It is the same now.
Aside from a brief shock, Ilya couldn't see any desire from Ethan to fit in with these young people.
That's the problem.
She couldn't see any ambition from Ethan, no desire to continue climbing up as an imperial noble.
Is everyone in this club a "pet" enthusiast?
No, certainly not.
Keeping pets is a troublesome affair; first, they have to spend a lot of money at the auction to buy those special-status blanks, then they have to painstakingly train them into completely obedient shapes. Often, the more special the blank's status, the stronger their resistance. Only true "pet" enthusiasts can enjoy the sense of conquest that comes from taming a pet.
However, more people in the club joined because they heard about the hobbies of Fabius and the Third Princess of the Empire. They keep pets just to have more topics of conversation, which is a part of noble socializing in the Imperial Capital.
