zChapter 56 - Interlude Ganche and the Other Side of the Crescent Moon (1/2)

On that day, as well, Ernst had only returned to their room far into the night.

Once he had finished meeting with the citizens of his fief and taking his supper, Ernst toiled through his Lordly duties.

In Meissen, which was overwhelmingly lacking in skilled personnel, the Lord was not only an administrative official but also a mediator, a doctor, and now, a teacher as well.

He listened to the requests of his citizens and he laid down his adjudications, and then he arbitrated the quarrels which would then once again crop up between the people. He complied with the mandates ordered by the kingdom and prepared the documents to respond to its inquiries.

And on top of that was the problem of finances: no one in Meissen could accomplish calculations well enough, so no matter if the expenditure of money was large or small, all of it had to be handled by the Lord.

The burden of work Ernst had to carry was far greater than anything his people could imagine.

Yet no matter how hard-pressed Ernst was by his labor, he never changed his attitude. He continued on as calmly as before.

It was this that allowed the people around him to misunderstand and think that because Ernst didn’t seem to be under pressure, he must not be doing anything important.

Ganche knew that the depth of Ernst’s heart was tremendous and held an enormous capacity within, but still, he worried that if those conversations with the citizens continued on as they did now, they would cause Ernst uncharacteristic exhaustion.

Ganche heard the patter of light footsteps in the corridor and from this, he understood that Ernst finally returned. He left their bedroom and lifted that small body into his arms.

“Welcome back.”

He spoke those words after they had returned to the room and closed the door.

The people in this estate went to sleep early. Even if the lord was up late at night, sequestered away in his office, the others always finished their work at the same time they always did and returned back to their own rooms.

From Ganche’s perspective, he couldn’t help but think it was a show of disrespect – but since Ernst himself forgave and allowed it, Ganche had no right to say anything.

It was true enough that if someone who didn’t have a good handle on letters hung around, they still wouldn’t be able to help Ernst a whit.

Rather than having to move forward by mutually consulting my thoughts with another person, it’s more efficient to work alone – Ernst whispered this into Ganche’s ear with a playful laugh.

He stayed behind to work late at night in his office, and he returned to his room while trying to walk as quietly as possible. This was yet another way he showed consideration for the people in this estate; he tried his best to not wake any of them.

This was Ganche’s first time seeing a Lord who paid so much care to his own servants.

“I’m sorry. It’s already so late.”

On top of that, he even apologized to Ganche.

“Please do not worry for me. Dunbertians are fine going ten or even twenty days without sleep, after all.”

As he spoke, he lowered Ernst in front of the fireplace.

Candles were too valuable to be used wastefully, but Ganche could go to the forest and obtain as much wood as he wanted for the fireplace. For Ganche, the only thing he was in no want of gathering was wood.

Within the dark room, the shadows cast by the flamelight of the hearth swayed.

Ernst exhaled deeply at the warm fire. That breath seemed to exude the tiredness in his body.

Yet no matter how exhausted he was, Ernst never allowed any of his citizens or servants at the estate perceive it. It was only in front of Ganche that he behaved according to his true physical condition.

The shadow of the flames flickered and wavered over Ernst’s face.

From the sunken appearance of his closed eyelids, one could understand the depth of his fatigue.

Ganche replenished the wood in the fireplace, then slipped Ernst’s shoes off his feet. He moved on to pull the upper garments from Ernst’s delicate shoulders and to strip the lower garments as well.

Ernst was like a doll, moving however Ganche wanted him to move. Once Ernst had been stripped bare, Ganche covered his small body with a cloak to keep him from growing cold.

Ganche brought over the tub resting next to the fireplace, and he mixed the water inside with some hot water from the pot above the fire. He added water carefully so as to use just the right amount of hot water.

Although Ernst actually wanted nothing more than to take a nice soak in a hot bath, he couldn’t bear to go through the trouble at this late at night. I mustn’t wake everyone in the estate by moving about and making noise, was his reasoning.

On Ganche’s end, he felt that since Ernst was the Lord, he should feel more free to do and behave as he pleased – but Ernst said that it is because he is Lord that he must be restrained.

Ganche soaked a piece of cloth in the hot water, then tightly wrung it. After checking the cloth’s temperature, he gently rubbed Ernst’s face with it. When he saw that small face slacken as if its tension had ebbed away, Ganche, too, felt a relieved smile spread over his face.

Ganche soaked the cloth in hot water once more, and he brought it to wipe against Ernst’s nape, to his chest, his back, and his arms. He lifted Ernst and swabbed at his small, round buttocks. He wiped down Ernst’s legs, and finally, he carefully scrubbed each of Ernst’s toes, one by one.

Ganche returned the fur cloak around Ernst’s tiny body and lifted Ernst onto his knee, after which he soaked a different cloth, a softer one, into the hot water. He wrung it out, then used it to gently wrap around Ernst’s small manhood.

Perhaps because of how good the sensation of the warm cloth was, Ernst leaned back on Ganche to keep himself upright. All the while, Ganche slowly and gently rubbed with the cloth as if massaging him.

Ganche went through the same process for Ernst’s small sack, whereupon slender fingers grasped Ganche’s arm.

“Ganche… behind, as well…”

Ganche licked his own finger to wet it, then slipped it into the small furl between Ernst’s buttocks.

“Ngh…”

Ernst rested his head on Ganche’s chest, swaying and trembling.

The inserted finger gently thrust in and out, occasionally curling up as if weakly grazing something. Bit by bit, the slender legs facing the fireplace gradually spread wide.

“…Ganche, I want you.”

Ernst looked up at Ganche, his blue eyes dimly shining with tears. A wave of sweet intoxication crashed over Ganche, nearly sweeping him away.

Yet Ganche anchored himself with his self-control, and managed to hold on to some restraint.

“I am afraid we musn’t. Come tomorrow, you’ll only be left in discomfort.”

When Ganche chided Ernst as such, Ernst’s slender fingers gripped Ganche’s arm so strongly that his fingers dug into him.

“I care nothing for tomorrow. They’re all so focused only on themselves that…! Why don’t any of them try to understand one another?! Just why is it that even though we’ve come all this way and are so close to making it, they can’t become kinder to other people…”

Droplets of tears rolled down Ernst’s pale cheeks.

“Why do the merchants have to ridicule the peasants? Why is it that when the women start talking with each other, the men shout at them to shut their mouths? Just who in what twisted world decided that men are supposed to be above women. …Why must they scream at each other. Why… just why can’t just talk to each other normally?”

Ganche had only been inside that room for three days. At present, he was no longer allowed to enter. For this reason, he knew nothing about what sort of conversations now took place within that room.

But even during the time Ganche had been present, the people of the fief had been quarreling and shouting insults at each other.

No matter what happened, Ernst always simply listened, calm and composed.

Even if someone wanted to hurl their displeasure at him, all Ernst did was close his eyes without defending himself or providing any response.

He always bore the same stillness as the surface of a lake as he listened to the furious bellows of his people.

That was why no one knew.

No one knew just how much Ernst was hurt. Neither did they know how lost he felt.

“Lord Ernst, it will be alright. No one is attempting to thrash the other anymore, isn’t that so? It will be alright. I’m certain that they will come to an understanding.”

In truth, all of these people who have made Ernst suffer – who are, even now, able to sleep nice and cosy in this mansion all because they don’t mind damning everyone if it means they can stay prissy and offended –

Ganche wants to batter them all beneath his fists and kill them.

If Ernst only gave the order, Ganche would immediately move into actualizing that scenario; but Ganche shook his head to chase away that thought, and he hugged Ernst.

“It will be alright.”

Yet even though Ernst’s golden-haired head was turned down, Ganche heard the quiet voice from his mouth.

“But I don’t know if it will turn out alright…”

Only in front of Ganche did Ernst speak any complaints.

Now that Ganche no longer had to stand in during the meetings with the fief’s people, Ernst finally began to share and vent with him.

“The discussion was completely meaningless. Everyone only cared about their own situation and treated it as the most important thing, meanwhile, they couldn’t care less about other people’s circumstances. The people of Meissen will never be able to come to an understanding each other. They won’t even consider coming together.”

“It’s alright. Take your time, and it will happen.”

“…I’ve already become sick of standing in front of my people. I can’t stand it – the malicious gazes, the raised voices.”

He shook his head ‘no’ like a spoiled child. When he did, the scent of unripe fruit drifted into Ganche’s nose.

“It will be alright, Lord Ernst.”

Ganche rubbed Ernst’s thin arm encouragingly, and Ernst seized his hand.

“Ganche, Ganche… have me, please. Please hold me, I’m begging you. That way, come tomorrow, when I once again must stand before my people, I’ll have a piece of your strength with me…”

If there were a man who could resist his beloved as they rode him, nude, and begged him with such earnest eyes to take them – he would be an unusual man indeed.

Ganche embraced that small body in his arms, his hands racing to explore its slender back, stomach, legs, and arms.

When they had begun their union, Ganche had thought, Only until the fire in the hearth burns out. Now, however, the flames of the fireplace had already long grown cold, and they had still not yet stopped.

In the very beginning, it had been a struggle to even connect their bodies; Ernst’s small form had gone through great pains to swallow even one of Ganche’s fingers.

From there, he had gradually loosened, progressing from being able to easily take those fingers to where he was now, able to take Ganche’s body every day. If he was taken once, gently, then Ernst would even be able to have Ganche again the next day.

That Ernst’s small body grew more and more fitting to Ganche made Ganche feel such gladness and joy.

Ever since the people of the fief had come to stay at the estate, Ganche and Ernst hadn’t intermingled. Ganche struggled to restrain himself now that they finally had their tryst after such a long time.

But Ernst didn’t hold back. He greedily sought his pleasure from Ganche.

When Ganche had released inside once, Ernst had knit his thin brows and, as if trying to make sure Ganche would never be able to slip out of him, clenched tightly.

“…gh! Lord Ernst…!”

“You’re not to take it out.”

Ernst clamped around him so tightly that Ganche felt as if his part would be eaten up and swallowed down.

“But…! Isn’t – isn’t it painful for you…? We had to loosen you for so long because it had been such a while, hadn’t we? We musn’t overdo…”

“I’m not overdoing it!”

Ernst squeezed down even tighter, making it hard for Ganche to breathe.

“Lord Ernst…! I shan’t pull out, so please, loosen your grip a bit.”

He rubbed Ernst’s slender shoulder as he begged, and Ernst complied by slightly relaxing his hold.

But the tightness remained the same. Regardless of Ernst’s will, this was the price to be paid for breaching such a small form.

Ganche put Ernst on his lap. He circled one hand around Ernst’s back and and steadied the other on the floor, and he let out a deep exhale as if he had been taken aback.

Ganche saw the back of Ernst as he was connected to Ganche. Even in this lightless room, Ganche’s eyes could see it well.

That small back of his was trembling.

“Lord Ernst.”

Ganche reached up with the hand that had been resting on Ernst’s hip, and stroked Ernst’s trembling back.

“Ganche… Ganche… I’m – scared.”

With his head bowed, Ernst spoke in the same low, quiet voice as someone whispering to a lover.

“I had believed that, no matter what happened, everything would turn out fine. I thought that I would be able to accept it, no matter what occurred or what was said to me. But I had been naive. Now, for me, I can’t do anything other than be scared. I’m scared of the eyes of my people as they insult and berate me. Their eyes as they scorn and laugh at me, those eyes are terrifying.”