. Of course, we appreciate you doing everything in your own way to keep us safe, but… what about yourself?”

Snow nodded, her blue eyes softer now. “We understand that you’ve always had this air of mystery around you… that there are things you keep to yourself because you feel like you have to. And we respect that.” She paused, then exhaled. “But relying on us a little more wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

My lips parted, but no words came out.

They weren’t mad about the ring. They weren’t even mad that I was keeping something from them. They were frustrated that I refused to let them share the weight I was carrying.

“Sorry…” I muttered again, but Rose rolled her eyes.

“There you go, apologizing again.”

Both of them sighed in unison, and despite their irritation, I could see the worry in their gazes.

Snow spoke first. “I don’t know what it is you’re doing, but… just know that when it becomes too much, I’ll always be here, okay?”

Rose nodded beside her, her golden eyes unwavering. “And Riley… you do know I don’t need protecting, right?”

That made me chuckle.

Of course, she’d say that.

“Thanks,” I said, shaking my head with a small smile. “I appreciate you two. I won’t apologize this time… but just know that when the time comes, I’ll explain everything.”

They both exchanged glances before looking back at me.

“…Alright,” Snow finally said, her lips curving into a soft smile.

“You better.”

For now, they were satisfied.

“Heeya~ good evening, J-Juniors! N-Nice weather r-right?”

Like a gust of red wind, a figure suddenly appeared, floating effortlessly beside us before landing gracefully on the balcony railing.

Alice.

She giggled, her usual playful enthusiasm lighting up the space around her.

But despite her cheerful entrance, there was an unmistakable hint of embarrassment on her face—her pink cheeks mirroring the way the cool night breeze tousled her soft pink hair.

The way it moved in the wind, illuminated by the faint moonlight, only made her look more breathtaking.

And then her golden eyes locked onto mine.

Expectation. Love.

She wore a simple black-and-white dress—nothing extravagant, yet somehow, that simplicity only enhanced her natural beauty.

Alice had always been beautiful, but seeing her now, framed by the starlit sky, my heart pounded wildly in my chest, completely betraying me.

I had expected her to be stunning.

I should have been prepared.

Yet, the way she looked tonight—so effortlessly radiant—made me feel like I was falling for her all over again.

“Senior Alice?”

Both Snow and Rose spoke at the same time, their surprise evident.

Their gazes flickered between Alice and me, seeking an explanation.

I swallowed.

Their eyes were sharp—curious, suspicious.

And Alice… Alice, with her usual brightness, was oblivious to the silent tension filling the air.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep