Damn, what terrible timing…… It really was just a joke, but if he responds like that, it’ll seem like Taeui meant it seriously.

Jeong Taeui inwardly pursed his lips at Richard, who was smiling cheerfully as if he had heard something highly amusing. However, Richard paid no attention to him and only glanced at the now-silent Christoph with displeasure.

“Well? Do you think so too, Christoph?”

“Not a chance, even if the sky were to fall.” – The reply came back, firm and resolute.

Richard looked at Christoph for a moment, then smiled more brightly and turned to Jeong Taeui as if that was the correct answer.

“Exactly.”

“Oh—no, it’s just that you have very good manners.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged and tried to speak in the most nonchalant tone possible. At first, Richard seemed surprised, but then he seemed to understand and frowned slightly.

“Hmm…… isn’t that only natural? I don’t think it’s something special to be called manners…… Oh, right, Rick was once very famous. He left his partner torn from below, covered in blood, and only cared about satisfying his own desires before leaving…….Oh, that’s quite rude.”

Richard apologized lightly as if he had misspoken, looking at Jeong Taeui with pity. He must have said it on purpose. Though smiling, Richard’s eyes clearly showed that it wasn’t a kind smile.

‘No, Ilay also had very good manners afterward…… at least with me.’

That last sentence made Jeong Taeui feel extremely awkward, though slightly uncomfortable, he decided to remain silent.

“But why did you come to my room……?”

Richard looked at his wristwatch and asked, perhaps out of busyness or not wanting to linger too long. Only then did Jeong Taeui remember the original purpose of coming to this room to meet this man.

“Oh. I received this from Oliver this morning. The kid said to give it to me……”

Jeong Taeui handed over the box he had been holding under his arm all this time.

Despite the early hour with everyone outside bustling about, Richard was already fully dressed as if he had just returned from an outing. He merely glanced at the box Jeong Taeui presented and responded lightly: “Ah, I see. Are you satisfied?”

“What? Oh yes, it’s a fine set of clothes. But……”

“That’s good. It’s a carefully selected outfit by someone very meticulous about clothes, so it couldn’t be ordinary. And it seems you’re mistaken, but I’m not the one who gave it to you.”

Huh? Jeong Taeui asked, blinking in confusion as he looked at Christoph with a puzzled expression. It was then that he realized.

Since Richard had entered, Christoph had risen from the bed with an annoyed expression, adjusted his robe, and now stared blankly at the box without any emotion. Or more precisely, he was glaring at it.

“……That outfit.”

Christoph mumbled briefly without taking his eyes off the box, then clenched his mouth shut. He slowly shifted his gaze away from the box and fixed it on Richard’s face. Richard merely raised an eyebrow, smirking leisurely.

“You――.”

“This is the suit Christoph himself chose for you, Jeong Tay.”

“Richard, you acted on your own—……!!”

Christoph gritted his teeth, glaring venomously at Richard. Richard faced that glare without any apparent concern.

“What’s wrong? You chose such a satisfactory outfit, wouldn’t it be a waste to throw it away? I simply took the suit you were planning to discard and sent it where it belonged. I’ll send you a new one, isn’t that enough?”

When Richard added – “I ordered the new suit from your favorite store.” – Christoph suddenly shouted as if overwhelmed by rage.

“I WON’T WEAR THE CLOTHES YOU SEND! I HAVE NO REASON TO ACCEPT THOSE FROM YOU!”

Christoph ground his teeth, glaring at Richard with hatred, then turned to Jeong Taeui with the same hostile look. While Jeong Taeui was trying to understand their conversation, Christoph marched forward aggressively, making Jeong Taeui instinctively hide the box behind his back.

“What…… you’re giving it to me?”

“THROW IT AWAY.”

“You said you’d give it to me.”

“THROW IT AWAY! THROW IT AWAY AND BUY A NEW ONE! THROW IT AWAY!!”

“…………No.”

Christoph tried to snatch the box from Taeui’s hands but failed as Jeong Taeui quickly hid it and stepped back. For a moment, Christoph’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“THROW IT AWAY!!”

“No, I don’t want to. Besides, I need a suit, and how could I find a better one in just a few days? No.”

“NO! IT’S NOT YOURS! I ALREADY THREW IT AWAY!!”

“My name is on the tag. So it’s mine. You even threw it away, so there’s nothing left to say. Thank you very much, Christoph. I’ll wear it well.”

Jeong Taeui said as he backed away to avoid Christoph’s swinging arm. He looked at Christoph with a slightly strange feeling.

There was something about this—.

But before Jeong Taeui could finish organizing his thoughts, Christoph’s movements suddenly stopped as he lunged toward him. Richard had grabbed Christoph’s arm from behind.

As Richard’s large hand gripped his arm, Christoph startled and tried to shake it off.

“LET GO!”

But standing behind Christoph, Richard seemed not to hear his shout. Instead, he smiled politely with cold eyes and said,

“I’m sure you understand about the clothes, but I merely returned them to their rightful owner, so there’s no need to thank me. If there’s nothing else, could you please leave my room? I’d like to rest a bit before starting my morning work.”

A friendly yet firm voice requested the guest to leave.

Jeong Taeui looked at Richard for a moment and quickly nodded.

“I understand. Sorry to bother you…….Thank you, Christoph. This is truly a wonderful gift.”

Jeong Taeui lightly patted the box he was holding securely by his side, fearing it might be taken away.

Those words were sincere. The moment he heard Christoph had chosen this outfit, Taeui could clearly imagine it. Christoph must have put a lot of thought into choosing a suit that would perfectly fit Jeong Taeui. That was the greatest gift of all.

Christoph seemed about to say something with a stiff, uncomfortable expression, but he only glared intensely at Jeong Taeui for a while before turning away. A cold voice came from behind: “Do whatever you want, I already discarded it anyway.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Jeong Taeui smiled brightly. Christoph glanced at his face and frowned again. Seeing that grim expression and tightly pursed lips made Jeong Taeui chuckle and he couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

But at that moment: “Mr. Jeong Tay?” Richard’s urging voice rang out again.

Jeong Taeui responded briefly: “Yes, excuse me.” and looked towards Richard. Richard still looked at Jeong Taeui with polite respect. The smile remained on his lips.

But now Jeong Taeui understood.

Richard didn’t have any affection for him. Behind that smile everyone saw, Richard harbored no fondness for Jeong Taeui.

“Chris, you should prepare to leave too, shouldn’t you?”

As Jeong Taeui opened the door and asked, Richard answered before Christoph could respond.

“You’re planning to go back in just that robe?”

Christoph glared at Richard, dismissing his words. Even though it was a short distance, Christoph would never step into a shared space with others wearing only a robe.

Jeong Taeui hesitated a bit before closing the door.

He intended to say that once Christoph finished changing, he would wait outside. Seeing Christoph without his protective armor suddenly seemed pitiful for no specific reason.

But then he quickly shook his head. This wasn’t something he should meddle in hastily. That’s not my role.

“Alright…… See you later.”

Jeong Taeui said and gave a slight wave. Then he signaled Richard with a nod and quietly closed the door.

The soft click of the closing door created a space dividing this side from the other.

What broke the brief silence was Christoph’s gentle voice.

“Why did he do something so useless?”

Christoph shook off the hand still holding his arm and growled in displeasure. This time Richard obediently let go, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Useless? You weren’t happy that he accepted the outfit? It seemed that way to me.”

“……―.”

Christoph’s eyes widened, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.

“I replaced the outfit with one suitable for him, putting it on the table in place of the box you tossed aside. So just think of it as me changing it.”

“I’ve already told you I don’t wear the clothes you give me.”

Richard looked down at Christoph with cold eyes as Christoph bitterly muttered, “How could I know what you did with that outfit and why should I wear something like that?”

“You don’t wear the clothes I give you……?”

Richard repeated Christoph’s words as if talking to himself. Then suddenly, he tilted his head slightly as if giving a fleeting smile, before lowering his gaze and staring coldly at Christoph.

“Then you should take off that robe first.”

Christoph was about to head to the bathroom but suddenly stopped. He only turned back to look at Richard for a few seconds before angrily untying the robe’s belt. He threw it onto the bed as if he couldn’t bear the thought of it touching his skin any longer.

“Fine, then return my clothes to me.”

Christoph spoke in a low voice. Richard looked at Christoph – who was standing proudly opposite him. He gazed at Christoph from head to toe slowly, as if savoring every detail. It was blatant enough for Christoph to notice.

Only after seeing Christoph clench his fists tightly did Richard squint his eyes.

“If you’re talking about the clothes you wore last night, they’re probably in some trash can by now, because you couldn’t control yourself and soiled them after just a few touches from me. But I’ve prepared another set for you to wear, though I’m not sure if you’ll want to put it on.”

Richard pointed with his thumb at the decorative sofa next to the bedside table. On it lay a set of clothes tailored to fit Christoph’s usual style.

“If you don’t want to wear it, you can return to your room right now. Although it’s currently a busy time when people often pass by, it’s not too far from here to your room, is it? If you’re lucky, you might make it back without anyone seeing.”

Richard added: “Even if someone does see, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” – and then he walked towards the minibar and took out a bottle of water.

He poured the water into a glass and took a small sip to quench his thirst as if he didn’t care whether Christoph stayed or left. After noticing Christoph standing frozen in place, glaring at him, the corners of Richard’s mouth curled slightly.

“Now that I think about it, giving clothes also has another meaning. So, Christoph. Do you want to undress Jeong Tay?”

“What?”

Christoph frowned. Seeing his surprised expression as if he didn’t understand what Richard was saying, Richard remained silent for a moment before turning away.

“I guess you don’t know. That’s fine.”

Richard moved towards the sofa, picked up the clothes, and approached Christoph. As Richard came closer, Christoph looked at him with discomfort and stepped back. He backed up until his back hit the edge of the bed.

“Lift your leg. I’ll dress you.”

Richard said nonchalantly as he placed the clothes on the bed and picked up the underwear on top. At first, Christoph frowned as if he didn’t understand Richard’s words. He looked at the underwear in Richard’s hand and then at him with a puzzled expression, which deepened his frown.

“No.”

“If you want to walk around the hallway naked, I won’t stop you, but don’t be stubborn for no reason, Christoph. I’m very busy today. I don’t have time for a debate.”

“……I can dress myself.”

“Lift your leg.”

Richard spoke in a low, firm voice as he knelt on one knee before Christoph.

Christoph didn’t move and looked down at the top of Richard’s head with a slightly confused expression. But as soon as Richard unhesitatingly grabbed Christoph’s ankle and lifted it, Christoph lost his balance and fell onto the bed. The underwear slid up his leg, which was now suspended in the air.

Richard’s large hand slid along Christoph’s pale leg. Feeling it, Christoph instinctively flinched, but Richard glanced up at him before gently yet slowly grasping his knee. The fingers brushing against the back of his knee made Christoph shudder. At the same time, Richard’s other hand slipped between Christoph’s thighs.

The large hand slipping into the underwear between Christoph’s thighs looked particularly obscene, perhaps because it was fully illuminated by the sunlight. Christoph suddenly hardened his expression.

“Richard, stop it.”

“Stop what? What am I doing?”

Richard asked back with amusement. Before Christoph could respond, Richard pushed him down onto the bed. He then pushed his knees forward. Christoph’s body bent so much that his knees and shoulders almost touched, while his lower back was lifted off the bed.

“Richard!”

Richard murmured as he stared at Christoph’s thighs and the insides of his thighs—now exposed. Christoph glared at Richard with eyes filled with suppressed anger as if a scream had been forced down.

“You seem fine, not like someone who begged for it to stop to the point of dying. Though, it’s a bit swollen.”

“That……—…… no, that’s not—.”

“It’s best not to say that, Christoph. Because I’ll want to check and confirm whether it’s true or not.”

Christoph clamped his mouth shut. He glared at Richard with icy blue eyes and then turned his head away. His nails dug deep into his palms.

But unexpectedly, contrary to Christoph’s expectations, with his entire body tense, Richard simply pulled a soft fabric piece between his thighs. It was the underwear. Shortly after, the pants were also pulled up, covering his legs.

“Sit up. Now, raise your arms.”

Richard said indifferently. He pulled Christoph up into a sitting position and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the shirt. Still kneeling on the floor, Richard calmly buttoned the shirt. One by one, from bottom to top.

“I told you I can do it myself.”

Christoph spoke up, but there was no response. Richard only stood up after finishing dressing Christoph with the shirt, tie, belt, and vest.

“I told you I’m busy today. Get up.”

Richard brusquely told the person still sitting on the bed and staring at him as if in a trance.

Christoph said nothing and then stood up, adjusting a few small creases on his clothes. As he did so, he glanced at Richard with a puzzled expression. Noticing that look, Richard, who was holding the glass of water again, looked at him.

“I know what you’re expecting, but not right now. I’ll faithfully satisfy your expectations later, even if it’s at the office. So just wait.”

“I’M NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING!!”

Christoph shouted angrily. He could guess the meaning behind Richard’s words, and indeed, he had thought of it, but it wasn’t out of expectation at all.

As the heat rushed from his neck to his face, he noticed Richard’s lips curl as they touched the rim of the glass. His eyes also curved mischievously.

“Really? But last night, I saw you shaking your hips quite a bit.”

“You told me to follow your lead. You said if I tried doing that, I might feel something.”

The heat spread from the nape of his neck to his face, down to the root of his tongue.

When Christoph spoke with anger, the smile disappeared from Richard’s face. After a moment of surprise, it seemed that Richard understood Christoph’s words. His expression became peculiar. Although he didn’t smile, it wasn’t a sign of anger or dissatisfaction. Christoph stared at Richard, unable to look away.

“……I see. Understood.”

Richard said only that and fell silent. He continued to drink water without saying another word.

Christoph glared at him, unsure of what he was thinking.

Lately, it was always like this.

Even though Richard sometimes did things that made Christoph shudder in disgust, there were also times when he showed inexplicable kindness. It was so unfamiliar that it made Christoph shrink back without realizing it. These days, Christoph was increasingly perplexed by Richard’s inconsistent attitude.

But all of that would soon end. In just a few days, there would be no more tight embraces from behind every early morning that made him unable to move, no more sudden licks on his lips, or unexpected hands slipping between his legs, and no more sudden acts of kindness with unclear reasons or purposes. A complete end.

As he thought this, Christoph clicked his tongue softly and left. Before starting his day, he needed to stop by his room. As he walked out the door, a familiar voice sounded from behind him: “Come to the main hall in 25 minutes.”

Christoph didn’t reply, he simply closed the door a bit harder than usual to express his frustration.