My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 455 Holy engagement rituals

Even Karl, who had been sulking and plotting with Milo near the side of the hall, forgot to breathe for a second. His jaw went slack, his eyes wide. "That’s our wife..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. "How can someone be that pretty?"

Beside him, Milo nodded dreamily, his hands pressed to his chest. "She looks like the moon," he said softly. "Brother Karl, I think I’m going to cry."

Karl swallowed hard, glaring at Louis just to keep himself from tearing up. "Don’t cry, Milo. Save it for the wedding destruction later," he whispered back.

Meanwhile, at the front of the hall, Fat Louis was frozen in place, his mouth slightly open, his face redder than ever. His robe, which was already struggling to fit, seemed even tighter as he puffed out his chest in a desperate attempt to look worthy. His small eyes followed Ruby as if he couldn’t blink.

He whispered under his breath, completely dazed, "She’s... she’s mine..."

Madame Shades looked utterly satisfied. Her lips curved into a pleased smile as her gaze swept over Ruby. "Perfect," she murmured to herself.

Ruby walked slowly down the carpet, each step graceful and elegant, but her heart felt heavy. She could feel Karl’s and Milo’s eyes on her from the side, protective, angry, helpless.

The hall filled again with murmurs and admiration as Ruby reached the center, where Louis stood waiting, red-faced and grinning nervously. He extended his hand toward her, but Ruby only looked at him briefly before glancing at the officiating witch, pretending not to notice his gesture.

Karl smirked from his seat. "Ha! Ignored."

Milo giggled quietly, covering his mouth. "Brother Karl, she didn’t even touch his hand."

Karl’s grin widened, but his voice was low and serious now. "Good. Let’s keep it that way. I’m not letting that bloated frog put a ring on her finger today."

And as the music began to play again softly, Ruby lifted her chin high, her calm expression never faltering.

When the engagement ceremony began, the entire hall seemed to glow brighter. The crowd leaned forward, and the holy candles on the center platform flickered with white and blue flames. This was no ordinary ritual. In the ghost world, an engagement was not just an exchange of rings; it was a sacred pact, watched over by the spirits of the ancestors and the Holy Fire that would later bless their union.

For Karl and Milo, it was torture.

They sat stiffly among the crowd, their expressions frozen somewhere between fury and disbelief. Holy engagement rituals meant everything in the ghost realm; they were rare, powerful, and eternal. And the thought that Fat Louis of all people would be the one performing it with Ruby made their stomachs churn.

Karl leaned closer to Milo, whispering furiously, "Can you believe this? We didn’t even get rituals when we married her, and now this frog is about to become sacredly bound to our wife."

Milo frowned sadly. "I don’t like this, Brother Karl. I don’t like him touching wife’s hand." His lower lip trembled. "Can’t we stop it?"

Karl’s eyes narrowed, his voice low and dangerous. "We will. Just wait."

Up front, Madame Shades sat proudly beside the officiating priestess, her face glowing with smug satisfaction. The priestess raised her wand-like stick with a red crystal on top. "By the blessing of the ancestors and the divine flames," she intoned, "may the union of these two souls be witnessed by all who dwell in the spirit realm."

The guests clapped softly as Fat Louis, sweating through his robe, stepped forward. His hands shook slightly as he reached out and picked up the engagement ring, a thin silver band enchanted by the priestess to bind pure holy energy between partners.

He turned to Ruby, grinning from ear to ear. "You’re even prettier up close," he whispered proudly, loud enough for the first few rows to hear.

Karl nearly jumped from his seat. "I’m going to kill him," he hissed under his breath, but Milo grabbed his sleeve, shaking his head.

"Wait!" Milo whispered. "Brother Karl, look!"

Louis, puffing out his chest, slid the ring onto Ruby’s finger. The blue holy flame behind them flickered once, acknowledging the half-complete ritual. The crowd clapped politely.

Then came Ruby’s turn.

She picked up the second ring from the golden plate, the one meant for Louis, and stepped forward calmly. Her expression was unreadable, her movements graceful as always. Louis, smiling stupidly, extended his plump hand, his fingers glistening with nervous sweat.

But the moment Ruby tried to slip the ring onto his finger, it did not fit.

The ring stopped halfway down. Ruby blinked. She tried again, giving a little push. Nothing.

The crowd began to murmur.

Louis’s face turned bright red. He gave a small nervous laugh. "H-hehe, maybe try the other finger?"

Ruby tried the other hand, still no luck.

Someone in the audience snorted. Then another chuckle followed. Within seconds, laughter spread across the hall.

"Looks like even the ring doesn’t want him!" a witch whispered loudly, barely hiding her grin.

Louis’s face was now crimson, sweat dripping down his temple. "This... this is impossible! It was my size!" he stammered. "Who changed it?!"

Ruby tilted her head slightly, her lips twitching. "Maybe your fingers got fatter overnight?" she said innocently.

The crowd erupted in laughter. Even the officiating priestess bit her lip to hide a smile.

Karl and Milo, sitting a few rows back, stared at each other wide-eyed.

"Wait," Milo whispered, blinking fast. "Brother Karl, wasn’t that the right ring size? You measured it yesterday."

Karl’s jaw dropped, then his grin spread slowly, dangerously wide. "Oh, the Ghost God loves us today," he muttered gleefully. "We didn’t even need to start the chaos. The chaos started itself." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Milo clapped his hands together happily. "So we don’t have to ruin anything?"

Karl smirked. "No, Milo. Now we just watch that fat frog drown in his own embarrassment."

Louis, red-faced and humiliated, kept tugging at the ring while the laughter continued. Ruby only watched quietly, her red eyes glinting with amusement.

The Holy Fire behind them flickered again as if the spirits themselves were laughing along.

To be continued... 🪄