Be My Man, Mr. Jenkins By Flora Julius
Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Vacl looked at Adriane with a bitter look on his face. His gaze on her seemed to be saying, “Mrs. Jenkins, that’s very kind of you.”

Adriane looked at Arthur, trying to make him forgive Yael. After a few seconds, she finally heard Arthur say, “Yael, go and get your punishment.”

Overjoyed, Yael said, “Thank you, Mr. Arthur!”

Before Yael walked out of the bedroom, Adriane stopped him. Then after pondering for a few seconds, she asked Arthur, “Can you ask him not to call me Mrs. Jenkins?”

Arthur’s gaze was colder than before. Thoughts began to run wild in his mind, “What does she mean by that? Does she want to say she regrets getting engaged to me after seeing my pathetic state just now?”

Panic struck Yael when he heard Adriane’s question. He hinted to Adriane not to continue that topic with his gaze. Unfortunately, Adriane ignored him. She played with her fingers and continued, “He doesn’t listen to me.”

Arthur was so unhappy that it made the atmosphere in the bedroom seem gloomier than outside. Yael was so worried that Arthur might strangle Adriane to death, overpowered by his wrath. He quickly interrupted, “Mrs. Jenkins, I think you should leave this room. Come on. Let’s leave.”

“Did I say you can speak?” Arthur shot Yael a deadly glare. Yael instantly lowered his head and shut his mouth like a kid who had made a mistake.

Yael had a bitter look on his face, hoping that Arthur would not murder his fiance. He did not want to live, regretting not saving Adriane.

Arthur asked Adriane, “Why?”

Adriane was puzzled for a few seconds and then realized that Arthur was asking why she did not want Yael to call her Mrs. Jenkins.

“Why? Hmm… There is no particular reason for it.” In the middle of her words, she could see the burning flames in Arthur’s eyes. It scared the hell out of

her, and her voice was almost inaudible, “other than because it makes me sound old.”

Adriane had been pondering about that since a day ago. There was only one thought in her mind, “Although my psychological age is twenty–five, just like Arthur, my body is only 18 years old! Why are they calling me Mrs. Jenkins before I’m even married to Arthur? It makes me sound like a middle–aged lady!”

Arthur’s gloomy mood dissipated as soon as he heard that explanation from Adriane. He was happy that Adriane was not going to break off their

engagement.

Having not the slightest guts to pester Arthur, she changed her strategy and pleaded with Arthur with a cute voice, “Please…”

Arthur cleared his throat to hide his nervousness upon hearing Adriane’s coquettish plead. Then he looked at Yael. He was stern but seemed to sound gentler than just now, “Did you hear what she just said?”

Yael nodded his head profusely, “Yes, Mr. Arthur and Miss Stewart. I’ll go and get my punishment now.”

Arthur said nothing more. Yael quickly retreated. After a while, another pantryman came in to serve Arthur’s breakfast and left immediately after doing that. He seemed to be afraid of Arthur too.

Knowing Adriane bad already had her breakfast, Arthur steered his wheelchair to the table and picked up the porcelain spoon. Then he slowly stirred the broth in the bowl.

Adriane asked with her soft and delicate voice, “Mr. Arthur, do you need my help?”

“No,” Arthur rejected Adriane’s offer firmly. Then he frowned and continued, “I’ve told you not to call me Mr. Arthur.”

“Huh? What should I call you then?” asked Adriane in a puzzle.

“Come up with something yoursell,” Arthur noticed that his fiance was not only timid and weak. She was a little dim–witted too.

Several titles flashed through Adriane’s mind, “What about Arthur? No. It’s too common. Mr. Jenkins? There are too many Jenkins here, and it’s weird for

a fiance to call her fiance Mr. Jenkins. Honey? No, no, no. I can’t call him that. It’s too cheezy.”

11:23 Tue, 27 Jun

Chapter 10

Finally, her eyes lit up, and she said to Arthur, who was slowly eating his broth, “Something came across my mind. It’s simple and not too formal.”

“What is it?” Arthur asked calmly.

“It’s sir!” Adriane said out loud. It almost made Arthur spurt out the broth he was eating.

He placed his spoon beside his bowl and looked at Adriane in disbelief, “Sir?”

Adriane nodded seriously, “Yes, you are seven years older than me. It’s better if I address you respectfully.”

Arthur lost his appetite, and he clenched his teeth as he spoke word by word, “Adriane Stewart, who am I to you?”

For a moment, Adriane thought Arthur liked it. She said, “You are my Sir Arthur.”

Arthur could feel his blood pressure rising.

He thought, “Am I that old? I am only seven years older than her!”

Rubbing his aching temples, Arthur said, “It’s better if you call me Grandpa Arthur with that brain you have in your head.”

Adriane could not understand how Arthur wanted her to address him.

As Adriane moved closer to Arthur, she muttered, “I have a feeling that you are insulting my intelligence, but I have no proof of you doing that.”

Arthur sneered. He was indeed making fun of Adriane’s silly brain.

Just as Arthur was about to mock Adriane again, he accidentally noticed the bruise on Adriane’s thigh. She looked better than last night. So, she might have recovered from her fever. Arthur decided not to say anything about Adriane not taking her medicine last night.

But he could not tolerate that she did not put on the ointment that he asked someone to hand to her last night for the bruise on her thigh.

“Why didn’t you put the ointment that I gave you? Don’t you want the bruise on your leg to cure?” asked Arthur sternly.

“Oh…” Adriane looked at her bruise casually and said, “it doesn’t hurt if I don’t touch it. It’ll be all right in a few days.”

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Arthur did not plan to give in. He insisted, “Go and get the ointment.”

Unable to say no, Adriane obediently walked back to her room and brought the ointment to Arthur’s room, “Is this the ointment?”

“Yes.” They gazed at each other for a few seconds. Then Arthur lifted his eyebrows and asked, “Why are you looking at me? Are you expecting me to apply that ointment for you?”

“No!” Adriane quickly denied, “I can apply it myself.”

Sulkily, Adriane sat beside Arthur with her back facing him. Then she squeezed out the ointment and slowly rubbed it on her thigh. She could hear the clanging sound of the porcelain spoon and bowl. Arthur was eating his broth.

There was a moment of silence. Then Adriane recalled their conversation just now. Something seemed to have struck her.

After applying the6intment, she turned around and tentatively called Arthur, “Artie?”

Arthur’s grip on the spoon tightened. His hand stopped in mid–air for a few seconds before he placed the spoonful of broth slowly into his mouth.

Seeing that Arthur did not comment on anything, Adriane knew that she had figured out the exact way Arthur wanted her to address him. She called Arthur with her sweet voice again, “Artie.”

Arthur had no expression on his face, but his ears had turned red. He awkwardly said, “Alright, enough.”

Adriane went to the bathroom to wash her hand and snickered when she walked back towards Arthur. So, it was not only her who did not want to sound old. It surprised her that Arthur had the same thoughts too.

Chapter 10

Arthur finished his breakfast and motioned for her to push him downstairs. He had installed a lift in his mansion to help him get to each floor.

When they were out of the mansion, Arthur said, “Josie Burton had confessed everything, saying that it was Alexander who ordered her to do so. But Alexander denied it. He claimed that the maid was framing him. What do you think?”

Arthur seemed like he was casually asking for Adriane’s opinion. Instead, his true motive was to test if Adriane had anything to do with Alexander. Adriane might lose Arthur’s trust if her answer was not what Arthur wanted to hear.

Adriane would have fallen for Arthur’s tricky question if she was a naïve girl. Fortunately, that was her second birth. She knew what was going on in

Arthur’s mind.

After putting on an innocent look on her face, Adriane squatted down in front of Arthur’s wheelchair and looked at him, “Artie, that guy with the name Alexander is so annoying.”

“You know him? Why did you pretend you didn’t know him yesterday?”

“Because he always comes to me and pesters me. He kept talking to me, but I am so tired of him,” Adriane rested her chin on her palm and continued complaining, “Who does he think he is, telling me what to do about my marriage?”

Arthur’s face was still as expressionless as always. He asked another question, “Why do you want to marry me then? Your sister was supposed to marry me instead of you. I know that the Stewarts replaced you as my bride because they don’t want her to marry a man like me.”