“Just wait a few days, Taei. I’ll ensure your brother’s safety……. Even though, truthfully, that doesn’t really require my assurance.”

“It’s not his safety that’s the issue; it’s what you’re planning to do that’s the problem! What the hell are you thinking? This time, it’s UNHRDO—why do you always choose such troublesome matters——.”

When Taeui was pinned against the wall, he exploded in anger as he heard the sound of Aziz tearing a long strip of tape. At that moment, Ilay leaned in close from behind, as if whispering a secret in his ear, and suddenly licked his cheek.

“You said you didn’t want to live as a fugitive anymore. Just wait a few days, and everything will be fine……. If there’s anything else you want, just say it. I’ll do anything for you.”

Jeong Taeui fell silent. He turned his head and looked at the familiar face right in front of him with a bewildered expression.

“I’ll do anything for you. As long as you’re always by my side.”

Ilay spoke calmly. Faced with such assured words, Taeui could only blink and stare at him.

Suddenly, when Jeong Taeui frowned as if embarrassed and was about to say something – “You…….” – Richard’s voice rang out in the hall.

“——Moreover, this support will take precedence over any relationship Tarten has established before and will become the foundation for the close relationship we will build in the future.”

In the brief moment after Richard’s words echoed throughout the hall, a heavy silence fell over the room, and Jeong Taeui could clearly feel it.

The faint smile on Ilay’s face vanished without a trace. In its place was a cold, icy calmness. An emotionless expression that made those who looked at it feel their hearts freeze.

Before Richard’s words could sink into Jeong Taeui’s mind, the event had already occurred.

“Apologies, Mr. Riegrow.”

A deep and rough voice sounded right behind Ilay.

The roll of tape tumbled to the floor. The large and powerful hand that had been tightly gripping Jeong Taeui’s wrist suddenly relaxed.

As soon as his wrist was released, Taeui quickly turned around when he felt his body freed. He faced Ilay, who was standing very close in front of him. And at that moment, Jeong Taeui saw it.

Aziz’s fist touched Ilay’s neck. Protruding from Aziz’s tightly clenched fist was a needle, which had pierced deep into Ilay’s neck.

“Il…………..”

Just as Jeong Taeui opened his mouth to speak, Ilay, who had been standing motionless like a statue, suddenly swung his elbow backward.

Even though it was expected, Ilay’s powerful blow, delivered with such speed and force, sent Aziz flying, crashing into the door, and collapsing to the floor.

*BANG* A brief cry rang out, followed by the loud noise of Aziz being hurled and hitting the door behind him. After the horrifying screams of a few nearby people subsided, the banquet hall fell silent, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over it.

Ilay stood tall, not even glancing back at Aziz – who lay motionless with a bloodied and crushed face. He remained in the same position as when he had been holding Jeong Taeui, slowly raising his hand to rub his neck. The needle had been flung away, leaving no trace on his skin, but the liquid inside it had already seeped into his bloodstream.

“…………..Ilay.”

A weak voice escaped like a gust of wind from Taeui’s dry, stiff lips.

Ilay quietly rubbed his neck, and then finally, slowly turned to look.

The banquet hall was deathly quiet. While most people were frozen with pale faces, their eyes occasionally bulging, only a few maintained their composure.

One of them was Richard, who was the first to speak with a soft voice.

“You don’t need to worry, Rick. It’s just a sedative with immediate effects……. Although it seems that ‘immediate effect’ doesn’t apply to you.”

Ilay looked at Richard with a blank expression. His gaze slowly shifted to Raumaan, then to Malik standing behind him, before returning to Richard.

“So, I can understand that you’ve decided to sever ties with Riegrow and align with Al Faisal, right, Richard Tarten?”

Ilay mumbled in a calm tone, neither agitated nor angry. His voice was only slightly lower than usual, and if it hadn’t been witnessed firsthand, no one would have realized that he had just been injected with a drug in the neck.

“To Riegrow? Of course not. I’m very sorry for violating our personal agreement due to a change in priorities, but I have no intention of cutting off the relationship between Riegrow and Tarten. After all, the man standing behind you doesn’t bear the Riegrow name; he’s merely an outsider.”

Richard slowly shook his head. After staring intently at him, Ilay laughed.

“So that means the agreement was meaningless from the start.”

“It might sound like an excuse, but Rick, Tarten truly intended to join hands with the Riegrow family. Although opinions were evenly divided, they ultimately leaned towards maintaining a long-term relationship rather than seeking short-term gains.”

“But then what?”

Ilay asked back, and Richard smiled awkwardly.

“Sorry. I tend to favor building new relationships over keeping old promises.”

Ilay didn’t ask anything further.

In the blink of an eye, his black eyes flashed with a fierce intensity.

Those jet-black eyes, which should have closed long ago, were now shining even more brightly. They neither wavered nor shifted, and Jeong Taeui couldn’t tear his gaze away from them.

“Ilay.”

Jeong Taeui called softly. Ilay didn’t turn back. But he was surely listening. With all his senses sharper than ever.

“…………..From now on, choose your friends more carefully.”

At that moment, as Taeui spoke with frustration, for the first time, Ilay’s eyes wavered slightly. His cold pupils narrowed slightly. A faint smile appeared on his now expressionless lips.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“And next time, choose smarter friends.”

“You’re right about that, too.”

“If they were going to inject you again, they should have used cyanide* instead of a sedative. How do they plan to deal with the consequences?”

Hearing Jeong Taeui’s grumbling, Ilay chuckled softly. “Haha” – He leaned lightly against the wall and laughed faintly.

“That’s why I didn’t want to go to Frankfurt with you. You make me lose my composure, and this is the result.”

“…….If you’re sleepy, just sleep. Don’t blame others when your mind is foggy.”

“Hmm——I do feel a bit sleepy. But before that…….”

Ilay smiled softly and rubbed his temple. He blinked a couple of times and looked down at his hand. Jeong Taeui couldn’t tell how many overlapping images of his hand Ilay was seeing at that moment.

In reality, Jeong Taeui couldn’t understand why Ilay was still standing.

He didn’t know what drug they had injected, but if it were a normal person, they would have been unconscious and lying on the ground long ago.

But then.

In the next moment, Ilay vanished from Jeong Taeui’s sight. Before he could realize it, Ilay had rushed through the crowd in the banquet hall and was heading straight ahead.

If the distance between him and his target had been a little closer, Ilay might have crushed the throat of the person he was aiming for.

Although the distance from deep inside the banquet hall to the exit was quite far, the guards only had time to react when Ilay was already in front of Richard after a few steps.

Three guards frantically rushed to block Ilay’s path, but immediately, their necks were snapped backward. When the fourth one stepped forward and barely managed to draw his gun in front of Richard, it was too late. The arm holding the gun was twisted upward, and the piercing sound of a gunshot mingled with the shattering sound of the chandelier.

But at that moment.

Another needle was plunged into the area just below Ilay’s ear, where his pulse was beating.

Surprisingly, the needle was deeply embedded, injecting the drug into his bloodstream without causing shock, and was withdrawn so quickly that it left only a scratch on the skin and a drop of blood at the tip of the needle.

Ilay’s movements gradually slowed.

He still gripped the guard’s wrist tightly, but his face remained calm and cold, completely unlike someone who had just gone berserk like a demon. If you looked closely, it even seemed like he was rather at ease. The guard standing opposite him was staring with a pale face of fear, and the area around his crotch was becoming soaked.

Perhaps because his dilated, black pupils resembled those of a corpse or because his calm, pale face after killing three people in an instant didn’t look human, Ilay seemed less like a person.

The one who had injected Ilay and then stepped back was Malik.

Malik looked at Ilay, who was slowly turning back with a cold expression.

“…………..If I had known this would happen, I would never have made you my enemy.”

Even with his stern face, Malik smiled bitterly, saying that, unclear whether it was a joke or the truth. Ilay turned his gaze to Raumaan, who was standing behind Malik.

Raumaan, who had watched the entire scene unfold without blinking, looked at Ilay for a moment, then spoke.

“There was no other choice, as it was the only card that could truly touch Jeong Jaeui’s heart…….. It’s a pity, Ilay Riegrow. But with this, the debt of the Seringe mansion will be considered settled.”

“Debt……. Even with interest, you’re still stubbornly taking too much. You’ll need to return a significant portion.”

Ilay mumbled in a low voice.

The grip on his hand tightened. The sound of bones cracking mixed with the barely audible scream of the guard.

Simultaneously, as Ilay threw the guard aside and was about to move, Malik, standing a little distance away, couldn’t believe his eyes. He glanced at the man next to him and received another needle.

At that moment.

When Ilay with eyes as dark as a demon’s, suddenly flashed a faint smile, Malik gritted his teeth and charged, ready to stab him with the needle. But someone else jumped in between and blocked the way.

“TAE…….!”

However, Ilay’s shout, revealing clear disappointment, was never fully uttered.

Jeong Taeui immediately swung his arm as the needle pierced his arm, but more than half of the drug had already been injected into his body.

For a moment, Jeong Taeui recoiled. His vision began to blur.

“Fool…………..”

Ilay’s final words, spoken with anger, were also his last before he collapsed.

His lips stopped mid-sentence, and no more sound came out. His legs buckled, and his body slowly fell.

“ILAY!”

Jeong Taeui barely managed to catch him. Though he muttered under his breath, struggling under Ilay’s weight, he still tried to keep him leaning against his shoulder.

Some Arab guards who had blocked Taeui’s way when Ilay charged finally caught up, but the situation had already been resolved.

“A man who isn’t human.”

Someone muttered about Ilay. It seemed many agreed with that statement, and several nodded unconsciously.

Jeong Taeui also deeply agreed with that assessment.

Although the amount of drug administered was less than the recommended dose and only injected into the arm, his vision was already starting to fade. He thought to himself that this guy surely wasn’t human.

Jeong Taeui looked around while supporting the heavy Ilay on his shoulder. He saw a few burly men standing a short distance away, surrounding him.

Completely outnumbered, carrying someone much heavier than himself, and with his vision blurring.

Jeong Taeui sighed. In the meantime, he scrutinized each person carefully, and his gaze finally settled on Raumaan.

“Even if you don’t want to, I need your help.”

When that cold and calm voice spoke, it made him uncomfortable. Looking back, Taeui had never seen the man before him lose his composure or act hastily.

Jeong Taeui glanced at Ilay, who was heavily leaning against his shoulder. He staggered, and his knees seemed ready to buckle, but he still tried to stand firm.

“I don’t want to do that.”

“Your desire doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t die. No, you’re not even allowed to feel pain……. You just need to breathe without discomfort.”

“…….Being tied up 24 hours a day, only given food and water, or kept in this condition with drugs just to sustain life?”

“I don’t like that.” – Jeong Taeui frowned as if the man was joking. But he knew that the man before him would do it if necessary.

Would he be tied to a bed, unable to move, only able to receive food like a vegetable when he lost consciousness and woke up again?

“If you follow my lead without resistance, there’s no need to go that far.”

“What is this? So if I don’t agree, you’ll resort to that?” – Jeong Taeui muttered to himself and chuckled softly.

His vision gradually became more chaotic. Everything in front of him and in his mind was spinning so wildly that he wasn’t sure if he could remain standing.

At this point, all he could do was hope for good luck when he opened his eyes again, he thought, while holding tightly onto Ilay’s body.

“That’s why I told you. The spot by the door isn’t good for feng shui.”

The one who suddenly muttered was Christoph, who had been standing by, watching as if observing a fire from a distance.

A harsh and cold voice, completely out of place with the atmosphere.

Jeong Taeui glanced at Christoph, seeing the figure before him as multiple overlapping images. He struggled to maintain consciousness, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Christoph stood leaning against the window near where he had pushed Taeui.

“………….. Christoph.”

However, it wasn’t Jeong Taeui who called out his name, but Richard.

Even as Ilay was about to reach him, Richard remained calm. Now, however, his face darkened slightly as he sternly looked at Christoph. But Christoph didn’t look at Richard. He only looked at Jeong Taeui, his gaze unwavering and stubborn.

“Hand him over.”

When Christoph suddenly spoke, Taeui didn’t initially understand what he meant. Christoph pursed his lips in annoyance, then tilted his chin toward Ilay, who was slumped over Jeong Taeui’s shoulder.

“That lunatic. I don’t know if this thing is human or a demon.”

“…………..”

In truth, Taeui didn’t want to hand him over. He didn’t want to let go of the weight he was holding onto so tightly with one arm, not even a little. How could he hand over someone unconscious and defenseless to someone else?

But Jeong Taeui’s vision grew increasingly blurred, and in that moment, Christoph pursed his lips then stepped forward, and snatched Ilay from Taeui’s grasp as if taking him by force.

But that only lasted a moment.

As soon as Christoph wrapped his arms tightly around Ilay, he unceremoniously threw him to the floor without hesitation. The floor shook with a heavy thud as Ilay hit the ground.

“Now that I think about it, I have a debt to settle with this guy. So consider it paid.”

Jeong Taeui looked at Christoph in a daze, unable to comprehend. “Hey, Ilay. Are you okay?” – He mumbled, even though he knew his words wouldn’t reach him. He knew he couldn’t hold on any longer. His eyes were slowly closing.

“Taei!”

At that moment, Christoph shouted. Jeong Taeui tried to open his eyes. In front of him was Christoph’s outstretched hand.

“Give it here. Your hand. You promised to lend it to me today, didn’t you? So give it here.”

Jeong Taeui vaguely saw Christoph yelling and, almost instinctively, extended his hand in a daze. As soon as their fingers touched, Christoph immediately grabbed Jeong Taeui’s hand and pulled him forcefully toward him.

“Christoph!!”

The first to react was Richard.

He must have guessed what Christoph was about to do. But that realization came too late.

“Sorry, take care of him for me…….” – Taeui whispered as Christoph held him tightly, and then he lost consciousness completely. In Christoph’s other hand was a gun, and he suddenly struck the guard who hesitated behind him with the butt of the gun. The guard fell unconscious, and Christoph kicked the man aside. He took a few steps back until his back was against the glass window.

“Christoph……………. Don’t do anything foolish. Do you know who you are?”

Richard stared at Christoph unblinkingly. Christoph stared back at Richard with a blank expression. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“I don’t know who I am. I’ve never known what my name is.”

No one could say another word.

As soon as those words were spoken, Christoph shattered the glass window behind him and jumped out.

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

(Cyanide*: Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical compound that can exist in various forms, Exposure to cyanide can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include sudden headache, confusion, nausea, and rapid breathing, leading to loss of consciousness, seizures, and potentially death if not treated quickly.)