Recognizing her place as an outsider in this domain, Alfy laughed softly and nodded in surrender. “Alright then, I’ll leave it in your capable hands.” She figured hovering would only test their patience, no matter how politely they might bear it.
The maids exchanged knowing smiles, their eyes twinkling with amusement.
Alfy then left the kitchen.
Bernie caught sight of her departure and couldn’t resist teasing, “Alfy, why not just sit tight and wait for Katelyn to grace us with her presence?”
Alfy responded by playfully sticking out her tongue before collapsing onto the plush couch, her heart fluttering with barely contained excitement.
Just then, the butler’s crisp voice floated in from outside. “Miss Bailey has arrived.”
The moment Katelyn crossed the threshold, Alfy bounded toward her with unbridled joy. “Katelyn! You’re finally here!”
Katelyn caught Alfy with practiced ease, her expression shifting to one of concerned exasperation. “Don’t move around so much. You just had surgery. What if your stitches tear? Has the pain subsided completely?” A sheepish grin spread across Alfy’s face. “I’m just overjoyed to see you.” Nevertheless, she immediately tempered her movements, adopting a more subdued demeanor.
Katelyn glided into the house, placing an elegantly wrapped gift box on the polished table before greeting Bernie with polite deference. “Mr. Norris.”
Bernie’s face softened with a warm, welcoming smile. “You didn’t have to trouble yourself with a gift.”
His countenance radiated genuine warmth, yet in that fleeting moment, Katelyn couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that Bernie was quietly assessing her worth. When she attempted to confirm her suspicion with a second glance, Bernie’s gaze had already reverted to its customary kindly expression—the very picture of an elder regarding a younger generation’s friend with benevolent affection.
g?ν.?n – ? ?
She chose not to dwell on the matter, simply offering a gracious smile as she replied, “It’s only proper.”
Alfy sat obediently beside Katelyn. With both her uncle and mentor present under the same roof, she felt like the luckiest soul in the entire world.
She reached eagerly for a plate of glistening fruit the servant had artfully arranged earlier and placed it before Katelyn with childlike enthusiasm. “Katelyn, try this! It’s absolutely divine—sweet enough to make your taste buds dance!”
Observing Alfy’s unbridled joy, Katelyn sighed inwardly. It was painfully obvious that Alfy deeply yearned for her and Bernie to develop a harmonious relationship.
Pushing her complicated thoughts into the recesses of her mind, she suggested with gentle authority, “Alfy, let’s retire to your room. I need to examine how your wound is healing.”
Alfy offered no resistance, nodding with characteristic eagerness. “Okay!”
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