This ring was one Kafka often wore herself. Its purpose leaned far more toward controlling her threads than mere adornment.
While it certainly wasn't cheap, it was never crafted with ornamental design in mind.
To match this outfit, it did fall a bit short.
It felt a little mismatched.
Sylvia raised her hand, looking at her left hand, which Kafka was still holding up. Both rings were in place. Compared to Kafka's gift, the other one did indeed appear rather plain.
But still...
"No need, I think this one is just fine."
Sylvia didn't withdraw her hand. Instead, she offered Kafka a smile.
"It's your first gift to me, after all. Changing it would kinda ruin the sentiment."
Kafka's eyes flickered, a slight, pursed-lip smile forming as she gazed at Sylvia. Seeing her insistence, Kafka didn't press further.
"Well, alright then. As long as you like it."
Instead of letting go, Kafka simply took hold of Sylvia's hand and led her out of the shop.
Then, with her back to Sylvia as she pushed the door open, Kafka tilted her head, the sunlight from outside framing her as she spoke:
"Let's go. Time to get our certificate. Or perhaps you'd prefer a grand ceremony?"
"Ah... yeah."
The brilliant sunlight fell upon Kafka, making her figure seem to glow.
The beautiful gown paired with the classical architecture—the scene was breathtaking, like something from a painting.
So much so that Sylvia was utterly captivated, her brain failing to fully process Kafka's words in time.
By the time she snapped back to reality, Kafka had already ushered her into the car.
--+--
Compared to the experience of getting the certificate with Silver Wolf, the process of handling the formalities with Kafka at the official bureau was decidedly... uneventful.
And this was largely thanks to Kafka's Spirit Whisper.
A single sentence was all it took to have the staff clear their schedules to assist them.
Without causing any trouble at all.
Even when Kafka gave her real name, no one batted an eye.
Exiting the administrative office, the information regarding Kafka updated:
--+--
[Target: Kafka]
[Affection: 70 (Mildly Attentive)]
[Relationship: Partner]
['Truly a woman who could be a "mom." Though she seems dangerous, she's actually full of care and tenderness toward her allies.']
['Of course, that tenderness paired with her dangerous aura probably does easily raise a bunch of rebellious "children."']
[Additional Reward: Two Crystal Necklaces]
[Reward: One Purple-Level Draw]
--+--
Sylvia took a look. The affection had finally inched up a bit.
About time.
But it seemed the attitude was still just 'mildly attentive,' far from anything deeply invested.
As for the extra reward, necklaces this time, surprisingly.
Back in the car, while stowing the documents into her personal space, Sylvia also retrieved the necklaces from the system.
They were tucked inside a jewelry box. Sylvia opened it—the craftsmanship was as exquisite as ever.
The purple crystal also complemented the color of Kafka's eyes perfectly.
So, holding the box out to Kafka, Sylvia said with a smile, "Kafka, look, a return gift. The color of this crystal matches your eyes."
Kafka, who was about to start the car, glanced down at the necklace before her and gave a gentle smile.
"Thank you. It's a beautiful necklace. Another pair, this time?"
"Mhm, I have one too."
Sylvia produced the other necklace, showing it to Kafka. Same purple crystal, though slightly paler in hue.
From the design, you could tell they were a set.
Kafka raised her hand, accepted the jewelry box, then applied slight pressure with her fingers.
Click.
After closing the box, her other hand picked up Sylvia's necklace instead.
Her intense gaze traveled between the necklace and Sylvia a few times before she suddenly leaned her whole body over towards Sylvia.
"Darling, let me help you put it on."
As she spoke, Kafka had already bent down, coming face-to-face with Sylvia.
There she was, one knee on the seat, leaning over, almost pressing down on Sylvia.
The car's interior was cramped to begin with.
With Kafka closing in like this, Sylvia had nowhere to retreat. She could only watch as Kafka, nearly cheek-to-cheek, faced her directly.
"What's wrong? Your face is a bit flushed. Are you shy?"
Kafka chuckled softly, unfastening the necklace's clasp as she rested a hand on Sylvia's shoulder.
"...You suddenly getting this close would startle anyone."
Sylvia stared at Kafka's lovely face. 'Shy' wasn't quite it—it was more simply appreciating Kafka's beauty.
Especially that elusive, dangerous aura, which added another layer to Kafka's allure.
Fingers lightly brushed over Sylvia's exposed neck, gathering her long hair.
Kafka's hands were deft; even wearing gloves didn't hinder her movements.
In a few quick motions, the pendant was settled against Sylvia's chest.
"There."
With the pendant in place, Kafka didn't straighten up. Her fingers traced lightly over Sylvia's collarbone, giving the crystal pendant a little flick.
Under the car's soft lighting, it refracted a beautiful glow.
"Hmm... This color isn't quite right for you, though. You should switch to one that suits you better."
The purple crystal was lovely, but it didn't really harmonize with Sylvia's snow-white hair.
Kafka figured Sylvia had probably chosen this color to match her.
"But it's a matching set with yours. If I switched to blue, it'd overlap with Wolfie's."
Seeing Kafka still hadn't moved back, Sylvia simply reached over and snagged the discarded jewelry box nearby.
Opening it right in front of Kafka, she took out the necklace and, maintaining this posture, tried to put it on Kafka.
This way, both had their hands on the other, almost like an embrace.
The accidental brush of arm against arm added a layer of ambiguity to the car's atmosphere.
However, it was only when Sylvia held the necklace up to Kafka's chest that she realized why Kafka had just glanced at it earlier and set it aside.
Kafka's chest was covered by a sheer purple fabric, which really wasn't suitable for wearing this necklace.
It would blend too much with the dress's color, making it hard to distinguish.
Of course, just considering the person, this necklace undoubtedly suited Kafka perfectly.
It just didn't suit this particular outfit.
"See? This color really brings you out."
Sylvia absolutely did not mention that the necklace clashed a bit with the dress.
Just stubbornly insisting was the way to go.
Kafka didn't call her out either, smiling as she took up the thread of conversation:
"That just makes my gift seem a bit perfunctory by comparison."
Kafka kept her head bowed, watching Sylvia until the necklace was securely fastened before settling back into her seat.
"This outfit can hardly be called perfunctory."
Even if Kafka hadn't made it herself, the dress was still of considerable value.
Sylvia certainly didn't think it counted as 'perfunctory.'
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.