“Kh——! Y — Young Master……”
“To think I’d see such a wanton whore even in my dreams. Were you that desperate for cock? In the short time Father’s been gone, were you truly that starved for it?”
“Haa——! Yes!”
Leonard shoved Ivan down as though hurling him to the floor, roaring the words as he simultaneously thrust another finger inside — four fingers now, driving hard into Ivan’s inner walls. Ivan’s head and back slammed against the floor, his face twisting in pain for just a moment — but as the wet, slick sounds began to fill the room, his expression gradually gave way to pleasure. When Leonard tightened the hand gripping Ivan’s throat, Ivan’s face flushed deeper and deeper red. Suppressed moans blended with the sounds of fingers working into him.
“Hng, ngh——! Yes! S — so good……! Ah! It’s g — good, Young Master…… hng……!”
Even being used like this, Ivan wept with pleasure. Arching his hips, his cock standing stiff and dripping pre-cum — could anything be more vulgar?
Leonard ground his teeth and pulled his fingers out in one sharp motion. It was the first time he’d ever found himself in a situation like this, and he couldn’t hold back the wave of desire crashing over him. His cock was fully hard, twitching with want. He wanted to drive into those narrow walls and bury himself deep, to sate his lust completely. And once he had, he intended to ruin them so thoroughly that those walls could never tempt him like this again.
“I should have thrown you out the moment I first laid eyes on you. If I’d known you’d corrupt this household — I would have killed you before——”
“Hh……Young Master.”
“Ha — you’re laughing?”
Leonard spat the words through clenched teeth, but Ivan was smiling. What could possibly be so delightful? Even with a hand around his throat, Ivan curved his eyes in a smile and welcomed Leonard. Ivan reached out a hand. That hand came to rest against Leonard’s cheek. Even the light, gentle stroke of it — why did it stir something in him like that? Leonard flinched slightly at the touch, then screwed his brow into a hard crease. In contrast, Ivan’s smile only deepened.
“You can’t kill me, Young Master.”
“What did you say?”
“As long as you have the same wanton desires as I do, you won’t be able to kill me.”
“Ha — where does that confidence come from?”
“You know it yourself, Young Master. That deep down, you want me. That more than anyone, you want to take me.”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Young Master. I’ll be waiting. Don’t hide the desire in your heart.”
Ivan curved the corners of his eyes into a smile and lowered his hand. This time, too, it moved toward the tip of Leonard’s chin — but Leonard, still seething, didn’t notice. The hand around Ivan’s throat tightened further, as though he meant to cut off his breath entirely. But in an instant, all the strength drained from Leonard’s body and his eyes fell shut — he had no choice but to collapse, helpless. Ivan caught him in his arms and whispered at his ear.
“When you wake, come find me. Come see for yourself whether this is a dream or reality. I am always waiting for you, Young Master.”
That was Leonard’s last memory. Even as his eyes closed, he cried out inside — No — but he had already lost consciousness. And when his eyes snapped open again, the situation was exactly the same as the day before.
“……Ha! Damn it!”
It had been a dream, and nothing had changed. It seemed Leonard had fallen asleep at his desk — papers were scattered on the floor, and only a half-finished cup of cold tea sat on the desk.
His clothes were perfectly neat, and nothing else in the room was out of place — the only thing in disarray was the front of his own trousers. It wasn’t damp the way it had been yesterday, but it was swollen and hard in a way that was frankly ridiculous.
“Ivan…… Ivan!”
One difference from yesterday, though — yesterday he hadn’t woken until morning; tonight he had woken in the dead of night. Leonard’s eyes sharpened to a fierce edge. He had to confirm it. Whether this was a dream or reality. Whether Ivan had truly been playing him.
“If it’s real — I’ll give you exactly what you wanted. I’ll take that backside of yours and drive into it until I’ve ruined you completely.”
Leonard clenched his fist. Then he burst out of his room and strode quickly down the corridor toward the room where Ivan was staying. He couldn’t rein in his agitation, his teeth grinding tight. Whether what was churning inside him was contempt or lust, he couldn’t tell — but one thing was certain.
Ivan had seduced him. And he was going to respond to it. For someone so vulgar and wanton to be this riled up — to the point of seducing a man even in his dreams — was beyond salvaging. Leonard resolved to punish and discipline Ivan on behalf of his father, the Master, and continued walking toward him.
Under normal circumstances Ivan would have been in the Duke’s chambers, but with the Duke absent, he would surely be sleeping in the servants’ quarters. Leonard headed in the opposite direction from the Duke’s room.
Leonard’s footsteps were sharp and rapid, weighted with anger. The sound of his clothes cutting through the air, combined with the deep crease between his brows, made it plain to anyone who might have seen him that he was furious.
He walked and walked — and then, far down the hall, he spotted a figure he didn’t know well but recognized on sight. Silver hair, a slim silhouette, that delicate frame — it could only be Ivan. The moment Leonard spotted him, he snatched Ivan’s shoulder and yanked him back, then shoved him hard against the wall, pressing his body against him.
“Ngh——!”
Ivan let out a small sound at the sudden contact. He twisted his face in a grimace and looked up at who had grabbed him. Young Master……? The moment Ivan recognized it was Leonard, he stiffened, eyes going wide in shock — a reaction like someone who had just seen a ghost.
“Why is the Young Master here — ah——!”
Ivan called out to him, and Leonard’s brow furrowed deeper as he tightened his grip and seized Ivan’s shoulder hard. Why was Ivan out in the corridor? The disorienting gap between dream and reality was muddling his thoughts — and then, as he looked Ivan over, Leonard let out a short, incredulous laugh.
Damp hair. A body not yet properly dried. A thin, long shirt and short trousers. Minus the trousers, Ivan’s appearance matched exactly what Leonard had seen in the dream. Anyone else would have seen it as simply someone who had bathed quietly in the night — but Leonard couldn’t interpret it that way. It was identical enough to make the dream feel entirely real.
Leonard narrowed his eyes in disbelief, then snatched one of Ivan’s hands and examined it. There might be other marks, as there had been when he’d seen him earlier in the day. But this time, there were no bandages on the finger, no plaster on the wrist. Could it truly have been nothing but a dream — mere coincidence? It was a moment of pure confusion.
“Ah…… it hurts. Young Master. Ngh! Why are you——”
At the pain of having his shoulder and wrist seized in that iron grip, Ivan trembled as though frightened, and his eyes quickly grew wet. At the sound of his voice, Leonard shifted his gaze to Ivan’s face. Everything looked the same — but the expression, the tone, the air about him was different. But what if it was all an act?
The dream had been so vivid that Leonard had even entertained that thought. Still, surely that couldn’t be — even he could see how absurd it was. He let one corner of his mouth twitch, released the hand gripping Ivan’s wrist, and then grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked it upward, glaring down at him.
“Where have you been. Couldn’t even hold yourself together for this long — have you been out putting that easy hole of yours to use?”
“Sob——! Y — Young Master. What is wrong with you…… ngh!”
Leonard’s presence was frightening — beyond frightening, it raised the hair on the back of one’s skin. And perhaps because he was a man who had mastered swordsmanship, even the aura he gave off was overwhelming. Ivan’s slender body couldn’t withstand that force. Lifted nearly onto his toes, Ivan trembled all over and clutched Leonard’s wrist, parting his lips as though begging for his life as his eyes met Leonard’s.
Those tear-filled eyes shone even in the darkness. Leonard flinched for a moment at the sight — then spotted something and dropped his gaze. Then he let out a short, disbelieving laugh and tightened his grip. The neatly fastened buttons gave way, the shirt was torn open, and pale skin was bared all at once.
But unlike the canvas-white expanse of his body, Ivan’s neck was not the same. Imprinted there, as if someone had gripped his throat — a red handprint remained.
It matched exactly what Leonard had left in the dream. Wet hair, wet shirt — and now even the mark he himself had made. Everything aligned.
No matter how much Ivan might play ignorant, this was more than enough to convince Leonard he was right. All this time, the dreams had left him so wound up that he couldn’t think clearly — but not now. The moment certainty settled in Leonard, his gaze shifted again, and he seized Ivan by the collar.
“You. It wasn’t a dream.”
“Pardon……? Y — Young Master, wait a moment — ngh——! Young Master——!”
Leonard didn’t hear Ivan’s voice. Or rather, he didn’t bother. He grabbed Ivan by the collar and dragged him, throwing open the first empty room that came into view and hauling him inside.
It was a guest room — one of the rooms reserved for receiving visitors. Leonard didn’t bother going all the way back to his own chambers; he simply opened the nearest door and stepped in.
The moment they were inside, Leonard flung Ivan onto the bed. Ivan landed haphazardly — his upper body sinking into the soft sheets, while his lower half struck the floor, and a pained moan escaped him. But before Ivan could gather himself and move, Leonard was already on top of him from behind, pinning him down with a knee pressed hard into his back. He wrenched one arm roughly behind Ivan and used his other hand to push Ivan’s head down into the mattress.
“Ngh——! Ah — it hurts, Young Master…… sob. Young Master, why are you doing this, truly……!”
