Chapter 166: A Thoughtful Husband


    The result that Gemma had gotten in return from professing her love for Ernest was no different from


    those women whom had done the same to him.


    She was outright rejected by him, and he had even estranged himself from her due to her feelings for


    him. In the end, she could no longer stay by his side anymore.


    Her life during that period of alienation was a living hell for her as she thought that she had lost him


    completely.


    It was not until that time when she had identally gotten into an ident to save Ernest that things


    had changed for her.


    She was barely at death’s door from that terrible ident, but it was also a blessing in disguise as her


    pitiful condition had roused a sting of guilty conscience in Ernest. He had taken her as his little sister


    after that ident, and his promise to look after and protect her for the rest of her life had given her


    hope.


    To be able to stay by his side once again albeit as his little sister this time had not affected her as she


    had always believed that there would not be any other women around him ever again due to his aloof


    and cold-hearted demeanor. She would be the one and only woman whom got to stay beside him


    despite only being his friend and little sister.


    She would be fully contented as long as she could be the only woman by his side.


    However, Florence had popped up all of a sudden beside him when Gemma had returned from her


    treatment overseas. Moreover, she could not stand Ernest’s overflowing and fervent love for Florence,


    and it had made her green with envy and driven her mad.


    It was only after witnessing this side of him that she realized his cold-heartedness and distant manner


    that he had portrayed before this was because he had not met Florence yet.


    While Gemma was still lost in her thought, Ernest’s spective gaze had set on her at that moment,


    “Why are you here?”


    His t voice was tranquil but impassive and exuded apathy at the same time.


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    Gemma hurriedly pulled herself back to the present and exined, “I’ve heard that Florence is injured,


    so I’m swinging by to pay her a visit, but all of them have decided to not wait for me.”


    She even gave Harold and the guys a dirty look whileining about them ditching her anding


    by themselves.


    Harold instantly defended himself from her usation, “That’s because you are noting from the


    same direction as us, Missy.”


    It turned out that Harold was the one whom had given away the news that Florence was hurt.


    Ernest cast a frosty nce towards him in an unnoticed manner after grasping that realization, and


    Harold could immediately sense a gust of icy wind that had blown out of nowhere nipping at him,


    making him feel chilly to the bone as anxiety started to seep into him.


    Harold gave out an awkwardugh, “It’s not easy for us to be gathered together, so let’s all take a seat


    and have some chinwag to strengthen our friendship…”


    Before he could finish his sentence, Ernest had cut in on him abruptly with his impassive voice which


    exuded unfeelingness and hardheartedness, “Get out from here as soon as Florence has woken up.”


    Harold was stunned by his unsympathetic tone, “…”


    All the others were rendered speechless as well, “…”


    The only reason that the great Mr. Hawkins had decided to grace them with his presence and was


    willing to have a chat with them over a cup of tea turned out to be Florence falling asleep at this point of


    time.


    He indeed had gone all the way in the aspect of hiberdating!


    Harold put on a sorrowful look, and he raised his wrist to nce at his watch soon after, “Man, it’s


    almost dinner time now. It would be just in time for Florence to have dinner after she has woken up.


    Let’s all stay back and have dinner with her.”


    He suggested in a tone that was natural yet decisive, and he did not have any slight intention to


    discuss it over with Ernest as well.


    Anthony flung him a look of dismay while thinking to himself: How would he, the young master of the


    Hammer family, stay just because he had wanted a meal? Harold’s temperament had never changed


    throughout all these years as he was still as provocative as ever and always asking for troubles. The


    more he was forced to leave, the more he would be dead set on staying by stopping at nothing to


    achieve his goal.


    Ernest had remained silent despite pursing his lips after hearing Harold’s suggestion as they did not


    matter to him at all. As soon as Florence had woken up, all of them had to step aside anyway.


    ...


    In actual fact, Florence was up the whole time as the only reason that she had lied about her feeling


    unwell was because she had desperately wanted to avoid heading downstairs.


    She was carried by Ernest wherever she went during this period of time due to the minor injury on her


    leg, and even if it was just merely going to the bathroom, she was not allowed by him to stand on her


    own feet.


    She had tried to protest against his overwhelming conduct, but it was to no avail.


    As a result, she had almost really be a disabled person for the past few days as she had never


    even set foot on the ground to go anywhere.


    She was still able to endure it when Charlotte was the only one at home as there were only a few


    people around, but now that a bunch of adult males including Harold whom loved to tease her the most


    had dropped in, she could not fathom how long she would be made fun of when the sight of Ernest


    carrying her in his arms wasid in front of them.


    She was thin-skinned and bashful about this kind of things, so she had decided to not go downstairs


    and hide herself in the room.


    Florence was still in bed while scrolling her phone when the door was pushed open at dinner time.


    Ernest walked into the room and stared at her with his darkened gaze, and it was as if he had seen


    through the fact that she had not gotten any sleep ever since he had left just now.


    She asked anxiously with a guilt-stricken look, “Have they all left?”


    “No, they want to stay for dinner.”


    Florence was suddenly thrown into a fluster as it had meant that they would be able to witness her


    being carried by Ernest if she were to have dinner with them.


    A wave of mortification instantly swept over her even if it was just at the thought of it.


    She quickly pressed on her temple with her fingers and slumped into the bed with fatigue, looking as if


    all her energy had been sapped away from her, “Ouch! My head is still hurting, and I don’t think I have


    much appetite for now, so I’ll just skip dinner tonight. It’s better if I get more rest instead.”


    Just when she was about to pull the nket towards her to pretend to get some sleep, a hand suddenly


    materialized out of nowhere and snatched it away from her.


    Ernest stood by the bed and stared at her with a faint smile on his face, “Are you feeling shy?”


    What did he mean by her feeling shy?


    Florence firmly shook her head as she countered, “I have no idea what you’re saying right now. My


    head is hurting, so I’m going to get some sleep now.”


    She reached out her arms to try to yank the nket away from him, but Ernest was tugging at it, so no


    matter how hard she had dragged and pulled with all her might, she still could not get her hands on it.


    Did he really have to exert so much strength just to hold onto that nket?


    Why couldn’t he just humor her slightly and close his eyes to her acting seeing that she was a girl and


    was injured?


    Florence thought to herself with a stomachful of exasperation, and in the end, she just simply let go of


    the nket and lied down on the bed.


    A faint smile involuntarily crept up onto Ernest’s lips as he watched her perverse behavior without a


    single hint of impatience disying on his countenance.


    Although Florence was still trying her best to steer clear of him and being shy in front of him, she had


    somehow gotten used to him unwittingly after getting along with him for the past few days, and she had


    even started to reveal her petnce.


    He sat down gently by the bed as he coaxed her, “Go to sleep now. We’ll eat after you have woken up.”


    Her shut eyes were flung open all of a sudden upon hearing his decision, and she put on a mirthless


    smile while staring at him, “There’s no need to wait for me. You guys can just go on and have dinner.”


    The bunch downstairs would only take their leave willingly after they had finished their meal.


    Ernest replied with a calm tone, “I’ll wait for you.”


    Needless to say, Harold and the others had to hang around until she has woken up if he were to wait


    for her and have dinner together.


    She was certain that Ernest would absolutely let his guests whom hade all the way here to wait on


    an empty stomach without even batting an eyelid.


    However, she could not let them wait around while suffering from hunger as her conscience would not


    allow her to.


    In the end, she sat up sulkily and uttered, “Let’s eat. I’m not sleepy anymore.”


    “Alright.” Ernest readily agreed with her.


    Florence suddenly spaced out in a twinkling of an eye while staring at his striking face as the feeling


    that he would give way to whatever she had wanted had manifested in her mind.


    It was a feeling that she was being spoiled by him in an unbridled manner, and he would indulge her


    every whim.


    Stop ...


    She halted her train of thought abruptly once she realized that she should not go on further.


    Florence was pulling her hair out over her decision to join dinner while her eyes flickered around the


    room to not meet with Ernest’s gaze, and when she was finally about to get off the bed, he hade


    up to her as she had anticipated to carry her like usual.


    She hurriedly pushed against his shoulder with her arms stretched out to stop him in his tracks while


    exining, “My leg is almost fully healed, so I can walk on my own. You can see for yourself, it’s true.”


    She had even deliberately lifted the hemline of her skirt to show him her faded scar in order to


    strengthen the credibility of her statement and just so he could buy her words.


    Ernest shot his gaze towards her leg and concluded shortly after, “It’s not fully healed yet.”


    Florence was literally swept off her feet by his muscr arms as soon as he had finished his sentence,


    and even though he was carrying her in his arms as usual, her heart was bowled over by his action this


    time.


    She seemed ill at ease when she was in his arms, and her cheeks were burning red from


    embarrassment.


    After grappling with her concern for a moment, she finally uttered while gritting her teeth, “It would look


    bad if they were to see you carry me downstairs, Mr. Hawkins. You used to have a reserved and


    domineering persona, so it would hurt your image if you were to carry me like this.”


    Ernest marched out of the room in big strides while stating in a nonchnt tone, “They have already


    told me that I’m a thoughtful husband.”


    His derative tone sounded like he was making fun of himself, but it was more of cheerfulness that


    had manifested in his intonation which indicated that he seemed to be in a jovial mood.


    Florence’s face was flushed scarlet in an instant while her heart raced uncontrobly from his remark


    as Harold’s previous mockery was still resounding in her ears.


    Ernest, a thoughtful husband?


    Why did it seem like he was not repulsed by this title at all?