Chapter 61
“Harry, you really don’t want to splurge on a gift for Mom, huh?” Elisa teased, her tone playful.
“Alright, alright, enough already,” Harry grumbled, clearly worn down by Elisa’s persistence. “Wait here. I’m going to step outside to think about the password, and I’ll be right back.”
Once he stepped outside, Harry was overwhelmed by a wave of frustration. It took him a while to psych himself up. Finally, he removed Caspian from the blocked list on his phone and dialed his number. Caspian had been trying to reach Harry for days without success, knowing he’d been blocked. When he saw Harry’s call come in, he was ecstatic and picked up immediately.
But before Caspian could say anything, Harry’s voice came through loud and clear, scolding him: “Caspian, give me back my kind-hearted, simple sister!”
“What do you mean?” Caspian asked, utterly confused.
“What do I mean?” Harry shot back, indignant. “Elisa used to be thrifty and modest. But look at her now. You buy her silk pajamas that cost a fortune, she has piles of gadgets, and anything she wants, she gets from you. You’ve completely spoiled her, you know that?”
“If a sister is as adorable as Elisa,” Caspian replied seriously, “a brother ought to buy her whatever she likes, no questions asked.”
“You’ve got the money, you buy her stuff. I don’t have that kind of cash,” Harry continued, his rant gaining momentum. “Now she throws money around like it’s nothing, wants everything she sees. And talking her out of it? Forget it.”
Caspian couldn’t help but chuckle, a smile of indulgence crossing his face. Then, with a grin, he added, “Harry, if the new habits are too much for you, we can go back to how things were.”
“Hah, you wish, Caspian!” Harry immediately shot down the idea.
“So, is that why you called? Just to chew me out?”
“Partly to set you straight, but there’s something else…” Harry’s voice softened, his reluctance evident. “I called today because… it’s Mom’s birthday soon, and Elisa insists on buying her a gift, so…”
“Mom’s birthday is coming up?” Caspian immediately latched onto this crucial bit of information. “When? I should—”
“It’s my mom’s birthday, not yours. Dial down the excitement,” Harry interjected, bringing him back to reality. “Let me finish. Elisa’s got her eye on this really expensive necklace, she’s dead set on buying it, and…”
Caspian’s eyes widened as he quickly pieced it together. “You need the credit card password, right?”
“Uh…” Harry’s face flushed with embarrassment. “But consider it a loan, okay? I’ll pay you back.”
Caspian paused before responding, his voice warm. “I already told you it’s a gift, so there’s no need to pay me back. The PIN is 743521, Harry. The fact that you would call to ask me for the PIN made me really happy, I—”
Before Caspian could continue, Harry, feeling embarrassed, quickly interjected, “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear any more. I’m hanging up now!” He cringed inwardly at his lack of composure.
Armed with the PIN, Harry returned to the jewelry store and successfully purchased the necklace Elisa had set her heart on. Her face lit up with joy when she saw it.
“Harry, you’re so generous, truly a wonderful brother!” Elisa exclaimed, clearly thrilled.
Harry smirked, a teasing edge to his voice. “So I’m your brother when I buy you things and an ungrateful jerk if I don’t? Elisa Storm, you sure know how to look out for yourself. It’s impressive.”
Elisa laughed joyfully, her eyes sparkling. “You’re right, Harry. I’m only taking advantage of you because you’re such a soft touch!”
Three days later, the doctors performed a check-up on Galatea and confirmed that she could be discharged and go home to rest.
“Make sure you rest well at home, and light exercise is fine, but avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting. Keep your spirits up,” the doctor reminded her.
“Of course, thank you,” Galatea said gratefully, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.
With her discharge imminent, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. The hospital had been her home for over a month, and she was ready to go back to the familiar comfort of her own space.
After Alaric took care of the discharge paperwork, his phone rang—it was Caspian calling.
“Hello, Caspian.”
“Dad, Mom’s getting discharged today, isn’t she?”
“That’s right.”
“Dad, don’t forget what you told me. You said once Mom gets discharged, you’re going to marry her.”
Caspian had been eagerly anticipating this day.
“I remember,” Alaric said with a smile, his voice filled with warmth.
“Well, I’ll be waiting for the good news!”
After hanging up with Caspian, Alaric returned to the room. Everything for the discharge had been taken care of.
“Mr. Knight, I really appreciate how you’ve taken care of everything while I’ve been in the hospital,” Galatea expressed with gratitude. “Now that I’m leaving, you can finally get back to your work.”
Alaric simply hummed in acknowledgment, his focus on the moment.
Today, on the day of Galatea’s discharge, instead of having his assistant or a driver come, Alaric decided to drive himself with Galatea in the passenger seat, just the two of them.
Alaric started the car. Galatea had specifically bought some makeup, concerned that Mia and Elisa would notice her pallor, so she made an effort to apply some to mask her fatigue.
“Does this look okay?” Galatea asked Alaric after finishing her makeup. “You can’t tell I’m worn out, can you?”
Galatea didn’t usually wear makeup, and now, even though it was just a light application, her natural beauty shone through, enhanced by the subtle touches.
“It’s so natural,” Alaric praised, genuinely impressed. “It must be because you’re a doctor. You hardly ever wear makeup, do you?”
“With looks like mine, I can go barefaced without any problem. No need for makeup, right?” Galatea responded with a hint of vanity, her eyes gleaming with confidence.
“And you say I’m vain? Look at you!” Alaric teased.
“Hanging out with you has rubbed off on me,” Galatea grinned, clearly enjoying the playful banter.
Alaric laughed, finding her lightheartedness contagious. Galatea had been checking her reflection nervously, unsure if her makeup looked natural. But when she put the mirror down and looked out the car window, she realized something was off. “Where are we going? This doesn’t seem like the way to my apartment,” she asked, confused.
“To the county office,” Alaric replied.
“What? The county office?” Galatea was surprised at first, then found the idea ludicrous. “Alaric, are you talking nonsense?”
“I’m not talking nonsense. We really are going to the county office.”
“A marriage license?” The words hung in the air, and Galatea’s heart skipped a beat as the realization hit her.
“The two of us… getting married?!” she asked, her voice a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
Alaric’s expression was serious, and his eyes held a deep sincerity. “Galatea, you were the one who said it. I’m not someone who jokes,” he replied firmly. “I don’t like jokes!”
Indeed, Alaric was not the type to joke around, especially not about something as serious as getting a marriage license. The reality of it was crystal clear, and the weight of the moment settled between them.