The worse you are, the stronger you become: My summoned beast is a photographer.

Looks like I won't be able to go to school today.

Aura followed behind her father, and the group walked along the dappled stone path towards the teahouse deep in the garden. The teahouse was set under several old camellia trees, and the white rattan tables and chairs looked particularly elegant in the twilight. Fine porcelain teaware and several plates of delicate pastries were already laid out on the table.

"Miss Aura, Mr. Ming Luochen, please sit next to me," Fitz invited, patting the chair beside him.

Aura was slightly taken aback.

When having afternoon tea, if guests are present, according to aristocratic etiquette, adults sit at one table and children at another. For more important tea parties, even the ladies of the nobility must sit separately.

The underlying principle lies in the rhythm of the conversation. When discussing serious matters, everyone has their own pace and order of speaking, especially when it's time to get to the point but the other person is reluctant. It's crucial to guide the conversation step by step, slowly probing and testing the waters. If someone suddenly interjects, "You must be Mr. Wang, I've always admired you," the conversation immediately veers off course, and you have to spend time finding another opportunity to guide it. Those in high positions are busy and have limited time; once an opportunity is missed, it's gone forever—like a lover lost forever, in the blink of an eye, the beloved has become someone else's wife.

Therefore, in formal settings, people usually sit at separate tables to talk. Aura had learned this in etiquette class. Fitz's invitation for her to sit with him at this moment was both a great show of respect and an indication of the theme of the tea party—it was about her.

Aura took a deep breath, took Ming Luochen's hand, knelt down beside Fitz, and lay down on the exquisite soft couch.

Ming Luochen, however, was helped to sit down in a chair by Aura, who pressed his shoulders down. The chair was made of wicker and sank slightly when you sat on it. The sweet fragrance of camellias mixed with the mellow aroma of black tea, floating gently in the breeze.

Fitz picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze inadvertently fell on Aura's face. His tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather: "Miss Aura, I wonder what power the ring bestowed upon you by the God of Souls possesses?"

"It generates a light shield that can resist damage," Aura said frankly, without hiding anything.

"Could you demonstrate?" Fitz put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes. "Let me see what the light shield bestowed by the goddess Dorengar looks like."

"No problem." Aura looked at Ming Luochen and extended her hand.

Ming Luochen hesitated for a moment—the ring hadn't even warmed his hand yet—but he still took it off and handed it to her.

Fitz glanced back and forth between the two, somewhat surprised: "You... swapped rings?" He raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering if anyone could use this ring.

"Yes, I prefer lightsabers." Aura put on the ring, glanced down at her attribute panel, and suddenly paused—two equipment slots appeared on the panel at the same time, as if two pieces of equipment could be worn simultaneously. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and with a thought, a pale purple light shield appeared on her forearm.

The light shield was a translucent purple, with a soft halo flowing around its edges, appearing particularly dreamlike in the twilight. Aura raised her arm, turning the light shield so that Fitz could see the details clearly.

Fitz moved closer, his gaze intently examining the patterns on the surface of the light shield. Faint vine-like patterns adorned the shield's surface, writhing slightly with the glow as if they were alive.

"It's mainly for defense." Aura shook her arm, and the light shield swayed gently. "It looks a bit stiff, not as cool as a lightsaber."

Fitz nodded, then suddenly changed the subject: "Then...can I try LightShield too?" His tone was tentative and cautious, like a child asking if he could touch someone else's favorite toy.

Sure enough.

Ming Luochen's heart sank slightly. He sat beside her, his face expressionless, but his mind was in turmoil. No wonder the ancients said not to flaunt wealth—his foolish wife had no idea how dangerous her actions were. If others could also use the equipment bestowed by the goddess, experts would probably soon come to force her to "hand it over," under the guise of "making the artifact function even better."

Looking into Fitz's eager yet cautious gaze, he suddenly recalled a news story he had read online before—a farmer unearthed an antique, and the next day someone came to his door to "work on him," saying that the item belonged to the state and that he should hand it over voluntarily. In the end, the farmer received a certificate and five hundred dollars, while a replica of the antique was displayed in a museum with a label that read "Donated by so-and-so."

I hope this world... won't be so outrageous.

Aura hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

That was a royal envoy, of extraordinary status, whom an earl simply couldn't afford to offend. She took off the ring and handed it to Fitz with both hands.

Fitz took the ring and carefully put it on his right ring finger—the same spot as Aura's.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Nothing happened. There was no light shield, no light, and even the ring itself dimmed, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.

Just as Fitz was about to say something, a violent wave of dizziness suddenly struck him. His temples throbbed, the scenery before his eyes began to spin and blur, and a buzzing sound filled his ears, as if someone was ringing a bell in his head. He instinctively gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Lord Fitz!" Aura exclaimed and quickly got up to help him.

Fitz gritted his teeth and quickly slipped the ring off his finger. The dizziness subsided almost immediately, and he gasped for breath, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Ming Luochen watched this scene from the side, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind—so this is how the ring extracts souls? It doesn't necessarily have to wait until death to harvest them; living beings can also extract them by touching the ring?

But why is my father-in-law alright?

He recalled that when Valerius wore the ring, his expression was normal, showing no discomfort, and there was no indication of extraction or absorption on his attribute panel. Could it be because his father-in-law was "one of us," while Fitz was an outsider? Or... could the ring distinguish between friend and foe?

"Lord Fitz, are you alright?" Aura asked anxiously, her voice trembling. Countless terrible consequences flashed through her mind—if the envoy were to be harmed in front of her, her entire family would be implicated in the investigation. Her father's future, her mother's reputation, and Ming Luochen... She dared not think any further.

"It's alright, it's alright." Fitz waved his hand and handed the ring back to Aura, his tone still carrying a hint of lingering fear. "It seems this is a personal artifact; no one else can wear it."

He picked up his teacup and took a big gulp; the warmth of the black tea calmed him down a bit.

"Then take a rest." Valerius stepped forward and helped Fitz back into his chair, patting his back gently twice, as if soothing a frightened horse.

Fitz leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them and said with a wry smile, "It seems the ring bestowed by the goddess can only be used by the two of you."

"I just found out too." Aura smiled apologetically, her fingers unconsciously rubbing against the ring.

"I was reckless," Fitz waved his hand, shaking his head self-deprecatingly. "How can mortals like us casually touch a divine object bestowed by a goddess?" He paused, his gaze falling on the flower bushes in the distance, as if gathering his thoughts. "However... divine blessings haven't occurred for hundreds of years. Usually, when such a thing happens, it's because a sage has appeared in the world."

"A sage?" This was the first time Aura had heard this word.

Fitz didn't explain, he just smiled and changed the subject.

After discussing the artifact, they inquired about the couple's marriage. Fitz turned his gaze to Ming Luochen, his tone carrying a genuine curiosity: "Mr. Ming Luochen, how are weddings typically held in your world?"

Ming Luochen was stunned for a moment.

Lan Xing has a wide variety of wedding styles—Chinese, Western, pre-wedding, destination wedding, splitting the bill, living together as a couple… a diverse range, some of which even he finds outrageous.

He thought about the customs of the 1970s and 80s, those scenes mostly seen in period dramas, blurry and as if viewed through frosted glass: "In our area, families with better financial conditions would celebrate weddings with 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a set of three watches, one turn, and one radio). But for a poor family like mine, it was impossible to get a wife."

He said this with an awkward laugh, glancing sideways at Aura.

She sat beside him, a gentle breeze causing her long hair to sway softly. Her profile, bathed in dappled sunlight, was as gentle as a painting. He never dared to dream of marrying such a beautiful wife. But perhaps she could now see his memories?

Ming Luochen felt a sudden sense of fear. Those mysterious website addresses, the records of flirting online, the object of his former crush... his fear grew, and he secretly glanced at his wife.

She probably already knows, doesn't she?

Holy crap, this is really bad! There's absolutely no privacy, it's so embarrassing!

It's okay, I understand.

Aura reached her hand out from under the table and took his hand firmly. Her palm was slightly cool, her fingers long and strong, and her grip on his hand was not strong, but very steady.

He may be somewhat ordinary, but he's not a bad person and has never done anything wrong, and that's enough.

Looking at his wife's gentle smile, like a spring breeze, Ming Luochen felt a warmth in his heart, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

My wife is so good!

The three grown men couldn't help but laugh at the sweet, drooling look in the young couple's eyes. Karen laughed so hard she almost dropped her teacup, Fitz covered his mouth with his hand and coughed lightly, while Valerius wore a knowing, maternal smile.

"Valeurius, Aura has found someone she likes, you're so lucky!" Karen teased his subordinate, his voice genuinely happy. He knew Valeryus's character: straightforward, loyal, and not good at scheming. Aura, such a pure and kind girl, now had a lover from another world as her husband—it was like he had gained another ally.

"We seem a bit superfluous, interrupting the young people's romance," Fitz joked, glancing back and forth between Aura and Ming Luochen, his tone as relaxed as if he were teasing a junior.

Valerius smiled like an aunt, his wrinkles smoothing out. As long as his daughter was happy, that was all that mattered. He was a rough man, only knowing that life was short and he didn't want to leave any regrets. "Looks like I'll be a grandfather soon."

Upon hearing this, Aura's face flushed crimson, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears and even her neck. She wanted to bury her head in her chest, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt, unable to utter a single word.

Ming Luochen was already somewhat shy, and faced with this topic, he was even more embarrassed and didn't know how to respond. He lowered his head, pretending to be very interested in the teacup, but the tips of his ears were as red as if they were about to bleed.

Seeing that the two young people were shy, Fitz took the initiative to ease the awkwardness, naturally changing the subject: "Mr. Ming Luochen, what is the 'three turns and one sound' you just mentioned?"

Ming Luochen looked up and recalled for a moment: "The three turns were a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a watch; the one ringing was a radio."

"What are those?" Fitz had never heard of these terms before, and his brows furrowed slightly as he tried to visualize the objects in his mind.

Aura learned about those things through Ming Luochen's memories and found it strange—it could run on two wheels? Without horses? She couldn't help but purse her lips, desperately trying to suppress her laughter.

"It's a machine for making clothes, a two-wheeled carriage, a timekeeping device. And a radio... well, it's a loudspeaker." Ming Luochen started talking nonsense with a straight face, his expression as sincere as if he were reciting a text.

Fitz immediately pictured in his mind: a loom, a carriage, a clock, a megaphone. Although he was wealthy, he understood the lives of the lower classes, and he nodded affirmatively: "These things are indeed very expensive for ordinary families. A loom alone is basically a family's entire source of income."

Ming Luochen nodded earnestly, his expression becoming even more sincere: "So some couples who love each other but whose families are struggling financially simply use a piece of cloth as a veil, invite their neighbors and family for a meal, and that's considered marriage."

Aura listened from the side and couldn't help but chuckle—looms and sewing machines are products from completely different dimensions, yet he was acting so serious, he could really talk nonsense.

She secretly pinched Ming Luochen's hand under the table.

Ming Luochen remained unfazed and continued drinking his tea.

The afternoon passed slowly in this relaxed and subtle atmosphere. Camellia petals occasionally drifted down with the wind, landing on the rim of a teacup, on one's knees, or on the stone pavement. The sun gradually set, painting the sky with a layer of orange-red afterglow.

Valerius glanced at the sky, then rose to take his leave. Fitz did not try to stop them, but simply smiled and saw them to the garden gate.

The three of them, carrying precious treasures—two sets of mithril armor, an SS-level skill book, and an SSS-level experience gem—set off on their journey home. The carriage wheels rumbled rhythmically over the stone road. Ming Luochen clutched the chest of treasures to his chest; it felt heavy, and so did his heart.

Valerius stood inside the carriage, glanced back at them, and said in a relaxed tone as if he were discussing what to have for dinner: "The treasure His Majesty gave us is too precious. Let's go straight home and not linger on the road."

Aura leaned against the carriage wall, looking at the darkening sky through the swaying curtain, and suddenly felt that this whole day was more tiring than a month of classes at school.

Ming Luochen quietly reached out and grasped her fingers.

She didn't pull it away.

The carriage slowly drove away into the twilight, the city lord's mansion behind it gradually shrinking into a small silhouette, and finally disappearing at the end of the road.