Page 81 of Crownless King

He eagerly opened his mouth for me to feed him at the same time as he grabbed for the spoon, too.

“Nope, my boy.” I maneuvered the spoon around his little grabbing hands and into his mouth. “Youeat the peas,I’llfeed you the mushy stuff. That’s the deal.”

With his chubby little fingers, he rolled the cooked peas inside the shallow wooden bowl I’d served them in. I’d let him eat his entire breakfast on his own for him to squish, mush, and taste it all. But mornings were busy; I couldn’t afford to lose a second on cleaning the mess he’d make.

Bavius stomped into the house. He was still shirtless after his morning visit to the small log bathhouse outside.

“Are my cakes ready?” he boomed, looking as grumpy as ever.

“The dough is ready.” With both my hands full, I gestured with my elbow at the large bowl with the rising dough by the fireplace. “I’ll fry them up in a second.”

“Why don’t you do itnow?Let the lad eat on his own.”

“All right.”

With Aithen occupied by chasing the peas in his bowl, I put the mash and the spoon out of his reach and wiped my hands on my apron.

Bavius didn’t even look at the baby. He rarely noticed him—or me, for that matter—unless he needed to have something done. We lived together but tried to stay out of each other’s way, like planets in space, each moving along their own orbit.

It was easier to accomplish before Aithen was born. I’d worked hard, learning to do as many chores as I could to justify my living under Bavius’s roof. I cooked and cleaned, mended his clothes, and helped him in the fields whenever he needed me to.

He wasn’t a bad landlord, but he never let me forget he was a reluctant one. He had managed just fine without me, and he would do just as fine if I chose to leave the farm tomorrow. In fact, he’d be relieved if I left.

After Aithen was born, the demanding little creature that he was, he’d taken most of my attention and became my main focus in life. It just couldn’t be any other way. I’d drop everything to tend to his needs. I no longer went out to the fields because I couldn’t leave Aithen alone in the house. And even the house chores often had to wait, which irritated Bavius.

“It won’t take me long.” I grabbed a cast-iron frying pan and put it on the stove next to the fireplace.

By the time Bavius got dressed and poured himself a mug of coffee, I already had the first batch of his morning cakes stuffed with mushrooms and onions sizzling on the pan.

“Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma.” Aithen clearly got bored with his peas. His wings materialized behind his shoulders. Thankfully, he hadn’t figured out yet how to free them from the frame of the highchair.

“Almost done, my baby.” I slapped the cakes onto a plate and rushed to the table.

Aithen bounced on his bum impatiently. With a slap of his hand, his bowl flew off the table. It crashed, spewing the leftover peas all over the floor.

Bavius made a face, wincing in displeasure. I shoved the plate with his breakfast his way along the table, then bent over quickly, grabbing the empty bowl from the floor. As I straightened out, I noticed his eyes focused on my backside. His gaze then rode upwards to my chest as I grabbed a broom and swept the peas from the floor. My spine stiffened with unease. As soon as I was done, I quickly retreated to the fireplace again.

During the entire sixteen months that I’d spent on the farm, I hadn’t seen Bavius with a woman. He seemed to prefer taking care of his needs on his own.

He slept on the mattress laid on top of the massive rectangular fireplace in the main room of the house. His sleeping place was separated from the rest of the house only by a curtain. On a rare stormless night, I sometimes could hear him through the door to my bedroom because he didn’t care to stay quiet when he pleasured himself. It never lasted long, ended with a satisfied grunt, and was almost immediately followed by his loud snoring as he’d fall asleep right after.

Since when did he start stealing glances at my body?

It certainly wasn’t a direction I was willing to go with him. I was grateful to Bavius for housing us, but I had no other feelings for him.

Maybe it really was time for me to leave here?

I’d gained quite a few useful skills by now. There must be a way for me to use them to earn a living. Except that the moment I’d set my foot into any town, I’d be recognized. The word would go out, and the guards would come for me.

There was so much I had to lose now. I glanced at Aithen, who started fussing, clearly growing bored and tired from sitting in the chair.

Bavius finished his breakfast promptly and wiped his large mouth with the back of his hand.

“I better go. The potatoes won’t dig themselves out.” He headed for the door, leaving the dirty dishes on the table.

With him out of the room, it became easier to breathe. His presence always made me nervous, like I’d done something wrong and upset him. He always seemed annoyed by one thing or another.

I rubbed my chest. The left side had been giving me trouble ever since Aithen was born. The top part of my breast ached. And in the past few days, the skin there turned hot and red. I should probably show it to Sauria the next time I saw her. Maybe she could give me an ointment for it or something.

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