Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 511

Upon hearing this, the old lady was first taken aback, then couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh? Our little Lucian is already thinking about raising his baby brother at such a tender age? Who told you that, hmm?"

As she spoke, her laughter bubbled up, warm and unrestrained. Clearly, her adorable great-grandson had utterly charmed her.

It was the first time she'd heard a child so young express such a sense of responsibility toward his sibling. The thought alone made her heart swell with affection.

So sweet. So endearing.

It was impossible not to adore him to the core.

The old lady had always doted on Lucian, but ever since the kidnapping incident—which had happened partly because of her—her guilt had only deepened her love for him. Now, hearing such a precocious remark from the little boy, her face lit up with such delight it seemed her smile might spill over.

Lucian blinked, his large, grape-like eyes darting uncertainly between the laughing faces around him. A hint of confusion flickered across his expression. "Isn't that right?"

The old lady laughed heartily. "Yes, yes, of course! Whatever our little Lucian says is absolutely right. But tell me, who put such ideas in your head, hmm?"

Lucian tilted his head slightly, then, with all the gravity of a tiny sage, repeated his father's words verbatim: "Dad said, 'From now on, your brothers are your responsibility.'"

The old lady burst into another fit of laughter—"Pfft!"—and this time, the others in the room couldn't hold back either. Warm, amused chuckles filled the air.

Whether the laughter was in agreement or simply shared delight, it didn't matter. The moment was pure, unfiltered joy.

The atmosphere in the room had reached its peak. The elderly patriarch happened to overhear the commotion as he descended the stairs, his usually stern eyes now twinkling with rare warmth.

Much like his wife, the old man adored his great-grandson. He beckoned to Lucian with a gentle wave of his hand.

Lambert followed behind his grandfather, his expression unreadable as ever.

Little Lucian hesitated, his tiny frame tensing slightly.

Noticing the child's wary glance toward the figure behind him, Old Mr. Stone immediately understood. His bushy eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. "Don't be afraid, come here to your great-grandfather," he rumbled reassuringly. "Your father won't dare lay a finger on you."

Lambert's eyes narrowed dangerously at the challenge, a mocking smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Yet he held his tongue.

As if the words were magic, the boy's apprehension melted away. His large, sparkling eyes lit up with newfound courage as he gazed at his formidable great-grandfather. Without another moment's hesitation, his little feet pattered eagerly across the floor. "Great-grandpa!" he chirped in his sweet, childish voice, wrapping his arms around the old man's legs.

The patriarch's stern features softened visibly, the deep lines of his face smoothing into an expression of pure affection. Gone was the rigid disciplinarian—in this moment, he was simply a doting elder, utterly charmed by his great-grandson.

The two uncles trailing behind exchanged a knowing glance before deliberately looking away.

Then, the eldest uncle chuckled warmly. "This little one is nothing like Lambert was at his age—far more well-behaved," he remarked, producing a red envelope from his sleeve. "Here, Lucian," he said, bending down to the child's level. "This is your New Year's gift from your great-uncle. Buy yourself some treats—and don't share a single bite with your father."

The eldest uncle's envelope turned out to be a card.

The card contained nearly half a million.

Traditionally, presenting envelopes in front of Old Mr. Stone signaled that the amounts inside were far from trivial. It left Hugh feeling slightly uneasy—he couldn’t help but think that giving such large sums to a child as young as Lucian was unnecessary.

Moreover, he hadn't prepared much himself.

Traditionally, for children of this age in the Stone family, a thousand per envelope would suffice. That had always been the custom. Once they turned twelve, the amount would increase to around twenty thousand per envelope.

Now, Hugh found himself in a tight spot—he had only prepared five thousand in total. His original plan was to give each of his three grandsons a thousand, with another thousand each for Collin and Alvin.

His eldest uncle seemed to sense his dilemma. With a hearty laugh, he clapped Hugh on the shoulder and said, "Lucian's red envelope is a bit bigger, but that's just a special gift from his great-granduncle. After all, he's the eldest great-grandson of the Stone family, and such a charming boy at that. Back then, I was misled into doing something I regret, and I’ve carried that guilt ever since. The extra amount is my way of making up for it. Third Brother, if you try to match me, I won’t be pleased."

The second uncle chimed in with a booming laugh, "Exactly, exactly!"

Hearing his elder brothers' words, Hugh could only sigh inwardly, feeling even more helpless.

At least his predicament was resolved.

Shaking his head, he muttered, "That’s far too much. He’s still so young—what’s the point of giving him such a hefty red envelope?"

The eldest uncle chuckled, "Well, it’s to fund his future little brothers, of course!" His booming laughter filled the room, and Khloe, Aster, and the others gathered around the elderly matriarch joined in with amused agreement. "That’s right! Honestly, Lucian is such a sensible child. I’ve never seen one so mature for his age. Don’t worry, Second Grandma has an envelope for you too!"

Watching the first and second branches of the family eagerly stuffing envelopes into her son’s hands, Ariana’s lips twitched slightly in silent exasperation.