Chapter 290
“Dinner together?” Cormac hesitated for a moment, unsure, but then nodded. “Sure.”
Aurora had seen Caspian, Harry, and Elisa on TV before, and she had really liked the three of them. Now that they were going to meet in person, she was excited to see how well the kids would get along. “Alright, it’s settled then. I’ll pick the place and text you the details. You can drive Aurora over,” Alaric said.
“Okay,” Cormac replied, agreeing without hesitation.
The kids, particularly Caspian, Harry, and Elisa, were all buzzing with excitement about meeting Aurora. They had heard so much about her, and now they were going to meet her in person.
“Awesome! We get to meet Aurora!” Elisa said with wide eyes. “I heard she’s a top student.”
“Yeah, I heard she’s at the top of her year. A real genius,” Harry added, his voice full of admiration.
“Remember, when you meet Aurora, be polite. Don’t be noisy, and definitely don’t say anything inappropriate,” Caspian said, trying to sound like the responsible older brother.
Harry rolled his eyes at Caspian’s lecture. “We don’t need you to teach us manners. Mind your own business,” he shot back, clearly irked by Caspian’s bossy attitude.
Seeing the tension between the two, Stellan immediately stepped in, his tone firm. “Stop it. No arguing, or you’ll lose the privilege of going to dinner.”
Harry quickly zipped his lips, afraid of saying anything else, and Elisa promptly covered Caspian’s mouth, ensuring he stayed quiet too.
The room fell into a peaceful silence.
“It’s great to have dinner with Cormac again,” Stellan said, but his tone shifted to something more wistful. “But it’s a bit of a shame, isn’t it?”
Alaric raised an eyebrow, sensing something more behind Stellan’s words. “What do you mean?”
Stellan sighed, his gaze distant. “Well, your relationship with Cormac has definitely improved. And I’ve hit it off with Rowena. We could be best friends. If Cormac and Rowena ever got back together, we could all go out for dinner together. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Alaric’s smile was knowing but tinged with a hint of melancholy. “That’s a nice thought, Stellan, but reality is often harsh. Not every couple in love ends up together.”
Stellan’s smile faltered, his sigh carrying a trace of regret. “True,” he said, resigned. “Oh well, we’ll just go with the flow.”
When it came time for the dinner, Alaric had carefully chosen a restaurant with a wide variety of dishes. He remembered the last time he visited Cormac, when Cormac had bought meat for Aurora because it was her favorite. Knowing her humble background and the struggles she had endured, Alaric wanted to make sure the meal would cater to her tastes.
As the group arrived at the restaurant, Aurora was shy and hid behind Cormac when she saw Alaric and Stellan. Stellan smiled warmly, stepping forward first to greet her. “Hello, Aurora. I’m Stellan Storm.”
Alaric also smiled and gave a small wave. “Hello, Aurora. I’m Alaric Knight. We met last time.”
“Uncle Alaric, Sister Aurora!” Harry chimed in, trying to break the ice.
Harry’s comment had everyone chuckling. “My dad is ‘Uncle,’ and my mom is ‘Sister,’ just like we call Dad ‘Dad’ and Mom ‘Mom.’ Dad, you better take care of yourself. In a few years, people might think you’re out with your daughter,” Harry teased.
Stellan let out a laugh, amused by his son’s boldness. Meanwhile, Alaric shot Harry a sharp, disapproving glance. Caspian was right—Harry’s mouth was often a source of trouble!
“I saw you three on TV,” Aurora said, her face lighting up. “You’re so cute, even cuter in person!”
“Hello, Aurora,” Caspian, Harry, and Elisa greeted politely, each with a smile.
“Aurora, I heard you’re a top student. That’s amazing! Can you help me with my homework in the future?” Elisa asked, her eyes filled with admiration.
Aurora smiled modestly, shaking her head. “I’m not really a top student, just more hardworking than others. You guys are all so smart at such a young age—you’ll be the real top students when you grow up.”
After a moment, Aurora turned her attention to Caspian and Harry. “You two look so alike. Who’s the older one, and who’s the younger one?”
The question sparked a little tension between the two brothers. Harry quickly jumped in, eager to find out if Aurora would think he was the older one. “Aurora, guess. Who do you think is the older one and who’s the younger one?”
Harry’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Caspian stood with his usual confident, aloof expression, waiting for the verdict.
Aurora carefully observed them for a while. She looked back and forth between the two, then pointed to Caspian first, then Harry. “You should be the older one, and you should be the younger one.”
“Great eye, Aurora!” Caspian said, flashing her a proud smile. “I am indeed the older one.”
But Harry was not thrilled. “What? She said I’m the younger one?” he asked, his tone frustrated. “We look exactly the same!”
Aurora’s observation seemed to have hurt Harry’s pride more than expected. “How did you figure it out? Was it just a guess?” Harry pressed, still looking for some sort of explanation.
Aurora, trying to answer seriously, nodded. “Not entirely a guess. At our school, there are also twins. I noticed that, in most cases, the younger siblings are a bit taller than the older ones.”
Harry’s face lit up as she spoke. He beamed with pride, holding her hand. “Aurora, great observation! You have sharp eyes!”
Caspian, however, stood there, stunned and visibly hurt. He turned to Aurora, narrowing his eyes. “I’m shorter than him?” he asked, his voice low with disbelief.
Aurora realized she had made a mistake, inadvertently saying something that might have hurt Caspian’s feelings. She quickly tried to soften the blow. “Not by much, really. Just a tiny bit. People wouldn’t notice unless they looked closely.”
But it was too late. Caspian’s pride had taken a hit. He glared at Harry, coldly demanding, “Harry, are you wearing height-boosting shoes?”
Harry, sensing the tension, shot back quickly, “Caspian, are you a sore loser? You’re the one wearing height-boosting shoes!”
As Harry stood on tiptoe, trying to appear taller than Caspian, he patted him on the shoulder with a mock comforting gesture. “Height is a hard fact. Don’t be sad; being sad won’t help.”
With that, Harry walked into the private room, clearly pleased with himself. He muttered to himself, “I’ve suddenly taken a liking to being the younger one.”
Caspian stood there for a moment, his expression dark and hurt. He was the older one—how could he have been mistaken for the younger one? It was a blow to his pride that stung more than he wanted to admit.
Noticing his distress, Aurora looked up at Cormac with a guilty expression. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked, unsure if she had upset him further.