Catriona couldn't read minds and had no idea what Roderick thought of her.
The first thing she did upon entering her shop was change out of her dress and into something comfortable.
At eleven, Eulalia showed up at the shop.
"Here to see if you're still alive." She wore a white dress and held a bag of big, red peaches in one hand.
Catriona, who was wrapping flowers, laughed. "Look, I'm alive and well."
Eulalia picked up a ripe peach and made her way to the sink, washing it thoroughly. She then cut it into neat, square pieces and grabbed a fork from the table.
She sat next to Catriona with the plate of peaches, picked up a piece with a fork, and offered it to her.
"It should be pretty sweet."
Catriona naturally opened her mouth, took a bite of the peach, and nodded. "Mmm, very sweet."
She continued wrapping flowers while Eulalia occasionally popped a piece of peach into her mouth. Eulalia looked Catriona up and down. "So? How's it going at the Nightblade household?"
Though Catriona had assured her that everything was fine, she still couldn't help feeling uneasy. People like them, ordinary folks, were worlds apart from the likes of the powerful Nightblade. She worried that Catriona might end up with nothing left of herself in the end.
She didn't see her friend getting involved with a rich family like the Nightblade as a good thing; she felt more apprehensive about the unpredictable unknown.
She couldn't help it. She had no experience with that world, only knowing about rich people from TV, novels, and comics. To her, the wealthy world was terrifying, and people would do too much for money.
In her view, one didn't need too much money to live; a simple, ordinary life seemed safer.
With money comes trouble.
"I've been scouring the internet these past few days, and there's no mention of Mr. Nightblade having a girlfriend. It's odd—no rumors, nothing. I'm just worried some woman around him might resent you. Have you met his family yet? What are they like? Do they think you're using the child to move up?"
Catriona chuckled. "Only a comic writer would think that way."
Eulalia glared. "Stop messing around. I'm serious! I'm genuinely worried!"
"It's not as dramatic as you think." Catriona thought about the wolves in the mansion. Were those werewolves Roderick's family? As pack members, they could be considered half-family, she supposed.
As for Roderick's parents, she had never met them.
"They're all pretty nice people; don't worry about it."
Eulalia frowned slightly and said seriously, "If something feels off, just run, and call me if you need help!"
"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you." Catriona said, giving Eulalia another look. "By the way, have you lost some weight?"
Women on a diet usually loved hearing this.
Eulalia smiled, "Right? You noticed? I'm down to 123 pounds now."
At 5.3 feet, Eulalia had once weighed 130 pounds, so a seven-pound loss in a month wasn't bad.
"My goal is to be a hundred pounds! I'll definitely be a beauty when I slim down. I'll wear all sorts of cute dresses!" Eulalia winked at Catriona, reveling in her own plans.
"You're a beauty now," Catriona said honestly. Eulalia had a pleasantly curvy figure, with fair, smooth skin, bold brows, and large eyes. Her face had just a hint of softness, giving her a cute and endearing look.
Eulalia sighed, "With my current looks and body, the ones who like me aren't my type, and the ones I like aren't interested in me. I get it; everyone in this world is all about looks. If I don't change, I'll really never meet anyone."
"Don't give me that 'someone will love you for who you are' stuff or 'the right one will come along someday.'" Eulalia chuckled helplessly, "I'm a comic artist; I know better than anyone which things are just dreamy fantasies."
She was a full-time comic artist, in a small circle with little contact with men.
And she was very realistic about it.
Catriona pressed her lips together and nodded, "As long as you're dieting healthily, I support you. Extreme, unhealthy methods are a no-go."
"I know. Oh, I'm so jealous of you; you never seem to gain weight! I gain weight just drinking water!"
Catriona laughed softly, looking at her, "Are you sure it's just water making you gain weight?"
Eulalia sighed, "Alright, it's not. It's that I eat too much, and my body absorbs everything."
Eulalia chatted with Catriona in the shop for two hours before heading home.
Catriona continued working quietly, and when the time came, she changed into a dress to pick up her son from kindergarten.
A black luxury car slowly pulled up in front of her shop.
Catriona saw it as soon as she walked out.
Arden stood by the car, dressed in a silver-gray suit, smiling and nodding at her, "Miss Ashford, we're here to pick up the young master, right? Please, join us in the car!"
Without hesitation, Catriona nodded eagerly, "Sure! Right away."
She quickly locked up the shop and walked over with a smile, "Did Mr. Nightblade ask you to pick up Cedric?"
Roderick was so busy; she didn't need to think twice to know he wouldn't be the one doing drop-offs and pick-ups every day.
And then...
Arden smiled and opened the car door.
Inside, she saw Roderick, his long legs crossed, sitting in a slightly casual posture. He turned his head, looking at her with an indifferent expression.
"Mr. Nightblade, you're here too," Catriona said, a bit surprised.
If Roderick came, the little one who pretended to be so cool at kindergarten might be happy.
"Barring any surprises, I'll be the one picking up and dropping off the cub from now on," Roderick said, his voice low and emotionless.
"Oh."
The bald driver drove silently while Arden, seated in the front, spoke at the right moment, "Miss Ashford, if you're willing, you only need to wait at the shop entrance; we'll come pick you up."
"I'm more than willing."
Why wouldn't she be willing? Who wouldn't want a free ride?
Only a fool would pass up a car ride.
"Mr. Nightblade, let me know when we arrive."
She was a bit tired today. After getting in the car, she closed her eyes, hoping to rest a bit.
Roderick's gaze shifted from the window and slowly, slowly fell on her.
His sharp nose twitched slightly, and he pressed his lips together. The car was filled with the floral scent coming from her.
She had already fallen asleep, her thick lashes casting shadows like little fans, and her full lips softly pressed together.
Tsk. Roderick shifted his gaze to the window.
Was she working so hard because she needed money?
From what he knew, pure humans worked tirelessly, typically for financial reasons.
When Catriona woke, she realized the car had already stopped. Startled, she thought Roderick had left without waking her.
But as she looked up, she saw him still sitting across from her.
"Mr. Nightblade, what time is it?" she asked, glancing outside while unbuckling her seatbelt.
"Ten more minutes left."
She exhaled in relief. "How long have we been here? You should've woken me."
"No need," Roderick replied coolly.
They had arrived a while ago, but seeing how soundly she was sleeping, he'd decided to let her rest a bit longer.
Roderick quietly observed her; a few strands of her hair had fallen out of place as she slept. Finally, he spoke, his voice steady. "You're the cub's mother, so I believe it's within my rights to take responsibility for your needs—your food, clothing, shelter, and transport."
"Huh?" Catriona was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"
On the table, Roderick pushed a stack of cards in front of her.
"Whatever you need, just spend freely."
The man's thin lips pressed together, his jawline sharp. He said in a low voice, "Living stressed because of money— doing so would undermine my sense of dignity."
Whether he liked it or not, she was still the mother of the cub.
