Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Elspeth felt cold sweat on her forehead. “He’s probably still playing cards and hasn’t had time for me.”
Elspeth felt cold sweat on her forehead. “He’s probably still playing cards and hasn’t had time for me.”
Suddenly, Sonny, who was abroad, sneezed without warning.
“Right, I knew him when I was younger, and he loved playing cards. He would often play for three days straight.” Haris fondly remembered his old friend, his face full of joy. When he finished reminiscing, he couldn’t help but add, “You see, you’re only his apprentice, and you’ll end up being abandoned. However, with me as your mentor, I will do everything I can to cure your illness.”
Is he really Sonny’s old friend? Why does it not seem like it? She silently mourned for Sonny in her heart.
Suddenly, her phone rang, and Haris thought it was Sonny calling. He grinned and asked, “Speak of the devil! Is it that guy calling you?”
Elspeth also thought it was Sonny since he was the only one in her circle of friends who would call her. Then, when she picked up the phone and saw the name on the screen, her face changed instantly. Haris noticed her change of expression and stood up to leave. “I won’t eavesdrop on your call,” he said.
She nodded and locked the door before answering the phone. “What’s up, Gilbert?”
A heavy, nasally voice came through the phone. “Where are you now?”
“I cannot disclose my location, but I am safe, so don’t worry.”
She was surprised to receive his call because she knew that a few months ago, to find Ginna and take responsibility for her unborn child. So, the two of them had not been in contact for a long time.
“I’m back in the country now. Can we meet up if you’re free?” Gilbert’s voice sounded hoarse and rash as if he was drunk.
“Are you drunk?” Elspeth frowned. He was always a refined drinker and would never get this drunk. It seemed that his long-term rational thinking was barely keeping him sober.
Still, his breathing was heavy. “That’s not important. I’ve taken care of things on my end. Do you want to see me?”
What he was referring to must have been related to Ginna. Had he already dealt with it so quickly?
“What was the outcome?” Elspeth felt a sense of unease. It was not about whether the two were together but because she thought the matter was not as simple as it seemed.
There was a long silence on the other end before Gilbert said, “She’s dead.”
Dead… Hearing that, her pupils shrank. “How did she die?”
He couldn’t explain it, but he experienced intense discomfort when she posed that question as if she suspected he was responsible for Ginna’s death.
“Her health wasn’t good, to begin with, and it was already dangerous for her to carry that child. She had an accident that caused a miscarriage and couldn’t accept that her child was gone. Unfortunately, she passed away a few days later.” That explanation was reasonable enough.
Then, Elspeth silently mourned for Ginna. “And what about Emma?”
Hearing that, Gilbert was now more at ease, speaking in a cold tone without pity. “She’s dead too.”
His words rendered her speechless. After reporting on that matter, he probed, “So, can we meet now?”
Nonetheless, she frowned and replied, “Not yet. I still have some things to take care of. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Although she spoke in a tone similar to how she used to, Gilbert still sensed a hint of aloofness in her words. “Are you unhappy that Ginna was carrying my child?”
Elspeth had not even considered that possibility. She had liked him before, but that was her youth’s naive and inexperienced infatuation. As time passed, her feelings for him gradually evolved into a bond of friendship and brotherhood. “No, you’re overthinking things,” she replied.
“Oh, right.” He laughed bitterly. “Now that you don’t like me anymore, of course, you wouldn’t care about these things.”
“You’re drunk,” she said softly.
“In fact, I replied to the love letter you sent me. My response was on the back of the letter,” he suddenly said, surprising her.
She only knew that her love letter had been returned, which she took to mean that she had been rejected. How could she bother to look at the back of the letter?
On the other hand, Elspeth didn’t bring anything with her when she was kidnapped. At that moment, she wondered what Gilbert had written on the back of the love letter. However, she knew Gilbert wouldn’t lie, so she said helplessly, “I understand now.”
“You don’t understand. If you did, you wouldn’t be acting like this toward me now. You wouldn’t have fallen for-” Gilbert abruptly stopped speaking, realizing he was crossing a line.
Still, she understood what he was trying to say. “It’s been a long time. Let’s leave the past in the past. Keeping it in our hearts is also a beautiful memory.” That was what she truly believed. Even though she now knew about his feelings for her, it was too late. In addition, she no longer had romantic feelings for him.
“Is that really what you think?” His voice was filled with disappointment.
“Of course. As I said, we’re good friends now, and friendship lasts even longer than romance.” Elspeth laughed it off, trying to brush the matter aside.
Nevertheless, Gilbert insisted on saying what was on his mind, which was likely due to the influence of alcohol. “I’ve liked you for a long time, even longer than you’ve liked me. I kept it to myself so that you could concentrate on your training. Then, when I found out that you had written me a love letter, I was over the moon. That night, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep and wrote a response on the back. Despite this, I never imagined that you would ignore me once you got the letter. I thought your feelings had faded, so I didn’t bring it up… I had no idea you never even saw my reply.” Gilbert’s voice trailed off, and she could imagine the look of disappointment on his face.
However, at that point, no matter how moving and sincere he spoke, her heart could no longer be stirred. “Thank you for liking me.” She didn’t know what else to say. His unexpected confession caught her off guard.
Suddenly, he laughed and said, “Just take it as my sincere words to you. You don’t have to respond.”
Nevertheless, he didn’t need a response from her. He only needed her to know how he felt, so he wouldn’t regret anything.
She immediately felt relieved after hearing that. “Are you drinking outside now?”
He nodded but suddenly realized he was making a phone call, and she couldn’t see his actions. So, he said softly, “Yeah, I’m at Luna Bar.”
“Well, get some rest after you’re done drinking. I’ve never seen you drunk before.”
Gilbert nodded, chuckling mischievously. “Are you worried about me?”
“Nah. I’m afraid you’ll get into trouble on my turf, and I’ll have to bail you out.” Elspeth rolled her eyes and continued, “Okay, it’s getting late. If there’s nothing else, get some rest.”
He suddenly realized more than an hour had passed. “I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight. Remember to get some rest.” Following that, she hung up the phone.
On the other hand, his smile slowly disappeared when the call ended, and he slumped back in his seat. Empty wine, whiskey, and even a few sake bottles were scattered over the table. He then grabbed another bottle and started drinking, his face flushed. When he was almost unconscious, a woman stumbled and fell into his arms.
So, he held the warm woman in his arms with a sly smile. “Do you like me?” he asked.
He was very handsome, and this smile made the woman’s heart skip a beat. “Y-Yes, I do,” she stammered.
Then, he lifted her chin and gazed at her rosy lips. “Tell me, what do you like about me?”
Nonetheless, she had never heard such a direct question before, and her face turned red. “Because you’re handsome,” she blurted out.
“So, you like me because I am good-looking. Does that mean you like anyone who is good-looking?” Gilbert asked.
Hearing that, she shook her head vigorously. “No, it’s not like that. I like you because you’re extremely handsome,” she explained.
“So, you like someone who’s extremely handsome?”
Soon, the woman felt something was off about that question, but she nodded anyway.
He clicked his tongue and used his free hand to lightly stroke her cheek. “Too bad you’re not pretty enough,” he said. Soon, his fingers trailed down her neck, adding, “Your chest isn’t big enough. Your waist isn’t small enough.”
Hearing that, her expression contorted. She had never been humiliated like that before, so she covered her face and started to cry.
Suddenly, Gilbert raised an eyebrow and spoke in a cold, harsh tone, “Why are you still here? Get lost.”
When the woman heard that, she quickly fled, feeling embarrassed and hurt.
It’s not her. His mind was a mess. He had almost gone through with his plan to sleep with that woman.
In any case, he was a son of the Payne Family. Sleeping with a woman was nothing to him; he needed to pay her off and send her away later. At that moment, the image of Elspeth’s happy smile flashed before his eyes. He felt terrible for even considering it, so he buried his thoughts. Even though he had been rejected, he felt awful for harboring such impure thoughts.
Then, he tried to stand up but had too much to drink. So, he stumbled and fell back onto the ground.
“I can’t believe that the once-famous Gilbert Payne would end up in such a sorry state. And I’m here to witness it. How pitiful,” a familiar voice said.
After attentively listening, Gilbert noticed that there was actually a trace of sympathy mixed in with the mocking tone, and he thought it was absurd. “Are you here to mock me too?” Afterward, he got up and looked at the woman before him, dressed in a hot, tight-fitting dress. It was Holly Jenga, his fellow martial arts student with whom he had frequently clashed while abroad.
“No, I’m here to take you home,” she said.
“I don’t remember when we became so close?” Obviously, he didn’t want to have any dealings with her. He would try to leave the place even if he couldn’t stand firmly.