Chapter 499: ’Ten Golden Rings.’
Eh?
A gift?
From here?
The golden room?
Filled with golden everything?
Owned by the Obsidian Royal Family?
"Y-Your Majesty, is this really—" Florian began, his voice trembling with disbelief. But before he could finish, Heinz cut him off with a calm certainty.
"I already have a set prepared."
Heinz’s tone left no room for argument. He stepped past Florian, boots echoing against the polished floor as he moved deeper into the chamber.
The light from the torches and enchanted gems lining the walls spilled across his tall figure, throwing long shadows over shelves stacked with treasures.
Florian remained rooted in place, wide-eyed, trying to take it all in. His heart thudded against his ribs.
’Is this really... an appropriate gift for me?’
The sheer magnitude of the room was overwhelming—gold piled high in chests, jewels spilling like water, relics that surely could buy kingdoms.
The fact that this was all the Obsidian family’s private wealth made his head spin.
He half-expected Heinz to emerge holding some gaudy necklace or a ring too heavy for his hand. Instead, after a minute of deliberate searching, Heinz retrieved something else entirely—something black.
A container. Sleek, ornate, and unmistakably expensive. Its polished surface seemed to drink in the golden light around it, making it stand out all the more.
Florian’s breath hitched. ’What... is that?’
Heinz turned, his crimson gaze finding Florian’s immediately. He began to walk toward him, slow, deliberate steps that echoed like a steady drumbeat.
There was something different in his eyes now—a softness, rare and fleeting, but undeniable.
"You seem curious," Heinz teased, his voice dipping low, brushing against Florian’s nerves like velvet and steel at once.
"As one naturally would be," Florian managed, his brows knitting as his gaze flicked around the radiant chamber. His voice came out more breathless than he intended. "...Because this room is just... isn’t it too much?"
"For me," Heinz murmured, leaning closer, his words a whisper that coiled tightly around Florian’s chest, "it’s not enough."
Something in Florian’s heart gave a sharp, traitorous flutter. Heat rose in his cheeks, and he hated it—hated how easily Heinz’s words could undo him.
"Are you ready to see your gift?" Heinz asked at last, tilting his head slightly, a faint smile curving at his lips as if he already knew the answer.
Florian hesitated, his brows furrowing, but he nodded anyway. "...Yes."
The click of the container’s clasp echoed faintly in the golden chamber. Heinz opened it with deliberate slowness, as though savoring the moment, before turning it toward Florian.
Florian’s breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened, heart hammering violently against his chest.
Inside, neatly arranged on black velvet, lay a collection of golden rings. Ten in total.
Each one different, yet equally dazzling—some adorned with blood-red rubies, others with diamonds that caught the light, and a few carved with intricate symbols Florian didn’t recognize.
The sheer brilliance of them was almost blinding.
Florian’s lips parted, but his voice barely worked. "Am I... supposed to choose one?" He looked up, bewildered. "I-I don’t... I don’t know if I should—"
A laugh slipped from Heinz, deep and smooth, reverberating in the chamber. He looked down at Florian with an almost indulgent expression. "Choose? No, Florian. All of these... are yours."
Florian nearly stumbled back, his eyes going wide enough to almost pop out of his head. "E-Eh?! All of them?!" His voice cracked, panic lacing through his disbelief. "Y-Your Majesty, I couldn’t possibly—"
Heinz cut him off with a raised brow, crimson eyes narrowing with quiet authority. "You couldn’t possibly... refuse me. Would you really reject a gift from your king?"
Florian froze, words dying on his tongue.
Heinz’s voice lowered, softer but more dangerous, like silk draped over a blade. "They’ll look lovely on you. You’ll wear them all tomorrow... with your outfit."
Florian’s mouth went dry. His gaze fell back onto the rings, each one glinting with a weight that went beyond mere gold. His chest tightened as his thoughts spiraled.
’This... this can’t be right.’
’I don’t deserve this. None of this is mine.’
’It’s not even my birthday!’
’This should belong to the original Florian... why is he giving them to me?’
’Why... why is Heinz being so nice to me?’
The world around him seemed to blur under the crushing pressure in his mind. The gold gleamed too brightly, the room felt too vast, and Heinz’s presence—so close, so certain—only made the storm in his chest worse.
"Florian?"
The sound of his name, spoken so gently, jolted him back to the present. His head shot up, eyes locking with Heinz’s.
That soft look—calm, warm, almost tender—only made the ache in his chest worse.
It wasn’t the kind of gaze a king usually spared for anyone.
"I-I..." His throat tightened, forcing him to swallow before bowing his head in a half-desperate attempt to steady himself. His hands clenched faintly at his sides. "Thank you, Your Majesty. This is... overwhelming, but thank you."
The words felt clumsy, unworthy. ’Why am I thanking him? Why am I... accepting this?’
Heinz didn’t speak right away. Instead, he stepped forward, the quiet sound of his boots against the golden floor echoing in the vast chamber.
Before Florian could lift his head again, Heinz leaned down.
A feather-light touch pressed against his forehead—a kiss, soft and deliberate.
Florian’s entire body went rigid. His breath caught in his lungs, heat exploding beneath the skin where Heinz’s lips lingered for only a moment.
But that moment was enough. The burn seared through him like fire.
Heinz’s whisper followed, low and intimate, brushing against his skin like a secret. "No need to thank me."
Florian’s heart stuttered violently. ’Why... why does it feel like this?’
When Heinz pulled back, Florian could barely move, the ghost of that kiss throbbing like an unshakable mark.
"Now," Heinz said, his tone returning to that quiet certainty, "let us go back to the room, shall we? You need to keep resting before tomorrow."
Florian blinked, dazed, barely processing the words. Rest. Tomorrow. His mind felt like a storm, but—
"Oh."
He froze. Something tugged insistently in the back of his mind. Something important.
Before Heinz could guide him out of the chamber, Florian finally found his voice. His lips parted hesitantly, his eyes searching Heinz’s face with a rare, flickering resolve.
"Your Majesty, actually..." He hesitated, heart racing. "...I have a question. Or rather... a request."