Chapter 4.1

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The duke left again. But this time, he said he’d be back in a few days, so maybe that’s a relief. Ivan stood gloomily by the window, watching the duke leave in his carriage. Leonard was there with him. It seemed Leonard was leaving with the duke as well.

"Why don’t they take me too?"

With both the duke and Leonard gone, who would Ivan play with? He sighed deeply and waved his hand.

The carriage was getting smaller in the distance. Even though he endured ten days with Leonard, now he had to spend time alone. For Ivan, who lived for the thrill of being teased by the duke, even a few days felt too long.

"Master……."

Ivan gazed outside for quite a while. Only when the carriage disappeared from view did he step away from the window. The duke had thoroughly indulged in Ivan the night before. Because of that, Ivan’s body was a mess, but missing the duke was a separate matter.

The future already feels bleak.

With a small sigh, Ivan returned to the duke’s room. His body was tired, so he planned to rest and recharge by sleeping. Not long after Ivan turned away from the window and disappeared, a man in a black robe was reflected in the window, entering the duke’s residence.

◆ ◆ ◆

Ivan took a nap in the duke’s room. He must have slept deeply because the early afternoon sun had turned into the evening twilight. Stretching his stiff body, Ivan left the duke’s room. He had nothing to do.

With no one to bother him, his boredom only increased. Ivan wasn’t fond of reading, and he didn’t feel like working. He just wanted to spend his time doing nothing.

Eventually, Ivan decided to take a walk. It was a chance to get some fresh air and stretch his body. He wandered onto the lawn in the garden. The sound of the wind, grass, and occasional insects reached his ears.

"Only a day has passed, and I already miss him."

Even being in a high position has its downsides. Ivan sat on the bench where he had recently been with the duke. It hadn’t been long since his chastity belt was removed, yet the duke had left again.

While he liked the duke, sometimes he felt a bit resentful when he was busy. He had been so well-trained that even a short separation made him yearn.

As Ivan absentmindedly watched the clouds pass by, he slowly closed and opened his eyes. Memories of his past with the duke and the butler filled his mind. Crawling with a collar on… thinking back, he had done a lot in this garden.

And he loved it.

A sly grin spread across Ivan’s face. His body reacted to the memories, and his face flushed as his front responded too. It was the result of thinking about his past activities with the duke. Ivan looked around. No one could come here.

The butler was too busy, and the duke and Leonard were away, so Ivan was alone in the garden. With that thought, Ivan moved his hand to grab his cock. He was planning to enjoy himself outdoors for the first time in a while.

But just then, a figure appeared in his sight, interrupting him. It was a stranger.

"Who is that?"

"……!"

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Ivan jumped up and examined the person. It was someone he had never seen before. He wasn’t a servant of the duke’s house, nor a laborer. His attire was clearly noble.

Was there a guest?

Did a guest arrive while he was asleep? Ivan quickly bowed to show his manners. Even though he was favored by the duke, Ivan was still just a servant, so he had to show appropriate courtesy. But how did a guest get here? He hadn’t heard any footsteps. And even if it was a guest, they couldn’t enter this place without the duke’s permission.

Did he see what I was doing earlier? How long has he been here?

Ivan retraced his memory to recall what he had said and done. If the stranger had seen anything unnecessary, it could be a problem. While Ivan was thinking, the man was also staring at Ivan, blinking as if seeing him for the first time.

The man didn’t react to Ivan’s greeting. He just kept looking at Ivan. Unable to bear the silent gaze, Ivan spoke first.

"Um……."

At that, the man seemed to react, widening his eyes and then smiling as he approached Ivan. Ivan flinched and stepped back, but the man ignored it and came right up to Ivan, leaning his head in.

"Are you Ivan, by any chance?"

"Yes……?"

"Are you Ivan? The duke’s servant."

"Oh, yes, that’s right."

But who are you……? Ivan couldn’t hide his confusion at the man’s sudden question. His face was close, and his height was imposing, making Ivan feel intimidated. Ivan leaned back, wary. Sensing Ivan’s discomfort, the man pulled back and smirked.

"So you’re Ivan. You’re even prettier in person."

What?

Ivan frowned slightly at the man’s words. He asked again who the man was, but the man just stared at Ivan without answering. Ivan felt uneasy under that gaze. This guy was up to something. Ivan’s instincts told him so.

"I have something to do, so I’ll be going. Please enjoy your stay. Excuse me."

Ivan bowed again and left the garden. Who is he? I didn’t hear about any guests. But he was quite handsome. Tall and well-built. His appearance was exactly Ivan’s type, leaving a strong impression. But he had to refrain from getting involved with external guests. No, he shouldn’t get involved.

Ivan had decided to only get involved with people related to the duke’s household. It seemed like the duke would only overlook his interactions with his son or the butler.

Having left the garden, Ivan headed straight into the mansion. The mansion was quiet. With the owner away, the staff had little to do and were working leisurely. As Ivan passed through them, someone grabbed his arm.

"Hey."

It was one of the staff. Ivan was startled, thinking it was the man, but relaxed when he saw who it was. The servant who grabbed Ivan hesitated before speaking.

"The butler is calling for you. Go to the study."

Thanking him, Ivan changed his course from the bedroom to the study. Why is the butler calling me? The butler rarely sought Ivan without the duke’s orders. Was something going on?

In the study, the butler was organizing documents. Ivan knocked on the open door and called out to the butler, who welcomed him warmly.

"Ivan, where have you been? You weren’t in the duke’s room."

"Oh, I just went for a walk in the garden."

The butler’s words confirmed that he had indeed been looking for Ivan. Smiling, the butler replied, "I see."

"I went to find you since it’s dinner time, but you weren’t there. I’ll bring it to the duke’s room, so please wait there."

"Yes, butler."

It wasn’t anything special. He was probably looking for Ivan because of the prepared meal. Ivan bowed and was about to leave when he remembered the man he had met earlier.

"Butler."

"Yes, Ivan."

"Did we have a guest today?"

"……A guest? Why do you ask?"

"Well…… I saw someone in the garden."

Not a guest? If the man was a guest, the butler would have reacted, but he seemed unaware. Strange, he’s not a guest? Then who is he? If he wasn’t a guest, Ivan had a duty to report an uninvited person to the butler.

"He was about this tall and looked like a noble. Not a guest?"

Ivan described the man’s appearance and features to the butler. The butler tilted his head, initially unsure, then blinked and clapped his hands as if he had realized something.

"Oh. Could it be?"

He seemed to know something. Ivan listened closely, and just as the butler was about to continue, his gaze shifted behind Ivan, and he suddenly bowed to someone.

"Welcome, young master."

Young master?

Startled by the sudden title, Ivan turned around. Leonard couldn’t have returned already. Ivan looked at the person the butler was greeting. His expression turned to surprise as the man he had seen in the garden stood leisurely behind him.

"Yes, it’s been a while, butler."

The man was smiling nonchalantly. It was the same smile Ivan had seen in the garden. Ivan’s mind went blank for a moment.

Young master? The only young master Ivan knew was Leonard. But he had heard of the second young master from the staff.

Ha. So you’re the second one.

With the duke and the eldest gone, the second son, whom Ivan had only heard of, appeared before him. What timing. It must be a gift from the heavens.

Ivan finally met the second son of the duke’s family. No wonder he felt a hint of the duke’s presence. Ivan managed his expression and looked at the second son. The man also looked down at Ivan. Ivan smiled sweetly and lowered his gaze in greeting.

"Nice to see you again."

The butler nodded as if he understood. The person Ivan had met in the garden was indeed the second son. The second son had a different vibe from Leonard, and Ivan wasn’t sure how it would affect him. With that thought, the butler stepped in to separate the second son and Ivan, changing the subject.

"Come to think of it, Ivan, this is your first time meeting him. Please greet Cardiem, the young master."

"Hello, it’s nice to meet you."

Ivan politely bowed. The butler patted his head, indicating he did well, and urged him to return to his room to prevent further conversation. Ivan didn’t hesitate. He had confirmed the man’s identity and had no intention of seducing him since he wasn’t aroused.

"Then I’ll be going now. Butler."

"Yes, have a good night, Ivan."

With that, Ivan left the study. Cardiem, the second son, watched Ivan leave with an intrigued expression.

"Butler."

"Yes, young master."

"Father picked up something interesting, didn’t he?"

Cardiem’s fingers twitched, unable to stay still. It was a sign of his heightened interest, and the butler calmly resumed organizing.

"Indeed, the duke cherishes him quite a bit."

"Yes, indeed. How intriguing."

"But please don’t play pranks. He’s truly cherished."

The butler spoke up, a word of caution for Ivan. Knowing the young master’s personality, he added that remark. Cardiem, or Cal, chuckled and turned his head to look at the butler. Meeting the butler’s eyes, he smiled slyly.

"Judging by your words, you must cherish him a lot too."

Saying that only makes it more tempting. Cardiem smirked. His expression was mischievous, but the butler, familiar with it, met his gaze calmly. The butler’s eyes were composed. Cardiem, watching the butler’s gaze, clicked his tongue and looked away, as if bored.