Chapter 4 Learning to Live with Him

"What would you like to eat for dinner?" Giselle asked.

"Whatever."

"Can I eat dinner with you?"

"Mhm."

The conversation wasn't particularly long, but it wasn't bad either. At the very least, she hadn't said anything to offend him. She silently reflected on her recent words, though she couldn't remember everything clearly. To ensure the Theophilus family didn't reject her, she only needed to focus on Reid. If Reid was dissatisfied, it wouldn't matter who else she tried to please.

With about two hours left before dinner, she wanted to ask the servants about Reid's daily routine and rest schedule. Reid was busy reading, and she didn't dare start a conversation in front of him, so she intended to speak less and do more.

In the kitchen, the staff had begun preparing food. Giselle looked over the ingredients and selected some. Back when she was a student, she had trained as a nurse, so she knew a bit about medicinal cuisine and food therapy. Since the soup required more time, she started on it while the other dishes were being finished.

She learned from the servants that Reid preferred light flavors. She, on the other hand, loved spicy food to the point where a meal didn't feel satisfying or delicious without it. Since she had suggested eating with Reid, the dishes were prepared according to his palate. She had no choice but to prepare a side of chili sauce to dip her food in later.

While the servants were cooking, Giselle called over her sister Skye. Within the Theophilus household, most people gave her no reaction when she asked about Reid. Only the older sister, Skye, was willing to answer her questions. From her, Giselle learned a few things about Reid. They weren't major secrets, but they were enough to help her avoid provoking him.

Seeing Giselle preparing the food, sister Skye showed a smile. "I didn't expect the young mistress to know how to cook. Not many girls know their way around a kitchen these days, especially those born into good families who usually keep their hands away from chores to preserve their manicures."

Giselle smiled at her sister Skye's comment. When it was time to bring the food to the table, Giselle went to inform Mrs. Theophilus that she would be dining with Reid today. Mrs. Theophilus's expression softened considerably. Although she had handpicked a young wife for her son, she was glad she hadn't chosen the wrong person.

In the study, the book remained on Reid's lap. Giselle saw the open pages but couldn't see the page numbers or even the title. Living with him meant she had to adapt to this kind of dim lighting.

Upon entering, Giselle placed the food on the table. "Time to eat."

Reid could see clearly that the dishes on the table were all things he liked. He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the table. Giselle took out a damp towel. "Wash your hands before eating."

During her nursing training, she had completed an internship, so she had some experience. Her care for Reid was perfect. Reid narrowed his eyes slightly, took the towel, and, after wiping his hands, began to eat.

The food was delicious, but the flavor was different from what sister Skye usually prepared. There was a hint of fennel in the dish. After chewing and swallowing a small piece, he stopped.

"Is it not to your liking?" Seeing him stop, Giselle grew anxious. Was he angry again? In the weak light, she couldn't read the emotions on his face.

After a long silence, Reid finally spoke. "Did you make this?"

"Mhm."

"It's not bad," Reid uttered those few words indifferently.

For Giselle, it felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Seeing Reid pick up his chopsticks again, she felt relieved and picked up her own bowl. She took a piece of food, dipped it into the small dish of chili sauce she had prepared, and began to eat.

The chili sauce had a mild, spicy flavor that made the meal savory for Giselle. She was so engrossed in her food that she didn't even notice Reid was watching her.

In small moments like these, it was evident that he treated her slightly better than the common servants. Not fearing him and not being overly submissive, she knew instinctively how to handle him best. This dynamic made their coexistence at least somewhat less dull.

Once the meal was finished, Giselle gathered the dishes to take them away. When she reached the ground floor, Mrs. Theophilus stepped forward to meet her. Looking at the tray in her hands, she saw that the two plates and the bowl of soup were empty. Even the rice bowl was spotless, without a single grain left.

Mrs. Theophilus's expression softened. "Next time, you should prepare a few more dishes so Reid can eat a bit more."

However, since Reid had only said her cooking wasn't too bad, Giselle hadn't actually planned on cooking again. But hearing Mrs. Theophilus's instruction, she could only agree. "Yes, I will."

Giselle carried the tray to the kitchen, where sister Skye looked on in surprise. "Did the young master eat that much today?"

In truth, it wasn't particularly much or little; it was mainly that Giselle herself had eaten quite a bit. She smiled sheepishly and said, "I ate more than Reid did."

"Even so, it isn't a small amount. In the past, the young master always ate alone and barely finished half a bowl of rice. We servants rarely see him, and when we do, we can't see his face clearly. We don't even know how thin he has become," sister Skye lamented for a moment.

Giselle also couldn't tell if Reid was thin or not.

Having just finished the meal, she wanted to help him with some light exercise. However, seeing Reid in his wheelchair, she realized why no one dared to approach him or encourage him to be active. Giselle didn't dare to tell him to exercise, but she thought she could at least help by massaging his pressure points, especially his legs. Without regular walking, muscles could easily atrophy.

After the servants helped wash the dirty plates, she went back up to the study. Reid was at the bookshelf, returning a book to its place.

"I would like to give you a massage, if that's alright." Giselle approached him and knelt, asking softly.

His gaze immediately turned sharp and cold, and his voice was even chillier. "Where exactly do you want to be massaged?"

Giselle could hear the underlying coldness in his tone. By asking that, he surely knew she wanted to massage his legs. Her heart skipped a beat, but to prevent him from becoming suspicious, she only offered a faint smile.

"I just wanted to massage your shoulders. You haven't left the study all day and have been reading the entire time. Your shoulders must be stiff."

"No need." He emphasized each word coldly.

Reid finished putting away the book; it was time for him to return to the bedroom. Giselle worried about what would happen if he asked her to help him bathe again tonight. Setting aside the physical boundaries between men and women, his weight alone was more than she could support.

Suddenly, she spoke up to change the subject. "May I ask where you sleep at night?"

She remembered that in their wedding suite this morning, the blankets on the bed had been untouched.

"I sleep in the wheelchair." His voice remained as cold as ever.

Sleeping in a wheelchair meant sleeping sitting up all night. He would rather sleep in a chair than let anyone help him. She was curious how the servants used to take care of him.

Reid moved his wheelchair toward the bedroom. Giselle stepped behind to push it without a word. She really wanted to go downstairs and ask sister Skye, who usually assisted Reid with his bath.

Before entering the room, Giselle found an excuse. "Are you thirsty. I'll go pour you a glass of water."

"I am not."

He spoke as if words were made of gold, leaving her without the courage to even open her mouth to talk. After entering the room, Reid looked toward her. "Tomorrow, look for a servant named Jimmy. He was the one taking care of me before."

Understanding him better would make it easier to care for him. He didn't want Giselle acting like a headless fly, and he certainly didn't want another uncomfortable incident like the last one to occur.