The Proposal and the Portal

At the table, there were a lot of dishes.

Nell had ordered almost all the dishes that were available in the restaurant.

There was steak, mashed potatoes, roast chicken, fried chicken, and a lot of other delicious dishes.

All the food was laid in front of them, and the aroma was making their mouths water.

One by one, Nell began tasting the food. He took a single bite from each dish and then moved on to the next one.

He tasted the food carefully, savoring the flavor.

And then, after tasting a couple of dishes, he stopped.

"Hey, Ember, try this," Nell said, as he got up from his chair and walked toward the chair where Ember was sitting.

"Okay," Ember replied, raising her head, and waiting for him to place the dish in front of her.

Nell sat beside her, on his feet, and took a small spoonful of food from the plate, and then brought it closer to her mouth.

"Say, 'Ah'," He said, his hand hovering in front of her face.

"A-ah," Ember opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her.

Nell gently moved his hand, the spoon slipping into her mouth, and her lips closing around the utensil.

As soon as the food entered her mouth, a loud moan escaped her lips, and her eyelids fluttered.

"Oh my god," She gasped, her tongue moving around in her mouth, savoring the delicious taste.

"This is so good!"

Nell smiled, "I'm glad you think so."

"Here," Nellas continued, scooping some more food from the plate and bringing it close to her mouth, "Say, 'Ah' again."

"A-ah."

Once again, Ember opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her.

This time, she closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair.

Her face was relaxed, her expression was serene, and a soft smile was etched on her face.

Ember was clearly enjoying the food, and she was oblivious to everything around her.

Nell's gaze shifted to her face, and he noticed that her eyes were closed.

She seemed to be lost in her own world, her mind focused solely on the taste of the food.

She looked so peaceful, so calm, so beautiful.

Nell's lips curved into a gentle smile as he gazed down at the woman sitting next to him.

'So cute,'

For the first time in his life, he was starting to feel something for a woman.

She was beautiful, cute, kind, and innocent.

She was perfect.

'I wish I could see her smile like this every day,' Nell thought, his eyes not leaving her face.

'Wait,'

He froze, his mind processing his thoughts.

'What if...'

The words 'Dark Rebirth' special trait echoed in his mind.

<Unlocking the skill will require host to find a Wife of Female Race, lower than Host's level.>

Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and his eyes widened.

'What if... Ember can become my wife?'

He had just found his 'Wife' and he could use his skill.

'That's it!'

Now, all he needed to do was to make her accept him.

"Ember," Nell began, his voice soft, and his tone hesitant.

"Hm?"

Ember's head slightly turned toward the source of the voice, her eyes still closed, and a peaceful smile adorning her face.

"Would you like to marry me?"

The question slipped out before he could stop himself.

Ember's eyes shot open, and her head turned in his direction, her mouth gaping.

"W-what?" She stammered, her voice shaky, and her heart thumping.

'Huh?!'

Nellas's eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly.

He hadn't meant to ask her that question.

He just wanted to create a romantic mood, and then ask her if she was interested in him.

He didn't mean to propose to her.

But, his words were already out in the open, and there was no way to take them back.

'Shit,' Nellas thought, cursing himself, 'I messed up.'

"Um..." Ember mumbled, her voice trailing off.

"Marry you?"

"Yes," Nellas quickly replied, his mind working overtime, trying to figure out how to salvage the situation.

'Now that it has come to this, I might as well go for it,' He thought, his resolve strengthening.

"You're a beautiful girl, and you're a nice person, too."

He gently took hold of her hand and brought it up to his face.

"There is no reason for me not to fall in love with you," He continued, kissing her knuckles.

"And, I know this might sound a bit sudden, but, I really like you."

He paused, his gaze meeting her shocked, emerald eyes.

"So, what do you say? Would you like to marry me?"

For a moment, Ember was speechless.

Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Her mind was reeling, trying to process what was happening.

"I... um..." She lowered her head, and her bangs covered her face.

"I'm... not sure,"

She wasn't sure how to react.

'Should I say yes? Should I say no?'

It was a difficult decision.

She had just met him, and she barely knew him.

'What should I do?'

She wanted to accept his proposal.

She liked him.

He seemed like a nice guy.

He had saved her, he had taken care of her, and he had made her feel happy.

But, at the same time, she was hesitant.

She was afraid.

...afraid of being hurt.

'What if he is just using me?'

She couldn't help but feel that way.

She had been abandoned, betrayed, and abused so many times in the past.

'What if he is just playing with my emotions?'

She didn't want to be used, hurt, or abandoned again.

She didn't want to suffer.

'I have to be careful.'

She had to be cautious.

She couldn't let herself be fooled, not again.

She had to make sure that he was sincere.

"Hey," Nell's voice reached her ears, and his fingers brushed her bangs aside, his hand gently caressing her cheek, "What's wrong?"

Ember raised her head, and a weary sigh escaped her lips.

"I... I..." She was going to answer but, before she could say anything, Nell's mobile phone began ringing.

It was an alarm, which was set to go off at a certain time.

'Is it already time?' Nell thought.

It seemed that a lot of time had passed while they were eating.

"Sorry," Nell said, getting up from the floor and calling for a female waiter who was just passing by.

"Excuse me, can you lead my girlfriend out of the restaurant? I will be back in a few minutes."

"Sure," The female waiter replied, giving him a slight nod, and then turning her attention to the red-haired girl.

"Miss, follow me, please." The female waiter said and helped Ember get up from her chair.

'Girlfriend? Not wife?'

Ember couldn't help but wonder.

'I thought, he was going to propose.'

Nell didn't even have a ring with him.

And he was acting casual.

It seemed that the proposal was just a spur of the moment.

'I guess, he didn't really mean it.'

Her heart felt heavy, and her mind was filled with regret.

'If only I had given him a proper reply.'

She wasn't sure how he felt, and because of her blindness, it was hard for her to read his expressions.

She was worried that she had missed her chance.

'If only I had answered him properly, I might have had a chance with him.'

"Ember,"

Nell called out to her, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Don't worry, I will be back soon."

She wanted to say something.

She wanted to call out to him, to tell him to stay.

However, no words came out.

Instead, she nodded her head.

"Okay."

She responded and followed the female waiter out of the restaurant.

"Now then,"

Nellas mumbled, taking out his cell phone, and looking at the time.

"It should be appearing now."

His lips curved into a wicked smile, and his eyes glinted dangerously.

"The gate to that one specific artifact."

It was the time when a special gate, a dungeon gate, was spawning.

And the location of the gate was...

'The place where we just ate, the restaurant.'

The dungeon gate was going to appear inside the restaurant.

And the item that was going to be dropped by the boss monster that would appear was...

"The Darkest Night," Nell mumbled, his voice soft, and his tone menacing.

Just then, the air in front of him began to swirl.

The space began to warp, and a black hole started to form.

"Finally," Nell muttered, a dark grin spreading across his face.

"IT IS TIME FOR HUNTING!"

And the hunt had begun.