Belle quickly declined, not wanting to impose on them, explaining that her current belongings were few and easily manageable. Fortunately, the family didn't push the matter or give her a hard time. Between the sensory overload of the bustling household and her own frayed nerves, she realized she had completely forgotten her original purpose for marching downstairs in the first place.
Her unexpected arrival had sparked an immediate, spontaneous shift in the household. Despite being introduced merely as a girlfriend—and not a fiancée—Eli's family instantly decided to throw a celebratory family dinner to welcome her.
Charlotte and Lenalee quickly headed out to forage for extra ingredients at the local market. Uncle Ezekiel was left to supervise Neon, and since the boy was naturally polite and soft-spoken, he quickly charmed Fortunata Siegfrid-Rivera, Eli's elderly grandmother.
