Madame Shades’ smile cracked at last. The laughter in the hall grew louder with every second, echoing through the decorated chamber, until her proud face darkened like a storm cloud. Her hands gripped the armrest of her chair, the rings on her fingers clinking sharply against the carved wood.
Her eyes darted straight toward the seats where Karl and Milo were sitting, Karl with his smug grin and Milo trying and failing to hide his giggles behind his hands. The sight made her blood boil.
"This is nonsense!" Madame Shades snapped, rising from her seat, her voice sharp enough to slice through the laughter. "It’s a sacred ceremony, not a circus!"
The crowd immediately quieted, turning toward her. Louis was still fumbling with the ring, his chubby fingers turning red from all the pushing. "M-Mother, it’s not fitting!" he wailed helplessly, which only made the situation worse.
Madame Shades clenched her jaw and hissed, "Stop talking, Louis!" Then, turning her glare back to the crowd, she raised her chin high. "Someone has clearly tampered with the ring, and I know exactly who would dare to do such a low, jealous thing."
Her finger shot straight toward Karl and Milo.
Gasps spread through the guests. Karl blinked dramatically and then pointed at himself in disbelief. "Me? Jealous? Oh, please," he said, clutching his chest. "Do I look like someone who would want to marry Louis?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd again, and Milo, red from trying not to laugh, nodded quickly. "We didn’t touch anything, Madame Shades! Why would we? We don’t even like his fingers!"
The hall erupted with more laughter, and Madame Shades’ face flushed with humiliation. "Enough!" she roared. "You two have been causing trouble from the start! I can see your envy clearly. You can’t stand to see Ruby moving forward in her life!"
Karl stood up, slamming his hand against the back of his chair. "Moving forward? With that?" He pointed straight at Louis, who was now sulking like a scolded child, the ring still stuck halfway. "If this is what you call moving forward, then I’d rather go backward to my grave!"
Gasps and whispers filled the air again. The hall was chaos.
Madame Shades’ eyes burned with rage. "You insolent fool!" she spat. "How dare you speak during a holy ceremony?"
Karl folded his arms proudly. "Holy ceremony? Oh, I thought it was a comedy show."
Milo tugged at Karl’s sleeve nervously, whispering, "Brother Karl, stop, or the Holy Fire will get angry."
Karl huffed and sat back down, muttering under his breath, "The only thing angry here is Madame’s ego."
Ruby, who had been silent the whole time, finally raised her hand slightly. Her calm voice broke through the noise. "Enough," she said firmly. "If the ring doesn’t fit, it’s clearly a sign. Maybe the spirits are not pleased with this engagement."
The hall went dead silent.
Madame Shades’ head whipped toward her, eyes wide with disbelief. "What did you just say?"
Ruby turned to face her fully, her red eyes gleaming under the holy light. "The Ghost World has its customs, Madame. When the holy ring refuses to bind, it means the match is not blessed. Isn’t that what the old traditions say?"
Madame Shades froze. The guests began murmuring again, now uncertain. Even the priestess looked troubled, glancing between them.
Ruby smiled faintly, calm and graceful. "Perhaps it’s better to postpone the ceremony. We wouldn’t want to anger the ancestors, would we?"
Madame Shades’ jaw tightened, her nails digging into her palm. She forced a thin smile and hissed through her teeth, "Fine. Postpone. But only for a few days."
Karl grinned wide, leaning back with satisfaction. "Oh, don’t worry," he whispered to Milo. "A few days is all Brother Adi and Jules need."
Milo beamed, whispering back, "So the Holy Fire really is on our side."
And as Ruby turned away from the stage, her calm face hid the tiny smile tugging at her lips. No one knew that before coming here, she had quietly switched Louis’s ring with another one half a size smaller. That was the real reason she had arrived later than everyone else. The ring fiasco wasn’t fate; it was her own little act of rebellion, perfectly timed and flawlessly played.
But before that quiet satisfaction could settle in, Madame Shades’ voice sliced through the air, dripping with false sweetness.
"Well then I think," she began, rising from her chair with a loud, deliberate clap that silenced the murmurs in the hall, "there is no need to stretch this any longer. I think you and Louis should just marry straight away."
The words hit the room like thunder.
Ruby froze mid-step, her smile fading. Around her, whispers exploded instantly. Karl’s head snapped up, eyes going wide, while Milo almost fell off his chair. Even the priestess blinked in confusion.
Madame Shades continued, her tone coated in that familiar arrogant charm. "Anyway, the wedding is already set for three days from now. Why delay it with unnecessary ceremonies? We will complete everything together, engagement and marriage at once. Simple, clean, and holy."
Louis, still rubbing his thick finger where the ring had gotten stuck, suddenly lit up with excitement. His eyes glowed as he turned to Ruby, his cheeks pink. "Yeah, Ruby!" he said eagerly, his voice cracking a little. "That’s perfect! We can do engagement later or whatever you want! I just can’t wait anymore, honestly."
He tried to smile shyly, but it only made him look more ridiculous, like a lovesick ghost trying too hard to act innocent. His fingers twisted nervously at the hem of his robe as he added, "I’ve never met anyone as beautiful as you, and once we’re married, we’ll live in my family mansion. It’s big, very big! We can even redecorate it if you like. Mother says I can give you one entire room just for dresses."
Karl’s jaw tightened, and his hands gripped the armrest so hard it cracked faintly. His voice came out like a growl under his breath. "One more word, and I’ll put him in that mansion’s basement forever."
Milo’s round eyes shimmered with panic. "Brother Karl, wife can’t marry him in three days. That’s too soon," he whispered fearfully, clutching Karl’s sleeve.
To be continued... 🪄