In fact, Jeong Taeui only actually tried on the outfit that evening.

At first, he didn’t care much about the clothes, and besides, everyone around him was so busy that it made him get caught up in the atmosphere. Afterward, he was also busy helping with small tasks to the point that he forgot about the clothes.

Later, when he happened to run into Christoph – who had returned to the mansion in the evening with a face so gloomy it seemed like Richard had tormented him all day – he suddenly hesitated. Christoph began asking about the clothes and hesitated for a moment, making Taeui briefly think that Christoph would scold him again and tell him to throw them away. But instead, after mumbling with dissatisfaction for a while, Christoph spoke with a sullen face.

“Is the size okay?…… Do you like it?”

“Yes, it fits perfectly. Thank you very much.”

Jeong Taeui immediately replied without hesitation, and when he saw Christoph blushing with embarrassment, he said a few appropriate remarks and quickly returned to his room. He immediately took the clothes from the box he had carefully stored and tried them on.

And he confirmed that he wasn’t lying.

The size of the outfit was a perfect fit, and the color harmonized so well that it was astonishing, thanks to that person’s keen eye. Although he initially thought the color might be a bit too flashy, once he wore it, it truly suited him as if the outfit had been designed specifically for him.

“Clothes really do make the man. Looking like this, I look quite sharp……” (Hehe)

“I was wondering where you rushed off to, turns out it was for new clothes?”

A voice suddenly rang out from behind while Jeong Taeui was engrossed in admiring himself in the mirror without the slightest warning, but by now, he was no longer surprised.

Ilay suddenly appeared again like a ghost, and he had probably just finished work and returned. He showed up looking dashing like a young, successful, and stylish lawyer. He was standing by the door, removing his tie.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

Ilay pulled the tie from his collar. Even as he removed his glasses, tucked them into his jacket pocket, and gently rubbed his forehead with his fingertips, his eyes never left Jeong Taeui for a second. Jeong Taeui paused, then frowned slightly and looked at Ilay with a displeased expression.

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

“Is that so? I came back after hearing some unpleasant news, and upon returning, I find my lover receiving clothes from someone else…… There’s nothing about that that makes me happy.”

The crease between Jeong Taeui’s eyebrows deepened.

However, from the years they had lived together, he could guess that the situation wasn’t too dangerous. It seemed to be one of Ilay’s jokes in his own way, but what concerned him were Ilay’s initial words.

“What was the bad news?”

“I have a feeling I’ll soon have to see ‘a face’ I don’t particularly like. But it’s okay. It’s something I fully anticipated, so let’s skip it……Hmm, looking at that outfit, it seems like Christoph chose it. He has a pretty good sense of style.”

Ilay stepped closer to Jeong Taeui and stopped a few steps away, he leaned in to assess Taeui again. Then he slowly nodded.

“A suit, huh…… That’s fine. If it’s Christoph, he probably didn’t think too much about it, but his taste is reliable. It suits you well, Taei.”

Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay with a puzzled expression, then sighed and replied – “Yes, thanks.” – Since it was an expression that didn’t seem very pleasant, there was probably no need to ask for details.

Immediately after that, Ilay approached Jeong Taeui in just two or three steps and skillfully removed the tie from around his neck with one hand. Ilay then replaced it with the tie he had just been wearing.

“……? Does this one look better?”

“No, unfortunately, the one he chose suits you better. Because he chose it as part of a complete set from the start.”

“Really? Then—”

“But wear this one. A perfectly coordinated outfit isn’t all that interesting.”

Jeong Taeui stared at Ilay for a moment. When he caught the gaze of Ilay’s indifferent expression, he suddenly giggled.

“Okay, I’ll do that……. Anyway, let’s take it off now. This suit feels heavy, so unless it’s really necessary, I don’t want to wear it.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged and loosened the tie. He also removed the jacket and unbuttoned the shirt.

Ilay sat on the sofa beside Taeui, silently watching him and resting his chin on his hand as if lost in thought. Seeing this, Jeong Taeui curiously looked at him.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking a bit about Christoph’s taste.”

“Christoph? If it’s Christoph…… he has a very clear taste.”

With his appearance, even if he wore ragged clothes, he would still stand out, but Christoph always knew how to choose outfits that suited him. He never let the clothes overshadow his looks, nor did he overemphasize the outfit. He typically chose attire based on his preferred color palette.

“Uhm, that’s true…… It’s quite surprising.”

Ilay suddenly chuckled. He seemed to frown a bit, but it was clear he was smiling as if he had found something amusing and then leaning his head back on the sofa.

“So you’re wearing the outfit Christoph chose, while he’s wearing the one Richard gave him.”

“What?……Richard gave Christoph clothes?”

“At least the outfit he’s wearing today is clearly not his usual style.”

Now that he thought about it, that was true.

Jeong Taeui stopped his hand that was unbuttoning the shirt and tried to recall the memory for a moment, then frowned slightly.

“I have a feeling this doesn’t come from pure kindness.”

Jeong Taeui fully unbuttoned the shirt, threw it haphazardly onto the bed, and sat down beside it. He turned back to look at Ilay.

“I feel like Richard doesn’t like me.”

Jeong Taeui said it quite seriously. Ilay raised an eyebrow. Looking at his expression, it wasn’t entirely a denial, but more like a new realization that made Jeong Taeui think – ‘Ah, that must be it.’ – and at the same time, his eyes became slightly doubtful.

He knew that many people thought this way: ‘The enemy of your enemy is your enemy, and the enemy of your enemy is your friend.’ Even if that person wasn’t directly related to oneself, many still defined their relationships with others based on the relationships those others had with people connected to them. So, if Richard didn’t like Jeong Taeui, it wouldn’t be surprising. After all, Jeong Taeui could be said to be quite close to Christoph.

However, even when Jeong Taeui tried to think about it more, he couldn’t find a satisfactory answer. He just mumbled: “Hmmm……” and glanced back and forth when Ilay suddenly asked.

“Does it bother you if he doesn’t like you?”

He didn’t deny that Richard didn’t like him…… Jeong Taeui scratched his head and frowned. The answer came out shortly.

“No, whether someone unrelated to me likes me or not isn’t really a big deal. Because they can’t affect me or change who I am. Of course, being disliked isn’t pleasant, but it’s not something particularly upsetting either.”

“In that case, what Richard thinks of you doesn’t matter, right?”

“Right. It’s just…… how should I put it…… it’s surprising.”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and fell silent. When talking about this, he had the feeling that if he continued, the conversation might lead to a conclusion different from what he originally intended, something like: ‘I’m surprised because he hates me.’

“No, no, not like that……” – Ilay looked at Taeui with amusement while Jeong Taeui kept waving his hands as if trying to clarify his words and quickly change the subject. Ilay’s eyes never left Taeui for even a second.

“So, Taei, you don’t care what others think of you?”

“Right, as long as they’re not someone who can influence my mind or heart.”

Jeong Taeui gently pointed to his head and chest in turn with his fingertip.

“What if it’s someone who can affect you?”

“Ah——That’s an extremely important issue. It can affect the very existence of the self.”

Even though such people could be counted on one hand, it was still a very important issue. It was an issue as crucial as the absolute need for a newborn to be cared for by its parents to survive.

Perhaps for everyone, whether they realize it or not, there are always a few people who absolutely influence them in some way.

When Jeong Taeui answered firmly, Ilay stared at him intently. His narrow and slender eyes seemed to be deep in thought.

“The existence of the self…… That’s really important.”

Jeong Taeui raised an eyebrow and looked at the strong-willed man in front of him – a person whose self seemed more solid and stronger than anyone else in the world – and then scratched his head then pursed his lips as he spoke.

“You may not realize it, but for most people, that’s generally true. Everyone has at least one person who unintentionally or intentionally changes the way they exist.”

At least there were parents. Without them, it would be impossible to exist alone. A single person whether for good or bad at some moment or another makes you suddenly realize that they have become an important part of your mind.

“Hmm……?!”

Jeong Taeui couldn’t help but laugh when he saw Ilay muttering briefly, unclear if he understood or not – or perhaps he had nodded in agreement but not fully comprehending.

That’s precisely why this man is Ilay Riegrow. A monster. Crazy Rick.

But even so, when he looked back at himself smiling happily while being with this man, it was clear that he had also changed himself without realizing it. At some point, when he became clear-headed and saw these things. If it were before, instead of smiling, he might have only rolled his eyes, looking for an opportunity to run a hundred or thousand miles away.

“Why are you laughing?”

Ilay also chuckled at this point. Finding it somewhat humorous, Jeong Taeui laughed out loud.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about who has an absolute influence on me.”

“Well…… In that case, maybe there’s also someone whom I have absolute influence over?”

“Ah? That might be true—…… Well, that’s not entirely certain.”

Jeong Taeui tried to think seriously about something he had never thought about before. While he was tilting his head and frowning, Ilay quietly turned his head and smirked.

Just as Jeong Taeui was thinking about who he might have absolute influence over……

The phone rang. A long, repeated *Beep* the sound echoed for a short period.

Hearing the sound, knowing it was from an external line, Jeong Taeui glanced at the phone within reach. The green light was flashing.

“Kyle?”

If someone was calling Jeong Taeui’s room from outside, there were only a few people who could.

Jeong Taeui secretly glanced at his younger brother, who had yet to receive a cheap bottle of water from his older brother and then smiled as he picked up the phone.

“Hello—.”

[“Taeui?”]

However, the clear and deliberate pronunciation of his name from the other end of the line made Jeong Taeui instantly fall silent. He instinctively widened his eyes and tilted his head.

“Jaeui-hyung?”

Ilay, who had been intently watching Jeong Taeui since he picked up the phone, slightly raised an eyebrow when he heard that name.

[“Yes. Are you doing well?”]

The first voice of Jeong Taeui’s close older brother – whom he hadn’t spoken to for a year – sounded as if they hadn’t met for just a few days. But hearing that normal voice made Jeong Taeui feel the same: “Yes, I’m fine.” He replied, suddenly thinking that it might sound like a lie but immediately dismissing it as unimportant. Every time he spoke with his brother, he always felt at ease.

“How did you find out about this place to call me?”

[“Because someone called me about work. By the way, he also gave me your phone number. I was thinking of you, so I called. I heard you’re in Tarten.”]

“Yeah. You always have a knack for timing as usual, hyung.”

Jeong Taeui smiled and sat down on the bed. He leaned back against the pillow and suddenly looked over at Ilay. He was still silently watching Jeong Taeui, signaling with his eyes as if to say: ‘Don’t worry about me, keep talking.’

[“Tarten…… The succession decision is coming up, isn’t it? Do you plan to stay there long?”]

“Ah. I think I’ll return to Berlin once the succession decision is made. I heard you’re also coming to Germany?”

[“Yes. Would you like to come to Frankfurt with me? I’ll be there early next week.”]

Jeong Taeui seemed conflicted. Of course, he wanted to go. It had been a long time since he had seen his brother. But then he glanced at Ilay and shook his head.

“No…… I think this time I can’t make it. Maybe another time.”

[“Really…… that’s too bad. I wanted to see you.”]

Jeong Jaeui’s tone dropped slightly, mumbling with a hint of regret. “Yeah, me too……” – Jeong Taeui mumbled and then suddenly fell silent again. He felt something strange and wondered what it was, then realized it. Was there ever a time when his brother wanted something but didn’t get it?

In Jeong Taeui’s memory, that had never happened. Whenever Jeong Jaeui expressed a desire for something, it always became a reality, in one form or another.

How strange…… what a strange feeling…… How strange……. 

“…….., …….., ……… I want to see you too, hyung.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled vaguely and tilted his head slightly. His eyes met Ilay’s.

Ilay was resting his chin on his hand and his eyes seemed to waver slightly as he focused on Jeong Taeui.

In the next few seconds.

The man sitting on the sofa a few steps away suddenly stood up, Ilay approached and grabbed the receiver from Jeong Taeui’s hand. Before Jeong Taeui could react or say anything, Ilay had answered in his place.

“Long time no see, Jeong Jay.”

Taeui couldn’t hear clearly what Jaeui was saying on the other end of the line. However, after a moment, Ilay responded as if to an answer.

“Yes. Long time no see and you still recognize my voice…… Haha, thanks for the compliment.”

“Ilay! Please give the phone back. I’m still talking.”

“Right, I heard you’re coming to Frankfurt? If things go smoothly, we might meet. Oh no, if you want, we definitely will. You were always like that at the start.”

Ignoring Jeong Taeui’s light protest, Ilay switched the receiver to the other side, further distancing it from Taeui. Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue several times and pressed the speaker button. Ilay glanced at it and continued talking.

“Oh— By the way, someone really wants to meet you and they’ll be coming to Germany soon. If possible, you should meet them. I’ve heard they’ve been sending affectionate invitations and promising to welcome you warmly with their hospitality.”

There was no shortage of people who would send affectionate invitations and promise a warm welcome to Jeong Jaeui. This wasn’t anything new, but Jeong Taeui was still surprised, watching Ilay.

[“……? Who?”]

Jeong Jaeui also seemed unsure of Ilay’s meaning, so he asked again through the speakerphone.

“Who could it be……”

Ilay answered slowly. As if he were playing a joke, but the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly in dissatisfaction. Suddenly, Jeong Taeui remembered what Ilay had mentioned earlier.

An unpleasant piece of news. A not-so-pleasant face.

Could it be……―.

[“……Al Saud?”]

Almost simultaneously with Jeong Taeui thinking of someone, that name also echoed from the other end of the phone.

“That’s right, you guessed it.”

“HE’S COMING? TO GERMANY?!”

Jeong Taeui shouted, grabbing Ilay’s arm.

Abdul Rahman Abid Al Saud. That man had a complicated relationship with various aspects in the past, including Tarten. Jeong Taeui knew that he was always behind everything but he didn’t expect him to personally make an appearance.

Thinking about that difficult man – someone who, even after years, still made Jeong Taeui uncomfortable whenever his name was mentioned – he instinctively frowned.

“Yes. I’ve heard he’ll be coming to attend the succession decision at Tarten. Afterward, he’ll be leaving from Frankfurt. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, right?”

Ilay laughed meaningfully. Taeui stared blankly at that crooked smile, scratching his head and clicking his tongue.

While Jeong Taeui was still in a daze, a deep voice broke the brief silence.

[“You must have misunderstood something. He initially proposed a contract to me, but after I declined, he only occasionally sends polite messages to check in.”]

“Aha. Polite messages with no ulterior motives at all, right?”

[“If a polite and respectful invitation from him asking me to contact him if I ever visit Saudi Arabia could be considered as having ulterior motives, then maybe you could see it that way.”]

Jeong Jaeui’s voice was extremely calm and composed. Hearing his voice always made one easily believe that Abdul Rahman was genuinely just sending friendly greetings with no other intentions—not wanting to hire Jeong Jaeui to develop weapons or do other things for personal gain. Actually, it seemed that Jeong Jaeui genuinely thought so.

Even Jeong Taeui wondered if it was true?

With that thought, most people said that Prince Ali’s side had already secured victory in the power struggle, so they didn’t need to rely on external forces. Perhaps now they only sent occasional polite messages to maintain the relationship.

Although it was partly his fault, the fact that he had destroyed their mansion without harming his brother was a stroke of luck. Jeong Taeui sighed, thinking so.

“Ah, so maybe the one sending the invitation was Rashid, right? I don’t really care about that side, so I don’t remember clearly.”

Ilay chuckled and said. A moment of silence followed from the other end of the line. That silence was broken by Jeong Jaeui’s voice: [“……Though he didn’t contact me directly, it seems you receive news even faster than I do.”], confirming Ilay’s words.

Jeong Taeui frowned, recalling that unfamiliar name. Wasn’t that the name of the one who lost the power struggle to Ali?

“Indeed, even if they’ve secured victory, dealing with someone like Jeong Jay, the Al Faisal side can’t feel entirely at ease—After all, in the military industry, there are still those who desire and covet possession. Although not many people could become the strongest ally just by their name……, but for you, it’s possible.”

Ilay handed the receiver back to Jeong Taeui. Even though holding the receiver didn’t have much meaning with the speakerphone on, Jeong Taeui still took it with a displeased expression.

“If possible, I hope you meet them instead of meeting Taei, Jeong Jay-hyung. I really don’t want to get dragged into their secret plots.”

[“…… If Taeui wants, I could live with him instead.”]

“NO, I absolutely don’t want to live with you. How did this conversation end up here?”

Ilay’s voice grew slightly harsh.

[“If you lived with me, you wouldn’t get caught up in those things…… And even if Taeui weren’t around you, Riegrow. You wouldn’t ever be in danger either. Isn’t that really what you want?”]

Ilay looked at the phone with a disappointed expression, the calm voice from the other end still speaking and shook his head slightly.

“I really don’t like your so-called ‘hyung’ at all, you know.”

Ilay said to Jeong Taeui, even though he knew for sure that the other end could hear. Jeong Taeui pouted in dissatisfaction and pressed his ear against the receiver.

“For that reason, I probably won’t go to Frankfurt. At least not now. If nothing happens, I’ll meet you later, hyung.”

[“Well, if that’s the case, I guess there’s no choice. I really wanted to see you.”]

The importance of the phrase ‘want to meet’ from others and the phrase ‘want to meet’ from Jeong Jaeui were entirely different in terms of weight and the possibility of realization. Jeong Taeui looked up at the ceiling and softly said: “Alright.”

He didn’t know if the feeling that the near future wouldn’t go smoothly was just a hunch. It was just a simple check-in call and after a few brief greetings, as they were about to hang up, Jeong Jaeui suddenly remembered and said:

[“Then take care, Taeui…….Oh right. Can you pass a message to Riegrow for me? Actually, I don’t like him much either. That was clear from the moment he brought you to Berlin years ago.”]

With those final words, the call ended with a few short goodbyes.

Jeong Taeui was left dumbfounded, blinking in confusion while still holding the now-useless receiver, feeling a sharp gaze piercing one side of his face from the side.

“I never expected the genius Jeong Jay to have such a childish side.”

Jeong Taeui could only think to himself, as he looked at the man standing before him, that he wanted to return those exact words to him.