"Lo… Lady Iris?"
In that brief instant, everyone present was stunned and gasped in surprise, one after another.
Only Iris kept her gaze locked tightly on Fang Li's body, as if desperately trying to confirm something. Her pair of beautiful, wave-like azure eyes were brimming with a mixture of doubt and anticipation.
"Your Highness," Claire was the first to react, quickly speaking to Iris, "This isn't proper behavior."
No matter what, Iris was still the first princess of the Belzerg Kingdom.
If a mere adventurer got too close to the kingdom's first princess, that obviously couldn't be considered proper.
And things like "custom" and "etiquette" were always chains that bound Iris.
For a princess with a shy personality who cared deeply about others' opinions, and was even a little afraid of strangers, hearing someone invoke "rules" at a time like this felt a bit sneaky.
However, something that surprised Claire, Rain, and even Darkness happened next.
The always obedient Iris did something uncharacteristic; she acted willfully.
"I only want to take a closer look," Iris said stubbornly, her gaze still fixed on Fang Li's body. It was unclear whether she was speaking to herself or to Fang Li, but she murmured in a low voice, "That look in your eyes feels very familiar to me… so please, let me look closely."
For a princess of a country, this request was actually very modest.
Moreover, Iris's tone didn't even sound like a command; it was a genuine plea.
That look on her face made everyone feel an urge not to stop her. Let alone the person being asked, if he refused outright, he might even feel guilty.
Even Aqua and Megumin tugged at Fang Li's sleeve in secret.
"Hey, since she's asking so earnestly, just agree. Good things will come of it."
"Even I feel bad turning her down. Can't you just put away your hopeless coldness for once and indulge Her Highness a little?"
With Aqua and Megumin trying to persuade him, Kazuma muttered, "Why does this feel like we're triggering some kind of pre-death flag…" while Darkness let out a silent sigh.
As for Fang Li, he gave a faint, wry smile in his heart. Without saying anything, he took a step forward and slowly walked toward the throne.
"..."
As Fang Li approached, Claire and Rain's expressions gradually turned wary.
Who could blame them?
Just a few months ago, they had watched the very person they were supposed to protect be taken away right in front of their eyes.
Now, anyone approaching Iris was bound to trigger their alarm.
Fang Li, however, paid no mind to Claire and Rain's reaction. He walked directly up to Iris and crouched slightly so that their eyes were at the same level.
And so, Fang Li's dark-colored eyes were presented directly before Iris.
His gaze, utterly calm.
A gaze that seemed incapable of being disturbed by any changes in the world… yet it was this exact gaze that stirred ripples in Iris's once-serene, wave-like eyes.
Then, Iris softly spoke:
"C-Could I take a look at your hand?" Her voice began to tremble with nervousness.
Fang Li gave a faint smile and directly raised his hand, showing it to Iris.
And to everyone's shock, Iris reached out and held Fang Li's hand.
"Princess Iris?!"
Gasps of astonishment rang out from the crowd.
Who exactly had exclaimed, it was no longer clear.
Iris paid no attention to those around her. She held Fang Li's hand as if she were both feeling its warmth and carefully observing its appearance. She tightly gripped his hand, stared at the utterly ordinary palm, and after a moment, looked up.
"Um…" Iris looked directly at Fang Li and suddenly asked, "Don't you wear a ring?"
Hearing this, Fang Li shook his head and replied, "Not anymore. It draws too much attention."
"…Is that so?" Iris's eyes rippled again as she asked, "Then… are you still carrying it on you?"
"I guess you could say I am," Fang Li said with a light chuckle. "But I probably won't wear it again."
"W-Why not?" Iris's expression turned a little anxious as she quickly asked, "Do… do you not like that ring?"
"It's not really about liking or disliking it," Fang Li said with a somewhat self-deprecating laugh. "I just thought… maybe it should be returned someday. It looked like it was something really important."
Upon hearing this, Iris smiled.
But it wasn't the dignified and reserved smile from before, it was a bright and genuine smile, as though something had just been confirmed, or like she'd encountered something that made her incredibly happy. It bloomed like a freshly blossomed, radiant flower.
That smile.
Regardless of Fang Li, everyone else couldn't help but suck in a breath.
They were… dazzled by it.
And in that moment, Iris said something with a sly glint in her eyes:
"You're not allowed to give it back, okay? Otherwise, the other person would be so sad, they'd cry."
Hearing this, even Fang Li couldn't help but give a wry smile.
"I'll think about it carefully."
That response alone seemed to satisfy Iris greatly.
However, the rest of the group, who had been silently eavesdropping, had rather different reactions.
"Hey, what are you two even talking about?" Aqua asked bluntly, curiosity piqued. "Don't keep secrets from the great me, tell me already!"
"What's even going on here?" Kazuma couldn't help but ask, "Rings? What ring? Does Fang Li have a ring on him?"
"…Come to think of it, didn't something similar happen before?" Megumin suddenly grew sharp and turned to Darkness. "I remember Darkness once mentioned something about a ring. Could it be… it's the same thing?"
"I, I don't know!" Darkness panicked, stammering awkwardly, "R-Ring? I don't know anything about a ring!"
But… her reaction was far too easy to read.
Even Claire and Rain understood immediately.
And since even Darkness knew about the ring, as Iris's personal attendants, Claire and Rain of course couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
Their gazes toward Fang Li began to shift.
Especially Claire, her face was a mix of shock and barely contained fury as she exclaimed:
"You… could it be that you're!"
Just as Claire was about to reveal something extremely important,
Iris interrupted.
"That's enough for today."
Iris addressed Fang Li and the rest of the group.
"Brave warriors who defeated a leader of the Demon King's army, please stay here at the royal castle for the time being. Tonight, there will be a celebration banquet held in your honor. I hope you will all attend."
And so, Fang Li and the entire group began their stay at the Royal Castle.
(End Of This Chapter)
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