Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Noticing the change on her face, Gilbert sat down and took a piece of rib.
He was able to take salty food, but he didn’t expect that the ribs could taste this weird. “Your beef ribs -“
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the glum look on Isabel’s face and changed his mind. “It’s okay. I wasn’t trying to say anything. There’s always a next time. It’s not that bad.”
As she propped her chin on her hands, her gaze flickered.
In fact, she knew that the food she cooked was edible, but she just wanted to show off in front of Gilbert by making some dishes that she never cooked before. Unfortunately, her plan backfired, and she just couldn’t get the gist of the braised beef ribs.
“Otherwise, you can also cook something else.” Gilbert gave her a suggestion with good intentions but was interrupted. “No. I’m going to succeed one day.”
Just like her feelings for him, she believed that she would be able to make him waver one day.
“Why do you have to go through the trouble, Isabel?”
He knew the meaning behind her words, but he couldn’t bear to watch her being stubborn because there was no way he would fall for her.
No matter how hard she tried, it would be pointless.
With a dim gaze, Isabel insisted, “You never even tried to date me. How could you tell I’m not the one for you?”
“Do I have to? I don’t like you, to begin with. No matter what you do, I’m not going to fall for you. Besides, don’t you know that I like-“
Elspeth’s name was still stuck in his mouth.
She was now a married woman, so no matter how much he admired her, it would seem as if he had ideas about someone else’s wife, hence he couldn’t say them out loud.
Isabel, on the other hand, already expected that he would use this against her. In fact, he had been using the same excuse to reject her for the past two weeks.
To be frank, Isabel was starting to get bored of the excuse.
“I know you like Elsie, but do you plan to keep your feelings for her for the rest of your life?”
Isabel wouldn’t give up. She stood up and leaned toward him. “Aren’t you worried that your feelings for her will cause her discomfort? She doesn’t need you to like her at all.”
The first sentence she blurted was to hurt him, but the second sentence was an outright humiliation.
Gilbert’s expression changed in response. The aura he emitted immediately turned cold. “I know that. You don’t have to emphasize it.”
“I wasn’t trying to emphasize it!”
Isabel reached out and cupped his face while enunciating in a clear voice, “You have the choice to let go of her and meet new people and try new things. I am confident that I like you more than she does.”
Gilbert snickered, and that itself made her lose all the courage she had just built up. Even her fingers started trembling.
“Go on.”
Gilbert tilted his head at her, but there was nothing in his eyes, not even the slightest trace of affection. It was merely filled with contempt as he looked at her like she was a joke.
“I-I have nothing else to say.”
Isabel let go of him after saying that, but the lingering warmth in her palms made her lose her mind a little.
“I’ll do the dishes!”
She cleaned up the table in a panicky manner and ended up accidentally smashing a bowl to the ground.
Isabel was picking up the broken pieces on the floor, feeling increasingly disheartened. Suddenly, someone squatted beside her.
“Be careful,” said the magnetic and gentle voice with a hint of concern.
She looked up, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Why are you crying? It’s only a broken bowl, and I won’t scold you,” Gilbert said. When he saw her expression, he gently wiped away her tears with his rough fingers, which unfortunately made her cry even harder.
“Why are you like a broken faucet that won’t shut off?” He had witnessed her crying in the past, and he knew she frequently shed tears. Moreover, he was accustomed to her crying, but whenever she did, he could only watch her and wait for her to dry her eyes.
At that time, Isabel’s crying was shorter than usual. After she stopped crying, she sniffled and tried to calm down. “How would you respond if Elspeth were to cry before you?”
Gilbert smirked, thinking her question was somewhat silly. “She wouldn’t cry over something so trivial.” His impression of Elspeth was that she was always resilient and unyielding, much like a beautiful rose with enticing thorns. Nonetheless, to him, Isabel was like a delicate daisy that withered in the wind and wilted at the touch of a finger. It was her crying that gave him a headache.
Then, she shook her head. “She would cry. Tell me, what would you do if she did?”
After hearing that question, his thoughts drifted away. What would I do if Elspeth cried? Even if my words are clumsy and I can’t think of the right thing to say, I will still hug her and try to comfort her. Of course, that’s only wishful thinking; the truth is, I have no idea how to make her feel better. Since he could do nothing about it, he gave up worrying about it. Then, he stood silently and threw the broken pieces into the trash can.
On the other hand, Isabel was anxious to hear his answer, so she stood up too. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why can’t you show some of the same tenderness that you have for her toward me? Is it because I’m an orphan? I don’t have her prominent family background, outstanding abilities, or beauty-” After listing each in detail, she finally lowered her voice. “I’m sorry, Gil. I overstepped my boundaries today.” Her voice was tearful, and it seemed like she would cry again.
Gilbert suddenly felt sorry for Isabel from the bottom of his heart. Still, he knew he couldn’t show her any sign of tenderness for fear that she would misinterpret it. He couldn’t provide her with anything, not even a little bit.
“It’s okay. Be more careful next time,” he replied stiffly. Then, he turned around and went upstairs. He avoided letting her see the restraint in his eyes as he didn’t know how to stop this naive young girl from going too far, but he knew he couldn’t let her go ahead any further. Moreover, he regretted agreeing to give her a month to win his heart. It had only made her sink deeper into her feelings for him.
As he turned the key to his room, he clearly heard water flowing in the kitchen and a faint crying. He took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed with guilt. I shouldn’t have led her on.
After returning to his room, he sat at the desk and casually browsed through posts to pass the time. Soon, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Gilbert had no idea how to face Isabel, so he had to sit at the table with his back turned to her.
Then, she entered cautiously as if afraid to disturb him, carrying a tray with a glass of milk. “Gil, I want to apologize to you. Earlier, I-” She carefully placed the milk on the table.
“It’s okay. You’re only a girl, so I won’t hold it against you.” He still didn’t look at her and continued, “By the way, I bought a villa north of Damoria. The environment there is pretty good, and it’s right next to the old Winthrop Residence-“
His intentions were too obvious, and she couldn’t control her emotions. “Do you want to send me away before the month ends, Gil?”
The one-month agreement was the most agonizing thing he had ever promised anyone. Gilbert was about to defend himself, but Isabel suddenly trembled and asked, “Do you really hate me that much?”
Hate? Of course not.
When he saw the optimism in her eyes, he hardened his heart, and his eyes became coldly indifferent. “You should understand my attitude toward you by now. Do you not understand?”
She was speechless by his response.
“Yes, I don’t hate you, but as you know, I don’t want to see you now. I’m only nice to you because of your sister’s request. When I heard that you wanted to win my heart, I really felt a headache coming. I seriously want to avoid it. Do you understand?”
Isabel’s face turned pale, and she opened her mouth, but her voice was hoarse, and she could barely say anything. Gilbert had never spoken to her so harshly before, and she was unsure whether or not she should cry.
“I had previously promised you a one-month agreement, but it was a joke. You didn’t really believe it, did you? If I caused any misunderstanding, I apologize to you. Please be clear-minded and know that I have no interest in you. Not before, not now, and definitely not in the future.” He delivered each word as a word of warning but also as a statement of dismissal.
On the other hand, she felt she had been exposed to public ridicule and was left naked on the street. His words were so heartless that she couldn’t even muster the strength to argue. Her feelings of affection were laughable now. She would only be setting herself up for mockery if she admitted she still had feelings for him.
“Gilbert, I-” she began.
“My final offer to you is this: move into the place I suggested, and forget about any silly ideas. We can still be friends, but your stubbornness could mean we never see each other again.” After he finished speaking, he glanced at her. Seeing her lost in thought and feeling a hint of guilt, he wondered if he had been too harsh. This girl rarely reacted like this.
“You probably hate me now, don’t you? Remember how I am now. I’m that detestable-“
Gilbert trailed off as Isabel suddenly snapped out of her daze and resumed their conversation calmly. “I don’t hate you. I don’t know how to hate you, but-“
How could I turn on someone I’d liked for a long time based on a few words? In addition, I could not determine whether or not what he was saying was true.
“First, you must tell me if everything you said is true,” she continued.
“Of course, it’s true,” Gilbert said confidently.
“Am I not good enough?” Isabel cracked a pure and innocent smile.
He stared at her smile and steeled himself. “Good? Am I supposed to believe you’re the only one nice to me? Do you really think you’re my only admirer? With a snap of my fingers, people are willing to sleep with me. Can you do that? Don’t think too highly of yourself. It’s all about knowing your place.” His words were an open insult, and she immediately lost her composure.
