Karaf, too, seemed to recall the concubine’s words, glancing at Aisha with a slightly complicated expression before starting to look around himself.

Casual on the surface, his insides might be decaying at the moment.
However, he accepted the contract with Aisha and decided to believe in her promise to transform him.

Once they arrived at the altar, the two received long candles from a man known as the Chief Priest.

The candles were shaped like a rose.

“As a symbol of the two of you being united, please light the altar together.”

Aisha and Karaf held the candles together.

At the moment their hands overlapped, Karaf looked at Aisha beside him with a slightly nervous gaze.

It seemed that he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, judging by the profound emotion in his eyes.

Aisha gazed back at him tenderly and nodded once.

The two slowly tilted the candles, lighting the altar of the flower bud.

As soon as the altar was touched by the flames, the fire instantly grew, and countless butterfly-shaped flames began to flutter around the altar as if fireworks were exploding.

Aisha stared blankly at this enchanting scene.

Nobles and priests around also widened their eyes, marveling at the spectacle.

It was said that this phenomenon only occurred when real flowers and butterflies met.

This confirmed that Aisha was indeed the true Banetsa.

The people gathered at the monastery cheered enthusiastically, blessing the two.

It had been over 20 years since the last emperor held a blooming ceremony, so it was truly a magnificent sight not seen in a long time.

After taking a deep breath, Karaf pulled something out of his pocket.

Seeing his somewhat fidgety expression, Aisha looked at him curiously, and soon her eyes widened.

Karaf bent one knee to her.

This action caused everyone in the monastery to widen their eyes.

It was the first time that the tyrant, known as a despot, kneeled in front of someone in public.

Surprised, Aisha looked at him, and he, with reddened ears, gently presented a splendid ring case to her.

“Our Banetsa might dislike something as extravagant as this… but still, I really wanted to give it to you. On the day of the last tribute ceremony, I promised to give you the only ring in the empire. In fact, it’s not the diamond that matters…”

He mumbled, looking at Aisha with flushed cheeks.

“As I have no other intentions, I hope you can accept it without hesitation as a celebration of becoming the empress.”

It was a truly rare ‘black diamond’ ring made of platinum, shaped like a rose.

The stark contrast between black and white created an extremely beautiful effect, and a golden butterfly delicately perched on the edge of the gem.

It was truly a one-of-a-kind ring in the empire.

Karaf felt a bit awkward, realizing that the ring, crafted with an obsession for the butterfly to look at only him, was a bit too much.
If he had entrusted the craftsmanship after regaining his memories, he would never have made the ring in the shape of a rose but rather in the likeness of her, like a camellia flower.

However, now, it was already too late to regret and turn back; the ring had been completed.

Aisha, with widened eyes, merely stared at the ring.

Karaf, holding the case as if proposing without words, waited only for Aisha’s acceptance.

Unaware that all eyes were now focused on them, silence flowed as if everyone had forgotten even to breathe.

Though the priceless ring felt incredibly burdensome to Aisha, rejecting it here would undoubtedly damage Karaf’s dignity.

Not only would the authority of the imperial family be affected, but her own image, already fallen, would plummet further.

Karaf, maintaining a steady stance, waited, yet his anxiety and unease were apparent even without seeing.

Aisha, with a smile, finally responded, “It’s truly a beautiful ring… Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Only then did Karaf, with a relieved expression, personally place the ring on Aisha’s finger.

Aisha, suppressing her breath, also observed as his hand holding hers trembled ever so slightly.

Seeing the ring fitting snugly on her fourth finger, Karaf smiled subtly.

“Fortunately, it fits perfectly.”

His smile was truly dazzling, causing Aisha to glance at him with a slightly tender expression.

It seemed he had been eagerly anticipating the day to give her this ring.

For someone who had always enjoyed taking from others, this might have been the first time he felt restless wanting to give something to someone else.

However, glancing around, Karaf noticed that some nobles were still looking at them with disapproval.

He was well aware that unfavorable rumors had already spread in the empire.

If bad rumors started from the beginning, Aisha would have a difficult life in the palace, similar to her past life.

Therefore, for her sake, they had to completely erase those rumors with this opportunity.

Looking at Aisha again, Karaf spoke discreetly so that only she could hear.

“…Let’s postpone the celebration.”

As he stood up and suddenly pulled Aisha into his arms, she blinked slightly.

But soon, understanding what he meant, she lowered her eyelids and gently embraced his shoulders.

The nobles were truly shocked by the affectionate and romantic scene between the two.