The atmosphere inside the carriage cabin instantly fell into a chilling silence. The air that had previously felt warm and comfortable now seemed to freeze. Vian, Tania, Ziona, and Anna could only remain transfixed in their spots, holding their breath as they witnessed the tension that suddenly erupted right before their eyes.
Kylen stared at his husband's face with a sharp gaze, but behind that sharpness lay a profound sense of disappointment. The youth's chest rose and fell, holding back the surge of emotions that suddenly overpowered his common sense.
"You..." Kylen hissed with a voice trembling from suppressed disappointment. His eyes began to well up with tears as he stared at the ten beautiful rings on the table. "...are you not going to give one of those rings to me? Am I not your sixth spouse? Are you playing with me?"
The blue-haired youth looked at his spouse calmly, completely unprovoked by the raised voice directed at him.
"All the rings on this table are indeed prepared for Dylan and the others, not for you." Arvin answered in an overly flat tone.
Hearing that affirmation, Kylen felt as if a large boulder had struck his chest.
Jealousy began to gnaw at his mind, making him feel that his husband was prioritizing Dylan, who was, in fact, the seventh spouse, over himself. Whether it was in the previous bestowment of the Elixir of Immortality, or in the gifting of the wedding rings that Arvin had just created right before his eyes.
However, before the prince could sink further into the sea of disappointment and his baseless jealousy, Arvin slowly moved his right hand. Calmly, he took out a transparent blue gem-studded gold ring from his dimensional storage space.
The ring had the exact same design and brilliance as the ten rings on the table.
"This is the ring for you later, Kylen." Arvin said in a gentle tone, offering and showing the beautiful ring now lying sweetly on his palm.
Kylen was stunned. His eyes darted back and forth, looking at the ring on his husband's palm, then shifting to count the ten rings lined up neatly on the table.
In that very instant, Kylen's emotional defenses crumbled. He finally realized the foolishness and fatal misunderstanding he had jumped to so quickly, simply because he was overcome by jealousy without wanting to listen to his husband's explanation first.
Filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt, the bluish-white-haired youth immediately lunged forward and hugged Arvin very tightly, burying his face in his husband's shoulder.
"Forgive me, Darling... I truly apologize to you." Kylen said with a hoarse voice full of regret, tightening his embrace as if afraid his husband would take the ring back. "I was too selfish. I felt jealous and disappointed without listening to your explanation first. Please forgive me."
Hearing the sincere apology laden with guilt from his sixth spouse, Arvin smiled entirely gently, then raised his hand to return the embrace, rubbing Kylen's back with slow and soothing motions.
The warm and gentle touch on his back made Kylen feel increasingly comfortable. Instead of letting go, the bluish-white-haired youth pressed his body even closer, as if unwilling to be away from his husband even for a single centimeter.
"I perfectly understand your feelings, Kylen." Arvin replied with his soothing, gentle voice, continuing to rub his spouse's back. "But next time, please let me finish my explanation first before you jump to such a sudden and obscure conclusion or decision again."
"Yes Darling, forgive me..." Kylen said again, his voice muffled in the fabric of Arvin's shirt, his embrace growing tighter. "I promise a thing like this will not happen again. I will strive to be the best and most understanding spouse for you."
Then, Arvin held Kylen's waist, lifted the youth's body gently, and sat him on his lap.
Now, their positions were facing each other at a very close distance. Arvin stared intently into Kylen's blue eyes, which were still slightly wet. Slowly, his hand rose, gently caressing the prince's cute face, channeling all his affection and sense of security through that simple touch.
"Instead of showing an expression full of disappointment, jealousy, and frustration like this..." Arvin said gently, his thumb softly rubbing Kylen's cheek. "...could you give me a sincere smile full of happiness right now?"
Hearing the sincere and simple request just uttered by the person he loved the most, Kylen's instinct as a spouse who did not want to disappoint his husband reacted instantly.
Without hesitation, the bluish-white-haired youth immediately displayed a smile so sweet, sincere, and radiating relief before his husband. That smile successfully made his signature cute face shine even more clearly, sweeping away all the remaining tension between them.
Arvin, upon seeing that smile, was instantly captivated for a moment.
"You are truly cute." Arvin praised sincerely, unable to hide his admiration. "I really love your smile."
That praise from his husband successfully caused a faint red blush to spread across Kylen's cheeks.
At that moment, Kylen finally began to understand why Allen, Alrain, Ordion, Alvein, and Alrian, those who were already bound by the Life-and-Death contract with Arvin, always showed sincere smiles full of happiness whenever they were near him.
Arvin was very happy to see their smiles, and right now, Kylen could sense his husband's happiness.
"I will always give everything for you, Darling." Kylen said with overflowing happiness. His hands moved up to gently squeeze Arvin's shoulders. "But, in return, I only have one desire from you!"
"What is it that you actually want from me, Kylen?"
The pampering expression on Kylen's face was slowly replaced by a seriousness. He stared straight into Arvin's eyes without blinking.
"After we arrive at the palace later, and whatever my father's answer is regarding our relationship..."
Kylen took a deep breath, formulating his demand.
"...please propose to me immediately before the Gods and give me the white contract symbol!" Kylen requested in a gentle tone yet laden with a firmness that accepted no refusal whatsoever. "You must do it!"
"Kylen, are you aware of what you just—"
"I am very aware!" Kylen cut in quickly, not letting his husband finish his warning sentence. The bluish-white-haired youth knew very well the risks that might occur. "Even if in the end I have to accept the reality of being banished from there and disowned by my family, I only want to live with you forever! Because that's my one and only hope and desire."
Kylen straightened his back, his aura radiating an extraordinary determination.
"I no longer care about my noble status as the fifth prince of the Flamort Kingdom!" he continued again, his voice echoing firmly inside the cabin. "Because forever, I'm the sixth spouse of Arvin Vedegra. And it has become my absolute duty to always be by my husband's side forever!"
Inside the carriage cabin, Kylen's words hung in the air with a weight that was not to be taken lightly. Once again, Kylen had declared his conviction to remain with Arvin for all eternity. And he uttered that bold declaration very loudly, right in front of Vian, Tania, Ziona, and Anna, who could only remain speechless witnessing the unwavering resolve of the prince.