A certain voice kept tickling Michele’s ears.
Brother?
Michele mumbled his brother’s name in his sleep. The low voice, characteristic of an adult male, was enough to evoke memories of the brothers he had left behind in the South.
“…Sir Anatold?”
…But there was no way they would address their youngest with such a formal title.
“Mm…”
Michele opened his eyes. The room was bathed in the hues of the sunset. It was already that time.
“Sir Anatold.”
The red light obscured his vision, making it challenging to see clearly. But, even if the sunset was able to obscure the other person’s face, it couldn’t mask their voice.
“…Ain? Ain, is that you?”
Michele gazed at him with a blank expression, having just woken up.
“Yes, Sir Anatold. I have returned.”
“I see… Well done.” Michele nodded slowly. A cold aura could be felt emanating from the man kneeling before the bed. It was only after arriving in this frigid land that Michele came to realise that even the snow and wind had their own scents.
“Have you been sleeping this entire time?”
“Yeah. It’s weird… I feel so drowsy all the time.”
Michele placed a hand on his forehead. Although he would occasionally indulge in a nap or two in the South, the amount of sleep he was getting had noticeably increased since arriving in the North.
“It is said that, for those unaccustomed to the cold, their bodies might require more sleep to conserve energy, akin to how snakes or bears hibernate in the winter.”
“Really?”
Well, his words did make sense. If that were truly the case, Michele could only hope to overcome this transitional period as quickly as possible.
“…That aside, you returned earlier than I expected? I thought you’d be back after sunset.”
“Yes, thanks to the fact that the snow had completely stopped in the morning, the journey was relatively easy. As such, I was able to procure some food and clothes for Sir Anatold without having to leave anything behind.”
So I can finally move properly now! The news of his fitted clothes excited Michele more than the food that Ain had brought.
“—And the item you personally requested the other day…”
“Item? Oh, you mean the chocolate?”
Michele remembered asking Ain to get him some rum chocolate in his sleep.
“…Yes, that is correct. It’s a high-quality item that’s difficult to find in a small village, so all I was able to do was place an order before returning. I apologise.”
“No, it’s okay! I just need to have it ready before I meet Lord Sheleg.”
“Thank you for your generosity, Sir Anatold.”
“Well, this is nothing much… You were out in the cold all day.”
Upon hearing the report, Michele gently rose from the bed. Ain had returned safely, bringing back both provisions and clothing. Everything was going smoothly. Plus, after a good night’s sleep, he felt quite refreshed.
As Michele continued to keep a bright smile on his face, Ain’s icy hand reached for his flattened hair and touched it.
“…Fortunately, you don’t seem to have a fever,” Ain belatedly added, but only after he had already laid a hand on Michele’s hair. However, his touch appeared to carry more than just the intention of checking for a fever… Would Michele seem overly delusional if he were to think that way?
However, Michele refrained from reprimanding the servant for his rude gesture, as the cool touch of Ain’s hand on his cheek felt rather pleasant.
“It seems you’ve finished your entire meal,” Ain said as he looked at the table.
“Oh, yeah. I got hungry while I was sleeping…”
“Feeling hungry means you’re adapting. I was worried since you weren’t eating well and even skipping meals after coming to the North, so I’m grateful for that.”
“…Really?”
Upon hearing Ain’s concern, Michele secretly felt a sense of pride, as if the mere act of finishing his bowl was a noteworthy accomplishment.
“Oh, my clothes are still on Sir Anatold’s bed…”
At that moment, Ain’s gaze shifted to the bed, and he seemed to have noticed something.
“W-wait!” Michele yelled. Come to think of it, Ain’s shirt was still on the bed! Drunk on sleep, Michele hadn’t thought of cleaning it up before Ain’s return.
“I was in a bit of a bind since I couldn’t find my shirt while cleaning the room, but it turns out it was here all along. I’ll be taking it away now.”
“……! N-no!”
Scared that he might take it, Michele hurriedly ran over. Then, he clutched Ain’s shirt in his arms, as if it were a precious jewel.
“Sir Anatold?”
“J-just go back for now! Step back!”
“…But that shirt is what I wear while working. It’s too dirty for Sir Anatold to touch. Please give it back so that I can take it away.”
“No means no!”
Michele remained firm, even after hearing Ain’s polite request. Michele knew that he was acting stubborn again. However, he had his own dignity as a noble. Ain was a man, just like himself. So, the moment he handed over his shirt, Ain would undoubtedly realise what he had done.
“I’ll take care of this myself, so don’t worry about it!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“A noble shouldn’t be doing any sort of physical labour.”
“P-la’r jc bgvfg!”
Pc atf fcv, Zlmtfif mbcalcefv ab gfwjlc raeyybgc. Clc rlutfv. “P ecvfgrajcv. Jjc P ja ifjra tfjg atf gfjrbc kts?”
Snfc lo la rbecvfv cbcrfcrlmji, jr ibcu jr j cbyif rjlv rb, atfc atja kjr atf gfjilas bo atlcur. Clc kjr ecjyif ab vb j atlcu jybea la.
“…That’s…”
“I am currently serving Lord Anatold under my master’s command. For Sir Anatold to personally take care of my clothes would be deemed unforgivable, even in the event of an unfortunate accident resulting in the breaking of both my arms and legs.”
“……”
“…As expected, there was no way you would be inclined to give an answer to a lowly servant such as myself.”
For some reason, Michele felt a pang of pain in his chest as the strength drained from Ain’s voice.
“I-it’s not that…!”
“It’s alright. If that’s what Sir Anatold wishes for. It might not be so bad to receive punishment while being in the dark about everything…”
Ain’s blue eyes were flooded with worry.
“I said that wasn’t it—Ain!”
Michele stood in front of him, unsure of what to do. Strangely enough, seeing Ain lower his head made him feel as though his heart were about to be torn apart. Like a young man fumbling in front of his sad lover, unaware of the reason why, everything felt like it was his fault.
He shouldn’t have slept after all. He shouldn’t have slept…!
“…Here.”
Helpless, Michele handed Ain the evidence of his self-pleasuring.
“……”
The shirt Michele had handed over was crumpled and bundled up. Ain, who had been silently gazing down at it, began to unfold the shirt as if he had just realised something.
“—! W-what are you doing?!”
Michele couldn’t help but yell. Not only did Ain unfold the shirt, but he also buried his face in it, taking in the scent!
“Stop that!”
Upon witnessing that, there was simply no way Michele could just sit still.
“Ain! Stop!”
Michele tugged on Ain’s arm as hard as he possibly could.
“Can’t you hear me? I said stop that! That’s… that’s dirty!”
When the other party refused to even budge, Michele ended up hitting him with his fists out of pure desperation. Of course, he didn’t put much force into it, but even so, Ain just stood there without even moving an inch.
“Sir Anatold… Did you, by any chance, pleasure yourself while I was gone?”
It was only after a bit of time had passed that Ain raised his head again. Though it was nothing more than a simple question from a servant, Michele unknowingly took a step back from him.
“Huh…?”
“I asked if you pleasured yourself.”
The current Ain was quite different from the Ain that Michele had known until now. Despite his cold appearance and silent demeanour, he seemed to be a loyal servant to Michele, at least. However, his voice now sounded so icy that it was enough to make one wonder where that previous appearance of his had gone.
“Y-yeah…”
Michele nodded in the confusion of the moment. He hadn’t intended on lying in the first place. However, he also hadn’t expected to be questioned this severely.
“But… is that so wrong?” Michele asked, scared within but making an effort to seem nonchalant on the outside. Was there a custom in the North where premarital relationships were allowed but pleasuring oneself was not?
“Sir Anatold.”
Ain let out another deep sigh. Michele shrank back a little. To think that he was feeling daunted by a mere servant, it was something that would’ve never happened in the South.
“…You must never do this again. Even if my words may sound disappointing to you, please do remember that the advice I am sharing is solely for Sir Anatold’s sake.” Ain lowered his voice to a whisper, even though there were only the two of them present, as if Michele had committed a great wrongdoing that one must never commit.
“H-how come?” Michele, influenced by him once more, leaned towards him.
“For Sir Anatold, the person who is to become my master’s husband and not anyone else, to resolve his desires alone. Are you aware of the significance that holds in the North?”
“…What significance does it hold?”
“Marriage is a ceremony of union where two entirely different individuals become a couple and spend the rest of their lives together.”
“Yeah, even I know that.”
“Through marriage, two families combine to form a joint administration, and two nobles unite to bring prosperity to their families.”
“…And?”
Michele crossed his arms. Everything that Ain had said was extremely obvious. He couldn’t possibly fathom why Ain was discussing such matters in the present situation or how it resulted in him being in the wrong.
“—Allow me to reiterate. It means that those who become a couple must solve their desires through physical union… That goes for self-pleasure as well.”
“What?!”
“To solve one’s desire on their own is to neglect their partner. It’s something that should never happen.”
“I-I haven’t even met Lord Sheleg yet, and… I haven’t had my first night… We haven’t even exchanged rings yet!”
“But I’ve heard that Sir Anatold has already signed the marriage vows.”
“That’s…!”
…Come to think of it!
It was then that Michele remembered the fact that he had absentmindedly signed the vows thrust upon him by his second brother before departing for the North.
Though many words had been etched onto the old-style parchment, Michele had not given it a thorough reading. This was because, despite marriage being touted as one of the most important events in one’s life, he, as the protagonist of such an event, had no decision-making authority whatsoever.
“Under normal circumstances, my master would naturally be the one to assist Sir Anatold in addressing such desires, but, as you know, various circumstances have made it so he has delegated all such responsibilities to me. Therefore, Sir Anatold must use my body to resolve your desires.”
Upon hearing those words, Michele blinked repeatedly in bewilderment. Frankly, he was uncertain whether to believe those words. However, Michele was no different from a complete outsider when it came to the North.
“I-I’m sorry… this… I didn’t realise it was considered this rude of an action,” Michele meekly admitted his mistake. However, his mind was still filled with question marks.
…It was strange. Despite sharing a border, their ways of thinking were as disparate as the earth and the sky.
“Of course, it’s difficult to believe. But it’s an undeniable fact.”
Ain seated Michele in a chair and knelt beside him, placing a hand on his knee as if to console him. His hand was large, with thick knuckles. Michele gently placed his hand on top of Ain’s, as though he were grasping at straws.
“…You must be surprised, so allow me to share an old story to teach you more about the North.”
Michele nodded. He was drawn to the fact that it wasn’t boring information but rather a “story.”
“This is the tale of Lord Nikolai Raevkin, who was once head of the Raevkin family in the North. Before his marriage, he fell in love with another lady. He not only shared his heart but also his body with her. In the end, however, he complied with the wishes of the previous Lord Raevkin and wed Lady Edenhilde of the Hastelter family instead of that nameless woman.”
Meeting another woman before marriage! It was an unbelievable deed, but since it was a northern tale, Michele didn’t argue.
“As you may be aware, in the North, it isn’t considered a huge problem if one were to develop feelings for or sleep with another woman before marriage… Yes, that is why I have the honour of aiding Sir Anatold.” Ain then added, as if he were aware of the discontent Michele was holding in, “…To continue the story, it seemed that, in the end, Lord Raevkin was unable to sort out his feelings. As a result, the relationship between him and his wife deteriorated day by day, and eventually, they reached a point where they didn’t even sleep together.”
“So, did Lord Raevkin neglect his wife and sleep with the woman he initially loved?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve heard that, in the South, people are allowed to keep lovers, even after marriage,” Ain responded in a somewhat frosty tone.
“Yeah…” Without realising, Michele answered evasively, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“But in the North, marriage is a sacred promise, so for him to sleep with another woman is something that should never happen. Even if he was in love with someone else, this is the one rule that not even the Emperor can disregard.”
“Then… What happened? Did the two stay like that forever? Couldn’t they just talk it out?”
“I don’t know. While I’m offering Sir Anatold a simplified rendition of the story, the circumstances between couples are likely far more intricate than the stories I know of. Such scandals are usually stripped of extraneous details, leaving only the most provocative parts to circulate among high society like ghosts.”
“……”
“Regrettably, the Southern method of resolution mentioned by Sir Anatold hadn’t been used in this tale. Lord Raevkin resolved his desires on his own.”
“……!”
Michele’s hand tensed upon hearing those words. Given that Michele’s hand was resting on the back of Ain’s, he likely felt the tension as well.
“To resolve one’s desires alone after marriage, even with the presence of a spouse, is deemed a tremendous insult in the North. …The proud Madam Raevkin was overcome with shame and hatred, and eventually…”
“…Eventually?”
Michele, who had been silently listening, couldn’t bear to wait any longer and urged Ain to continue. Ain seemed to be deliberately taking his time.
“She killed Lord Raevkin with her very own hands.”
A chill ran down Michele’s spine upon hearing those words.
“It was said to have happened late at night. On that particular day, Lord Raevkin had once again resolved his desires alone, so he was peacefully asleep, unaware of the fact that the Madam had climbed onto the bed with a dagger in hand. Sir Anatold has probably learned this by now, but after release, one may feel more or less… lethargic, am I correct?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“While Lord Raevkin was asleep, the Madam… Just like this—”
Ain’s hand suddenly grabbed Michele’s wrist.
“Agh!” Michele screamed. For a moment, he thought his throat was about to be slit. He was so startled that he almost started hiccuping.
“—Whether she slit his throat, pierced his heart, or even poisoned him… I do not know. After all, I am but a humble servant.”
“A-Ain!”
“Were you surprised?”
“Of course!”
Ain gently smiled. “The story ends here.”
Ain had finished telling his story. Michele rubbed the wrist that Ain had grabbed. He wanted to laugh and call it a ridiculous story. However, Michele couldn’t bring himself to laugh at all.
Premarital chastity was valued in the South, but after a couple had produced a healthy and sufficient number of heirs, it was common for each to seek the person they desired and take them as their lover. Morally, it was wrong, but…
“To resort to murder just because he did it alone…!”
And to compare that to the South! It wasn’t as though Lord Raevkin had a lover on the side or anything of the sort. The word “barbaric” rose to the tip of Michele’s throat.
“But Sir Anatold, for a married individual to indulge in self-pleasure is circumstantial evidence that they can satisfy their desires on their own, even without their partner. If such behaviour were to persist, they may even start setting their sights on others. It’s possible for one to imagine someone other than their wife when touching themselves, is it not? Perhaps that was the case for Lord Raevkin.”
“…That’s…”
“I don’t know how things are in the South, but in the North, it’s unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable.”
“I-I…! That’s not what happened, I never thought of anyone else…”
Michele gulped. His hand was visibly trembling.
“If you think about it, Ain, it’s all your fault! You were gone all day. If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have…!”
Michele released his anger. It was unfair. He had never intended to sleep with anyone other than Lord Sheleg to begin with. Yet, he was arbitrarily assigned a servant for the sake of experience, and now he was being treated like a bad person just because he touched himself…!
“Sir Anatold.”
This time, Ain’s large hand was placed on top of Michele’s, as if to conceal his trembling.
“I see. Given the sexual and hushed nature of the subject matter, there likely wouldn’t have been any books in the South detailing this characteristic of the North. It’s my fault for failing to inform Sir Anatold of this matter in advance.”
Ain slowly stroked the back of Michele’s hand, which was unable to conceal the injustice he was experiencing.
“I won’t tell my master about today’s incident.”
Listening to his calm voice, Michele’s sense of injustice slowly melted away. It was strange. Was it because Ain’s hand was rubbing his own? The him that had felt such anger just moments ago now seemed unimaginably small and insignificant.
“…M-me too. I was being too careless. I’ll be more careful in the future. I’ll… consult with you first before doing anything,” Michele promised.
—Let’s try to view this in a positive light. Since he was ignorant of the etiquette and customs of the North, the events of today were bound to happen sometime in the future. In that case, wasn’t it better to get caught by Ain now rather than get caught by Lord Sheleg later? Though this was nothing more than a supposition, there was a possibility of him meeting his end by Lord Sheleg’s hands, just as Lord Raevkin had met his.
Wasn’t it for the purpose of educating him about such matters that Lord Sheleg ordered a servant to stay by his side for a month? Michele suddenly thought.
“Then, would it be possible for you to tell me now?” Ain asked. He had asked that around the same time Michele was slowly beginning to sympathise with Lord Sheleg’s decision, which he had initially perceived as an affront upon arriving at the mansion.
“Tell you what?” Michele tilted his head upon hearing Ain’s question.
“Who you were thinking of when you touched yourself.”
“……!”
Michele’s mouth dropped open, his dignity as a noble completely slipping from his mind.
“W-w-w-why that?! For what reason?!”
“I am well aware that this is a rude question. However, I’ve heard that, before Sir Anatold’s marriage with my master was finalised, you were on close terms with a lady from the South… I just so happened to overhear it. I also heard that, had things gone according to plan, you were to be engaged to her once you reached adulthood…”
“H-how did you…?!”
“Were you perhaps reminiscing about your memories with her?”
What kind of nonsense was he babbling? The person he was so curious about was himself!
Unlike Michele, whose entire body was trembling from the amount of shame he felt, Ain’s voice and expression remained as calm as ever, even as he posed such a question.
“Did… Did Lord Sheleg tell you about this?” Michele asked in a shaky voice.
Lienna Asforte. The Asforte family was one they had been on good terms with since his father’s generation, and among the powers of the South, they were one that they shared a particularly close bond with. Naturally, Michele had become friends with Lienna, who was the same age as him.
…In fact, part of the reason Michele shouted stemmed from the prick of conscience caused by Ain’s words. If not for his marriage to Lord Sheleg, there would’ve been an engagement ceremony held for both Michele and Lienna once he reached adulthood. Naturally, it would’ve progressed to marriage as well.
Noble marriages often prioritised the gains of the family over personal sentiments. The most Michele had ever done was envision a future devoid of the constraints of aristocratic ideology. He had never once seen Lienna in a sexual light. No, he hadn’t even been given the time or opportunity to do so.
“Haven’t I told you? I’ve come here as a substitute for my master, and for the next month, I’m essentially no different from him…” Ain appended, unforgetting. Nevertheless, Michele had no idea that such a minor detail would be divulged to a servant.
“Still, that’s such a rude question!”
“My apologies.”
Seeing how he was apologising with that handsome face of his, the face that resembled Lord Sheleg’s, Michele couldn’t find it in him to stay angry.
“…It’s definitely not her. That’s the one thing I can swear on my late mother that it’s not,” Michele answered in a much lower tone. A hint of homesickness flickered in his green eyes.
Though it may sound unbelievable, it was only after Ain mentioned had her did Michele’s memories of Lienna finally resurface.
…It had only been a few days since he arrived here, but the girl he had known for over ten years had long faded from his memory. Internally, Michele was feeling surprised by this side of himself.
“If that’s the case, then it’s a relief. My master was secretly worried. If, by any chance, Sir Anatold already had someone he loved, and my master inadvertently put an end to that love…”
“…Really?”
“Yes. My master is much older than Sir Anatold. In contrast, Sir Anatold is still young. He said that he was worried he had made you give up on too many things too young, and that it felt like he was doing something he shouldn’t.”
“So Lord Sheleg was worried about such a thing…”
The inside of Michele’s chest pricked with guilt. When he first arrived in the North, he was feeling aggrieved, thinking he’d been slighted by Lord Sheleg.
But, as expected, Lord Sheleg was a good person. Though, he would’ve never lent that much money to the collapsing Anatold family if he weren’t a good person in the first place.
“…ou.”
“Pardon? I apologise, but I wasn’t able to hear what Sir Anatold was saying for a moment there.”
Michele, having regained his composure, coughed out, “…I said it was you.”
Michele pouted, feeling embarrassed, before turning his head away. It wasn’t until a moment had passed that Ain finally let out an exclamation, as if just realising something.
“I-it was, my first time… doing this sort of thing, and it was with you, so… Of course, you’re the only one I can think of, right? …Lord Sheleg sent you here to teach me these kinds of things, so thinking of you when I do it, it’s not that big of an offence, is it? …Right?”
Michele’s words tumbled out in a shaky voice. He spoke much quicker than usual and said many more words as well, just to try and hide his embarrassment.
“Of course.” Ain wore a gentle smile, as though he were satisfied with Michele’s answer. “So, to ensure that such an event doesn’t recur, I will make sure to never leave Sir Anatold’s side for the remainder of this month.”
It was rare to see Ain smile like that. Perhaps that was why Michele gazed at him as though he had been bewitched.
“…It’s not like I want you to stand by me all day, though? I’m not a child,” Michele needlessly grumbled, his face flushed. He didn’t want Ain to realise that his words had made him happy. Michele nibbled on his lip before suddenly burying his face in Ain’s shoulder.
orcinus comments:
when I first read this novel, I kept trying to figure out whether Ain was being serious or if he was just messing with Michele for the fun of it
Anyway, thanks for the chapter! ^^
Thanks for the chapter
Imagine being killed from ‘doing it alone’
It really is difficult to tell if he’s just messing with him. Aiy.