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The belated dinner finally began.
It was almost a full hour before Jacob, who had been leisurely exploring Raya's impressive mansion, finally met her again.
She had taken a long, relaxing shower in her private room. Her hair was still slightly damp and glistening, her face was lightly made up with fresh makeup, and she had changed into an elegant pink strapless, floral maxi dress.
Compared to her usual noble and alluring attire, Raya's dress today was noticeably simpler and fresher, adding a distinct touch of youthful playfulness that made her look much younger. She was instantly transformed from a glamorous and sophisticated mature woman into a vibrant twenty-year-old blooming young girl.
Raya walked gracefully into the dining room, carrying a delicate natural fragrance with her. Her distinctly different attire made Jacob's eyes light up with appreciation.
Among all the women Jacob had ever met in his life, Raya was definitely the most beautiful without question.
She possessed the innocent face of a young girl combined with the alluring figure of a mature woman.
Her skin appeared like congealed cream—smooth, flawless, and delicate. Her waist was slender and perfectly shaped like carved jade.
Even someone as discerning and experienced as Jacob had to honestly admit that Raya was perfect in virtually every aspect.
Aside from having a husband, Jacob could find absolutely no flaws whatsoever.
"I'm sorry for the delay," Raya said warmly. Having just successfully captured Cresselia, she was clearly in an excellent mood. Her eyes, as clear and bright as autumn water, gazed at Jacob with genuine warmth. A faint smile graced her face, her eyes curving beautifully like crescent moons. "I just took a shower and changed my clothes. I made you wait quite a while."
Every gesture and smile she made exuded natural charm and grace.
Raya picked up the crystal decanter and personally poured rich red wine for Jacob, then poured a glass for herself as well.
"Thank you so much, Jacob," Raya said, raising her elegant goblet. Her gaze fixed directly on Jacob with sincerity. "My promise to you is still completely valid. You can ask for anything you want as a reward. Just tell me directly whenever you're ready."
"Let's talk about that later," Jacob said, waving his hand dismissively. "I haven't really thought about what I want yet."
"When you've thought about it carefully, you can call me anytime," Raya replied graciously. "Come, try the special dinner prepared specifically for you. You've been working hard all night—you must be absolutely starving."
As Raya spoke these words, she picked up a serving of food from the table and placed it directly into Jacob's bowl with her own chopsticks.
Seeing the unexpectedly enthusiastic Raya acting so attentively, Jacob felt somewhat unaccustomed to this treatment. His face flushed slightly red, and he quickly waved his hand. "I can serve myself. Aunt Raya, you don't need to bother with me. You should eat something too."
"Okay," Raya agreed.
Raya's lips curved slightly upward as she observed Jacob's reserved and slightly flustered expression with amusement.
...
The two then chatted pleasantly and toasted each other repeatedly. Before they knew it, they had already consumed three full bottles of expensive red wine together.
A noticeable blush appeared on both Raya's and Jacob's faces from the alcohol.
"Jacob," Raya said. Her face was flushed pink, but her eyes sparkled brilliantly like starlight as she gazed intently at Jacob, carefully observing him with great interest.
Sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a deep and thoughtful gaze, a high and straight nose bridge, and well-defined, handsome features.
Jacob's appearance leaned distinctly toward being refined and scholarly, carrying a noticeable hint of intellectual aura about him.
If he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, he would be the absolute epitome of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
It had to be said that Jacob's appearance was indeed extremely attractive. At least in the eyes of most women, he was considered quite handsome. As for whether men viewed him the same way, that remained unknown.
"Hmm?" Jacob responded to his name. Seeing Raya remain silent for a long time afterward, he turned his head to look at her, meeting her intense gaze directly.
Looking at Raya gazing up at him so intently, with her small, palm-sized face, red lips contrasting with white teeth, and bright eyes carrying a slight smile, Jacob was also momentarily stunned and captivated.
After a few seconds passed, both of them suddenly came back to their senses and quickly averted their gazes from each other.
Raya also realized her embarrassing lapse in composure. She reached out gracefully to smooth her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.
What was wrong with her? She was actually so completely engrossed in staring at a man like that.
Raya unconsciously recalled a certain embarrassing scene that had occurred in the Dream Realm earlier, and her beautiful face couldn't help but flush even deeper. The mixture of alcohol-induced flush and genuine shyness created another captivating sight in Jacob's eyes.
"That... after successfully capturing Cresselia, I will officially become a full member of God's Coffin after a certain Reserve period," Raya said.
Raya forced herself to calm down internally. Feigning composure, she began to discuss serious business matters with Jacob.
"When I become a full member, I gain the privilege to recommend one person to join God's Coffin, starting as a Reserve member. At that time, you can become a Reserve member of God's Coffin as well."
"Hmm," Jacob also responded somewhat absently. "God's Coffin... how much do you actually know about the other people in God's Coffin?"
"I only know three people personally," Raya replied thoughtfully. Listening to Jacob's question, she considered for a moment before answering. "One is Priest-12, codenamed Eternal Freeze. His Legendary Pokémon is Articuno. You've actually fought against him before. I don't know his true identity at all. I suspect he might be a research worker or scientist."
"The second is God's Coffin-10, codenamed Phoenix. His Legendary Pokémon is a Dark-type Moltres. His identity is publicly known to everyone—he is the current president of the Dawn Society, Ryland."
"The last one is God's Coffin-8, codenamed Heart Steel. His Legendary Pokémon is Melmetal. His true identity is Layton."
...
"Layton?" Jacob turned to look at Raya with surprise, a look of shock on his face. He remembered that Layton was apparently Raya's eighty-year-old husband.
"Yes, my husband," Raya confirmed. When mentioning Layton, Raya openly admitted it without any hesitation or embarrassment. "However, the position of God's Coffin-8 is now vacant. It's very likely that Koen will take over Layton's former position."
Jacob looked at Raya in confusion. "Vacant? What do you mean?"
"Yes," Raya nodded, her face remaining remarkably calm. "Layton died three days ago. It hasn't been publicly announced yet, but his funeral is already being arranged and will be held in three days, coinciding with the seventh day after his death."
Layton died? Oh my goodness, Raya's last flaw was completely gone now.
Jacob didn't have much personal impression of Layton at all. He only vaguely remembered that the man had previously served as the Champion of the region before retiring. As for his life's accomplishments and contributions to society, Jacob knew absolutely nothing.
And looking at Raya's casual demeanor, she didn't seem particularly sad or affected by Layton's death at all?
"Then you're not going back for the funeral?" Jacob asked with some surprise.
"Why should I go back?" Raya said with a light smile. "That girl Julia can attend. I won't be going."
"Aren't you two husband and wife?"
"Do husband and wife necessarily have to attend each other's funerals?" Raya seemed unwilling to dwell on this uncomfortable topic any longer. She waved her hand dismissively to interrupt. "Alright, let's not talk about this depressing topic anymore. Let's talk about your matters instead."
"You also obtained a Darkrai for yourself. With this Legendary Pokémon, you only need to pass a one-year Reserve period to become a full member of God's Coffin."
A full member of God's Coffin?
Jacob actually wasn't particularly interested in becoming a full member of God's Coffin. He had his unique system abilities with him, and now he even possessed two powerful Legendary Pokémon—Darkrai and Diancie—both with immense growth potential.
To be completely honest, he really didn't need to get deeply involved with the people of God's Coffin. He just needed to develop peacefully and steadily, keep a low profile in the early stages, and become invincible in the later stages.
Of course, joining God's Coffin had no real drawbacks either. Jacob naturally wouldn't refuse benefits he could get for free without significant effort.
"Hmm, I'll have to trouble Aunt Raya then," Jacob agreed. "Oh, Aunt Raya," Jacob suddenly remembered something important and asked, "How is your collection of Wishing Stars coming along that we mentioned last time?"
...