As Max entered the building, the noise of the busy street slowly faded away and soon disappeared as they climbed the stairs. The Les Deux restaurant had a clean, minimal look, designed around a simple monochrome theme.
Jennifer and Danica, who were walking together, felt a little weirded out by how Machina behaved. A stepsister shouldn't be this clingy. Jennifer could understand Blanka being close, since even though she leaned toward Max, there was still a bit of hesitation in her body language. Machina, however, didn't have any of that.
~ She's a bit weird, right? ~
Danica talked in a hushed voice and tugged at Jennifer's coat, then pointed at Machina, who was smiling and even laughing at times. She was hugging Max tightly. Jennifer nodded in response. She also felt that Blanka was a little strange.
~ Well, she's his sister. She found him recently after a while, so maybe that's why she's this much clingy ~
Jennifer smiled and replied in a similarly hushed tone. She also felt Machina was a bit clingy, but after finding a family member after so long, Machina might just be trying her best to be a good sister to her brother, even if she didn't really know how.
~ Maybe ~
Danica nodded as well. The two women quickly bonded over their positive outlook on life, and as they talked, they were both shocked to learn each other's age. Each of them had thought the other was still in their early twenties.
…
When Max entered the restaurant with Blanka and Machina, the tables inside already looked almost full, even though they had arrived as early as 06:15 PM. Seeing Max walk in with two model-like beauties on his arms, the manager himself stepped out to greet them.
"Hello, sir, welcome to Les Deux."
"I will need a good table for five people."
"Of course, please follow me."
Max looked at Machina and Blanka, then slowly detached himself from them and walked ahead with the manager in a suit. The manager led them deeper into the restaurant and seated them at a round table in the corner.
"Sir, this table is for six, so you will get lots of space to move around and be comfortable."
Max looked at the ladies for approval and received a nod in response. The table sat in a quiet corner of the room, right beside a large floor-to-ceiling window, where they could see the shopping district and people outside without hearing any of the noise.
"Alright, we will take it."
Max nodded toward the manager, then pulled out a chair for Jennifer to sit. Danica and Machina went ahead and sat on their own, but Blanka kept staring at Max. She wanted to switch places with Jennifer, who was now seated gracefully on the chair Max had pulled out for her.
Max didn't linger. He took Jennifer's coat and handed it to the waiter beside him, who had come over right after the manager confirmed the table. Then he walked ahead and pulled out a chair for Blanka as well. He smiled at her softly and gave a small nod.
As he was about to move to another seat, Blanka gripped his hand tightly. Max had no choice but to sit down beside her and Jennifer, placing him right between them. Jennifer smiled and gently pinched his thigh. Max didn't react outwardly, but inside, he was panicking a little.
What is happening today?
Max looked around at everyone. He had almost kissed Jennifer that morning, and now Blanka was acting this way. He could understand the shift in Jennifer's behavior because of the Love Card, but Blanka was being just as clingy, which left him confused.
Max picked up the menu to ease the tension and focus on eating. He was hungry, and he was here to eat after all. He ordered a Michelin-star seven-course meal, along with two bottles of Bollinger Special Cuvée champagne and sparkling water for everyone.
"Cheers to Max—my long-lost brother, whom I love more than myself."
Holding a champagne glass in her hand, Machina was the first to stand. She lifted her glass and toasted everyone. Jennifer and Danica glanced at each other, their looks clearly saying, "See? that's strange." Blanka frowned slightly, unhappy, but she still stood up after a moment.
"I want to toast Max and Danica. Danica, for being my sister… and Max for—" she paused, "for all the help, and for this dinner."
She wanted to say something else, something much more personal, but her courage failed her halfway. She glanced at Machina, then sat down and reached for Max's hand, gripping it tightly, as if afraid to let go.
"Well then," Danica said as she stood up, smiling, "I'd like to toast all of us—for being here together and for new friendships." She raised her glass, then gently angled it toward Max and Jennifer as she finished.
Then Jennifer stood up. Her dress was red, and with her tall figure, her grace felt different from the rest. Max could clearly see that only Danica could match her when it came to a mature, graceful aura—if she tried. Blanka and Machina, on the other hand, carried more youthful energy.
"Ahem. To everyone here, I hope we become good friends in the future. And to Max, who helped me when I was at my lowest point in life—I was close to breaking, almost out of hope. But he gave me faith in people again. Thank you for that. I will always be grateful."
Her voice nearly broke with emotion. Before meeting Max, her life had been heavy and tiring. Her sister was always in trouble with the law and drugs, and she had a young niece to care for. She was exhausted inside, but after yesterday, her life had taken a sudden turn.
Max stood up and gently patted her back, acknowledging her courage. Everyone clapped softly to show support. As Max was about to sit, the ladies urged him to say a few words.
"Well," Max said, lifting his glass, "thank you all for being here. Blanka, who traveled with me. Danica, who helped me with so many things. Jennifer—Jenny—who tried to lecture me about carrying a magic card in my wallet," he chuckled. "And Machina, my stepsister, who appeared out of nowhere and became my family."
*CLINK*
They ate, talked about different things, and drank champagne. Soon, everyone was a little drunk, but Max didn't feel anything at all. It was like the alcohol had no effect on him. Even Machina was completely drunk, which shocked him a little.
The total bill came out to €1545, so Max tipped the two waiters and the table cleaner who kept everything tidy, rounding the amount up to €1600.
After walking out of the restaurant, Max saw that Danica was sober enough, so he got a taxi for the sisters and another one for Jennifer, Machina, and himself. Jennifer fell asleep on Machina's lap almost as soon as she got into the taxi, while Machina dozed off, leaning back against the seat.
Max sat in the front passenger seat. He decided he wouldn't bring this many women together to a party like this again. Leaving the two drunk sisters alone in the night left him uneasy, and it didn't sit right with his moral code.
As he was about to reach his apartment, he received a text from Danica *Thank you for today, we got home safe.* It made him smile a little, but right after that, a system pop-up appeared, making his eyes almost pop out.
[Main Mission: Acquire a Real Estate]
[Side Mission: Get a nice motorbike]
[New Side Mission: Study Hard for 30 cumulative hours]
Even the system is saying my ass is getting lazy. Pathetic.