Chapter 209
"What's wrong? Having second thoughts already?" Lisbeth knew that wasn't the case, but she couldn't resist teasing Sebastian.
Sebastian frowned slightly, turning to look at her, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "Lisbeth, sometimes I feel like a thief."
"What?"
"A thief who steals things." He smiled bitterly. "I barged into your life when you were injured, lonely, and needed help the most, and stole your trust and dependence. But I'm always worried that one day, you'll suddenly wake up and realize you don't really need me at all."
Lisbeth froze.
She had never imagined Sebastian could have such moments of insecurity.
In her mind, he had always been strong, calm, in control of everything—never one to easily reveal unease, and certainly never to confess his feelings of gain and loss in such an almost humble way.
"Are you a fool?" she said softly, reaching up to touch his face.
Sebastian caught her hand and pressed it against his cheek.
"Fool it is, then." Feeling the delicate touch of her skin against his face, his voice became especially low. "If someone's willing to take in this fool... then this fool can survive."
After all, a fool can't live alone.
Lisbeth's lips curved slightly. "Then I'd better observe carefully first, to make sure this fool... is really a fool."
The corner of Sebastian's mouth lifted. "Alright."
They returned to the apartment, where Ralph was waiting downstairs.
Seeing them get out of the car, Ralph walked over, his gaze sweeping over Lisbeth in a quick assessment. Only after confirming she was safe and sound did he relax slightly.
"Mr. White?" Lisbeth was somewhat surprised. "What brings you here?"
Ralph's expression was much gentler than usual, even carrying a hint of concern. "I heard you were in a car accident. Came to check on you. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, already recovered." Lisbeth asked with some puzzlement, "How did you find out about this?"
She hadn't wanted too many people to know and worry, so she'd specifically asked her mother to keep it quiet. Besides, she hadn't been injured—too many well-wishers would just be troublesome.
"I was at the police station handling some matters and happened to overhear someone mention it."
That wasn't surprising. Ralph had friends everywhere.
Lisbeth checked the time. "It's almost dinner time now. Since you're already here, why don't you stay and eat with us?"
"I'd love to. It's been ages since I've tasted your mother's cooking."
Over the past three years, Ralph had taken good care of their family and was often invited to stay for meals. He never stopped praising Anna's dishes.
However, as he reached the door, his steps paused. "Would you mind if I brought one more person?"
Lisbeth naturally said, "Of course not. A friend of yours?"
They'd known each other for several years now, but she'd never seen Ralph with any family. He was wealthy, yet always seemed to be alone.
"You'll know when they arrive." Ralph made a phone call. About half an hour later, when the dishes were all laid out on the table and the two children were already seated, Ralph's guest finally arrived.
When she saw the woman standing at the door, Lisbeth was stunned.
The woman was very beautiful. Judging by her appearance alone, she had to be at least in her forties. What was most striking was that her eyes were different from other adults'—clearer, more pure.
Looking at her eyes alone, it was hard to imagine she was over forty. She seemed more like a child.
"This is my wife, Elowen Cooper."
Having just arrived in an unfamiliar environment, Elowen was clearly wary of everything, her arm wrapped tightly around Ralph's.
"Don't be afraid." Ralph's soothing words helped Elowen relax considerably.
Seeing that Elowen's mental state was clearly different from most people's, Lisbeth spoke to her gently as well. "Come in, please. Let's have dinner first."
"Okay."
Ralph led Elowen into the living room.
Over dinner, everyone finally witnessed Ralph's tenderness and deep affection for his wife.
Elowen's mind wasn't fully developed. Though she had an adult's appearance, she possessed a child's pure heart.
That also meant she could be as mischievous as a child.
She was curious about everything, wouldn't eat properly, and even suddenly burst into tears while eating.
This frightened everyone. They thought she might have eaten something she was allergic to and wasn't feeling well.
Ralph seemed used to it. He simply took a tissue and wiped her tears while watching her cry.
No one knew why she was crying. In any case, after crying for a while, she stopped.
Elowen pointed at her rice bowl. "Eat."
Well, apparently, she'd cried herself hungry.
After dinner, Elowen couldn't sit still in the room and insisted on going out to play. Ralph naturally wouldn't let her go alone and accompanied her the whole time.
Lisbeth went to her room to get them two drinks.
Ralph finally spoke about Elowen's story. "Actually, she wasn't always like this."
Lisbeth listened quietly.
"Ever since our daughter went missing, she started becoming more and more mentally unstable. At first, she'd be lucid sometimes and confused other times. Later, she permanently remained in this state. But perhaps it's not such a bad thing. At least it's better than being awake and having to face the reality of our daughter being gone."
The confused one found a moment of peace, while the lucid one could never be at peace again.
Lisbeth sighed. She was a mother too and could deeply understand the heartbreak of a mother who'd lost her daughter. "She looks very happy now."
Perhaps sometimes forgetting was the best outcome—better than remembering and having it become an unforgettable wound in one's heart.
After they left, Lisbeth and Sebastian sat in the car on the way home. Lisbeth seemed lost in thought, so Sebastian asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Don't you think Mr. White was a bit strange today?" Lisbeth had known Ralph for several years now, but she'd never met Ralph's wife before.
He had protected Elowen very well.
Sebastian pondered for a moment. "He values you highly."
If he didn't value her, he would never have brought his wife before her.
Lisbeth rested her chin on her hand and nodded. "I think so, too."
Sebastian glanced at her, seeming to hesitate.
He'd investigated Ralph before. For any man who suddenly appeared around Lisbeth, he naturally had to do some checking.
And this investigation had actually turned up some information.
Over twenty years ago, Ralph had a daughter who later disappeared without a trace. Ralph searched for a very long time but never found her.
From then on, Lisbeth often went to see Elowen.
Elowen seemed to really like Lisbeth. Whenever she saw her, her face would light up with a smile.
Lisbeth enjoyed visiting her too. She always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with Elowen.
Ralph was truly good to Elowen, settling her in a villa with a peaceful environment. The independent building had three full floors, and the garden was filled with flowers.
Lisbeth discovered that what Elowen loved most was admiring the flowers in the garden.
This particular day, Lisbeth kept her company, chatting with her. Elowen didn't really like to talk much. She was like a somewhat timid child who actually feared loneliness and silence the most.
As long as someone was with her, even without needing to talk, she could pass the time on her own.