His words were like a breeze on a late summer evening—warm and unsettling, making her skin prickle with heat.
Sydney Sawyer's mouth fell open. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, feeling as if his comment had sent her head spinning.
BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP—
Her heart hammered against her ribs, threatening to burst from her chest.
Her hand, moments ago cooled by the ice pack, now grew warm and slick with sweat.
He held it gently, and not only did her hand feel hot, but her face also flushed a deep crimson.
Sydney Sawyer grew flustered and anxious.
'Who wants to call you uncle? I want to call you my husband. Would you even dare to answer?'
"Technically, I'm not really related to the Wyatt family. You don't have to call me 'uncle' just because Andrea Wyatt does. Besides, we aren't that far apart in age."
Sydney Sawyer nodded. But if she was supposed to change what she called him, she had no idea what to say instead.
'Call him Dr. Lockwood directly? That feels even more distant than 'uncle.''
Sebastian Lockwood knew she was shy and couldn't take much teasing, so he didn't dare push things too far. When she fell silent, he chuckled softly. "Don't tell me you actually want me to be your dad?"
"No! I definitely don't think that."
"Alright, the ointment's on. How does it feel now?"
"It's fine."
...
Sebastian Lockwood let go of her hand, stood to throw away the cotton swab, and was about to put the ointment away when his phone vibrated. He answered it. "Mom."
"Why did you hang up so suddenly? Was there an emergency at the hospital?"
Sebastian Lockwood walked out to the balcony, neither confirming nor denying it.
"When are you planning to return to Aethelgard? Do you really plan to stay in Keston for the rest of your life?"
"I'll go back."
"Your grandfather's been mentioning you a lot lately. He won't say it to your face, and he refuses to call you because he's worried he'll disturb your work. You should find some time to come back and see him. He's not nagging you, but he's desperate to see you get married and have children."
"Okay."
"The Morgan family's son from the compound is about your age, and he's about to get married for the second time. And look at you, you don't even have a girlfriend."
"A second marriage already? See, that proves marriage isn't always a good thing."
"You're just being stubborn. If marriage wasn't good, why would he do it twice?"
"…"
Sebastian Lockwood raised a hand to push up the glasses on his nose, speechless.
"Oh, right, I heard Mr. Sharp is getting remarried, too. The date isn't set yet, but you'll definitely have to come back for the wedding."
"Got it."
As Sebastian Lockwood said this, his gaze fell on Sydney Sawyer. She was squatting down, playing with the cat with a teaser wand.
"I heard his fiancée has a child, too. The Sharp family is going to be quite lively then."
After hanging up, Sebastian Lockwood went back to assembling the cat condo. Sydney Sawyer squatted nearby to watch. The ointment on her hand had a strong smell, and Timmy Lockwood wanted nothing to do with being held by her.
**
「By the time the cat condo was finished, it was nearly noon.」
Sydney Sawyer was just about to say she was heading home when Sebastian Lockwood asked casually, as if they did this all the time, "What do you want for lunch?"
"For lunch… I should probably eat at home."
"Can you cook with that hand? Or were you just planning to order takeout?"
As he spoke, Sebastian Lockwood scooped up Timmy Lockwood and placed him in the new, three-story cat condo.
The kitten was timid and refused to go in. It struggled frantically in Sebastian Lockwood's arms, even brushing against his face a couple of times, before being gently but firmly placed inside.
"My hand is actually fine."
'It was just a minor scratch. The skin wasn't even broken, and it wasn't bleeding. It just looked a little scary.'
"Are you a doctor?"
Sydney Sawyer shook her head.
On a matter like this, the doctor obviously had the final say. Sydney Sawyer watched as he washed his hands and entered the kitchen. He deftly rolled up his sleeves and opened the refrigerator to get ingredients. It was surprisingly well-stocked.
Unable to help, Sydney Sawyer just watched from the sidelines. Sebastian Lockwood, cooking for her… This was the kind of scene she had only ever witnessed in her dreams.
'He could save lives, build a cat condo, and even cook…' Sydney Sawyer thought there couldn't possibly be a better man in the world. Standing by the counter, she stole glances at him every so often. His head was bowed, his bangs falling in a slightly messy, roguish way over his forehead. His expression was focused and earnest.
But there seemed to be something in his hair. Sydney Sawyer squinted, studying him closely.
'It looks like cat fur.'
Sebastian Lockwood turned, about to ask her to leave the kitchen, when he noticed her gaze was fixed on the top of his head.
"What is it?"
"There's… something in your hair."
"Hm?"
Both of Sebastian Lockwood's hands were wet, so he couldn't touch his hair. "What is it?"
"I think it's cat fur."
"Then help me out."
Sydney Sawyer was shorter than him, and as luck would have it, the piece of fur was in an awkward spot that would require her to stand on her tiptoes.
But in the next moment, Sebastian Lockwood suddenly bent over, lowering himself to her level.
As their eyes met on the same level, Sydney Sawyer's gaze crashed into his. Her heart inexplicably quickened. She could see her own reflection perfectly in the lenses of his glasses.
Sydney Sawyer quickly plucked the piece of fur from his hair and held it out for him to see, as if to prove she hadn't been making it up.
"Timmy Lockwood is almost four months old," Sebastian Lockwood said. "He's starting to shed."
Sydney Sawyer nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she finally asked about the previous night. "I drank too much last night. How exactly did I end up at your place?"
"You really don't remember anything at all?" Sebastian Lockwood asked, drying his hands.
"I didn't do anything to you, did I?"
Sebastian Lockwood drawled, "What do you think?"
Sydney Sawyer bit her lip. 'Don't tell me I actually went wild last night?'
If that was true, she had really lost out.
She couldn't even remember a thing about it.
"In any case, I'm sure I was a lot of trouble last night. If I got anything dirty, I'll take responsibility for cleaning it."
"If you did something to me, what would you do? Would you take responsibility for me too?"
A thrill shot through Sydney Sawyer's heart. Her expression froze for a second, but she still nodded.
'Take responsibility?'
She was more than willing.
It was just that, taking responsibility after a drunken night… It made her feel strange.
'Like I'm some kind of predator who took advantage of an innocent man, only to say afterward, "Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for you."'
She never expected that in the next moment, Sebastian Lockwood would suddenly chuckle. Sydney Sawyer felt a hand brush across the crown of her head.
He gently ruffled her hair.
His fingertips, still damp, were cool to the touch.
But the spot he touched felt like it was on fire, so hot it made her scalp tingle.
"You drank too much last night, forgot your door code, and locked yourself out. That's why I brought you home with me. If people found out that an unmarried man brought an unmarried woman home for the night… it would be bad for your reputation."
"Even if someone has to take responsibility…"
"It should be me taking responsibility for you."
After he spoke, Sebastian Lockwood went back to cooking, but Sydney Sawyer could feel her face and ears burning.
**
After she went home from Sebastian Lockwood's apartment, Sydney Sawyer was distracted for the rest of the day. That night, before bed, she reached up and rubbed her hair, right where he had touched it.
She giggled foolishly, even beginning to agonize over whether she should wash her hair that night.
That night, she had a strange dream…
In the dream, Sebastian Lockwood cornered her and made her call him 'Daddy'!