After Albert returned to the trunk, Isabelle keenly noticed the subtle change in her husband. She reached out and took Albert's hand, asking softly, "What's wrong, darling? Did something happen?"
"Ran into a little trouble," Albert said casually.
"A little trouble?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow slightly. "It doesn't look like a little trouble to me."
She knew her husband far too well. If it really were only a minor problem, he would probably have tossed it to someone else to handle.
"Darling, you're as observant as ever."
Albert wrapped his arms around Isabelle, kissed her forehead, and reassured her, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I'll be back soon. Oh, and make Spanish seafood paella for dinner."
As he spoke, his gaze passed over Isabelle's shoulder to Katrina, who was pretending to read the newspaper. "Take good care of your sister for me."
"I will. When you come back, remember to bring me some pearls along the way. They might come in handy when brewing Potions."
Katrina lowered the newspaper and smiled sweetly at Albert.
"We'll see."
Albert helped Isabelle sit on the sofa, placed the parchment Mrs. Daisy and Mrs. Mary had given him on the table, greeted Mrs. McDougal, and then went off to prepare.
"I hate this," Isabelle muttered softly as she watched Albert disappear through the doorway. "He always likes going off on adventures. It's not good."
"He's more cautious than anyone, so there's no need to worry. What you should be doing now is having the baby, not fretting over other things, my dear sister." After taking a bite of apple, Katrina set the plate in front of Isabelle and said with a smile, "Here, have some apple too. The next few months are an important stage in the baby's development. You need to exercise appropriately