161 The promise…
Lyla
When I arrived at my room, the warm scent of lavender greeted me. Nanny was there,
smoothing the wrinkles from my bedspread. The windows and curtains were open to let in light. and a cool breeze. The entire room looked sparkling and brand new.
She looked up as I entered, her face lighting up with a smile.
“Done with training already?” she asked surprisingly gently.
I blinked. I expected her to scold me for going to train barely hours after recovering.
“Yes,” I nodded, staring at her cautiously.
“Good!” she nodded and returned to her task, humming softly to herself.
I stood there for a few minutes, hoping she would snap at me, but she didn’t. She must have noticed I was still there because she looked up again.
“Did you want something?” she asked.
“No,” I shook my head. “The maids would have cleaned the room. You’re at that age when you shouldn’t be bending so much.”
“That’s a wonderful way to say thank you, she murmured without looking at me. “I raised you
well.”
“That’s not what I mean, Nan,” I sighed. “I feel so bad that you’re cleaning my
room. I can do that.”
*I’ve always cleaned your room whenever you recover from an illness and back when we still lived together. It’s something I enjoy doing – taking care of you!”
“I’m 23. You don’t have to do that anymore.”
“Why?” she paused, straightening. “Because you’re still the messiest 23–year–old I know. I saw dirty clothes under your bed and unspread laundry in your bathroom. Not to talk of your clothes. are not properly arranged in your wardrobe. Who knows, that might have caused the illness.”
“Nan!” I laughed despite myself. “You sound like my mother.”
She didn’t answer; she was fluffing my pillows now.
“So… you’re not going to say anything about me, training? I know you’re angry. You should scold me now than later.
She gave me a once over and continued with her fluffing. “I wish I were y, but I’m not. I’ve realized that I spend half my energy running after you, begging you to eat healthy, asking you to document your heat so your pheromones don’t take you unawares, arguing with you about your choices… but you don’t listen. I’m going to let you do whatever you want to do. Be my guest if
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161 The promise
She gave me a once over and continued with her fluffing. “I wish I were angry, but I’m not. I’ve realized that I spend half my energy running after you, begging you to eat healthy, asking you to document your heat so your pheromones don’t take you unawares, arguing with you about your choices… but you don’t listen. I’m going to let you do whatever you want to do. Be my guest if you want to train barely five hours after recovering. I won’t stop you from killing yourself.”
I stifled another laugh. Why was she being so dramatic today?
I crossed the room to where she was and hugged her from behind, wrapping my hand around
her waist.
“They were light training, and Gamma Theo was worried that you might beat him, so he ensured I didn’t overdo it. Don’t worry, Nan… nothing will happen to me.”
She nodded, but I didn’t miss the sadness in her eyes. “Have you thought about going back to our lives? Don’t you think we’ve been here for too long?”
I snugged deeper into her, sighing as her soothing scent calmed my nerves. “That’s what I thought, but these days, I’m beginning to feel like I will miss all of these if I go. Plus, Nathan hasn’t been coronated yet, and I promised…”
“Do you even have any plans of leaving?” she interrupted me, turning to face me and causing me to take a step back.
“Nan, please, not this
Nathan…”
again. They need me here. I told you. I’ve decided to take on the role, and
“I want you to put yourself first for once, Lyla,” she interrupted me again before returning to her task. “Maybe you’d see that you’re not needed here.”
ant us to
I didn’t say anything. This was not the first time she had brought this up, and I didn’t want fight. Something was clearly wrong with her, and I wished she would tell me.
“T|| go shower really quick,” I said instead, escaping to the bathroom.
After showering, I entered the room and dried my hair with a towel. Nanny was still there. She sat at the edge of my bed, her expression blank as she stared into nothing.
She looked sad…, and the aura around her felt miserable, but I didn’t know how to ask. I’m not good with things like that. So, I cleaned my body and put on comfy clothes. When I was done, I sat down at my vanity table to do my hair.
Immediately, Nanny came to me, placing a small gift box on the table before she stood behind
“What is that?” I plodded gently.
“A little gift,” she replied. “It’s a few weeks before your birthday. Consider it an early birthday gift.”
“Oh!” I smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Reaching for the gift box, I opened it and gasped with shock when I saw a string of tiny white.
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161 The promise
“When I saw them.” Nanny smiled behind me, tears glistening in her eyes. “They reminded me of you from when you were a baby. You were so beautiful… even now…much more and…” a tear rolled down her check. “Do you like it?”
I nodded, wondering what was making Nanny so sad. “I love it. Can you put them on for me?”
She nodded and took the pearls from me. I noticed that she was trying so hard to control the tears now. I watched as she clasped the necklace around my neck. As soon as the pearls rested against my skin, they fitted perfectly, and a strange dizziness washed over me.
I gripped the edge of the vanity, the room swimming for a moment before clearing. When I looked up. I caught Nanny’s reflection in the mirror. The tears were coming in torrents now.
I turned immediately, clasping her hand. “Nan, what’s wrong? Have I done something to upset
you? I’m sorry.”
She shook her head quickly, a trembling smile on her lips as she cupped my face with both hands. “No, darling. It’s nothing, dear. Just… tears of joy. You were in a coma for two days, and I was so scared. I’m glad you’re back.
After she said that, she pulled me into a tight hug; her whole body was trembling as she held me, sobbing loudly now. Her hug felt different desperate, as if she was holding onto something precious that might slip away.
I let her hold me until she was spent.
When she finally pulled back, her hands lingered on my shoulders. Her expression was sombre
now, and her cheeks still had tear stains.
“Promise me something, Ly…” she said with a shaky voice.
“Anything at all,” I replied without hesitation, even though I was caught off–guard.
*If…in the future… you find out that I’ve lied to you about certain things, kept secrets from you, that I’ve not been entirely truthful about many things…” she paused as her eyes filled up with tears again. “Promise me you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”
I blinked, taken aback. “Nan, what are you talking about?”
“Just promise me,” she insisted, her grip on my shoulder tightening slightly.
Was she worried I would be angry if I found out about her Sigma status? Guilt tugged at my chest as I imagined the burden she must have carried, keeping such a secret. I wish I could tell her more than anything that I knew some parts, at least.
But I wanted her to tell me herself. I didn’t want to take that away from her.
“I promise,” I said softly, covering her hand with mine. “You’ve done so much for me. I could never hold anything against you.”
She broke into another heartbroken sob, managing a smile through her tears. “Thank
much.
you so
I leaned forward wranning her in another hug “You don’t need to worry..? I murmured
161 The promise…
But as I held a sobbing Nanny again, a small nagging voice in the back of my mind wondered if there was more to it that I didn’t know, as though there was a truth looming just out of my reach.
I pushed the thought aside. I made a promise, and I would stand by whatever came.
