CHAPTER 124: FAIT ACCOMPLI

Confusion filled the room, spurred by an innocent question.

After all, the three girls were all convinced of the "fact" that Xu Tao and Jehanne were a pair. Hearing the man himself ask about it literally swept them off their feet.

"Speak."

Xu Tao used another Yan Ling, allowing them to explain.

"Sir Tao..." Jehanne whispered in a voice filled with confusion. "Y-You gave me this ring, remember...?" she asked, pointing at the Storage Ring still on her left ring finger.

"...That I did," Xu Tao nodded. "And what of it?"

"What of it...?" she gasped, stunned. "T-That... placing a ring on an unmarried woman’s ring finger is an implicit offer of engagement or marriage!"

"Huh?"

"If the woman lets the man place the ring properly, it’s also taken as acceptance. At that moment, we’re officially..."

"Wait, wait, wait." Xu Tao raised a hand, stopping Jehanne. "Isn’t a proposal for marriage done by sending a hairpin to the other party? How could a ring..."

"M-Master Tao..." Yifa interjected, supplementing. "I, too, am aware of the ring’s meaning. That’s why I never doubted Jehanne’s claim of being your wife... You wear a pair ring, after all."

Xu Tao glanced at his ring finger, where he had placed his own Storage Ring. It was literally a pair—as both items were the same SSR ring.

"Zetian, were you also aware of this?" he asked the last person.

"No," she quickly shook her head.

"In my knowledge, a proposal is done by sending various objects to the significant other—a hairpin being the necessary item. So my knowledge matches yours, my Emperor," she explained.

"It’s just that I have a technique that can tell me when a person is lying or not, and using that, I found that this girl’s words about being your partner were the truth."

"...I see."

Cold sweat rolled down Xu Tao’s forehead. He was confused, as two different customs regarding marriage were placed on the table at once.

"Ah," Yifa clarified further.

"I think the custom Master is referring to comes from the East. There, they often send objects like wedding garments and accessories as part of a dowry or proposal gift. The ring exchange, on the other hand, is a Western tradition—popularized globally through religious evangelism and colonial influence."

"So, a custom from a different world..." Xu Tao summarized. "No wonder I didn’t know about it."

Just as he sighed, a trembling voice echoed from the side—filled with anxiety and sadness.

"T-Then... you didn’t give me the ring to propose to me? To make me your wife...?" Jehanne asked, tears streaking across her cheeks.

Xu Tao, watching Jehanne cry, felt his chest tighten. Despite it not being his fault for not knowing about the custom, it was also true that he hadn’t clarified the ring’s purpose in the first place—thinking a gift like that wasn’t much of anything.

"Jehanne," after a moment of contemplation, Xu Tao spoke. "I gave the ring to you as a symbol of alliance. A token of trust. And a wish for continued partnership. However... I never intended to propose that way. I’m sorry that my actions led to confusing you."

He bowed his head in apology.

Jehanne felt her heart crumble. Her belief that she was Xu Tao’s wife faded like ashes in the wind. Tears continued falling from her eyes... But despite the sadness and pain, her lips curled into a thin smile.

"I... understand. It’s also my fault for misunderstanding. I didn’t consider the differences in customs between us... I apologize for making the assumption and troubling you, Sir Tao." She, too, bowed her head in apology.

The air became awkward.

With Jehanne’s misunderstanding cleared, one thing also became apparent: Xu Tao was currently "free"! Yifa felt bad for Jehanne and pitied her situation—but at the same time, she was thankful that she still had a chance.

Zetian didn’t care about Jehanne, but knowing that Xu Tao wasn’t married to anyone made her objective a lot easier to accomplish. She was sure to step up her acts of "seduction," ensuring she could earn Xu Tao’s love later on!

CLAP!

"Alright, let’s leave the serious talks here," Xu Tao announced, trying to brighten the atmosphere even a little. "We still have a lot to do tomorrow, so we should—"

But before he could finish his words, another anomaly occurred. The effect of Zetian’s Charm Powder and Incense trap wore off!

It was something that had been barely keeping the "balance" between all of them. And since it ran out, it meant only one thing: Jehanne’s charm no longer had any competition!

Xu Tao, Zetian, and Yifa all turned their gazes toward Jehanne. Her tear-filled eyes, her glistening eyelashes, the delicate smile over her lips, the faint blush on her cheeks—every single detail seemed to enhance her beauty further.

So much so that Xu Tao, who was usually able to control himself, could barely sit still!

"...!"

Noticing the change in the air, Jehanne wiped her tears and checked everyone’s expressions. "Uh?!" And realized that it was happening again.

Her Bunny Suit’s charm was working its magic!

"I need to remove a part...!" she thought, but stopped her hand.

Her gaze landed on Xu Tao, who was looking at her like she was the only other person in the world. As she did, a thought crossed her mind. Her hand slowly moved down, reaching toward Xu Tao and tugging at his robe’s sleeve anxiously—another cute action that made Xu Tao’s heart tighten.

"Sir Tao..." she whispered, her voice nervous—but with a hint of anticipation. "While you were gone, I’ve learned from Miss Irithel about a lot of things. I want to showcase them to you, so let’s... move to your room, shall we~?"

She had an impish expression—something Jehanne showed for the first time. Something she learned from Irithel’s Seduction 101

class.

Xu Tao stiffened...

"...No."

—before the last string of his reason snapped.

"Huh? What do you—" Jehanne gawked, only for her vision to spin rapidly.

THUD!

When she realized what had happened, she was already lying on her back on top of the table, with Xu Tao hovering just above her. Her legs were hanging from the edge, unable to close with him standing between it.

She hadn’t seen Xu Tao move, much less realized how he had pushed her down!

"S-Sir Tao, not here—!"

She asked, but... her plea fell on deaf ears.

Xu Tao’s face approached, leaning toward the side of her neck, and sniffing.

"I-It tickles..."

Jehanne squirmed, but she could barely resist—no, she had no intentions to resist. Although she was embarrassed, feeling two pairs of gazes from the sides—Zetian and Yifa who fell to her Bunny Suit’s charm too—at the same time, she wished for Xu Tao to continue.

Chyu~!

A gentle, wet kiss to her neck—and casual sucking.

Jehanne felt electricity run down her body. Her mind went blank for a moment as she spasmed.

’This...’ she thought with her blurry mind. ’Miss Irithel didn’t teach me it’d feel like... this good...!’