Gardenia Of Blooming D.e.s.i.r.e

Aster sat on the sofa while reading the administrative documents handed to him by the Grand Duchy's head administrator. His job was to review these documents and supervise the process of many business financial administration in Grand Duchy Stormhill. In short, it was a lot of work, even to Aster who was used to take over the grand duchy's work when his mother and father was away.

'I guess my experience when I was a child and teen wasn't even considered as half of the real work compared to what mother and father have every day to take care of Grand Duchy's administration.'

Grand Duchy Stormhill was a very busy autocratic state in Golden Camellia Empire. Because it held many major businesses that contributed significantly to Golden Camellia's treasury.

However, with that many businesses running around, the amount of work Aster had to do was staggering. He wiped the sweat on his forehead. Even though the weather had cooled down he still sweated a lot. Aster raised his head to saw the leaves on the trees outside that started to turn yellow.

'Autumn is coming, at last, Dionde City's temperature wouldn't kill me,' Aster sighed in relief. Something caught his eyes and his head turned left, his servant, Ramuja, was dazedly staring at him.

'What is he staring at? My sweat? Who would like to stare at somebody else's sweat?' Aster scrunched his eyebrows.

"What are you staring at?" Aster called his servant out.

Ramuja shook his head and regained his focus after a good time of staring at his master's sweat. Usually, sweat was disgusting and smelly, but somehow, he could smell a fragrant aroma exuded from Young Lord when he was sweating. Besides, Young Lord's appearance when he was sweating made him even sexier.

He gulped, now that his master frowned at him, it didn't even frighten him. It only made his collar especially tight and something under his belly became uncomfortable. Ramuja shook his head again, to clear his dirty thought.

"Nothing, Young Lord."

"Well, you must remember that we will have a long trip to Dionde City tomorrow morning and we will live there until the end of winter. So, you must pack all your belonging," Aster said.

"Young Lord, may this servant ask a question?"

"Hm?"

"Is it acceptable for this servant to follow Young Lord? Since it is the capital city of Grand Duchy Stormhill. There will be many nobles who would visit Young Lord."

Aster sighed, "You are my personal servant, whether there will be other nobles around, it doesn't matter as long as you stick with me."

Ramuja was tongue-tied. He was relieved that Young Lord brought him to Dionde City. Since Young Lord only brought guards and two servants with him, those two servants were him and Jain. But he was also scared, especially if there would be Crown Prince or people similar to him, they might punish him just for the fun of it.

'But Young Lord said, as long as I stick with him, nothing bad will happen…' Ramuja remembered when he was separated from his master for a long time, he had this sense of anxiety and fear that something might happen to his master.

Ramuja nodded and smiled, "This servant understands, thanking Young Lord for such kindness."

Seeing Ramuja smiled to him made Aster's heart skipped a bit and his golden circle wavered. Aster looked away and said, "Yes, you can go now. Remember, you will have to be prepared early."

"Yes, Young Lord. Please excuses this servant." Ramuja bowed and left the room with smile on his face.

After the door was closed, Aster took a deep breath and rested his shoulder on the sofa. He covered his face with his hand because his breath started to beat irregularly. He said to himself that he had to hold his reaction to Ramuja. Because it was too dangerous.

'His smile… is dangerous.'

Aster's mind kept swirling around that light smile and he couldn't concentrate. The sun was setting anyway. He washed his face with cold water and called it a day.

Late at night, Aster stared at the now wilted sunflower given by his servant a month ago. It was not beautiful, the petals were all dried and it looked ugly. But Aster liked it so much that he didn't threw it out.

"Ramuja…" Aster's smile blooming unconsciously.

Aster didn't give Ramuja an answer after his confession before. He acted as if nothing happened and treated Ramuja as usual. However, his mind was constantly brewing with shackled desire.

He really wanted to say that he loved him too and even kissed him. But he knew that there would be no way out after that happened. And Jain was right, there was no way that he could take a male slave as a lover, because his position wasn't weak and grand duchy had many political enemies, yet his position wasn't strong enough to cement his name in Golden Camellia Empire.

Thus, the only way to take Ramuja as his official lover, was to do his duty as Young Lord of Grand Duchy Stormhill, and slowly acquire economical power. Thus, no one could badmouth his grand duchy and his servant, and grand duchy would be safe even if he took Ramuja as a romance partner.

'P—Perhaps… marriage?' Aster's face blushed instantly and he covered his face with quilt.

'No--No, I shouldn't slack off. If I want to marry him, I should strengthen my position first.'

Aster hugged his pillow and closed his eyes, imagining a nice dream that would happen if he worked hard.

'Ramuja…'

***

The morning came and Jain had prepared everything for Aster before he woke up. From all his apparels, the documents, even smallest thing that Aster had ordered before, Jain already packed everything.

He came with Aster's breakfast, "Young Lord, everyone is ready."

Aster ate his breakfast slowly and swallowed it, "And my servant?"

Jain's eyes sharpened, but he replied flatly, "Yes."

"Good, I will be ready soon," Aster finished his breakfast and prepared for the trip to Dionde City.

He walked outside and greeted by every servant in this mansion. They stood in the hall and bowed when they saw Aster was ready to leave the mansion. Aster squinted, even when his mother and father departed from grand duchy, the servants wouldn't do this, since they were busy.

"What is this?" Aster asked Sir Douglass, his teacher and head butler.

"Young Lord, we are all sincerely sending you off to your duty in Dionde City."

"Huh?"

"The servants are all grateful for your kindness. After your discussion with Milord Grand Duke about their salary and working condition, all servants and serfs are now living well enough to send money to their families," Sir Douglass said. He showed a proud smile, like a proud teacher who saw his student had accomplished something.

Aster stared at the bowing servants in silence.

'Did they really take it as a benevolent move? I was just discussing with dad about how to increase the productivity of the servants around the mansion as a trial to train my managing skill.'

'Just by slightly increasing their salary and extending their rest period was enough for them to act like this?'

Aster frowned in doubt. He really didn't understand how something so simple could make these servants paused their activities, bowing together and sending him off.

"Everyone!" Sir Douglass commanded.

Aster was startled when the servants moved and lined up together, they kneeled in front of him and said, "Thank you, Honorable Young Lord!"

Aster hadn't opened his mouth, but Sir Douglass immediately escorted him to the courtyard.

"Young Lord, please take care on your journey."

Aster stared at his teacher, Sir Douglass, who started to show some wrinkles in his face. There was some melancholy feeling in him, because after he left grand duchy two years ago, his education basically finished and he rarely talked to Sir Douglass after he returned.

"Thank you for everything, teacher," Aster said.

Sir Douglass nodded, "Young Lord, you are talented in governing and finance, please utilize your talent carefully. I have nothing to teach you anymore."

"I will, thank you." With that, Aster closed the carriage door and the troupe took off.

Ramuja was sitting on the floor of his carriage while Aster sat on the cushion. He was tasked to tend any need of Aster. He had a small smile since the beginning. Aster glanced at him and called him, "Ramuja."

"Yes, Young Lord. Is there something this servant can do?"

"No, I'm just wondering. Why would the servants in duchy mansion do that?"

"This servant doesn't understand…"

"Why would they waste their time just to kneel in front of me, it's unnecessary," Aster tapped his finger. He was waiting for Ramuja to give him some dumb answer as usual, but Ramuja smiled and replied.

"Because you never hurt them, you never worked them to death, you give punishment and reward justly. This servant knows exactly what they are doing," Ramuja raised his head and stared directly at Aster, "Young Lord, you are well-loved."