"Good morning, Young Master."
A middle-aged man, seated at the table laden with various food, greeted him with a smile. He was holding a newspaper in his hands and had a cup of steaming coffee in front of him. The man, who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, wore a flat cap, covering his receding hairline.
With a smile, he politely greeted him back and pulled a chair opposite the man.
The elderly lady from earlier busied herself cutting watermelons on the kitchen countertop. She was stout, with an average height—not too short nor tall for a middle-aged woman. Her blonde hair was tied in a braid, and a scarf with floral designs was wrapped over her head and tied on the back.
Not long after he sat in his seat, she made her way to the table, and placed the sliced watermelons, before she took a seat next to her husband.
He cleared his throat and threw, nearly an awkward, smile at the two. "The food smells delicious... I woke up feeling so hungry."
His attention immediately caught the food on the table. Rye bread, jams, cheese, pancakes, and pies were all sorts of foods that he was not familiar with. Fried eggs with different toppings, open sandwiches topped with cheese and fish, some topped with chicken, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce—there were fried sausages and hams, too.
"Help yourself, Young Master. Katenka, always make sure you eat a lot to make your father not worry about your health."
He nodded a little and noticed the empty plate next to him, but didn't dwell on it as he began to eat. He first sipped a portion of his hot coffee, then started to choose which to eat first; he opted for the sandwich. A low moan vibrated in his throat in approval of its taste.
"I'm glad you're enjoying your food, Young Master."
The three of them enjoyed their meal while the couple casually engaged in a conversation, he absorbed himself in his food.
He was so focused on his food, seemingly analyzing each dish. The couple didn't mind how he was so engrossed in his eating and were rather happy to see him enjoying the food. The Young Master and his healthy appetite, they thought.
After a few minutes, they heard a thud followed by the sound of a door opening.
"Mother, I'm home! Man...I'm starving."
A man with short and wavy blonde hair walked in and strode toward the seat with the empty plate. He gasped softly upon noticing that half of the food had been eaten, his brow furrowing as he watched him devour his meal with such vigor.
With a mouth full of food, he cocked his head when he sensed his eyes on him and gave him a confused and innocent look.
Look, I'm enjoying my food. I don't care who you are, just eat whatever is left on the table! This is my first time in a while eating real food!
"Welcome back, Lyonya. There's still a lot of food, leave Rodya alone and let him enjoy his breakfast." Katerina Dmitrievna, the stout lady, stated.
Leonid Dmitrievich finally took a seat and started his meal.
As he sat, Rodion Andreyevich cast a sideways glance at him. He was shorter than him, and he could easily see the beads of sweat on Leonid's nape.
"By the way son, your Father and I will be out to deliver the harvest to the District Market. It'll take us time before we get back," Katerina then turned to Rodion, "I think it should be also a good chance to visit your Father, Young Master. What do you think?"
Gulping the last bit of his coffee, he nodded and tapped his mouth with the napkin on the table. "Hmm, you're right..." he paused briefly and remembered he didn't know how to address the lady, he instead smiled and added, "I should go and visit him."
Katerina's face lightened as she beamed, "That's good to hear, Rodya! Stay for a couple of days, too. That'd make your Father happy. Don't worry about helping Mitya on the farm, or tending the herd with Lyonya. Spending time with your family is far more important!"
She seemed excited and happy about my decision to visit my father. I wonder if I have a problematic family here, too. Or perhaps... I am the problem?
Dmitry Petrovich emptied his cup of coffee and stood up. "The rented carriages should arrive soon. We should prepare now, too."
Rodion stood up as well and offered to help them prepare, to which Dmitry happily accepted the offer, and the two of them headed outside.
*
Standing at the doorway, a herd of cows and a number of sheep, basking in the morning heat while grazing on the grass, welcomed him. It's the exact scene he had seen from his room. A maple tree stood tall next to the house and a black horse was resting beneath its shade.
Dmitry walked his way straight to the white wooden fence entrance, where three rented carriages and three people were waiting for him. The wooden fence was like the typical type you could see on a farm. It only served to guard the herd to avoid wandering off and getting lost. Especially the sheep, they're quite prone to wandering if not attended to.
Before he could catch up to him, the three people accompanied Dmitry back inside the fence.
"Young Master, there is no need to help. These people are enough to load the crops."
Rodion acknowledged with a curt smile. With nothing else to do, he decided to stroll around the place.
His feet carried him to the back of the house, where he saw nearly half a dozen hectares of land left unattended after the harvest, the bare soil stretching out before him.
He was so astonished by the sight that he didn't notice a sheep casually approaching him. Just a couple of steps away, it jogged forward and bumped him with its head against the back of his knee. Startled, he nearly fell to his knees.
"Meeeee...eee"
When he turned around, he glanced down to see a plump, white-furred sheep. A smile spread across his lips as he knelt to pat its thick, luxurious fleece. "What was that for, huh?"
"Meeeee-ee"
"What? What do you want from me?"
The sheep looked up at him before wandering away. Watching it go, he stood up and shook his head. "What a strange sheep."
He continued his exploring for a couple of minutes before he felt the heat stinging his skin and decided to go back to the house.
There's a lot of time to explore the entire place. I should head back now.
On his way back, he heard a sheep bleating from a distance. Turning toward the sound, he saw the plump sheep looking at him, its front hoof caught in the wooden fence.
"Meeeee-eeee!"
*
"Rodya, where have you been? You're sweating a lot." Leonid immediately asked after emerging from the kitchen. His ocean eyes glanced at Rodion's wet shirt sticking to his chest.
Rodion took off his shirt and wiped the sweat off his neck.
"A little exercise." He answered briefly and noticed that the couple was already gone and Leonid had just finished doing the dishes when he arrived.
I didn't know a sheep could run so fast... That fat sheep tricked me! My heart nearly burst when it jumped off the fence and dashed away while I was trying to help it free its stuck hoof. It ran wild across the open terrain... If it gets lost, I don't know how I'd explain that.
Leonid's eyes darted down at his bare upper body before he set his eyes back to Rodion. However, before he could open his mouth to say something, a knock on the door reverberated. Rodion, who was near the door, swung his shirt over his shoulder and casually moved over to open the door.
A tall, black-haired young man with a reserved and somewhat cold visage stood tall by the door entrance. Clad in a dark knight cloak, he slightly bowed down the moment he saw Rodion and greeted him without much emotion, unbothered to see him half naked.
"Good morning, Young Master. I am here to escort you back to the Manor."
The young Knight straightened his back, one hand resting on the hilt of his cross sword that hung on his waist.
"Is that Mishka?"
The moment he heard Leonid's voice, the Knight's eyes stirred, and quickly darted behind Rodion. He saw that Leonid had walked up behind his Master and greeted him when he saw him.
"Good morning, Mishka."
"G...Good morning to you, too, Lyonya."
Noticing the slight changes in the Knight's face, Rodion stepped aside and glanced at Leonid before returning to the Knight, whose emerald eyes were glued to Leonid.
"You're here for Rodya?" Leonid casually asked as he walked him to the living room and gestured for him to sit down.
"Yes, I was informed yesterday about the harvest. Your mother informed me that Rodya will visit home today. I met them on my way here." Mikhail Andreyevich candidly answered, completely ignoring his master as he walked past him. He then removed his sword from his waist before sitting on the sofa and once again fixing his eyes on Leonid.
"Tea?" Leonid asked as he looked down at him on the sofa.
"Yes, please," Mikhail replied, oddly obedient, almost behaving like a good dog.
"I'll be right back." Leonid strode toward the kitchen before he glanced back at Rodion over his shoulder, "Rodya, your change of clothes has been prepared by Mother in your room upstairs."
Rodion nodded in acknowledgment before he threw another glance at Mikhail, who was behaving properly in his seat, still following his eyes at the blonde young man walking his way to the kitchen until he naturally disappeared.
He deliberately cleared his throat and spoke, "Are you into him?"
The Knight's dignified bearing was ruined by his unexpected reaction, he stuttered, "What? How could I... No, what are you talking about?"
What do you mean, no? You're literally like an obedient dog in his presence. Rodion snorted inwardly.
"Whatever you say. I'll be upstairs, wait for me here."
"Take your time. The servants are returning to the manor with the crops. I've already given them instructions as per your father's request. I have also informed them to relay the good news to him that you'll be visiting and will be arriving together with me."
"Alright," he intoned. Before he could walk upstairs, he once again heard Mikhail's hesitant voice.
"Rodya, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
Mikhail briefly glanced at his upper body before he looked at him in the eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's nothing."
*
In his room, he saw that the bed was neatly organized and a pair of clothes were neatly folded atop a pillow. However, before changing, he took the black robe that hung on a coat stand next to the full-body mirror and went back outside his room. The washroom was just diagonally across his room, adjoining the study room.
Stepping inside, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and noticed indistinct, hazy tattoos on his arms. Intrigued, he turned to face the mirror above the sink. He saw that both arms bore tattoos that circled just below his shoulders in intricate patterns. A separate tattoo featuring the same designs adorned both of his shoulders.
He was in a state of panic when he woke up and he failed to notice such blurred tattoos imprinted on his copper-colored skin. Additional lines of symbols and intricate designs were observed across his chest, which were more blurred in comparison to the ones on his arms and shoulders.
"What are these? These tattoos can't be considered normal. ..."
He ran his fingers over his skin where the marks were located and felt nothing special. He merely shrugged his shoulders.
Since he was already in the washroom, he removed his remaining clothes and carefully examined his body. He discovered other tattoos with similar intricate designs circling both of his calves. However, he didn't mind anything he discovered and decided to take a bath right away. Eager for a cold bath, he drew the curtain open and excitedly set foot in the tub.
His muscles relaxed as he lay in the tub, feeling satisfied to be soaked in the cold water.
Aaah, this is nice.
He pulled his arm out of the water to grab the soap in the small wooden soap dish next to the tub and continued his bath, unbothered by the unfamiliar world he was in.
*
Donned in a button-up, plain white linen blouse and paired with a high-waisted trouser, Rodion admired himself in front of his full-body mirror for a few seconds before he left his room.
When he arrived in the living room, he saw no one. Confirming that the two were not inside the house, he decided to go outside and check.
Outside, he noticed the black horse under the maple tree had a saddle on its back. It blew its nose, then jogged its way towards him. When it arrived next to him, he raised his hand and patted its head before he held its rein.
He then traveled his eyes to the vast area of pasture and spotted the two running around under the sun, trying to capture the exact fat sheep that had tired him out at the terrain earlier.
That fat sheep is sure a pain.
He turned back to the black horse next to him. Hmm, how do I ride this thing? I have not ridden a horse before...
Without much thought, he adjusted his footing and swiftly jumped; his limb swung around and successfully mounted on its back without difficulty, which left him surprised.
"Woah…It seems like this body remembers its innate physical flexibility and skills."
Testing his conclusion, he skillfully pulled on the horse's reins. It stamped its hooves on the ground before launching forward.
This body might not have retained its self-consciousness, but its physical attributes and natural skills remain. It still possesses certain aspects, like how I naturally maneuvered and rode this horse...
Believing his poor hypothesis, he trusted his instinct to reign the horse. He went in the direction of the two, who had already caught the white, fat sheep.
"Rodya, are we to head out now?" Mikhail asked with a hint of dismay.
What, you still want to spend time with your crush? He sneered inwardly.
Rodion, riding on his horse, glanced at Leonid before he sighed in understanding. "Stay here until his parents arrive. He can't be alone herding the animals, could he?"
Especially that fat sheep, it needs constant lookout.
Mikhail concurred in delight. "You are right, Young Master."
Lol. You're so easy to read.
"What? Don't be ridiculous! I've been doing this job for a long time. It's---"
"I'll make sure to carry out Young Master's request, help Lyonya, and do my utmost to assist him until his parents arrive. " Mikhail cut off Leonid. "But..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Rodion cut him off.
"Don't worry about my Father, I'll explain it to him if that's what you're worried about."
"Then I am at ease, Young Master."
Mikhail's deep green, forest-colored eyes stole a sideway glance at Leonid beside him before he straightened his body.
Rodion almost rolled his eyes. This guy's so obvious! Don't you even think I wouldn't have noticed that?
"Give me your cloak. I need something to protect myself from the sun."
The knight didn't refute and took off his cloak before he handed it over to Rodion. He took the black cloak and put it on himself. Rodion and Mikhail didn't differ in size, so it fit him perfectly without a problem.
He glanced at the two who were standing next to each other, looking up at him, for the last time.
Leonid had a healthy, masculine build; although he was taller than average, he stood at Mikhail's shoulder level. He wore a blue denim dungaree over a white long-sleeved shirt rolled up to his elbows. A flat cap shaded his face, and his ocean-blue eyes—exactly like his mother's—glanced at Rodion. He wanted to refuse but chose to remain silent.
Mikhail had short, messy black hair with bangs that brushed his emerald-colored eyes. As a knight, he possessed a muscular build and exuded a dignified presence. A baldric slung across his waist held a black scabbard that housed a long cross sword.
These two could make a cute couple...
Mounted on his black horse, Rodion once again pulled the rein and said, "Then I'll be on my way now."
He pulled the hood of his robe over his head before setting off. Instead of opening the wooden gate, he urged the horse to leap over the fence. As it galloped away, its hooves echoed in the distance, pounding down the path toward the town.
The two stood still as they watched the figure of Rodion turning smaller as his horse ran away into the distance.
"What are you smiling at?" Leonid scoffed at Mikhail.
Mikhail looked him in the eyes before trailing his eyes back at Rodion's disappearing figure.
"The fat sheep escaped again."
A sheep's cry echoed. Leonid looked in the distance and saw it running after Rodion.
"How did it even--- ugh!"
Leonid couldn't find the words to express his frustration, so before the sheep wandered off too far, he took off after it once again. Mikhail jogged behind him, a faint smile on his lips.
*****
A little guide for the character's name mentioned in the Chapter:
Hi. I used Russian names for my characters and it might be confusing in the chapter. Here is the list of the names mentioned in the chapter to help you:
Rodion Andreyevich – Official Name / Rodya – Short name
— People with whom he had a close relationship called him Rodya. Mishka called him 'Young Master' or 'Rodya' depending on whatever he preferred.
Leonid Dmitrievich – Official Name / Lyonya – Short name / Lyonechka – Pet name (Mikhail almost called him by a pet name lol)
Mikhail Andreyevich– Official Name / Mishka – Short name
Leoinid's Parents:
Dmitry Petrovich – Official Name / Mitya – Short Name
Katerina Makarovna – Official Name / Katya – Short name / Katenka – Intimate one
Russian naming conventions use diminutives (e.g., Rodya), and it is definitely complicated to learn and master them without proper study. Simply put, it's like nicknames given by a person to another person depending on the level of their closeness or what their relationship is, but I won't discuss it in detail. I'm not a native speaker, so I'm definitely open to corrections and other suggestions. Thank you for reading!