“What did you come here for suddenly?” – Richard asked coldly, but Christoph did not answer. Instead, he just said briefly, 

“Return him.”

Chris’s curt and blunt words made Richard raise an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Are you trying to joke with me?” – Christoph’s voice dropped. The gun he had taken from the man earlier spun in his hand.

Richard stared at Christoph’s hand, feeling no threat, and spoke.

“If you’re talking about the friend you came with, you’re in the wrong place. Besides, given the current situation, it seems you’re the one who needs to explain.”

Richard gestured towards the inside of the bar. However, Christoph didn’t look in that direction. He stared intently at Richard, his eyes narrowing and his lips curling coldly, his voice low and unclear whether in anger or sarcasm.

“Explain? Understood. I’m here to blame you for not managing your subordinates.”

Richard tilted his head slightly in confusion, waiting for Christoph to continue.

“Your men intentionally harmed my horse. I dealt with them in my way, but you still bear responsibility.”

“Your horse?”

Richard frowned and asked again. He seemed to be trying to understand what was happening. A man standing nearby approached Richard and whispered something in his ear. Time passed, and information about the incident in the stables reached them.

Hearing what the man said, Richard nodded, saying: “Aha”, as if understanding. He looked back at Christoph with a serious expression.

“It seems Moritz’s idiots did something stupid. Three of them are in casts all over, two can’t leave their hospital beds for a while, and one is lucky if he survives. The price paid for that horse was too high.”

Richard spoke calmly. Staring at Christoph for a moment, a contemptuous smile appeared on his lips, deliberately stretching his words.

“But to be clear, Christoph, not everyone lives under your control. They are not my subordinates but my friends and brothers… Yes, you could say they’re your brothers too. I doubt you understand this concept with your cold heart that can hurt others without a care.”

“Friends and brothers…?”

Christoph repeated Richard’s words like a parrot. A faint smile crossed his face, but there was no sign of joy. Only a mocking sigh.

“Do you have that? It sounds ridiculous. You look at everyone as if they are beneath you, that’s your true mindset, isn’t it? Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk with you. I don’t think I can have a conversation with you.”

Christoph’s finger spun the gun habitually. Richard squinted and smiled.

“Do you intend to shoot me with that gun?”

“Whether it’s this bar or you, I don’t care which I deal with first. I want to settle things between us once and for all to avoid future trouble.”

“Do you think threatening with a gun will be effective?” Richard asked.

“Do you think I’m threatening you—?”

As he spoke, Christoph calmly aimed the gun at Richard, even when facing someone who wasn’t intimidated by it. Without hesitation, he cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.

In a split second.

While they exchanged calm – or perhaps cold – words, Christoph fired the gun naturally, as if in conversation. His action was neither hurried nor slow, as if in jest.

The gunshot echoed loudly. Everyone in the bar fell silent.

Even with the mindset that whether it hit or missed didn’t matter, the bullet grazed Richard’s ear narrowly. In reality, Richard had dodged just as Christoph pulled the trigger.

The bullet embedded itself in the trunk of a potted plant just behind Richard with a “phut” sound. Splinters flew and fell onto Richard’s neck.

“…….”

Richard quietly wiped his neck with the back of his hand. He turned back to look at Christoph, expressionless and empty-handed. The air around them grew tense. Eric’s voice calling Christoph’s name echoed distantly, but no one turned to look at him.

“Return him.”

Christoph spoke briefly. He spun the gun again, realized it was out of bullets, and tossed it aside indifferently.

Richard thought for a moment before speaking gently.

“You say you want to settle things between us. So, if I return your friend, will you leave here peacefully?”

His tone implied that if Christoph left, he would return his friend. Christoph frowned, staring at Richard without answering, seemingly considering it.

Richard sneered. A low, mocking snort.

“Can’t you lie to gain an advantage at this moment? Out of pity, I’ll tell you I don’t care about your friend. I’ve never heard of him. But seeing this scene, I think we do need to settle things between us.”

Richard removed his vest and placed it nearby, shaking his head to refuse the signal from the man standing beside him. Then he took a step towards Christoph. The sound of glass shards crunching under his shoes echoed.

The distance between them was only ten steps.

Inside the bar, there were no other guests besides Christoph and his enemies.

In this completely disadvantageous situation, Christoph didn’t look around but just sighed. He looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment. As the sound of glass shards scraping the floor echoed slowly, he turned back to Richard.

“If that guy returns with any injuries, everyone here will pay. You, Hugo, Fabian, Sven…”

Christoph spoke slowly and calmly, glancing at each man standing like statues around him. His cold voice and terrifying gaze made the men shiver as if facing a snake. Finally, his gaze settled on Richard.

“…And you too, Richard.”

Richard – the only one not avoiding that gaze – squinted as if probing something. Christoph continued.

“If even one of his fingers is dislocated, I’ll break all your finger joints. If a drop of blood leaks from his skin, I’ll drain all the blood from your body until it forms a pool. I guarantee that.”

No one here dared to think those metaphorical words were just jokes.

In the silent space, Richard stared at Christoph without changing his expression. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. His low voice contained barely noticeable surprise.

“Thinking about it now, it’s quite surprising. You have a friend? And you brought someone here with you? …You’re even worried about someone else’s safety? This is the first time I’ve seen you like this, at least in my memory. I never imagined it.”

Richard’s footsteps stopped as he approached Christoph.

“Are you trying to act human? That’s not like you, Christoph.”

“That’s my business, not yours.” – Christoph’s brief reply wiped the sneer off Richard’s face.

“Who is the person he brought here?”

Though Richard was still looking at Christoph when asking, the colleagues standing a few steps behind him didn’t immediately realize the question was for them. After a moment of hesitation, one of the men behind quickly answered, somewhat flustered.

“It’s a young man who has been at the West Wing Building for a while, working as a runner for him……”

The man hesitated, not knowing more about the young man. But those few words were enough for Richard to understand. Richard softly said: “Aha”, with clear meaning.

Richard looked at Christoph with a strange gaze. His eyes filled with doubt and disbelief, gradually showing clear malice.

“So it’s him… He seems to be very fond of that guy, even bringing him here. It looks like he really won his favor. A lunatic who isolates himself is now trying to act human? …Or maybe not just a ‘friend.’”

Christoph said nothing. He just looked at Richard with icy eyes.

Some of the men near Richard glanced at him. Their trustworthy and friendly leader was showing a cold side they had never seen. But that wasn’t surprising, as Richard always behaved this way when facing Christoph.

“So where is that ‘friend’? If he left earlier, someone must have seen.”

Richard asked again. This time, Christoph’s expression changed slightly. The man standing nearby understood the question was for him and quickly answered.

“There was some commotion in the bathroom. He took Wilhelm’s coat and fled, but no one saw him leave, so he might still be in the bar…”

“A coat?”

“Yes, he took a black coat with a hood to avoid detection. We’re still looking for him, should find him soon……”

Before the man could finish, Richard’s expression turned strange.

Richard’s face changed as if he had been hit unexpectedly. All emotion disappeared from his face.

“That guy took a black coat…”

Richard mumbled: “Ha”, and then slowly laughed softly. He placed his hand on his forehead and laughed. His laughter grew longer and louder, filled with amusement.

“Hahaha, really… So that’s the person… Oh yes, hahaha. Hahahahaha.”

Richard laughed loudly for a long time. Christoph looked at him with increasingly sharp eyes. Richard clearly knew where Christoph’s friend was. His laughter indicated that.

“You remembered where he is. Bring him out. I’ve waited too long, Richard.”

As Richard gradually stopped laughing, Christoph spoke calmly but with enough killing intent to drive a knife into Richard’s throat without hesitation.

Richard stopped laughing but kept a cheerful smile on his lips, looking straight at Christoph. He even walked confidently, stepping on the broken glass slowly.

“His name is Kim Young-soo, right? You seem to like him a lot, Christoph. This is the first time I’ve seen you value someone like this. But unfortunately, oh dear cousin of mine, there’s something…”

As those annoying, insincere terms left Richard’s mouth, Christoph felt anger. His fingertips twitched, and his eyes turned cold.

“Your precious friend, Kim Young-soo, is currently…”

Richard’s lips moved slowly, speaking each word as if to create suspense. Inside the bar, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone sensed that something important was about to be revealed. Richard continued,

“…having a ‘good-time’ with Riegrow in the back room.”

After Richard spoke, silence stretched for a moment longer.

No one in the bar misunderstood the meaning of those words.

Although they weren’t sure how it happened, no one doubted the truth of Richard’s statement. The ‘friend’ Christoph had been searching for everywhere was currently enduring the ‘horrible torment’ inflicted by Crazy Rick in the back room.

All eyes turned to Christoph, waiting to see his reaction. It was no surprise that everyone was astonished by what they saw.

Rather than being horrified, then sorrowful and enraged, Christoph only opened his eyes wide in apparent surprise and stared at Richard. Richard, in turn, looked back at him, waiting for his response with a relaxed demeanor.

Finally, Christoph spoke.

“Rick… Is he here?”

“Yes. He spoke to me just before your friend stormed in.”

“He’s with Rick?”

“Yes. When I left, they had just begun, so by now they’re surely having a great time together. If I had known he was your friend, I would have tried to help before Rick got to him. Truly unfortunate.”

Richard’s voice was filled with regret. If not for the smile on his lips and the coldness in his eyes, his gentle tone might have seemed sincere.

What Richard conveyed was very clear.

Christoph Tarten, who rarely liked anyone, had his favored person taken by Rick– a madman even Christoph had difficulty dealing with.

This was an unprecedented event. Even a few minutes earlier, when Christoph was turning the bar upside down to find his friend, no one could have imagined this situation.

“Truly unfortunate, Christoph. I can’t believe your precious ‘friend’ ended up in such a terrible situation. Truly unfortunate.”

As Richard spoke again, Christoph, who had been deep in thought with his head bowed, suddenly looked up. His face was as calm as ever.

“Why should it be unfortunate?” – His brief response surprised everyone around.

Richard raised an eyebrow. Then he chuckled softly.

“So, you don’t care?”

“I’m not like you, a pervert. I don’t care about that.”

“Ah… Such a noble heart. It’s the soul that matters, not the body? Truly wonderful. I can’t compare with you.”

“Yes. You discard emotions and soul for mere physical satisfaction.”

These words didn’t seem to fit Christoph. Anyone who knew him would think so. Perhaps even Christoph found it amusing to speak about emotions and soul.

Richard also looked at him for a moment, then snorted softly as if laughing to himself.

“A serial killer talking about the noble values of life.”

Christoph said nothing, just stared at Richard with a blank expression.

After a moment of scrutinizing Christoph’s face, Richard silently laughed.

“Christoph. Why does your face look like that? You say you don’t care, but you look sad and disappointed. Huh?”

Richard’s voice became smooth and slick like a snake. Christoph swore quietly, his irritation clear as he glared at Richard.

Sometimes, very rarely, Richard could read Christoph’s expressions. Occasionally, he even noticed feelings that Christoph himself didn’t recognize. Like now.

“I don’t care.”

Christoph stated firmly again. Richard nodded slightly with a look of someone indulging a stubborn child.

“A bit of physical contact, so what. It’s just a childish prank. Overreacting to that would be strange.”

As he spoke, Christoph’s expression seemed to soften, as if he were convincing himself.

Richard laughed again. It seemed Christoph was trying to appear strong. Richard responded as if to break Christoph’s facade.

“Yes, it’s just a childish prank. But Christoph, face reality. Rick doesn’t stop there. You know that better than I do because you’ve worked with him.”

This time, Christoph sneered.

“I know. Even if Rick is a lunatic, he can’t turn a man into a woman. That, I know for sure.”

The smile on Richard’s face froze. He seemed to be trying to understand the meaning of those words but couldn’t immediately find an answer.

Turning a man into a woman… Perhaps it meant he couldn’t make him pregnant, so he couldn’t keep him forever. Or maybe it meant that the body didn’t matter, only emotions did. Or it could be that since it wasn’t a woman, the body wouldn’t be easily damaged and wasn’t a concern.

While those around were wondering something similar, Christoph had regained his confidence from his own words. He continued.

“Anyway, since they’re both men, nothing can happen. At most, it’s just some licking, no big deal. I’m not such a clean freak that I have to watch over… my friend day and night.”

Someone in the corner muttered – “Don’t lie, you are a clean freak” – but no one paid attention to the weak voice.

Silence enveloped the room.

In that strange silence, Richard stood there, staring at Christoph for a long time. Richard’s face was expressionless, but his eyes were scrutinizing Christoph as if pondering something.

Seeming to want to say something, Richard opened his mouth but then closed it again. Christoph responded in a cold, slightly mocking tone.

“Do you think I’ll be easily shaken by your words?”

“……”

Richard still said nothing. His face remained puzzled and vague, only looking at Christoph.

The man standing behind Richard seemed a bit hesitant and stammered.

“It’s not just licking when it’s between men. They can do everything with each other.”

Christoph glanced at him and sneered.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Or perhaps you’re the stupid one.”

Christoph’s sarcastic tone brought silence once more. (…)

 ******************

Initially, there was no intention to go outside.

When Ilay went into the bathroom, Jeong Taeui was lying in a state of shock and exhaustion. He vaguely thought: ‘Maybe my mind is dazed, so everything seems quieter…’ Then suddenly, he lifted his head.

He remembered that Eric had mentioned that Christoph was causing trouble outside. Although he hadn’t paid attention to it at the time, it was the reason Richard had left the room.

If so, then surely Satan must have erupted into chaos by now or… Damn, the only thing on his mind now was the chaotic situation Satan had caused.

Despite the pain below and unsteady legs, Jeong Taeui tried to stand up. Though he was used to this, he still staggered around the room before he could walk normally.

Glancing at the bathroom where the sound of water was still heard, Jeong Taeui hesitated, then hurriedly dressed and left the room.

Luckily, Ilay finished quickly. He had said: “It’s uncomfortable being in someone else’s territory”, after completing everything. Ilay had gently stroked Jeong Taeui’s limp body, smiled, and walked into the bathroom. (Meaning he disliked doing it in someone else’s place, in Richard’s room)

Lying there alone in the stifling air, Jeong Taeui wished he could fall asleep but couldn’t.

Ilay’s words kept echoing in his head.

Loan. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned enterprise. Their demands.

‘Dammit, what the hell is this…’

Jeong Taeui sighed and groaned: “Grr..”

He hadn’t heard their exact demands.

But perhaps even Ilay didn’t understand clearly. Information like that wouldn’t easily spread to outsiders. If Ilay understood the situation, would he remain so indifferent?

Never would someone who bombed a nation’s capital bow to power and live peacefully.

Thinking about that: ‘I’m in trouble, I feel like I’m in trouble’, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed him. His weary body naturally steered away from complicated thoughts.

Then suddenly, he remembered the situation outside.

“If there’s a disaster, I should at least check on the situation.”

Mumbling, Jeong Taeui staggered out of the room and into the hallway.

The identical hallways confused Taeui, making him wonder how he had ended up here. What bad luck.

But as he rummaged through his memory and searched for the way, he heard noises from afar. Everything around him was so quiet that just following the sound made finding the way easy.

Dragging his exhausted legs, Jeong Taeui moved towards the noise. At the end of the hallway, a man stood leaning against the wall, his back to Jeong Taeui. It seemed something serious was happening in the main hall, and the man was too focused to notice Jeong Taeui approaching.

Fortunately, there was no smell of blood or ear-piercing screams, but the atmosphere was still tense.

“Hey, what’s going on?” – Jeong Taeui asked softly as he got closer to the man.

“Be quiet, don’t make noise. Can’t you hear what he’s saying? It’s at a critical point.”

“Critical? What’s happening? Signing a ceasefire treaty?”

Jeong Taeui peeked over the man’s shoulder to see the situation in the main hall.

Everything seemed strange.

There wasn’t immediate explosive tension, but the atmosphere was still very strained.

The people lying on the floor, covered in blood, were surely Christoph’s doing. Yet, for someone who had committed such terrible acts, he stood there calmly, confidently, saying something.

Christoph was jesting, and although Richard’s expression couldn’t be seen, the men around him seemed captivated by something.

Jeong Taeui’s whispered questions from behind annoyed the man in front. He turned around and spoke angrily.

“How can you be so stupid! That madman is—”

He stopped when he saw Jeong Taeui’s puzzled and confused face. Then his expression turned fierce. Seeing this, Jeong Taeui shrugged and said: “Never mind then…”, and quickly twisted the man’s neck.

The sound of bones cracking accompanied the man’s fall into unconsciousness. Jeong Taeui dragged him aside and took his place.

Though reluctant to intervene, Jeong Taeui cautiously observed the situation. If he rushed forward hastily, it would lead to disaster, so he didn’t want unnecessary enemies. He just needed to move this man aside…

“Do you think I’m stupid? Or perhaps you’re the stupid one.”

While Jeong Taeui was pulling the man back, someone said something. Christoph sneered and replied.

“Do you think I don’t know the structure of the human body?”

Though not fully understanding the context, Jeong Taeui nodded at Christoph’s words.

A person capable of ending lives precisely like Christoph surely understood the human body. Killing someone with clumsy blows was impossible. There were no mistakes in his actions. He certainly knew where to kill, where to knock someone out, and where to inflict pain.

Though nodding, Jeong Taeui immediately stopped when he heard Christoph’s next words.

“People who don’t even know what the lower part of a man’s body looks like are all meaningless. Even if it’s homosexual, it’s much healthier than what you do to women. Do you think I care about that?”

Christoph’s voice rang out clearly with disdain.

Jeong Taeui recognized the absurdity in the conversation. He banged his head against the wall painfully. Why hadn’t he come sooner? He should have dragged Christoph away before he could speak. Or he shouldn’t have left the room.

While Jeong Taeui was suffering against the wall, Richard broke the silence.

“You mean even if it’s with men, it’s nothing significant?”

Richard’s voice was as calm and composed as always, but Jeong Taeui didn’t want to see his face at that moment.

“What do you think? With your rotten brain, is it dirtier between men than what you do to women?”

Christoph replied with clear contempt. Jeong Taeui couldn’t bear it any longer. He gripped the wall tightly, saying nothing for a while. This silence had many people in agreement.

Listening to this conversation made Jeong Taeui uncomfortable. It was one of the most shameful experiences he’d ever had.

Jeong Taeui stepped away from the wall and moved forward, unable to bear it anymore. A thought flashed in his mind to return to the room, but he didn’t have the courage to face the labyrinthine path back.

When he entered the main hall, no one noticed Jeong Taeui. All eyes were on Christoph.

“Anyway, the filthy mess you caused from the start is unacceptable. Why make such a fuss? Pretending to be innocent, what is that——”

“Stop it, Chris. Stop right there.”

When Jeong Taeui interrupted Christoph, everyone in the room turned to look at him.

Using the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, Jeong Taeui smiled gently. But the eyes of everyone looking at him seemed to burn.

“—….”

Christoph looked at him, his eyes wide. His mouth moved as if to call his name but remained silent, just staring at him for a moment. Soon, his indifferent eyes scanned Taeui from head to toe.

“You seem fine.”

Christoph’s voice was so cold that people wondered if he was the one who had fervently protected Jeong Taeui just moments before. His face was cold, as if disappointed that Jeong Taeui wasn’t injured.

“Really? I’m not entirely fine.”

Though Taeui walked slowly and normally, there was a slight limp that Christoph quickly noticed. When Jeong Taeui shrugged and answered, Christoph looked down at his leg and frowned.

“Were you hit?”

“No way, if I were hit, I couldn’t walk.”

“Then why are you walking like that?”

“…… Just… some issue.”

In a situation where everyone was watching, Jeong Taeui had to admit: ‘Because I just had a fierce tussle with a man’, he decided to spare his remaining dignity.

Actually, in this context, what shocked them wasn’t Jeong Taeui’s dignity. What was more surprising was Christoph’s mindset when asking: “Were you hit?”, in such a clear situation.

A very strange atmosphere was unfolding.

Amidst the men lying bloody like corpses, the tense, violent atmosphere had cooled and faded as if doused with cold water. When Jeong Taeui appeared, the men seemed to remember the previous tension, their eyes burning with hostility.

Richard, still staring at Christoph with an expressionless face, didn’t hide his surprise or confusion. He slowly shifted his gaze to Jeong Taeui. His cold eyes scanned Jeong Taeui from head to toe.

“I didn’t know you were here. If I had known, I would have greeted you properly.”

“Ah… yes…”

It was unclear whether Richard understood the unintentional eavesdropping apology, but his gaze at Jeong Taeui wasn’t too harsh. Even in this situation, he maintained his friendly and trustworthy smile.

“But why… It seems Riegrow finished sooner than I thought.”

Ah, what does that smile mean?

“Yes… just…”

Taeui briefly indicated that – “I quickly left after everything was done” – and it was unclear if Richard understood, as he raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask further.

Jeong Taeui sighed silently. He quietly observed the surroundings.

Not good at all.

The men lying bloody on the floor like ragdolls and the chaotic situation. Each step on the shattered pieces of broken items, everything was bad. The threatening glares from those around, even though many were knocked out, more than a dozen pairs of eyes still stared intensely.

But the worst was Richard Tarten. Standing not far away.

While the other men glared bloodthirstily and viciously, Richard remained calm and friendly, making him the most frightening.

Jeong Taeui had never seen Richard fight. He had heard many times about Richard’s excellence and talent but never that he was a good fighter.

However, he didn’t want to fight that man. No matter how weak Richard might be, Jeong Taeui didn’t want to deal with the consequences afterward.

“So then… should we head back?”

Jeong Taeui smiled gently at Christoph. But before Christoph could respond, several men around shouted angrily.

“You think you can leave easily!”

“You think you can escape after wrecking our place like this!”

Though they shouted angrily, none of them stepped forward. All looked towards Richard.

Still maintaining his calm demeanor, Richard looked at Christoph and spoke.

“You’ll withdraw quietly if I pretend not to see this, right?”

It was a very generous question. Even his expression showed a clear intention to let them leave peacefully, though there was no smile; his face still appeared kind.

However.

“I haven’t even started settling things. You think I came here just to see your face and exchange a few words?”

Christoph’s response cut off Richard’s proposal, making Jeong Taeui want to tear his hair out. But seeing the faint smile on Richard’s lips, he realized Richard had expected that answer when he asked.

“Don’t stand in the way, step aside.”

The man scowled and gestured towards Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui wanted to mutter something but only swallowed and stepped back. However, Christoph glared at him with annoyance.

“Not in that direction, move this way. Who told you to go that way?”

“……”

Jeong Taeui silently nodded and moved in the direction Christoph indicated. Standing beside a column, he saw two men lying at the column’s base, looking like corpses. Feeling sorry for them but too exhausted, Jeong Taeui sat at a nearby table where another man lay slumped.

After ensuring Jeong Taeui was seated, Christoph turned back. His gaze met Richard’s.

Richard, who had been watching everything, suddenly laughed.

“You really like him, don’t you? Interesting.”

He suddenly took another step, and something under Richard’s foot made a noise. It was the gun Christoph had thrown away earlier.

Richard lightly kicked the gun aside with the tip of his shoe and asked.

“Why did you throw the gun away? Out of bullets? If you say so, I can give you more bullets. Without a gun, what will you do?”

“Is there nothing else but using a gun…?”

Christoph frowned, but then a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

“If that’s the case, test it with your body to see if there’s anything else but using a gun.”

“I also wanted to try.”

As soon as Richard finished speaking, the sound of glass breaking under his shoe made a gentle noise. But before that sound could reach everyone’s ears, Richard was already in front of Christoph. 

“……!”

There was no warning sign. No foreboding omen.

Richard approached Christoph without giving him a chance to breathe. However, Christoph wasn’t surprised but faced him directly. Though his eyes widened slightly in surprise, he didn’t show it outwardly.

At the same time, Christoph moved.

Christoph used a glass bottle he had grabbed earlier to strike Richard’s punch aimed at his neck. With a sharp sound, blood sprayed everywhere. Not only Richard’s punch but also Christoph’s cheek and temple were cut by the glass shards, blood dripping.

In an instant, Richard used his torn and bloody fist to punch Christoph’s neck as intended. Simultaneously, Christoph, holding the broken glass bottle, aimed to stab Richard’s neck but missed, scratching the skin under Richard’s chin and leaving a mark on his neck.