Solo For Two

Several more weeks passed. Concerned about Sasha’s increasing drinking, Karel requested a house call from the physician at the Ludwig estate to prescribe sleeping pills for Sasha. Sasha didn’t mention finding another job, likely because he didn’t want to face the townspeople.

In truth, Karel had anticipated this outcome from the beginning.

Is it too much to wish for him to stay safe and not get hurt or troubled? Karel thought as he watched Sasha quietly sitting inside the house.

On a day off, Karel packed some fishing gear and took Sasha to the lake near their home. Sasha, who loved being active, soon had a thrilled expression on his face.

Upon reaching the lakeside and parking their bicycles, Sasha, in his excitement, ran to the water’s edge. Sasha’s hastily parked bicycle fell over with a thud just as Karel approached. Karel sighed and securely fastened both bicycles. By the time he was done, Sasha had already disappeared from view.

Karel walked toward the water, looking around.

‘Could he have already jumped in…?’

As Karel searched for Sasha’s traces, he heard the sound of someone pushing off the ground behind him.

Turning around reflexively, Karel braced himself. Sasha, who had come running at an alarming speed, leapt onto Karel’s back. Karel let out a grunt and staggered forward. Though smaller than him, Sasha’s adult weight combined with the momentum was substantial. The impact made Karel stagger and momentarily drop to one knee.

“Sasha…! You did it again so suddenly….”

Had Karel not been sturdier, they both might have fallen hard.

“If you keep this up, we’ll really get hurt. Maybe I need to fall and scrape my knee once to make you stop?”

Ignoring Karel’s scolding, Sasha, who was hanging onto Karel’s back, tightened his grip around Karel’s neck and urged him to walk faster. Karel, unsteady, peeled Sasha’s arms from his neck. If he let his guard down even a little, Sasha would climb up to ride on his shoulders.

Carrying Sasha, who kept shouting to be taken to the lakeshore, Karel walked silently.

When Sasha was in a particularly good mood, he acted like a ten-year-old child. Since such behavior was rare unless he was drunk, Karel thought it was a good decision to bring him outside.

“Shall I put you down?”

“Yes! Throw me into the water.”

Sasha said with eager anticipation. Karel, looking perplexed, rolled up his pants and walked into the water until it was a bit deeper.

“Really throw you?”

“Quickly, quickly.”

Karel carefully lifted Sasha and dropped him into the water with a splash.

With the sound of the water breaking, Sasha’s laughter echoed. Karel, who got splashed as well, wiped the water from his face and saw Sasha still sitting in the water, laughing despite being soaked.

‘Is it really that fun….’

Sasha soon threw off his clothes and began swimming.

The clear lake, where pebbles were visible, was quite deep in the center. Watching Sasha swim, Karel, feeling concerned, picked up the clothes Sasha had discarded and went back.

While drying Sasha’s wet clothes on a rock and fishing, Sasha came trudging back from a distance, half-naked.

“Did you swim enough?”

“Yes, I’m hungry.”

Wrapped in a large cotton cloth used as a towel, Sasha started setting up a tent. Until just moments ago, Sasha seemed ecstatic, but now he was silent again. Thinking Sasha was just hungry, Karel decided to hurry with the meal preparation.

Tall weeping willows ceaselessly tickled the blindingly bright silver surface of the lake. After setting up the tent, Sasha sat at the entrance, gazing blankly at the picturesque scene.

Karel was still casting his fishing line within Sasha’s view. His sunburned neck and the hair lightened by the sun’s rays, now slightly sweaty, caught Sasha’s attention. Sasha approached Karel from behind.

As Sasha hugged Karel from behind, resting his cheek on Karel’s nape, Karel turned around silently. Sasha’s cold cheek quickly warmed up.

“When I was young….”

Karel began.

“My father used to play with me like this. He’d throw me into the creek and then go fishing.”

Not knowing what to say, Sasha chose to remain silent.

“I’ll do that for you.”

Instead of responding, Sasha closed his eyes. Unlike usual, Sasha wrapped his arms around Karel from the front this time. Karel’s much thicker body didn’t fit into Sasha’s arms as he had imagined.

After a while, Karel, with the fishing basket suitably filled, stood up. Sasha, who had been looking up at him, watched as Karel walked to the bicycles and then returned with something.

“I have a gift for you.”

Karel handed over what looked like a flat bundle of papers. Sasha, puzzled, untied the thin leather strap around the package to reveal several layers of newspaper. It didn’t take long for the gift to show itself. Sasha, slightly agape, looked at Karel.

“How did you….”

“You’ve been talking about the past a lot lately.”

Sitting down beside Sasha, Karel continued.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

The package Karel handed contained black leather ballet shoes. Made of stretchable material at the arch, they were high-quality shoes. Watching Sasha examine the shoes in awe, Karel awkwardly explained how he had to measure Sasha’s feet while he was asleep to order the correct size.

“I never had such high-quality shoes even when I was in the ballet company. Can I try them on?”

Karel nodded.

Fortunately, the shoes fit Sasha’s smooth, arched feet perfectly. Sasha stood up and stretched his feet on the ground. Karel was momentarily stunned by the extraordinarily flexible arches.

“Doesn’t that hurt?”

“It used to hurt when I was little… but it’s fine now. Some kids even sleep with devices to achieve this shape.”

Sasha warmed up his body and lightly spun around twice in place. As Karel looked up at him with fascination, Sasha responded with a smile.

“This is

en dedans

. And… this is

en dehors

. It used to be really hard when I was little.”

Karel stood up and tried to mimic Sasha’s movements. However, he wobbled before even completing a single turn. Sasha burst into laughter at Karel’s clumsy attempt. Seeing Sasha laugh so heartily, Karel gave an embarrassed smile.

Sasha quickly took off his ballet shoes, worried they might wear out faster if he wore them outside any longer.

“Thank you, Karel.”

Sasha’s eyes were filled with a joy unlike any other. If there were a word that could express his gratitude a hundredfold, he would have used it. Unfortunately, Sasha’s vocabulary couldn’t fully convey his feelings.

“Next time, let’s go to the theater. I heard there’s a movie about a dancer being shown.”

Karel looked at Sasha with his usual loving gaze. Karel raised his hand to caress Sasha’s soft cheek, touching his small ear, the tender cartilage, and his moist lips. Naturally, Karel brought his face closer for a kiss. Sasha lay down on the ground as Karel’s warm lips pressed against his upper lip.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Karel looking down at him, shadowed by the backlight. Now, Karel’s eyes were filled with desire. Karel slipped his hand inside Sasha’s clothes, deepening the kiss.

Sasha suddenly wondered.

‘How long will he look at me like this?’

From the first time they met until now, Karel had always looked at him this way. He couldn’t imagine a time when Karel’s gaze would grow cold. As Karel undressed him, Sasha realized something.

He had never imagined a life without dancing, yet being with Karel made him forget about it completely.

Karel, noticing that Sasha was lost in thought, broke the kiss and touched Sasha’s wet lips. Observing Sasha’s expression, he asked,

“Is something bothering you?”

Sasha shook his head.

People change, and love eventually ends. Can we keep living like this? When will his love for me fade?

What should I do then?

For Sasha, receiving someone’s love and attention was a matter of survival. His loneliness wasn’t just an emotional state but a drying up of his life force. The end of Karel’s love would mean no one would save him from death.

‘Now, Karel is my only family. Karel is the only one who loves me.’

So what happens if Karel leaves me?

Sasha turned his head away from Karel, who was about to kiss him again. His heart began to beat anxiously. Karel could read his worries just from a kiss. If they continued, Karel would sense his immediate thoughts.

Sasha picked up the large cotton cloth to cover himself and sat up.

“Sasha, why…? Oh, are you hungry?”

“Yes….”

Karel, reluctantly letting go and looking at Sasha with lingering desire, asked, “Sorry, I’ll prepare dinner quickly. Do you want to rest in the tent?”

Sasha nodded and went into the tent. Through the open entrance, he could see Karel busily preparing the meal.

Sasha fell into deep thought.

One day, he would grow old. There would come a time when Karel would no longer find him attractive. If Karel couldn’t see beauty in his body, he would be miserable and cling to Karel’s cold gaze.

It was unimaginable right now. Sasha quietly asked Karel’s back.

‘How long will your love last? If only I knew, I could leave before I become lonely.’

＊ ＊ ＊

That night, as the crickets chirped and the surroundings grew completely dark, Sasha moved closer to Karel. At first, Karel thought Sasha wanted to rest his head on his arm and hugged him sleepily. But soon, feeling Sasha’s warm breath near his nape, Karel slowly opened his eyes.

“Sasha…?”

Without answering, Sasha kissed Karel’s neck and moved down to his chest. He lifted Karel’s worn-out T-shirt and pressed his lips to the firm muscles beneath. Sasha had learned all his caressing techniques from Karel, making his actions very familiar to him.

Fully awake now, Karel raised himself slightly and lifted Sasha’s head. His lips were wet. When their eyes met, Sasha crawled back up and kissed Karel again. Sasha had never been this forward before, making Karel feel both flustered and intensely aroused.

Instead of acting on his desire, Karel caressed Sasha’s back and asked, despite his voice being heavily laden with lust.

“Do you want to?”

Sasha silently tried to undress Karel. As Karel raised himself a bit more, Sasha pressed down on his chest instead. Pushing Karel down, Sasha, with a flushed face, stammered,

“I’ve cleaned up… and prepared back there.”

Hearing Sasha mumble with his head lowered, Karel couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed Sasha’s buttocks. When he slid his fingers back, he found that Sasha was indeed prepared as he said.

“Ah…”

“Did you prepare yourself? Why?”

Sasha trembled as Karel’s fingers teased his entrance.

“Next time, don’t do it secretly while I’m asleep. Show me instead.”

Speaking tenderly, Karel positioned Sasha above himself and brought his member close to Sasha’s entrance. Sasha, supporting himself on Karel’s chest, trembled. Karel gently stroked Sasha’s arms, patiently waiting.

“Take it easy, don’t rush.”

The first penetration was always difficult for Sasha. As Karel spoke reassuringly, Sasha hugged his neck. The sensation of Karel’s large member sliding in made Sasha’s body tremble as he bit Karel’s ear and whispered with wet lips.

‘You do it.’

The impulse that shot through Karel’s spine upon hearing this made him instantly pin Sasha beneath him. With a sharp cry, Sasha reacted to the sudden change in position, while Karel licked at Sasha’s eyelids, small nose, and neck as if biting them. Overwhelmed by desire, Karel felt a strong urge to devour Sasha completely.

“Sasha, why all of a sudden?”

“Uh… I…”

Sasha couldn’t properly respond to Karel’s question, only panting from being filled by him.

Why all of a sudden? Sasha didn’t quite understand it himself. Even though it was something happening inside him, he couldn’t clearly explain it. But one thing was certain: he never thought he would desire to spread his legs and be pinned down by a man’s weight. Nor did he think he would want Karel to become aroused whenever he moaned.

The more proactive Sasha was, and the more he did things he hadn’t done before, the more intensely Karel focused or lost control and attacked Sasha.

“Even if you don’t do this, I’m already… I…”

Instead of replying further, Karel gripped Sasha’s slim waist tightly with his large hands. The pressure caused Sasha’s abdomen to squeeze Karel’s member even tighter. Sasha pulled Karel’s wrists and brought them to his own neck. Realizing what Sasha wanted, Karel kissed him deeply again and thrust more aggressively. The sound of their wet, soft bodies mingling filled the air with lewd noises, making Sasha cry out in pleasure.

When Sasha climaxed, Karel squeezed his slender neck hard. Sasha’s soft inner flesh convulsed wildly, consuming Karel’s member entirely. At the same time, Karel ejaculated deep inside a place Sasha himself didn’t even know existed. Hugging Sasha tightly, Karel felt as if he owned every part of him, both inside and out.

That night’s lovemaking was less about sharing love and more about devouring each other’s souls. Karel kissed and caressed Sasha countless times, keeping his member deeply buried within him as if they had become one body. Sasha, blinking from fatigue and sleepiness, felt his earlier anxiety melt away.

Only then could Sasha finally fall asleep with a sense of relief.

＊ ＊ ＊

Near the butcher shop where Karel worked, there were several grocery stores. Usually, Karel was the one to do the shopping after finishing work.

Today, instead of heading straight home after buying groceries, Karel took his bicycle to the center of the square. Earlier that morning, he had seen a second-hand phonograph there. He recalled Sasha playing with a modern phonograph at the Ludwig estate that Julian had boasted about, and he wanted to gift one to Sasha.

Fortunately, the price was manageable within Karel’s budget. While choosing the right one, Karel’s eyes fell on a radio.

Seeing Karel’s interest, the shopkeeper approached him.

“Are you interested in the radio? It’s a bit pricey, but it offers a lot more to listen to than a phonograph.”

Karel shook his head and asked for the phonograph he had chosen to be wrapped.

‘I heard that soon, radio waves without government approval will be restricted. But if you get approval, you can monopolize radio broadcasting rights. My father is very interested in that business these days. I think it would be good if you could help with it…’

Karel recalled Julian’s proposal. Despite graduating from Eton, Karel had holed up in the countryside, making the Ludwig family think he was wasting his life. But Karel was content with his simple life. Moreover, he had been fortunate enough to finally have the person he loved, which made his life feel completely fulfilling.

‘If I hadn’t met Sasha… it’s horrifying. I can’t even imagine such a life.’

Lost in thought, Karel stared at the radio. It seemed like something Sasha would like, but for now, he was satisfied with the phonograph.

These days, Karel’s daily life was filled with peak happiness. Since some time ago, Sasha had started to open up, revealing a lovely side hidden beneath his melancholic exterior. Discovering new facets of his beloved every day made Karel feel like he was living in a sweet dream.

One concern, however, was Sasha’s increasingly severe mood swings. Sasha would burst into innocent laughter at Karel’s silly jokes, only to suddenly weep sorrowfully. When encouraged to go back to work, he would quickly change his mind and become severely depressed, shutting himself at home. The drastic mood shifts made it sometimes feel like Karel was seeing a completely different person.

In any case, Sasha’s behavior was incomprehensible to Karel.

Moreover, Sasha never left the house without Karel. He would sleep until Karel left the house, then barely manage to see him off with a drowsy face. Sometimes, he would sit idly in the front yard, as if in a daze. Left alone, he wouldn’t eat, leaving the kitchen sink bone dry. How he spent the rest of his time was a mystery. It seemed he spent all day waiting for Karel’s return.

Karel desperately wanted to stay by Sasha’s side 24/7, but that would mean borrowing money from Julian. The cunning Julian would certainly exploit this by extracting labor from Karel in return. This would ultimately reduce the time Karel could spend directly caring for Sasha. Karel couldn’t rest easy without being by Sasha’s side, given his instability.

If Karel had one concern in his otherwise perfectly happy life, it was this.

After a while, the shopkeeper returned with the phonograph Karel had paid for, well-packaged.

“It’s quite heavy. Will you carry it? We can arrange for a delivery.”

“I’ll take it myself.”

Karel secured the package to his bicycle and began pedaling.

Crossing the bridge over the river and riding another twenty minutes, the lake appeared. Today, he was late coming home, and the sunset was already casting its glow over the lake. Karel pedaled harder, spotting the roof of the wooden house in the distance.

He propped his bicycle against the willow tree and carried the packages inside. There was no sign of Sasha, who usually sat in the front yard around the time Karel returned.

Karel placed the phonograph and groceries on the kitchen table and headed to the bedroom.

As expected, Sasha was still buried in bed. Hearing Karel’s approach, Sasha had already opened his eyes. Karel leaned down and kissed his forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping all day?”

Sasha didn’t deny it, just gave a sleepy smile. Karel started to push Sasha’s hair back but remembered that Sasha disliked the smell and quickly turned away.

“I’ll go wash up.”

But Sasha grabbed Karel’s hem, pulling him back.

“Don’t go, sit here.”

Karel didn’t refuse and sat down on the bed. Sasha turned his body and rested his head on Karel’s thigh. Through the loosely opened gown, Karel saw Sasha’s swollen nipples, a result of Karel’s intense focus on tormenting him until dawn. Karel had gotten up after only a few hours of sleep, worked all day, and returned home, but Sasha seemed to have slept the entire time.

Karel slipped his hand inside the gown and rubbed Sasha’s nipple with his palm. Having spent the day wrestling with tough leather and hard animal bones, Sasha’s softness felt incredibly soothing. Karel bent down to kiss Sasha’s chest again. Sasha clung to Karel’s neck and moaned.

“Can I?”

Sasha didn’t respond, so Karel took it as a yes and slid his lips down to kiss Sasha’s belly. As he cupped Sasha’s small buttocks, Sasha instinctively raised his hips.

The opening, which had been stretched wide open until the morning, accepted three fingers easily, though it was still dry inside, making immediate penetration difficult. Karel intended to wet his fingers by putting them into Sasha’s mouth, but Sasha turned his head away, seemingly unable to tolerate the taste.

“Then will you suck it?”

As Karel stood up and caressed Sasha’s cheek, Sasha hesitated but slowly lowered his head, guided by Karel’s hand gripping his hair. He then grabbed Karel’s heavy member with both hands and began swallowing it from the top, little by little.

Sasha lifted his head again after barely taking in the tip.

“It doesn’t all fit.”

“Just get it wet.”

“Okay…”

Sasha’s warm, tender mouth and small tongue focused mainly on the tip, sucking eagerly. Watching Sasha’s earnest effort made Karel’s heart race.

Karel gently stroked Sasha’s back to help him relax. As he tenderly touched the nape of Sasha’s neck, Sasha looked up and smiled at him.

‘Can I?’

Karel caressed Sasha’s slender neck and the protruding Adam’s apple. Imagining his length filling Sasha’s throat made his breathing heavy.

“Sasha, can you take it deeper?”

“It’s too big… it only fits this much.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

Karel repositioned Sasha on the bed, standing up and placing Sasha’s head between his legs. As he rubbed his penis against Sasha’s lips, Sasha willingly opened his mouth and extended his tongue to lick Karel’s hefty member. With just the head inside, Sasha’s mouth quickly felt full. Stroking Sasha’s cheeks, Karel pushed deeper, touching the back of Sasha’s throat, which reflexively tightened around the tip.

Tears welled up in Sasha’s eyes.

“Sasha, just relax your throat slowly. It’s just like taking it in from behind.”

Soothing Sasha, Karel slowly pushed his member deeper. Sasha’s delicate throat muscles twitched but gradually relaxed. Sasha made a pleading noise with his blocked voice, but Karel comforted him by caressing his chest.

Sasha’s rapid breathing through his nose was palpable above Karel’s scrotum. As Karel tenderly touched his cheek, Sasha soon calmed down. From then on, things became easier. Sasha, who could endure physical discomfort better than most, relaxed and took Karel’s length completely. Sasha’s face was drenched with tears, and the scrotum resting on his face also got wet. Sasha’s fingertips turned white as they gripped the sheets. The conflicting sensations of gagging and needing to swallow for air were incredibly stimulating. Karel groaned deeply.

He stroked Sasha’s exposed neck while he was swallowing his length. Realizing Karel’s intent, Sasha clung to his thighs. Karel briefly withdrew and then thrust in again. Sasha lasted longer on the second attempt and on the third, he fully relaxed and took it all in.

Karel gripped Sasha’s neck, and Sasha’s body tensed up before going limp like a hunted bird. After only a few thrusts, Sasha’s entire body convulsed as he climaxed.

“Ha, ha, Karel.”

Karel placed his member into Sasha’s mouth, now gasping for air, and Sasha sucked it with a stronger force, eager for Karel to finish. Karel then flipped Sasha over and entered him from behind, making Sasha’s still-sensitive body shudder. Inserting the saliva-drenched member into Sasha’s rear was surprisingly easy.

“Does it hurt?”

Sasha whimpered and tried to look back at Karel’s face. Knowing Sasha wanted a kiss, Karel hugged him tightly from behind.

Quickly thrusting into Sasha’s sensitive spots, Karel felt the inner walls grip his member tightly. Not intending to prolong things due to last night’s lingering effects, Karel focused on pleasuring Sasha while stimulating his front. Despite living together for two years, their sexual desire hadn’t waned. The sight of Sasha’s back moving during penetration, his moans, and…

Karel withdrew and faced Sasha. Pulling his legs closer to him, Karel slowly re-entered Sasha, who reached out for him. Karel leaned over and kissed Sasha gently. Apologetically licking the lips he had tormented.

Suddenly, Sasha began to cry softly. Startled, Karel looked at him.

“Sasha, why are you crying? Did I go too far?”

“You seemed like a different person.”

Sasha buried himself in Karel’s embrace. Karel held him tightly and kissed his forehead.

“I’m sorry. You’re so resilient… not many could endure like you. I have a twisted preference. I love how you satisfy me. I’m sorry, forgive me.”

Sasha’s breathing soon calmed at Karel’s words. His face, with red eyes and flushed cheeks, was too tempting for Karel to resist, so he thrust deeply a few more times, their faces close together. Karel watched Sasha’s blinking eyes and trembling lips as he climaxed.

Afterwards, Karel held Sasha close. Sasha then asked something unexpected.

“No one else can endure like me?”

“Hmm?”

“Who did you do it with besides me?”

Karel, caught off guard by Sasha’s question, scrambled for a few excuses before simply pulling Sasha into a tight embrace. No matter how long ago it was, Karel knew better than to answer that tricky question truthfully.

Soon, a warm happiness began to spread through Karel’s heart.

This was jealousy.

However, if he pointed that out, Sasha would definitely deny it and get angry. It was best to leave Sasha unaware of his own jealousy. Without answering, Karel sat up and pulled Sasha’s ankle. Sasha looked up at Karel, confused by his sudden movement.

After fully feeling the warmth inside, Karel withdrew completely, then thrust back in deeply before Sasha’s entrance could close up. Repeating this several times made Sasha forget his question and simply moan. Then, lifting Sasha’s legs to fold him in half, Karel thrust his weight down. Despite the forceful penetration that felt like being struck from behind, Sasha clearly enjoyed it.

“Ah, aaah… Ugh, huff….”

Karel grabbed Sasha’s jaw and slid his thumb into his open mouth. Despite his usual distaste for the smell of aged leather, congealed blood, and meat chunks on Karel’s hands, Sasha, lost in pleasure, sucked on Karel’s thumb with thirsty eyes. Crushing Sasha’s tender lips and teeth with his hand, Karel thought:

‘My precious treasure.’

Even now, when the lover who once made his heart flutter with just a glance was entirely his, Karel wondered why he sometimes wanted to make Sasha cry. He wondered if he had always been abnormal or if Sasha had twisted something within him.

Karel kissed Sasha passionately. Trapped by Karel’s grip on his nape, Sasha had no choice but to endure Karel’s onslaught a while longer.

When Karel carried the exhausted Sasha to the bathroom to wash him up, he felt a twinge of embarrassment. The sight of Sasha in the small mirror on the wall was pitiful. It seemed beastly even to Karel, who had pounced on him immediately after returning home.

Feeling apologetic, Karel tried to wash Sasha carefully, but Sasha seemed a bit annoyed.

“I’ll just rinse off quickly with cold water.”

With that, Sasha left the bathroom, leaving Karel to prepare the hot water alone.

While Karel was enjoying his solitary bath, Sasha suddenly opened the bathroom door and shouted.

“Is that ours?”

Sasha, looking pale with surprise, was clearly referring to the phonograph. Karel’s heart swelled with satisfaction at Sasha’s unexpected delight.

“Yes, I bought it so you could listen to it at home. Do you want to try it out?”

Sasha wasted no time in hurrying out.

When Karel emerged after a while, he found Sasha lying on the table with music playing. When their eyes met, Sasha’s eyes curved into a smile.

“Thank you, Karel.”

Sasha fiddled with the phonograph for a long time.

Then, as Karel started preparing dinner, Sasha came up behind him and clung to him in gratitude. That small act made Karel’s heart ache with a piercing sweetness. Sasha had a habit of always returning Karel’s kindness, which sometimes made Karel inexplicably sad.

“Hey, before the Harvest Festival…”

Sasha responded with a small “Hm?” at Karel’s words.

“Would you like to stay at Julian’s for a few days?”

As the Harvest Festival approached, the Ludwig estate would host a grand party over several days, gathering the castle workers and their families. Last year, Sasha had felt out of place, like an invited guest at someone else’s family dinner, but had ultimately enjoyed it enough to reminisce about it often.

“Why suddenly?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to be with Julian than alone at home? The party preparations could be fun. You could talk to people….”

Sasha remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to go. Actually, Julian asked first. He was worried because you just sleep all the time at home… Ouch!”

Sasha pinched Karel’s cheek, making him yelp.

“You don’t like me being close to Julian.”

Sasha’s eyes sparkled mischievously, reminding Karel of a younger sibling causing trouble. Karel grumbled, feeling a bit guilty since it wasn’t entirely untrue.

“When did I? …Don’t make me look bad.”

Still, Karel thought it was better for Sasha to be with Julian than to be alone and depressed at home. While it was normal for a cat to sleep up to eighteen hours a day, it wasn’t healthy for a human. Karel was curious and concerned about how Sasha managed his time alone.

So, he planned to leave Sasha with Julian and ask how he was doing.

“Go with Julian, shop, get some money… You’re good at that, right? Ouch!”

This time, Sasha twisted Karel’s arm, his grip surprisingly strong and painful enough to bring tears to Karel’s eyes. But it was true, so Sasha muttered.

“Who are you calling a gold-digger….”

“Isn’t it true? You love money and presents. Even the phonograph… Ouch!”

Sasha kicked Karel’s calf.

During dinner, Sasha listed various concerns about staying at the Ludwig estate. From his tone, it seemed he had already decided to go. Since Julian had invited him, Sasha had no reason to hesitate and seemed ready to pack his bags immediately.

A few days later, Sasha boarded the carriage sent by the Ludwigs, with Karel seeing him off. Despite being excited all week, Sasha looked quite downcast when it was time to leave. With the coachman and attendant watching, Karel couldn’t kiss Sasha to comfort him, so he just waved and promised to see him in a week.

En dedans: Used of a circular ballet movement of arms or legs leading toward the body or of the position in which the toes are turned in.

En dehors: Used of a circular ballet movement of arms or legs leading away from the body or of the position in which the toes are turned out.