Jeong Taeui held onto the doorknob while standing in front of the open door, motionless for a moment. Then he slowly turned his head back and looked toward the bathroom. Only after making sure there was no sound coming from there did he look around the room again. The room was still empty.

This had never happened before. Since arriving at this house, every morning Taeui would open Christoph’s door and he would always see Christoph lying on the bed with his eyes closed, looking like a porcelain doll.

On rare occasions when Christoph got up before Taeui came to wake him, he was always in the room. This was the first time he wasn’t here.

Taeui murmured something under his breath and as usual, stepped into the room and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight flooded in through the window and outside, he saw people bustling around, starting their morning.

Perhaps the empty room was due to the same reason as the people outside.

The day of the succession decision was approaching and the entire mansion had become noticeably busier. As the day when a new master would replace the old one after decades drew near, the whole mansion seemed to be brimming with excitement and anticipation. Everyone was busy. Except for Jeong Taeui, who was considered a freeloader in this house, like a guest.

But even in the midst of this busyness, Christoph seemed to step back, despite helping Richard with work, which was quite strange.

With that thought in mind, Taeui opened the room’s door to let some air in and was about to leave to return to his own room.

At that moment, he noticed a small figure lingering near his door not far away. The figure was holding a fairly large box and upon noticing Jeong Taeui, turned around, exclaimed: “Ah”, and pretended as if they had just met.

“Good morning. I was wondering what to do when I saw you weren’t in your room.”

Looking at the little boy with a soft, smiling face speaking to him, Jeong Taeui nodded, still slightly puzzled.

“Good morning, Oliver…… Did you come looking for me?”

Then Oliver nodded. Jeong Taeui, curious, scratched the back of his neck and exclaimed – “Oh, right.” – as his eyes drifted down to the large box Oliver was holding.

Although he had met and greeted Oliver several times while walking around the mansion and was somewhat familiar with him, Taeui couldn’t recall having a close enough relationship for Oliver to come to his room looking for him. Perhaps the boy was here for some reason and that reason likely had something to do with the box……

As Jeong Taeui stared at the box, Oliver handed it over. The box was large enough that the boy had to use both hands to hold it, but it didn’t seem very heavy.

“……?”

“My father asked me to deliver this to you. I actually received it last night, but it was a bit late, so I’m sorry for delivering it late.”

Jeong Taeui took the box and quickly waved his hand dismissively as Oliver apologized with a bow, feeling even more curious as he looked down at the box.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to open the package right there. He didn’t really suspect anything, but just to be safe, it was better to check it in front of someone else for reassurance. However, he realized that this decision seemed like an act of suspicion, which left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But it was unavoidable because of the ‘sender’—the issue was the ‘sender.’

If it was Oliver’s father, no matter how much Jeong Taeui thought about it, he wasn’t someone who would send personal gifts to him. On the contrary, he might send something more dangerous, like explosives or something similar……

With that worrisome thought, Jeong Taeui convinced himself that such a thing couldn’t happen, glancing at Oliver and then taking a few discreet steps back. Oliver looked at Taeui with curiosity then quickly smiled.

“Oh, sorry. I should be going now.”

Oliver smiled sheepishly and raised his hand in a farewell gesture, perhaps realizing that he had been too focused on watching someone open a package. As Jeong Taeui shook his head and was about to finish opening the package and lift the lid of the box—.

“There’s no need, since you’ve come all this way, let me offer you something to drink…… ah……”

Jeong Taeui called Oliver back to offer him something and then remembered that his fridge only had beer. But when he saw the item inside the box, he blinked in surprise.

Seeing Taeui’s slightly awkward expression and scratching his cheek, Oliver stood on tiptoe to peek inside the box.

“It looks like a suit.”

“Yes, it does.”

At Oliver’s words, Jeong Taeui nodded and mumbled.

Inside the box was a complete suit, neatly packaged. Not only were there clothes, but there were also accessories included.

Jeong Taeui tilted his head, wondering if there had been some mistake and then picked up the card lying in the corner of the box, confirming that his name was written on it.

“……It seems like it really is mine.”

Even as he said that, he still didn’t quite understand why he had received it.

It was already confusing enough that Richard had given him a gift, but the fact that the gift was clothing made it even more incomprehensible.

“……?……??”

Maybe Richard had heard somewhere that he didn’t own a suit, so he sent it as a reminder not to show up looking sloppy at his upcoming succession ceremony – although the chances of someone else being chosen instead were very low.

He thought that he had been planning to go out and buy clothes today anyway, now that he had received a bank card. It was just what he needed. From his assessment, the size seemed to be a good fit.

Even so, Jeong Taeui couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. He turned to look at Oliver – who was standing in front of him, looking even more puzzled than Taeui, staring at the clothes.

Uh…… When Taeui tilted his head and looked at Oliver with a questioning gaze, the boy immediately tilted his head in the opposite direction and mumbled with a puzzled expression.

“My father doesn’t usually give clothes as gifts…… Occasionally, he sends them to people he’s dating.”

Jeong Taeui remained silent for a moment then looked down at the card he was holding. Upon closer inspection, the name on the card was still his. First of all, it seemed that this gift was indeed intended for him.

Oliver stood facing Jeong Taeui with a confused expression then immediately shrugged.

“Maybe he just wanted to give it to you. Although this is the first time I’ve seen clothes, he often sends gifts to people he’s close to.”

‘No, I’m not close to your father. Absolutely not!’ – Taeui thought to himself. He stared at the box of clothes and then turned to Oliver as if deciding to ask directly.

“Of course, I’ll ask him directly. Oliver, is your father in his room?”

“I don’t know.” – Oliver replied uncertainly but still led the way. Jeong Taeui carried the box and followed the boy.

As he walked, Jeong Taeui reflected on his relationship with Richard.

To be honest, he was the friend of his arch-nemesis. He had been involved in life-and-death struggles with the enemy. But there was no personal relationship between them at all.

……The more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was no good relationship between the two of them. At the very least, it was clear that they certainly weren’t people who would give each other gifts without reason.

Moreover, even if he asked directly, Richard might calmly and politely laugh it off, saying, “That’s not the case.” But Taeui had never felt that Richard had any particular fondness for him.

Anyway, thinking that it was fine to just accept the gift, Jeong Taeui arrived at Richard’s door.

While thinking – ‘It should be okay, after all, someone gave it to me, so I might as well accept it.’ – he found himself standing in front of Richard’s door.

Thinking back, this was his first time visiting this room. Although there was nothing particularly different, he still hesitated a little before using his fingertips to knock on the door.

“…………”

He waited for a moment but heard no response from inside. Jeong Taeui knocked on the door again and gently called Richard’s name. But there was still no answer.

Perhaps no one was here.

In fact, it made sense. No, rather, it was expected. Remembering the usual routine, Richard had probably gotten up long ago and was currently in the library or the study, likely flipping through a few newspapers.

Just as Jeong Taeui was about to turn away as being convinced, Oliver – who had been silently standing beside him – had already taken hold of the doorknob.

“Dad, it’s me, Oliver. I’m coming in for a moment.”

After knocking lightly on the door with the doorknob twice and waiting a few seconds, Oliver actually opened the door. Taeui hesitated for a moment at the doorway but then peeked inside and followed Oliver into the room.

“Richard, actually, about these clothes—……”

As he walked in and spoke, noticing the figure on the bed, Jeong Taeui immediately realized that the person lying on the bed wasn’t Richard.

The man was lazily brushing his hair, seemingly just waking up. He looked sleepy and slightly disgruntled as he usually did in the morning – that was Christoph.

Jeong Taeui stopped in his tracks, extremely surprised to meet someone he hadn’t expected in an unexpected place. However, even when their eyes met, Christoph’s still sleepy eyes showed no expression.

Oh, he’s not fully awake yet.

Jeong Taeui quickly understood.

Christoph was sometimes like that. Even though he was clearly awake and could answer questions or engage in brief conversations accurately, his reactions were still slow and vague. His body was awake, but his mind was still in a dreamlike state, so it took a few minutes to fully come to his senses.

Jeong Taeui looked around the room. There was no one else here.

In the large room filled with morning light, apart from Jeong Taeui and the young Oliver who had just entered, Christoph was sitting alone. The golden sunlight shone on Christoph’s fair skin and platinum hair, creating a radiant scene.

Christoph sat like a quiet, dazzling painting and after a while, he turned his gaze to Oliver. He looked at Oliver with his deep blue eyes and gestured. Oliver hesitated at Christoph’s vague, sleepy gesture then approached him.

“Olivia.”

Christoph murmured softly while gently running his fingers through Oliver’s hair.

It wasn’t that he mistook Oliver’s name. It was just that his mind, still lost in dreams, was whispering remnants of memories within his muddled thoughts.

Oliver looked intently at Christoph. The boy quietly observed him and then spoke softly instead of with fear.

“I’m not Miss Olivia.”

Christoph looked at Oliver. It was as if he was trying to match the face of someone from his memories with Oliver’s face, but then his mind gradually became clearer.

“Yes, it’s Oliver.”

He whispered softly and withdrew his hand. Christoph stood still for a few seconds then suddenly startled and frowned. He glanced at Jeong Taeui – who was standing silently nearby. It seemed that now he was fully awake.

“Oh……” – Jeong Taeui scratched his head, trying to think of something to say and opened his mouth as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“Did you sleep here last night? I went to your room and saw that you weren’t there, so I was a bit surprised.”

But as soon as he asked the question, he regretted it.

Christoph, who had just resembled a dreamy doll, seemed to regain his memory and reason upon hearing the question. His eyes immediately sharpened. He stared at Jeong Taeui with narrow, dagger-like eyes then pulled off the blanket and got out of bed. His actions clearly showed his discomfort.

Seeing the scattered red marks on Christoph’s smooth white back and the obvious bite marks on his neck and shoulders, Jeong Taeui told himself that he shouldn’t have said anything. He scratched his head and glanced at Oliver – who was tilting his head as if he wanted to say something but remained silent – and sighed quietly.

Jeong Taeui was sometimes considered slow to catch on because he was easily distracted, but he was usually quite perceptive. If it had to be explained, one could say he had good intuition. Instead of immediately recognizing a fact, he often didn’t consciously realize it. Only when the truth was revealed would he think back and tell himself, “Ah, that’s right,” without any surprise.

However, in this case, everything was so blatant that it made him feel uncomfortable. Moreover, how should he put it……?

“There, can you get me that robe?”

Christoph glanced around for a moment then saw what he was looking for neatly folded on the nightstand next to the bed. He frowned and held out his hand. Although he had turned his back, it seemed he was uncomfortable being completely naked, so he unconsciously ran his other hand down from his neck to his shoulder.

Jeong Taeui said: “Here”, and handed the soft robe to Christoph. He suddenly clicked his tongue and thought to himself as he noticed Oliver staring blankly at Christoph.

What do people call that? Charm…… No, maybe the aura of seduction (Yàntài)*?

(*艶態 – Yàntài: refers to an alluring and attractive charm, often associated with sensuality and enchantment. This word is typically used to describe the graceful, seductive charm of a person, particularly in how they express the softness, flexibility, or sensuality of their body.)

The atmosphere around Christoph exuded such a strong allure that even a child could recognize it.

It was fortunate that he always kept his distance from others and that no one paid much attention; otherwise, countless rumors would surely have spread. And there would certainly have been dozens of people trying to approach him in one way or another.

This was the first time Taeui felt grateful for Christoph’s difficult personality.

“……Were you feeling hot?”

After thanking Oliver for guiding him this far and seeing him off in case he had personal matters to attend to, Taeui suddenly asked Christoph. Although there was some hesitation, Oliver politely bowed and left. Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui with a surprised expression as he put on his robe.

“……? Hot? Is your room hot? My room is fine.”

Christoph looked around the room with a comfortable temperature – it didn’t feel too hot or too cold – and then turned back to ask Jeong Taeui.

“No, my room is fine. It’s just…… you seem to have sweated a lot.”

Jeong Taeui pointed to Christoph’s hair, where strands were sticking to his forehead and neck due to sweat. Christoph tilted his head as if he didn’t understand then suddenly his face tensed. He stared at Jeong Taeui for a long moment without saying anything.

Oh no. I probably shouldn’t have said that. Jeong Taeui thought and scratched his temple awkwardly.

“……He kept holding me tightly from behind. I told him that it made me feel creepy and suffocated. I also mentioned that the sweat was making me uncomfortable.”

“And that’s why he didn’t let go” – Christoph mumbled with a displeased look, shivering as if recalling the sensation. His eyes trembled slightly.

“Yes, that’s right” – Jeong Taeui muttered, then glanced away to avoid Christoph’s sharp gaze. He pretended to look around the room to hide his unease. Suddenly, Jeong Taeui’s eyes scanned the room suspiciously.

Rustle, rustle. The brand-new bed sheet seemed freshly laid out – the wrinkled sheets piled in the basket in the corner of the room barely visible——. The robe, in perfect size and taste, fit Christoph as if it had been prepared for him all along. Although it bore lively traces, the body beneath was clean without a single blemish.

“……..Richard…………”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and unconsciously muttered: “Even if his personality is flawed, his manners are still impeccable……” – But as soon as he mentioned that name, Christoph’s eyes widened, staring at Taeui, causing his words to be swallowed: ‘Richard……’ – and then, unsure of what to say next, Jeong Taeui just pulled at his hair.

But it was truly surprising. Who would’ve thought that man could be so well-mannered in bed? No, if judged solely by daily conduct, it was clear his manners should be exceptional, but considering his wicked, devilish nature – so much so that he could be called an extreme pervert – Jeong Taeui expected his behavior in bed to be abysmal.

However, if you think about it, Ilay wasn’t much different. How could someone like him have such impeccable manners?! He even boasted about his excellent conduct to the point that Jeong Taeui couldn’t believe it. From basic tidying up to ensuring that Jeong Taeui could sleep soundly and cleanly – or rather, pass out – without lifting a finger.

Thinking along those lines, it wasn’t all that surprising, but still…… this situation was just as surprising as Ilay’s impeccable manners. Especially considering their relationship.

So it’s like……

“Maybe he likes you.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled to himself, almost in jest with a 90% teasing tone. Then suddenly, he felt a bit uneasy. He tilted his head slightly but soon after shook it in disappointment.

No, if he likes someone that way, it would be a bit too scary and twisted. Jeong Taeui convinced himself and remained silent.

Right in front of him, Christoph was staring at him with a strange expression.

Christoph stared at Jeong Taeui without blinking, as if he had just heard something utterly intolerable with a look of both deep insult and irrational, incomprehensible rage. Then he opened his mouth to speak.

“What an amusing joke.” – Before Christoph could say anything, a voice sounded from behind Jeong Taeui’s shoulder.

The owner of the room – Richard Tarten – who was unsurprisingly there, stepped through the doorway with a leisurely stride.