After Roxanne left, Archie and Benny adamantly refused to enter kindergarten. Pippa, seeing this, experienced a sudden headache. "Archie, Benny, why don't you both go in first?" she asked, bending down to persuade them.
Archie simply pursed his lips. Benny, beside him, blinked pitifully. "We're waiting for Essie, Ms. Ward," he explained.
Remembering Estella's close relationship with Roxanne, Pippa patted their heads, tacitly agreeing. Shortly after, Lucian's car arrived, and Estella was carried out.
Immediately upon exiting the car, Estella looked around, her eyes searching for Roxanne. Finding no sign of her, she hung her head in disappointment.
Lucian frowned, noticing only Archie and Benny stood with Pippa. "Mr. Farwell," Pippa greeted respectfully, taking Estella from him. Lucian, however, remained, gazing at the three children.
He knew Estella had been in low spirits since the previous evening, missing Roxanne. This morning, she'd even insisted on arriving early to wait for her, only to find Roxanne gone. Lucian shared her disappointment.
Seeing Estella's distress, Archie and Benny approached her, taking her hands. "Mommy is very busy with work," Archie explained. "She said there's an exceedingly important opportunity she has to prepare for. That's why she left so early."
Estella only registered that Roxanne was busy. Her disappointment deepened. "Then, is Ms. Jarvis not coming anymore?" she asked, recalling Roxanne's previous habit of using work as an excuse to avoid them. Even at her young age, Estella was acutely sensitive to this.
Archie and Benny exchanged a guilty glance. They knew Roxanne had said she would be busy that morning, but admitting it now, with Estella so upset, felt impossible. After hesitating, they changed the subject. Brightening, they announced, "Although Mommy isn't coming these few days, she said we'll still be staying in Chanaea for some time!"
Estella's eyes lit up, though a hint of disbelief remained. Benny patted his chest confidently. "It's true! Mommy's work this time has to be done in Chanaea. But we're not sure how long we'll be staying." Archie solemnly confirmed his brother's words, finally bringing a genuine smile to Estella's face.
She'd feared she wouldn't see Roxanne again, but this news brought immense relief. The prospect of still seeing Roxanne, even if only temporarily, filled her with joy. Her grin was so wide her eyes nearly disappeared.
Lucian, standing nearby, had overheard everything. When he heard Benny mention Roxanne's work, he raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. Jonathan's strategy, it seemed, was already bearing fruit.