Atonal couldn’t bear to part with Hamish, but as a servant, he couldn’t force him to stay. He could only follow behind Hamish and murmur his concerns.
“You just came back and haven’t rested much, why are you leaving so soon? Can’t you stay a while longer? The chefs here are all the old chefs from before… And in a few days, it will be New Year’s…”
“Uncle Atonal, I want to go back to Bankshire. I’ve already booked my ticket.”
“This… this…” Atonal sighed again. He knew that Hamish was determined to leave, so he repeated his instructions. “Then, take care of your health when you return. I often hear you coughing, let the family doctor take a look at you, even if you don’t want to.”
Atonal, who had trouble moving his legs, could only accompany him to the door. He watched as Hamish drove the car out and stood beside Elisa.
“Miss Powell, take care of yourself too. I won’t be by Young Master’s side, so I’m counting on you to take care of him. He’s easily impulsive, and although I can tell that you don’t like him, his intentions in keeping you around aren’t bad. At least, he won’t harm you. Rest assured.”
Elisa replied, “I will take good care of myself.”
Seeing that Elisa only learned the first sentence, Atonal sighed inwardly.
At first, he thought Hamish was only using this person as a substitute, but this morning, he heard from the servants that Hamish had taken someone to the cemetery. He knew it wasn’t that simple.
It wasn’t the first time Hamish had brought someone here, but this time, he brought them to see his deceased parents. Obviously, he was sincere.
Although Hamish appeared aloof, he was incredibly devoted when it came to emotions. To be liked by Hamish, one could only question whether it was a blessing or a curse.
Atonal considered it a blessing. To be loved by Hamish meant a lifetime of love.
Hamish’s love seemed faint, but it couldn’t be easily ignored. It flowed like a gentle stream, not as dazzling as the sun, but like every star in the dark night, embellishing the pitch-black sky.
Elisa knew that Atonal wanted her to live a good life with Hamish.
However, late realizations and apologies weren’t worth forgiving. Broken things always had cracks no matter how much they were repaired, and even if something identical was replaced, it wouldn’t be the same as before. Her and Hamish could never be.
After returning to Bankshire, they went directly to North Bankshire by car. The things Hamish had prepared had already been delivered. It was almost New Year’s, and he wanted to spend his last Christmas with Elisa, at least, not like the painful and desperate Christmas six years ago.
“It’s almost New Year’s, other families are all lively and filled with bright red, at least we don’t have to look so desolate here.”
Hamish bought a four-meter-high Christmas tree and wanted to hang the star on top. He also wanted to decorate the staircase.
Hamish bought many decorative ribbons and lights, all sorts of decorations. Some things Elisa saw for the first time were unique.
Elisa didn’t want to move. For others, it was a festive holiday, but for her, spending New Year’s with Hamish was no different from attending her own funeral.
Yes… that day was indeed her memorial day, and the funeral passed as well.
Hamish saw her impatience and said, “White Group is on the right track now. You don’t want to see White Group in decline and deserted, do you?”
“Is threatening me the only method you know, Hamish?” Elisa’s anger grew, and she felt annoyed. This annoyance undoubtedly came from the man in front of her.
Hamish lowered his head, hiding the emotions in his eyes, showing little expression on his face. He simply trembled and shivered as his hand rested on his thigh.
He said, “I don’t want to threaten you either, but this is the only way for you to pay attention to me.”
“You act like you’re the one being wronged. Why are you so shameless?”
Hamish pursed his lips tightly, casually grabbing a decorative light. It seemed somewhat pitiful and helpless.
Elisa squatted down and casually opened a bag, pouring out its contents. Everything was inside.
Hamish watched as Elisa organized them earnestly. He faintly smiled, Elisa handled the light ones and he handled the heavy ones. With so many things and no one else to help, they would be busy until tomorrow.
Hamish hung the colorful lights on the Christmas tree and tested the wires. They lit up, but during the day, it was hard to see their effect. They had to wait until night.
Elisa sat on the carpet with an air pump, inflating one balloon after another. Her fingers turned red when she tied them.
Hamish walked over, holding another air pump. Although he was sick, he still had more strength than Elisa, so he quickly inflated the balloons.
While inflating, Hamish asked, “Do you remember the year we got married?”
Elisa coldly replied, “I don’t remember.”
Hamish paused for a moment and muttered to himself, “I’ve always remembered. Our wedding house was here, and I remember it was just like today, filled with all kinds of decorations. Among them, the most were balloons. They were plastered all over the walls. After a while, the balloons either leaked air or fell off, leaving only white adhesive on the walls. No matter how much we wiped, we couldn’t get rid of them. In the end, we had to hire workers, which took a considerable amount of time.”