Anno tried to regain some dignity by scolding him, but Charles simply spread his hands and took the lead: "Then I'll just put clothes on, right? Don't you take off your armor to rest, too?"
"I mean, even if I take longer to dress, it's not going to be slower than putting on plate armor, is it?"
Anno thought about this and realized he was right, but she was too embarrassed to admit it. She kept a stern face and said, "In any case, you are not allowed to sleep naked outdoors anymore!"
Truthfully, Charles always preferred to wear pajamas to bed; sleeping naked had never been his habit anyway. Watching Anno's mixture of seriousness and shyness in the dim light, he nodded. "Alright, I'll break the habit. I won't do it again in the future."
Anno looked down, suddenly feeling a little guilty. But her pride wouldn't let her admit it, so she secretly resolved to compensate him in other ways.
Charles, meanwhile, stretched out an arm, pulling her close and making sure her hand couldn't reach under the quilt to bother Ekta.
Then, in a gentle voice, he finally got to the point: "So, my dear, what present did you bring for me?"
From her hip, Anno took out a small square red box and placed it before him, her cheeks flushing with color as she asked, "Take a look. Do you like it?"
Just seeing the box, Charles already had a guess, but he pretended not to know. He took the box, opened the lid—
A light green gemstone ring lay quietly on a soft cushion inside, glowing faintly in the pitch darkness of the night.
Anno's heart pounded. She had chosen to give her present at night on purpose—so Charles would discover her specially selected ring's magical glow in complete darkness!
She thought it was a clever idea and eagerly awaited Charles's reaction once he noticed.
"Do you like it?" she asked softly, suddenly feeling nervous—realizing just now that a glow-in-the-dark ring might be a little childish…
Staring at the ring in the box, Charles was filled with complex feelings. Giving a ring always evokes thoughts of marriage proposals, which inevitably carried a certain weight.
Facing Anno's expectant gaze, he nodded. "I love it."
Pausing, he smiled. "So, may I ask Lady Anno to put it on me?"
He raised his left hand. Anno shyly looked down but did not refuse. "Yes."
She took Charles's left hand and, using the soft night glow, gently slid the ring onto his middle finger.
A wave of magic energy surged from the ring, quickly merging into him. A shallow layer of protective power circled his body, and Charles instantly understood what the ring actually did.
A ring of protection—one of the rarest magical items, its effect constantly emanated a protective force, providing its wearer with permanent defense.
Normally, something like this would cost at least two or three thousand gold. At the moment, a price twice that wouldn't be unreasonable.
She must have put a lot of thought into acquiring this.
Overflowing with emotion, Charles wrapped his arms around her again. Seeing her lover cherish her gift, Anno was filled with delight, nuzzling into his chest, feeling as if her whole body were burning, too comfortable to move.
After a while cuddling, Charles suddenly said, "By the way, Anno, I have something for you, too."
Anno looked up in surprise. Her eyes sparkled, then she saw Charles produce a small red box almost identical to hers.
Realizing what might be inside, her face turned crimson. "This…"
A man giving a woman a ring immediately brought marriage proposals to her mind. Marriage recalled her private fantasies: to bear him twenty children in the name of world peace…
While she slipped into a daydream, Charles gently opened the box, revealing a silver ring set with five tiny diamonds.
"This is for you, my love." He took her right hand and slipped the ring onto her delicate middle finger. "I hope you'll like it."
Anno looked down, her heart pounding wildly—her mind totally blank, not even managing to check what the ring's power was.
"Thank you… I—I like it very much…" After a long pause, her voice emerged as a faint whisper, barely above a mosquito's buzz. "I really like it."
A smile appeared at the corners of Charles's lips.
This was a spell storing ring—the kind that could hold a total of five levels' worth of spells (for example, one 5th-level spell, or a 4th- and a 1st-level spell).
Any wearer could cast the spirits inside, regardless of whether they had spellcasting ability or had ever studied those spells at all.
He'd filled this one for Anno with three casts of Shield and two of Elemental Absorption—all simple, practical, and potentially lifesaving 1st-level spells.
Given what might be waiting for them in the mountains—swarms of demons, and the cultists who served them—he desperately wanted to give his beloved a fighting chance to survive.
But for now, all that was far away.
Right now, he simply wanted to enjoy the moment.
"As long as you like it, my dear."
He pulled Anno close again, gently stroking her hair before lowering his head to press his forehead to hers. "I was worried you wouldn't like it."
"How could I not?" Anno closed her eyes, her voice as soft as a mosquito. "I really like it, Charles. I'm so happy…"
Her voice was incredibly tender. She lay in Charles's arms, basking in his warmth, her entire body relaxed, without a care in the world.
Bathed in the ring's gentle glow, Charles could clearly see her pure, inviting appearance. Without hesitation, he pressed his lips softly to hers.
Anno's lips were incredibly soft, and she put up no resistance at all. At his touch, she parted her lips easily, letting his rough, heated tongue slip into her mouth.
This kiss no longer held the clumsy awkwardness of their first time. Anno's arms circled around his waist, and she responded to him, shy but willing.
Beads of sweat formed on her brow, the sweetness of their embrace making her dizzy. She was dimly aware of the world around her, conscious of Charles's hand sliding beneath her clothes.
She could feel his calloused fingertip traveling across her navel, lightly kneading the muscles of her lower belly. He trailed up her back, caressing her waist, following the contour of her skin higher.
Reflexively, she drew back a hand, pressing it against his wrist, as if to stop him—but… was there really any reason to?
He'd prepared such a thoughtful present for her, another ring. They would marry someday, anyway…
Besides, this was safe. There was no risk of getting pregnant…
Not to mention, he'd already seen all of her before…
Just now, she'd slipped her hand up his thigh, almost grabbing his most secret place—and he hadn't pushed her away.
Her mind swirled with confusion; she let her thoughts drift, and so Charles's hand continued upward, finding no resistance.
He pressed his hand to her slender back, soon finding new fabric—and a few small metal hooks.
They were the clasps of her undergarment.
Anno was still lost in uncertainty, but Charles easily undid the clasp with practiced fingers. Her bra slipped away from her full chest and he gently shifted his hand forward.
The paladin girl's hand trailed along his wrist, her resistance weak and half-hearted. Charles, not holding back, soon took hold of her ample, delicate breasts—
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