Chapter 5

Baby Bian's crying suddenly eased—while he didn't stop completely, his loud, ear-piercing wails softened to mere whimpers. Just normal little hiccups and sobs. The baby in the lady of the house's arms began squirming again, this time straining forward, reaching out with both hands toward Bia.

"Hng! Hng! Hng!" the chubby little guy grunted, his eyes fixed on the young girl, desperate to grab the person he had been looking for all along.

Bia's heart melted. Truly.

"M-May I hold him, ma'am?" Bia asked, her eyes glistening. She was thankful the room was dimly lit so Rosa wouldn't notice her tear-filled eyes.

Seeing Bian reaching for the nanny like that, Rosa had no choice but to hand the chubby little guy over to Bia. And like magic, Bian stopped crying instantly. The baby nuzzled his face straight into Bia's chest. Unbeknownst to Rosa, as he cuddled in the girl's arms, Bian began rooting around her chest with his mouth. The nineteen-year-old girl flinched slightly at the sensation.

"S-Sorry to ask, ma'am. Would it be alright if Bian slept with me tonight? I-I'll give him a bath and feed him right away in the morning," Bia stuttered—half nervous, half worried Rosa might find it strange or off-putting that Bian was rooting around her chest. Bia knew exactly what the chubby little guy was looking for, but she tried her best not to look suspicious in front of Mrs. Bimantara.

Rosa pondered it for a moment. She figured there was no harm in it, especially since Bian had calmed down immediately with Bia. Perhaps the girl really could be trusted to care for her grandson. Besides, Bia's job starts tomorrow anyway. Well, technically, it was already tomorrow, wasn't it?

The lady of the house nodded with a soft smile. "Alright then. Goodnight, Bian, Bia."

Bia nodded. As the lady turned and walked away, Bia let out a quiet sigh of relief. Her attention then shifted back to the chubby baby, who was still trying to find what he wanted against her chest. "Alright, alright, you can have it. Come on, let's go to the room." Bia headed in the opposite direction. Her assigned room was located at the back of the house, right near the kitchen.

Fortunately, she had this fairly spacious room all to herself, giving her complete privacy. After making sure the door was locked, Bia brought Bian over to lie on the bed. The baby was growing impatient, clutching and tugging at her clothes. Bia quickly lifted her top and undergarments, exposing one side to guide it into Bian's mouth. The chubby little guy latched on immediately, nursing hungrily.

A soft smile touched the girl's lips. Even though it had only been a few weeks, it felt like an eternity since she had last been in this position—breastfeeding Bian. Ah, even if her chest wasn't particularly full and she couldn't produce much milk, she felt the same overwhelming joy every mother feels while nursing her child. Bia never judged herself for it.

Abi's arrival—she had named her son Abi so it would match her own name, Rabia and Abian, and his nickname shared the same three-letter simplicity as hers—into her life had been a complete shock. Yet, Bia didn't regret it for a second. Truly, she didn't. It was just that... a choice had to be made back then. Bian's life and future were far more important than her own.

Bia gently blew on the top of the baby's head, floating a few stray hairs aside. Bian's eyes drifted closed, though his mouth kept rhythmically working. Tonight, she got to reclaim the maternal role she had been forced to surrender. Perhaps she could keep doing this in secret, as long as the Bimantara family never found out. Bian still needed her, right? So it was fine—just whenever it was just the two of them.

The girl closed her eyes as well, after placing a pillow along the edge of the bed so Bian wouldn't roll off in his sleep.

Meanwhile, Rosa returned to her bedroom. Her husband, Agam Bimantara, was still wide awake—likely unable to fall back asleep after being woken up earlier. Sitting beside her husband, who was reading a thick book that usually sat on the nightstand, she slipped under the covers.

"Where's Bian?" the patriarch asked, puzzled that his wife had returned without the baby who had been lying between them just minutes ago.

Rosa pulled the blanket up to her chest. "He's with Bia. She woke up when she heard Bian crying and asked if he could sleep with her tonight. Ah, it seems Bian really took a liking to her. He stopped crying the moment I handed him over. Maybe we made the right choice letting Bia be his nanny after all."

Her husband's brows furrowed. "Really?"

"Mhm!" Mrs. Bimantara nodded. "Anyway, let's get some sleep," she added, closing her eyes.

Agam didn't immediately follow suit. Something felt odd to him. Bian stopped crying instantly? When Rosa held him, the baby was wailing at the top of his lungs. To the little guy, both of them were essentially strangers. So why her?

"I'm Minah," a young woman about Bia's age introduced herself.

"I'm Sri," said an older woman—the same one who had opened the door for Bia last night with such elegant demeanor.

"Danu," said a burly man standing beside Sri. Built like a brick house, he looked every bit like a personal bodyguard.

Bia offered a gentle smile, giving a brief nod since her movement was limited—she was currently cradling baby Bian in her arms. "I'm Rabia. You can just call me Bia."

The youngest of the three standing before her beamed a smile, stepping closer to Bia to give the chubby little guy's adorable cheek a light pinch. "Aww, look at you! Bian is so ridiculously cute! I can never get enough of looking at him."

Bia responded with a warm smile.

"Bia, come along. Let me show you where you can bathe Young Master Bian."

Mrs. Sri—Bia planned to address her respectfully like that—interrupted Minah's cooing, prompting the younger girl to puff out her cheeks in playful protest.

Meanwhile, Danu headed out of the kitchen, disappearing to handle his duties—whatever those were, Bia didn't know yet.

Bia had woken up bright and early to shower and get ready. She had also gently roused the chubby little guy, who was still groggy and blinking sleepily as they went to the kitchen to meet the household staff. She intended to ask about Bian's daily routine, where he was usually bathed, and what kind of food or formula he had, since it was bound to be vastly different from what she used to provide. Higher quality, and certainly expensive—things Bia could never have afforded on her own.

Sigh.

It pained her to recall how she used to care for Bian while struggling financially. Naturally so—Bia was only nineteen, having just graduated high school last year. She hadn't found steady work yet, and couldn't look for any because she had to take care of her baby. On top of that, being an orphan meant she had no home or family safety net to fall back on.

The girl was led to a room right beside the kitchen, which served as a designated bathing area. A baby bathtub filled with warm water, gentle soap, and fresh towels were already set up and ready to go.

"Usually, Mrs. Bimantara bathes Young Master Bian in her master bathroom, but since you're in charge of his care now, you can bathe him right here. Everything is set up for you," Mrs. Sri explained.

"Oh, alright. Thank you, Mrs. Sri." Bia nodded shyly. She hadn't realized everything would be prepared in advance; she had assumed she would need to gather all of Bian's bath supplies herself.

Oh, it seemed Bia needed to get used to addressing her employers as Master and Madam—and even referring to the chubby little guy as "Young Master," given his status as the employers' child—just as Mrs. Sri did. It would feel inappropriate to call Bian by his name without an honorific, considering the stark difference in their social standings.

Mrs. Sri cleared her throat politely. "Once you're finished, you can bring Young Master Bian back to your room. I'll bring over his clothes and other essentials shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," the younger girl nodded once more.