âIf you donât take my money, then Iâll think of you as my man. However, Iâll only see you as a friend if you do take my money. Make your choice,â Willow said, confident that he would not take her money.
âWillow,â Jasper gently called. Upon hearing his gentle voice, Willow choked up, thinking he was about to inform her of his departure. She covered her ears and said, âI donât want to hear it. I donât want to hear you say that youâre leaving me. If you plan on saying that, then donât say a word. After we arrive at the harbor, you can leave when Iâm not looking.â
While looking at her, Jasper suddenly felt his heart thumping. Leaving was something inevitable, and leaving Willow after staying with her and spending time together would only make his departure more painful for the both of them.
He could not guarantee her a good future, so he could not promise her anything. Though he was not afraid of the consequences of his promises, he was afraid of hurting the woman he loved.
When Willow turned around, she had tears running down her cheeks as she stared at the man before her. She put down her hands and stubbornly pursed her lips. âAre you really going to leave me?â
âDo you need me to help you with anything else?â he asked. âYes. I need you to stay with me. You are not allowed to leave.â Willow looked at him with teary eyes.
âMiss Presgrave, I donât need any reward, for I did all this willingly. Once we get off the boat, we wonât be seeing each other anymore.â After he said so, he got up and left.
Suddenly, he heard Willowâs cries coming from behind him, and he immediately stopped walking.
Though he had turned his head to the side, he did not look back at her. In the end, he left.
With pursed lips, Willow looked at the man she tried to keep but failed, feeling hopeless and powerless.
That night, Willow did not appear at dinner. Meanwhile, Jasper was sitting beside the window as he also had no appetite. Johanna approached him with a plate and said, âMr. Wyatt, Miss Presgrave did not come down for dinner. Do you mind bringing this to her?â
Jasper shook his head and said, âYou should go instead!â âFrom what I see, she might be hoping that youâll do it.â
âHer mood would only become worse after seeing me, Jasper remarked sensibly.
Left with no choice, Johanna could only bring the food upstairs herself. As expected, Willow was standing before the floor-to-ceiling window with her arms crossed before her, thinking of something.
âMiss Presgrave, please have something to eat!â
âI donât have an appetite.â Willow was telling the truth. She did not turn around because her eyes were red from crying, and she refused to let anyone see her in such a state.
Having guessed Willow might have gotten into a fight or was at loggerheads with Jasper, Johanna could only bring the food downstairs. In the meantime, Jasper looked over and felt his heart tightening.
Is she not planning on eating anything?
It was the middle of the night again, and everyone else was asleep. It had been a tough expedition, so everyone was tired.
Jasper was packing his bags when he heard someone knocking. Even though he knew who it was, he still hurried over to open the door, revealing Willow standing outside.
âSince weâre about to go on our separate paths, why donât we have a talk?â Willow suggested, seemingly calmer now.
After Jasper moved aside to let her in, she sat on the couch and looked at the bright moon in the sky through the window. âWhere will you be going after this?â
âBack to work, Jasper replied. He still had two months of leave, but once Willow returned to Averna, she would return to being the daughter of the Presgrave Family, and he had no reason to stay by her side.
âIn that case, Iâll ask you one more question. You must answer me truthfully.â Willow raised her teary eyes to look at him, making her seem even more pitiful. Jasper looked at her and felt slightly.
distressed. He nodded. âGo ahead.â
âDo you like me?â Willow asked. Having guessed that question, Jasper had previously thought about it too. He nodded. âI did.â
âWhat do you mean?â Willow pushed for an answer. âIâm an incredibly rational person whoâll never let anyone disturb my work. Do you understand?â Jasper replied in a low voice.