It wasn't until he noticed Arabel's strange look at him that Idan realized he'd said the curse out loud, not to himself, as he usually did.
His plans to complete the task of the System without prying eyes and make a marriage proposal failed.
"Hey, System! I don't remember that a marriage proposal necessarily required witnesses! I think this is a more intimate moment when a couple takes a step towards each other, and the presence of strangers can only interfere," Idan expressed his thoughts.
[Host, you must understand that the System did not just give you this task. This is your awakening ritual. As soon as you complete it, the process of awakening and full integration of the System will begin. In order for the ritual to be considered successful and completed, we need witnesses,] the System replied.
"So that's the point!" Idan finally realized the gist of the System's explanation. He didn't have a deep understanding of her, so he decided to trust her. At first, he thought that all these additional conditions about witnesses were just a whim of the System itself.
Having calmed down, Idan decided to bring the matter to an end and not retreat. He glanced at Arabel, who still couldn't figure out what he was going to do and why he suddenly stopped cursing in front of her.
Idan held out his hand to Arabel and said softly,
"Let's go."
Arabel, still unaware of what was happening, followed Idan, taking his hand. She wanted to ask a lot of questions, but decided to keep quiet and see what he was going to do.
By the time Idan and Arabel finished their conversation in a separate booth, Irene and Arslan had also come to an agreement, although they still didn't fully trust each other's words.
Arslan tried to explain to her that he didn't understand why his older sister wanted to meet Irene's younger brother. He was convinced that his sister hadn't even known about Idan's existence until today, not to mention that Irene was the girl they were trying to pass him off as.
Arslan followed her because he was worried about her safety. In the Morgan family, he felt special affection only for his older sister. If something happened to her, he would blame himself for not being able to protect her despite his strength.
Irene didn't need any excuses. She and her brother had no reason to voluntarily contact the Morgan family. She was confident in her brother, as she had instilled in him an aversion to rich families. The melodramas have done their job.
"Then why should they meet?" asked Irene of Arslan.
"Trust me, I want to find out the reason myself. I've never seen my older sister like this. She would never do that for no reason," Arslan replied.
As they waited and speculated about what was going on between Idan and Arabel, they soon saw them holding hands and leaving the cafe.
Irene and Arslan were stunned. Idan and Arabel looked confused and did not look at each other. From the outside, they seemed like a couple in love who were showing off their relationship in public for the first time.
Eden and Arabel were also confused by the stares of the cafe's patrons, who paid attention to them. Some even started whistling, which only increased their awkwardness. Following Idan, Arabel looked at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed that he was also confused, just like her. It made her smile, and she realized that she wasn't the only one feeling awkward right now.
After leaving the cafe, Idan, trying not to notice those around him, turned to Arabel. He stared into her eyes, trying to focus on her beautiful face to calm himself. At this moment, he was so excited that his heart seemed ready to jump out of his chest.
Arabel's condition wasn't much different from his. She understood that attracting the attention of so many people was not the best idea. She was also aware that her family would soon find out about it, and this worried her greatly. She couldn't understand what Idan was trying to achieve by taking such actions.
While she was preoccupied with these thoughts, flushed with embarrassment, she noticed Idan kneeling in front of her. Slowly and smoothly, he reached his right hand inside his jacket and pulled out a small black box.
And at that moment, Arabel felt as if lightning had fallen on her. She was stunned by what she saw and the realization of what Idan was trying to do. Her thoughts drifted away from the shock she had experienced, and she watched Idan's actions as if spellbound.
The couple, who were watching from a nearby restaurant, were completely shocked by what they saw. Their eyes widened in surprise.
Idan, his hands trembling with excitement, presented a small black box to Arabel and opened it. Inside was a small diamond ring that he had bought just a couple of hours ago.
"Arabel Morgan! Will you marry me?" — he said, gathering his courage and taking a deep breath.
The crowd watching the event was excited. It's not often you see this after a disaster. Some people took out their smartphones and started filming what was happening. Many began to support Idan and cheer him on.
Arabel was still in shock and stared at the ring.
[Ding! A task has been issued! Accept your future husband's marriage proposal! Put on the ring and kiss it, confirming your consent!]
[Attention! The system warns that in case of failure, the task will be considered failed, and the System will be deleted, and the chance to awaken will be lost.]
[Attention! If the task is completed, the awakening process will begin! Both Hosts will be teleported to a connected world to confirm their classification as awakened and begin searching for a way to save this world!]
A series of messages from the System brought Arabel to her senses. She finally realized what was behind Idan's act. That was his task. Realizing this, she laughed. She was laughing at Idan, who had received an absurd task from the System again.
Idan, in turn, also received a message from the System about the beginning of the process of awakening and teleporting to another world. He was very surprised by this news. He didn't expect them to be teleported to another world so soon.
He knew almost nothing about the other world, expecting the government of the United Federation to share this information with him, but he never did. His sister hadn't told him about it either. And now, as soon as Arabel accepts his offer, they will be teleported to another world. They were both unprepared for this turn of events, but they couldn't turn back.
Arabel realized it too and couldn't help herself. She noticed that some of the audience were filming them, and she was sure that her Morgan family would soon find out about it. Just the thought of being teleported to another world calmed her down a bit. She had already made her decision, and there was no turning back.
Arabel held out her left hand, indicating her agreement.
Idan, noticing Arabel's gesture, stood up and, taking the ring from the box, put it on her ring finger. When the ring was in place, Arabel held it up to her face to take a closer look. It wasn't the most luxurious ring, but it wasn't too simple either. She liked Idan's choice.
Knowing what she had to do, Arabel looked away from the ring and looked into Idan's eyes. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.
Idan was a little taller than her, so Arabel reached out, grabbed his cheeks and pulled him slightly to her, closed her eyes and kissed him on the lips. Idan was confused by Arabel's action. His mind seemed to shut down at that moment.
The crowd, seeing this, applauded, whistled and began to congratulate them.
Irene and Arslan, unable to move, sat in their seats, unable to believe their eyes.
Irene couldn't believe that her younger brother had proposed to a high-society girl belonging to the Morgan family, and even bought a ring for it. It was only then that she realized why he had asked for money and why he had stopped by the jewelry store on his way here.
Arslan, also in shock, looked at his older sister. She not only met the guy alone, but also accepted and agreed to this guy's marriage proposal. But what surprised him even more and almost turned off his consciousness was Arabel's last act: an open kiss in front of everyone. Their family would never forgive her for this act.
The kiss between Arabel and Adan didn't last too long, but for both of them it seemed like an eternity.
After Arabel, all red as a tomato, pulled away from Idan, they both heard the voice of the System in their minds.
[Congratulations, Hosts! The ritual has been completed successfully!]
[The system begins the process of merging and awakening.]