She removed the blindfold and calmly said, "Congratulations, your life's dream has come true." Before Lara could finish her speech, Niard appeared, looking as if he had been late to the celebration by a hundred years. "Stop, this is my girl, and we're already engaged. See?" He raised his finger, which bore the engagement ring, deliberately putting it on his middle finger to show it off. All the screens displayed his image and the ring, which some hovering devices inspected with genetic sensors.
The high officials were surprised to find that the ring was genuine. They could no longer object to Tala or force her to accept the partner chosen by the system, as her engagement had taken place the day before the partner selection. Everyone was shocked a second time, even the council members didn't expect such a relationship between Niard and Tala.
