CHAPTER 32: SWEET BREAD

Rion stared at the door for a few moments before it creaked open, and Lara’s voice reached his ears: "Get in."

He smiled cheerfully and quickly stepped inside to hug her.

Lara shook her head and twisted his left ear as she asked, "Where were you? Didn’t I tell you to come early?"

"Ah!? I-I was helping Dora!" He answered while acting hurt from the twisted ear.

After embracing Immortality, his life had become more of an act, after all.

His immortal body skill, combined with his God King bloodline, made him quickly adept at anything he undertook, thus even pain had dulled out of life for him, and... He hated that.

Not because he was a masochist and felt pleasure from pain, but because pain and learning things at a slow pace made him feel alive.

No, not just alive... it made him feel human; however, it was no longer possible for him... he was no mortal, after all.

Lara sighed and let go of his ear. She walked towards the side that she always used as the kitchen.

"Why do you always end up doing unnecessary things?" she asked. At the same time, she picked up a red wooden plate that held a loaf of bread stuffed with a red, sweet-and-savoury berry filling and diced fruits peeking through the golden crust — it was made with both the love of a mother and the finesse of a former princess.

The glint in his eyes intensified upon seeing the fruit bread. He wiped the drool from the corner of his lips and answered while staring at the bread with gluttonous thoughts, "I am just that dependable."

She always prepared the fruit bread for his birthday, and suffice to say, he was absolutely in love with it... so much so that he could even eat it every single day.

She chuckled and tore a piece of the bread with her hand. The aroma that had been caged inside the sweet walls poured out and filled the whole hut with its sweet and savoury scent.

He took a deep breath and began to drool all over again.

She stepped forward and offered it to him with a gentle, motherly smile stretching across her face.

He smiled gleefully and opened his mouth for her to feed him. Her smile widened, and she stepped closer.

He closed his eyes so he could taste every hint of the flavours and emotions trapped inside that small piece of bread. However, time passed, and nothing reached his drooling mouth... everything went silent until a few sounds reached his ears.

Nom! Nom!

Gulp!

"It’s good," Haden praised after downing the piece of bread that Rion’s was waiting for.

Rion’s eyes snapped open, and he looked at his mother’s empty hand before giving Haden a betrayed look. His eyes said; How could you?

Haden furrowed his brows and took a seat at the bed of hides and fur before muttering in an assertive tone, "Don’t forget. She is my wife before being your mother."

Rion blinked at his pettiness, and Lara began to chuckle after seeing the duo of father and son acting this childishly.

"Here," she said as she tore another piece of bread with her hand and offered it to Rion.

He forgot whatever Haden had just said and quickly ate the bread.

Just as the piece of bread touched his tongue, it seemed to melt, and the sweet and savoury berry filling that was cuddling it exploded into sparks of flavours, filling him with unimaginable delight.

A prideful smile appeared on Lara’s face as she watched him savour the bread with all of his ecstatic self.

She moved her hand to tear another piece, but the knocks at the door stopped her.

Knock! Knock!

Her eyebrows arched up, she looked at Haden, and her eyes asked him to check who it was.

Haden sighed as he rose from the bed and walked towards the door.

At the same time, Lara pulled another piece of bread and fed it to Rion, who had just opened his eyes.

***

Dora held a wooden bowl tightly covered with a white fabric while she stood patiently before the door of Dragonslayer’s hut.

Creak!

The door creaked open, and Haden came into her vision.

She lifted her head to better look at him, but just as their eyes met, she felt as if an enormous lion was staring at her.

Her face went pale, and cold sweat began to gather at her forehead. Being the awakened of the God of Travel, she could find any person, thing or place if she had anything related to them, and at the same time, her survival instincts were absolutely advanced, so much so that she could feel the strength of others.

’S-should I have just given it to him back at the den?’ She questioned inwardly while staring at Haden with a scared expression.

Haden furrowed his brows at her strange reaction and asked softly, "How long are you going to stare at me?"

She came out of her reverie and raised the bowl to him with trembling eyes.

He looked at the bowl and questioned, "Is it for Rion?"

She nodded, he took the bowl and asked in a confused tone, "Why don’t you just give it to him yourself?"

She shook her head and thought, ’If he finds out that there’s a white quali in it, he may just kill me.’

A few moments later, she answered while fidgeting, "I-I don’t want to ruin his time with his loved ones."

Haden’s lips curved up slightly, and he said, "Aren’t you both friends? I am sure he considers you as one of his loved ones."

Her face began to redden upon her words. She violently shook her head and said, "Please! Don’t tell him that I was the one to give that to him."

Haden’s lips dropped into a frown but he didn’t question anything and gave her a faint nod.

She gave him a grateful bow and sprinted back to her home.

"Strange," he muttered and went back inside.