The restaurant servers all turned nervous as they heard the tension-filled words.
The patrons who dined here mostly had some social status and wealth; at worst, they were internet celebrities with some online influence. Because of this, the servers dared not offend these customers.
In contrast, Cรฉcile and her group looked more like nouveau riche?
At least the two who were awkward and constrained didnโt seem wealthyโthey looked like the pampered daughters inviting their commoner friends to experience the high life.
Still, they did order quite a bit of foodโฆ
Clara, unable to endure the occasional glances drifting over, couldnโt help but urge, โPresident Cรฉcile, maybe we should keep our voices down?โ
โHuh? Why bother about them? Isnโt chatting during a meal normal? If you really donโt want noise, why not eat in a private room?โ
The answer was obvious: private rooms charged extra fees and had โhigherโ minimum spending requirements. Cรฉcileโs rhetorical question only hit a nerve with some people, sparking another wave of displeasureโฆ
Clara was troubled by the presidentโs behavior, but Fran seemed used to it and quietly enjoyed the world-class cuisine before them.
It seemed Fran already knew President Cรฉcile before joining Dream Witch?
As for Cรฉcile, she truly didnโt care much about etiquette. Even in such a high-end restaurant, she was too lazy to use basic cutlery, grabbing the T-bone steak with her bare hands and biting right in.
Since neither of them minded, Claraโs fussing was useless. She shifted her attention to the food in front of her to help ignore the piercing stares.
โMmm? So delicious!โ
Was it the environment and price influencing her?
Because she was picky about taste, Clara rarely enjoyed surprises from food, but this sour yogurt fish fillet perfectly suited her light palate.
At that moment, Lucia suddenly stood up.
โSorry, I need to go to the restroom.โ
Although she was back at work, Luciaโs injuries hadnโt fully healed, and she needed to avoid strenuous movement. Considering she might have trouble going alone, Clara hesitated about accompanying her.
Still, Lucia was her own sister, and even if Lucia didnโt mind, Clara would still be concerned about going into the womenโs restroom with her.
Though she could now enter and exit womenโs restrooms without psychological burden, being with her sister made her mindful of her role as โbig brother.โ
โOh, then Iโll go with you?โ
Just as Clara was hesitating, Cรฉcile also stood up.
She wiped her hands and linked arms with Lucia, heading toward the restaurantโs restroom like a sister caring for a physically inconvenienced elder sister.
Clara breathed a sigh of relief.
But did Cรฉcile coincidentally also need to use the restroom, or had she noticed Claraโs hesitation?
Not only that, once Cรฉcile left, the hostile stares around them lessened significantly. It seemed all the hatred was drawn away by that young president.
For Fran and Clara remaining behind, the other guests showed little dissatisfaction.
โSigh, why does President Cรฉcile have to speak like that?โ Clara asked.
Fran, who had been fiddling with her phone, replied, โOh, thatโs just her personality. She likes to make others angry while being untouchable.
โBut she means no harm to you and Lucia. Just take it as childish mischief, even though sheโs hardly a child.
โOf course, if you really get mad, she might even apologize? If her teasing becomes unbearable, just snap at her directly. Donโt worry about it~โ
โFran, you know President Cรฉcile quite well, donโt you?โ
โYeah, sheโs an old acquaintance of my father. After my father passed, she was my guardian for a while, taking care of me until I got my doctorateโฆ
โHuh? How old is the president this year?โ
Fran smiled but didnโt answer, only saying, โClara dear, asking a ladyโs age is pretty rude, you know? You donโt want people spreading around that youโre a 35-year-old uncle, do you?โ
Clara nodded and picked at the leftover cod fillet.
However, Lucia and Cรฉcileโs absence was becoming suspiciously long.
โTheyโre so slow. Could it be that the president ran off without paying?โ
โDonโt worry, if Cรฉcile runs, Iโll cover the billโฆโ Fran said, then muttered, โBut yeah, itโs really taking too long. Iโll call.โ
Even for a restroom break, this delay made one wonder if theyโd fallen into a pit hand in hand.
Fran took out her phone and dialed Cรฉcileโs number, but it showed as switched off.
โSomethingโs wrong. What about Lucia?โ
Just as Clara was about to call her sister, she saw Lucia jogging back alone from the restroom direction.
โSenpai Clara, Miss Franโฆโ Her face was filled with panic and anxiety as she said, โSomething happened. P-President Cรฉcile was kidnapped by two men.โ
Itโs happening.
โAh?โ
Clara tensed instantly. That bratโs sharp mouth probably got her noticedโmaybe it was one of the guests here who did it?
Fran, however, remained calm and asked, โLucia, donโt panic. Tell us exactly what happened. What did you encounter in the restroom?โ
โWhen we went to the restroom together, Miss Cรฉcile waited outside my stallโฆ Then I heard two footsteps enter, and they were menโs voicesโฆ They got into an argument with Miss Cรฉcileโฆ I was about to get up, but they moved too fast. When I left the stall, they had already taken Miss Cรฉcile away.โ
โLooks like a planned kidnapping, but we donโt know who the culprits are~โ
Fran calmly took a bite of her lobster ball and continued, โWell, looks like Iโm buying dinner tonight. You two finish eating and head back to the dorm first~โ
โHuh? Wait! Are we just going back like that?โ
Clara couldnโt understand. Shouldnโt they go rescue President Cรฉcile right now?
Lucia agreed, โWe can try to get the restaurant and buildingโs surveillance footage.โ
โThe kidnappers were obviously prepared. You probably wonโt find anything on the footage. Besides, surveillance from these skyscrapers isnโt easy to accessโฆ Donโt worry, President Cรฉcile can handle this herself.โ
Fran was completely unflustered.
But then she pulled out her vibrating phone.
โLooks like our AI lady has something to say~โ
Fran placed the phone flat on the table. On the floating hologram appeared Nyx, the black-skinned, white-haired unicorn girl, expressionless as she suggested:
โActually, Nyx has a way to track President Cรฉcileโs location.โ
โOh? How?โ Fran asked.
โNyx has been monitoring everyoneโs phones, including President Cรฉcileโs.โ
โWait! Thatโs illegal! You malicious software!โ
Cecilia’s name keeps changing.