On a leisurely day, Kyle sat in his office, enjoying afternoon tea.

He pressed a button on the music player. Listening to the solemn opening strains, he picked up the now-empty album case – [BWV number 244]

This was one of Kyle’s favorite albums to listen to, even though he wasn’t religious or devout.

“Erbarme ser oh Jesus.”

Kyle didn’t know when he had started humming along to the chorus and felt extremely satisfied. He unconsciously waved his hand to the rhythm until he suddenly felt the tea in his cup spill onto his hand, making him open his eyes in surprise.

“Oh… How could I make such a mistake…”

Luckily, he had drunk most of it, so only a few drops spilled. However, when Kyle saw the tea dripping onto the open book beneath him, he quickly set the cup down and grabbed a tissue with a worried expression.

“Tsk tsk, my precious book…”

Kyle clicked his tongue as he carefully picked up an old yellow book that should have been preserved in a museum and gently wiped it with a tissue.

Just like this book, most of the books in this room were painstakingly collected by him. Among them were some books he wasn’t sure he could get again in the future. These books were truly priceless treasures. Recently, there was a book that made him extremely happy when he finally got his hands on it—

As that thought crossed his mind, Kyle’s face turned pale. The headache that had just subsided seemed to be returning.

Kyle had been so eager and couldn’t wait to receive the book from the broker that he had traveled all the way to distant Egypt and gone to Cairo to get it. It was only recently.

But now, that book was no longer in his hands.

“Oh, my book… ‘The blood-red eyes of Einer Meersch’…”

Thinking about it made him feel sick, and the face of the demon who had stolen that precious book appeared in his mind.

Every moment waiting for the book to return safely was like sitting on a bed of nails.

Moreover, he didn’t know if that person could find the book he longed for safely… No, before that…

Kyle placed the book in an empty spot and let out a long sigh.

At the same time.

The phone rang quietly.

He glanced at the phone and saw a familiar number displayed on the screen.

“Oh… what’s this guy up to again?”

Kyle turned down the volume of the player and answered. Soon, a familiar face appeared on the screen.

[“Hello. How are you?”]

“Same as always. What’s up? Any good news?”

[“Well, I just called to check on you. But if it’s good news, the joint training session just ended and the European idiots have finally returned, right?”]

“Haha, you’ve had a hard time.”

Kyle looked at his old friend’s face on the screen.

It seemed that the regular joint training session of the UNHRDO had just ended. The joint training sessions between the European and Asian branches were known to be tough, and the instructors certainly had to deal with many troublesome issues during that time.

However, this time, his friend, who was an instructor at the European branch, seemed to be in good spirits.

“It looks like things went well this time.”

[“Haha. Since there’s no longer any notorious lunatic around, it’s been quite peaceful”]

Kyle calmly smiled back at his friend, who was casually badmouthing someone else’s younger brother right in front of him.

“No issues are good. If that notorious lunatic wasn’t in my house, I’d be very happy with your good news.”

[“Haha, well, what can you do, it’s just how he was born. This world is quite fair, isn’t it?”]

That friend casually laughed and didn’t hesitate to make jabs. Unfortunately, Kyle couldn’t refute it either.

Kyle had a younger brother with a unique personality.

Humans can’t choose their family. Children can’t choose their parents, and parents can’t choose their children. The same goes for siblings.

Although he couldn’t choose, Kyle was very lucky to have been given extremely excellent parents. Putting aside the external factor of being born with a diamond spoon, he thought they were good parents.

However, humans can’t have everything, and to balance the good and bad, happiness and misfortune, Kyle was given a not-so-great younger brother.

His sister, on the other hand, was very smart, confident, and pretty. She met a decent man, got married, and now lives a happy life across the ocean with her husband and two beautiful daughters who look just like her. But the problem lay with the other younger brother.

That younger brother had been the biggest source of his suffering for many years. He had nearly died several times at his brother’s hands.

[“Haha, speaking of which, how’s Rick doing?”]

“No news is good news, so he must be doing well.”

[“Still in Dresden, right?”]

“Yes… I’m sure he won’t act recklessly there.”

Anywhere else, maybe, but not in Tarten. After all, the two families have had a long-standing relationship.

[Haha, is he really the type to consider such things? By the way, how’s my nephew, who just escaped from the tiger’s den and is leisurely wandering around? Is he doing well?]

“Huh? Ah… Taeil…”

Kyle suddenly choked up. The hesitation was brief, but his friend wasn’t someone who wouldn’t notice it.

[What’s wrong? Is something up? Is he hurt or sick?]

“No, no. He’s fine, healthy, and unharmed… At least he was when I last saw him a few days ago.”

[“A few days ago? What about now?”]

His friend asked suspiciously.

When Kyle was about to respond, a series of beeps sounded.

“Oh, I have another call. Wait a moment… Why is that kid calling at this hour?”

Kyle was about to put his friend on hold when he recognized the blue blinking numbers on the screen, and his brows furrowed reflexively.

It was his younger brother.

And Kyle could guess why his brother was calling at this time.

“That kid is probably coming to chew me out again. Stay with me so I can survive safely.”

[“What?”]

Kyle pretended not to see his friend’s puzzled face and pressed the button to synchronize the call.

As soon as the call connected, a dry, low voice spoke.

[“You let him come here.”]

Kyle could understand those sudden, context-less words very well.

“Oh, so you two finally met. Running into each other in that vast mansion is quite a feat. I thought if things went smoothly, you two would never see each other.”

[“Why did you let him come here in this situation? Have you lost your mind?”]

“I told you, I had no other intention except for the books. Chris stole my precious books, so I just asked him to find them for me. Do you know what that kid took? The first edition of Einer Meersch from 1908!”

He had gotten so caught up in the conversation that his emotions ran high, and by the time he finished, his voice had risen by a tone.

“Or you can take the books back from Chris and bring them to Taeil so he can bring them back to me.”

When Kyle calmed down and lowered his voice, the other end of the phone was silent for a moment. Looking back, his friend, whose face took up half the screen, was quietly listening to the conversation, nodding with a look of understanding, as if he finally grasped the context.

[“…I’ll burn that damn book.”]

Why did that low voice feel like needles pricking his ears? Every word was extremely clear.

Kyle nearly choked.

“Hey!!! That kid!!! Burn what?!”

[“If you didn’t want that, you shouldn’t have done this in the first place.”]

In contrast to Kyle’s voice, which was high enough to tear his throat, his younger brother spoke slowly and coldly.

Time passed. Only Kyle’s ragged breathing and the silence from the other end of the phone could be heard.

And his friend, who had been silent all this time, began to laugh. The laughter grew louder. The laughter was so hearty that it made Kyle uncomfortable.

“What’s so funny?”

[“Well, instead of funny… Isn’t my nephew doing too much for you?”]

His friend added cheerfully – [“Instead of letting him rest, you’re sending him to his death.”]

Indeed. Rarely did anyone criticize another for sending their nephew into the lion’s den with such a joyful tone. What kind of uncle is so heartless?

“Hey Changin. I can’t accept that criticism. I assure you, no one cares more about your nephew than I do.”

At least I can assure you that I care more about him than his biological uncle, who is smiling heartlessly from afar.

Though he had no way of knowing how much this friend of his truly cared about his nephew since he had never said anything, Kyle genuinely cared about Jeong Taeui. These days, it’s rare to find a young person who is both healthy, straightforward, and flexible like him. Besides, he felt like they were more like family than his own flesh-and-blood brother.

Just as Kyle proudly spoke about his close relationship with Jeong Taeui.

Suddenly, his words were interrupted by a scoff from somewhere.

His younger brother. With an expressionless face, he didn’t hesitate to laugh mockingly.

“…….”

Kyle was speechless.

His friend, who had been silent just now, seemed to have similar thoughts as him.

[“Well… it’s not that I want to deny your opinion, but perhaps your concept of ‘care’ isn’t quite the same as the ‘care’ in the dictionary.”] – Changin

[“Forcing others to do what you want.”] – Changin

His younger brother calmly agreed, nodding.

Though he had different thoughts, what they said wasn’t entirely wrong. Kyle fell into a gloomy mood. Only then did he realize he had done something terrible to Jeong Taeui.

He should have kept him away from the beast with sharp fangs for at least a few months, yet he had sent him straight into its mouth.

It was too late for a sincere apology from the bottom of his heart. Moreover, if he thought positively—

“Look, Changin, the safest place is the most dangerous place. If that kid is holding on like that, who else can touch Taeil?”

The person most capable of harming him would block all other small and trivial threats.

The whispered words seemed to be heard by his friend. He nodded with a cheerful expression.

[“Yes, I understand. Haha, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but it does put my mind at ease a bit.”]

Kyle felt a bit guilty when his friend added, [“I hope my poor nephew can live peacefully in the future.”]

But no matter what, the one who broke Jeong Taeui’s peace was his own blood relative.

“But Changin, please believe me. I really care about your nephew.”

[“Haha, alright.”]

Fortunately, his friend responded cheerfully as if believing Kyle. His younger brother had been silent; it was unknown if he believed Kyle’s words.

His friend, who had the spirit of a rock, suddenly spoke as if remembering something.

[“By the way, so Taeil is with Chris now?”] – Changin

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere fell into a brief silence.

While quietly contemplating the meaning behind those words, Kyle could only respond sorrowfully.

“…… I’m sorry……”

Chris. Christoph Tarten.

He used to be the second most notorious figure in T&R’s special forces. He was also the main character of the European version of Killing Field.

And Kyle was the one who threw Jeong Taeui to such a dangerous person. Although it was an unavoidable action, it was still full of guilt.

“But maybe it will be okay if it’s Taeil… it will be okay.”

Kyle repeated, though not very confidently. Anyway, Ilay was there too… He was speaking but stopped when he remembered Christoph.

Thinking about it, Christoph wasn’t just Ilay’s childhood friend. Although there was a significant age difference, due to family ties, they often met when young. Whenever there was a family event, big or small, they would attend.

Therefore, sometimes the children of the same age – specifically Ilay and his peers since they were the most – would gather to play (or fight) while Kyle, who was much older, would watch from the side.

Among them, Christoph was the most prominent. Even now, in Kyle’s memory, Christoph stood out the most among all the children, young and old.

It wasn’t just about his appearance. Although Christoph’s appearance was outstanding even as a child, that wasn’t the only thing etched in Kyle’s memory.

Occasionally, for a very brief moment, Kyle would catch a glimpse of it. The cold eyes looking at the other children just a step away seemed devoid of anything.

He couldn’t precisely grasp what it was. It felt like he could understand it, but when he touched it, it was just void. That was because Kyle didn’t have what the child had, and the child didn’t have what Kyle had.

However, in those unpredictable moments, that gaze, like a lightning bolt, still lingered in his heart, a gaze he couldn’t see.

So, Kyle wasn’t surprised when he occasionally heard news about Christoph. He often heard things like Christoph participating in a civil war as a mercenary and killing a few people or how he killed someone or resolved a problem, etc. Although he knew ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover,’ he still had extreme doubts in his heart.

Many were shocked when Christoph suddenly offered to donate his blood to a dying child he had never met, but Kyle nodded and said if it were Chris, he could. He might even offer his organs on the spot if needed. He was someone who could disembowel himself with an expressionless face. And he wouldn’t do it to do a good deed or for any reason, just on a whim.

Christoph could do that because he was someone with some things and without others, different from normal people from the start.

In that incomprehensible context, when sending Jeong Taeui off, Kyle thought he would be okay. If it were Jeong Taeui, he’d be okay.

“Alright. Taeil will be fine.”

At least Christoph wouldn’t harm him. Although there was no reason for it, Kyle believed so.

[“Well… if you say so, I have no choice but to believe it.”]

His friend, who had been quietly watching Kyle and listening to him, finally smiled and responded. Hearing those words from his old friend, Kyle felt relieved.

Yes, if it were Taeil, he’d be okay. Even if things weren’t okay, he’d somehow make them okay.

Moreover, although it might not be a blessing for Jeong Taeui, he had this monstrous younger brother beside him.

“Anyway, you’re there too. With you, Taeil has nothing to worry about.”

Kyle spoke to his younger brother as if nothing had happened. His friend squinted again.

Yes, he knew well. Indeed, the tongue has no bone, making it very flexible. Kyle felt his ability to justify had reached a new level.

But looking back at reality, he couldn’t help but sigh internally. His younger brother wasn’t someone who could sit calmly and communicate effectively.

As expected, there was no special reaction from his younger brother. He merely replied, dissatisfied – [“So troublesome”]

[“Pretending to be a good person is really troublesome.”] – Ilay

“Pretending to be a good person? Did something happen to Taeil?”

Kyle added, “If something happened, he must have been caught up in it. Taeil wouldn’t cause trouble first.” But his younger brother didn’t answer, only slowly tapping the table as if deep in thought. After a few seconds, his fingers stopped.

[“No… nothing happened. He likes sweet faces, so that guy isn’t his type at all.”]

Answering vaguely, Kyle hurriedly asked, “Hmm?”

He frowned but then fell silent. His friend also raised an eyebrow, seemingly thoughtful but said nothing more.

He likes sweet faces… could it be…

Kyle followed the direction of the conversation and reached an extremely far-fetched conclusion. He quickly shook his head like crazy.

Jeong Taeui might be a bit unlucky, but surely his taste in people wasn’t that bad. He didn’t think he’d pour oil on the fire.

Anyway, now he could only stand by and watch. So he hoped he’d return safely.

As Kyle prayed silently, his younger brother clicked his tongue and said:

“It’s troublesome, but there’s no other way. But you’d better give up the idea of that book coming back safely.”

Leaving those harsh words, Ilay hung up immediately. And with that, Kyle’s peace ended.

“HEY, DON’T TOUCH THAT BOOK, DON’T TOUCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Kyle shouted repeatedly in vain, but only his echo replied.

Unlike Kyle, who seemed surrounded by a storm, his friend calmly said:

[“It seems even the ordinary things have changed lately? Sometimes it’s good to have siblings call and check on each other.”]

He had never found his friend’s laughter more annoying.

“Hey, my friend. Einer Mirsch… That’s the first edition of Einer Meersch…”

“Well, my Einer Meersch is safely in a safe. You should try to protect yours carefully too.”

His friend had never been more irritating. Kyle thought maybe he was secretly happy about his misfortune.

Now, all he could do was wait for Jeong Taeui to complete the task and return safely.

[End]