…….And in his cowardice, under the oppressive pressure of authority, Hans silently forwarded Christoph some videos that Richard had sent him.

Out of curiosity about what those videos actually contained, he secretly opened one to watch. But halfway through, a young and handsome man suddenly appeared, crying with tears and snot streaming down his face, pleading: “Please! Please put it in! Please shove that huge thing inside me! Deeper! Harder! Please!! I’m really going crazy!!!” Truly, no words could describe it. Though he didn’t know what had happened before, the sight of that man restrained by devices, his hips spread wide open, trembling uncontrollably, made Hans quickly turn it off.

How horrifying.

He felt guilty and uneasy, thinking Christoph might see this as just a ‘normal’ and ‘common’ video. But swallowing his own cowardice and weakness – unable to speak the truth – Hans decided he would never watch those videos again and deleted them from his forwarding history.

‘Sorry, Christoph.’

‘But don’t blame me entirely, okay?’

‘If I had to justify it……. at that age, not having even basic knowledge is also a problem…….’

“Anyway, the most important thing is still one’s own decision. It’s a personal choice.”

Someone at the next table spoke up.

“You’re already an adult with a sound mind. No matter what you choose or do, it’s not for others to gossip about.”

“Ah, I completely agree. Just, as long as everything is mutually agreed upon between the involved parties and no one gets hurt, then it’s fine.”

“Of course. What’s there to worry about? As long as it’s not something like rape.”

The added remark, meant as a joke, made the whole group burst into laughter. Though it was just a metaphorical comparison, those buzzing discussions still felt like arrows shooting straight into Hans’ ears.

And at the same time, echoing in his mind like a hallucination, was Himmel’s trembling voice: “Oh God, Hans, that was rape!”

“No way……. Richard wouldn’t go that far, would he? Even if his tastes are a bit strange, forcing someone else…….”

“It’s true. He covered Christoph’s mouth. Christoph kept crying and struggling, but he still held him down—if that’s not rape, then what is? Unable to scream, unable to speak, silenced and forced to endure that!”

Now, with those memories relentlessly echoing in his head, Hans set down his fork. Today’s lunch was schnitzel*, one of his favorites, but now his appetite was completely gone.

What should he do…….?

If……. if because of those videos he deliberately ignored and forwarded, Christoph absorbed distorted knowledge, leading to crimes being condoned—then what kind of responsibility would he bear…….

As he tried to wash down the schnitzel chunks that now felt like they were twisting in his stomach with water, the cafeteria door swung open, and Christoph walked in…….. Hans nearly spat out his drink.

It was the first weekend, so Christoph had come to Dresden.

The sparkling exterior, worthy of the Tarten family’s luxurious mansion, seemed never to change with time. Sunlight poured through the window behind him, casting a radiant glow that created a striking contrast, making the entire scene even more dazzling.  

It seemed he hadn’t slept last night, his face was pale, his eyes red, and swollen, yet he was still astonishingly beautiful.  

…….Pale face, reddened eyes……. Now that looked closely, even the way he sat down seemed sluggish and awkward, as if his body was uncomfortable somewhere.  

When Himmel looked at Christoph from across the room, his expression darkened. And so did Hans’.  

A week after sending those videos, during a business trip to Berlin, Hans happened to run into Christoph. “You—are those videos really normal—”, he began, then abruptly stopped, his face darkening. Every time he recalled that image, his heart – his conscience – twisted painfully.  

“Uh……. well……. listen, that kind of thing really depends on personal tastes and preferences, so you don’t have to take those videos as any kind of standard…….”

“Yeah, whatever……. compared to some of the things in there, that guy was……. still pretty tame……. yeah…….”

Christoph muttered dejectedly, as if talking to himself, and hearing those words made Hans’ heart grow even heavier.  

Just what were ‘some of the things’ he was referring to? Judging by how Richard had arranged the order, the first video Hans had accidentally opened was probably the *’mildest’ and ‘gentlest’ content available.  

“Uh—, well—……. are you okay?”

Hans hesitated for a long while before finally daring to ask. Christoph pursed his lips, clicked his tongue, then nodded reluctantly.

“Well……. it’s bearable, I guess. And if it really gets too much……. there’s still another way.”

“Another way?”

“Yeah. Just found out recently……., ……. It’s not exactly comfortable either, but if things get unbearable, it’s still usable.”

“? What way is,”

But just then, someone called Christoph, so Hans never got to hear the answer.

Though curious, at least knowing that he had a “last resort” eased Hans’ conscience somewhat…….

…….But.

Even so, watching that delicate, beautiful young man—regardless of the truth—sitting there dazed with a face so pale he looked about to faint, Hans still felt partly responsible, and his conscience ached again.

As Hans rubbed his vaguely aching stomach and guiltily poked at the innocent schnitzel on his plate, Richard walked into the dining hall.

The man looked hurried, as if he’d been searching everywhere for his runaway lover, but upon spotting Christoph, his steps gradually slowed.

Perhaps Richard had been working in the office all morning, only returning to the bedroom at lunchtime to find the person he’d expected to still be in bed already gone. His eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them. Hans hastily shoved something, he wasn’t even sure if it was schnitzel anymore, into his mouth.

“Why did you go alone? I said I’d help you.”

“Don’t treat me like some cripple. I can walk on my own.”

Richard looked down at Christoph – who answered in an irritated tone – then nodded. As he sat beside him, his gaze suddenly shifted to Hans.

“Ah, Hans.”

Hans startled, lifting his head: “Huh? Yeah?” Richard immediately said:

“I’ve finished handling the important matters. The rest can wait. I’m taking the afternoon off.”

So that’s why he’d been working so hard all morning. Hans gave a vague nod. Just then, Christoph spoke up:

“I’m going horseback riding.”

Richard studied Christoph intently—as if anticipating that this leisurely afternoon might lead to something troublesome.

“In this condition?”

His voice was gentle, laced with genuine concern. Christoph pressed his lips together. Richard watched, then nodded.

“Fine. If you really want to. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden the bridle path—might as well join you.”

“The bridle path……. you……. chasing after me?”

Christoph sneered. Richard smiled unperturbed.

“Normally it might be difficult, but given your current condition, I just might catch you.”

“——Go ahead and try. You won’t even catch sight of my horse’s tail.”

“That confident? You must really believe in yourself.”

And he had every right to be. Hans had never seen a better rider than Christoph. Christoph scoffed through his nose, as if Richard’s words were laughable.

“Want to bet on it?”

Richard stirred his soup casually as he spoke.

The moment the word ‘bet’ was mentioned, Christoph flinched reflexively before glaring at Richard.

“…….On the bridle path?”

Richard nodded. Christoph let out another derisive “Hmph”, equal parts surprised and amused, then lifted his chin defiantly.

“What do I get if I win?”

“Anything you want.”

“…….I want to sleep undisturbed tonight.”

The master of the Tarten empire – a man who could shake the world if he wished – offering anything, and all Christoph demanded was a single night of peace!

Hans nearly choked up with emotion at that simple yet pitiful wish.

“Very well.”

Richard agreed cheerfully, then looked at Christoph.

“And if I win? What will you give me?”

Christoph froze abruptly. After all, the wager needed to be of equal stakes.

He sat there silently, glaring fixedly at Richard, when suddenly he noticed a smile blooming on Richard’s lips.

“Worried?”

“——Horseback riding? Don’t make me laugh.——Fine. I’ll do anything you want too. Stay up all night, whatever.”

Christoph declared with a fierce expression. Richard nodded calmly and resumed eating his soup. Christoph also began his lunch with combative energy.

And as he watched them…….

“…….”

Hans said nothing. Before Richard’s cheerful demeanor, he couldn’t utter a word.

Hans knew full well Christoph’s current physical condition was poor, his favorite warhorse had been poisoned by weeds during a walk and was still suffering stomach pains, while the ideal riding path – where Christoph could showcase his galloping skills – had been closed since last week to prepare for the late autumn hunt…….

‘…….Why do I feel like I’m witnessing a scam? And why do I still not dare to speak up? In my cowardice, Christoph is being cornered without even realizing it.’

Himmel shot a glance with a grim expression. The rigid look on his face made Hans fear he might actually go to the police. This only tormented Hans more.

Though not entirely convinced by Himmel’s cries of ‘rape’, the increasingly clear evidence deepened his suspicions.

Can a con artist become a rapist? Crime often begets crime. And those who enable it – whether bystanders, accomplices, or instigators – are all complicit.

“——”

Hans dropped his fork. The schnitzel fragments in his stomach seemed to dance.

“Something wrong, Hans?”

Richard asked curiously, wearing his usual considerate and kind demeanor. That very trustworthy appearance only pained Hans more.

“No, my stomach is a bit……. Excuse me.”

In the end, Hans stood up and left the table. His weak conscience felt needled.

*************

His stomach, which had somewhat calmed thanks to medication and a large bowl of cabbage juice, suddenly churned violently again when he saw Christoph return from the horseback ride in the late afternoon with a terrifyingly frozen expression, furiously throwing away his riding crop.

Behind Christoph – who tore off his riding gloves and threw them to the ground before storming into the West Wing – Richard followed at a leisurely pace.

Just one look at their expressions and postures told the whole outcome. No, the moment Richard mentioned ‘the bet’, the conclusion had been predetermined. Unless intentionally letting himself lose, Richard wasn’t the type to be defeated in any competition.

Though Christoph must have understood this too, the very nature of the game had trapped him.

“…….”

Hans drained the glass of cabbage juice prepared since noon. They say cabbage juice is good for the stomach, so why isn’t it working?

Out of the last remnants of his conscience, he had tried to keep Richard in the office all afternoon. By claiming there were extremely urgent matters that had to be handled today, he forced Richard to sit at his desk after returning from the ride.

…….But the night is long. Even after piling up urgent work before him – Hans wanted to add non-urgent matters too but feared Richard would notice immediately – it wasn’t enough work to last until late at night. At best, he could keep him occupied until evening, but the night…….

Hans stared blankly at the darkening sky as sunset faded. Far away in the garden, Himmel sat listlessly. Though he couldn’t see his face clearly, the man’s slumped posture on the bench showed that this upright man was also drowning in distress.

“…….”

That’s right, it couldn’t be denied.

No matter what excuses one might make, even if one could turn a blind eye to the rigged bet, rape was absolutely unforgivable.

The guilt of having unwittingly facilitated Richard’s deception weighed heavily on Hans, and as another wave of stomach pain struck violently, he abruptly stood up.

He had to confront Richard. He didn’t know how the man would react, but at the very least, he couldn’t ignore such a crime.

He had to speak up!

Before his resolve could cool, Hans hurriedly left the room and headed straight for the office.

“Richard!”

Hans burst through the door with a loud call. And……. an empty room greeted him.

“Huh…….?”

His steps slowed in bewilderment as he entered the vacant office. He should have acted while his blood was still hot – hesitation would only weaken his resolve. Clicking his tongue in frustration, Hans approached the desk. Papers still lay scattered across its surface; Richard couldn’t have gone far.

Hans thought to himself that perhaps Richard had gone to the restroom. His eyes scanned the desk, then suddenly widened in shock.

“Almost finished……. you damned monster…….”

An ordinary person would have had to stay up all night to complete this amount of work, but for Richard, it only took until early night. Yet who would have thought he’d nearly finished before night had even fully fallen?

After clicking his tongue, Hans sank into the sofa by the window. He could only hope Richard would return before his resolute heart began to waver.

Outside the window, he could hear children’s laughter. When turning to look, he saw the candidates selected as next-generation successors disembarking from their carriage after extracurricular lessons. They giggled, their faces flushed with excitement.

Suddenly, Hans was reminded of his own childhood, when he’d been their age. Back then, Richard and Christoph had been like that too. Though not particularly close, the bond between Tarten disciples had still been intact. From then until now…….

“…….”

If only everyone could be happy—Hans sincerely wished for that.

After all, they were both his sworn cousins, both his friends. No matter whom he favored more, he still wished them both well. Because at the very least, he never wanted one person’s happiness to be built upon another’s suffering.

But rape?……. Richard?……. with Christoph?…….

Even now, he still couldn’t believe it.

Hans knew full well how obsessively Richard had loved Christoph. Every weekend Christoph came to Dresden, every time Richard visited Berlin, gifts piled up – this time it seemed he’d even commissioned a special present just for Christoph – he devoted all his free time to Christoph without showing the slightest weariness.

From Hans’ perspective, Richard sometimes seemed like a madman. Yes, truly a madman.

As long as he completed his work properly – and truth be told, trying to stop him was pointless – Hans let him be, but he was indeed a capable lunatic.

“He wasn’t like this before…….”

Hans sighed and muttered to himself.

Back when Richard was entangled with rumors about women, he’d never been this way. Though criticized for his slightly unconventional sexual tastes, he’d never cut into his own time to obsess over someone like this. He always kept ample time for himself first, then allocated what remained to meet them in moderation. Back then, he always appeared cold and perfectly self-possessed.

Who could have imagined he’d become this fanatical, chasing one person relentlessly for years on end…….

“…….”

If he looked closely, there was actually a hint of envy…….

While absentmindedly gazing at the sky, Hans shook his head in denial.

He hoped it wasn’t true. He prayed it wasn’t rape. He wished Himmel was mistaken. He wished it so badly.

“Where on earth has he gone that he’s taking so long to return?”

Hans drew the now pitch-black window curtains, then stood up and approached the desk to organize the completed documents. The remaining work would probably only take twenty or thirty minutes to finish, so he might as well tidy up what was already done first.

As he carefully sorted the files and documents, Hans picked up a stack of folders intending to open a drawer when he suddenly tilted his head: “Huh?” The storage room key was missing.

Turning to look, he saw the key still sticking conspicuously in the storage room door.

“Good grief, how could he be so careless…….”

Hans, clicking his tongue, walked toward the storage room.

This small room adjacent to the office was packed with all kinds of important documents under strict management. Not only did it require a key but also a passcode to open, yet regardless, one shouldn’t treat the key so carelessly.

“Who would do such a thing……. Oh for heaven’s sake”

Irritated, Hans clicked his tongue again: “It’s even left wide open.” The door opened easily with just a light pull.

“Could documents have been leaked?”

Hans entered the storage room with growing anxiety. As he stepped into the space cramped with filing cabinets, he suddenly startled: “Oh?”

From deep inside, a faint light flickered weakly. Someone seemed to be in there……. Ah, was it Richard?

Just as Hans was about to walk toward the light.

At that very moment.

“——”

A sound echoed.

A tiny noise, like the whimper of a young animal.

Just a fleeting whisper of sound, yet it rooted Hans to the spot.

What was that?

What is this?

What is this ominous premonition?

His legs froze, completely immobile.

In the silence so profound he could hear cold sweat trickling, slowly, gradually, sounds from within began to emerge.

“——Seems you’ve held out for quite a while. All afternoon……. Haha, impressive. Soaked through already.”

“——”

Another whimpering sound, like a puppy’s sob, mingled with the wet, rhythmic sounds of liquid disturbance.

The voice was all too familiar. Familiar enough to terrify.

Hans turned his head inch by inch, his neck joints cracking audibly. He truly didn’t want to look, yet when confronted with a horrifying scene, one must witness it firsthand to overcome the terror,  so his gaze instinctively sought the narrow gaps between the filing shelves.

Through the gap between the cabinet compartments, there was a faint shadow of a person flickering. In the flickering light, the first thing that caught the eye was……. a pale white buttocks. And a large hand was gripping it tightly.

That hand was slowly swaying and pulling out something that had been deeply embedded between the crevice of the buttocks.

“――You crazy bastard, damn it,”

Choked sobs burst out in broken words. Right after that, a “Haha” laugh echoed in response.

“I’m just claiming the reward for the winner of the bet, so there’s no need to talk like that. Asking you to keep this inside you all afternoon isn’t such a big deal, is it? I originally planned to demand something even more outrageous, but I held back at this level out of consideration for you. Don’t your words make me feel hurt?”

“This thing, and you call it a gift?”

“Why not? You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. You were clenching it so tightly that even pulling it out took forever and it still wouldn’t come out easily.”

Along with the laughter, the large hand thrust the object it had just pulled out back between the buttocks. A low groan, sounding like a stifled cry, escaped.

And so, that object was slowly pulled out again, dripping wet and glistening. It turned out to be a dildo shaped exactly like a genital organ. Just a fleeting glance at it was enough to make anyone instinctively flinch at its enormous size. That oversized dildo, though it had already been pulled out quite far, still had its tip buried deep inside the body.

‘…….Lately, do dildos look this realistic, even with the veins standing out so clearly?’ – Hans thought to himself with a bored expression, and right at that moment,

“You nuts, …….disgusting, …….it’s as if, as if you’re still—still inside me, disgusting,”

“You noticed, huh? That’s right. I had it molded from my own thing to make one with the exact same shape. Even the texture was carefully crafted to feel completely real. And anyway, all the effort I put into stuffing my own thing into you every weekend wasn’t wasted—you even recognized the similarity.”

‘…….So that’s how it is. He once said he was preparing a special gift, and it turns out to be this.’

Hans could only remain silent, his face gradually contorting.

“You can’t help but like it, can you? That’s why you couldn’t stand it anymore and ended up running here, right? So, how is it? Are you satisfied? Tell me, Christoph.”

“――.”

“Tell me.”

The voice mixed with the laughter of the other man——Richard pressed again, and at the same time, he thrust the dildo in harder. The sound of sloshing water echoed, followed by the choked swallowing of a sob.

It seemed Christoph stubbornly kept his mouth shut, as if refusing to speak, but as the dildo moved in and out dozens of times accompanied by wet sounds, he finally let out broken words.

“…….It’s like,”

Panting breaths mixed with the words coming from Christoph, who was lying face down on the small table, his back pinned so tightly by the person above him that he couldn’t move. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that his wrists were tied behind his back with his own shirt.

“It’s like, I’m doing it with you, ――when reading a book, when eating dinner, when talking to others, always, always, as if you, are inside――,”

Richard chuckled softly. The hand pressing down on his back caressed it as if in praise. Christoph’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“Yeah, it seems you’ve kept your promise very well. Your front is all hard and swollen now.”

The hand slid from his back down to the front. Christoph flinched as his groin was gripped tightly.

“――You, told me not to do it myself,”

“Yeah, good boy. If I found out you’d done it alone, I would’ve gotten mad…….You like it that much? It’s already leaking and wet just from a touch.”

Christoph clenched his teeth tightly. His face couldn’t possibly get any redder. Suddenly, Richard bit his cheek and then kissed his lips. No, calling it a kiss wouldn’t be quite right—it was more accurate to say he was biting and tearing at them. During this, the hand holding the dildo continued to thrust in and out slowly and relentlessly, even picking up speed.

“Stop it, you lunatic, I can’t take it anymore, I don’t want to,”

“Christoph. Christoph. …….What should I do? I really want to devour you. I want to eat you up completely, down to your very bones, leaving nothing behind—I can’t hold back anymore.”

As if matching his violently whispered words, Richard bit and tore at Christoph’s cheeks, lips, and neck. Each time, Christoph’s body jolted sharply.

Then, at one point,

“How about I thrust straight in like this?”

Richard gently traced the entrance, already stretched full by the dildo, with his finger, then softly slipped the tip of his finger into that tight opening while whispering. Christoph’s body stiffened, accompanied by the sound of him swallowing a choked breath.

“I want to push more in like this――I want to go inside too.――I want to join in together.”

“…….No, …….I don’t want to, I can’t,”

A trembling voice laced with fear leaked out faintly, but that sound was immediately cut off by Richard’s low, assertive declaration.

“It’s fine. It’s been stretched this much already, so it’s enough…….Look, right now, it’s twitching inside as if even adding another finger still wouldn’t be enough…….Haha, even your thing is harder than it was before, Christoph.”

“No, I don’t want to, don’t,”

“I want to go in.”

A small *Click* from the belt buckle sounded ominously. It seemed Christoph’s face grew even paler.

“Ri, Richard, don’t,”

Christoph suddenly opened his mouth in panic, but he couldn’t finish his words. Richard’s large hand unhesitatingly clamped down over his mouth. Christoph’s eyes widened in terror.

Richard leaned in, almost pressing himself fully onto Christoph, and positioned the tip of his own penis—at the entrance still occupied by the dildo. He began rubbing slowly, as if intending to widen that opening even further. The genital organ pressing against the already tightly stretched entrance, occupied by the oversized dildo, looked like a gleaming weapon, ready to tear the pale body beneath it in two.

Christoph thrashed beneath Richard’s weight. But Richard kept his hand firmly over Christoph’s mouth, not budging an inch. On his face, as he looked down at Christoph, was an expression like that of a wild beast.

“――! ――――!!”

Tears streamed down from those large, round eyes. Christoph shook his head frantically, as if trying to say something while struggling, but the hand clamping his mouth didn’t waver in the slightest.

Richard lowered his head and began licking those tears with a mesmerized fascination. His eyes glinted with cruel delight, no different from a predatory beast about to devour its tender prey.

Richard stared intently into the pleading blue eyes, then kissed Christoph’s eyelids. And at the very moment the hand gripping the dildo exerted a slight force,

“Ri, Richard…….! LIKE THIS, YOU CAN’T…….!”

The one who let out that scream, wrenched with immense difficulty from the depths of his throat, was Hans.

With that shout, everything abruptly came to a halt.

Movement. Sound. Signs. Even breathing.

Everything.

“No, you can’t, Richard. I don’t know about the other stuff, but rape is something that should never happen between people.”

Hans was standing behind the filing cabinet, even turning his back, struggling to stammer out each word with a voice choked as if strangled.

‘What should I do, should I turn around, or rush in――save――him?’ – Up until now, though Hans had countless headaches from working with Richard, he had never been so fiercely tormented in such a short span of time.

‘What should I do, what should I do’ – While Hans was agonizing over his thoughts, his sideways glance caught the image of Christoph with his mouth clamped shut, tears streaming from those large round eyes. ――Indeed, the tragic beauty of a beautiful person carried a powerful impact.

Unable to hold back, Hans instinctively shouted, and that shout brought everything there to a standstill.

‘Oh, I’m done for. I actually did it. But at least I managed to stop a crime scene…….’

Hans, with the chaotic mess of thoughts in his head, was silently thinking this when,

It seemed that very moment of surprise caused Richard’s hand to loosen slightly. Christoph twisted his body, finally breaking free from the hand that had been covering his mouth.

It was as if Richard no longer had the presence of mind to notice anything else; he didn’t even bother turning to look at Hans. As though unwilling to let this fleeting opportunity slip away, Christoph hurriedly whispered:

“…….Y–ou*.”

(*This part I’m not sure about either—whether it’s 랑해 for “I love you” or 구해 for “Save me.”)

His voice was so choked that at first, it was impossible to tell what he was saying. But then the words that followed spilled out in a rush:

“I love you. Richard. I love you……. Please, because of that,”

Before that powerful hand could cover his mouth again, Christoph kissed its palm. Over and over, like a puppy gently licking its mother.

Richard, who had just turned a menacing glare toward Hans, froze mid-motion and then turned back. He looked down at Christoph with a hesitant, somewhat flustered expression, then clicked his tongue.

“Hurry up, …….not this thing, but you, …….you go in. ――Just you. Besides you, I don’t want anything else. Just you, ――please……. I love you.”

While the hand about to cover his mouth hesitated, Christoph kept kissing it, accompanied by fervent pleas.

Richard, who had been glaring down at Christoph with a ferocious look, suddenly gritted his teeth and growled softly.

“You’re quite clever, Christoph.”

That large hand, instead of covering his mouth, gradually shifted to roughly caress Christoph’s pale cheek.

“I was planning to toy with you a bit more, but like this――I can’t hold back any longer.”

“I know you did it on purpose,” – Richard muttered with a click of his tongue, then pulled the dildo out with his other hand. Almost simultaneously, the erect, swollen penis that had been rubbing nearby immediately took its place, thrusting deeply inside.

“――!”

Christoph swallowed a choked breath.

*Fwop――* The sound of flesh colliding mixed with wet noises reverberated against the eardrums. Right after, rapid panting and moans intertwined. It was impossible to tell whose mouth those sounds came from. Because the two of them were pressed tightly together, lips against lips, as if trying to bite and devour each other.

Before long, the sloshing sounds grew more intense. The noises mingled with cries grew louder.

“Please, …….please hurry, …….faster, all this time, all afternoon, it’s been like you’re inside me, I’m going crazy,……. I love you.”

The breathless words came out in broken bursts. Then finally, only the faint, drawn-out whispers remained: “I love you, I love you,” as if they were a mantra to make his desires come true.

Richard let out a ferocious growl.

“Shut your mouth before I cover it again. Don’t keep testing my patience. I want to stay inside here as long as possible.”

“――Please, I’m, going crazy,”

Perhaps after that, his mouth was covered once more. Only the sound of gasping sobs mixed with the growling breaths of a wild beast echoed.

Amid those heated, vivid sounds that are so intense that the banging of – the table or the filing cabinet, or something else – became distant and vague, Hans felt as though his own sanity was gradually slipping away.

Though his reason no longer functioned smoothly, he still recognized that something was terribly wrong. A horrific suspicion slowly crawled up his spine――that his attempt to prevent a crime from the start might have veered off course, a belated realization indeed.

“――――.”

How much time had passed, it felt like a fleeting moment, yet also an endlessly terrifying eternity. After that ferocious period, the low growls and cries reached their peak, and then, immediately afterward, the heat of that storm dissipated as if it had never existed, returning to the initial stillness. As the air gradually cooled bit by bit,

“Don’t pass out so soon, Christoph. We still have a long way to go.”

Upon hearing Richard’s calm yet menacing whisper, Hans flinched and hunched his shoulders – perhaps Christoph did too – and silently turned to leave.

‘No good. I have to get out of here. I have to leave this place right now. Otherwise, I don’t know how far my own mind will crumble.’

Hans struggled to lift his stiff, nearly immobile body, forcing himself to crawl out of the filing cabinet room, his mind shrouded in a distant fog,

‘――What the hell have I done.’

‘――From now on, I’ll probably be tormented to death by Richard.’

‘――That bastard Richard, that vile, depraved, disgusting, perverted jerk…….’

And similar laments kept surfacing in his mind.

**************

*Schnitzel: A thin, breaded and fried cutlet, usually made of veal, pork, or chicken—a common dish in German-speaking countries.