The family had been waiting in the dining room for quite some time.
When Evelyn saw him come in, she set down her spoon.
"Brother, why did you go out so early without taking me?"
"Imperial University doesn't allow idle people inside."
"I'm not idle. I can wait for you outside."
"Wait outside the university all day?"
The little girl pictured it, found it rather pointless herself, muttered something, and buried her head back in her bowl of soup.
His mother glanced at Richard but did not ask what he had gone to the library for.
She placed a piece of chicken leg meat onto his plate. "Eat more. You must have worked very hard today."
"Mm."
His father ate silently across from him, occasionally looking up at him.
During these days at the Ashford Family home, Rogers had kept a very low profile.
He did not involve himself in matters between his father-in-law and son, nor did he deliberately try to ingratiate himself with the Ashford Family. He ate when it was time to eat and slept when it was time to sleep.
But whenever his son returned, he would casually glance at the clock in the sitting room.
It was his way of telling him that their family should probably be heading home soon.
Before leaving for the train station the next morning, Richard said goodbye to his grandfather in the sitting room.
Gerald was waiting for him in his usual seat.
"When do you plan to return to the Imperial Capital next?"
"Depends on the circumstances," Richard said. "If everything goes smoothly, you should be able to see me during the summer break."
Gerald nodded, showing no surprise at all that his grandson had chosen to return to Briston so quickly.
"I've kept your room for