“Well, anyway, the conclusion doesn’t change, but this timing isn’t great. If necessary, the succession decision date might be postponed.”

“Is that possible?”

“Well, it depends on how we wrap up the conversation with the upcoming guests, but who knows.”

Johan murmured indifferently, flipping the newspaper lazily.

Guests! As the succession day approached, Jeong Taeui thought there would indeed be many visitors and nodded. Meanwhile, his eyes skimmed a small article on the economic page.

It was a short piece examining the impact of rising oil prices, alongside Ali’s succession of Bandar Al-Fad at the end of last year and his vague statements about Saudi Arabia’s oil policy.

Noticing Jeong Taeui’s gaze, Johan glanced at the article briefly and murmured – “Oh, I see.”

“This man seems to have succeeded brilliantly after defeating Rashid and becoming the minister. Probably thanks to strong backing from his brother.”

“Brother?”

Jeong Taeui felt the name sounded familiar but found it difficult to recall names from the Middle East, so he asked again. Johan couldn’t remember immediately either. He murmured with a furrowed brow.

“Oh, that guy. The one who withdrew from the power struggle early and went back to managing the business. Ab…… Ab……”

Johan kept mumbling: “Ab…… Ab……” trying to remember, then seemed to give up and shrugged. After that, he sighed.

“I hoped Rashid would win, but life doesn’t always go as planned.”

“Why? Is he from the moderate faction?”

“No, Ali’s ascendancy strengthens that faction like wings on a tiger. Well, I don’t know. It’s a matter for the seniors and Richard to worry about. I just have to wait for the fruits to fall into my lap.”

Bored with the conversation, Johan waved his hand and leaned back. Jeong Taeui murmured softly: “Hmm” and his eyes lowered back to the newspaper.

There were no particularly interesting or important articles.

Oil prices are rising, huh. Come to think of it, his brother mentioned receiving an oil field as a gift. His wallet would probably get fatter. But he never cared about his wallet growing.

Jeong Taeui looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

Something was bothering him, like a mouse gnawing at his brain, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

In this chaotic and complex state of mind, the only thing Jeong Taeui could do right now was―.

“……Maybe I should check if Christoph is alive or dead.”

In this chaotic situation, the first thing to do was to check if the man in a coma was still alive. Last night, the man had been brought back to the villa in a state like a corpse. It needed to be confirmed, even if it was a bit late. He had to see if he was alive or not.

This morning, when the angry old men left noisily, Johan had been dragged along. He tried to say – “It seems Christoph won’t wake up for a while” – After leaving Johan alone, Jeong-tae dragged his heavy feet away from the dining room.

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

Christoph lay alone on the bed, almost buried under the blanket.

Except for a few tubes leading from bags hanging above the bed to the bed, he looked like he was sleeping normally.

The blanket covered him up to his chin, looking as if he were in a deep sleep. Christoph lay there quietly.

Jeong Taeui looked at his still pale face for a while, then gently pulled the curtain beside the bed. Light filtered into the dim room as the curtain was slightly drawn. Golden sunlight hit the foot of the bed.

It seemed much better. Compared to lying like a corpse in the shadow of the curtain, at least the sunlight at the foot of the bed made the room a bit warmer.

“Christoph……. Sleeping?”

He gently asked the sleeping person. No answer.

Jeong Taeui pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

Though he looked like a corpse last night, now, although still pale, at least he looked alive.

“Hey…… because of you, the old men are causing a ruckus, and you can sleep peacefully. The house is in chaos.”

“Although this happens once or twice, this time it seems more serious……” – Jeong Taeui sighed, muttering words that didn’t even reach his ears. 

/Flashback/

Last night, when Richard carried Christoph to the riverbank.

Jeong Taeui took a moment to speak when he saw the two soaked and bloody. The scene in the dark night was indescribable.

When Richard called Jeong Taeui’s name precisely, Taeui stood speechless for a while, then reached out to try to support Christoph from Richard, when Ilay, standing behind, reminded gently.

“A few minutes ago, I reminded you not to forget the promise.”

Hearing that low voice, Jeong Taeui involuntarily stopped. Richard stood a few steps away, looking at him.

The streetlight behind made Richard’s face unclear. But his strange eyes were easily recognizable.

It was like looking at something rare and odd, cautious and cold.

……Cold.

Jeong Taeui vaguely realized that Richard had no special fondness for him. Richard always smiled politely at everyone, but Jeong Taeui wasn’t foolish enough to mistake that for fondness.

But what was this feeling? Like a completely different person from what he had known, Jeong Taeui just silently looked at him.

Noticing Jeong Taeui’s gaze, Richard looked down at his feet for a moment, then looked up with his usual smile. He carelessly dropped Christoph, as if discarding a disgusting snake from his shoulder. Jeong Taeui caught Christoph just before he hit the rocks and glanced at Ilay.

“Hey, a little help wouldn’t hurt, just helping out.”

Jeong Taeui argued that helping an unconscious person was a human duty.

Ilay shrugged indifferently but didn’t stop him.

“Jeong Taeui.”

When Jeong Taeui started walking towards the car with Christoph on his back, he turned around at the sound of his name from behind. The one calling his name clearly and slowly was Richard.

But Richard didn’t seem to have anything to say to Jeong Taeui. He just glanced at him for a moment, then turned to Ilay.

Richard, with an unhappy and displeased face, yet calm, looked at them. He smiled slowly at Ilay.

“So that’s it.”

“……”

Ilay was silent for a moment at Richard’s meaningful words, then also smiled faintly. As if saying –”So what” – A cold and arrogant smile.

Richard shrugged lightly. Then he looked away from Jeong Taeui – who was carrying Christoph like a corpse – and looked at Christoph.

“He knew from the start, didn’t he?”

“I don’t know.”

“If he wanted it without knowing, it’s pitiful, and if he knew and still wanted it, it’s stupid…… Ha.”

Richard chuckled lowly. With that joyful sneer, Jeong Taeui felt bitterness.

Richard was always polite and serious. In the bar before, when everyone treated Jeong Taeui roughly, thinking he was Christoph’s ally, only Richard remained polite. And probably would always be. To everyone.

But he despised Christoph to an extreme. Though his nature and attitude were always polite and kind, the hatred for Christoph was so strange and obvious, it was hard to understand.

Perhaps with such a nature, treating calmly and kindly, then coldly cutting off, made more sense.

/End flashback/

“……Well, anyway, you hated him. You don’t care about anyone.”

Jeong Taeui looked at the sleeping Christoph and suddenly murmured.

Though his face still exposed outside the blanket looked mesmerizing, under the blanket, there must be many bandages wrapped around his body.

When Jeong Taeui pulled the curtain a bit more and turned back, he saw Christoph opening his eyes. At the moment he turned, Christoph’s crystal-blue eyes met his.

“Oh my god……!”

Startled as if seeing a porcelain doll suddenly open its eyes, Jeong Taeui flinched and stared at Christoph.

“……Awake? How’s your body feeling?”

A beat late, Jeong Taeui asked and quietly patted his own heart.

Ah, it really startled him. Because of his statue-like appearance, when he opened his eyes like a porcelain doll, it startled him even more. Luckily it was daytime, if it were dark at night, he might have had a heart attack……

Gently patting his chest, Jeong Taeui sat back in the chair beside the bed. But immediately after, he realized.

Christoph had opened his eyes but wasn’t looking at Jeong Taeui. His gaze was directed somewhere in the distance, as if seeing nothing.

“……Chris?”

Long lashes blinked once. Then his eyes focused on Jeong Taeui.

Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui but said nothing. Just stared blankly like a lost person. Seeing those eyes, Jeong Taeui gently asked.

“Does it hurt?”

After a moment of silence, Christoph spoke in a hoarse voice.

“My head hurts…… There’s a ringing in my ears.”

Jeong Taeui heard him mutter that it was too noisy.

Jeong Taeui glanced at the IV tubes under the blanket. Though they contained painkillers, Christoph still frowned and requested them.

Trying to sit up, Christoph’s face furrowed even more. Though he didn’t groan, the expression on his face showed brief pain. But before he could feel the pain, he looked at the IV on his wrist with annoyance and murmured irritably.

“What is this……?”

“Don’t you remember what happened last night?”

Jeong Taeui asked Christoph while Chris mumbled, as if not understanding why these things were attached to him. Christoph frowned, looking at Jeong Taeui several times. His eyes still dazed, as if trying to remember. Then he slowly nodded and murmured softly.

“I remember…… Falling into the river……”

Christoph slightly tilted his head, slowly recalling bit by bit with a somewhat disgruntled face. It seemed he couldn’t clearly remember everything.

Well, losing a lot of blood and a foggy mind couldn’t be unaffected. No wonder when all his strength was drained just to stand on his own feet.

Jeong Taeui watched Christoph tilting his head, lips pursed as if trying to remember an event months ago, then sighed.

Anyway, he seemed fine. Though his body was inconvenient, seeing him awake and moving without major issues relieved Jeong Taeui a lot.

Thinking back, Christoph wasn’t one to get stressed easily by tense atmospheres. As long as he was healthy, it was fine.

While consoling himself with: ‘Anyway, I’ll leave here soon’ Jeong Taeui suddenly saw Christoph clenching his fist and was startled.

Christoph looked at his clenched fist with a cold gaze. His pale face suddenly flushed with fierce anger.

“……W-what’s wrong?”

Jeong Taeui pushed the chair back a few inches and asked.

The person who had just tilted his head, with a slightly disgruntled and indifferent attitude, had vanished. Instead, Christoph was filled with rage as if ready to tear someone’s throat out immediately.

“Richard…… I will kill you.”

The grinding teeth mixed with his voice.

Jeong Taeui always felt threatened by Christoph’s voice, and this time was no exception. Taeui moved the chair back a bit more.

“Still angry…… Richard will probably be bandaged for days too. Let’s call it even.”

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue and pulled the curtain slightly to block the sunlight that had penetrated deep into the room.

When Jeong Taeui hesitated to speak to Christoph – who seemed ready to rush out and find Richard immediately.

Suddenly, Christoph’s face turned white as if he remembered something.

“……I feel like vomiting.”

Mumbling like that, Christoph covered his mouth, emitting a strange groan. Seeing that, Jeong Taeui quickly grabbed a nearby trash can and handed it to him. Christoph almost snatched the trash can and immediately started vomiting with painful and unpleasant sounds.

As if wanting to vomit everything out, Christoph continued for a long time. Each time it seemed to stop, he would grab the trash can and vomit again, though there was nothing left. Jeong Taeui frowned, patting Christoph’s back as he kept dry heaving.

Is there something wrong with the medicine? He seemed fine, but was he really not okay? Why did he suddenly suffer from such nausea?

As Jeong Taeui seriously considered whether to go out and call a doctor, Christoph, with a pale and veined hand, grabbed his sleeve and still bent over the trash can, choked out.

“Water…… towel.”

“Oh, wait a moment.”

Though he seemed a bit calmer, since Christoph had vomited so much before, Jeong Taeui was still worried. He hurried to the bathroom, wet a towel, and came back. Christoph leaned against the headboard, quietly wiping his mouth with the towel. Jeong Taeui handed him a cup of water.

Christoph rinsed his mouth, occasionally pausing due to nausea. Finally, after a long time, he set the cup down and sighed in frustration.

Meanwhile, his eyes gleamed like a blue flame as he stared into space and muttered.

“Richard, you son of a bitch……”

But he suddenly fell silent. As if the nausea returned, he covered his mouth with his hand.

Jeong Taeui looked at Christoph with a mix of concern and skepticism.

Christoph’s hatred for Richard was well-known to Jeong Taeui, but this time it seemed more intense. Did he dream of meeting an arch-enemy on a narrow bridge right before waking up?

When thinking about it, Jeong Taeui suddenly realized.

Jeong Taeui didn’t know how they fought after falling into the river.

After jumping out of the car, Jeong Taeui didn’t have time to think about other things because he was in a life-threatening chase himself. When he returned to save them, Richard was carrying an unconscious Christoph, looking like there had been another fierce battle.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head.

“Why? Did Richard say he wanted to reconcile but then stabbed you in the back?”

Although he didn’t think so, he still asked to understand more about this unusual anger.

Suddenly, Christoph clammed up like an oyster. The corners of his eyes gradually turned red. His bright blue eyes began to sparkle even more.

Jeong Taeui stepped back a little.

Could it be that he was crying? It didn’t seem like he was so angry that he wanted to cry.

Initially, Jeong Taeui thought they just fought intensely, but now it didn’t seem like that.

“……What’s wrong……”

When Jeong Taeui gently asked while observing Christoph, Christoph, who was panting with anger, gritted his teeth. Christoph didn’t look at Jeong Taeui; he just clenched the blanket and stared as if he wanted to kill someone, mumbling through his teeth.

“That guy…………did…….”

“What?”

Jeong Taeui couldn’t hear clearly. The voice was too low and trembling due to gritted teeth, making it impossible to understand.

“What did you say?” – Jeong Taeui asked again, and Christoph’s eyes reddened even more. Jeong Taeui, who had leaned toward Christoph, then withdrew again.

Ah. Dangerous. Very dangerous. His always pale face now blushed like a peach, making him look beautiful. Although he knew Christoph was very beautiful, he wasn’t his type, so he didn’t care. But if this continued, he would find him adorable or change his type.

No, no, no, absolutely not.

Jeong Taeui patted his chest to reassure himself, then cleared his throat several times and carefully asked again.

“What’s wrong? What did Richard do to you?”

“That guy……”

Christoph opened his mouth to say “That guy” then gritted his teeth and said no more. His eyes sparkled more as if he was about to cry out of anger and resentment.

As Jeong Taeui’s heart began to beat faster out of worry, Christoph suddenly screamed in a choking voice.

“That guy…… had a homosexual relationship…… with me.”

Oh my god…… Jeong Taeui took a deep breath.

His heart felt like it was falling.

“What…… homosexual…… relationship……?”

His tongue stiffened, and he couldn’t speak.

He doubted if he had heard correctly.

What did he just say? If his ears didn’t deceive him, he said he was violated. Or had he misunderstood the meaning of the word violated all this time? Or did Christoph misunderstand……

Jeong Taeui’s tangled thoughts suddenly stopped.

In front of the dazed Jeong Taeui, Christoph mumbled while staring at his trembling fist.

“I had a homosexual relationship with him…… why him……”

Both his eyes and neck were red with shame and anger.

Jeong Taeui stared at Christoph with a blank mind, then suddenly cleared his throat and asked.

“What did Richard do to you……”

“That guy…… grabbed……”

“What?”

“He grabbed ‘that place’ of mine! And even touched around it too!”

Christoph’s fair face blushed like a peach, but Jeong Taeui quickly raised his hand when he saw his blue eyes start to waver.

“W-wait a minute, calm down…… Besides that, what else?”

Actually, that was already shocking enough. Touching someone’s private parts without a valid reason was hard to accept. If Richard had intentionally grabbed or pulled to attack there, it would be understandable. But if he just ‘grabbed,’ it was hard to imagine.

But the phrase “homosexual relationship” that Christoph just said had already shocked Jeong Taeui once, so this story didn’t shock him anymore.

“Nothing else…… Nothing more.”

Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui with suspicious eyes for a moment, then suddenly realized something horrifying. Chris widened his eyes and shook his head.

“I didn’t touch him! I didn’t touch that place of his! Don’t say I did that……”

“No, no, not that you did……”

Jeong Taeui hurriedly waved his hand.

Cold sweat broke out. He didn’t know what to say or where to start. Not understanding the situation made it harder to speak.

But one thing was clear.

“Anyway, I don’t think that’s a homosexual relationship……”

Jeong Taeui mumbled almost to himself and wiped the sweat with the back of his hand. But Christoph seemed to hear him, looking at Jeong Taeui with burning eyes.

“You mean to say that I had a homosexual relationship with a freak like him, and you can say that calmly?! If you had to have a relationship with someone you found disgusting to even touch, wouldn’t you find it horrifying?!”

Jeong Taeui couldn’t look straight into those eyes. He didn’t know when everything had gone so off track.

“No, it’s not like that…… I know your feelings would be terrible, but that……”

If he said that Ilay had touched his private parts, surely the feeling would be awful and he would be replied with: ‘He’s a real weirdo’. But when Christoph said Richard had a homosexual relationship, Jeong Taeui didn’t know how to respond.

……Wait.

A sudden thought crossed his mind, making Jeong Taeui’s heart heavy. He slowly, very slowly turned to look at Christoph and opened his mouth with a trembling heart.

“Christoph……s-so, does that mean you and I also…… did that?”

Jeong Taeui carefully asked, recalling the time when Christoph touched his private parts. Christoph froze.

His red, trembling face of anger suddenly became blank, then glanced at Jeong Taeui with hesitation.

“Well…… No, but that time I just touched through the clothes, not directly…… Anyway……”

Suddenly Jeong Taeui’s head spun, and his vision darkened.

He leaned back in the chair, pressing his thumb against his throbbing temple.

Unexpectedly, it seemed that in Christoph’s mind, he had remembered that he and Jeong Taeui had an intimate relationship.

No, absolutely not. That’s definitely not it.

Jeong Taeui wanted to explain clearly to Christoph but didn’t know where to start. He decided to avoid the issue first.

“Okay, so you had a homosexual relationship with Richard. But why did that happen……”

Jeong Taeui asked while massaging his temple and forehead. Christoph suddenly thought of something and seriously declared.

“Let me make it clear that although I had a homosexual relationship with him, it’s different from what I did with you. Completely different.”

Christoph said with a red face, his worried eyes staring at Jeong Taeui, who could only respond briefly: “Yes, right” Now, stop this topic……

“Oh, so something like that happened? I didn’t know.”

But at that moment.

Before Jeong Taeui could open his mouth, a low and slow voice from behind him echoed. A deep and cold voice like a gust of wind.

“……!!!!!”

As if ice water had been poured into his heart.

Jeong Taeui stiffened as if frozen, unable to move, and felt the footsteps of a man approaching.

Christoph looked over Jeong Taeui’s shoulder with an annoyed face at the approaching man.

“What is this? Eavesdropping since when?”

“Eavesdropping? First, it’s not my fault the door wasn’t closed properly. It’s also not my fault that I heard the yelling echoing outside the door, and it’s not my fault if you didn’t hear my footsteps.”

A relaxed voice along with footsteps came closer. Finally, the voice stopped right behind Jeong Taeui. A gloved hand gently placed on his shoulder.

“If I had known there was such an interesting story, I would have come sooner.”

The leather glove gently caressed his shoulder like a cold snake.

Jeong Taeui slowly, very slowly, raised his head.

Behind him was Ilay Riegrow. And at the door stood a man looking at them in confusion.

Jeong Taeui looked back and forth between them. Ilay bent down, looking at him, and whispered – “It would be great if you could tell me about that in detail later.”

“N-nothing worth mentioning……”

But before Jeong Taeui could get up from his chair, Ilay pressed his shoulder down and then looked at Christoph.

“Fortunately, you’re awake. I was worried I might have to wake you up.”

“Why are you here?”

Christoph asked with annoyance. And he didn’t forget to glance at the man standing at the door and say: “Don’t come in. I never allowed you to enter this room” The man quickly stepped back and stuttered.

“T-the elders asked me to call you……”

The man didn’t finish his sentence, looking at Ilay with a bewildered expression. Ilay smiled relaxedly and nodded.

“As he said. Christoph Tarten, you caused a big problem. The elders of the Tarten family are looking for you. They told me to bring you, whether you like it or not.”

Ilay spoke gently, but Christoph looked at him with displeasure.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can go on my own. Where are they?”

Christoph forcefully pulled the IV from his wrist, got out of bed.

When he set foot down, he frowned for a moment. But immediately regained his composure and looked straight at Ilay.

Ilay made an exaggerated guiding gesture, extending his arm toward the door.

But Christoph just glanced at him and walked toward the wardrobe. Christoph walked with a slight limp, but it would be hard to notice if not observed closely and began rummaging in the wardrobe like every morning.

Jeong Taeui slowly moved toward the door. Taking small steps toward Christoph, heading to the back of Ilay – who was facing away from Jeong Taeui.

Jeong Taeui decided. As soon as he got out of this door, he would pack his bags – or throw everything away – and return to Berlin immediately. At least that would keep him alive until Ilay finished his work here and returned home.

This was the moment Taeui realized that although people should live with foresight, they couldn’t avoid short-term escape actions.

When Taeui signaled to the man standing at the door to step aside and just as he touched the doorknob……

Without turning around, Ilay stood there and slowly spoke.

“You have to come too. So, you should take some time.”

“What? Me? Why do I have to……”

Jeong Taeui was startled and turned back. Ilay looked at him and said casually.

“The elders were very curious and wanted to meet Christoph’s companion last night. Just a light statement. Nothing to worry about.”

‘Does that mean worrying about something else?’ – Jeong Taeui felt his heart pounding with anxiety, trying to guess the hidden meaning in Ilay’s words. He wanted to sprint out of here, but it definitely wouldn’t succeed safely. He glanced at Ilay.

He still looked as relaxed as usual. His calm and reliable appearance showed no sign of anger or agitation.

“……”

Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay for a moment, then scratched his head.

Maybe it wasn’t that important? Anyway, Christoph’s words were a complete misunderstanding; they surely hadn’t had a real homosexual relationship. But the fact that Christoph had touched Jeong Taeui’s private parts was something not to be mentioned.

But…… did it really matter?

Jeong Taeui sighed.

Finally, he realized that he had inadvertently lived closely with a man. If he considered it serious, it could become laughable. Although he didn’t like having free relationships with many people at once, with Christoph, who had a different view on that matter, maybe it wasn’t a big deal.

But somehow, it wasn’t pleasant. Above all, being alive was already lucky.

Christoph, not knowing what Jeong Taeui was thinking, still stood far away, looking at the wardrobe with a displeased face. Meanwhile, Ilay just stood there without showing any expression.