On the innermost wall of the library, there was a picture frame hanging in that place.

In the finely carved antique wooden frame, there was a portrait of a young woman smiling gracefully.

“Did ladies of the past have little joy, or was there a rule that they couldn’t smile broadly in portraits?”

Jeong Taeui whispered to himself as he looked at the painting, his finger gently tracing the lines of the lady’s smile. From behind, Christoph, who was sitting at the reading table and staring into a mirror, did not turn around but replied briefly.

“Boucher 1753, it’s an original.”

“……..”

Jeong Taeui quietly withdrew his hand, which had been carelessly touching the painting. Even someone who didn’t understand art like him knew that a piece by this famous artist was incredibly valuable.

“Is it appropriate to hang such a precious painting in the corner of this library without proper temperature and humidity control?”

Jeong Taeui said with a look of dissatisfaction. Christoph said nothing, merely pointing towards the door. There, just like the picture frame, was a temperature and humidity control device that Jeong Taeui had never noticed, despite frequent visits to the library.

[Humidity: 55%, Temperature: 20°C]

“…….I thought this was just a dusty old library.”

Jeong Taeui blinked and scratched his head. Then he turned back to look at the painting.

He gazed at the face of the woman in the portrait, with her elegant and faint smile, and glanced at Christoph, who was intently looking into the mirror beside him.

They looked very similar.

Christoph’s expression as he tried to smile in the mirror was exactly like the smile of the woman in the painting.

Because of his noble background, just standing still exuded an innate elegance, but the smile was somewhat stiff and unnatural.

Having never in his life worn a wide, bright smile made Christoph and the woman in the painting very similar.

“Still strange, isn’t it?”

“No…….not that strange.”

Christoph asked, turning his head from the mirror to look at Jeong Taeui, still keeping the faint smile on his face. Jeong Taeui crossed his arms and shook his head.

Although it looked stiff and unnatural, like an amateur model, it wasn’t a strange face. At least, it wasn’t as bad as his first attempt, where it was hard to tell if he was smiling or frowning.

“It looks like a haughty princess politely smiling at her suitors.”

Christoph immediately erased the smile and frown at Jeong Taeui’s comment.

“What? Are you saying I look unpleasant?”

“There’s no other way. Even if I lied, I couldn’t call it a warm and bright smile!”

“…….Is it really that strange?”

“It’s not strange; it suits you very well.”

Jeong Taeui raised his hand as if to reassure him.

It wasn’t a lie; that smile…….had a noble air, almost looking down on others, which suited Christoph very well. With a little more practice, the stiffness would disappear, and it would become a natural expression.

However, the problem was that the smile Christoph imagined and wanted – a warm and joyful one – was far from that.

“Maybe the problem is in the eyes? Right, people who smile beautifully often have eyes that curve like this. Let’s see…….”

Christoph mumbled to himself while looking in the mirror, like the witch in Snow White. Jeong Taeui sighed silently.

He never thought one needed to practice how to smile.

But clearly, smiling was better than not smiling, and smiling brightly was better than smiling stiffly.

“…….It seems you need to practice smiling for business.”

“Anyway, the one who officially handles guests is him, so I don’t have to worry too much about expressions, but I don’t want to hear ‘Because you looked gloomy, the negotiations didn’t go well’ or something like that.”

As Christoph spoke, he suddenly remembered the moment Richard said that to him, his eyes flaring with anger.

Realizing Christoph was about to throw the mirror, Jeong Taeui quickly held it firmly and grinned widely.

“Come on, if you don’t want to show your weakness, you have to smile. Smile!”

Jeong Taeui said with a bright smile. Christoph just looked at the mirror angrily. He sighed deeply in frustration and softened his gaze.

/Flashback/

Recently, Christoph was almost never home for half the day.

Since agreeing to help Richard, Christoph always went out with Richard whenever he went out.

Jeong Taeui didn’t know exactly what Christoph’s job was. But hearing the stories Christoph complained about every night when keeping him back, it seemed his job was just to accompany Richard and ‘show off their good relationship’ next to Richard. Christoph had to be present in the main work related to Tarten’s projects that Richard was in charge of.

Every night, Christoph would come to Jeong Taeui’s room. He would bring a small mirror the size of a notebook and stare at it to practice smiling.

“Isn’t Christoph not doing business work, so why practice a business smile?”

The first time Jeong Taeui saw Christoph staring angrily at the mirror because he couldn’t smile as he wanted, Jeong Taeui stood from a distance and asked, surprised. Ilay, who was sitting reading the evening newspaper in Jeong Taeui’s room, didn’t even glance up and respond.

“When it comes to dealing with people in business, Christoph also has to do that.”

“Isn’t Richard the one who mainly handles the work related to Tarten?”

“Yeah, well, for example–”

Ilay then looked up. He glanced at Christoph, struggling with his face in the mirror for a moment, then took off his glasses and set them down.

“Among the people Richard met today, there was someone who was once related to SIS*. This person also knew Christoph. They only met a few times when Christoph was still in the mobile team, but the man recognized Christoph and greeted him.”

(Secret Intelligence Service – SIS: often known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is an agency responsible for providing the British government with foreign intelligence)

“Hmm…….”

“And as usual, with his cold face, Christoph just slightly nodded. It chilled the atmosphere right before the negotiation started.”

Before Christoph unexpectedly barged in, Jeong Taeui was lying leisurely on the sofa. He had his legs draped over the armrest and his head resting on Ilay’s lap, and sipping beer. Taeui frowned and squinted disapprovingly, beginning to badmouth ‘someone.’

“And then they tell him to practice smiling? Richard is too much.”

“No way. He never starts things he thinks are impossible. It’s just that Christoph doesn’t want to hear any unpleasant words from him, so he practices on his own. Still, it doesn’t help much.”

Ilay replied indifferently, taking a sip of beer, then glanced at Jeong Taeui, who was staring intently at Christoph and stroking his chin. When Ilay noticed Jeong Taeui’s gaze, he asked, “What?” – Jeong Taeui shook his head and waved his hand, saying it was nothing.

Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay suspiciously, then frowned and said: “Okay, I don’t care. Really!”  ignoring his gentle comment.

Finally, unable to bear seeing Christoph grimacing like an elf showing his teeth and seriously asking: “Is this smile okay? Does it look fine?” Jeong Taeui threw the beer can and ran to the mirror.

Even Ilay thought Christoph’s ‘smiling’ face couldn’t be left like that. Jeong Taeui roughly pulled Christoph’s cheek and said,

“Smile by pulling this muscle up, understand?”

/End Flashback/

And after many nights of practice, Christoph’s smile finally improved.

That smile looked like a lady’s in a portrait, not a light, natural smile for everyday meetings, but at least it was no longer hard to tell if he was smiling or frowning.

Jeong Taeui sat down in the chair opposite Christoph after watching him try to force a smile in the mirror by using his fingers to push down on his eyebrows. Taeui sighed and took a sip of the remaining beer.

“Even though I’m still worried when you go with Richard, things seem surprisingly smooth. It’s been a few days without any incidents.”

“Hmm…….? Oh, a guy in the secretarial room hasn’t shown up for a few days, but it’s nothing serious. Just a few broken fingers to make sure he doesn’t touch anyone’s thigh again.”

“…….Richard didn’t make it hard for you, did he?”

“HOW COULD HE? I’M HELPING HIM. WHY WOULD HE MAKE IT HARD FOR ME?”

Christoph stopped practicing his smile, frowned, and shouted fiercely. Jeong Taeui quickly changed his tone.

Well, unlike in old comics, no one stuffed nails in shoes, poured dirty water on someone’s head, or knocked each other down. Even if they hated each other, no one played dirty like that…….

“Thinking about it now, I smeared wax on his shoe soles, and he almost slipped on the stairs. Haha…….maybe I’ll put some nails there tomorrow.”

“…….”

It seemed Jeong Taeui had worried about the wrong person.

Seeing Christoph now happier with a smile, Jeong Taeui scratched his head and sighed.

What Richard probably wanted was to prove that he could put Christoph under his control and make Christoph obey him.

One couldn’t expect anything from Christoph – who had long left Tarten – to be able to carry out real deals. Richard probably just wanted to show his negotiation and control skills by making the person he hated (and who hated him) obey him at critical times of inheritance.

And it seemed he had achieved that.

In reality, when people saw Christoph accompanying Richard and pretending to help with his work, many were so surprised they were shocked. And they often concluded with admiration: ‘How did Richard manage to do that?’

Just getting along with someone and having such a reaction proved their relationship was really bad.

“Well, maybe it’s good in its own way.”

Jeong Taeui muttered to himself as he took a sip of beer.

Still, the biggest seed of trouble was temporarily resolved. There would be no more unfortunate incidents from their strained relationship, which made Jeong Taeui feel relieved.

Only one problem remained…….

“You like smiling, don’t you?”

Just when the real problem was about to surface in Jeong Taeui’s mind, Christoph unexpectedly spoke up. When Jeong Taeui turned around, Christoph was still looking into the mirror and hesitated a bit before continuing.

“I’m not good at smiling, but you like my smiling face. So I think I should smile more at you.”

Christoph’s voice sounded gruff as if he were angry. Jeong Taeui stared at him, then couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you practicing smiling because of me?”

Christoph didn’t answer but just stared at the mirror. However, his slightly pouting lips and the annoyed look on his face seemed to answer for him. It felt like his cheeks were a bit red or maybe that was just Jeong Taeui’s feeling.

Jeong Taeui said nothing more, just quietly drank his beer.

This wasn’t good.

Receiving someone’s affection was nice, but this wasn’t good at all.

It wasn’t that Jeong Taeui hated Christoph. In fact, since discovering different aspects of Christoph, Jeong Taeui liked him more and more.

But precisely because of that, this was worse.

Jeong Taeui’s feelings were not the same as Christoph’s, and he couldn’t reciprocate that affection. He couldn’t even politely refuse.

“If anyone dares to touch you, and you remain silent, I’ll kill him first and make sure you can never use your ‘thing’ without me.”

The person who threatened like that was very close by.

“It’s annoying when some people think that just a light touch means deep feelings, but it’s also annoying when it’s like this…….”

Jeong Taeui felt the beer turn bitter. Even so, he finished the beer and set the can down.

Yes, that was also a problem.

One of the headaches Jeong Taeui was facing – although he wasn’t directly involved – stemmed from the man staring into the mirror in front of him.

It was fortunate Christoph didn’t cause any major incidents with Richard, but that led to a situation where hearing it made Jeong Taeui faint in 5 seconds.

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

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

Jeong Taeui exclaimed in surprise when he saw Johan nearly sinking into the sofa. Johan echoed Jeong Taeui’s exclamation, as if nothing was surprising, but also wanted to reply.

“What are you doing here, reading a book?”

Jeong Taeui sat down in the single chair opposite the sofa where Johan was lying and started a conversation.

The places where Jeong Taeui usually met Johan were almost predetermined. The dining room or the basement lounge. Occasionally, they met in the hallway.

At least, according to Jeong Taeui’s memory, he had never seen Johan in this common library before.

Although it was called a common library, it was more like a large lounge with more books than usual, with comfortable armchairs scattered among the bookshelves.

In reality, the number of people coming here to read and those sitting on the soft armchairs chatting and killing time was almost equal. Even now, on a few chairs a few shelves away, two or three people were sitting and chatting.

While it wasn’t an ideal environment for reading, it was perfect for comfortably flipping through pages and killing time. Besides, there were quite a few popular novels that couldn’t be found in Christoph’s private library.

Jeong Taeui was holding a popular novel that Johan had left in the dining room recently. He had read a few pages and finally decided to find its ending.

Johan, on the other hand, was lying on the sofa with a strangely titled book that no one knew where he got it from.

“[Now You Can Also Talk All Night. Body Language – Exotic Beauties]….. .What kind of book is that?”

“I have to prepare in advance to fully enjoy the next vacation. Haven’t you heard the saying ‘Prevention is better than cure’?”

Jeong Taeui was very curious about what Johan was preparing for but decided not to ask further. Instead, he chose to change the subject lightly.

“But is it okay for you to sit here like this? Everyone is busy preparing for tonight’s important guest.”

Jeong Taeui asked. Johan wrinkled his nose, waved his hand in annoyance, and shook his head.

“It’s fine. Only those in high positions are busy.”

If he had to run back and forth busy at times like this, giving up the inheritance in the first place wouldn’t be worth it. Johan said and started whistling a cheerful tune indifferently.

Jeong Taeui, while pondering if this lazy man was truly living the life of a sage, nodded in agreement. 

From early in the morning, everything had been bustling and hectic. Although the rush had begun a few days earlier, today felt even busier.

Today, a distinguished guest, whom he had only heard about a few days ago, was expected to arrive. They said this guest was coming from Riyadh. 

Riyadh – the capital of Saudi Arabia. 

He recalled Ilay’s mysterious smirk and prolonged words “A distinguished guest from Riyadh”, which still lingered in his mind. He could easily sense the discomfort behind that smile.

Riyadh… Could it be that their special anti-terrorism team was arriving right away? 

“This is the final negotiation about the repayment for the last borrower, which is the Vice Minister*, so the highest-ranking individuals will be too busy to attend directly. Perhaps their subordinates are coming to understand each other’s intentions, right?” 

(*Vice Minister: Typically the second-highest ranking official in a ministry, after the Minister)

As they report back to their superiors, a final decision will be made. Johan calmly spoke, though Jeong Taeui’s worry was transparent. 

Jeong Taeui tilted his head and asked, 

“But didn’t Rick bomb Riyadh before? Is it okay for him to meet those guests?”

“This is a special situation. The day to decide the succession is approaching. Outsiders cannot lay a hand on the distinguished guest in Tarten. Even if they aim for him, it would be after he leaves Tarten upon completing his negotiation.”

Johan waved his hand dismissively. Besides, they were not part of the special task force but merely 2-3 individuals involved in the Vice Minister’s debt repayment. Jeong Taeui wondered if he could even touch a finger of that person. 

That’s also true.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and sank deeper into the sofa. 

“I hope the distinguished guests from the Middle East finish their business and leave soon.”

“Well, only those in high positions will be busy. Lazy folks like us have nothing to do with it. Ah…… but if Chris is busy, does that mean you’ll be busy too?”

“Huh? Oh, not me. These days, he’s been following Richard during the day, so I’m free at The West Wing. How could I follow him when he’s dealing with matters related to Tarten?”

In reality, Jeong Taeui would have been buried under the odd jobs Christoph assigned. However, he was currently very idle, wandering around. Moreover, with guests from the Middle East, everyone would be occupied, making Jeong Taeui even more free.

Noon was peaceful without the two men – Ilay and Christoph – who usually caused him anxiety. This was quite nice.

“I wonder if Christoph is okay…….” 

Jeong Taeui muttered, leisurely opening a book.

As Johan mentioned, Christoph had to join the busy team due to the distinguished guest’s arrival, waking up at sunrise. 

Christoph followed Richard’s schedule, who always went to work early and diligently. Christoph had tried to kill himself (or Richard) in the morning.

Due to low blood pressure, Christoph usually struggled to wake up around mid-morning. This morning, despite Jeong Taeui’s efforts to shake him awake beside the blaring alarm clock, Christoph couldn’t open his eyes. 

Richard was the one who finally woke Christoph up. Chris sat on the bed, looking pale as if he were dying.

Days went by similarly. 

Richard woke Christoph much easier than Jeong Taeui. 

No difficulty. He simply walked into Christoph’s room, fully prepared to go out. The moment Richard entered, Christoph, no matter how drowsy, looked at him with intense annoyance.

“I never permitted you to enter my room. Get out immediately.”

“If you don’t wake up and get ready right away, I’ll step on the bed with my shoes and drag you out.”

“……. If you want to see blood early in the morning, go ahead.”

While responding to Richard with furrowed brows, Christoph gradually became alert.

Once Christoph got out of bed and dragged himself to the bathroom, Richard coldly left the room. He didn’t forget to smile warmly and greet Jeong Taeui standing awkwardly.

“This morning, too, he frowned and went out. I guess he’s fine now.”

Even if he practiced smiling every night, it would be useless with that face. Jeong Taeui shook his head and clicked his tongue.

From his seat opposite Jeong Taeui, Johan was engrossed in marking passages in the book [Hot Beauties from Afar], responded.

“I heard every night you run into Christoph’s room and stay there for a long time. What would others think of that?”

Jeong Taeui paused his thoughts and looked at Johan seriously.

“Your phrasing is strange. If someone hears that, they might think I’m practicing body language with those ‘hot beauties from afar’.”

“Oh, isn’t that so?”

“Of course not!!”

“Then what are you doing?”

Johan asked with genuine curiosity. Jeong Taeui opened his mouth wide but couldn’t say anything.

If he said Christoph practiced smiling in his room every night, it seemed inappropriate.

Jeong Taeui hesitated, closed his mouth awkwardly, and muttered: “There are some things……., but not like that…….,” Johan looked at him with disappointment and clicked his tongue.

“That’s why rumors spread about you…”

Unable to ignore that, Jeong Taeui immediately asked: “What am I doing!” Johan just clicked his tongue and feigned ignorance. But when Jeong Taeui grabbed his collar and shook him, he finally spoke.

“Rumor has it that you, Christoph, and Richard are in a love triangle.”

“What?”

“You’ve become an obstacle in a forbidden relationship because Christoph and Richard have grown very close. You’re just a condiment in the middle.”

“WHAT THE HELL!”

Jeong Taeui yelled with angry eyes, but Johan turned back to his book, marking passages in [Hot Beauties from Afar] and offering advice: “Don’t let your soul fall to lust.”

Jeong Taeui could only look at him in shock.

Jeong Taeui had heard the first part of this rumor.

It was also the main cause of his headaches.

Recently, Christoph had seriously confessed to Jeong Taeui that he had a ‘same-sex relationship’ with Richard, but somehow this story spread outside–probably the source of the rumor was easily identifiable – and now almost everyone at work knew about it. Except for those involved.

Christoph had spread this rumor himself – although he simply expressed the truth he believed – but seeing Richard smiling happily, unaware, pained Jeong Taeui. Especially when Richard acted polite and friendly to Christoph in front of everyone.

Don’t do that. The more he did, the more credible and widespread the rumor became… But Jeong Taeui couldn’t say that to Richard.

So Jeong Taeui could only regret and be troubled by the rumor.

Suddenly, Johan threw another bomb.

“To protect my purity, I want to say that I have never had any physical relationship with them.”

Jeong Taeui felt the terror of rumors and said: “This is a rumor where only those involved don’t know, while everyone else is aware?” Taeui seriously explained to Johan.

Not sure if he believed it, Johan squinted at Jeong Taeui.

“Now that I think about it, I heard you went to Richard’s bar following Christoph and had a good time with Rick.”

Wow, that rumor spread too…

That wasn’t a rumor, so Jeong Taeui didn’t know how to justify it.

Johan probably guessed the truth from Jeong Taeui’s expression, looking at him with disdain and said: “A true flirt…” then continued reading.

“YA, IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!!”

“What? I’ve heard many people witnessed you and Rick being close. Isn’t it true?”

“No… but… it’s not like that… Christoph and I just maintain a pure and clean relationship!”

“Really? Maybe. Actually, I don’t think you and Christoph have anything. Your face doesn’t deserve a precious tulip like that.” 

“Judging people based on their looks––No, if you know it’s a false rumor, you should clarify it!” 

“Why should I? Even if I clarify without evidence, they wouldn’t believe it. Rumors usually last no more than two to three months before fading.”

Johan shrugged irresponsibly, making Jeong Taeui feel a surge of anger, wanting to strangle Johan.

Feeling exhausted, Jeong Taeui almost lay down on the sofa, covering his face with a book. He heard Johan mumbling beside him.

“By the way, the thing with you and Rick…… It’s good you didn’t have to go to the hospital. Your body seems stronger than I thought.” 

“Or maybe I haven’t tried it yet, but the human body’s structure is indeed mysterious and amazing, so perhaps that size can be endured?” – Johan giggled to himself. Jeong Taeui quietly stood up, holding a 1,6-liter beer bottle, turned it upside down, and approached Johan menacingly.

“Let me experiment on your body. I’ll help you.”

Johan turned to see Jeong Taeui with the beer bottle and turned pale.

“H-Hey… isn’t that size unrealistic?”

“Yes, psychological pressure is equivalent. Physical pressure is similar. When you exceed the limit, there’s no significant difference. Come here.”

Jeong Taeui smiled brightly with an almost expressionless face. At that moment, Johan thought of temporary personality disorder due to stress.

“H-Hey, this is nonsense… Why are you approaching me? You look like Jason with a chainsaw.”

“Don’t talk too much, take off your pants.”

“NO NO DON’T… AAAAA! I WAS WRONG! PLEASE SPARE ME!!”

“Take them off! I said take off your pants!!”

When the men chatting on the other side of the bookshelf heard the sudden shouting and commotion, they rushed over to see Jeong Taeui struggling to pull Johan’s belt while Johan resisted desperately.

And… thus, another rumor began to take root.

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

The distance from Jeong Taeui’s room at the far end of The West Wing to the main entrance of the main building was quite far. Although he could see people coming and going from the main building, he couldn’t clearly make out their faces.

However, when two black sedans and several mid-sized wagons pulled up in front of the main entrance, and two men who seemed to be the distinguished guests stepped out of the first sedan, Jeong Taeui knew they weren’t people he had seen before.

For some reason, he felt confident that if it were ‘that person,’ the owner of the mansion in Seringe, he would recognize them from a distance due to their distinctive presence.

“Well, that’s a relief… At least I can breathe easier.”

Jeong Taeui sighed and lightly punched his chest.

After all, he had completely destroyed their house, and meeting the owner again would be incredibly awkward. He would have to bow his head and apologize: “Sorry for making your house like that.”

Jeong Taeui turned away from the window when he saw Richard and Christoph, standing together as if to guide and escort the guests, walking into the entrance. Even from a distance, he could vaguely recognize them, although their faces were not clear.

The sky began to darken. The sun had set, leaving only a faint purple-red glow. It was time for dinner.

Since the distinguished guests had arrived today, they would likely have dinner in the main building or the The East Wing wing. The The West Wing wing would be quieter.

Thinking he could enjoy a peaceful dinner, Jeong Taeui stepped out of his room.

Jeong Taeui was dreaming of a pleasant evening, having a comfortable dinner, then returning to his room, lying on the bed, reading a book, and drinking beer until he fell asleep.

Feeling cheerful about the bright future, Jeong Taeui walked lightly towards the dining hall.

He believed that with the arrival of the distinguished guests that had been the talk of the past few days, at least for today, everyone would be busy and wouldn’t bother him.

However. 

However… 

HOWEVER!!!!

Less than an hour later, Jeong Taeui found himself sitting in a spacious and comfortable living room on the first floor of The East Wing.

“……”

“What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

The person asking kindly, albeit with certain animosity towards Jeong Taeui, was Richard.

Among those present, Ilay should have been the one most attentive to Jeong Taeui, but he seemed unconcerned about whether Jeong Taeui’s face looked ashen or not. Christoph, who had once confessed his feelings to Jeong Taeui bluntly, sat next to Richard with a cold expression.

And opposite them were two unfamiliar Arab men.

Though they wore traditional Tobe garments with Gutra headscarves, their unique presence made them blend in rather than stand out.

They planned to stay here for four days before departing. As soon as they arrived at the mansion, they met with the elders of the house and then would enjoy a pre-prepared simple dinner.

Currently, before the dinner was ready, they were enjoying tea with Richard–their host for the next few days and the final negotiation partner in this deal.

Jeong Taeui quietly sipped his tea, puzzled as to why he had to be present in this situation.

He couldn’t understand the criteria for his inclusion.

It made sense for Richard, Christoph, and the two Arab men to be here. Even Ilay, observing and assessing the candidates for succession, being here was understandable.

But why was he dragged into this meeting? No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t figure it out.

“You seem uncomfortable.”

The man sitting on the right among the two Arab men, who seemed to hold a higher status, continued Richard’s conversation.

With a clearly defined and authoritative face, this man exuded an aura of dignity. However, his smiling eyes softened his sternness.

“Ah… Maybe because I was dragged away from a delicious meal, I’m now having indigestion.”

Jeong Taeui rubbed his chest and mumbled.

Jeong Taeui could only hope that whatever discussions took place, he could manage to stay out of further awkward situations.

“It’s awkward. We are meticulously preparing dinner, although there might be some shortcomings. Perhaps we should prepare some digestive medicine for you?” Richard suggested, concerned about Jeong Taeui’s discomfort.

Jeong Taeui waved off Richard’s concern, feeling the eyes on him all the while. 

The Arab man sitting across from him was silently observing him. 

His gaze wasn’t overt, but enough for Jeong Taeui to notice. The man was scrutinizing him closely.

Should he ignore it? But doing so would only make him feel more uncomfortable.

Jeong Taeui sighed softly and set down his teacup. He looked up to meet the man’s gaze naturally. 

“You seem surprised to see an outsider like me here. Honestly, I’m surprised too.” 

Jeong Taeui smiled lightly, making a joke. The Arab man’s eyes widened slightly before he burst out laughing.

“Oh, I was being rude. I didn’t mean it that way, but I guess I was staring too much. My name is Malik Al-Kadhim.”

Jeong Taeui shook hands with him and said: “Yes, nice to meet you”, his voice was hesitant. 

He didn’t know how much to reveal about himself. He wasn’t sure which name to use or if this man knew ‘Jeong Taeui’, the wanted fugitive. Without enough information, Jeong Taeui couldn’t be proactive.

He glanced at Ilay sitting beside him. However, Ilay remained silent, watching their handshake without any intention of assisting Jeong Taeui.

Fortunately, Malik didn’t seem bothered by Jeong Taeui’s lack of introduction. He released Jeong Taeui’s hand and smiled comfortably.

At that moment, Jeong Taeui realized something important without anyone telling him.

This man knew about Jeong Taeui.

Although it was their first meeting, it was clear that Malik had known about ‘Jeong Taeui’ before coming here. Thinking about it, there was no reason for him not to recognize Jeong Taeui’s face, just as he knew Ilay was sitting beside him.

“… —”

Jeong Taeui quietly looked to the side. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Ilay turned his head. 

The moment their eyes met, Jeong Taeui smiled bitterly. Seeing this, Ilay smirked slightly, a subtle expression only noticeable to someone who had lived with him for years.

…Damn it. So that’s the reason.

Before negotiating with Tarten, they wanted to meet in person. If so, the final decision had been made before they left their homeland. 

Jeong Taeui thought to himself while sipping his tea –‘It’s impossible to understand the thinking of people in high positions.’

He could guess their intentions. Assuming they didn’t demand something outrageous, it was relatively easy to narrow down.

The most obvious request would be for the exchange of the main perpetrator of the Riyadh bombing.

Jeong Taeui unconsciously stared at Ilay.

What is this man thinking?

Although he had become more humane in recent years and stayed mostly in Berlin without causing incidents – though occasionally going out for work – Jeong Taeui still couldn’t understand why he came here now.

“What’s wrong?” – Ilay asked briefly, glancing at Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui shook his head.

“Nothing. It’s just that I’ve known you for years, yet there’s still so much I don’t know about you.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged, picking up a wine bottle from the corner of the table, inspecting it without much interest. Ilay chuckled softly beside him.

“Yes, I’ve often felt the same about myself in the past few years.”

“Oh…? I didn’t think you were someone who didn’t know himself well.”

“Does it seem that way? I used to think so a few years ago.”

A pale hand tapped lightly on Jeong Taeui’s thigh. More precisely, a dark blue gloved hand. It didn’t matter much, but the hand’s constant movement on his thigh made Jeong Taeui uncomfortable… though he said nothing.

Noticing a sharp glare, Jeong Taeui turned to see Christoph staring intently at Ilay’s hand on his thigh.

‘The atmosphere is…’ – Jeong Taeui thought. He clicked his tongue and stared at the wine bottle. Just then, Malik, who had been silently observing, spoke up.

“Speaking of which, I heard you two are very close. Indeed, the rumors seem true.”

Jeong Taeui, who was staring at the wine label, froze. Ilay’s hand, gently stroking his thigh, paused.

The rumor is that Jeong Taeui and Ilay Riegrow were very close.

Regardless of the rumor’s truth, hearing it from Malik’s mouth was notable.

…Ah, so that’s how it is.

Jeong Taeui smiled bitterly.

Now Malik had stated that he knew who ‘Jeong Taeui’ was.

As expected, facing Malik – who certainly couldn’t have heard rumors about the relationship between Kim Youngsoo and Riegrow – Jeong Taeui felt more at ease. He didn’t need to worry about how much others knew.

“There’s a rumor that we’re close?” – Jeong Taeui laughed and asked, to which Malik shrugged and answered: “Of course”. Seeing that bright smile, Jeong Taeui also smiled bitterly.

It seemed the rumor had spread widely. Thus, his marital prospects were doomed for the rest of his life. His love life was blocked.

Jeong Taeui silently prayed. The rumor had spread, but he hoped no one like Johan would ask him: ‘Are you still intact after doing that with him?!’

In reality, they were wanted as terrorists not because they were ‘close.’

“That’s true.”

Ilay, who had been mostly silent, spoke up. His gloved hand started moving again, and when Jeong Taeui looked up, he saw a faint smile on Ilay’s face.

Perhaps thinking so, Malik’s dark eyes stared directly at him with a suggestive smile.

“Do you mean the origin of the story?”

“Haha, not exactly. I just find your friendship beautiful.”

Malik laughed kindly, looking at Jeong Taeui. Trying to maintain his distance and not interfere, Jeong Taeui was unexpectedly stiffened by that gaze.

Maybe because of his current position, this wasn’t normal.