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5. A Fragile Bond

Lily's POV

"The day is truly beautiful for a picnic," Mrs. Magdalena said, delighting in the pure, fresh autumn air in the back gardens of the Wards' castle.

She, baby Arthur, I, and even Mr. Ward were all seated on a picnic blanket on the castle patio. I held little Arthur in my arms, playing with him as he gnawed on a teething toy. Lately, he had been displaying signs of teething, and I hoped he wouldn't bite me when he nursed. Mrs. Magdalena chatted with me while enjoying a warm cup of tea and fresh chocolate cookies. My employer, too, sipped his tea while sitting in a garden chair. He wore a short-sleeved, black floral button-up shirt and dark shorts that reached his knees. He had sunglasses on, shielding his eyes from the sun in the garden. We sat beneath a leafy tree, but the sunlight still managed to reach us.

It was the first time I had seen him dressed so casually. His fair skin was so pale that I thought he could use some sun exposure, but at the same time, it made me blush to see him like that, as he showed off his muscles. His arms were long, with veins protruding and extending to the tips of his long fingers. He appeared delicate yet rugged at the same time, and I swallowed nervously, briefly imagining how his strong hands would feel gripping me...

I had felt that way when he caught me in the dungeon. He was furious with me for leaving baby Arthur alone and had grabbed me in a moment of carelessness. I wanted to explain that I was using a baby monitor that apparently wasn't working, but I was so scared that I couldn't speak properly. He let go of me when he realized he was hurting me, nervously running his hand through his hair.

"I told you not to go near my son. He's my most precious possession," he mumbled as if disappointed in me. I lowered my head, almost on the verge of tears, feeling so bad for having let him down.

"I'm sorry, sir... I truly am sorry..." I barely managed to speak, feeling like I had failed miserably in my duties in the castle. Then I hurriedly ascended the stairs back to Arthur's room, where I found the baby crying in the arms of one of the housemaids. I took Arthur from her, calming him in my arms. After a while, Arthur settled down, sensing he was in my embrace. I began apologizing to the baby, too, for abandoning him like that. My employer had been keeping an eye on me the whole time, concerned about the baby's well-being. It was evident that he had also calmed down when the baby settled.

"From now on, I'll be close to you to make sure you're really taking care of my son. I'll be checking on it with my own eyes," he said with his usual brusqueness. I nodded, still processing his words. Garrett Ward would be close to me now because of the baby? How would I control the turmoil I felt inside whenever I saw him, especially now that he would be so close to me?

He ordered the room next to his to be prepared for me, so I could stay there with the baby. Arthur's crib and my belongings were moved to that room, where I would stay with the baby. This way, he could always keep a watchful eye on me and the baby. Mr. Ward was indeed serious about his words, as he started to be near me whenever he could. He accompanied me to the town whenever I needed to buy things for the baby. He was always there when I was strolling in the castle courtyard with the baby, giving him a bath, putting him to sleep, and even when I was breastfeeding him.

At first, he would always avert his gaze when I sat in the nursing chair and breastfed the baby. He would look out the window, play with his phone, or pretend to read a magazine. What used to be an embarrassing act turned into a comical one. On the first day he saw me breastfeeding his son, we were in the car on our way to the castle, and he didn't immediately look away. Perhaps he was too shocked to do so. Maybe he thought I was audacious for feeding his son in that way, considering I hadn't given birth to the child. But deep down, he knew I had done it to save his own son's life. So even if he didn't like it, he had to agree that it was the best way to keep Arthur healthy and strong.

Once, while I was in the routine of breastfeeding his baby in front of him, Magdalena was also with us. She always insisted that Garrett should ease up on me and that I knew very well how to take care of a baby, and he didn't need to constantly watch over me. But stubborn as he was, Garrett ignored her and said he would still keep an eye on me.

"Don't you find this embarrassing, Garrett? Do you really have to be here while she's feeding your child with her breast?" she scolded him this time, and my boss looked directly at me and asked.

"Do you mind me being present while you feed my child with your breast milk?" he asked bluntly. Magdalena let out a grumble as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Are you seriously asking this to the girl?"

"It's alright, ma'am. I really don't mind!" I spoke a little louder, displaying a convincing smile. At that moment, she was looking at me in confusion, with one eyebrow raised, as if wondering is I was crazy or unaware of the danger of the situation.

"See, Mag? She doesn't mind, so it's fine," he said casually and returned his gaze to his magazine.

That same night, when Arthur was sleeping, and I was getting ready to sleep as well, I heard gentle knocks on my door, and Magdalena entered with a friendly smile. I smiled back, setting aside my curly hairbrush. "I'm sorry for coming to see you so late. You must be tired from taking care of Arthur and dealing with his father hovering over you like a vulture," she said, walking up to me and sitting in a chair near my dressing table. I chuckled lightly at her remark.

"It's alright, I enjoy taking care of Arthur, and Mr. Ward's company is actually quite nice," I said, thinking that I even felt more comfortable when he was around. I felt protected having such a big man keeping an eye on me and the baby. She held my hand and caressed it, looking concerned.

"Aren't you afraid of him, dear? Many people are scared of him because he's so cold and stern," she said fearfully. I shook my head honestly, admitting that I did feel a bit scared when he yelled at me sometimes, but most of the time he didn't seem so bad. He was not very talkative, but I tried to strike up a conversation with him from time to time.

"He's not that bad," I commented, and her shoulders slumped forward with a deep sigh.

"You're too gentle and naive, Lily. And I know my son very well to know that it's not just because of Arthur that he's always close to you. He has suffered a lot in his life with the death of his biological parents and even more with the death of his wife. He truly has an open wound in his heart, he's suffering too much. I know he's getting closer to you, seeking comfort. But I'm afraid he might hurt your heart in the process. I can't defend him and say that he always has good intentions towards you," she seemed a little lost now. "How old are you again?!"

"I'm twenty-two years old, ma'am."

"Oh, you look much younger." She let out an embarrassed chuckle, and I smiled.

"People always say I look younger." She was also smiling and gently stroked my red locks.

"You look like a scarlet angel, an angel of fire. So beautiful, so gentle and innocent. Your heart is truly beautiful, and your aura is even more beautiful. You might be the cure for my son..." I furrowed my brow slightly, somewhat confused by those words.

"Thank you for the compliment, but what are you talking about?" She shook her head slightly and chuckled softly.

"It's nothing important, just my thoughts. As for Garrett, he's a little older than you. He's thirty-five years old, and, well, he really doesn't know how to talk properly to a woman and may come off as rude most of the time, but I think he genuinely enjoys being close to you." She smiled at the end, and I smiled too, moved by her words.

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