Chapter 1014: Learn to Stay Clean

Theodore haphazardly washed Nicholas in the bathroom.

"Eyes, eyes!" Nicholas cried. "Water's getting in!"

Theodore, momentarily speechless, grabbed a towel and roughly wiped Nicholas's face, leaving it red.

"What else is bothering you?" Theodore asked.

"I'll wash myself," Nicholas replied. He added, with a touch of sadness, "There's still foam in my hair."

Theodore frowned. "With just a few strands? Lower your head, I'll rinse it."

"Don't splash it in my eyes," Nicholas requested.

"Nonsense, hurry up," Theodore said impatiently.

Nicholas bowed his head in resignation as Theodore haphazardly sprayed his hair, splashing water into his eyes and ears.

"Stop, stop..." Nicholas shouted.

Theodore only turned off the water after thoroughly cleaning Nicholas's hair, then roughly washed his face.

"My ears are full of water," Nicholas said pitifully.

Theodore swiftly lifted him, startling Nicholas. He hugged him horizontally, draining the water from one ear, then roughly flipped him to do the other.

Terrified, Nicholas remained silent, fearing his father's anger.

"Done?" Theodore set him down.

Nicholas nodded.

"Clean your body," Theodore said.

Nicholas squeezed the soap slowly. Theodore, impatient, squeezed a large amount of shower gel and crouched to wash him.

"Gently, gently..." Nicholas whimpered.

"Man up! Stop acting like a girl," Theodore snapped.

Nicholas remained silent as Theodore scrubbed him, causing him to cry out in pain. He struggled to escape, shouting, "I'm not showering anymore!"

Theodore grabbed him again. "Nicholas, if you don't listen, I'll beat you!" he threatened. Nicholas knew his father wasn't bluffing.

"Wash yourself," Theodore said impatiently.

Nicholas eagerly complied; his father always hurt him during bath time.

Theodore watched Nicholas scrub himself, then washed himself, muttering about Little Bunny's insistence on helping with their son's bath. Under the shower, he noticed Nicholas staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" Theodore frowned.

"How did you get so big?" Nicholas asked, looking at himself in disbelief.

Theodore smirked. "Jealous?"

"Nope," Nicholas shook his head firmly. "It's too ugly."

Theodore exploded. His pride was wounded. Nicholas, terrified, said nothing.

"When you grow up, if you look like me, consider yourself lucky," Theodore said sternly.

"I want to look like myself," Nicholas stubbornly replied.

"If you look like this, only your mother won't complain," Theodore retorted.

Nicholas hesitated to respond.

"But don't worry, kid. You're my son," Theodore reassured him, patting his arm. "Hurry up, I'm starving."

"Okay," Nicholas replied, continuing to wash.

They emerged in fresh clothes, to find Laird and Little Bunny waiting. Little Bunny frowned. "Why didn't you blow-dry his hair?"

"No bother," Theodore said.

Little Bunny took Nicholas's hand, leading him away. Theodore felt his anger rise, sensed by Laird.

"Shut up!" Laird commanded, silencing Theodore. He was, in this household, the least favored.

Little Bunny gently blow-dried Nicholas's hair, a stark contrast to Theodore's roughness.

"Mom, don't let Dad bathe me again," Nicholas complained.

"What happened?" she asked.

Nicholas described the ordeal, revealing a red mark on his arm. Little Bunny felt sorry for him, realizing Theodore's lack of paternal skills.

"Okay, Mom won't let Dad help next time," she said.

"And..." Nicholas continued, "Dad has something really weird down there."

Little Bunny was surprised. Nicholas pointed to himself and described his father's anatomy. Little Bunny's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Mama, Dad said I have to grow up like him for girls to like me. Is that true?" Nicholas asked innocently.

Little Bunny explained bodily changes in children.

"So I'll become like Dad?" Nicholas sounded unhappy.

"Nicholas," Little Bunny said gently, "the important thing isn't how you look, but staying clean."