The story is about two childhood friends that were born with different society status, during the 1800's Western era. Saori sensei used symbolism to distinguish an unrequited love and if you want to find out about it, well take my suggestion that this manga is beautiful and dramatic, and it's memorable. Master-butler theme is one of sensei's fetishes. Tee~hee!
If you are a hardcore master-servant fanatic, I am sorry this won't be hardcore, but it's about master-servant relationship. What I really like about the characters is that, their characteristics were developed enough to fit in this one-volume manga. The uke may look like feminine so I'm warning the feminine-looking-uke- haters. *peace sign*
Laurent (Uke)
Laurent is a servant of Arthur's family since he was young. They grew up together and he is loved by Arthur's grandfather. He has a thing for gardening and his most loved flower is, the daffodil. As they were growing up, he realized that he love Arthur more than just a master. But because of their differences in status in the society, he suppressed his feelings for him.
He is known to have a green thumb. His passion for daffodils has something to do with his suppressed feelings. One day, Arthur got mad at him and he was raped. After that incident, Laurent never planted any daffodils at the manor. As years pass by, Laurent remains a loyal servant to Arthur. But how long will he stay by his side being just a servant?
When they were adults already, he met Carel Harcourt, who was attracted by the flowers he planted. They became good friends and he's been his love consultant after Arthur sent him away. While staying at this noble's manor, he worked as a gardener.
Laurent had been jealous of the former fiance of Arthur, Clarice. But because of him, his master can't take women, nor get tied with them. To show his love in a quiet way, he stayed by his side, and being needed is enough to live. He knows his master's feelings but he denies them, thinking that as long as they're master and servant, their love can never exist.
Laurent had been jealous of the former fiance of Arthur, Clarice. But because of him, his master can't take women, nor get tied with them. To show his love in a quiet way, he stayed by his side, and being needed is enough to live. He knows his master's feelings but he denies them, thinking that as long as they're master and servant, their love can never exist.
Age:
in his 20's
in his 20's
Citizenship:
European
Hair:
Long / Straight / Blonde
Physical Attributes and Personality:
He has a feminine face. Quite slender but not very tall. He is a meek type of person, very patient, and loves vibrant colors.
Activities/Hobbies:
He is the butler Arthur but before that he served Arthur's grandfather. Other than being a butler, he has a passion for gardening.
Arthur Randall (Seme)
Arthur is from a noble family whom Laurent serves. He would go for vacation at his grandfather's manor and that's where he would see Laurent. He loved watching him doing his gardening and the moments spent with him alone. He became too attach with the servant that he became possessive too. When he raped Laurent, it was because the latter chose to tend the flowers in the garden, which were destroyed by strong winds the night before (it's also possible that Arthur destroyed them a day before...), rather than leave with him for horse-riding. He threatened him that if he is ignored, he will destroy his garden. After that incident, he stopped being friends with Laurent, however, the person is always on his mind. Guilty and furious by what he did to his childhood friend, he knows he did it because of love, but a devastating truth - a love that can never be returned and which society won't accept.
He has a classmate, Carel, whom he used to talk about the beautiful gardener at his grandfather's manor. Years had passed and he asked Laurent to be his butler. This is in order to let him stay close to him. Laurent did everything he wanted and took care of him, like a good Butler of a noble family. When Carel found out about Laurent as the gardener he was talking about, the noble got close to his butler which got him jealous. That's because his friend can make Laurent smile again, while he can't.
During the death anniversary of his grandfather, Laurent and him met at the graveyard. They went back together and inside the horse stable, he confessed his feelings to him. It was an out front confrontation and Laurent gave him a rather painful reply, but decent enough for a servant could give his master. The next day, he told him that his job is finished in the Randall's household and told him to set off to his cousin's family after he trains the next butler, Hughs. When Laurent left, he couldn't live a day without him. He sought after him and saw his beloved with Carel. Carel talked to him and he was told that the nobleman is planning to bring Laurent with him to another place. If he can decide what to do with his previous butler, he should see him back at Carel's manor.
Later, he went to see Laurent and they spent a "sweaty" goodbye night. How far will he go for Laurent?
Age:
in his 20's
in his 20's
Citizenship:
European
Hair:
Short / Curly / Chestnut
Physical Attributes and Personality:
He is a stubborn, impatient, spoiled, but hardworking noble. He looks fit, very tall, and handsome. Towards Laurent, he is possessive of him.
Activities/Hobbies:
He was a young businessman that runs the family's fortune. (I think, but it was never mentioned what exactly his work. I just thought something simple as what's common during that era.) Later on, he decided to give up his title as a nobleman, sold his property, and became a private tutor at Carel's household in pursuit of Laurent.
Other Important Minor Characters:
Carel Harcourt (Seme)
Carel also came from a noble family and he was a former classmate of Arthur. He heard of Arthur's beautiful gardener and ever since then, he fell-in-love with the person thinking that it was a "girl". When they were much older, he bought a property which was nearby the Randal's property that's why he was able to roam around and one day, saw the beautiful gardener that Arthur had been talking about - and it was a man. He confessed to Laurent that he's in-love with him. Despite knowing that his beloved is in-love with his friend, he still helps him to live. Laurent lived at his house and later on, his family accepted Arthur as a tutor, where his home provided the two lovers their love-nest.
Hughs
He is a humble servant of Arthur's family. He is supposed to be the next butler of the house, but he gave his position to Laurent.
You can think whatever you want with the pics below:
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| *After Rape Moment* |
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| A Captured Moment of this couple... |
-E.N.D.-
I'm sorry that I've been busy again to put up new entries. But as I promise myself this year, even one entry every month, I have to do it! And it's Easter now, free from work and stressful days, yey! I also put up NEW SMILIES on my chatbox, so if you can look around there and leave me short messages, that would make my day. ^_^ As long as you're a YAOI Fan-Tee~Hee.
Happy
3 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation! I went and read this after stumbling upon this post. =)
I guess it's up to interpretation, but I thought that when Laurent and Arthur reunited in the end, it was at a different estate that Laurent chose to go to? As in, not Carel's. After Laurent leaves Carel, I believe his hair cut was to show how much time had passed. And it seems that the estate he was working at then wasn't Carel's, because Arthur had said "Laurent, I finally found you."
*after Laurent leaves Arthur
my bad!
HI xkizoku: Thanks for dropping by to talk to me about this manga. ^^
About the place in the end where they met, with Laurent already have a short hair, if you have recalled, Carel and Laurent met Arthur at the marketplace. Then Carel told Laurent to go back first to the carriage. Carel talked to Arthur and told him that he's planning to bring Laurent to his main man-house, that means to another estate where he really lives. If I remember it right, it's somewhere "North". After that Arthur visited Laurent at Carel's mansion, the one nearby Arthur's estate. And there, they made love. Laurent did not stay with Arthur because he had decided to work the garden at Carel's house from another place. To me it's obvious where Laurent will go and later on, where Arthur would met him.
I have considered that it must've been a different place as the old man said, a new tutor of the young master. But knowing that the setting of the place Arthur found Laurent was in the garden --- you can get lost looking for that place, too. So he said that he found him finally. ^_^
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