Hans Tarten is enjoying a rare leisurely afternoon.

A Saturday afternoon, how long has it been since he last sipped a cup of coffee by a window bathed in warm sunlight like this?

Since taking on the role of assisting his cousin Richard, the one carrying the weight of the vast empire named Tarten, Hans has hardly had a free day throughout the four seasons of the year. Though on the outside he is known as a perfectionist – and indeed, to do well in supporting Richard, he must be that way – in reality, Hans is a simple man who knows how to cherish these rare moments of tranquility.

The new year has only just begun a few days ago.

As usual at the end of the year, the rush of work kept him so busy that at times he just wanted to give up everything. But now, just a few days into the new year, he can enjoy such a peaceful Saturday afternoon. Knowing full well that by next week, the days of working non-stop, weekends and holidays included, will return, what can he do? The sadness over things beyond his ability to change, Hans temporarily sets aside. Right now, he just wants to relish the current peace.

Hans holds the coffee cup, stands by the window and gazes out.

The snow that had fallen two days ago had not yet melted, making the garden sparkle as it reflected the sunlight. Right in the middle of that garden, Richard was standing there. He was playing with his son, Oliver, taking turns throwing a frisbee for their two dogs to chase. The bright and enthusiastic laughter of Oliver reached Hans where he stood, a clear testament to the great joy of spending time with his busy father, whom he rarely got to see.

Richard, while a strict father, was filled with deep love, occasionally ruffling Oliver’s hair as he continued to throw the frisbee far for the two dogs. Yet, in that moment, Richard’s eyes would sometimes drift toward the distant gate at the end of the garden, a spot Hans couldn’t see from where he stood.

It wasn’t until now that Hans suddenly remembered today was the first weekend of the month. He glanced at the clock. It was already past two in the afternoon. Hans muttered to himself: “Come to think of it, today’s a bit later than usual.”

Every month, on the first weekend, Christoph would come to Dresden.

Usually, on other weekends, Richard would travel to Berlin to meet Christoph, but the first weekend of the month was different because Christoph would come to Dresden.

This habit had been established long ago. It was during a time when Richard had been incredibly busy with the merger of a news agency in London. For several weeks, he had been traveling back and forth between Dresden and London, to the point that he had no time to visit anywhere else, not even the building next door. So, on one such weekend, Christoph had taken the initiative to come to Dresden to visit him.

“What is this, all this work…… You’re always this busy, and yet you still go to Berlin every weekend?”

When Christoph stepped into Richard’s office and witnessed the unimaginably massive pile of work, he looked at Richard as if he were staring at a madman. It was only then that Christoph realized how intensely Richard had been working in order to make those weekend trips to Berlin possible——and even after completing such a workload, Richard still managed to carve out time for the weekends. Christoph said nothing, but from that moment on, everything changed.

From then on, at least once a month, on the first weekend, Christoph would come to Dresden. Though he deeply disliked the Tarten family and always showed his displeasure openly every time he visited, he never missed a single weekend.

And on those weekends when Christoph came to Dresden, Richard always spent the two days in an extraordinarily cheerful mood.

This time was no exception. Richard was in the garden, playing with Oliver, looking more relaxed and happy than usual.

Hans had been assisting Richard for many years, and by now, he could read Richard’s mood like a sixth sense. Watching Richard playing with his son, Hans occasionally glanced toward the gate as well. Hans nodded to himself and thought: “Today really is a beautiful day, with such clear skies.” Then he returned to a thought he had asked himself hundreds, if not thousands, of times before.

Life truly is unpredictable.

Who would have thought that the two of them could end up like this? In fact, within the entire Tarten family, everyone knew that they met each other every weekend. But even so, most people didn’t believe in the closeness of their relationship, always assuming: “There must be some other reason behind it.”

Even Hans was no exception. If it hadn’t been for an urgent matter that required him to enter Richard’s bedroom at dawn, he never would have believed what he saw with his own eyes: Christoph, with tear stains still visible on his face, sleeping soundly as if completely spent, while Richard held his naked body with full of red marks from behind, and gently kissed Christoph’s earlobe.

“Unbelievable…… Richard, that man……”

Hans muttered under his breath as he watched Richard smiling tenderly and saying something to Oliver.

The cousin Richard he had known since childhood was always a perfect gentleman, polite and courteous to everyone. At the same time, Richard was the kind of man who maintained clear boundaries, making it difficult for anyone to truly get close to him.

“And yet, of all people…… it’s Christoph……”

Yet Christoph, someone Hans had also known since childhood, was entirely the opposite. Christoph was always cold and distant from everyone, almost to the point of being icy. Moreover, he suffered from a fear of physical contact, so much so that even a light touch from a single fingertip would provoke an intense and frightening reaction.

Everyone knew that the two of them had been sworn enemies for many years.

And yet, those two people……

“Even if I were to witness the most mysterious phenomenon in the world, it wouldn’t be stranger than this……”

Hans chuckled softly, like an old man who had seen it all, and took another sip of coffee.

The incident not long ago wasn’t much different.

During the maddeningly busy end-of-year period, Richard unexpectedly added more work for himself by announcing that he wanted to find a particular book. Hans didn’t complain because Richard had always been diligent, never letting personal matters interfere with professional responsibilities. However, seeing Richard so overwhelmed that he could collapse from exhaustion at any moment, with no time even for a brief nap, yet still dedicating his precious time to searching for an old and tattered book, Hans couldn’t help but feel both irritated and concerned on his behalf.

Just how valuable was that book for Richard to go to such lengths? Over the span of 1 to 2 months, Richard employed every possible method to obtain it, and in the end, he spent an amount equivalent to his entire annual salary. For that one old and tattered book, Richard sacrificed a year of tireless work, day and night, without rest.

When Hans, curious about the book, finally learned what it was, the answer surprised him even more: Richard intended to give it to Christoph. That was all.

Hans chuckled again and took another sip of his coffee.

Richard truly was a peculiar man, unmatched in his eccentricity, but Christoph was no less peculiar.

From what Hans knew, Christoph wasn’t the type of person who could get along with anyone, either spiritually or physically. He was cold, rigid, and had such a terrible temperament that Hans often thought Christoph might have psychological issues. Not only that, but Christoph’s near-obsessive fear of physical contact made everyone believe: ‘This man will undoubtedly live alone for the rest of his life.’

Yet somehow, Richard had managed to convince Christoph, someone so aloof and untouchable…… and then, somehow, the two of them became close. More than that, Richard seemed to have a calming effect on Christoph’s irritable and abrasive nature, allowing them to coexist in harmony.

‘That’s right, the most unbelievable part is exactly that. I know Richard is incredibly resourceful and capable of handling everything brilliantly, but how on earth did he manage to persuade Christoph?’

Christoph wasn’t the type to be swayed by words, let alone intimidated by any kind of threat…… This was precisely where Richard’s extraordinary abilities shone the brightest.

Hans chuckled softly again and finished the last sip of his coffee. Realizing the cup was now empty, he shook his head and muttered to himself: “Tsk, the world is full of strange things. I still can’t believe it……” He glanced out the window one last time before turning away.

The weather today was truly beautiful. Bright sunlight poured onto the ground, with the remnants of snow scattered only in shaded corners. Outside, groups of people began to leisurely stroll about, enjoying the rare fresh air.

‘I should take advantage of this precious free time too. A walk sounds nice.’ With that thought, Hans put on his comfortable wool coat, wrapped a scarf around his neck, donned a hat, and stepped outside.

As soon as Hans stepped out of the mansion, the biting cold air seemed to steal every ounce of warmth from his body. No matter how bright the sun shone, it was still early January and deep in the heart of a harsh winter. Hans carefully fastened the collar of his coat, pulled his hood down lower, and kept walking. Despite the piercing chill, the warmth of the sunlight and the refreshing air made him feel at ease.

Hans headed toward Richard, who was playing with Oliver and the two dogs in the garden. A father throwing a Frisbee for his son and their dogs in the winter sunlight. This scene truly resembled a living painting.

He could hear Oliver’s cheerful voice ring out clearly, the boy sounding tired from playing so much:

“Father, that’s amazing! Jack and Jill only listen to professional trainers, but…… how do you make them obey you like that?”

Oliver spoke as he took the Frisbee from Jack, the Doberman who had just fetched it. The boy hesitantly reached out, attempting to pat the dog’s head. But Jack, though obediently returning the Frisbee, turned his head away, clearly unwilling to get too close.

These two dogs, Jack and Jill, were the fiercest and most formidable hunting dogs among the dozen or so kept at the mansion. Though they seemed relatively tame today, if it had been anyone else, even someone familiar, they would bare their teeth and growl at the mere gesture of an outstretched hand, let alone willingly give up the Frisbee.

Richard was likely the reason why these two fierce dogs behaved so gently around Oliver. He casually reached out and stroked Jill’s head – a dog even more aggressive than Jack – as if it were a harmless lamb. Then, he threw the Frisbee far into the distance. Jill, who had bowed her head submissively under Richard’s hand, immediately dashed off like the wind to chase the Frisbee.

Oliver looked at his father with admiration and then tried throwing the Frisbee as well. Jack instantly sprinted off, closely following the flying disc. Richard smiled and ruffled Oliver’s hair as they watched the two dogs disappear into the distance.

“The way to make animals obey is very simple, Oliver. You just need to show them that you’re stronger than they are.”

“How do I show them…… that I’m stronger?”

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. Because you and I are different, the method will also be different. You can use a whip, train them with food, or show them affection. Observe their nature carefully and think about what you can do. The answer will come to you.”

“…… I think it’s too hard, Father.”

Oliver pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly, replying in a quiet voice. Richard smiled and gently patted the boy on the shoulder.

“You’ll understand in time. Taming animals is a simple matter. What’s far more difficult is dealing with people.”

“People?”

“That’s right. Oliver, you will soon have to learn how to deal with people because that will be a large part of what you do in life.”

“That…… must be very difficult, right?”

“Actually, it’s not too hard, Oliver. If you pay a little attention, dealing with people can become easier. The key is that you mustn’t be afraid of them.”

“Mustn’t be afraid of them?”

“That’s right. If, when doing something, you’re worried or afraid of what the other person will think of you or how they’ll act toward you, dealing with them becomes difficult. If you let them drift away or lose their trust, everything falls apart. For people like that, you have to be extremely careful and approach them gently.”

Oliver looked at his father for a long moment before shaking his head slightly.

“But Father, I’m not afraid of anyone.”

Hearing his son’s brave statement made Richard smile calmly.

“That’s right, Oliver. One day, you’ll understand. I believe you’ll do well because you’re my son.”

Richard gently kissed Oliver’s cheek with great affection. From a distance, Hans paused a few steps away, silently observing the scene. Richard straightened up, then turned to look at Hans.

“Hans.”

“Hello, brother. It seems like you’ve started teaching Oliver the lessons of Kingship, haven’t you?”

“Haha, not at all. That’s not something you can learn. You have to be born with it.”

When such a statement came from someone born to rule like Richard, it could have easily sounded arrogant. But for some reason, Hans found it entirely reasonable, as if it was simply the natural order of things.

Hans nodded in agreement, then bent down to ruffle Oliver’s hair. The boy politely bowed and greeted him: “Hello, Uncle Hans.” Somehow, as Oliver grew older, he looked more and more like his father, which made Hans smile.

At that moment, Jack and Jill returned with the Frisbee. Oliver took it from them and tossed it again, continuing his game. Hans observed the boy with satisfaction, but his attention was unintentionally drawn to Richard, who was glancing toward the gate again. Richard kept occasionally looking in that direction and checking the watch on his wrist.

“Christoph is late today. Even accounting for driving slowly because of the snow, he should’ve been here by now…… Should we try calling him?”

Hans voiced his thoughts tentatively, but Richard merely shook his head lightly.

“No, Christoph said he’d stop by the Riegrow house around noon before coming here. It might just take a bit more time.”

Hans wanted to ask: ‘Then why have you been glancing at the gate and checking your watch this whole time?’ but he swallowed the question instead.

“The Riegrow house? Is something going on there?”

“Oh, Rick and Tay returned to Berlin at the end of the year and are staying there. Christoph seems to have been dropping by quite often lately.”

“Those two are in Germany? They’re always wandering everywhere and never settle down, but they’ve returned this time? Makes sense, though—Christoph seems to have taken quite a liking to Tay……”

Hans trailed off mid-sentence. He glanced at Richard, but the man continued watching his son with a calm smile.

However, as someone who had been assisting Richard for many years, Hans knew better than to trust Richard’s outward demeanor entirely. Even though Richard was smiling, Hans could sense a faint undercurrent of restlessness within him.

“……If Christoph is visiting there so often, don’t you think it’s time to have a serious conversation about it?”

Hans cautiously spoke up. At that moment, Richard had just taken the Frisbee back from Jill and thrown it far into the distance. Watching the dog sprint away, he replied gently:

“I’ve hinted at it a few times, but it seems like he just takes them as offhand remarks and doesn’t pay attention.”

“Then…… why not try speaking to him more seriously?”

“With Christoph’s personality, he won’t listen.” 

Richard said firmly, his tone unwavering. Hans murmured in agreement and fell silent. It was true. Even if Richard directly said: ‘Don’t meet that person anymore!’ Christoph wouldn’t obediently reply with a simple ‘Alright.’ Asking nicely probably wouldn’t work, and threatening or forcing him was even more out of the question.

‘Really, even Richard has moments where he’s powerless. You live long enough, and you see strange things.’ Hans thought to himself, feeling a mix of smug amusement and pity for Richard. He glanced at Richard with an expression that was half mocking, half sympathetic.

“So frustrating……”

A quiet mutter escaped Richard’s lips, as if he were speaking to himself. But the tone carried a low growling menace, like that of a wild beast, sending a chill down Hans’s spine. Instinctively, Hans shrank back slightly, startled by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“……How long do those two plan to stay in Germany?”

“Not sure. It seems like they’ll be in Berlin throughout the winter.”

“Then that’s fine. Just endure it for this winter.”

After all, when those two leave, everything will be over. ‘It’s just one winter.’ Hans tried to reassure himself as he lightly patted Richard on the shoulder. But Richard turned to look at him, and the cold sharpness in his gaze startled Hans, making him instinctively pull his hand back. While Richard’s expression seemed calm, an alarm rang loudly in Hans’s mind.

“Waiting patiently to achieve what I want, that’s not difficult for me. But having to endure sharing something I cherish is an entirely different matter, Hans.”

Richard’s voice was quiet, his tone low yet weighted with intensity. Hearing it, Hans immediately realized the warning bells in his mind had been entirely justified.

“Ah, um, but…… Rick or Tay haven’t really done anything wrong, have they……”

Hans carefully chose his words, cautious not to tread on Richard’s limits. Thankfully, Richard didn’t seem annoyed by such a reasonable observation. Instead, he gave a slight nod of agreement.

“That’s true. If action must be taken, it won’t be because of them……”

Richard stopped mid-sentence, leaving his words hanging. He drifted into his own thoughts again, and Hans knew the best thing to do was to avoid interrupting. If he said anything further, it was highly likely he would face a less-than-positive reaction this time. Besides, this was Richard’s personal matter. Is something Hans neither needed nor ought to meddle in. He trusted that Richard would find the best solution…… though he couldn’t help but be curious about what that solution might be.

From a distance, Hans saw the two dogs running back toward them, with Oliver waving excitedly, just a few steps ahead.

The scene was so peaceful. But as Hans was watching, he suddenly sensed Richard turn his head, directing his gaze elsewhere.

Hans followed Richard’s line of sight to the edge of the garden, toward the iron gate and wall, though nothing could be clearly seen from where they stood. At first, Hans saw nothing unusual. But shortly after, a car came into view, slowly approaching the gate.

“Christoph’s here.”

Hans murmured as he recognized the familiar vehicle. Richard remained silent, his gaze fixed on the car as it drew closer.

The car slowed down and eventually stopped a few meters away. Moments later, the door opened, and Christoph stepped out.

“Looks like everyone’s just playing around here, as if no one has any work to do.”

Christoph spoke in his characteristically cold and languid tone, his eyes scanning Richard, Hans, Oliver, and the surroundings.

“Welcome, Christoph. Driving on snowy roads wasn’t dangerous, was it?”

“Nothing unusual…… I’m here now.”

Christoph replied and cast a brief glance at Richard. Richard, who had been silently observing Christoph from the beginning, finally gave a small nod.

“Welcome.” 

In that moment, Hans was caught off guard and instinctively turned his face away.

Richard was smiling.

It was a serene smile, but it looked as though he had just received a long-awaited gift, something that filled him with extraordinary happiness.

Hans pressed a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart. In his mind, he wondered: ‘Does Richard realize what his face looks like right now?’ But immediately after, he thought: ‘Never mind, there’s no need for me to look away like this.’

It turned out Hans wasn’t the only one reacting that way. Right before his eyes, Christoph unconsciously averted his gaze. His lips pressed together slightly, as if he, too, felt a bit embarrassed.

Then Christoph’s and Hans’s eyes suddenly met.

“……What are you staring at?”

Christoph furrowed his brows and spoke with a hint of annoyance. Immediately after, he tossed what he was holding toward Hans. On reflex, Hans reached out and caught it. It turned out to be a car key. And specifically, the key to the vehicle Christoph had just driven and which was now parked in the middle of the road.

“……Why are you giving this to me?”

“Aren’t you free right now?”

Christoph replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then walked toward Oliver. When the boy politely greeted him: “Uncle, you’re here?!” Christoph gave a slight nod in response before snatching the Frisbee from Jack and hurling it forcefully into the distance. The disc traced a long parabolic arc through the air before disappearing beyond sight.

Hans looked at the car key in his hand and let out a soft laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it. At that moment, Richard gently patted his shoulder.

“I’ll leave it to you, Hans.”

With just that, Richard walked toward Christoph. Hans watched them, still smiling helplessly, and let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Well, it’s not a big deal, after all.”

After all, he wasn’t busy at the moment, and more importantly, his boss and cousin seemed extremely happy standing next to Christoph. It seemed as though even being apart for a brief moment – just long enough for Hans to go park the car – was something Richard wasn’t keen on.

‘Oh well, letting it slide a bit won’t hurt.’

Hans lightly shook the car key in his hand and made his way toward Christoph’s car, a faint smile crossing his lips.