Every touch to a bruised spot made him wince, but there were no significant injuries other than the pain.

However, Jeong Taeui still glared at Christoph with dagger eyes. This pain would surely linger for days.

Christoph, unconscious, looked like a statue on the bed.

Was there anyone as beautiful as this? That face alone could captivate anyone. He could be loved by anyone if he wanted.

“… Hm? What are you going to do…?”

Even though Christoph couldn’t hear, Jeong Taeui whispered, almost like a sigh.

He looked at Christoph in silence, then suddenly reached out.

When he came to his senses, Jeong Taeui’s hand had already brushed against Christoph’s delicate, beautiful face, like touching an untouchable sculpture.

Even though Christoph wouldn’t wake up, Jeong Taeui hesitated, his hand hovering near Christoph’s forehead.

Gently, he reached for a lock of hair on Christoph’s forehead.

But then.

“If you leave chloroform around without ventilation, you won’t stay conscious either.”

A familiar voice with a slight smile suddenly spoke from behind, like a dagger to his heart.

Jeong Taeui’s trembling fingers inadvertently brushed Christoph’s cool, smooth forehead. He really did feel like a statue.

Jeong Taeui quickly pulled his hand back and turned around.

“Any news from Richard?”

“I just got a call. Oliver woke up shortly after arriving at the hospital. Some tests are back, some aren’t, but there’s nothing major.”

“That’s good…”

Jeong Taeui nodded. Only then did the tension in his chest ease slightly.

“I’m the one who needs medicine for a headache…”

Maybe the relief from the prolonged tension caused his headache to return. Knowing where the headache medicine was, Jeong Taeui opened Christoph’s drawer and took out the bottle.

“Tsk, tsk.” – Ilay clicked his tongue.

“You should have ventilated the room from the start.”

“No, no. This headache isn’t just from the chloroform.”

As Jeong Taeui muttered, Ilay went to the window, opened it wide, and smirked.

“If it’s a headache, it’s not because of seeing me, is it?”

“You always have chloroform with you to stay safe, don’t you?”

“I only bring it when I’m with Christoph. See, it’s useful now.”

“… It must be hard carrying anesthetics for two months, huh, Rick.”

Hearing Jeong Taeui mutter, Ilay blinked at him with a smile.

Jeong Taeui’s years of experience told him there was danger in that smile. He widened his eyes at Ilay.

“What now? What’s the problem?”

“I don’t like that name.”

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at him for a moment, hearing those low words.

It had only been a few hours since he had threatened to not let him off if he dared call him Ilay.

“Just this once, just this once.”

“No need to keep distance when there are no spies around, Taeil.”

Jeong Taeui stared at his lips with an annoying smile, then sighed. Fine, do whatever you want.

“I just left Berlin, who would have thought I’d run into you here… You look quite dapper now, Ilay.”

When Jeong Taeui spoke curtly, Ilay Riegrow laughed heartily.

He silently counted in his head.

Two months and ten days.

It had been two months and ten days since they had last faced each other in a room like this.

Ilay threw open all the tightly shut windows and then leaned against the window frame. Jeong Taeui, watching him at that moment, felt something refreshingly new about him.

Even when you’re very familiar with someone, not seeing them for a long time makes it feel like you just saw them yesterday. Especially when that someone is Ilay. They had lived and seen each other every day in the same house for many years, so there was no reason to feel so unfamiliar after being apart for just over two months.

However, Jeong Taeui still felt something novel about him and then suddenly realized something, letting out an – “Ah.”

“What’s with that outfit? If I didn’t know better, I would think you’re in the fashion industry.”

Immediately, Ilay raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, looking at him.

“Is that how I look to you? Not too long ago, a new accountant came to see me about an audit fraud.”

“… … Hearing that, it seems you’re not a bad lawyer after all.”

(For those who forgot, the first time they met in Tarten, Tae immediately imagined Ilay as a businessman, model, and lawyer upon seeing his elegant appearance. Ilay must have read his thoughts back then, so now they’re teasing each other.)

Ilay, in a neat suit with sleek hair and wearing glasses that Jeong Taeui couldn’t understand why, was quietly staring at Jeong Taeui with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile.

Along with that smile was a gaze that unapologetically scanned Jeong Taeui. Those familiar black eyes did not smile. Only the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

At that moment, an instinctive warning signal rang incessantly in Jeong Taeui’s head.

Yes, if you think about it carefully, this is the first time since Jeong Taeui left Berlin and came to this villa after that unwelcome encounter that they were in a place with just the two of them – to be precise, not just the two of them but with Christoph, who was unconscious beside them.

Now, Jeong Taeui stood there in a place that wasn’t Berlin, facing the man who had threatened that he would die if he dared to go out.

Jeong Taeui thought it fortunate that he was still standing near the door as he hesitantly asked him.

“Is it okay for you to be here like this? Didn’t they say you needed to remain neutral and not have private contact with specific people?”

Jeong Taeui very much wanted to ensure his safety, at least in this place. He unconsciously tightened his fists and looked at his lips. The answer from those lips would determine whether he would be safe from the imminent storm.

Ilay couldn’t possibly be unaware of the thoughts swirling in Jeong Taeui’s head, but he continued to look at him coldly with a faint smile on his lips. And then he slowly opened his mouth as if he had just finished thinking.

“Alright. While I’m here, I must be a reliable member and uphold the stance of Riegrow, right?”

Hearing that, Jeong Taeui immediately relaxed his fists.

It seemed that Ilay indeed would not reveal his true nature in this place.

Jeong Taeui tried his best not to show his emotions on his face for a moment. If he appeared too excited now, he might provoke the unpredictable beast that lay dormant inside Ilay.

Ilay, with a serious face and a sly smile, suddenly stood up straight. His leisurely steps gradually approached the bed where Jeong Taeui was sitting.

“I tried doing that, but it didn’t help at all. Huh?” – Jeong Taeui murmured as he watched the distance between him and Ilay narrow with a wary gaze. Meanwhile, Ilay continued to close the gap.

“What?”

For a moment, Jeong Taeui wanted to quickly stand up and confront him directly, but he gave up after a second. Naturally, since wild animals become more dangerous when provoked.

Eventually, Ilay stopped right in front of him. He stood close enough to touch him if he reached out and looked down at Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui could only look up and face him.

“Jeong Taeui.” 

Ilay suddenly said softly. The moment he realized the laughter had vanished from his voice, that smooth sound slid past his ear.

“Do you like dying that much?”

“NO. I hate it.”

As soon as Ilay finished speaking, Jeong Taeui immediately responded. He felt like if he answered incorrectly, he would die at this man’s hands instantly.

“Then don’t ever get involved between Christoph and Richard again. I don’t know what you’ve misunderstood, but if Richard could really die from the recent commotion, he would have died hundreds of times by now.”

“… … Christoph has gone berserk like that hundreds of times?”

“If you count just with Richard, you could say there have been a few times out of those hundreds.”

Hearing Ilay’s answer, Jeong Taeui looked at him intently. Although the number had dropped from hundreds to a few, it seemed that Ilay had witnessed it very often.

“The attitude of the people in this house earlier suggests that this doesn’t happen frequently…….”

As Jeong Taeui muttered, Ilay narrowed his eyes at him before opening his mouth.

“Maybe it’s because they rarely get to witness it here. He joined T&R right after coming of age and rarely returned to Tarten. So probably, they’ve only seen it a few times before.”

“Didn’t you say a few times out of hundreds? What about the rest of those hundreds?”

“I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times at T&R.”

Ilay said thoughtfully, as if immersed in a distant past for a moment, then immediately shrugged and waved his hand.

“Indeed, there are rumors that the Anti-Riot squad is a gathering place for lunatics, and such things have happened there…….”

Jeong Taeui nodded, feeling he could somehow understand.

Ilay sat on the nightstand right next to the bed. It was a drawer chest and quite high, so even sitting on it was almost like leaning against it.

Just now, he had approached right up to him and threatened him, but now he had retreated; it was good, though. But this time, he touched his foot. Jeong Taeui was momentarily puzzled before the gentle pressure of Ilay’s foot on his sandal, but he showed no special reaction.

“So don’t get involved in the matter between him and Richard.…… No, if possible, don’t get involved in anything related to that guy. Being around crazy people is never good.”

Ilay spoke as if he didn’t care about his feet – as if he didn’t even know his foot was touching his. Jeong Taeui looked at the sandals covering his foot and pretended to seriously and carefully consider what he had said, nodding, but his gaze only fell on the two feet below.

Should he just stomp on his foot without hesitation now?

But before he could think it through, part of what Ilay had just said made him wonder.

The pot calling the kettle black.

Jeong Taeui really wanted to say that but would modify it a bit before speaking.

“I thought you and Christoph were friends.”

Jeong Taeui recalled when Christoph displayed a displeased and disgusted face and said they were not friends. On reflection, it seemed Ilay also disliked him a lot.

Sure enough, Ilay frowned, thinking quietly, and shook his head.

“I don’t know what you consider friends, but maybe this isn’t a friend in the sense you’re thinking.”

“Is something special needed to be friends? If you think you’re friends, then you are.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled as if he were talking nonsense. Then he looked down at his feet.

Ilay had let go of his sandal and gently stepped on Jeong Taeui’s foot, then slowly slid his foot into Jeong Taeui’s sandal. The sandal was too tight to fit two men’s feet.

His toes slowly brushed across the top of his foot. Then, gently and slowly, they slid under his foot, feeling very different.

Jeong Taeui looked up at Ilay with an unwilling look. However, even when he met Jeong Taeui’s eyes, Ilay acted as if nothing was happening.

“…….”

Was he overthinking it? He didn’t know why he felt so different, even though Ilay was just playing with his foot……. However, he didn’t have the courage or thick enough skin to bluntly say: “Keep your foot off mine; you’re making me think of suggestive actions.”

Jeong Taeui withdrew his foot from the sandal, simultaneously escaping the foot pressing on his. Then he took a step back and scratched his head.

“Even if you’re not friends, you’re still colleagues. They said you two have worked together. In the Anti-Riot squad of T&R.”

“Only when everyone’s interests align can they be considered colleagues.”

Ilay said briefly. Jeong Taeui looked up at him with a strange expression.

Working as colleagues in the same group fundamentally means interests will be aligned. However, internal conflicts are very common even when everyone is aiming for the same goal.

So, in summary……

“That’s right. Tarten also believes unity is the greatest strength in dealing with the outside. Although internally, it’s extremely rotten.”

Jeong Taeui said, nodding as if he understood but received no reply. He looked at him suspiciously at the sudden silence.

Ilay was looking at Christoph, who was lying unconscious on the bed. Suddenly, he clicked his tongue as if he found it bothersome.

Thinking about it, Jeong Taeui shook his head.

“Because there are things that have accumulated over time, thinking like that is natural.”

Ilay grumbled.

“Let me tell you the worst thing about that guy.”

Suddenly, Ilay opened his mouth. He leaned back a bit and smiled slightly as if talking about a ridiculous mistake Christoph had made in the past. Ilay stretched his leg out and stepped on Jeong Taeui’s foot when he lost his guard for a moment.

“The private riot squad I joined operated freely under each individual’s own will unless there was something special. Simply put, when I signed a contract with Montague, my colleagues could also sign a contract with Capulet*.”

(*The feuding families Capulet and Montague in Verona. One night, Romeo, a Montague, sneaked into a Capulet ball to see Rosaline but met Juliet, Capulet’s daughter instead.)

Jeong Taeui thought about kicking Ilay’s foot off but forgot the thought for a moment and frowned.

“Such an organization is awful.”

The idea of colleagues pointing guns at each other when contracted by opposing sides was unpleasant, even if it was justified by something called free action.

And in reality, would this not violate dual contract terms, which are prohibited in most private personnel organizations?

“Many people say that, but as long as it’s our system, they have no choice but to accept it. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to sign the contract.”

Ilay said gently and shrugged.

“From the start, if someone had such great character, they wouldn’t have come to us.”

He added and sneered. Jeong Taeui, though a bit bitter, couldn’t help but agree with those words.

“When situations like that occur, I go to Montague and Christoph to Capulet. It’s not uncommon in our force, and I’ve confronted that guy.”

“So you and Christoph have fought?”

“Simply put, yes.”

Ilay said, smiling slyly. Jeong Taeui guessed that their confrontations were not as simple as just ‘fighting.’

“At that time, my task was to extract information from this guy, but he wouldn’t easily reveal it as it was his job too. In such cases, using some coercive and violent measures is unavoidable – it’s very difficult. I felt it was very difficult.”

“That was really hard.” – Ilay added, shaking his head.

Jeong Taeui stepped on Ilay’s foot lightly pressed on his sandal. Immediately, the foot beneath him became heavier. It turned out that when people want to step on others, the price to pay is their own pain – Jeong Taeui narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“Don’t lie that you found it difficult because you had to deal with a colleague. Was it because Christoph didn’t utter a word?”

“Ah……. you really know well.” 

Ilay laughed.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and then looked back at Christoph.

“Finally, I caught another guy and made him spill the information, but at that time, this guy wasn’t conscious, so he had to stay in the hospital for months.”

“Now I know why Christoph seemed so disgusted when asked if you were his friend…”

As Jeong Taeui murmured, Ilay laughed. Then he leaned toward Jeong Taeui with a gentle look. His voice also became lower.

“This guy, while I was handling him in an unresistant state, didn’t scream even once. No, he didn’t even groan. That boring face didn’t move.”

As Ilay spoke with a delicate smile, Jeong Taeui’s expression hardened.

Jeong Taeui knew very well how powerful Ilay’s hands were. His cheek, which had been hit earlier, still hurt and burned like fire.

So then….

“Could it be that he’s lost his sense of pain…… ?!”

Jeong Taeui frowned and mumbled.

For someone doing this kind of work, that would be a terrible thing. Not feeling pain also means not sensing danger.

But Ilay just shook his head. Then, as if thinking of something, he looked at him and nodded. He smiled and said.

“Later, when I went to his hospital room with a gift to comfort him, he said very harshly – ‘I had to endure not speaking out because once I uttered a word of pain, I couldn’t hold back anymore and would continue to complain about it.’ “

Jeong Taeui was momentarily stunned. He frowned slightly and opened his mouth to say something but only managed to speak after a while.

“That, well… can also be seen that way…”

However, he stopped midway.

This was not a situation a normal person could imagine. Christoph had always lived thinking he had to accept pain fully for fear of appearing weak even for a moment.

Ilay looked down at Jeong Taeui, who was also looking at him.

“He doesn’t have a proper sense of pain. Even if it exists, the recognition structure is flawed. For example, if he had a stomach ache and vomited, he wouldn’t know his stomach was hurting but would only think his throat was burning.”

“…….”

Jeong Taeui quietly lowered his head. He looked at his clenched hand. After staying like that for a while, he mumbled with a sigh.

“How can you talk about these things so lightly? I don’t want to hear…”

His taste turned bitter. Very bitter. To the point where he couldn’t taste anything.

He clenched his fists tightly until they hurt. However, the bitterness didn’t seem to subside.

Ilay narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Jeong Taeui. As if enjoying it.

“Yes, I also thought you would react that way.”

Jeong Taeui looked up at him fiercely at the slow voice with a faint smile.

“Then why did you say it?”

Although he was someone with bad hobbies, he wasn’t the type to enjoy stories like this. No, he was the type who didn’t care about such stories from the start. The misfortunes and injuries of others didn’t concern him. However, he definitely had to tell him.

Ilay tilted his head. And slowly, he moved his foot, which was stepping on Jeong Taeui’s. That foot gently brushed against his, feeling very warm, but Jeong Taeui also felt cold.

“Your ideal type is a kind person, isn’t it? So I thought sometimes I should show that side of me too.”

Jeong Taeui stared at Ilay with a distorted face as if a rock had suddenly hit his head out of nowhere.

What surprised him first was that those words came out of this man’s mouth, but even more so was the content of those words.

“What’s sentimental about that?! Torturing people? Or visiting someone you tortured to the hospital?”

Though it had been a long time since they started living together, there were times when Jeong Taeui still couldn’t understand this man. No, it actually happened quite often. Sometimes he thought that the moment he understood this man would also be the end of his life.

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

(In the above passage, Ilay’s logic: Not killing Christoph and bringing get-well-soon gifts = Becoming a good person that Taeui likes = Will be praised by Taeui.)