A Gentleman's Rules for Secretly Loving Someone

The sweet Western fantasy novel The Forest Farm of Xivi is now available too. Come give it a read! * Bittersweet secret crush, comforting everyday-life story Blurb Percy has had a crush on Erich for years. At last, he works up the courage to invite his crush to stay at his estate for a vacation. Spending time with Erich makes him both happy and troubled. He pours all the love he can't bring himself to confess into his diary. "I was peeking at Erich when he nearly caught me. I quickly lowered my head and stirred my tea, so I got away with it." "It was raining hard, and my hand was cold. Erich's body was warm. When my chest rested against his back, I trembled because my heart was beating too fast." "I want to take his arm openly and dance a ballroom dance with him, but that's a privilege reserved for ladies. We're like two parallel lines that can never cross, only brushing past each other when partners are exchanged." "I love him, but I can't say it aloud. I don't want to lose the only place I have in his life, as his friend." The secret love takes root in the pages of the diary and grows into a sturdy tree, heavy with feelings that taste bittersweet on the tongue. As the diary grows thicker with each passing page, the spring vacation is drawing to a close. Percy puts his feelings in order and prepares to bid Erich farewell, but Erich decides to stay. "The scenery here is beautiful, and I'd love to stay longer. Would you let me stay indefinitely?" Erich's clear blue eyes, like glass beads, are filled with Percy. "I would." Percy's voice trembles, and the living heart in his chest beats along with his soul. I would. The estate gates and my heart are both open to you, for as long as you like. After staying, Erich starts acting a little strangely. His gaze is always tender and affectionate. As they roll down a hillside, his fingertips brush Percy's nape, sending a shiver through him. And then there's that almost-kiss on the cheek... For the first time, Percy writes a hesitant, perplexed question in his diary. "Could Erich like me?" *Reader's guide 1. A sweet romance, one-on-one, both are each other's only one, happy ending. 2. A slow-paced, everyday story with a Western pastoral atmosphere. A friend described it as feeling like a slow, old movie. 3. The cover was specially commissioned, and other commissioned art will be used in its place too. An illustration is expected to be added around the end of May. 4. Wishing everyone happiness every day. Upcoming novel Xivi inherits an abandoned farm left to him by his unreliable parents. It sits at the edge of a monster forest, with dwarves, goblins, and witches for neighbors. An adventuring party even drops by to ask for a place to stay now and then. The farm is huge and there's too much work to do. After half a month of working himself dizzy, he's only managed to plow two acres. This can't go on. Xivi decides to hire someone to help with the farmwork. After putting up countless flyers and running job ads in the local paper, the first applicant to show up with a flyer is... a dragon?! Xivi fingers the two silver coins in his pocket, wondering whether he can afford to hire a silver dragon. The silver dragon tentatively says, "I hope to be paid two blueberry pies, a plate of butter-fried steak, mushroom-stewed quail, and a basket of crisp little rolls to dip in cream soup every day." Xivi relaxes his grip on the coins. That sounds pretty manageable, actually? Both sides agree without a word that they're getting a great deal. The silver dragon eats a lot, but works hard too. After just three days, he has plowed ten acres, stacked a mountain of firewood in the backyard, and cleaned up the livestock shed. One dragon can handle all the work. Xivi kneads dough in the kitchen and bakes crisp little rolls. Having a dragon do the work is wonderful! With the silver dragon's help, Xivi finally has time to go into town to deliver raspberry pies to the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Light, ask the forest goblins to gather mushrooms, and attend the village's harvest festival... Xivi's farm flourishes. Suppliers come from far and wide to buy its produce, adventuring parties are happy to share their stories here, and all kinds of nonhuman neighbors drop by for a visit. But one silver dragon secretly gets jealous. "Xivi's blueberry pies aren't just for me anymore." Xivi gently strokes his forehead. "Austin, are you trying to sweet-talk me?" The silver dragon's face turns bright red in an instant. He decides not to speak to his bold human lover for the next ten minutes. *Reader's guide 1. Western fantasy farming and everyday life, focused entirely on farming and food. 2. Lots and lots of fantasy species. What's Western fantasy without a whole bunch of them? Theme: What stays in your heart will find its way back to you