"Welcome."
Karl greeted Blanca with a warm smile.
"Quite the crowd."
Dressed in civilian clothes, Blanca's gaze swept past Karl into the apartment. She had expected this—Karl wouldn't invite her to a Christmas gathering unless it was going to be this kind of scene. But still, faced with the reality, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Just as I thought. Should I be glad my prediction was right, or should I feel a little... disappointed?
Blanca couldn't quite name the emotion she was feeling, but she knew exactly what she needed to do.
These people must be Karl's friends. Which meant she couldn't allow herself to stand out in the wrong way.
Her presence quickly drew attention. For most of the guests, it was their first time seeing her, and naturally, curiosity sparked.
"Who is she? You know her?" Pilar from Maine's crew whispered to Andy, the NCPD officer he'd just gotten friendly with. "Her outfit looks high-end. Rich girl?"
Andy didn't mind the question but shook his head. "No clue."
Judging by her attire, she did look wealthy—but beyond that, there was little to go on. She carried herself with quiet composure, giving nothing away.
By then, Blanca had stepped out of the elevator and, without hesitation, handed a carefully wrapped gift to Karl.
"I prepared a little something. Hope you like it."
"A gift?"
Karl accepted the box, which was tied with a decorative ribbon and clearly wrapped with care. "Mind if I open it now?"
"Merry Christmas."
That seemed to be her way of saying yes.
Curious, Karl began unwrapping the package. Beneath the layers of paper was a neatly boxed and elegantly presented book.
A book?
That was rare.
Well—not impossible to find in Night City, but still uncommon. Compared to datachips, books were fragile, easily damaged, and held much less information. They lacked the convenience of direct neural input, and in the age of data overload, printed books had become relics—like DVDs in Karl's own time.
So why would Blanca gift him something so old-fashioned?
But when Karl looked at the cover, he immediately understood.
Don Quixote.
"I really like this."
Just seeing the title made Karl smile with genuine appreciation. There was something deeply thoughtful about receiving one of Spain's cultural treasures from a friend who hailed from Spain herself.
Offering someone the pride of your homeland—there was no more sincere a gift than that.
"I figured you would," Blanca replied, returning his smile.
She had chosen it soon after accepting the invitation. Knowing Karl as well as she did, she hadn't needed to think twice.
Gift delivered and received, Blanca finally stepped into Karl's spacious two-story apartment for the first time. Until now, her focus had been entirely on Karl. Only now did she begin to take in the other guests.
She'd noticed the crowd at a glance earlier—but now she realized just who was here.
Kerry Eurodyne, world-famous rock star, was naturally the first to catch her eye. Like everyone else before her, she was drawn to his presence immediately.
That's what it means to be a global icon.
Blanca had grown up listening to Kerry's music. Even knowing that he and Karl had crossed paths a few times, she was still surprised that their relationship was close enough for Kerry to attend a private Christmas gathering at Karl's home.
Just having Kerry here elevated this party to one of the most exclusive in all of Night City.
And then there were the others...
Deputy Chief Johnson of the NCPD.
Nottingham Winrio, current boss of the 6th Street Gang.
And now Blanca herself.
Which means this room now contains representatives from the militarized police supplied by Militech, a gang backed by Militech, and a corporate officer from Militech itself.
She didn't know many others here—just a few members of Karl's team. Not seeing Jack or Oliver around, she wandered over to Mama Wells, someone she knew Karl held in high regard.
Blanca had first met Karl and the others at Mama Wells's bar, the El Coyote Cojo, during a rather tense data-leak incident. At the time, her mind had been preoccupied, and she hadn't paid attention to anyone besides Karl. Things were different now.
As the saying goes—if you want to get close to someone, you need to get along with their people too. Blanca and Karl were already friends, but if she hoped for something more... building bridges with those close to him was a smart move.
Her arrival didn't stir much reaction. Dressed in normal clothes, her identity as a Militech executive went unnoticed. To the others, she was just a well-dressed friend of Karl's from a rich background.
And in Night City, that wasn't exactly rare.
With such a diverse guest list, no one found it strange.
If anything, her thoughtful gift had a ripple effect—prompting a few guests who'd arrived empty-handed to feel slightly guilty. Most notably, David.
Why didn't I think of bringing a gift? he scolded himself, genuinely feeling bad about it.
His regret didn't last long, though, as two familiar figures finally returned:
Oliver, back from picking up his sister.
Jack, done with the booze run.
Now, only two invited guests remained.
And one of them—perhaps the most "heiress-like" of them all—arrived moments later.
"Ta-da! I'm here, Karl!"
Maki Takemura had arrived.
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