Chapter 253 Charles Is a Considerate Person
What just happened was so sudden that even Charles himself felt a bit shaken.
Not to mention Catherine was just a young girl not even twenty years old - she must have been terrified!
Looking at Catherine's watery eyes rippling with emotion, Charles was instantly convinced by his own thoughts.
Catherine was just too sensible, and this sensibility made his heart ache.
Thinking of this, Charles patted Catherine's head with unusual gentleness.
"Going out to have fun with friends, right? Go ahead and enjoy yourself! Have a good time for a couple days. If you need money, just ask me! I'll handle the leave request!"
Charles had clearly misunderstood.
He thought Catherine was scared and wanted to go out and have fun for a couple days.
"Okay, I'll get going then. Bye."
"When you come back, make sure to get checked out. Don't think I'm being annoying - I'm still worried."
Catherine agreed, treating it as a regular checkup. If it could put Charles's mind at ease, that was fine.
The situation at the small mountain village was quite complicated. For now, she didn't want the Windsor family to know what was there.
Whether it was the Galactic Aurora Collective's base or the complicated border lines, it was better to keep them hidden from her family for now.
She'd wait until after she found Richard and Sophia!
Watching Catherine leave obediently with her backpack, her long ponytail swaying in the sunlight, youthful and energetic yet somewhat aloof, Charles felt a pang of sadness.
Catherine seemed too sensible, always leaving them as her brothers not knowing what else they could do for her!
Money and love - they could give her both, but Charles always felt that Catherine was hiding something from them.
Having grown up alone for so long, Catherine probably didn't know how to rely on others anymore.
This realization made Charles's heart ache!
Well, whatever Catherine didn't want to say, they wouldn't force her to speak!
Gabriella walked up beside Charles, her gaze also falling on Catherine's retreating figure.
"I can tell you care a lot about Catherine."
"Yes. Catherine has suffered a lot. Actually, before she came home, we were all prepared to accept a spoiled, willful, or disobedient sister."
After all, Catherine hadn't lived with the Windsor family for the previous nineteen years.
The Smith family in Serenitia City was so poor and pathetic. Just look at Clara - you could tell they couldn't raise a good child.
Charles pressed his brow.
"No matter what Catherine was like, even if she was like all teenage girls - bad-tempered, vain, refusing to accept us - I wouldn't mind."
He had been fully prepared to accept an imperfect sister!
But Catherine turned out to be so good, which made Charles's heart ache instead.
A glimmer flashed in Gabriella's eyes, which she concealed.
"Charles, weren't you worried about bringing home a difficult child?"
"It wouldn't matter. I could teach her, as long as she came home."
Brandon and Aurora really had no experience raising children. The younger Windsor children were all raised by Charles, their eldest brother!
If Catherine had been a difficult child, at worst he could just follow the same path he used with the younger siblings and teach her again!
But Catherine didn't seem to need him to do anything extra, which made Charles feel both proud and somewhat defeated.
Gabriella: "I didn't realize you could be so caring."
Gabriella started walking away.
"Come to my office to sign the papers. And about what just happened - you'll want to check the surveillance footage, right?"
"Of course!"
Nothing that happened to Catherine was a small matter. Charles naturally had to investigate everything thoroughly!
Entering Gabriella's office, Charles immediately noticed the bouquet thrown in the trash.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were allergic to pollen."
"It's fine. You don't need to know about my affairs."
Gabriella sat at her desk and pulled out the leave form and course exemption papers to hand to Charles.
"Catherine has her own ideas. Actually, some courses are indeed quite boring. If she doesn't care about credits, it's fine if she doesn't attend."
"Thank you."
Charles sat down, took out his fountain pen from his suit pocket, unscrewed the cap, and began filling out the forms carefully.
Even though Charles spent most of his time in an office, his excessive self-discipline meant his whole body was toned with muscle. When he sat down, his shirt stretched tight, revealing his strong muscles and powerful arms.
He was especially serious about anything related to Catherine, carefully reading all the information, afraid to miss a single detail.
Gabriella watched for a moment before looking away.
"Would you like some coffee?"
"No need, I rarely drink coffee now."
Gabriella rested her chin on her hand, her eyelashes fluttering.
"I remember you used to love coffee. I thought you still did."
Charles put his pen away, his tone calm, without a ripple of emotion.
"People change. Things I liked in the past, I don't like anymore."
Just like Gabriella - she used to love irises most of all, yet could now say without batting an eye that she was allergic to flowers.
Charles had already been ordered by George and Aurora not to drink coffee because of his stomach problems.
Since people change, he could stop liking coffee too.
After filling out the forms, Charles handed everything to Gabriella.
"Thanks. I'll go check the surveillance footage now."
"I'll come with you. Catherine is a student in our class too."
Charles didn't refuse, politely making way for Gabriella to walk beside him.
His gaze swept over everything on Gabriella's desk, finally landing on a photo frame with a solo picture - wearing red robes, clearly from Gabriella's doctoral graduation.
This photo seemed to be one he had taken in the past!
"You don't display photos with your husband?"
Gabriella's voice was flat.
"No need."
Charles nodded and didn't ask further. He maintained proper boundaries and decorum with married women very well.
"You're not married yet?"
"Soon."
Hearing this answer, Gabriella's steps faltered slightly, though she didn't stop.
"Well, congratulations in advance. When's the wedding? You'll have to invite me."
"Next May."
Hearing such a specific date, it was clear Charles had already been planning his wedding. As for what kind of person his partner was, that didn't seem like something she should ask about now.
Gabriella inexplicably felt a bitter, dry sensation in her throat, unable to say a word.
Charles himself didn't even know he was getting married next May.
But with weddings, you could set a date first and back out later if needed.
After all, even when everything was prepared and he was full of anticipation, his bride could still leave him.
He had experience with that sort of thing.