Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Chapter 129: Happy Birthday! [2]

A heavy, sudden silence fell over the dining room.

The clinking of chopsticks instantly stopped. Seria froze, her teacup hovering halfway to her mouth as she stared at Soren, while even Ryan let his lips part slightly in pure shock.

An unawakened.

In a world where talent manifested early and the gap between a regular human and an awakened was a vast, uncrossable chasm, the words carried immense weight.

To them, Soren was a man of contradictions. He possessed terrifyingly sharp instincts and a brilliant tactical mind, yet his 2nd Circle cultivation level was objectively low.

’Wait,’ Ryan squinted, a sudden memory flashing in his mind. ’Now that I remember, his hunter profile showed he has only been active for a very short time.’

Seria was reaching the same conclusion, her eyes widening as the lingering puzzle finally clicked. Soren wasn’t weak or lacking talent. He was a late awakener who had missed out on all those crucial childhood years of foundation training and mana accumulation. His current level wasn’t a sign of stagnation, but a testament to a remarkably rapid ascent despite a massive disadvantage.

"A-an unawakened?" She was also the first to find her voice, her tone transitioning from disbelief to sudden awe. "But Mr. Soren, the way you handled yourself in those videos was incredible. If you spent your youth as an ordinary person, the sheer effort to reach this point..."

She trailed off, overwhelmed by the realization.

To go from a regular civilian in the fiercely competitive capital to a capable hunter in Kalmira meant Soren had to have gone through an unimaginable amount of disciplined, hellish work to build his foundation from scratch.

Ryan quietly set his chopsticks down, a deep sense of respect completely replacing his initial shock. "Everything makes sense now, Brother Soren. I used to wonder why someone like you had such a modest cultivation level. To achieve your current strength after starting so late is incredibly amazing."

Soren offered a casual, relaxed wave of his hand. He chose to keep the exact timeline of his awakening, which was a mere month and a half ago, safely to himself. Well, they might already suspect it anyway, so pointing it out himself would only sound arrogant and unnecessary.

"There is no need to make it sound so grand," Soren replied smoothly. "It just means I have to work a bit harder to narrow the gap, that’s all."

Seria nodded softly, a faint smile touching her lips as she looked down at her plate.

"Still humble as ever," she mumbled to herself, though the words were perfectly audible in the quiet room.

Across the table, both Ryan and Aunt Clara nodded in firm agreement, their expressions filled with a shared, quiet admiration for his modest attitude. Even Ethea gave a microscopic nod, her unreadable gaze briefly sweeping past him.

Faced with a sudden wall of universal praise, Soren felt a wave of mild embarrassment wash over him. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, completely unaccustomed to being the center of such earnest sentiment.

"Anyway," Soren spoke up, clearing his throat lightly to shift the topic before the atmosphere could get any more sentimental, "we should focus on the food before it gets completely cold. Ryan, Miss Seria, please help yourselves to more of the side dishes. Aunt Clara must have spent a lot of time preparing all of this for us."

Aunt Clara immediately picked up on his cue, a knowing smile warming her face as she eagerly passed a fresh platter toward the guests. "Yes, please do! There is plenty more in the kitchen if we run out."

The tactical diversion worked flawlessly.

The heavy, awe-filled silence quickly melted away as the conversation fractured back into casual, comfortable chatter.

The clinking of chopsticks resumed, accompanied by the satisfying warmth of a lively birthday dinner.

Soon, it was time for the highlight of the party.

Aunt Clara quietly slipped away from the table, returning a moment later with the overhead lights switched off. The dining room plunged into a soft darkness, illuminated entirely by the warm, flickering glow of a beautifully crafted birthday cake.

She set the cake down gently right in front of Soren, the small flames dancing over the smooth frosting and casting a gentle light across his face.

"Go ahead, make a wish and blow out the candles," Aunt Clara urged gently, her eyes crinkling with maternal warmth.

"..." Soren looked down at the bright little lights.

For someone who had spent so long simply focusing on survival and navigating the harsh realities of his new life, a moment of pure, domestic celebration felt almost surreal. He glanced toward Ethea, whose features were softly lit by the candlelight. Her expression remained quiet and calm, but she stayed perfectly focused on him.

Taking a light breath, Soren made his silent wish and blew out the candles in a single, clean breath.

The room erupted into light applause as Ryan hit the wall switch, bringing the bright overhead lights back on.

"Happy birthday, Brother Soren," Ryan said with a respectful nod.

"Yes, happy birthday! May all your wishes come true," Seria added with a brilliant smile.

Aunt Clara handed Soren a silver cake knife, leaning in with a proud smile. "Now, cut the first slice so we can all enjoy it."

Soren took the knife and carefully sliced the cake into neat, equal portions. He made sure to plate the first and most delicate slice for Ethea, placing it down before her along with a small dessert spoon. Only after ensuring her side was taken care of did he distribute the remaining pieces to Aunt Clara, Ryan, and Seria.

With the cake successfully divided into manageable portions, everyone took their first bites.

"Wow, this is incredibly rich," Seria praised, her eyes lighting up as she savored the sweet flavor. "The texture is absolutely perfect."

"It really is delicious," Ryan agreed, handling his portion with his usual refined manners.

Aunt Clara took a delicate bite of her own slice, her eyes widening in surprise as she savored the rich taste. "My goodness, this is indeed spectacular. The cream is so light and fresh. You two really have excellent taste to have picked out such a wonderful cake."

"We are just glad it suits your palate, Aunt Clara," Seria replied with a bright, pleased smile.

While the compliments were being shared around the table, Soren focused entirely on the plate in front of Ethea. He scooped up a small piece of the cake and gently brought it to her lips, his movements deliberate and patient.

"Here."

"...Mm." Ethea opened her mouth obediently.

Soren kept his eyes fixed on Ethea, quietly watching her reaction as she took the bite. He waited a few silent moments, observing closely until she swallowed the sweet treat, her usually stoic expression softening with a slightly delighted, satisfied look.

A quiet sense of relief washed over him. Only after seeing that she genuinely enjoyed it did Soren finally pick up his own fork to take his first bite of the cake.

’It’s sweeter than I thought...’

He chewed slowly, the rich flavor coating his tongue.

Setting his fork down, he took a quick sip of the warm, bitter tea to balance out the intense sugary aftertaste.

As he set his teacup back onto its saucer with a soft click, the rest of the table seemed to take that as their cue to bring him back into the fold.

"Brother Soren, can you tell me how you and sister-in-law met?"

"Ryan! It’s rude to ask something like that!"

"Ah, sorry. Then, can you tell me about the Velorium City? I’ve never been there before."

"Alright, but don’t expect that much."

Just like that, the lively chatter picked up right where it left off, filled with the comforting clinking of dessert forks and light, easy laughter as the birthday celebration drew to a perfectly sweet conclusion.