Before he could think anything further, Ruslan reflexively stretched out his arms and pulled Sarka’s body tightly into his embrace.
Sarka’s hand, which had been sliding forward as if collapsing, barely managed to grab onto Ruslan’s arm and held on with strength. It seemed he hadn’t completely lost consciousness.
“Huk, huk……”
Sarka’s hand gripping Ruslan’s arm trembled. It seemed dizziness and headache were rushing over him.
Ruslan put all his strength into his legs to support the weight of Sarka collapsed onto his body, and tightly embraced Sarka’s upper body with both arms, holding on.
Sarka’s body, which had been sliding down as if all strength had left it, barely stopped as it leaned against Ruslan’s shoulder, almost clinging to it.
With his legs losing strength, Sarka desperately clung to Ruslan’s shoulders and back to avoid collapsing. As Sarka’s fingers dug into Ruslan’s skin almost clawing at it, sharp pain was felt.
……Was he going to lose consciousness like this?
Ruslan’s heart pounded anxiously. He wanted to remove the blindfold and check Sarka’s condition, but Sarka was wobbling unsteadily while putting his weight anxiously on Ruslan. If he let go of the arms supporting Sarka’s upper body now, he would plummet straight down.
Ruslan swallowed and tightly embraced Sarka’s body with both arms, and just as Sarka had been doing until now, he began shifting his body’s center of gravity to stably support Sarka’s wobbling body.
Fortunately, while Ruslan’s body had been moved by Sarka’s dominance until now, he had become accustomed to Sarka’s weight and physique, so before long, Ruslan was able to completely support Sarka’s body so it wouldn’t sway.
Sarka still seemed to be caught in dizziness and appeared to have no strength to notice Ruslan’s movements.
Sarka clung desperately to Ruslan’s body, like reflexively grabbing onto an object in front of him in darkness. It seemed his vision had gone dark from suddenly standing up after sitting for a long time.
Ruslan could feel Sarka’s body, curled up in his embrace while gasping for breath, trembling finely in pain. Sarka regulated his suppressed breathing and remained completely curled up and rigid for quite a while.
“Huk……”
Finally exhaling a deep breath, Sarka fumbled and grabbed onto Ruslan’s arm.
Ruslan still couldn’t release the arms embracing Sarka’s upper body and carefully listened to Sarka’s breathing.
Letting out a strange groan, Sarka wobbled and stepped on the floor. Having barely found his center, Sarka placed his hand on Ruslan’s shoulder, lowered his head, and regulated his breathing.
Sarka, who had been trying to adjust his posture while groping Ruslan’s body, suddenly paused.
Only then did he seem to realize that Ruslan’s body was completely released from dominance.
“……”
Sarka’s body froze for a moment, then hesitantly infused faint dominance.
Ruslan let out a sigh of relief as the ticklish sensation returned to his arms.
When that breath brushed against Sarka’s ear, almost embracing him, Ruslan could feel Sarka faintly flinch. Ruslan shut his mouth tightly.
Slowly, commands began to settle into Ruslan’s arms that had been embracing Sarka’s back.
When Ruslan’s arms tried to pull away from Sarka’s body, he reflexively held on with strength, worried Sarka would collapse like this.
Feeling that sign, Sarka paused, then changed his footing slightly. As the center of gravity changed, Sarka took a slightly more stable posture, resting against Ruslan’s shoulder.
Only then did Ruslan slowly release the strength in his arms.
Sarka removed Ruslan’s arms from his body where resistance had disappeared, then slowly wrapped them around his own waist. Ruslan, now in a posture supporting Sarka again, relaxed his body in relief.
Ruslan listened carefully, observing Sarka’s breathing. It was still somewhat irregular, but fortunately it wasn’t at the gasping level like before.
Sarka again slowly moved Ruslan’s body and began leaving the bathroom.
However, Ruslan realized Sarka’s dizziness hadn’t completely disappeared. Sarka’s footing swayed more than before, and occasionally weight shifted onto Ruslan’s body as if strength was draining.
Ruslan unconsciously tensed his body, worried Sarka would lose consciousness again and slip and fall.
As Ruslan’s resistance revived, Sarka’s dominance wavered and blurred hesitantly.
Sarka’s dominance flowed over Ruslan’s muscles several times as if hesitating, but when the tense Ruslan didn’t release his strength, it began to hesitantly withdraw.
Ruslan felt that Sarka wasn’t trying to dominate Ruslan’s body as densely as before, and it changed to a feeling of only indicating faint direction, like when he had been drowsy.
Ruslan obeyed that direction and walked carefully.
Before he knew it, the support wasn’t just the two bodies moving by Sarka’s will alone as before, but Ruslan and Sarka’s wills were mixing together.
When the door opened, escaping from the hot air gave a slightly cool feeling.
“Are you done?”
Baigarten’s voice was heard. Sarka looked around briefly, then silently began walking, moving Ruslan’s body. Soft carpet touched his feet. It seemed they were moving toward the sofa area in the living room.
Perhaps because he was conscious of Baigarten, no sound came from Sarka’s throat anymore, but Ruslan sensitively noticed that the more they walked, the worse Sarka’s dizziness was getting.
The dominance dwelling in his body was connected to the dizzy mind and was swaying more and more anxiously.
Ruslan noticed the moments when Sarka’s vision seemed to spin, trying to move Ruslan’s legs in the wrong direction.
Sarka too, perhaps aware of his own condition, made Ruslan’s movements slower and slid them carefully.
However, Sarka’s footing often lost strength and wobbled, and Ruslan’s movements supporting it were half a beat slow.
Having sweated and moved his body excessively while bathing, Sarka was in a state of considerably depleted stamina.
Ruslan thought it would be better if he just removed the blindfold and supported him, but Sarka stubbornly kept moving Ruslan’s body.
Perhaps because he had been stubborn about bathing, he didn’t want to show a weakened appearance until the end. Having pushed ahead despite warnings that it could be dangerous due to low stamina, he wouldn’t want to show himself being helplessly supported by someone else’s will. Only by showing himself dominating and controlling Ruslan’s body until the end could he maintain his pride.
Ruslan carefully observed Sarka’s dominance, and when it occasionally became blurry and the direction scattered, he held still without moving. Sometimes, as if indicating a more stable posture, Ruslan put strength in first.
Before they knew it, the relationship between the two was gradually reversing, becoming similar to Sarka following what Ruslan suggested.
Sarka paused here and there and hesitated slightly, but soon began to clumsily accept that relationship.
With Sarka indicating direction to Ruslan whose eyes couldn’t see, and leaving the action of walking to Ruslan’s will, Sarka concentrated on ensuring his body didn’t slide down but remained fixed to Ruslan’s body.
It was quite complex cooperation, but Sarka finally reached his target point.
Ruslan felt his upper body slowly bending and seating Sarka in a soft place.
Sarka, seated on the sofa, let out a long breath. That tired sigh contained a slight sense of relief and settled drowsily.
Sarka’s arms that had been wrapped around his neck slowly loosened, and Ruslan’s hands that had been wrapped around Sarka’s waist also slid smoothly. Ruslan straightened his upper body again and stood upright in his place.
“……”
It seemed Baigarten was doing something at the stove, as sounds of fire and something being stirred were heard. From the clattering sounds and the smell reaching his nose, it seemed he was reheating cold soup.
Other than that, no sound was made. Ruslan hesitated and listened carefully, but Sarka was quiet.
Ruslan, realizing that the dominance that had remained faintly in his body was no longer felt, hesitated slightly.
……Don’t tell me he fell asleep the moment he sat down?
He wouldn’t have fallen asleep like that in front of Baigarten.
Ruslan tried listening carefully, but as other noises began to mix in, he could no longer distinguish Sarka’s shallow breathing. He had absolutely no guess what he was doing.
……Did he forget about me?
With seating Sarka here, Ruslan’s duty was as good as finished. Sarka, whose mind was focused on having to meet his father, seemed to have lost interest in Ruslan now. Perhaps he was watching what Baigarten was doing.
Having carefully curled his fingertips, Ruslan confirmed that no dominance remained and cautiously raised his arm to grab the blindfold.
Ruslan, who had lifted and removed the blindfold, unconsciously looked down and then froze right there.
Sarka was looking straight up at Ruslan’s face.
The moment their eyes met with Sarka seated on the sofa, Ruslan unconsciously stopped breathing.
The face of the boy who had just finished bathing had regained color, his pale cheeks flushed reddish.
His skin, from which sweat and bloodstains had been wiped away, was pale white and shone with a texture as soft as freshly grown flesh.
Wet strands of hair stuck to and flowed down over his moist skin, and his slightly tired gaze stopped quietly while looking at Ruslan’s face.
Looking down at that face, Ruslan once again realized that Sarka was an absurdly beautiful boy.
Despite being covered in colorful bruises and wounds, a strange sensuality lingered in his sharp features.
The thin neckline and jawline sharpened from weight loss rather seemed to clearly reveal the boy’s skeletal structure, as if confirming that delicate form.
His lips, which had been dry and cracked, now moistly held moisture. The sharply protruding center part of his slightly closed upper lip lightly pressed against his lower lip, as if tightly clenched.
Ruslan unconsciously held his breath at the sight of Sarka’s lower lip tinged more reddish than usual, holding warmth, then hurriedly withdrew his gaze lingering there.
The gaze that moved hastily met again.
Sarka’s gaze moved minutely together as if observing such Ruslan’s gaze, then when Ruslan stopped, it stopped together as if holding breath.
“……”
A very brief and minute silence flowed between the two.
Sarka’s gaze was strange. It was like observing something very unfamiliar, like looking at a questionable object whose insides were completely unknowable, and like seeing a creature that strangely touched his nerves.
It seemed he wasn’t wary at all, and yet it seemed he was wary enough to concentrate all his attention.
His slightly furrowed eyes hazily scanned inside Ruslan’s eyes as if unable to reach a conclusion. As if wanting to thoroughly grope and touch everything beyond them.
“Much better.”
At the deep voice that suddenly fell, the gaze that had been stretched tautly like a thin thread between the two broke.
Sarka slowly turned his head and looked up at Baigarten.
Ruslan also barely exhaled and awkwardly turned his gaze.
Baigarten was looking down at Sarka’s face, holding a water cup in one hand and a bowl of thinly boiled soup in the other.
Sarka, as if only now remembering his father, suddenly frowned and raised his hand to grope around his forehead area.
As Baigarten sat down beside Sarka, who was making a slightly hesitant expression while touching torn wounds and bruises, he indifferently stopped him.
“If you use healing power that’s not even your lineage with your current stamina, you might be dozing off by the time the Count arrives. Just endure a little and eat more instead. Let’s pull your hair down over your forehead.”
Baigarten, who had pushed the cup and bowl toward Sarka, began pulling down Sarka’s bangs to cover the bruises on his forehead.
Sarka looked dissatisfied, but didn’t stop Baigarten.
Lowering his gaze, Sarka examined his burned right hand and the wounds remaining on his wrist with furrowed eyes. Seeing that sign, Baigarten gestured toward the bowl and recommended.
“I’ll get you gloves. Keep eating.”
When Baigarten stood up, Sarka pulled his shirt sleeve to slightly cover his wrist, then picked up the glass and drank some water.
Ruslan blankly watched the scene of Sarka’s Adam’s apple moving and his lips touching the water getting wet, then realizing himself, hurriedly averted his gaze.
After washing, Sarka had definitely loosened up a bit. His slowly blinking eyes were slightly relaxed, and fatigue showed on his face.
Sarka looked up at the table clock above the fireplace and brought a weak tension to his face as if trying to pull himself together.
Baigarten, who had returned from Sarka’s room, held out gloves and a jacket. Though it would be good to wear gloves to cover the wounds on his hands, since wearing only gloves with a shirt indoors would look quite awkward, he seemed to have brought the jacket along.
After putting on the jacket and awkwardly moving his still barely movable fingers to put on the gloves, Sarka now succeeded in regaining the appearance of a fairly stern and neat noble boy.
Though the hair disheveled over his forehead was slightly awkward unlike usual, the clean and cleansed body was imbued with his usual arrogant dignity well enough.
Sarka consciously straightened his back to sit upright and pulled in his chin. Ruslan could read the sign of Sarka’s cheeks hardening and tensing again. He seemed to be steeling his mind in preparation for meeting his father.
Baigarten checked his pocket watch and inspected Sarka’s appearance once more. Thinking this would do, he exhaled and nodded.
“He’ll arrive soon. It would be good for Ruslan to return to the dormitory now.”
Ruslan, who hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Sarka’s tense profile, only hurriedly raised his gaze after his name was mentioned.
When Ruslan, whose eyes met with Baigarten’s, still couldn’t collect himself and stammered, Baigarten, thinking something of it, kindly added.
“Or you can stay in the old book storage room. I’ll come find you later. You worked hard today, Ruslan.”
“Ah……no. I……um……yes. Then……I’ll see you later……”
Ruslan, who had mumbled like an idiot, glanced back at Sarka.
Sarka, who had been looking down at the soup bowl, paused briefly but didn’t look back at Ruslan.
Confirming that Sarka was picking up his spoon, Ruslan awkwardly turned his body and began walking hesitantly toward the entrance.
From behind him came the sound of Sarka slowly stirring the spoon to scoop up soup.
Ruslan, suddenly wanting to confirm the sight of Sarka swallowing it, slyly turned his head and ended up making direct eye contact with Sarka.
As soon as their gazes met, Sarka hurriedly turned his head. His gaze descending toward the spoon suddenly wavered. It was a movement as if not wanting to be caught looking at Ruslan.
Ruslan, frozen by that reaction, unconsciously opened his mouth, then likewise hurriedly turned his head and looked away from Sarka.
Strangely, the back of his neck burned hot. He didn’t know why such strange awkwardness arose.
Baigarten had his back turned to both of them, tidying up around the stove. Ruslan, who had been hesitating, grabbed the doorknob and finally turned his head to glance behind him one last time, but Sarka just swallowed his soup and didn’t look back at Ruslan. The back of his neck was rigidly stiff.
As if fleeing from that strange tension, Ruslan opened the door and quickly left the room.
Rubbing his ear for no reason, Ruslan thought he didn’t know why he felt so embarrassed.
Having cleared his throat once as if organizing his mind, Ruslan headed toward the old book storage room.
Thinking of Sarka meeting his father made his heart darken.
Please, don’t let things get twisted again here, they need to work out well.
