Page 80 of The Kitten and His Prince

“You bought a hand press?”

“Yeah, and I got a whole bunch of food.”

“I’ll pay you back for all of that afterward. Keep a tally-”

“I don’t want to be paid back.”

Rainier raised an eyebrow at him. “I gave you money so you can keep your savings in good shape. You’re not supposed to spend it on me.”

“It was needed. It’s not like I bought something silly, and I don’t want to be paid back for helping you. You didn’t expect me to pay you back for feeding me.”

“You were there so I could take care of you.”

“And it’s my turn to take care of you,” said Felix.

Rainier forced himself to drain the juice before he inched down to properly lay in bed. He was already tired, but he wasn’t sure if he could sleep now.

“If guards come here, stay in,” said Rainier. “Don’t take chances.”

“All right? Can I rub your back?”

“I would like that.”

***

He managed to fall asleep while Felix gently rubbed his back, but he kept waking up in the night. It had to be quite late when he cuddled up to Felix who was slightly snoring, and he tucked the blanket around them better since he was cold.

Even though he felt like shit, a sliver of relief bloomed in his stomach. Tomorrow, Mum wouldn’t be in the house to harass him. It would just be Felix. Then he remembered he’d be expected to eat meals, and dread gripped him. To avoid thinking about that, he considered what Felix had said about Mum abusing him.

He did need help because she had done her best to break him down, and people did need food to live. He pictured her in the Castle and how furious she must have been since he still hadn’t broken in the way she wanted.

He’d been right in thinking he’d never get any peace. She wouldn’t let him be a Duke either. First, she’d bitch about him abandoning his duty at the Castle even though she could do the ledger and office work herself. She’d likely also say he was going somewhere so he could stuff himself and indulge in his kink.

It would simply cause more trouble, and he couldn’t stay here forever. He wanted to stay with Felix more than anything now, but he couldn’t keep his Kitten with him especially with so much shit. How could he ask Felix to stay with him later again at the Castle when the Queen despised him? She’d probably plot something else to get rid of him.

But the abuse would continue. Perhaps Rainier should simply give up his position. For a moment, he couldn’t even believe he’d considered that, but it might be his only option. He was positive he couldn’t work out something with Mum. Talking with her and demanding that she stay within certain boundaries wouldn’t work because she’d always crossed them before.

She was set in her own view of how her son should be, and that wasn’t changing anytime soon. The thought of living and dealing with that until she grew old and passed away was unbearable. Decades of being trapped…

Life had been a lot easier when he was a child. Despite her lectures on self-control and forbidding her children from snacks, he’d felt like he had a good homelife. Plenty of Princes, Princesses, and lord’s children had higher standards to some extent, and he’d figured that out at a pretty young age. Besides, Father had made the no snack rule seem less important since he’d snuck them stuff.

Maybe if he gave up his position and walked away from Mum for good, Felix would go with him. Rainier would have to get a job and learn how to live like a commoner, but they could get their own place.

It would be nice to have Felix in his arms every night. He’d missed this so much in their short time apart.

He managed to fall asleep near dawn and was woken by Felix who said he needed to eat breakfast.

“I don’t eat breakfast.”

Felix narrowed his eyes. “I have a feeling you were lying when you said it didn’t sit right with you. You just didn’t want to eat.”

Rainier sat up as guilt twisted his stomach. “Okay, but I haven’t eaten breakfast in a long time, so that’s not a lie now. I don’t do that meal anymore. Also, I’m sorry for lying. It didn’t make me feel sick before.”

“Can you not do it again?” asked Felix.

“I won’t.”

“You haven’t been eating a lot of meals, and that needs to change. Remember what I said about energy? You need energy so you can do stuff, and that comes from food.”

---