Two days later.
This manor was located in the most expensive district of Columbia's capital. A single square meter of this land, if sold, would be enough to bankrupt an ordinary person. And in such a priceless location, this manor occupied over a thousand acres. This manor was the property of Raythean Industries, the number one corporate giant in Columbia, and indeed, all of Terra.
A luxurious extended limousine came to a steady stop at the manor's main gate.
A waiting attendant respectfully opened the rear car door.
Jessica, dressed in an elegant evening gown, was the first to step out of the car. Usually plain-faced, she had specially allowed the styling team to apply light makeup for tonight's banquet. Under the light makeup, the originally cute and youthful Jessica had a hint of maturity.
As Jessica emerged.
The various guests who had come to attend the banquet near the manor all paused and focused their gazes on her. At this moment, Jessica seemed to be the center of the world. After all, as the direct heiress of Raythean Industries, she was the focal point wherever she went, even when meeting various royal families.
These gazes made Jessica slightly nervous, but she forced herself to remain calm and managed to keep a smile on her face.
In the past.
Jessica would never have attended such a banquet.
She hated this feeling of being the center of attention. These gazes were as scorching as if countless ants were crawling on her. Everyone wanted to curry favor with her, and for Jessica, who was not good with words and not good at socializing with others.
This kind of forced social interaction was more painful than death.
But, there was nothing she could do.
Born into this family, she was destined to be the center of attention.
Sometimes...
Jessica even wished she had been born into an ordinary family.
In the past.
Even when she attended such events, it was only because her parents forced her to. She would basically hide behind her parents the whole time like a shy country girl, not daring to speak to anyone.
This time, attending so openly.
This was probably a first for Jessica.
*Hooo...*
*Hooo....*
*Calm down, Jessica...*
Jessica kept comforting herself in her heart.
*You're different now. You can't embarrass yourself in front of Lucas.*
Immediately.
Jessica forced a smile and waved her small hand, greeting these elders she had never met before with a grand gesture, while in reality, her heart was in a complete panic. And Jessica's actions also left many of the surrounding people stunned.
Is this the direct heiress of Raythean Industries?
Has she changed that much?
As Jessica led the way out of the car.
The other three also emerged.
Franka wore a form-fitting gown with exquisite makeup that perfectly brought out her foxy characteristics, giving her an indescribable charm. There was even a hint of nervousness mixed in with her allure. This combination of coquettishness and 'purity' instantly captured the hearts of many young masters from wealthy families around.
Liskarm was much simpler.
Her black evening gown, though showing off a good figure and a pretty face, seemed somewhat plain under the radiance of a 'great beauty' like Franka.
"Fat Fox, I can't believe Jessica is really the heiress of Raythean Industries..."
Liskarm said in a low voice. They still found it a bit hard to believe.
"Mmm~~"
*Puff~*
Franka's face was flushed red from excessive embarrassment, and white steam was continuously evaporating from her head, as if she had turned into a pressure cooker.
So embarrassing! So embarrassing!!
The social death that had been delayed for a month finally erupted today.
To think I had *that* kind of dream in front of the real heiress of Raythean Industries!!
*Sob, sob, sob~~~
My prestige as a senior is completely gone!!!
Franka was on the verge of tears. She could even imagine what Jessica must have been thinking at the time...
So embarrassing!!
Luckily, Liskarmy doesn't know. Otherwise, she'd have another thing to mock me about...
Finally.
As the grand finale of the group.
'Ceobe' slowly stepped out of the car.
Even Lucas had to marvel at the skill of the professional styling team. Makeup truly was one of the 'dark arts.' Ceobe's original appearance, like Jessica's, was purely in the cute style, completely unrelated to handsomeness. But after being worked on by the professional stylists.
Her cute little face now had a touch of handsomeness. Her chestnut hair was tied back into a sort of androgynous long ponytail.
A smart, tailored suit gave Ceobe an extra dash of heroic flair and cool confidence.
And after Lucas possessed Ceobe's body, his own profound temperament also influenced the impression Ceobe gave to others.
The only drawback...
Ceobe herself wasn't very tall...
Jessica was 1.48 meters, and Ceobe was 1.53 meters... even with shoe lifts, she barely reached 1.6 meters...
Furthermore, Ceobe was different from Jessica.
Jessica was a bit... full of future potential, but Ceobe's development was truly impressive. Lucas couldn't figure out how Ceobe could have developed so well with so little nutrition in the wild. Even with a chest binder, it was still a bit tight...
Jessica shyly hooked her arm around Lucas's, greeted the people around them, and then walked towards the center of the manor.
Franka also hooked her arm around the nearby Liskarm's, following behind Jessica.
The luxury inside the manor was somewhat beyond Franka's comprehension.
Is this what top-tier high society is like?
She silently complained in her heart.
My fantasy of high society in my dreams was truly limited by my lack of experience.
In her dreams, a Raythean Industries banquet would be filled with celebrities and big stars. However... in reality, there were none... or rather, they weren't even qualified to attend a banquet of this level. After all... Raythean Industries was truly a corporate empire, and in the military industry at that.
"Big Sister Jessica~"
"Little Sister Jessica, do you remember me? We met a few times when we were kids."
Along the way...
Jessica was the center of attention wherever she went. And as the direct heiress, she was naturally showered with flattery.
Many children, at their parents' behest, came to chat with Jessica, hoping to build some connections.
However...
"Jessica, do you know them?"
Lucas asked in a low voice.
"No..."
Jessica shook her head softly.
The group walked towards the central building. Jessica was going to see her parents, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Inside the manor.
Countless waiters carried trays of exquisite food and placed them on the surrounding tables. However, no one would actually eat these, of course. At most, some of the younger children might have a few pieces of dessert. However...
When Lucas inadvertently glanced at those desserts.
For some reason.
His body suddenly froze in place.
"..."
"?"
Jessica paused for a moment. She looked at Lucas and saw that 'Ceobe's' face was staring intently at the desserts on a nearby table, saliva continuously seeping from the corners of her mouth, her eyes shining like stars.
At this moment.
Inside Ceobe's body.
Ceobe's soul was tugging at Lucas's legs.
"Wuwuwu!! Big Brother Lucas, Ceobe is so hungry!! Ceobe hasn't eaten in two hours! Let Ceobe eat a little!!"
"Ceobe, just hold on a little longer. We can eat soon..."
Lucas quickly comforted her.
However.
Ceobe's body's instincts were on the verge of taking over.
For any living creature.
There are only two basic instincts.
Eating and physiological needs.
Ceobe's talents were entirely focused on eating.
A person, no matter how hungry, might still be able to control the instinct of hunger through reason, but Ceobe couldn't. Eating was already an instinctual behavior for her. When she was hungry, Ceobe could even go foraging for food in her sleep.
"Big Brother Lucas, Ceobe will only eat a little~~ just a wittle bit!!"
Finally, Lucas couldn't resist Ceobe's plea. He slowly walked towards the nearby buffet table and said in a low voice.
"Remember, Ceobe, we're only eating a little, okay..."
"Don't worry!! Big Brother Lucas, Ceobe will only take one bite!!"
Lucas temporarily relinquished control of the body, letting Ceobe take over. And then....
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ceobe really did take only one bite...
She swallowed the entire large cake in one gulp.
Many of the distinguished high-society people around were dumbfounded. Some even lost their grip on their wine glasses, which fell to the floor with a clatter.
There was dead silence.
Franka and Liskarm covered their foreheads and slowly turned away, pretending not to know her..
Jessica, however, ran over and stroked Ceobe's head indulgently.
Oh~
So she's someone Miss Jessica brought..
The people around who had been slightly disdainful all pretended not to see, as if nothing had happened...
After satisfying Ceobe's craving for a moment.
The body's instincts no longer acted up.
Lucas took control of Ceobe's body again, and Jessica, wanting to laugh a little, took out a handkerchief and wiped the crumbs from the corner of Ceobe's mouth.
At this moment...
Many people's minds had already started to wander...
*Could this silly little girl be Miss Jessica's 'pet'?*
When the rich have satisfied all their normal desires, they tend to develop some strange hobbies...
Could it be...
The four of them paid no mind to the stares from those around them and walked directly into the villa at the center of the manor. The ones truly qualified to enter the villa and attend the banquet were the core figures and the big shots of Columbia.
"Dad... Mom..."
Jessica's parents didn't look very old. Perhaps due to the physical maintenance that comes with being in a high position, they looked much younger than their actual age.
Jessica's father had the typical appearance of a successful middle-aged Columbian man—handsome and dashing, with an indescribable air of nonchalance. He immediately patted Jessica on the head.
"My dear daughter, it's been a long time.~~"
Unlike the stern parents and elders of other great families, Jessica's father acted more like an ordinary person, laughing when he should laugh instead of feigning coldness and authority.
"Hmm? You brought friends with you this time?"
Being looked at directly by the chairman of Raythean Industries, Franka felt a little nervous for a moment.
Jessica quickly made the introductions.
"This is Senior Franka and Senior Liskarm, my seniors from my squad at Blacksteel Worldwide."
When she introduced Lucas, who was beside her, Jessica's pretty face turned red, and for a moment, she didn't know how to introduce him.
Does this count as... meeting the parents??
Oh boy!!
Jessica's long-held composure finally broke, and she started to feel a little flustered.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie. My name is Lucas, a good friend of Jessica's..."
Lucas's lips curved into a slight smile, revealing his signature grin. His confident aura was in no way diminished by the fact that he was facing the chairman of Raythean Industries. Profound, composed, enigmatic.....
Jessica's father studied Lucas closely.
Although he was puzzled as to why this little girl was named Lucas, which sounded like a Yanese male name, as Jessica's father, he had seen all sorts of people and had a very sharp eye. He could clearly see that his daughter's feelings for this girl named Lucas were far from ordinary...
Hiss!!
It can't be...
"A friend..."
Jessica was a little anxious.
She quickly explained to her parents, "Actually... Lucas has helped me in so many ways. More than a friend, I think... Lucas is more like my confidant and dearest friend... or.. or... boy.... boy...."
She stammered for a long time, but Jessica just couldn't say the word.
On the other hand.
Her parents' eyes were twitching madly.
Sir... Mister?!!
Jessica's father began to wonder if his eyesight was failing him in his old age.
He looked Lucas over again.
*Are you sure...*
*This is a 'Mister'?*
*And not a 'Miss'?*
Are young people these days into such things?
Jessica's father felt his brain was struggling to keep up.
At first, he had been very happy.
His precious daughter had finally grown up, overcome her shyness, and could stand on her own two feet. Even Blacksteel Worldwide would send him her mission evaluations and combat training assessments, and the potential and flair his daughter displayed had made him incredibly happy.
However...
Could it be that his daughter's orientation...
had developed a small problem...
*Ahem, ahem~*
Since it was a banquet, Jessica's father couldn't ask too much. He was very cordial and even proactively toasted Franka and Liskarm, thanking them for their care and guidance of his daughter over the years.
*I didn't expect Jessica's father to be so easygoing...*
Franka and Liskarm were suddenly a little overwhelmed by the attention.
"Come, daughter, let me introduce you. This is the General Manager of Rhine Lab."
General Manager?!!
Jessica quickly and politely greeted the General Manager, and Jessica's father nodded in great satisfaction at his daughter's poised demeanor.
Behind the General Manager stood a very strong Vouivre woman.
"This is the director of Rhine Lab's Defense Division, Miss Saria."
Logically speaking, as Raythean Industries was a super-giant corporation even larger than Rhine Lab, a director from Rhine Lab would normally not be qualified to be in the main hall. Generally, only those at the level of CEOs of major corporations could be in the main hall. But Saria was different. Others might not know, but Jessica's father knew that Saria was actually one of the founders of Rhine Lab.
Her status was essentially on par with the General Manager's.
"Hmm?"
After greeting Jessica, Saria's attention was entirely on 'Ceobe'.
This little girl...
So strange..