Chapter 1249 Arguing with Reason
Hearing the voice, Cecilia looked up and saw a handsome young man in his twenties with a sunny disposition. His facial features and eyes resembled Daryl's, so this must be Daryl's younger brother, Elijah.
"Who's being picky? How can you talk like that?" Azalea immediately scolded her younger son, though she seemed resigned.
"Ms. Thorne, my mom's just like that. If you buy her a gift, she's not satisfied. If you don't buy her a gift, she's still not satisfied and thinks you're impolite. But my mom has a kind heart, even if she can be tough on the outside. She's incredibly good to family. You'll see when you spend more time with us!" Elijah said, sitting down next to Azalea and putting an arm around her shoulders.
Azalea smiled slightly but didn't say anything more.
Cecilia couldn't help but smile to herself, thinking, 'It seems this younger son is quite spoiled at home.'
"Mr. Isaac Fields, Mrs. Fields, dinner is ready!" The butler, Finn, announced.
"Let's eat," Isaac said.
Daryl then pushed Isaac's wheelchair, while Elijah helped Azalea into the dining room, with Cecilia following behind.
Isaac, as the head of the family, took the main seat. Azalea sat to his left, with Elijah next to her. Daryl sat to Isaac's right, with Cecilia beside him.
Cecilia quietly observed the Fields family's dining room, which was larger than the small apartment she rented. The long wooden dining table could seat over twenty people, and the crystal chandelier was enormous. Many of the decorations and tableware were things Cecilia had never seen before.
Although everything Cecilia saw was astonishing, she reminded herself not to show too much surprise, lest the Fields family look down on her even more. So she kept her head down and her expression composed.
Under Finn's direction, several servants brought out a large array of dishes.
The table was not only filled with a variety of dishes, but they were also exquisitely prepared. The centerpiece was a white radish carved into the shape of a peacock, lifelike and detailed.
Daryl smiled and said, "Knowing you were coming, Mom prepared all these dishes for you. You should eat a lot today!"
With that, Daryl placed a piece of rib on Cecilia's plate.
"Thank you, Mrs. Fields," Cecilia quickly smiled at Azalea.
Azalea, however, kept a stern face. "This is just basic hospitality. Whenever Daryl brings friends over, I have the kitchen prepare like this."
Azalea's words brought the atmosphere back to square one.
Hearing this, Cecilia glanced at Daryl, thinking, 'Daryl has brought other friends home before? What kind of friends? Male or female?'
Daryl quickly clarified, "Mom, besides Cecilia, I've never brought any other girls home."
Cecilia's lips curled into a slight smile.
But Azalea retorted, "Didn't you bring Skylar home before?"
"Mom!" Daryl exclaimed in frustration.
At this point, Isaac, who had been silent, spoke up. "Since Daryl has decided to marry Cecilia, let's not mention anyone else."
Immediately, Azalea fell silent and picked up her fork to start eating.
Cecilia gave Isaac a grateful look, understanding that while he might not be overly warm to her, he at least accepted Daryl's decision to marry her.
Throughout the meal, Daryl kept serving Cecilia food, Elijah chatted with her occasionally, Isaac spoke now and then, and Azalea remained silent with a stern expression.
As they were finishing up, Azalea suddenly looked at Cecilia and asked, "Cecilia, what do your parents do for work?"
Caught off guard, Cecilia looked up and met Azalea's sharp gaze.
Under the table, Daryl's hand found Cecilia's and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Cecilia gave Daryl a calm look and then answered, "Mrs. Fields, my father passed away a long time ago. My mother is in poor health and stays home to manage the household."
This was the truth about her family, and there was nothing to be ashamed of.
"And who else is in your family? What do they do?" Azalea continued after a brief pause.
"I have an older brother and sister-in-law. My brother is a construction worker, and my sister-in-law is a sales clerk," Cecilia replied with dignity.
Azalea sneered. "Your family doesn't seem very presentable. I think we should keep the wedding low-key. Our friends and family are all wealthy and influential. It would be embarrassing to have them stand next to your relatives."
Hearing such harsh words, Cecilia's heart broke. She could tolerate being looked down upon, but she couldn't stand her family being insulted.
Seeing Cecilia's face turn pale, Daryl immediately said, "Mom, we're all family now. We should respect each other. As long as everyone is honest and decent, we should honor them."
Azalea, seeing her son defend Cecilia, grew even angrier. "Daryl, your father and I have our reputations to consider. We have our social circles. You need to think about us too. The wedding should be simple."
"Mom..." Daryl began to argue.
Cecilia squeezed Daryl's hand and suddenly said, "Daryl, I don't want a lavish wedding either. It's too much trouble. A simple ceremony is enough for me."
Daryl looked at Cecilia in surprise, feeling she was compromising too much.
But Cecilia just smiled.
Isaac then spoke up. "Alright, the Fields family can't have a wedding that's too simple, or it will be a joke. But given the past issues with the Tate family, it shouldn't be too extravagant either. Let's keep it simple yet dignified. That's final, and no more arguments."
Isaac's words were firm and balanced, so no one else spoke, and everyone seemed to agree.
Azalea then said, "I've already consulted someone about the dates. There are no good dates this year. We'll have to wait until spring next year."
Daryl, however, said, "Mom, I want to marry Cecilia as soon as possible. We can't wait until next year. There's a good date next month, just before the New Year."
Azalea frowned. "Next month? That's too rushed. Nothing is prepared. No, we need time to plan properly, or our friends will laugh at us."
Daryl replied, "Mom, didn't you say to keep it simple? There's not much to prepare. We've already taken care of most of it in the past few days."
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