"No.. no, please don't say something so scary like that," Lily gasped and begged Emmelyn to stop talking about death. She looked at poor little Harlow and thought about her life without her biological mother.
"Lily, listen to me," Emmelyn interrupted her friend. "I want to know if you can promise me this... that you will protect Harlow at any cost until my husband returns. If not, I will look for other people to trust my daughter."
Her persistence made Lily swallow. She had never seen Emmelyn look curt like this.
Emmelyn had always been friendly and sweet, but now she was like a mama bear who was wanting to protect her cub and she wouldn't let people question her decision.
"Why would you look for other people?" Lily asked. "Of course I will protect Harlow. I just—"
"I have to be realistic. My situation is dire and I do think of the worst possible scenario. If I don't prepare for Harlow, she would die with me. I don't want that." Emmelyn looked at Lily firmly. "Please promise me you will take Harlow in. Then I can feel calm."
Lily nodded despondently. "I will take Harlow in. You can count on me. But I—"
She didn't continue her words. Lily didn't want Emmelyn to think she was not sincere with her promise to protect Harlow.
"Thank you," Emmelyn wanted to hug Lily, but she couldn't with Harlow in her arms.
However, she didn't want to put her baby down, even for only one second. Emmelyn wanted to cherish the moment she had with her daughter. She didn't know when she could ever see Harlow again.
Both women became silent. They were both busy with their own thoughts.
One hour later, the chamber was finally cleaned. The two maids went out with the dirty sheets and their cleaning equipment. Two other maids came to replace them. They brought food for lunch.
Emmelyn, Lily, and Mrs. Adler had lunch together while Harlow was sleeping on the bed. The atmosphere in the chamber was somber. Perhaps it was due to Emmelyn talked about death earlier.
Mrs. Adler tactfully put the potion on the medicine bowl she served Emmelyn after she finished her meal.
"Princess, it's time for you to take your medicine," she said. "It will help you nourish your strength after giving birth."
Emmelyn understood from her gaze that what the old witch meant with her medicine was the sleeping potion that she was supposed to take to fake her death. It was time.
"Thank you," she said. Emmelyn took the bowl and finished it in one go. It tasted sweet. She was actually surprised since she thought all potions and medicine are bitter, like those that Mr. Vitas gave her.
Well.. if she could fake her death with this potion, it would be literally a sweet death to her.
"You need to rest," Lily said. "You have worked so hard today."
"Yeah.. I think I do need to rest. My entire body feels wrecked," Emmelyn admitted. She walked limply to her bed and lay down next to Harlow.
However, before she could close her eyes, a pitiful cry rang out in the chamber.
"Oh... is she hungry again?" Emmelyn sat up and took Harlow in her arms. "She only slept for two hours."
Lily chuckled when she heard that. "Yes, baby's stomach is really small. They can only eat a little and go hungry quickly. We must feed her again."
"Ah, okay," Emmelyn sighed. She felt heartbroken that she couldn't experience how it would be like breastfeeding Harlow. She could only express her breast milk and give it to Harlow with a spoon.
Lily took the baby and cradled her gently in his arms, while Mrs. Adler helped Emmelyn express her milk. After they got a small bowl of milk, she stopped and took Harlow again. Then, Emmelyn learned to feed Harlow with the spoon.
The ferocious baby finished the small bowl of milk in no time. She no longer cried as soon as she tasted the milk on her lips.
"Oops... I think she just pooped," Lily commented with a laugh. "Here, give her to me. I will clean her up while you rest. I will bring her back to you after she is clean and gets changed."
Emmelyn also smelled the distinct smell from her baby's butt and smiled warily. She realized, giving away her daughter to Lily to care for meant she owed the world to the Greenans. Taking care of a newborn baby was a very difficult task to do.
Sure, they could pay wet nurse and caretaker for her baby, but seeing how Lily doted on Harlow, Emmelyn was sure that her baby would be treated like the Greenan's own daughter.
"She will be so beautiful," Emmelyn could hear Lily's words while she was changing Harlow. "I always want a daughter. I already have three sons. I hope I will be as lucky as you the next time around."
Emmelyn bit her lip and tears slowly dripped to her cheeks. She was initially upset when Harlow was born and she found out her child was not a boy, but Lily said she was lucky to have a daughter?
That's right. Emmelyn was lucky and she should never have thought of Harlow as less because she was a girl.
Wasn't Emmelyn herself upset by the fact that her parents seemed to favor her brothers than she and her sisters?
So, why did she do the same thing to Harlow even if it was unintentional?
Emmelyn felt like a horrible mother. Inwardly, she apologized to Harlow and hoped her baby would grow well. Emmelyn promised she would be the best mother Harlow could ever hope for, as soon as she got the chance.
Lily came back with Harlow, looking fresh and happy. She placed the baby on Emmelyn's chest so the mother and daughter would have more intimate contact.
"You are so beautiful, your husband is also very good-looking. I believe Harlow will break so many hearts when she is older with her otherworldly beauty," Lily said with a chuckle. "I can imagine my boys will be her top three admirers."
Her words, said in a lighthearted manner, managed to make Emmelyn smile so wide.