Chapter 280: Chapter 280 The Myrthella Fairy
Phoebe’s POV
I stayed silent when Timothy and I met this morning for breakfast. I didn’t mention his visit to see Jude yesterday, though I knew he’d also spoken with Harlow.
Timothy kept stealing glances at me, clearly expecting me to bring it up. Instead, I focused on my conversation with Perry, unbothered by Timothy’s obvious discomfort.
My mate listened attentively as I spoke, occasionally lifting a spoonful of soup to my lips or offering me a piece of meat. He seemed completely at ease.
The dining hall buzzed with activity - warriors filled the lower platform while omegas hurried between tables, serving food. The women still showed wariness around the warriors, but their tension had noticeably decreased.
Timothy was about to push back from the table, having barely touched his food, when something caught his eye. Jude had entered the hall with the other omegas, carrying a food tray and chatting with her sister Patricia. Even dressed in simple clothing, she looked stunning.
I watched understanding dawn on Timothy’s face - he finally grasped why Perry had been so captivated by me. The feeling was written all over him, and I could see his regret for underestimating the bond between mates.
Timothy’s gaze locked on Jude completely. When she noticed him staring, their eyes met. For a moment, the noise around us seemed to fade into nothing.
Everything else became irrelevant...
"What’s got your attention?" Perry’s voice cut through the moment as he elbowed his royal gamma, shattering the spell.
"Damn it," Timothy muttered in frustration, though he kept his voice low as he shot Perry an irritated look.
"Something wrong?" Perry fixed Timothy with a stern glare until the gamma looked away.
Timothy searched for Jude, but she’d already disappeared from the dining hall. Perfect. She was gone, and now he had to face the king’s questions.
"Nothing," Timothy mumbled, his mood clearly sour.
"He spotted his mate," I said with a laugh. "You completely ruined their moment."
"Oops," Perry replied casually, though his tone held zero remorse. If anything, he sounded pleased with himself for disrupting his gamma.
Timothy groaned and scratched his head, then forced himself to finish eating. The food tasted bland until he remembered his mate had helped prepare it - suddenly, every bite seemed better.
——
True to his word, Timothy made his way to the kitchen afterward, returning to the same spot where he’d met Harlow yesterday. He brought a generous portion of warm meat and settled in to wait for the little girl.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, squatting against the wall and staring at the blue sky above. "What am I even doing here?"
Just as Timothy considered leaving, he felt a gentle nudge on his arm. Looking up, he found Harlow gazing at him with wide eyes, grinning mischievously.
"Does your head hurt?" she asked in her sweet child’s voice.
"No."
"You look like it does." Harlow stepped closer and began massaging his scalp. "When mama hurt, she liked this." What she actually did was more hair-pulling than massaging.
"Alright, that’s better now," Timothy said with a wince, though he couldn’t help smiling.
"See? You feel good now, right?"
"Yeah." Timothy handed her the meat. "Here’s what I promised, plus this." He pulled a small container of candy from his pocket.
Harlow bounced excitedly, her little face flushing red with pure joy.
"Thank you!" She threw her arms around Timothy and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You’re amazing!"
Timothy had earned countless accolades as one of the kingdom’s finest warriors. He’d led troops to victory against Valerium forces alongside the king and built an impressive record of achievements that brought him widespread praise.
But this little girl’s appreciation felt completely different. The happiness and pride swelling in his chest was unlike anything he’d experienced before.
Call him foolish, but Harlow’s beaming smile made Timothy act on impulse.
"Come back tomorrow and I’ll bring more meat!" he declared proudly. "And more candy and small gifts - do you like pretty things?"
He noticed the only jewelry Harlow wore was a bracelet woven from plant roots, the same kind many omega children had.
"Really?" Harlow jumped up and down.
"Absolutely." Somehow, Timothy felt genuinely excited. Shopping had never appealed to him, but he’d gladly do it for her.
"Thank you!" Harlow hugged him again. "I knew you had to be the Myrthella."
"Myrthella? What’s that?" Timothy frowned. Was that good? It sounded like some kind of plant.
"You don’t know about Myrthella?" Harlow released him and tilted her head, studying him with amusement.
"No. What is it? Food?" Timothy shrugged, genuinely puzzled.
Harlow settled on the ground beside Timothy and unwrapped the meat he’d brought while telling her story.
"Myrthella is a kind fairy who travels around helping people, especially well-behaved children." She bit into the meat, her eyes lighting up with delight at the taste. "I’m a good girl because I take my medicine on time and don’t cry."
Timothy wasn’t entirely pleased with this comparison. "But I’m not a girl."
