Nathan - POV

  The following morning, I wasn’t in the best of moods. Maybe it was the lack of proper sleep, maybe it was the constant stress of hiding my powers, or maybe it was just the fact that I was stuck in the body of a one?year?old with the mind of a grown man. Whatever the reason, my mother noticed immediately.

  “Aw, the little baby is grumpy?” she teased, her voice sing?song. “How about some breakfast?”

  Before I could even roll my eyes, she whipped out her impressive jugs and smothered my face in them. Well, I was hungry, so I had no choice but to surrender and suckle to my heart’s content.

  “You should stop breastfeeding him, honey,” Jakob said from the hearth where he was cooking. The smell of sizzling meat drifted through the room. “He’s already over a year old. Besides, don’t his teeth hurt you?”

  “I don’t mind,” Dianne replied, stroking my hair as if I were still a newborn. “I’m just glad I’m still producing milk. With Jack and Serena, I had to stop earlier because of their teeth. But Nathan doesn’t hurt me at all. It’s as if he’s mindful of them.”

  Jakob chuckled. “Hmm. Okay. But you should stop soon, otherwise he’ll develop a fascination for breasts.”

  “That’s an old wives’ tale,” Dianne harrumphed. “I don’t believe it. If my son wants to drink milk from me, I don’t mind at all.” Then her tone softened. “But if you can provide more nutritious meat for the children, especially Nathan, I’ll stop breastfeeding him. I just don’t want what happened to little Serena to happen again. She was so hungry when I stopped producing milk that I loathed myself for failing her.”

  Jakob’s expression grew serious. “I’ll do my best.”

  I listened quietly, though inside I was smirking. Too late, Father. I’ve been fascinated with breasts long before I became your son.

  Still, the mention of Serena going hungry saddened me. I hoped it hadn’t stunted her growth. She seemed fine now, but malnutrition in early years could have lasting effects. Then again, as long as she was well?fed during her growth years, she should be able to catch up. At least, that’s what I remembered from Earth.

  But my thoughts quickly shifted to a more pressing problem: Jakob’s sharp senses. If he had been able to detect Krizek the other night, then adventurers in town could do the same. The more I learned about this world, the more I realized how constricted I was. I’d have to put off my spellcasting experiments until I could find a safe, private place.

  As I was mulling over my plans, a loud knock rattled the door.

  “Open up! This is the magistrate!” a voice bellowed.

  Mother stiffened, her face paling. She looked at Father with dread, silently urging him to stay calm. Jakob straightened his clothes, squared his shoulders, and opened the door.

  From where Mother held me, I saw a well?dressed man standing outside, flanked by several soldiers. One of them was fully armored, his presence radiating authority.

  “Good morning, my lord,” Jakob said evenly. “What can I do for you?”

  The magistrate’s eyes swept the room before settling on Dianne. “We are here to investigate the incident concerning several men who died. According to witnesses, your wife was said to be connected to them.”

  What the hell does that even mean? Was he implying my mother was involved in their deaths? Or had relations with them? The nerve on this guy.

  Jakob’s jaw tightened. “Before you insinuate anything indecent about my wife, let me tell you she was the victim of harassment by those men yesterday. In fact, it was reported by Ms. Nina that very morning.”

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  Good on you, Father. Put this creep in his place.

  The magistrate raised a brow and turned to the armored man. “Is this true, Sir Robert?”

  “Yes, Magistrate Jonas,” the knight replied. “It was reported by Ms. Nina yesterday. I took the report myself.”

  Jonas sniffed. “This only shows that your wife is a suspect in the murders of all four men, all of whom were employed by the baron’s son.”

  “Hang on there,” Jakob snapped. “My wife couldn’t possibly have killed those men. One of them was killed in the afternoon while my wife was at the tavern, working as a cook.”

  “Can you prove this?” Jonas asked.

  “Of course. Madam Nina and her staff can attest to it.”

  “That is correct, Magistrate,” Sir Robert confirmed. “I investigated it myself. Ms. Nina and her staff confirmed Dianne’s whereabouts. She was with them the entire afternoon.”

  Jonas scowled. “What about the other three men?”

  “Where were they killed?” Jakob asked.

  “In the baron’s estate,” Jonas replied.

  “And what time?”

  “After sunset.”

  Jakob smirked. “My wife was already home by then. Several of our neighbors can attest to that. Ask Grandma Nia, she and Dianne always travel home together with others from town. Besides, the baron’s estate is twenty miles away. No one can travel that fast. Unless you’re suggesting my wife is a high?level mage.”

  At that, Sir Robert and several soldiers burst into laughter.

  “Quiet!” Jonas barked, his face red. He turned on Sir Robert. “Why didn’t you inform me of this?”

  “Because you didn’t ask,” Robert said coolly. “You didn’t even tell us where we were going. That’s your fault, not mine.”

  “Careful, Robert. I am the magistrate here, appointed by the baron himself,” Jonas growled.

  “And you be careful, Magistrate,” Robert shot back, his voice like steel. “I am a knight and captain of the guard. Call me Robert again, and I’ll remove your head where you stand. I will not tolerate your disrespect even from the baron’s relative. And you dare accuse Dianne, a woman of good standing, of indecency with those scum, without a shred of proof?”

  Jonas visibly trembled. “I meant no disrespect to you, Sir Robert.”

  “And to Dianne,” Robert pressed.

  “Yes… also to Dianne,” Jonas stammered. “Right, let’s return to town and continue our investigation there.” He turned sharply and marched away, his soldiers following, most of them laughing behind his back.

  Robert shook his head, then turned to my parents. “I apologize for that, Jakob, Dianne. It seems the baron’s greatness doesn’t extend to his relatives.”

  “Thank you for defending us, Sir Robert,” Jakob said sincerely. “How can we ever repay you?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Robert chuckled. “I know you people. If I hadn’t spoken up, I’d never hear the end of it from Nina. Speaking of which, I was planning to deal with Bret and his men’s harassment of the women in town, but someone beat me to it.”

  “Then why didn’t you act sooner?” Jakob asked.

  “I needed proof,” Robert explained. “Nina’s report gave me that. By the time I was ready to arrest Bret, we found him dead...head blown off. I’m sorry your wife had to endure harassment from scum like him, but they were protected by an even bigger scum: the baron’s son. That’s why I needed an official complaint. To be honest, I was glad Nina reported the incident with your wife, Jakob. The other women were too afraid of the baron’s son to speak up.”

  Jakob bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Sir Robert. I should have asked your reasons before judging your delay.”

  “Think nothing of it,” Robert said. Then his tone grew grave. “But I must warn you...get your family out of this territory. The baron is old. When he dies, his son will inherit his title and lands. And then… who knows what he’ll do to the people here.”

  “Is it truly that bad?” Jakob asked.

  Robert’s eyes hardened. “That man is nothing but lust. He’s been eyeing every woman in this territory. The only reason he hasn’t acted is because he fears his father...and me. But when, not if, the old baron dies, no one will be able to stop him. Not even I.”

  Jakob’s face darkened. “Thank you for your warning, Sir Robert.”

  Robert laughed, breaking the tension. “Think nothing of it. And Dianne...send my regards to Nina.” He winked.

  “Of course, Sir Robert,” Dianne replied with a polite smile.

  I nearly choked on my own spit. Well, well. Now I know who Nina’s having an affair with. I chuckled inwardly.

  The situation Sir Robert described continued to gnaw at me. His warning painted a grim future: once the old baron passes away, his son’s inheritance would mean ruin for the women of this barony. Lust and cruelty would rule unchecked, and no one would be able to stop him. The thought unsettled me deeply. I was only a child in body, yet I carried the mind of a man who had seen too much to ignore such danger. What should I do? Hide and survive quietly, or prepare myself to stand against the storm that was surely coming?