The moment Al stepped inside and approached the table—before he could even sit—Clarista was already there to greet him… with a scolding.
"You… are unbelievable! Spying on us from outside?! Is your curiosity about this family really that bad? That desperate for attention? Doing something like this will only make us more uncomfortable with you."
Her voice was loud enough to make a few guests at nearby tables turn their heads. Clarista's face flushed—not from embarrassment, but from anger.
Normally, Clarista was the calmest, most logical, and hardest-to-provoke among the siblings. But this time—Al could feel her irritation spike sharply. He replied,
"I thought you were the most rational and intelligent one in this family, but I guess you're no different." His tone was casual.
It sounded insulting, but it was more disappointment than mockery—like a reader who had built up high expectations for a novel, only to be let down when the story failed to deliver.
