Chapter 570
At the Roberts family villa, hearing that Ava was coming, Rose rushed to the Roberts family with her family right after work. Upon receiving the news that her
daughter was coming, Grace left work early, leaving William alone at the company.
In Grace's arms, she held her child and fed him fruit with great care. On the opposite side, Rose lounged comfortably, her legs curled up. Edward didn’t need to
remind her to put her legs down.
Rose was puzzled, as Ava was supposed to arrive in the morning. "What time is Ava coming? Why hasn't she arrived yet?"
Edward sat on the side, pondering, “Maybe someone took Ava out to play and will be back later.”
“What do you want to eat tonight?” Grace asked.
“l want to eat the pepper-salt spare ribs that my brother cooks." Rose really missed her brother's dishes but didn't know if he was willing to cook.
She could persuade Ava later, saying that her brother's spare ribs are incredibly delicious, and if her sister-in-law wants to eat, her brother can arrange it.
The commotion in the yard interrupted Rose's thoughts. It could be either William or her brother returning.
Shortly after, Frank came in with Ava. Upon entering, Ava let go of Frank's hand, walked to the sofa, leaned against Grace, and sweetly called, "Grace."
Grace, holding her child, asked, "Did you go out?"
Rose continued to curl up her legs and hands on her knees. Edward nodded to Ava, indicating a greeting. The age difference between them made him feel a bit
strange. Ava also thought that it was weird. Even Edward always felt a bit odd. Nonetheless, they maintained a silent exchange.
Before Ava could answer Grace's question, Rose said, "You guys abandoned me and went out to play. It’s too much.”
Ava just smiled at Grace and then explained. Frank was uninterested in his sister's act, carried his luggage, and went upstairs.
“lwent to pick up Jasper from preschool. After picking him up, we had lunch and ate pizza together with Hackett. Then we took Jasper to the amusement park."
Grace, after hearing the brief explanation, just nodded without expressing any opinions. She continued to hold her child, playing with toys in her hand.
However, Rose's child was not very calm, even sitting in Grace's arms. Even sitting in Grace's arms, the child stood up and sat down, constantly moving and
changing positions.
Taking care of a child by oneself presented a challenging and demanding task.
Ava was playing with Rose's child. The little one was unfamiliar with Ava because she was rarely in Athana. Observing her grandson avoiding Ava, Grace began to
console her. "In a few days, it will be fine. It's just a bit unfamiliar at the moment."
“It's okay. He will like me, right, little Harper ?" Ava playfully tilted her head and coaxed.
Edward Landor's son was named Harper, a name given by Rose. She hoped the child's life would always be bright and full of smiles, unlike that of a melancholy
prince.
Seeking a melancholic prince as a life partner was akin to searching for a mythical steed. Only those with a profound understanding could genuinely comprehend.
Those unfamiliar with such depth would refrain from drawing near. The prince would lead a solitary existence without a discerning talent scout like her.
That's what Rose thought.
The little guy wasn’t giving face, hiding in Grace's shoulder, not turning his head or paying attention to Ava. Ava was not angry. She just smiled.
Frank finished putting away the luggage and headed downstairs. Grace handed the child to Frank as he descended. Frank took the child and held him adeptly. It
was evident he was accustomed to having the child regularly, and the little one seemed to really like Frank, snuggling directly against his neck.
Rose inquired tentatively, “Ava, would you like to have the chef's delicacies? The especially delicious ones, like salt and pepper spare ribs, sweet and sour steak,
spaghetti, and a lot more."
Frank calmly glanced at his sister, seeing through her intentions at a glance. He didn’t respond, continuing to amuse the child in his arms.
Ava remarked, "Aren't these all specialties of Frank? Are you trying to get him to cook?"
Rose, caught off guard by Ava's insight, retorted, "Just say if you want to eat or not.”
After a few silent seconds, Frank, with his nephew still in his arms, checked his watch, handed the child to Rose, and said, “Hold him."
Rose didn't immediately reach out. Grace, seeing this, said directly, "Give him to me.”
Frank glared at his sister, then turned and handed the child to Grace. In his mind, pediatricians and preschool teachers were distinctly different.
His niece's character had been influenced by her, turning the child into someone who couldn't sit still for a minute.
Seeing her brother stand up, Rose anticipated an excellent meal in the evening and flattered, “Brother, do you need any help?”
“Staying put on the couch is the biggest help to the whole family. Keep an eye on her.” The last sentence was directed at Edward.
After saying that, he ruffled his nephew's head before turning to the kitchen.
Edward could also cook. Standing up, he said, “Together.” With Ava around, the child should be taken care of, and with his mother-in-law present, it was clear that
Frank intended to cook. It wouldn't be appropriate for Edward to sit on the couch and eat ready-made food while Frank cooked.
He couldn't just let his older maternal brother cook for him while he sat there, legs crossed, waiting. Considering this, Edward decided to cook together.
Frank followed closely behind. Seeing that Edward was following him, he didn't refuse. As soon as they entered the kitchen, Frank checked the refrigerator and
examined the ingredients in the kitchen corner. They were purchased by the servant in the morning.
After a careful inspection, he nodded slightly and turned to ask Edward, “What are you good at?"
Edward's culinary skills were not very good, but he knew how to cook. Juana would not let him cook at all. When he was overseas, he did not need Kyle to cook
either. Unless Kyle was around, he would only cook when he was alone, so his culinary skills were not exquisite.
Just as Juana had said, there were very few opportunities to cook. He knew how to cook, but there was a limit.
Edward was not a braggart to begin with. He did as much as he could and was very honest. He said truthfully, "Maybe he’s better at being an assistant. Why don't
you be in charge of the kitchen, and I'll be your assistant?"
Considering Ava's presence that night, Frank had no intention of letting Edward handle the cooking. Whether the food turned out well or not, Ava would have to
eat it. Frank wanted to ensure she still had a reason to enjoy the meal.
Frank didn't know how bad Edward's skills were, so he decided not to take the risk.
Without waiting for Frank to divide the work, Edward made the arrangements on his own. "I'll wash the vegetables, cut the vegetables, and you cook.”
Frank replied, "Yes," feeling satisfied with Edward's arrangement.
Edward picked up a large bag of ingredients from the corner, approached the sink, and took everything inside, neatly arranging each item on the countertop.
Just as Edward took off his wristwatch and was about to wash the vegetables, Frank said unhurriedly, "Do you need help?"
Edward refused. "No need. You can burn it later."
With that said, Frank did not force him. He turned around and went to the living room. He sat beside Ava as if he had made proper arrangements. Grace was
carrying the child in her arms. Rose raised her head and glanced at the kitchen. "Brother, you're not asking my husband to cook at night, are you?"
Frank deliberately chose not to disclose the truth. He grabbed an orange, tossing it into the air and catching it skillfully. Playing with it casually, he remarked, “He
can't cook, or maybe he just doesn't know how. It's not like preparing a meal is a life-or-death matter for him."
Rose's mouth curled into a three-inch pout, and drama queen mode was activated. "Brother, you've had a change of heart. I've noticed that you no longer want me
as your adorable sister. You won't even let me enjoy a meal cooked by you. Sigh, I'm so heartbroken now."
Looking at her exaggerated acting skills, Frank still didn't tell the truth. He opened the orange and stuffed it into the little girl's mouth. He said gently, “It's sweet.”
Taking a bite from Frank's hand, Rose watched her brother and sister-in-law across the table, again feeling a lump in her chest. If not for the cooking, fine, but now
they even displayed affection.
She had accepted that her brother wasn't handling the cooking. But the overt affection between her brother and sister-in-law felt like extra discomfort. It was just
too much for her.
Rose decided to sit for another five minutes before helping Edward cook.
Rose's son saw that his aunt and uncle were eating golden oranges and wanted to try them too. He reached out to ask his uncle for it. “Orange.”
Frank picked a small piece of orange and handed it to the little guy. She thought that he would stuff it into his mouth, but it was not the case at all. The two little
hands squeezed the orange and gritted their teeth because the little guy's juice flowed through the little guy's fingers and dirtied Grace 's white pants.
Ava hurriedly carried the child over. Frank was afraid of dirtying her, so he snatched the child and placed it on Rose's lap.
Rose was speechless, witnessing the scene. It was just an orange, yet Frank went to unnecessary lengths to prevent Ava from getting dirty.
Then, Frank took a tissue to help his nephew wipe. Ava took a tissue and handed it to Grace. Looking at the pants that could not be wiped clean after several tries,
Ava suggested, "Grace , go change into another pair and take a shower."
It was so sweet and sticky that it was definitely uncomfortable.
Grace also felt uncomfortable. She stood up and patted her pants. "Rose, wash Harper's hands.”
"Oh," Rose responded, echoing the sentiment, but her dignified posture remained unchanged.
After saying that, Grace went upstairs.
Frank rolled his eyes at her and carried the child to the bathroom when he saw that his sister didn't move. Ava cleaned up the mess. When he saw orange juice on
the white tiles, he wiped them with a tissue.
After a while, Frank carried the child out and placed him on Rose's lap. Rose looked innacent as she took a tissue to help her son dry his hands. "It has nothing to
do with me. You were the one who gave him the orange.”
Frank could not be bothered by her. He did not even look at his sister.
Edward emerged from the kitchen, grabbed three napkins from the coffee table, stacked them, and wiped his hands. After disposing of the used napkins in the
trash, he picked up Rose's son from her lap. "All set," he declared.
Rose looked at the empty space in her arms and raised her head in confusion. She crossed her legs and asked, "What's been done?"
Rose couldn't help but question whether Edward was initially assigned the cooking task and marveled at the surprising speed with which the meal was prepared.
This curiosity hinted at her desire to understand the dynamics of the kitchen arrangement and the efficiency of the cooking process.
Edward couldn't fathom why Rose looked puzzled, considering his task was merely washing vegetables. He clarified, "I'm collaborating with Big Brother. He'll
handle the cooking, and | wash the vegetables.”
Rose, despite suspecting that her brother might be playing a trick on her, held onto the belief that he still cared for her in his own way. It reflected the complexity of their relationship, where teasing and genuine affection intertwined.
The pants of the child in his arms were a little wet. Edward did not ask for the reason. He thought that he had peed. He checked and found that it was not. There was still a faint tangerine smell on his pants. Edward took a tissue and sucked the water.
There was no doubt that this child was playing with oranges again. Harper had a bad habit of squeezing juice whenever he was given oranges.
He wasn't sure about the nature of that particular preference, but Harper continued to disregard the advice despite being told it many times. It left him feeling
quite helpless.
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