Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Chapter 128: A Late Bloomer’s Reveal

The birthday party began with a soft, slightly formal air as everyone settled into their seats.

Ryan and Seria sat up straight, occasionally exchanging respectful remarks about the food’s delicious aroma.

Nearby, Soren focused on keeping Ethea’s plate filled, smoothly cutting pieces into manageable sizes and assisting her with her meal.

He was careful to time his actions, only raising a small piece of food to her lips when he was absolutely certain the others were looking away or deeply engaged in their own meals. He confidently believed that his subtle movements were completely going unnoticed by everyone else at the table.

Unfortunately for him, his ’stealth’ was a complete failure.

The moment Soren picked up a piece of food for Ethea, Ryan suddenly found the texture of his napkin deeply fascinating and stared down at it with intense concentration.

Seria immediately began examining the architecture of the ceiling corners, nodding to herself as if she had just discovered a masterfully crafted molding.

Both of them were screaming internally, feeling as though they were being forcefully stuffed with high-quality dog food by the lovey-dovey couple. They desperately maintained a silent pact to ignore the highly attentive display of care happening right beside them.

Sensing the thick, rigid quiet settling over the table, Aunt Clara smoothly cleared her throat to break the spell.

"Please, don’t be shy, try these dishes as well," she spoke up, gesturing toward the various platters. "There is more than enough for everyone, and I won’t have guests leaving this house hungry."

Both Ryan and Seria snapped back to reality, nodding with slightly exaggerated enthusiasm as they accepted the portions she offered.

"Thank you, Aunt Clara. The presentation alone is spectacular," Ryan said, eagerly picking up a savory chicken leg to look occupied. He took a bite and genuinely smiled. "The seasoning is perfect. You have incredible skill."

"Oh, it’s nothing special, just home cooking," Clara replied, a proud, rosy tint coloring her cheeks as she sat back down. Then, recalling something, she smiled warmly at Ryan. "Though I can’t take all the credit for the highlights. Be sure to send my deepest thanks to your mother for cooking and sending these dumplings over."

"Alright, I will."

Hearing this, Soren chimed in, using his chopsticks to point at the massive platter in the center. "No wonder the taste felt so familiar. Ryan, your mother really cooks them well."

Ryan nodded respectfully, glad the topic had shifted. "Mm, she also sent her congratulations to you, Brother Soren. My father and little sister too."

"Please thank them for me," Soren said, a warm smile gracing his features before he looked back at Ryan. "It would have been better if you had just brought them along with you."

"Ah... well," Ryan replied, clearing his throat lightly.

A rare trace of awkwardness crossed his usually composed face. He looked down at his bowl, completely unsure how to politely explain that his parents had felt way too embarrassed to intrude on what they firmly believed was an intimate gathering of the people.

Seeing him falter under Soren’s direct gaze, Seria quickly stepped in to rescue her cousin. "They actually had some urgent matters to attend to today, so they unfortunately couldn’t make it. They were truly sorry about that." Turning the attention smoothly toward the head of the table, she offered a bright smile. "Right, Miss Ethea, the decorations you planned are absolutely beautiful. The colors match the room perfectly."

Ethea offered a small, elegant nod. "Auntie did all of the physical work. I only suggested the arrangement."

"Still, your taste and sense of design are great," Seria praised sincerely.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Mm~ Right! Mr. Soren, please eat from this dish too."

"Oh, thank you..."

"..."

As the plates were passed around and the rich food began to work its magic, the initial awkwardness completely disappeared.

The conversation picked up a lively, comfortable rhythm, filled with the clinking of utensils and light laughter.

Soren watched the easy cheer, a quiet thought crossing his mind. Based on the sheer abundance of food filling the table, he guessed they had originally intended to invite Sister Zoe as well. However, given her situation, she would be completely unable to attend. Even so, looking around at the cheerful faces before him, Soren felt that this small group was more than enough.

"By the way, where are you actually from, Mr. Soren?" Seria asked, setting her teacup down after a brief lull in the chatter. "I happened to overhear that you weren’t originally from Kalmira."

Soren paused his chopsticks mid-air, the casual question catching him slightly off guard. "Oh, me? Well... I was born in Valorium."

"Woah! So you’re from the famous Valorium, the capital city?" Seria’s eyes widened with genuine interest. "Then what brings you all the way here to a border city like Kalmira?"

Soren offered a smooth, relaxed smile, maintaining his calm composure. "Well, you know how difficult and competitive life can get in the capital. After marrying, Ethea and I decided it would be better to live in a much more peaceful place."

It was a perfectly reasonable, polite explanation.

But in reality, the truth was far less romantic.

It was their respective families who had wanted them pushed as far away as possible, effectively exiling them to the edges of the map to keep them out of sight and out of mind.

Naturally, he couldn’t exactly tell her that.

Soren subtly caught Ethea’s gaze from the corner of his eye, curious to see her reaction to his cover story, but her expression remained completely unreadable as she quietly listened to their conversation.

Ryan turned his gaze toward Soren, a spark of genuine curiosity lighting up his usually disciplined eyes. "Brother Soren, did you attend the same academy as Sister-in-law then?"

Soren caught the underlying look of expectation on Ryan’s face and offered a slight, wry smile. ’You really were a fan of hers, huh.’

"Well, unfortunately no," Soren replied smoothly, shaking his head. "I just attended an ordinary school."

"Oh, I see..." Ryan nodded slowly, trying his best to look understanding, though he couldn’t completely hide the flicker of disappointment that washed over his features. In his mind, someone as exceptionally capable and cool as Soren must have hailed from a similarly prestigious background.

"Why, though?"

Seria chimed in, picking up on the detail. She tilted her head, her curiosity piqued by the stark contrast between the two.

"With your skills, Mr. Soren, I would have thought you went to one of the top academies in the country."

Soren maintained his relaxed posture, though he took a brief sip of his tea before addressing the question with complete calmness.

"Umm... It’s because... I was an unawakened back then."