Jeong Taeui stared at the wrinkled hands trimming the withered leaves.

Peter had been gardening his entire life, engraving his life’s work onto those hands. They were stiff and dark, covered in countless large and small scars.

“I guess it’s easy to hurt your hands in gardening.”

Taeui glanced at his own hands, recalling his own past hardships. His hands, too, bore scattered small scars. However, when compared to Peter’s, his hands seemed smooth.

“This is a job that deals with life, so there are important things to protect, even if it means injuring your hands,” Peter murmured indifferently.

As he gazed at his own calloused hands, which could now grip small thorns without pain, Taeui whispered: “Life……”

“It’s wonderful that trees can live long, as long as we don’t cut them down.”

“Even plants that live for only one season leave behind seeds and continue to live forever.”

Taeui smiled at Peter’s words and replied: “That’s true.”

Then, a thought occurred to him. People who passed away young or didn’t live long.

He had never met the girl who was said to resemble Oliver or Richard.

So, when he heard that she died young, he felt only a slight pang of sorrow but not true grief or pain.

Instead, his thoughts were more focused on Christoph than on the poor girl who had passed away so young. He recalled Christoph’s emotionless face when mentioning Olivia’s name. With a tone of indifference and a hint of discomfort, Christoph had recounted memories of her little by little.

At that time, Christoph likely didn’t know what kind of expression he was showing.

“My brother also loved plants. When we lived together at home, we had many potted plants of all sizes. Sometimes, due to the sheer number, one or two plants would wither and die. It was sad when it happened to those we had cared for over a long time…… But no matter how precious life is, it never compares to the sorrow of human death.”

Jeong Taeui focused only on the hands trimming the dry leaves, vaguely recalling old memories – memories that he rarely thought about in his daily life.

The experience of losing someone forever, whether from a distance or up close. It’s a feeling of loss that can’t be described with just the word ‘sad.’

Even if the person lost is just someone whose face you recognize, that feeling of loss is inevitable, differing only in degree.

“Perhaps it’s because death is final, with no return, that makes it even sadder. Later, even if you think – ‘I wish I had done this……’ – there’s no changing it.”

Jeong Taeui chuckled bitterly.

The same thing had happened when his parents passed away. The saying, ‘You should cherish them while they’re alive,’ was common, but it was hard to truly embed in one’s heart.

Jeong Taeui had no regrets about anything. He had always tried his best to respect and love his parents. It wasn’t a forced effort but simply how he lived his life.

There had been times when he upset his parents, like when he got seriously injured playing with friends and ended up in the hospital, but he had no regrets.

However, sometimes, when he thought about them, he still felt a sense of loss.

“There are surely children who know they will regret it forever but still can’t take good care of their parents. That relationship isn’t just exclusive to parents and children.”

Peter spoke nonchalantly. Jeong Taeui murmured: “Yes, that’s true.”

Is it really like that? Does Christoph know? When he looks back and talks about Olivia after a long time, what kind of expression will he have?

“Living without regrets, no matter how you live, is a good thing.”

“Yes…… But that’s not so easy, Peter.”

Jeong Taeui didn’t dwell on the past. He always tried to live in a way that he wouldn’t regret later. But even so, time never flowed according to his wishes.

Jeong Taeui sighed lightly and shrugged. Then he looked at the old man before him, a smile suddenly appearing in his eyes, and he spoke unexpectedly.

“Even if the world ends tomorrow, wouldn’t it be better to live today as if planting an apple tree?”

“If the world ends tomorrow, no one would plant a tree. If they did, it would only make the tree feel pitiful.”

Peter raised an eyebrow as white as snow.

“But if I die tomorrow, I must plant a tree today.”

After observing Peter’s rough hands pruning the dry branches for a long time, Taeui smiled softly and called out his name.

“Peter.”

Peter glanced at Taeui while trimming the yellowed leaves and gently applied some medicine to the cut part with his fingertip.

“Live long. I wish you would live as long as this tree.”

Peter immediately glared and asked: “Do you even know what kind of tree this is?!” then grumbled: “Wishing an old man like me to live for thousands of years is no blessing.”

Jeong Taeui just laughed it off.

“Going back to Berlin is wonderful,” he mumbled as he swept the fallen leaves from the ground with a broom.

‘I’ll help Peter turn these leaves into compost later,’ he thought to himself.

At that moment, a gentle voice rang out from behind.

“Truly a beautiful tree. It’s rare to see a tree so healthy and beautiful, even in botanical gardens. That’s quite remarkable.”

The smile vanished from Taeui’s face. He slowly turned his head, following Peter’s gaze.

Standing there was Richard with the same gentle smile that Taeui had last seen in Dresden.

The image of him on the small intercom screen last night had disappeared, as if it had never happened. He maintained his composed demeanor, as if nothing had ever occurred.

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

“Ah…… You’ve arrived.” Taeui stopped sweeping. There was a brief hesitation, but he quickly put on his usual smile.

“I meant to come earlier, but after finishing the inheritance process, I was suddenly caught up in things, so I didn’t have time to handle everything during the day. In the end, I arrived late. I had already contacted Kyle beforehand.”

Jeong Taeui glanced at the clock—just past five. Richard must have been busy all day. Not long ago, Taeui had heard that after the succession ritual, the heir would be so occupied they couldn’t meet anyone for days.

However, if Richard managed to come at this hour, he must have had a day filled with work. Not to mention, last night’s gala had turned everything upside down.

“Where’s Christoph? Is he in the room?”

Richard wasted no time with small talk and went straight to the point. Taeui propped the broom against the wall and shook his head.

“No. He’s in the courtyard with Kyle right now. ——Peter, I’ll see you later.”

Taeui cheerfully accepted the bucket Peter handed him and took it to the storage shed. As he turned to look at Richard, instead of offering to guide him with a ‘This way,’ he simply turned and walked ahead. Richard silently followed.

Hopefully, everything will be alright. Taeui wondered if it was okay to bring Richard to Christoph without any prior notice. But perhaps Rita had already opened the door for Richard and informed Kyle.

“Did you just come back from Dresden?” Taeui asked over his shoulder, and the response came swiftly.

“Yes. I had a lot to take care of…… Arriving late last night like that, I must have inconvenienced you.”

To Richard’s polite tone, Taeui merely shrugged. “It’s fine,” he said, not being the one who needed an apology.

The two continued walking without speaking, and Jeong Taeui began feeling a bit uneasy, scratching his head. He thought that perhaps he had the right to blame this man. But on the other hand, Richard had only stood by and watched Raumaan’s incident without intervening much. It was hard to say Richard had done anything directly harmful to Jeong Taeui.

Moreover, when Richard arrived last night, he hadn’t come to arrest Jeong Taeui. All he wanted was Christoph, someone related to his family. In other words, Jeong Taeui was merely an outsider to him.

“Dresden…… The atmosphere there must not be great right now, huh?”

Taeui slowed his pace, creating a half-step distance between himself and Richard. After speaking, he worried that it might have been an inappropriate topic, but Richard simply smiled awkwardly, still calm.

“With such a big event and chaos happening at the same time, it’s inevitable that things are a bit messy. But everything will settle down in a few days. Thank you for your concern.”

Richard remained courteous, even adding a final polite remark. However, since Taeui had been in the thick of the chaos, he only gave a vague response: “No, it’s nothing.”

Inside, Taeui felt a bit of admiration. Richard was perfect – completely composed. Not just his words, but his demeanor and expression showed no sign of discomfort or resentment.

It was hard to believe that a person could be this polite while calmly drawing boundaries like this.

Was this really the same man who had come here last night?

Suddenly, Taeui recalled the tense, hurried man from the previous night, never relaxed for even a moment. The expression on Richard’s face had been filled with worry and urgency, radiating an intimidating air while trying to maintain calm. It was completely different from the person walking behind him now.

Jeong Taeui turned to look at Richard. Sensing his gaze, Richard smiled with a questioning look.

Though Richard’s face now seemed much more composed, there was a sincerity about him that felt even more tangible than it had the night before.

Jeong Taeui mumbled to himself and rubbed his temples.

At that moment, Richard’s brief, cutting words from the previous night flashed in his mind. Words so cold they would have turned anyone’s face pale.

“Speaking of which, is Christoph’s mother alright?”

Jeong Taeui pretended to ask with a gentle smile.

Indeed, he didn’t believe that Richard had actually done something extreme like he had hinted last night when he said he would kill her. It had probably been a figure of speech.

Although she had told Christoph never to return to Tarten, surely after her son left and caused such trouble for Tarten, she couldn’t be at peace. Perhaps she had truly fallen ill or was in a state of mental breakdown.

“Oh…… she’s……”

Richard paused for a moment. But then he smiled and shrugged slightly.

“She’s still resting, but she’s fine.”

“Oh…… In all that chaos, she wasn’t hurt, was she?”

“No, she was just a little shocked.”

Richard responded briefly and fell silent. His reluctance to say more left Taeui with nothing further to ask.

Well, it made sense. She had always seemed frail mentally, so it wasn’t surprising if she had been shocked by last night’s events.

But……

Jeong Taeui chuckled bitterly.

He suddenly realized that he didn’t like her at all.

Even hearing that she was bedridden didn’t worry him. In fact, he felt a small sense of satisfaction when thinking of Richard’s unexpected outburst of anger towards her the night before.

Still, he didn’t exactly like Richard, but at least he was grateful to him.

“Thank you for being angry with her for Christoph’s sake.”

But at that moment, the smile on Richard’s face completely disappeared for the first time since arriving here.

“There’s no reason to thank me.”

A voice as cold as ice responded. Jeong Taeui stopped and turned to look at Richard. Richard gazed back at him with a face void of emotion. However, his eyes were as cold as a sharp blade.

Jeong Taeui opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t think of anything appropriate, so he just sighed lightly and closed his mouth.

‘Ah, right…… this is a family matter for Tarten.’ – He thought to himself, but even that didn’t seem worth saying, so he erased the thought from his mind.

In the distance, the storage shed appeared. It stood slightly off to the side, away from the courtyard, a short distance away.

Jeong Taeui gently shook the bucket Peter had given him and turned back to look at Richard.

“I’ll put this in the shed for a moment. You can wait here, or……”

“If it’s the courtyard, I know the way. I’ll go ahead.”

Before Jeong Taeui could finish his sentence, Richard replied and began walking away. Of course, Richard was well-acquainted with the layout of the house. He hadn’t needed any guidance from the start.

Taeui said he would follow shortly and quickly headed toward the shed.

In truth, Taeui didn’t particularly like interacting with Richard. He was a difficult person to deal with. If possible, Taeui would prefer to live without crossing paths with him.

In the past, there had been people Taeui hadn’t wanted to interact with, but eventually, he had ended up living with one of them – life was truly unpredictable – and sometimes he even got along with those he initially didn’t like. But with Richard, it was different. With Richard, it wasn’t outright hatred, but absolute discomfort.

In fact, when it came to humanity, the man was probably better than Ilay, but it seemed that getting along with someone had nothing to do with their personality. Not that Ilay’s personality was that terrible…… Well, at least that’s what Taeui wanted to believe.

Jeong Taeui placed the bucket by the shed’s door, and at that moment, he suddenly remembered the man he shouldn’t have been concerned about but still weighed on his mind.

Damn, he should have asked first.

Jeong Taeui lightly tapped his forehead and decided to hurry back to ask that question first.

Of course, Richard would know.

The last memory Taeui had of Ilay was when he was sedated with propofol and collapsed at the party in Tarten. After that, Taeui had also passed out, and when he woke up, he was on a helicopter with Christoph. Ilay had been left behind.

So, was Ilay still in Tarten? Was he imprisoned, or had he not yet woken up from the drug’s effects? Or had he been moved elsewhere, or……?

“……”

Jeong Taeui immediately sighed and shook his head.

This wasn’t good. The lack of news or communication was making his mind run in too many directions.

Perhaps he would have to go back and ask directly to get peace of mind. Besides, there was something else he was worried about.

Although Kyle was with Christoph, the thought of Christoph fleeing Tarten in such a state and then facing Richard again made Jeong Taeui anxious.

Richard couldn’t forcibly take Christoph away, nor could he use any violence at Kyle’s house, but if tensions escalated between them, he would be the first to be held responsible.

Jeong Taeui’s pace quickened gradually. By the time he neared the courtyard, he was almost running.

However, as soon as he reached the courtyard, Jeong Taeui came to an abrupt halt.

Richard was standing there. At the entrance to the courtyard, he stood with his back turned, motionless like a statue, staring into the courtyard.

It wasn’t necessary to look closely to know what Richard was watching. There were only two people there.

Kyle and Christoph were talking. From this distance, Jeong Taeui couldn’t see clearly, but the two were seated across from each other.

And as Richard stood there, gazing intently at them without moving, Taeui approached him from behind, curious. Though he didn’t want to believe it, he asked.

“Were you waiting for me? If you want, you can go ahead and talk to them……”

Taeui thought he was saying something rude, but immediately stopped himself. As he got closer to Richard, he understood more clearly what Richard was seeing.

It was as if Richard hadn’t noticed Taeui had arrived. He simply stared at Christoph. And Taeui, too, couldn’t take his eyes off Christoph.

Christoph’s face was wet. It was a truly strange sight.

Christoph’s face was no different from usual. He sat across from Kyle with the same still, emotionless expression as always, like a lifeless doll. It was as if a perfectly crafted sculpture was sitting there, devoid of any emotion.

However, tears, clear and unlike the usual pale hue, were continuously streaming down from his deep blue eyes, rolling down his cheeks without pause. There was no telling when they would stop.

Christoph……. Taeui unconsciously opened his mouth to call out to him, but no words came out.

“……”

Jeong Taeui hesitated, scratching his head, and looked at them in confusion.

He didn’t want to call Christoph. Furthermore, with Richard standing right next to him, he felt even more uneasy. Just as he didn’t want anyone to see his face when he cried, Christoph probably felt the same. It seemed as if Christoph shouldn’t be showing his tear-streaked face.

Taeui glanced at Richard, whose face was unreadable, and felt annoyed.

However, before Jeong Taeui could leave, there had been no reason for Christoph to cry. Kyle had jumped into the pool, and Taeui had casually passed by Christoph to hand a bucket to Peter. Up until that moment, nothing unusual had happened.

If that was the case – maybe Kyle had said or done something terrible to make Christoph cry, even though Kyle was sitting there with a gentle expression. Or maybe Christoph’s eyes were stung by dust……

Pondering such unlikely possibilities, Taeui looked back at Richard. Richard must have witnessed everything before Taeui did. He tried to decipher Richard’s expression, but nothing appeared on his face. Richard just stood silently, watching the two of them.

“……”

Jeong Taeui looked up at the sky and muttered to himself: “What should I do now?”

But his hesitation didn’t last long.

Kyle had taken his eyes off Christoph for a moment and noticed them standing there.

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

Kyle appeared awkward.

Kyle looked at Christoph’s tear-streaked eyelashes, then at Taeui, and finally at Richard, who was standing next to Taeui. He frowned slightly in confusion, then tilted his head toward Christoph and whispered something in his ear.

Immediately, Christoph’s shoulders trembled.

Christoph, who had just been stiff as a statue, suddenly sprang up without looking back at them and dove straight into the pool behind Kyle.

He plunged into the water fully clothed, without any warning. Christoph remained submerged for a long time without resurfacing. During that time, Kyle sighed and stood up. “What’s going on?”

His outfit was dry except for the parts that had touched the ground, now smeared with dust and dried grass…… Even so, most of his body was covered in dirt after going into the water in just his underwear and then sprawling on the ground.

“You’re here, Richard. It would’ve been nice if you’d informed me ahead of time.”

Kyle smiled brightly, seemingly delighted, as if nothing had happened the night before, and lightly spread his arms to welcome him.

“If you’re planning on hugging me, it’d be better to brush off the mud stuck to your chest, belly, and limbs first.” – Taeui remarked, and only then did Kyle glance down at himself, clicking his tongue in frustration.

“Right, I wasn’t prepared to receive guests. My apologies. Please wait a moment. I’ll go rinse off a bit. I’ll ask Rita to bring out some tea for you.”

Kyle tried to dust off the dirt, but soon gave up on his filthy state – still wearing only his underwear – and turned to head inside.

It was only then that Richard, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

“No need for tea. I’ll be leaving shortly. I only came to take Christoph.”

He spoke in a low, slow voice, firm and resolute, his gaze fixed solely on the pool.

Kyle, who had just stepped inside through the glass door, paused and turned back to look at Richard. After a moment, he smiled calmly.

“Richard. I thought you came here as my guest.”

It was only after hearing that deep, calm voice that Richard turned to look at Kyle. Though there was no smile in his eyes, he quickly realized his mistake and bowed his head slightly.

“I’m sorry. I was rude…… Go ahead inside. I’ll wait here.”

Kyle nodded and went inside. The glass door closed gently, separating the inside from the outside.

Outside, everything grew quiet. The faint sounds of cars and people echoed from far beyond the walls, but aside from the chirping of birds, the space was filled with silence.

In that stillness, the soft sound of water rippled.

Christoph, who had been submerged in the water all this time, now slowly rose from the surface.

Naturally, his entire body was soaked. Whether it was the wet hair clinging to his face, covering most of it, or the water dripping from his cheeks, none of it surprised anyone anymore.

Christoph ran his hand through his wet hair with an air of annoyance. As he wiped his damp face with the palm of his hand, his usual expression returned. His face was emotionless and cold.

Without looking at Richard, who was still silently watching him, Christoph stepped out of the pool. Puddles quickly formed wherever he walked.

“Are you alright?” – Taeui asked nonchalantly. Christoph glanced at him with an irritated expression and grumbled in a disgruntled voice.

“……These wet clothes sticking to me are unbearable.”

“If you knew you were going to jump into the pool, you should’ve brought swim trunks.” Christoph’s complaints, consistent with his usual fastidiousness about clothes, brought a slight sense of relief to Taeui.

“I need to change.”

Christoph muttered, then turned to leave.

But at that moment, Richard, who had been silently watching Christoph all this time, suddenly grabbed his hand. Christoph recoiled, immediately pulling his hand free, his sharp blue eyes glaring at Richard.

“Don’t touch me!”

Christoph spoke in a low, calm voice, not with anger but decisively, and turned to walk away. But this time, Richard grabbed his hand again, precisely where he had grasped it before, holding tightly so Christoph couldn’t break free.

“That’s enough. Let’s go, Christoph.”

Richard’s voice was gentle. But the suppressed, fragile tone betrayed his calm exterior.

“Let go of me!”

Christoph’s sharp gaze shifted from his captured arm to Richard’s face.

“I’ve had the room next to mine in Dongik cleaned. By now, your things should’ve already been moved there.”

Christoph stared at Richard, stunned. Richard spoke without acknowledging Christoph’s words.

‘Right, Richard will be living in Dongik now.’ – Jeong Taeui thought with a frown.

Richard didn’t consider the possibility that Christoph wouldn’t return to Tarten. Whether Christoph wanted to or not, Richard was determined to bring him back to Tarten one way or another.

Christoph looked at Richard for a long time before slowly relaxing his body. He glanced down at the hand Richard was gripping with dissatisfaction but eventually lifted his head as if resigning himself to the situation.

“Yes, I’ve thought about that, too, Richard. Tarten. Why should I go back to Tarten?”

Christoph’s words were interrupted briefly, but he continued speaking immediately after.

“But there’s no reason.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed as he looked into Christoph’s deep blue eyes. Christoph went on.

“For Tarten? No way. I told you, I’m done with that place. I don’t work for Tarten anymore, and I don’t work for you either.”

“……Whether you like it or not, you’re still an asset to Tarten. You have to be there.”

Richard shook his head. Christoph remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

“I had a debt to Tarten.”

“We said we’d cancel that debt if you came back.”

“No need. I’ll repay it. With that money, Tarten can hire someone with my skills.”

Christoph slowly bent the arm Richard was holding. Then, with a gentle twist, he freed himself from Richard’s grip. His hand seemed to hesitate briefly, but he released it easily.

“I’m leaving Tarten. You can say I was expelled or that you kicked me out. I don’t care. In any case, I won’t do anything to tarnish Tarten’s name.”

Christoph stepped back. He looked Richard directly in the eyes and finished his sentence. Then he remained silent for a moment, perhaps waiting for Richard’s response, but Richard also stayed quiet.

Suddenly, Christoph shivered slightly. Although it was late summer, the air had cooled in the afternoon, and standing outside in wet clothes, the chill was beginning to seep in.

“It’s cold……” – He mumbled unconsciously, his lips trembling slightly. Immediately afterward, Christoph’s face hardened. He bit his pale lips to stop himself from repeating those words. He turned and started to walk away, water dripping from him as he opened the glass door to step inside.

At that moment.

“If this isn’t a joke, will you tell me?”

Richard broke the silence.

He stared at the empty space for a while as if lost in thought, then looked up at the fading sunset in the west, his face as composed as ever.

Christoph stopped and turned to look at Richard, his expression puzzled, as if he didn’t understand what Richard was talking about.

“If I wasn’t just saying those words to see your reaction, would you have told me?”

Richard continued in a low voice. In that instant, Christoph’s body trembled slightly.

“If I wasn’t just trying to play with your emotions.”

Richard slowly turned his head to look at Christoph. In the dim twilight, his eyes appeared cold and strangely clear.

“Would you have told me?”

Richard added softly, as if singing. Christoph stood still, staring at Richard.

The two of them stood face to face as if locked in a game of endurance.

Suddenly, Richard’s lips twitched and curled up. A faint smile appeared as if he were laughing, though it wasn’t a genuine smile.

“Again……? I’ll say it a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand times. I’ll say it as many times as you want. Speak out, Christoph. How many times must I say it for you to speak? If it only takes a silver tongue*, then I’m ready to do it.”

(*Silver tongue: Refers to persuasive or eloquent speech…… It implies the ability to use words to influence or persuade others to achieve one’s goals.)

The only person frozen in place and staring at Richard wasn’t just Christoph. Jeong Taeui also felt a chill in his heart at those cryptic words.

It felt as if he had touched a cold, slimy reptile, making his spine tingle. A shiver ran down his back.

Richard smiled, gesturing in a way that Taeui didn’t understand. It wasn’t the kind of smile Taeui had seen before. The corner of Richard’s mouth lifted, not in mockery or contempt, nor in ridicule.

It was a rage that had frozen into absolute coldness.

Why?

Jeong Taeui couldn’t understand what Richard was angry about. Nor could he guess what had caused him to become so cruel. Instinctively, he sensed only one thing: those words were deeply cruel and bitter.

The reason Christoph’s face seemed even paler than before wasn’t just because darkness was falling.

“Is this fun for you?”

But when Christoph quietly uttered those words, it was Richard’s turn to freeze.

“Are you enjoying this, Richard? Feeling satisfied?…… Fine, enjoy it. To be honest, even I’m surprised by how much pain I’ve felt. Only recently did I realize how much I’ve been hurting. It was more effective than anything you’ve ever done…… Congratulations, Richard.”

Christoph with a face as pale as wax, betrayed no sign of discomfort or discontent as he calmly delivered each word. He took a deep breath as if it might fill the emptiness inside him.

“So, no matter how many times you say it – a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand – your words will never reach me.”

Christoph finished speaking.

And this time, as if to close the conversation, he turned away without waiting for Richard’s response. As Christoph stepped inside through the glass door, Richard’s voice echoed behind him.

“CHRISTOPH!!”

The shout was loud, as if it wanted to crush someone’s heart. It was a cry of rage. Richard was furious. His eyes blazed like wild beast’s, fixed on Christoph.

“YOU DON’T HAVE ANY FEELINGS FOR ME, DO YOU? FINE, I WON’T MENTION NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, BUT YOU HAVE NO OTHER FEELINGS AT ALL, RIGHT? STOP USING THOSE WORDS AS AN EXCUSE. PAIN? YOU SAY YOU FEEL PAIN?! ARE YOU THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WOULD FEEL PAIN FROM SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AM I THE KIND OF PERSON WHO COULD HURT YOU THAT MUCH?! CUT OUT THAT NONSENSE! YOU――YOU’VE NEVER FELT PAIN! YOU NEVER HAVE!”

Richard roared as if to confirm it. Christoph couldn’t possibly feel pain, nor could he be hurt by Richard’s words. No way. Richard screamed in anger, not knowing who his rage was directed at.

At that moment.

“RICHARD!!”

A shout rang out.

The person startled by the shout wasn’t anyone but Christoph. But at the same time, Richard fell silent.

“Do you even know what you’re saying?!”

Jeong Taeui frowned and spoke in a calm voice, contrasting with the shout he had just made.

Richard looked at Taeui with cold eyes. His voice came out as icy as that gaze.

“This has nothing to do with you!”

The polite mask Richard always wore had been torn off. But he didn’t seem to realize it, and Jeong Taeui didn’t care.

“I’m not interfering in what’s between you and Christoph. And whatever happened, Christoph probably agreed to it in some way. But am I not allowed to step in when something is said that’s unacceptable? Is that what you mean by me not interfering in my friend’s affairs?”

Jeong Taeui’s frank but calm gaze swept past Richard and landed on Christoph. Richard followed his gaze and saw Christoph looking at them with a strange expression. Richard’s face suddenly twisted.

A low chuckle escaped him. After a moment of silence, Richard opened his mouth and tried to put on his polite façade again.

“Friends……? I didn’t think he had such a thing. Fine, Jeong Tay. I don’t know what you consider offensive, but even if they are insults, they’re part of the same situation. And friendships have limits on what they should and shouldn’t interfere with. This is one of those things they SHOULDN’T.”

As Richard’s cold words ended, Jeong Taeui frowned, about to say something, but a sigh mixed with a click of the tongue interrupted him.

“It’s unpleasant for my guests to quarrel in my yard. I’m in a rather difficult position.”