Chapter 96: Guests at the Orphanage

The drive back to the orphanage was wrapped in comfortable silence.

Isobel stole a glance at Richard from the passenger seat.

He had barely spoken since they left the restaurant. His eyes remained fixed on the road, his expression calm yet distant, as though his mind had wandered somewhere she couldn’t follow.

She couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking about.

If only she knew that Richard remembered their past together...

It had been years since she had last seen him.

Back then, they had been inseparable. Richard had always looked after her, shielding her from trouble whenever he could. To the little girl she once was, he had been more than an older brother—he had been her safe place.

Now, seeing him again after all these years, she noticed how much he had changed.

He had grown into a striking man. His fair complexion, sharp features, and quiet confidence gave him the air of a prince from the eastern historical dramas she loved to watch. Yet despite his more mature appearance, there was something familiar in the gentle curve of his smile.

Without realizing it, she kept looking.

"Done staring?"

Richard’s voice broke the silence.

Though his eyes never left the road, the amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips told her he had noticed long ago.

Isobel’s cheeks instantly flushed.

"W-What? I wasn’t staring."

"No?" Richard asked, trying not to laugh.

"No."

"Alright." His smile widened. "If you say you weren’t staring... then you weren’t staring."

His teasing only made her blush even harder, prompting her to turn toward the window to hide her embarrassment while Richard chuckled quietly to himself.

"Do you... have a girlfriend?" Isobel finally asked.

For the briefest moment, Richard’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"No."

Isobel blinked.

"Really? How is that even possible?" She looked at him in disbelief. "You’re so handsome, successful, and kind. I’m sure there are plenty of women who’d love to throw themselves at you."

A faint smile appeared on Richard’s lips.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do." She answered without hesitation.

Then a mischievous thought crossed her mind.

"Oh, I know!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "You’re tricking me. You don’t have a girlfriend because she’s already your wife."

Richard nearly slammed on the brakes.

The car lurched slightly before he steadied the wheel.

"What kind of nonsense is that?" he said, shooting her a quick glance. "I don’t have a wife."

His denial came so quickly that it caught Isobel off guard.

She laughed.

"Then maybe you’re secretly engaged?"

Richard let out a helpless sigh.

"No."

Isobel covered her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle.

"I don’t believe you. You’re already at the age where people are getting married and starting families."

The smile faded from Richard’s face.

The warmth inside the car seemed to disappear with it.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Only then did Isobel realize she might have wandered into a subject he didn’t want to talk about.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His gaze remained fixed on the road, unreadable.

Quietly, she decided not to tease him anymore.

"We are here." Richard said and stepping on the break a bit too hard that Isobel lurched forward.

They had stayed out too long, there were already a few cars parked at the side of the orphanage.

Richard hurriedly went down and walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her.

...

A boy of about thirteen hurried toward them the moment they stepped out of the car.

"Sister Isobel! Uncle Richard!" he greeted excitedly. "Everyone’s already in the main hall. The guests arrived early, so the celebration has already started."

"Uncle."

Richard felt a stab of annoyance.

Uncle?

Did he really look old enough to be called Uncle Richard already?

And why was Isobel "Sister Isobel" while he had been promoted an entire generation?

The unfairness of it all made him want to argue with the boy.

But he kept those thoughts to himself.

"Alright. Thanks," Richard replied evenly, not allowing the slightest hint of his wounded pride to show on his face.

He walked beside Isobel as they entered the orphanage and made their way toward the main hall.

The cheerful sounds of laughter and children’s voices drifted through the open doors.

But the instant Isobel crossed the threshold, she froze. Her feet refused to move. Her breath caught in her throat.

How... can they be here?

"Isobel?"

Richard immediately noticed the change in her expression.

"What’s wrong?" he asked quietly.

"N-Nothing."

She forced herself to answer, but her voice lacked conviction.

Following her gaze, Richard looked toward the small elevated platform at the back of the hall.

A well-dressed couple stood there, greeting the children with warm smiles. In the man’s arms was a baby no older than six months old.

Richard’s expression hardened.

There was no mistaking that unmistakable air of aristocracy.

Even dressed in nothing more than a crisp white shirt and a pair of jeans, Kristoff carried himself with effortless authority. His posture was straight, his movements composed, and the quiet confidence surrounding him set him apart from everyone else in the room.

Kristoff Dalton.

So he was the special guest Mama Rena had mentioned.

Standing beside him was his fiancée, Charlotte, elegant as ever, while the six-month-old baby in Kristoff’s arms reached happily for the colorful balloons decorating the stage, filling the solemn man with a rare, gentle smile.

"Maybe..." Isobel whispered, her eyes never leaving the platform. "Maybe we should come back another day."

Her voice was so soft it was almost swallowed by the chatter filling the hall, as though she feared someone might recognize her if she spoke any louder.

Richard looked at her for a moment. He could see the uneasiness she was trying so hard to hide.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Almost as if on cue, Mama Rena turned toward the entrance.

Her face immediately brightened.

"Richard! Isobel!" she called, waving enthusiastically. "You’re finally here! Come, come! Everyone’s been waiting for you."

Every head in the hall turned toward the doorway.