Christoph Tarten visited the mansion about eight months after leaving for Saudi Arabia.

That day was also when most members of the Tarten family with direct lineage gathered at the mansion. Those who were unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances at least sent luxurious gift boxes along with congratulatory cards.

It was the new owner’s first birthday since the Tarten mansion changed hands.

In everyone’s mind, the absolute authority over the Tarten mansion still belonged to the former master, known as ‘Sir’ Adolf Tarten, but that power was gradually shifting into the hands of the new owner. And that day was his birthday.

On the day the Tarten family gathered for their annual reunion, when Christoph Tarten set foot in the mansion, many people, though not showing it openly, appeared surprised.

The butler hid his surprise and greeted him, while Christoph bluntly asked instead of offering a greeting.

“Where is he?”

Just as the butler was about to answer while taking the bag from Christoph’s hand, Chris noticed a few faces appearing on the landing of the central staircase, making a reply unnecessary.

“Oh, Chris. You’ve arrived.”

An old man, slowly descending the stairs while chatting with someone beside him, spoke up when he saw Christoph standing in the hall. The man supporting the old gentleman also turned to look at Christoph.

That man was Richard Tarten, the new owner who had taken over the mansion after the old master.

Richard’s and Christoph’s eyes met.

He briefly widened his eyes for a moment, then immediately spoke calmly.

“I thought you wouldn’t come since there was no word from you. Thank you for coming, Christoph. It must have been a long, tiring journey.”

Without responding to Richard’s polite greeting, Christoph simply nodded to the old man.

“Yes. I’m glad to see you’re still in good health, Sir.”

“Yes, yes. I’ve heard that everything is going well for you over there. Any troubles?”

“Thanks to you, Sir, I’m doing well.”

Christoph replied with a faint smile, his eyes briefly passing over the man standing next to the old master, the one facing Richard. This was the man who had long overseen the Tarten family’s tax affairs. Christoph greeted him with a brief nod of acknowledgement.

“Indeed. I was just about to take a walk, and it’s fortunate you’ve arrived in time. Care to join me?”

The old man waved to Christoph, beckoning him over. Christoph hesitated, looking at them for a moment.

A walk with the former master, the new master of the Tarten estate, and the man in charge of taxes was certainly not just a casual stroll. During the walk, they would discuss matters that couldn’t be comfortably shared with outsiders.

When Christoph shook his head to decline, the old man laughed loudly as if he fully understood the reason.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. We’re only going to talk about things everyone already knows. Just take a leisurely walk with us and tell me about your life. Come on, help this old man out.”

Christoph hesitated for a moment, but when the old man gestured again, he reluctantly stood beside him. He walked, positioned between the old man and the tax advisor, helping to support the old man as they moved forward.

From the other side of the old man, Richard glanced at Christoph for a while, but Christoph didn’t return his gaze. Richard merely smiled faintly and turned away.

“…………… So, if we transfer ownership through a trust, we will be able to apply the lowest legal tax rate. It’s lower than the estate tax, but still quite costly. However, the most important thing is that it remains legally sound.”

There were, of course, some loopholes, but after hearing the explanation from the tax advisor, Richard smiled and said: “We must follow the law”, choosing the first option the advisor had suggested.

After they finished discussing the estate in Doha – a birthday gift Richard was to receive from his uncle – the tax advisor’s duties were complete.

“Doha, huh……. It’s probably closer to where Christoph is than here.” – The old man suddenly remarked, causing Richard to raise an eyebrow and look toward Christoph. Hearing his name mentioned, Christoph also turned to look at the old man, then glanced at Richard.

With his usual generous smile, Richard said: “Indeed. Perhaps he would make better use of it than I would. If he wants it, I could gift the estate to him.”

Richard spoke without a hint of reluctance, as if it wasn’t even a joke, which made Christoph frown. However, he quickly adjusted his expression before the old man could notice.

“How could I possibly accept your birthday gift? I’ll gladly accept your kind gesture instead.”

Christoph responded politely to the old man, then fell silent again.

Walking leisurely with his grandsons on the cool path through the woods, where fresh young leaves had begun to sprout, the old man mumbled,

“Let’s see……. Your second uncle gave you an estate, so I must also give you a truly special birthday gift……. What do you say, Richard? Is there anything you’d like?”

When the old man asked, Richard smiled and shook his head.

“Your kindness is more than enough, Sir.”

The old man gazed at Richard with warm and gentle eyes.

“Well, I suppose there’s nothing material left that could bring you joy anymore, is there?”

Richard simply smiled without saying anything, as it was a difficult comment to respond to. Standing nearby, Christoph listened quietly, his face showing a slight frown.

Suddenly, Richard turned to Christoph and softly said, “It’s enough that Christoph traveled from so far just to celebrate my birthday. I truly appreciate that gesture.”

The words, which could be interpreted in many ways, made Christoph feel a bit unsettled. After a brief hesitation, he spoke up:

“I just flew straight from Riyadh, so I couldn’t prepare anything special……. but I’ll find something later……. If you need anything or have a request, just let me know, and I’ll do what I can.”

It was the first time Christoph had spoken directly to Richard. Richard squinted slightly at Christoph and then smiled kindly.

“No, really, I genuinely appreciate the time you’ve taken to come here. I’m truly thankful.”

Behind them, the tax advisor, walking a bit behind, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. He seemed surprised to see the two men, known within the Tarten family for disliking each other, acting so polite and harmonious in front of ‘Sir’.

Glancing back and forth between Richard and Christoph, the advisor cleared his throat and changed the subject:

“Speaking of which, not long ago Mr. Jakob sent me a wedding invitation.”

The tax advisor had worked with the Tarten family for so many years that he was almost like a relative and was referring to one of Richard’s distant cousins. The old man responded cheerfully, a smile forming at the corner of his eyes:

“That’s right. After Sven and Albern got married in the spring, only two weeks apart, Jakob complained that no one played with him anymore. But just a few months later, he had good news to share as well.”

Christoph, hearing this news for the first time, didn’t show any surprise, only nodding indifferently as if uninterested.

Suddenly, the old man turned to Christoph.

“And what about you, Chris? Have you met any nice girls over there? Whether it’s a foreign girl or anyone at all, I’d be delighted if you brought someone home.”

Christoph froze for a moment. He looked down at the ground for a while. Right beside the old man, a pair of eyes was intently watching him, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

“I…….,……. I’m sorry, Sir” – Christoph said softly, shaking his head. The sharp gaze upon him seemed to soften.

The old man silently gazed at Christoph for a moment, then slowly reached out and placed his hand on Christoph’s arm.

Although Christoph saw the old man’s hand coming, he still flinched slightly when it made contact. The old man smiled and gently patted Christoph’s arm a few times. Each time, Christoph’s face, though trying to remain calm, showed the slightest flicker of discomfort, barely noticeable.

“Yes, one day, you’ll find someone to bond with. It’s alright, just take your time and wait patiently.”

The old man held Christoph’s hand for a moment before letting go. Then, as if wanting to change the subject, he turned to Richard.

“Speaking of which, you too. Now that the burden on your shoulders has grown heavier, perhaps it’s time for you to find a good woman to share that load with, don’t you think? Tell me, what kind of woman do you like? If I can’t find an appropriate gift for you, I’ll find a matchmaker instead.”

Richard chuckled, somewhat embarrassed by the sudden shift in the conversation toward him. He stroked his chin before responding:

“She definitely has to be someone who can help me carry the weight of Tarten. Other than that……. well, if I had to be specific, she should be able to handle tough situations. If she’s too neat or particular, it could be problematic. She also needs to get along with everyone……. Otherwise, just being around her would be exhausting.”

Richard’s gaze casually drifted over to Christoph.

Christoph’s previously expressionless face grew colder.

The tax advisor, noticing this, thought that Richard might be provoking Christoph deliberately. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief. Everyone in the Tarten family was aware of Christoph’s almost obsessive dislike of physical contact, similar to a phobia of germs.

However, Richard didn’t seem to have any ill intentions, as he continued speaking nonchalantly:

“Anyway, there’s still so much to learn at the moment that I haven’t had time to think about anything else. When I’m confident enough to fully bear the responsibilities of Tarten, I’ll think about it.”

Richard spoke politely to the old man, offering a smile. Christoph glanced at Richard with a brief look of displeasure, then turned his face away.

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

“Christoph came?! Why?”

“Why, you ask…….? Well, I suppose it’s because this is the first birthday since Richard took over.”

Jakob responded to Iwin, who was wide-eyed in disbelief, as if he’d just heard something completely absurd. However, even Jakob wasn’t entirely sure of his own answer.

In truth, despite having seen Christoph walk into the mansion with his own eyes, Jakob still couldn’t believe it. Perhaps he had been mistaken. The sight of Christoph greeting the old man upon arrival and taking a walk with Richard could have just been an illusion. Speaking of which, Jakob had neglected his exercise routine recently due to the busy wedding preparations, so perhaps his health wasn’t in the best shape…….

“Ah. Or maybe it has nothing to do with Richard’s birthday at all, and Christoph only came for some other matter? That’s possible too. Right now, Al Faisal has hired Christoph and has a very close relationship with the Tarten family, so maybe Christoph came here to handle some business.”

In recent days, members of the Tarten family had been gathering continuously at the mansion. This was because it was the first birthday of the new master of the Tarten household. And coincidentally, Christoph had also shown up.

However, no matter how you looked at it, the chances that Christoph came just to celebrate Richard’s birthday seemed slim. They weren’t the type to exchange pleasantries, not even as a formality.

Hearing Iwin’s words, Jakob nodded in agreement: “Yeah, that could be it.”

Though it was hard to imagine what could be urgent enough for Christoph to travel all the way from Riyadh himself, this reason still made more sense than the theory that ‘Christoph came all this way just to wish Richard a happy birthday.’

As they both furrowed their brows in doubt and headed toward the stables intending to ride, they suddenly saw Christoph approaching from the forest, riding a horse.

Jakob froze at the sight of Christoph. A moment later, Iwin also noticed him and slowed his steps.

Dressed in flawless riding attire as if performing a perfect demonstration of horseback riding, Christoph approached them with a posture that was upright and precise in the saddle.

“He really came…….”

Iwin murmured, still unable to fully believe his eyes, even after Jakob’s earlier confirmation. Jakob also mumbled uncertainly in response: “He really did…….”

“He looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him……. hasn’t changed at all.” –
Iwin spoke again, and Jakob muttered in agreement.

Christoph hadn’t changed. His face was still icy cold, showing no emotion, with only a hint of boredom visible as he rode closer.

He was just as handsome as before, just as distant, as though he were living in another world.

Christoph noticed them too. His deep, piercing blue eyes swept over their faces, making their hearts race as if they’d suddenly been caught in his gaze. A fleeting look of disinterest flashed across his face.

“It doesn’t matter. Whether he’s here or not has nothing to do with us. As long as we don’t bother him, it’s like he’s not even here.”

Jakob shrugged and continued walking. That’s right. Christoph was difficult and unpleasant to deal with, but at least if no one messed with him first, he wouldn’t start anything himself.

“Tsk, anyway, that guy never pays attention to anyone around him and never says a word. Let’s just hope nothing unexpected happens today on such a happy occasion.” – Iwin muttered.

Since Richard had been chosen as the heir to the Tarten family, the conflicts among the younger generation had almost entirely disappeared.

These people, who had never liked each other, continued exchanging cold glances, but they were not foolish enough to prolong family conflicts over matters that had already been decisively settled. From the beginning, the competition had been solely for the benefit of the family.

Therefore, aside from those who had been directly harmed by Christoph, there was no reason for most of the family to oppose him. However, the reality was that many had been hurt by Christoph, and quite a few still looked at him with hatred, occasionally muttering curses under their breath.

Even Jakob and Iwin weren’t exceptions. Their friends had been stabbed by Christoph and ended up in the hospital, but they didn’t hold much personal grudge. However, the distance between them and Christoph remained vast – so vast that none of them had any intention of speaking to him first. Christoph Tarten was someone everyone agreed should be kept at a distance. It wasn’t just Jakob and Iwin; most of the family felt the same way.

As they passed Christoph, only a few steps away, they pretended not to see him and kept walking. Both Jakob and Iwin sensed the silent tension and remained quiet.

It’s fine. No problem, just stay away. In truth, if they didn’t provoke him first, Christoph was the safest person to be around. He typically didn’t care about anything and ignored everything.

As they thought this and walked past Christoph, who was on horseback, a voice suddenly sounded from behind them.

“Hey.”

The voice was cold and low, as if it could crystallize into drops of ice.

Jakob flinched, nearly stumbling. He glanced at Iwin, only to see Iwin looking back at him with the same worried expression.

What should we do now? Was he calling us? No, just pretend we didn’t hear and keep walking. But there’s no one else around. No, let’s just ignore it…….

“……., ……..Jakob. Iwin.”

But just as they were about to ignore it and move on, the voice came again, this time clearly calling their names.

Jakob jolted, nearly tripping for real this time.

Standing stiff as a statue beside Iwin, the older Jakob finally began to slowly turn his head.
“……………What is it?”

As Jakob hesitantly turned, Christoph, sitting on his horse a few meters away, was looking down at them. It might have been just a feeling, but Jakob thought Christoph’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he was staring intently at them.

Christoph remained silent for a long time. Jakob waited quietly, staring at him, wondering what he would say next.

Why did he call me? Has Christoph changed after all this time, and is now willing to start something, even if no one provokes him? If that’s the case, this could turn into a big problem.

Jakob stood there, staring back at Christoph, while a flurry of thoughts swirled in his mind. Christoph frowned as if considering something, staying silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“……., …….Are you doing well?”

“……., …….., …….., ………Huh?”

At first, Jakob wondered if Christoph had spoken in a foreign language. He heard the words, but they didn’t immediately make sense to him.

Jakob tilted his head, asking again. Christoph remained quiet, his gaze sweeping over them from head to toe.

“You look healthy. No injuries.”

“……..Uh……. And you? How are you?”

Jakob responded with confusion, still unsure what was going on.

What is this? What does he mean? Is he planning to hit me because I look too healthy?! What have I done to him?!

“Jakob. I heard you’re getting married.”

Suddenly, Christoph directed a question straight at Jakob.

Jakob stammered: “Uh…….” and looked up at Christoph.

How does he know that? And so what? What does my wedding have to do with him? Wait, isn’t there some weird custom called ‘wedding punch*’ in some Asian countries? Did he pick that up while living abroad?!

(*Punching at a wedding: A strange and somewhat negative custom in some cultures where, on the wedding day, the groom or some family members or friends receive a playful punch as a form of “congratulation” or teasing.)

A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through Jakob’s mind. Iwin, standing next to him, was also tense, glancing nervously between the two.

—Jakob, what did you do to him? Why is he suddenly talking to you?!

—I don’t know! I really don’t! Why me?!

While they exchanged panicked glances, Christoph fell silent again for a long time, his face showing a mixture of awkwardness. Then finally, he opened his mouth to speak, though it took a few seconds for the words to come out.

“You’re getting married, congrats…….”

Congrats――But the rest of the sentence was still unclear.

What’s going on? Is there something wrong? Did I do something?

Jakob and Iwin stared at Christoph anxiously, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Christoph looked at them for a moment, his lips moving a few times, but no further sounds came out.

Suddenly, Christoph frowned deeply, then abruptly turned away. As if nothing had happened – but with a look of anger and his shoulders tensed – he walked off.

The two stood frozen like statues, watching Christoph’s figure until he disappeared from view. When he was completely gone, they slowly turned to look at each other.

A moment of silence filled the air.

“…….What just happened? What was he trying to say?”

“Congratulate me on the wedding…….? Congratulations……. huh……. no way.”

“No way. Unless he’s seriously ill or something.”

“Exactly, why else would he call us over?”

In response to Iwin’s question, Jakob had no answer. The two stood there, dumbfounded, looking at each other.

Then, as if their minds suddenly relaxed, Iwin murmured,

“But Christoph……. I never really noticed before, his voice has a kind of……. bittersweet tone to it.”

“Yeah……. right…….”

Both of them stared blankly at each other, as though the screws had just been taken out of their minds.

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

“Christoph has a terminal illness?!”

The rumor quickly spread within the Tarten family and eventually reached Johan while he was meticulously arranging dominoes.

Johan was sitting in a corner of the grand hall in the The West Wing basement, carefully setting up dominoes for the past two hours. He held up the final piece, blinking a few times.

“What? What did I just hear?”

“Nico just passed by the east wing and ran into Christoph. The guy suddenly spoke. Can you believe it? No one even said anything to him, and he initiated a conversation! And guess what he said? ‘Long time no see,’ he said. ‘Long time no see!’”

Dick delivered the news with wide eyes, leaving Johan just as stunned.

And it wasn’t only Johan.

A few young men playing cards, pool, and other games in the grand hall also paused, listening to this strange story.

Johan looked intently at Dick, then quickly drew a brief conclusion.

“You must’ve mistaken him.”

“Huh?”

“Nico has been having stomach issues recently and has been taking stomach medicine, right? Just yesterday, the news reported that some types of medication on the market were found to be mixed with harmful ingredients. There’s no doubt his medicine is causing problems.”

“Definitely, that harmful ingredient must be some kind of hallucinogen,” Johan added as he carefully placed another domino down.

But just then, Pollock, who had been idly fiddling with darts in a daze, suddenly murmured seriously,

“So……. the person I bumped into earlier was really Christoph?”

All eyes turned to Pollock as he hesitantly continued,

“Uh, I was in a hurry and accidentally ran into Christoph at the staircase landing……. But he helped me up, asked if I was okay, and then walked away.”

“…….Are you taking stomach medicine too?”

A family member asked suspiciously, followed by a brief silence. During that quiet moment, someone muttered,

“Unless he’s terminally ill and suddenly decided to turn over a new leaf, there’s no way that’s true.”

“Or maybe it was just someone who looks a lot like Christoph, but wasn’t really him.”

The atmosphere in the grand hall grew tense. In the silence, the only sound that could be heard was the faint clattering of Johan’s dominoes falling one by one.

And then…….

Slow, steady footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Since this place always had people coming and going, no one paid much attention to the sound. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, continuing with their games. Even as someone quietly entered and walked by, most remained deep in thought, staring intently at their boards.

But then…….

“Ugh……. Ahh!”

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the quiet room from a corner. Following the scream was the loud crashing sound of dominoes toppling over in a wave.

“Ah. Ah. Ah! ONLY SEVEN MORE PIECES LEFT TO FINISH!!!”

Johan screamed, grabbing his hair and crying out in agony as he watched his painstaking domino chain collapse. At one end of the chain, someone who had just entered the hall had accidentally knocked over a domino without noticing. The person stood frozen in place, not moving.

“You……. Christoph!!!”

Johan shot to his feet, kicking a side of fallen dominoes, and rushed toward Christoph. With teary eyes, he grabbed Christoph’s shoulders and shook him violently.

“What do I do now?! My two hours of work! You ruined everything in a split second! What are you going to do?!”

Christoph remained silent, simply looking at Johan without uttering a word.

The others stood there, watching in stunned silence, as Christoph was not someone who typically appeared in a place like this. What’s more, Johan was grabbing Christoph’s shoulders and screaming in his face. Christoph, with a slight grimace, stared at Johan’s hands on his shoulders, as if considering how to handle the situation. Everyone watched quietly, not daring to intervene.

“…….I’ll set it back up.”

Christoph finally spoke.

Johan, who had been yelling and gripping Christoph’s shoulders, immediately let go, nodded, and mumbled: “Okay, fine.”

And just like that, the situation was resolved.

As the others exchanged bewildered glances, Christoph sat down and began resetting the dominoes. Across from him, Johan also started arranging the dominoes again.

After a few moments, the only sound in the room was the soft click, click of dominoes being placed. No one else made a sound. Though everyone shifted their attention back to their games, they couldn’t help but occasionally glance over, as if drawn by an invisible force.

The silence was broken by Johan, who carefully placed a domino on a small staircase.

“But, I heard you’re terminally ill.”

“Huh?”

Christoph absentmindedly responded to Johan’s sudden question.

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s good. Anyway, take care of yourself.”

“…….You too.”