Malik must have known as well. During the long relationship with Tarten, he could not have failed to know what kind of person Richard Tarten was.

Could anyone who knew Richard imagine the scene of Richard Tarten kneeling, begging Malik for forgiveness?

“I am truly ashamed, so please stand up.”

Finally, Malik spoke slowly. However, he did not help Richard up. Before Malik, Richard slowly stood up.

Richard stood up on his knees then straightened his back, but his pale face looked pained.

Richard’s clothes, sleeves, and hair were all covered in dirty yellow mud. This sight reminded everyone that he had knelt down on the ground.

“This incident is truly regrettable and unfortunate, but we hope it will not break the long-standing relationship we have built over the years. We will accept a private explanation for this incident and ensure it will not be considered an issue for future reimbursements. I will report this to the person I serve.”

“Thank you.” – Richard said, bowing his head slightly again.

After speaking, Malik still seemed uncomfortable. He stood there with a cold and somewhat distant face before turning and taking a step back.

“In that case, I am also concerned for the other person, so I will return first. I regret that I cannot fully enjoy the party you have prepared…… But after all, today is not the last day we can enjoy hunting together, so if there is another opportunity, we will enjoy it again. I hope next time there will be no unfortunate and pointless accidents.”

He said the last sentence in a lower voice while looking at Christoph.

Christoph quickly understood the meaning behind those words. Just causing trouble today was enough, there was still plenty of time ahead.

Malik was saying that he was just acting foolishly.

Then Malik briefly glanced at Christoph, who was staring at him expressionlessly, before hastily turning away.

Though temporarily not hostile, Malik still galloped into the forest without saying a word.

The sound of hooves gradually faded until it was no longer audible, leaving only silence behind.

“……”

Christoph silently looked at Richard with tense eyes and a tight mouth.

Richard with an expressionless face was brushing dust off his elbow, seemingly oblivious to Christoph’s gaze.

“Who told you to interfere in this matter?―Who told you to kneel and beg for forgiveness in such a pitiful state?”

Christoph spoke, barely containing his extreme anger.

Richard finally glanced at Christoph. His eyes held a frightening glint of anger, but he said nothing and quickly looked away. Then, he suddenly wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and stared at the mud on it in silence.

He had never imagined mud would get on his forehead. Richard stood still for a few seconds and stared at his muddy hand, then abruptly turned away.

He walked quickly down the slope towards the stream, removing his coat and throwing it forcefully onto a rock. He also took off his mud-covered pants and shirt, tossing them onto the coat with angry movements. His suppressed rage was evident in every gesture.

Christoph followed him.

When they reached the stream filled with pebbles of various sizes, Richard had already discarded his clothes and submerged himself in the water.

Even though he was soaking in the water, it only came up to his thighs, so he bent down to wet his upper body. He splashed water on his face and hands vigorously, as if trying to dispel his anger, then suddenly submerged his entire body in the water.

Richard submerged his entire body in the shallow water for a long time while Christoph watched from the stream’s edge.

Christoph did not want this to happen. In his heart, almost in a fit of impulsiveness – but he knew it could happen – the worst thing Christoph thought of as he pulled the trigger aimed at the other man was that he would face similar consequences.

Christoph never thought he would have to witness this scene. He didn’t want it at all.

As Christoph gritted his teeth while staring at the water, Richard remained submerged for a long time. Then suddenly, Richard stood up and water splashing everywhere. The droplets fell back into the water with a pleasant sound. And amidst those droplets stood Richard, letting the water cascade down his body.

He stood still for a moment, then slowly turned around. As he was about to step out of the water, he noticed Christoph standing on the bank and paused.

“I never asked you to do that.”

“…………”

Richard remained silent. His heavy face did not look at Christoph.

“I! ——…… I CAN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY MYSELF. IF ONE WOUND IS NOT ENOUGH, SHOOT ME IN THE HEART OR THE HEAD. NO ONE CARRYING THE TARTEN NAME NEEDS TO KNEEL!”

Christoph shouted.

At that moment, Richard, who had been stepping out of the water, stopped. He turned his head to look at Christoph.

“You say you can take responsibility……? Shoot yourself in the heart or the head?”

Richard whispered, then suddenly…… he laughed lightly. With that laugh, his icy eyes grew sharper.

“In that case, now your heart and head belong to me.”

“Don’t joke. I never asked for that. I’d rather be shot myself than hand over anything to anyone else.”

Christoph exclaimed sharply. Richard had never been serious from the start, turned away and stepped out of the water. Water still pooled around his feet.

“You have no reason to do that. You are the heir to Tarten—…… You don’t need to do such humiliating things.”

Christoph’s voice trembled slightly. Like all those who bore the Tarten name, even if they strayed far or thought they would never return, Tarten was still their pillar.

Christoph tried to suppress his trembling voice by biting his lip.

At that moment.

Richard, heading towards his clothes, suddenly stopped. He stood silently for a while, then slowly turned to look at Christoph. His eyes were filled with a dark and angry fire.

“Humiliating? ―…… Even if it is humiliating, it’s fine. Because you are a Tarten, I cannot watch you die in front of me. We are close to repaying a debt that has lasted for decades and I can’t let it fall apart now. Because we can’t let this confrontation with them affect and disadvantage our future.”

Richard’s voice grew increasingly harsh as each word was spat out through gritted teeth. What began as a gentle whisper ended in a furious shout.

Richard stepped towards Christoph. Each step he took carried a fiery gaze fixed on him. Each word dripped like venom from his mouth.

“I CAN BOW MY HEAD AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED. IF NECESSARY, BOWING MY HEAD TO THE GROUND IS NOTHING. I CAN DO IT AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED! IF NECESSARY!―—BUT IF NOT NECESSARY, I WILL NEVER BOW MY HEAD TO ANYONE! EVEN IF IT BREAKS MY HEAD OPEN!”

Richard screamed. The loud shout and his face, full of fury, expressed his utmost anger at his humiliation.

“IF YOU HADN’T DONE THAT, IF YOU HADN’T ACTED FOOLISHLY OUT OF YOUR PETTY PERSONAL EMOTIONS, I WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO DO THAT. TARTEN WOULDN’T HAVE SUFFERED! WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO PAY COMPENSATION! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE’VE LOST BECAUSE OF YOUR FOOLISH ACTIONS TODAY? YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY NOT KNOW!”

“――I WILL PAY THE PRICE!”

Christoph yelled, unable to contain his rage.

“I-I INTENDED TO DO THAT FROM THE START! JUST SHOOT ME IN THE HEAD RIGHT THERE AND IT’S DONE! BETTER THAN WATCHING YOU KNEEL AND BOW BECAUSE OF ME. BETTER THAT THAN THIS!”

Christoph shouted in a fiery outburst.

In a blaze of anger and rage, he felt like he was going mad. Christoph had never been this furious before.

But right in front of Christoph who was unable to control his seething anger, Richard regained his composure and looked at Christoph with cold eyes.

No, it wasn’t cold. It was anger and fury frozen into ice.

“Alright…… if that’s the case, let’s settle this quickly. Pay the debt.”

Richard said briefly.

He stepped towards Christoph. The distance between them was already close and as Richard approached, Christoph reflexively stepped back. With each step Richard took forward, Christoph took a step back.

“Pay…… I’ll pay.”

Christoph replied resolutely. Richard continued to speak.

“I don’t need money. Anyway, the compensation will be paid in Tarten’s name. Money is meaningless once the debt is repaid.”

“Then what do you want―.”

“Your humiliation matches mine.”

Richard’s words left Christoph speechless. Though he understood the meaning, he couldn’t fully grasp it.

“Let me make it clearer. I did something I would never do even with a knife to my throat, so I’ll make you do the same.”

“―……The same thing.”

Christoph frowned, looking at Richard.

When Richard took another step forward, Christoph was at the boundary between land and water. As he stepped back again, he heard the water lapping at his heels and realized he was at the water’s edge.

Richard reached out his hand. Christoph briefly checked his footing and wondered if Richard would push him into the water, but Richard’s hand gripped his shoulder firmly. The moment Richard’s hand touched his shoulder, Christoph flinched and reflexively tried to shake it off, but couldn’t escape.

Christoph’s expression hardened for a moment, then he glared at Richard with fierce eyes. His blue eyes that were void of any emotion, stared at Richard coldly. His lips moved slightly but then closed again, as cold and frozen as his blue eyes.

Strength slowly left Christoph’s arms. However, the sensation of Richard gripping his shoulder was unpleasant and occasionally, his muscles would contract subtly through his shirt as if he disliked the feeling of Richard holding him tightly.

Suddenly, Richard released his grip as if not wanting to touch him anymore and pushed Christoph away forcefully.

Christoph stumbled back several steps and fell into the water, losing his balance. He tripped over a solid rock underwater and fell.

The water splashed loudly and droplets flew everywhere, but the water wasn’t deep. Even though he fell and hit his rear, the water cushioned him, so it didn’t hurt.

Christoph wiped his face with his palm, clearing the water and looked at Richard standing a few steps away with fierce eyes.

Richard slowly approached Christoph, standing directly in front of him, no more than a step away.

Richard looked at Christoph for a moment, then spoke.

“Suck it.”

Christoph frowned. It seemed he didn’t immediately understand what he had just heard. His expression showed a hint of confusion, but then doubt and astonishment appeared.

Christoph shook his head, rejecting the thought that had just crossed his mind, but Richard stepped closer.

Standing just a few steps away, Richard never took his eyes off Christoph, who was sitting in the water and slowly moved closer. He stopped right in front of Christoph, just a step away.

He looked down at Christoph for a moment, then spoke again.

“Suck it.”

Christoph frowned. For a moment, he seemed not to understand immediately what he had just heard. His expression showed a fleeting confusion for a few seconds, but then doubt and astonishment appeared on his face.

Before Christoph could shake his head, rejecting the thought that had just crossed his mind, Richard had moved closer.

Just inches away from Christoph’s nose was Richard’s naked body. More specifically, the dark appendage hanging between his legs, swaying in front of him.

Richard looked down at Christoph’s horrified gaze fixed on it and bent slightly forward. Seeing this, Christoph recoiled as if he had seen a large and ugly bug.

“Suck it, Christoph.”

Richard repeated once more.

Christoph slowly looked up at Richard with a pale face. His eyes trembled as if they were about to shatter.

“You lunatic, you pervert…… Who would do something so filthy ――No way.”

A curse escaped from his pale lips. Richard merely sneered.

“I thought you said you would repay the debt a little while ago.”

“……―.”

“I told you. I will make you do things I wouldn’t do even with a knife to my throat…… Ha. Are you disgusted just by touching it?”

Christoph was speechless, only staring at Richard with a pale face, then slowly shook his head.

“Putting something filthy like that in my mouth…… I’d rather have my throat cut. I will never do it.”

Christoph said firmly. But as if expecting this, Richard raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“I’ve done terrible things that I didn’t want to do. And you can’t? That’s not acceptable. ……Christoph, you’ve forgotten something important.”

Richard moved a little closer to Christoph. As he stepped closer, Christoph stepped back.

“You didn’t keep your promise to help me. Not only did you not help, but you went against it. Have you forgotten the conditions of that promise?”

The moment Richard asked quietly, Christoph’s face immediately stiffened.

“Perhaps you also forgot that tomorrow is the day your mother will arrive here with joyful anticipation?”

Christoph said nothing, just looked at Richard with a pale face. Staring at that frozen face, Richard spoke with a cold expression, not even raising an eyebrow.

“Christoph, I’m not joking. I’m very displeased with both you and your mother setting foot in the Tarten mansion. Once you’ve been cast out, you deserve to stay out for life. She shouldn’t even be stepping on the land in Dresden.”

Christoph’s shoulders shrank.

It was a vile threat. It was despicable and filthy. Richard didn’t even angrily scold Christoph. His penis hung heavy and drooping.

He just wanted to see Christoph’s discomfort and disgust.

Christoph’s face grew paler by the moment. A decisive voice struck him once more, hitting him like a harsh blow.

“Suck it.”

“……No……I can’t.”

Richard snorted softly, barely audible above the sound of running water.

“ ‘Can’t’? That’s better than ‘won’t’. Christoph, in this world there is nothing that cannot be done. I went as far as to bow my head in the mud in place of you for your mistake not long ago, for someone I utterly despise. And you say you can’t do it?”

His voice carried a sharp anger.

However, when realizing this, he tried to suppress his anger and stayed silent for a moment. That’s true, sometimes when facing Christoph that he could reveal his raw emotions, but fundamentally that he disliked showing his feelings openly. He always wanted to appear calm and composed in front of everyone.

The previous raw expressions when he had jumped into the water had softened considerably. Half of his anger had been soothed underwater and he was suppressing the rest.

Richard spoke softly with a cold voice.

“I’ll say it one last time―Suck it.”

Christoph didn’t even move. All he could do was stare at the object swaying before him with a pale and dazed look.

Richard didn’t wait long.

Without hesitation, he gripped Christoph’s jaw and forced it open, then using his other hand to grab Christoph’s hair and pull him closer despite Christoph’s trembling fear.

“No, disgusting……!!”

Holding Christoph’s wide-open eyes and squirming body firmly, Richard thrust his penis into Christoph’s gaping mouth.

“Listen carefully, Christoph. If you so much as pretend to bite, tomorrow you will see your mother crying outside the Tarten mansion. I will ensure that happens……!”

Richard’s deep voice sounded like a curse clearly reached Christoph’s ears.

Christoph tried to turn his head to spit out the object lodged deep in his mouth but failed. Richard’s hand gripping Christoph’s hair kept his head fixed.

“……! ……!!”

The sound of running water was loud, mingled with suppressed moans, incomprehensible cries and unclear shouts.

“I’m telling you, I won’t pull out until I ejaculate in your mouth. The more you resist, the longer you’ll keep it in your mouth, so you better think carefully, Christoph.”

Richard spoke while easily restraining Christoph’s head, which was trying to shake.

Richard’s penis though slightly more erect, was still heavy and had only entered about halfway into Christoph’s mouth. Richard continued to press the rest in and soon Christoph couldn’t breathe.

It was painful.

The feeling of nausea and suffocation from the penis thrust deep into his throat. Saliva pooled and was unable to be swallowed, making the flesh in his mouth wetter and exacerbating his nausea. Christoph didn’t know what to do.

All he could do was frantically shake his head to escape the situation, but it was futile.

“Christoph, did you sleep well last night?”

Richard’s unexpected question made Christoph only able to roll his eyes up with a head that couldn’t move. Richard’s gaze narrowed.

“Yesterday or the day before, I hardly slept for those days. Ever since tasting your body and remembering what it felt like, that feeling has stayed with me. The feeling of your waist slipping in my hands, your back gently rubbing against my chest, your nipples hardening between my fingers, your lower body swallowing my entire penis. And above all, the sight of you crying in pain……. I ejaculated many times at night remembering those sensations…….Ah, now it seems like I’m starting to feel something again.”

As Richard murmured as if to himself, the penis in Christoph’s mouth began to harden and swell. He began to move slowly.

The sensation of the meat leaving the mouth and suddenly stabbing into the throat caused Christoph to choke.

Christoph tried to cough to ease the pain as if his lungs would burst, but Richard quickly gripped his jaw and prevented him from moving.

“I said, don’t pretend to bite. Christoph, if you don’t suck properly, this won’t end until sunset. At least now it’s hard, all you have to do is lick and suck……. Do it.”

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Christoph gasped and shook his head.

“Christoph, don’t you understand? From now on, this will be your daily task…….Even though I once felt pity for your cleanliness phobia and fear of touch, thinking I would care for you and not touch you like this anymore, today you have completely erased that pity.”

Richard slowly lifted his hips before Christoph’s mouth. The depth of the thrust into his throat increased. Suddenly, Richard clicked his tongue.

“Every time I do this, it takes me hours to figure out what to do. Or do you want to keep my penis in your mouth for hours every day?”

Christoph’s eyes widened. Then he tried to look up at Richard to understand what he didn’t comprehend.

Richard rubbed Christoph’s cheek, who was holding his penis in his mouth and when he caught Christoph’s astonished gaze, he smiled coldly.

“Do you think this is a one-time thing? Christoph, to be honest, instead of bowing I seriously considered killing those three and you and burying you all on the spot. That way, I wouldn’t have to bow to anyone. Understand? Even if 10 or 20 years pass, I will never forget having to kneel before someone. ……So I will make sure you remember. I will imprint on your memories and sensations you will never forget until you die, engraved deeply into your body for the rest of your time.”

Richard softly added and caressed Christoph’s cheek with his thumb while Christoph stared at him unblinkingly.

“You will never forget. I will make your body feel empty and sore if it doesn’t have something inserted every night. Ah, yes. After engraving it into your body and the moment you leave Tarten, I will give you a special gift. Perhaps a model to fill your lower region every night.”

“……―!”

Christoph was startled. His body thrashed in the water, splashing everywhere. Although water splashed into his face and eyes that made it hard to breathe and obscured his vision, Christoph frantically shook his head.

He wanted to bite it instinctively but couldn’t because Richard’s hand shoved a finger into his mouth and gripped his jaw tightly.

“If you want to do this until sunset, go ahead. If you want to taste my penis until the hunters return, be my guest.”

“……! ……!!”

“Otherwise, there’s only one way, Christoph.”

Richard spoke gently.

Christoph, who was trying to push Richard away by grabbing his legs, finally realized the truth. In that reality, Christoph couldn’t resist Richard.

He wanted to vomit. His stomach churned, feeling like it was about to flip at any moment.

But surely, this man wouldn’t pull his penis out of his mouth even if he vomited. He would leave it there until Christoph vomited everything out and then told him to continue.

He should have killed this man.

No matter when, at any moment in the past, when he utterly hated this man, he should have killed him.

Christoph cried. The cause of the tears seemed to be the nausea from his throat and the suffocation, along with the anger, resentment and shame that seemed to burn his mind.

Even now, if he could kill this man on the spot, it would be great.

But even as he sighed internally, Christoph knew well.

No matter what happens, in the end, he couldn’t go against Richard’s words before leaving Dresden. (Because of his mother)

Just like when he was a child and now as an adult, he couldn’t defy anything his mother said.

For the same reason, by the promise, he had to follow Richard’s words before leaving Tarten.

Christoph wiped his tears with the back of his hand. And with tightly shut eyes, he placed his trembling tongue on the hot flesh filling his mouth.

In deep humiliation and shame, Christoph realized that Richard was right.

Christoph would never be able to forget the memory of this moment for the rest of his life.