HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 189 Proposal

Severus emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped over his arm, and looked at the clothes on the bed. Undoubtedly, the dark green embroidered suit belonged to him, a size too small for the light gray suit beside it.

This discovery displeased him, a dissatisfaction that had been building ever since Emeric was taller than him. He glanced at Emeric, preparing to cause trouble in a couple of days; he didn't want to spoil the little rascal's fun today.

She picked up her clothes and went back into the bathroom, putting on the same dark gray shirt that they both wore, which made her neck appear even whiter. A black belt accentuated her figure, and black trousers hugged her long legs. Dark green silk thread was embroidered with snake scales, extending from her shoulders to her waist.

"Let's go, what are you standing there for?" The man was particularly pleased when he saw the infatuation in Emeric's eyes, and once again confirmed that his charm had not diminished.

Similarly, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes; the embroidery on Emeric's body was silver snake scales, extending from his shoulders to his waist.

Her long, flaxen-gray hair was braided into a plait with a black gemstone chain, secured to her left side with a small bat-shaped clip. A purple earring adorned her right ear, its shimmering light drawing his gaze.

"I'm going to blindfold you," Emeric said, taking out a dark ribbon and tying it loosely around Severus's face, making it look like it would fall off after a few steps.

He had to use one hand to support himself, lest he ruin the so-called surprise and have to appease Emeric. A bell was slipped into his other hand. "Severus, take the scarf off when you hear the bell ring."

"trouble."

Despite saying this, the man didn't move much, standing obediently where Emeric had released him. A faint floral scent wafted to his nose, and his hand holding the bell was brushed against something damp. If it weren't for the little unicorn's whining voice, he would have already unleashed a spell.

He began to wonder what Emerick had done; if he had only brought him to play with unicorns, it couldn't have been done in such a mysterious way.

"jingle-"

The bell in his hand jingled softly as he removed the ribbon from his eyes. Before him were purple and white irises, and the little unicorn beside him looked pitiful, clutching a rose in its beak.

Ruffle the unicorn's head, take the flower from its mouth, and feed it a small piece of animal food as a reward for the poor little thing.

"I should move on now, will you come with me?"

The little unicorn shook its head; it had to go back to its parents and couldn't play with this fragrant human anymore.

"Alright, here you go." The man simply gave it all the remaining animal food, then put his other hand behind his back to hide the fur in his palm, as he had just been picking at it.

After watching the little guy return to his parents, Severus turned to look at the cobblestone path. Emeric was waiting for him at the end, and he wondered what other gifts awaited him there.

As they walked to the second patch of roses, many origami cranes appeared from the sky, each with a small star attached to it. He had thought the little black panther was a toy, but it turned out to be a living creature like the little unicorn. He wondered what Emeric had traded for them to be his mascots.

Picking up the rose, Severus turned his gaze to the origami cranes in the sky, wanting to open one and take a look. He was curious whether Emeric might have written something inside, but certainly not now.

Severus noticed that the flowers along the roadside were becoming more and more colorful, and the green irises were exactly the same as the ones on his dining table at home. It seemed that Emeric had spent the whole morning setting them up.

At the third turn, he casually touched the kitten on the table, only to find it was a felt doll, and judging from the pattern, it must have been Emeric's own fur.

He picked it up and put it in his pocket without hesitation. He had hidden many of these felt dolls in the cellar, the material of which came from Emeric. Severus glanced at the easel beside him, then casually put it into his ring. Even the figures were his, let alone these things.

He was increasingly looking forward to the surprises to come, and to the person waiting for him at the finish line.

Moving on to the next spot, he found cookies and black tea, with a love poem tucked under the cup. As usual, a rose sat on the easel; the painting depicted him brewing a potion. His eyes seemed to glow in the painting—this was how Emeric saw himself.

Severus recalled a long time ago when he asked Emeric why he liked him, and the answer he heard was that he liked the sparkle in Emeric's eyes when he brewed potions. He never imagined it was true. After finishing his food, he put away his drawing board, preparing to place it in his potions workshop.

Next to each rose was a little something. Severus walked slowly, his mind filled with the sweet words Emeric had once said, as if they had all come true.

Severus quickly collected ten roses, and at the same time, the pebbly path came to an end. He walked to a misty area, but the moment he stepped onto the grass, the mist dissipated, revealing a carved stone slab, a waterfall of flowers, and a person smiling at him.

Emeric took out a small box, opened it, and then knelt on one knee. "Excuse me, sir, would you be willing to be my partner?" He raised his head and looked at the man from his most perfect angle.

Inside the box was a snake-shaped ring, set with a band of emeralds—a style Severus would appreciate. Combined with the beautiful face before him, he simply couldn't refuse.

"Yes." Severus handed his hand to Emerick, letting him put the ring on his finger. "And yours? I'll put it on you."

"Here!!!" Emerick took out another ring studded with emeralds and watched the man put it on his finger. "Then, according to the procedure, the next step is a couple's kiss."

Emeric captured Severus's lips, gently prying open his teeth, and their tongues intertwined. The sunlight streamed down to their feet, and the two stood in the shadows, passionately kissing.

After a long while, Emeric finally released Severus, pressing his forehead against him and rubbing his thumb against his lips, as if he were about to kiss him again.

"When did you buy the manor?" Severus changed the subject, feeling that if they kept looking at each other, they would kiss again, and his lips would really get sore.

"The month before last, I originally wanted to buy a garden so I wouldn't have to buy flowers for the house, but I fell in love with this place at first sight and thought it would be perfect for a marriage proposal."

"If you don't pass the exam, you've wasted your money. Can't you use your brain when you spend money?" Even at a time like this, Severus's mouth was still so sharp.

"It won't be a waste of money; we can stay here during the summer vacation." Emeric didn't care; he could always resell it. "Let's go take a look around."

He led Severus deeper into the garden, where all sorts of irises came into view. He had planted them all; originally, the estate only had purple and white irises.