Hiding Behind Her Superficiality

Chapter 438

Chapter 438 You’re My Sister Now

Since Elspeth already possessed considerable power, the phrase "becoming stronger" might not be accurate when describing her. In all of Damoria, and wherever she went, she was respected.

However, Gilbert knew what she meant by that. She wanted to have absolute dominance and control and not be led around by anyone or anything. He felt conflicted but still comforted her, saying, "This matter isn't urgent. The most important thing is—"

"It is urgent," she said, touching the diary. Her voice was gentle but firm. "My mom has already passed away, proving I arrived too late."

Suddenly, he felt what he said lacked depth, so he changed the subject. "What are you going to do next? Are you going to retrieve Miss Joneson's remains?"

At the mention of the body, she visibly stiffened. When she thought about the possibility of seeing her mother's body, she could not calm down for a long time. However, Elspeth's emotions suddenly relaxed when she finally saw the body. There was no expression of pain on her mother's face, and merely a calm smile as if what had happened didn't affect her emotionally. In other words, the death was a relief.

On the other hand, Isabel was squatting beside the casket, looking dazed. When Elspeth approached, Isabel didn't even notice her and stared blankly for a long time until tears slowly streamed down her face.

"Elspeth—" Isabel's eyes were red and swollen as if she had been crying for a long time, and then she threw herself into Elspeth's arms.

Helplessly, Elspeth patted her back. "Don't cry anymore. It's okay. It's all over now."

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't heard that conversation and told Miss Joneson, maybe things wouldn't have ended like this. It's my fault. I indirectly killed Miss Joneson... Elspeth, you hate me, don't you? I know I can't get your forgiveness. I wish I could leave this world with Miss Joneson—"

Hearing that, Elspeth felt even more compassion for her upon seeing her face filled with self-reproach and guilt.

"Okay, stop overthinking. This matter has nothing to do with you. Even if you hadn't told her, she would have found out eventually and made the same choice."

"Nevertheless, Miss Joneson is gone. I really don't know what to do now—"

For Isabel, Helena was the one who showed her the way in life. Now that Helena was gone, she didn't know what to do with her life. Should she go back to the Joneson Family? On the other hand, how could the Joneson Family accept someone unrelated to them by blood? Should she stay here? It was meaningless without Helena.

Then, Isabel looked at Elspeth with a lost expression in her eyes.

Seeing that, Elspeth understood instantly and smiled as she hugged Isabel. "From today onward, you'll be my little sister. My real little sister. If you want, you can change your name to Isabel Lynwood. I'll take care of you from now on."

After hearing that, Isabel's heart was pounding. She never expected that Elspeth wouldn't blame her for telling Helena those words. Instead, Elspeth even offered to take care of her.

"Thank you, Elspeth."

Afterward, Elspeth looked at her, then at Gilbert standing nearby, and said in a low voice, "I think you've been here for a long time. You must be tired. Let Gilbert take you to rest. I'll stay here and keep watch."

Gilbert initially wanted to refuse, but he immediately understood what she meant and nodded in agreement. "Sure."

Elspeth wanted to be alone and spend some time with Helena. Soon, Isabel was also tactful and left the room.

Then, Elspeth looked at Helena's body and couldn't help but sigh. "Mom, you're as stubborn as I am."

...

In the meantime, Gilbert accompanied Isabel on her exit. As soon as they stepped outside and inhaled the crisp air, she recalled that his clothes were still in her room. So, she ran to get his clothes.

When she came out with his suit jacket, she saw him leaning against a tree trunk by the door, smoking with an elegant posture but with a hint of melancholy. Due to its suffocating and detrimental effects, she disliked the scent of cigarette smoke. In contrast, when he smoked, she detected an indescribable allure about him. She felt a bit shy as she handed him the jacket.

"This is your jacket. You lent it to me last time, and I've washed and ironed it. Here it is."

On the other hand, he had already forgotten about that incident, but seeing the clean and neatly folded jacket she handed him, he was touched.

"Thank you," Gilbert said. When he noticed Isabel's awkward expression, he realized she might be shy and uncomfortable, so he refrained from saying anything further. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Hearing that, she nodded and pursed her lips, not saying anything. The atmosphere between them was a bit strange.

Eventually, he broke the silence. "You know, Miss Joneson was a brilliant person."

When she suddenly heard those words, her mind was occupied with the charm of his voice. She didn't catch what he said and only made an "ah" sound without responding.

"I said Miss Joneson was brilliant. When you went to work at Luna Bar, she already guessed what was happening, but she didn't stop you. Everything happened as she planned. I found you there and found her, and when Elspeth found out, Miss Joneson had already left."

Although this sounded a bit mystic, the naïve Isabel couldn't help but show an expression of disbelief. "So, you mean Miss Joneson had already planned everything and was waiting for us to fall into her trap?"

She thought momentarily and realized that Helena had probably been planning it for a long time. With that, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"Yes, that's what I mean. Although this is my guess, my guess is not wrong.

She nodded and was able to recall some things from her memory. Many things that had seemed confusing to her before suddenly became clear in her mind. "I also remember something. Miss Joneson rarely let me go out before, but I've been working so far away recently, and she had been turning a blind eye to it."

"Yes, because she knew that place was under Elspeth's turf, she could let you go without worrying. Unfortunately, she didn't know that Elspeth hadn't been there recently, so you might have had a few tough days. Fortunately, you ran into me."

After Gilbert finished speaking, he looked at Isabel's face and asked, "How have these few days been? Have you been bullied while working at the bar?"

Hearing the caring tone, she suddenly became nervous and stuttered, "I-I'm fine. I did meet some people who weren't nice, but I handled it."

How could she work at a bar and not encounter any perverts? She would hide and pretend to be sick if she couldn't. In any case, those people didn't really force themselves on her.