Chapter 73 The First Visit
Leopold had been waiting for Caroline's message. It wasn't until almost 8 PM that he received her WhatsApp.
Caroline: [Just got home.]
North: [How did it go?]
This was what he cared about most, and it was the opportunity Caroline had fought all evening to secure.
She replied happily: [My mom didn't say yes outright, but she's asking you to come over tomorrow.]
Leopold's anxious heart finally settled a bit when he saw that message.
North: [What did your dad say?]
Caroline: [My dad isn't home from work yet. My mom will talk to him tonight. Should be fine.]
Leopold's heart, which had just relaxed, tensed up again, and his expression grew serious.
North: [Okay.]
Besides trusting Caroline, there was nothing he could do now.
Actually, Elysia's real purpose in agreeing to meet wasn't to accept Leopold, but to make Caroline give up.
After learning about Leopold's family situation, Elysia strongly disapproved.
Her carefully raised Caroline, protected and cherished since childhood with a flawless background—if she got involved with someone connected to such a scandalous homewrecker, it would be the biggest stain on Caroline's life.
Seeing how desperately Caroline was trying to convince her, Elysia decided to give Leopold one chance to meet.
Actually, their conversation hadn't gone smoothly. They almost got into an argument at the start. Compared to before, Caroline was very restrained today. Perhaps their relationship hadn't reached that inseparable stage yet, but what Elysia didn't know was that Caroline's restraint came from Leopold's earlier advice and comfort.
After nearly an hour of heart-to-heart conversation, although Elysia's attitude softened, she still insisted on not approving their relationship.
Actually, putting herself in Elysia's shoes, Caroline could understand her concerns. What parent doesn't want the best for their child? Everything would depend on Friday—as long as they met in person, she believed they would like Leopold.
Caroline thought she had convinced Elysia, but Elysia had other plans.
Friday evening.
Leopold deliberately returned to Seaside City early and waited at Caroline's office entrance for over half an hour before seeing her come out the main door.
In the car's rearview mirror, he could see the gift boxes prepared in the back seat—all carefully selected gifts for the meeting.
The passenger door opened and closed as Caroline got in. "How long have you been here?"
Leopold said, "Just arrived."
"I saw you from upstairs." Caroline fastened her seatbelt and noticed the gift boxes in the back seat. "You bought so much stuff?"
Leopold started the car, his face full of smiles, his expression showing barely contained joy.
"Not much."
Caroline counted—ten items in total, big and small.
"Ten items isn't much?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.
Leopold smiled warmly and replied, "First visit should be taken seriously."
"You're certainly sincere."
Caroline glanced at the logos on the gift boxes. Two of them had MediMax written on them. They didn't look particularly special, but anyone in the know would recognize that MediMax was a century-old store specializing in precious medicinal herbs and supplements. These two boxes weren't cheap, and the quality was definitely top-notch. There were also two luxury brand shopping bags, plus cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee—this trip must have cost him quite a bit.
"I told you not to buy expensive gifts."
"They're not expensive."
Leopold's casual tone made it impossible for Caroline to get upset. She complained verbally, but in her heart she knew that his careful preparation was because he valued her so much.
Under Caroline's human GPS guidance, Leopold's car smoothly parked in a spot in the residential complex.
Leopold opened the back door and made three trips back and forth to get everything piled into the elevator.
Caroline pressed the floor button. Leopold asked:
"Is your dad home?"
Caroline said, "Not yet. He has a last-minute meeting, will be an hour late."
"I see. He's really busy."
"My dad's used to it, and so am I," Caroline said. "It would be weird if he wasn't busy one day."
The elevator arrived.
Leopold first carried the smaller gifts out of the elevator, then moved out two slightly heavier boxes.
As soon as they entered the door, they heard cooking sounds from the kitchen. Caroline went to the kitchen doorway and said to the person cooking, "Mom, Leopold's here."
Elysia put the lid on the pot—the beef needed to simmer on low heat a bit longer. She wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen.
This wasn't their first meeting, but Leopold still greeted her politely: "Sorry to intrude today."
"Leopold, why did you buy so much?" Elysia went to take things from his hands, but Leopold said, "Where should I put these?"
The gift boxes he was holding included a box of sea cucumber, a packaged case of durian, and a fruit gift box.
"Put these in the fridge." Elysia walked to the kitchen, and Leopold followed closely behind. "Let me do it."
Leopold opened the refrigerator and saw that everything inside was neatly organized. He took out the sea cucumber gift box and placed it carefully, then wiped the outer packaging of the fruit with antibacterial wipes before gently making space and putting the fruit inside.
A person's upbringing and habits can't be faked—you can tell from small habits about their living environment and how their parents raised them.
Leopold was someone who did things methodically and was very meticulous and clean.
Compared to how Atticus used to stuff things randomly into the fridge and his many unseemly living habits, Leopold was much better.
"Mom," Caroline said, "Leopold also picked out two gifts for you. Let me say upfront, he chose everything himself. I had no part in it."
Leopold picked up and laid out four items on the table—a luxury brand silk scarf, a brand-name gold bracelet, a box of premium honey, and finally a gift he handed over with both hands. "Caroline often tells me about your work. I didn't realize how accomplished you were back then. She also regrets that you gave up your passion for editorial work to take care of her. I had a friend specially customize this pen for you. It has your name on it, and the other one is engraved with Mr. Tudor's name."
Caroline wasn't surprised by the other gifts, but this last one she truly hadn't expected.
"This pen looks so much like the one I had when I first started working."
Elysia took the pen and examined it. The body gleamed with a golden luster. Familiar memories surfaced in her mind. Back when computer typing wasn't yet common, everyone used fountain pens to write speeches. She had earned her supervisor's recognition with one pen and one draft.
Reminiscing about the past couldn't be captured in just a few words, but seeing familiar objects awakened many fragments buried deep in memory.
Elysia's gaze softened. "I can see you put thought into this."
Leopold's attitude was sincere, his tone without any flattery. "This is my first visit, and I was actually quite nervous. I didn't know what gifts to choose, and I was afraid of choosing poorly. I'm relieved that you like them."