Circumstances of a Fallen Lord - Side Story 5

Sidestory 5

      For the next few days, Carlton’s war of nerves with the duchy’s vassals continued. 

     Although Carlton had landed the first blow, the retainers were no easy opponents and had counterattacks of their own. They leveraged their home-field advantage to hinder the mercenary at every turn.

       They boarded up the windows in Luisen’s room with wooden planks, only for Carlton to break in anyway. The next day, they claimed there had been a break-in and moved Luisen to another room, stationing the knight commander to stand guard by the young lord’s side all night.

     This morning, due to the interference of the duchy’s Treasurer, the mercenary had to leave Luisen alone and go to his own county.

     ‘I’ll win in the afternoon.’ 

     Carlton made his way into the castle. Unlike the morning, the castle was unusually noisy. 

     The Butler approached Carlton as soon as he saw him, “Where is my lord?”

      “How would I know that?”

     “Because Lord Carlton, you are the only one who would steal our Lord away.” The Butler glared at Carlton. His eyes seemed to say, ‘You snatched him, didn’t you?’

     “I really have no idea. I’ve just come back from the county.”

     “…Understood.” The butler said–now a bit politely–and returned to his position. As the mercenary looked back, he felt somewhat strange, ‘What is this feeling…?’

     Carlton, after years of gathering experience during his service under the first prince, was no stranger to the power struggles and battles for dominance among the nobility. Yet the vassals of the ducal household gave off a different impression.

     They were wary of him–that much was clear. But their attitude was less like they viewed him as a rival for the same prize. It was more like they viewed him as a thief trying to steal a pie they had lovingly and painstakingly crafted.

     For this metaphor to be correct, he must presume that the Duchy’s vassals and retainers cared for and cherished Luisen.

     Carlton, who had always been confident in his intuition, felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

     He walked down the corridor, lost in thought, when someone suddenly grabbed his wrist. The familiar scent made Carlton smile as he turned around. It was Luisen–just as expected.

     “What are you doing here? The Butler was looking for you.”

     “Shhh!” Luisen peered around as he placed an index finger on his lips. After confirming no one else was around, he pulled on Carlton’s arm. Carlton entered the room where Luisen was hiding; the young lord’s attempts to sneak around were… so cute.

      The room seemed to be used as a storage space; the windows were covered with cloth, making the atmosphere dim and shadowy.

      “Why are you here?” Carlton asked.

     “The Butler was passing by, so I hid.”

     “Why were you hiding?” 

     “That’s…” Luisen hesitated for a moment before approaching the mercenary. “Let’s talk about it later. Quickly, before people come…”

     As if it were the most natural thing–as if Carlton would never deny him–Luisen pulled his lover into a kiss. Carlton lightly sucked Luisen’s lower lip before Carlton parted the young lord’s lips to slide his tongue inside. Their tongues intertwined, and the wet sounds of their kiss echoed softly in the dim storage room.

     “Aha, so you’ve wanted to do something like this?” Carlton gripped Luisen’s hips and slammed their lower bodies together. As Carlton rubbed against him, Luisen let out a soft whimper, leaning against Carlton’s shoulder.

     They were still in the honeymoon phase where they couldn’t get enough of each other’s bodies; Luisen was pent-up and dissatisfied with how the vassals had been interfering.

     Carlton took off Luisen’s pants and took out the lube he had been carrying–just in case. He spread Luisen’s lower cheeks and let the lube flow into the crack in between. With the added slick, Carlton’s fingers were able to slide in smoothly. 

     Fresh moans spilled from Luisen’s mouth. “Hnngh, Anh!”

     The sounds reached Carlton’s ears. Luisen’s hot pants made the mercenary even more impatient. 

     Luisen poured more oil onto the fire. “Just..nnh! Hurry up. Mm?” Luisen urged with a petulant tone.

     Heat rose to Carlton’s head; he pushed Luisen against the wall and bit the nape of the young lord’s neck. Then, spreading Luisen’s butt, he thrust in all the way to the hilt.

    “Haanh!” Luisen’s groan turned into a scream. Pleasure burst forth from inside and spread through his entire body. Due to the sudden insertion, Luisen’s inner walls gripped Carlton’s cock tighter than usual.

     “I’ll make it quick.” Carlton thrust his hips while holding up Luisen’s waist. He was rough and wild–as if he was sprinting to finish–without his usual regard for the young lord’s stamina.

     “Ah! Nn… Nngh!” 

     Carlton’s dick pistoned quickly–in and out–of Luisen. He thrust in with a thud and then slid out with a squelch. The two alternating, pleasurable movements overwhelmed Luisen, making his legs tremble uncontrollably.

     Then, from the hallway, they heard the voice of a young servant searching for the young lord. “My Duke. Are you there?”

    Luisen went rigid with surprise, but Carlton didn’t stop.

     “Haha, oh no. It seems like we’ll be caught.” He chuckled and whispered in Luisen’s ear. 

     “Nngh! W-wait a minute.” Luisen felt like he was in a hurry. What if they get caught? Since Carlton didn’t stop, Luisen covered his mouth with his trembling hand and tried to hold his breath.

     Stimulated by the sight, Carlton moved even more fiercely. The head of his large cock felt as if it only slammed into the young lord’s most sensitive spots. 

     “Hmmn… Nngh!” The overwhelming pleasure and anxiety at the thought of getting caught had Luisen in tears. The hand blocking his mouth became damp. 

     Then, at some point, he lost himself and reached climax. The scent of sex wafted into the air. 

    “Knnh!” Carlton thrust a few more times before finishing as well. He rested his forehead on Luisen’s shoulder before taking a shuddering breath. Luisen drooped in the mercenary’s hold.

     The young lord took long, deep breaths. The two pressed their foreheads together, calming their ragged breaths briefly. Carlton, who had some energy left, was responsible for the cleanup. 

     Carlton pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the flowing fluids, helped Luisen put his pants back on, and straightened his clothes. Luisen, still dazed, felt Carlton’s touch absentmindedly and lingered in the afterglow.

     Meanwhile, the sound of people calling for Luisen gradually faded into the distance, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

     “Why are you even hiding anyway?” Carlton asked.

     “No, it’s just… They keep interrupting us! So, what else can I do?!”

     “Ah.” Carlton exclaimed. “I thought you wouldn’t notice.”

     “I’m not the ‘old me’ anymore.” Luisen bragged as he hugged Carlton’s waist, nestling into his embrace. He buried his face in Carlton’s chest, taking in his scent with a contented sniff. Carlton, in turn, pulled Luisen closer.

     Luisen sighed. He thought he might finally be able to relax and enjoy his life after returning to his usual work, but everyone was being so bothersome. “Ah, Carlton. Have my retainers been bothering you too?”

     “Mm, a bit… I wondered if I had done something to make them dislike me.” Carlton deliberately adopted a pitiful and troubled expression. The General would have been disgusted if he bore witness to this scene, but the pitiful act was effective on Luisen. 

     “That’s not it. They don’t hate you. Everyone is just overly worried about me. They all think I’m still a six-year-old child.”

     “They’re worried about you?”

     “The vassals tend to be overprotective because I grew up in their care… and I suffered from some health issues as well. I’m sorry. I’ll tell them to stop harassing you.” Luisen consoled Carlton by kissing his hair. 

     Carlton’s gaze became sharp. ‘Overprotective, huh…’

     Carlton recalled the strange mismatch he felt earlier. “…Didn’t your retainers and vassals harass you when you were younger?”

     “Huh? No?” Bewildered, Luisen refuted those words. “I grew up incredibly cherished and loved. Until I was seven, I never even set foot on the ground outside the castle. They said it was dangerous, so someone was always carrying me.”

    “But… why don’t you know anything about running your territory? You’re not good at reading, you can’t ride a horse… Didn’t they not instruct you properly on purpose?”

     “No, it’s not like that. They tried to teach me, but I didn’t want to learn. There was always someone to do the work for me anyway, so I never bothered to put in the effort…” The younger Luisen only did what he wanted to do and didn’t even deign to look at things he didn’t enjoy. Those around him had indulged this, finding his whims endearing. They had pampered him and felt sorry for him.

     “Were you operating under a misunderstanding all this time? You thought my vassals abused me?”

     “Are you sure you’re not aware of your own abuse?” Carlton couldn’t easily get over this matter either. The misunderstanding had already taken root deep within him.

     “No! I can’t believe I was so clueless!” Luisen was visibly upset. “If you’re so sure, then why don’t we go and check? It’s just about time for my meeting with the General.”

***

The General’s office:

     The General was ready to vent his anger at Carlton, who arrived first, but remained silent when Luisen quickly followed behind. “My Duke, where have you gone? We have been looking for you for a long time.”

     “Ah, I just went out for some fresh air. Since the castle houses nothing too dangerous, just let me be.”

    “…Understood.” The General retreated. His demeanor seemed ambiguous, as if he were simultaneously deceptively flattering a powerful superior or sincerely catering to Luisen’s mood. Carlton couldn’t decide which interpretation felt more accurate.

     As usual, the General’s lessons began. Today, Luisen was slated to learn about their annual budget. The two looked at the materials the General prepared while listening to his explanations.

     Luisen winked at Carlton. ‘Pay close attention.’

     Then, with a furrowed brow, he set the ledger down dramatically. “This is too hard. Do I really need to learn all this?”

     “You don’t need to know every detail, but it’s important to grasp the general flow,” the General replied.

     “Hmm… Can’t we stop here?”

     “Just a little more, your Grace. You’re doing exceptionally well.”

     “But my head hurts so much…” Luisen looked up at the General with a tearful expression. 

     The General’s stern face softened, replaced by a pang of heartbreaking sorrow. He looked as if he were simultaneously proud of yet sympathetic of Luisen’s suffering and efforts.

     Luisen rubbed his temples with his fingers.

     “Shall we call it a day then? You’ve been working hard these past few days, so it’s understandable that you’re feeling tired. A headache, you say… What should we do about that…”

      “Some rest should make me feel better. Ah–Am I running a fever? I’m warm.”

     The General, ever attentive, began gently fanning Luisen with his hand and checked his forehead for a fever. Watching this unfold, Carlton was dumbfounded.

     ‘Is this not a joke? Isn’t this empty flattery?’

     It was hard to believe someone could seriously treat a grown man like a newborn puppy. If the General ever tried acting like that with Carlton, the mercenary wouldn’t have hesitated to throw a punch, accusing the General of mockery. But Luisen accepted the General’s doting attentiveness as if it were completely natural.

     Unable to stomach the sight any longer, Carlton turned his head away. That’s when he noticed something even more outlandish: a collection of Luisen’s portraits, lined up neatly on the wall beside the General’s desk. There were about five of them, depicting Luisen at various stages of his life.

TL: The misunderstanding (?) has come to an end T_T

Maybe Carlton can make some money by writing romance novels.