“If only they could take Rick away.”

Christoph suddenly spoke after long pondering. The only one who heard that unexpected statement was Richard, who was sitting right next to him.

Richard glanced at Christoph. Christoph was still engrossed in his thoughts, nodding to himself as if he had finally organized his thoughts and began looking around, seemingly eager to share the brilliant idea he had just thought of with someone. But when he found no one suitable, he glared at Richard in dissatisfaction and reluctantly started a serious conversation with him.

“If you think about it carefully, that possibility isn’t entirely out of the question. After all, Riegrow is a terrorist in Riyadh, isn’t he? Moreover, Raumaan has a personal vendetta because his mansion in Seringue was destroyed by Riegrow himself. So, capturing Riegrow is reasonable. Don’t you think so?”

“…….Have you been sitting there staring at your plate all this time just to think about that?”

Richard mumbled, looking like he couldn’t believe it, but his sneering didn’t seem to reach Christoph.

“However, they wouldn’t use the worst method with Taei. Because they want to win over Jeong Jaeil, they won’t harm his family. At worst, they might take them as hostages to threaten him but wouldn’t cause serious harm. But Rick is different. If they take Rick away and leave Taei alone—”

“You think that pumpkin will roll into your lap by itself?”

Richard’s response was full of mockery, which slightly offended Christoph, who narrowed his eyes and angrily glared at him.

“There’s no law prohibiting that from happening.”

“Christoph, when did you become so stupid? Or are you daydreaming? You’re showing me exactly how foolish a person can become when they’re blinded.”

“I’m—”

“Yes, for your plan to succeed, first Raumaan has to come here intending to punish Riegrow, and then Rick has to be someone easily captured. Finally, as soon as Rick disappears from sight, Jeong Tay has to be ready to abandon him and change his mind. Which of these do you think is the easiest to accomplish?”

Without much thought, Richard, still expressionless, shattered Christoph’s fragile hope while remaining seated. He glanced at the person who had immediately fallen silent and continued to raise his glass to drink.

“Speaking of which, I sent someone to call those two, but he returned with a flushed face and awkwardly said: ‘It seems they can’t make it right now.’ It seems they’re busy with something urgent and more important than dinner.”

“…….”

Christoph set down his fork and stopped poking at his plate. He frowned slightly and mumbled.

“I’ve lost my appetite. I’ll go first—…….”

“I don’t know if you plan to return to your room or bother them, but sit down, Christoph. They’ll be here soon.”

Richard didn’t bother to look at Christoph but signaled with his eyes to the empty chair opposite him.

While the current master of Tarten went out to greet the guests, the young heir-to-be had prepared everything for himself. Although only immediate family members attended, the sheer number of them made the spacious dining hall crowded.

It was a late-night dinner party.

At the same time, it was also the last dinner of an era that had lasted a long time.

Tomorrow will come.

Tomorrow, around this time, the new heir of Tarten would be announced.

No one doubted who that would be. Although there had been some minor issues recently, they were not enough to shake the solid position that he had built. At most, there were only a few opinions that the succession decision might be delayed, but that didn’t happen, and tomorrow was approaching.

“You must be very happy, Richard. The day you’ve been waiting for decades is finally at hand. Can you imagine what you’ll be like at this time tomorrow?”

Christoph, who was about to stand up and leave the table without listening to Richard, stared angrily at him when Richard pressed down hard on his thigh under the table to keep him seated. Richard glanced at Christoph, who had just had a brief conversation with the person next to him.

“I haven’t been waiting decades just to inherit Tarten. What I’ve truly been waiting for was ruined by you. Since more than ten years ago.”

Richard’s voice grew colder as memories of the past flooded back. Christoph looked up in surprise and then immediately sneered.

That had already happened. The time that seemed to stand still since giving up the right to inherit Tarten had now receded to this point.

At that time, Christoph never imagined that he would be sitting next to this man in Tarten’s banquet hall.

Christoph looked at the glass panel outside, where the sky had already darkened, turning the glass into a mirror reflecting the scene inside. Richard was sitting at the highest table reserved for the master and honored guests. Christoph was sitting next to him, along with other family members.

In the illusion reflected on the glass, Christoph stood there, alone and isolated.

While everyone around him was conversing or busy with their own affairs, Christoph was the only one staring at that reflection as if observing the warm and bustling party from afar through the mirror.

‘This place isn’t mine.’

This place wasn’t his.

A voice that shouldn’t have been heard whispered. The murmuring suddenly grew louder, filling his ears.

But at that moment.

“Christoph?”

A low and clear voice pierced through the chaotic sounds and resonated in his ears. Once again, the name ‘Christoph’ was called.

Christoph saw the man in the glass leaning towards him with a puzzled look. He had just whispered something to his cousin sitting next to him and then noticed Christoph sitting quietly as if he had lost his soul.

The man’s gaze followed Christoph’s, and then their eyes met through the glass. In that blurry reflection, where Christoph was hovering like a ghost, another person was looking in the same direction as him. It was that person who pulled the lonely, hovering figure back into the world of the living.

Only then did Christoph realize the name of that man in his mind.

“…….No need to call so many times, Richard.”

“Tsk……. I thought you were staring at something. Don’t tell me you’re trying to become a narcissist.”

Richard sarcastically commented while still looking at the image in the glass. Christoph frowned slightly.

“I wasn’t looking at myself. And I don’t like my face either.”

Those words seemed to surprise Richard. He stared at Christoph for a moment as if accusing him of lying. Christoph added.

“Not just my face, but I don’t like anything about this body.”

No, not just the body. Even in his mind and heart, nothing pleased Christoph. Never had Christoph felt satisfied with himself—the person named Christoph Tarten.

“Ts,” Richard quietly observed Christoph, who was expressing frustration while looking at the door where the guests had not yet appeared. Then, suddenly, Richard spoke.

“Then give it to me.”

“…….?”

Before Christoph’s confused gaze, Richard, still expressionless, said something unclear whether it was a joke or serious.

“Give me everything you don’t like, whether it’s your face or your body. After all, you’re not satisfied with anything about yourself.”

Christoph silently stared at Richard. Not at the reflection in the mirror, but in reality, he turned his head and looked directly at the person sitting right next to him. Finally, he slowly turned away. The distance was just a few inches, and their eyes met.

Suddenly, Richard squinted slightly.

“Just kidding.”

“…….Your jokes aren’t funny at all.”

Christoph clicked his tongue and turned his head away.

At that moment. Suddenly, his gaze fell on someone sitting a distance away. Today, his mother’s face looked particularly pale and unusually stern.

How long had she been looking this way?

When Christoph widened his eyes slightly and lowered his head, she turned away as if she had never looked in their direction.

“…….?”

Christoph tilted his head in puzzlement, and at that moment, the door opened, and the protagonist of the evening entered.

Along with the distinguished guests, the man who had led and prospered this family for many years. The master of Tarten entered the room.

Among those who naturally stood up, indistinguishable from one another, Christoph’s gaze was drawn to someone. He stared at the old man, with his usual gentle yet stern smile, for a long time before finally sitting back down in his chair and then directing his gaze to the guest who had just entered the room with him.

These were people he had met and greeted before. They were the ones Richard had personally gone to the airport to welcome. They were indeed worthy of such treatment.

Al Faisal was a man who, even in Saudi Arabia – a place where royalty was not uncommon – was hard to find someone so close to the pinnacle of power like him. And the one following him – Raumaan Abid Al Saud – was someone who had truly seized practical power, even though he was still relatively young to be a fully mature businessman.

It seemed that Richard had met them many times before during his trips to Riyadh, but Christoph was facing them for the first time this time and almost laughed when talking to Raumaan a few times.

That guy is crazy, Ilay Riegrow. I can’t believe he dared to bomb a house of a man like this. Well, it must take a madman to do something like that.

Rahman, who still played the role of a loyal supporter of Al Faisal as much as possible, had silently taken over most of the practical power from his stepfather. He never expressed his opinion first, only quietly supporting his stepfather.

“No matter how well a wolf pretends to be a sheep, a wolf is still a wolf, even among a flock of sheep.”

Christoph suddenly mumbled to himself.

The voice wasn’t loud, but the sound was enough for the person sitting next to him to hear, causing Richard to pause for a moment. He turned to Christoph, still wearing a calm smile but speaking in a low, gruff voice.

“If you’re not planning to do anything crazy, then shut your mouth, Christoph.”

“Why, in your eyes, does that guy pretending to be a sheep look like a sheep? To me, he looks like a wolf—No, he looks like a polar bear with only a sheep’s skin on his nose.”

Christoph retorted nonchalantly but then suddenly frowned and mumbled something incomprehensible about there being three bears in one house: a polar bear, a mad bear, and a double-faced bear.

However, he couldn’t continue speaking.

That was because Richard’s hand, which had been placed on Christoph’s thigh under the table, suddenly slid upward.

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll make sure you can’t open your mouth again.”

“――.”

Christoph immediately fell silent, his face stiffening. He glared angrily at Richard without saying a word, but Richard remained calm and kept his hand on Christoph’s thigh.

“Richard――.”

“Ah, by the way, Christoph Tarten?”

Christoph had just opened his mouth when a voice came from across the table. He turned his head with a still furious expression. But when he realized who had just spoken, he slowly lowered his voice. It was the polar bear’s father.

Al Faisal. A successful businessman who had given up on the power struggle early on and built a thriving business. He was also one of the two heads of the double-headed eagle that always stood behind Prince Ali.

Christoph looked straight at the old man who had passed the age of 50 and looked older than his actual age, like an elderly man one might encounter anywhere.

Next to him, Raumaan poured a full glass for the old man before setting the bottle down and slowly looking toward Christoph. His gaze was calm and indifferent but sharp enough to make Christoph’s cheek sting.

Christoph silently clicked his tongue and recalled an earlier time in the forest when, while hunting down an enemy, he had encountered a polar bear. A ferocious beast that was still moving even after being shot four times straight.

“I heard from Malik that you’re an excellent marksman.”

Al Faisal smiled kindly and said. Christoph remained silent for a moment before replying.

When he glanced over, he saw Malik, sitting a few seats away, smiling at him as if he had forgotten about Christoph shooting one of his subordinates in the forest not long ago.

After a brief pause, Christoph slowly spoke.

“I’m just capable enough to temporarily protect what I want.”

“Hmm” – Al Faisal nodded slightly and smiled faintly. Raumaan and Malik, next to him, showed no reaction.

“Malik is a young man I’m particularly fond of, and he suggested that you have enough ability to train the soldiers under my command.”

Al Faisal gently hinted as if probing the other party’s intentions. While the other relatives looked at Christoph in surprise, Christoph turned to Malik. As usual, Malik’s face showed no emotion, so it was impossible to guess his thoughts.

When Christoph remained silent, Raumaan, who had been quiet until now, began to speak to support Al Faisal.

“From what I’ve heard, he currently has nowhere to go and doesn’t plan to stay in Tarten for long.”

Christoph turned his speechless gaze toward Raumaan.

There’s no way he doesn’t know. Someone was injured. It wasn’t an accident; it was intentional, and even caused by Tarten’s side. Reports like that must have been sent directly to the higher-ups. Especially when that person was trusted so much.

When Christoph glanced at Malik, Malik finally smiled and nodded.

“The person I serve always looks at people’s abilities and futures. Even if there were small mistakes in the past, if they’re not repeated, he won’t pursue them further.”

Only then did Christoph understand. This was an independent offer, unrelated to any other situation. Clearly, Christoph’s achievements, experience, and career had caught the eye of this man.

Surely Christoph would soon leave Tarten. And he had no fixed place to go. He didn’t particularly want to go anywhere specific, but there was also nowhere he wanted to avoid.