At first, Taeui didn’t think much of it, but after hearing the phone call, his heart suddenly grew heavy. The atmosphere felt very unusual, and he started to worry whether he had unknowingly done something wrong. Perhaps speaking so casually with Christoph was a mistake, something he shouldn’t have said.

“What’s wrong? The weather’s so nice, let’s go for a walk.”

Ilay stood up from his seat, and grabbed Taeui’s hand, almost dragging him along. As he stumbled to keep up, Taeui mumbled in a heavy tone:

“Well…… the weather is nice, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s thunder striking somewhere.”

“The world’s a big place; thunder striking somewhere isn’t unusual.”

“……Like in Dresden, for example?”

Instead of answering Taeui’s question, Ilay simply gave a bright, knowing smile. That very smile made something click in Taeui’s mind, and he let out a startled shout:

“Wait, you intentionally made that phone call, didn’t you?!”

“Let’s go for a walk.”

Ilay kept moving forward, leaving Taeui standing there, clutching his head and sighing in exasperation before reluctantly following behind. Deep down, he could only hope nothing terrible would come of this.

When visiting the Tarten estate, Christoph usually stayed in Richard’s room in the East Wing.

Although Christoph wasn’t an official member of the Tarten family and, by rank, should have been staying in the West Wing, Richard had proactively declared: “He doesn’t visit often, so I’ll give up my room for him.” There were a few murmurs of disapproval at first, but they eventually quieted down. Perhaps there were still whispers behind closed doors, but at least no one dared to say anything outright to his face.

Richard’s room, though referred to as a ‘room’, was essentially divided into separate areas: a spacious workspace, a bedroom, and a library. Due to the nature of Richard’s work, which often required sudden attention, his office saw people coming and going even late at night. As a result, Christoph often spent his evenings in the basement lounge of the West Wing before returning to his room.

The West Wing basement was a recreational area designed for the young members of the Tarten family. It was as grand as a library, with one side lined with towering bookshelves and the other featuring an entertainment area equipped with a billiard table, card tables, and a home theater setup, all designed to offer maximum comfort and convenience*.

(*바닥에서 뒹굴다: The literal translation is ‘Rolling back and forth comfortably’, but it’s better translated figuratively as ‘Comfortable and convenient.’)

As usual, Christoph sank deep into the large sofa in the bookshelf area, flipping through the pages of a book with visible boredom. The one who spotted him was Johan, who came over carrying a massive jigsaw puzzle.

“What are you still doing here at this hour? Not taking a break?”

Johan dumped the 1,000-piece puzzle onto the table, the pieces scattering with a soft clatter. Christoph glanced indifferently at the pile of pieces before responding:

“It seems Richard has some urgent work to handle. I heard it’ll take about one or two hours, so I’m just reading here for a bit.”

“Tsk tsk, working on a golden Saturday evening like this, being the heir to the family business is no easy task. There’s never a truly carefree day. Even when you think you’re relaxing, one foot is still chained to work. Honestly, if he weren’t such a workaholic, no one could possibly manage the Tarten family…… Hey! Stop! Don’t touch my puzzle! I’m doing it all myself! If you want to play, go find another one!”

When Halt, sitting across from Johan on the sofa, picked up a puzzle piece and was about to place it, Johan immediately frowned and snatched the piece back.

“Do you really think someone idly working on a puzzle on a Saturday night looks any better than a workaholic?” – Halt mumbled, taking a sip of green tea and moving aside. “If you start assembling this alone at this hour, you’re definitely staying up all night!”

“Just 1,000 pieces and you think I’ll have to stay up all night?” – Johan replied, and  his hands deftly fit the puzzle pieces together at an impressive speed.

“And Richard—doesn’t he lack sleep? I heard from Hans that lately, he’s been getting less than four or five hours a day.”

“Let’s be precise. Richard doesn’t lack sleep; he chooses not to sleep. He piles on extra work because he enjoys it.”

Having previously served as Richard’s assistant and only escaping after developing a string of stress-induced illnesses, Halt shuddered slightly as he corrected Johan’s statement.

“Thanks to that, Tarten’s position and finances are growing stronger by the day. That benefits all of us, doesn’t it? If he truly enjoys doing it, you could say it’s mutually beneficial, right?”

“It’s funny hearing you say ‘mutually beneficial.’ Isn’t he working himself to the bone day and night just to feed freeloaders like us?”

Christoph let out a cold laugh that seemed like mocking, but Johan, someone who had lived this way for over thirty years, didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

“For someone like me, the family has pretty much written me off already. But what about you? When are you going back? If you’re here every weekend, why not just stay for good?”

Despite the casual tone of the question, Christoph immediately frowned.

“Why should I go back?”

“You could help Richard out a little. I’ve noticed things between you two aren’t as tense as before. It seems like your relationship has improved.”

“Gulp.” The sound of Halt swallowing his green tea was strangely loud, drawing the attention of all three. Halt himself appeared to realize his slip, his wide eyes darting nervously between Johan and Christoph. However, Christoph’s expression remained emotionless. He merely glanced at Johan and replied curtly:

“No need.”

When it came to the unhealthy dynamic between Richard and Christoph, those who knew were well aware. While it wasn’t openly gossiped about, it was an unspoken understanding among the siblings living at the Tarten estate. Johan, someone who spent most of his time glued to puzzles, was clearly out of the loop on such matters.

“Don’t be like that—lend a hand. I’m not joking; Richard is so busy he could collapse at any moment. Oh, by the way, has he been doing anything on the side lately?”

For the first time, Johan looked away from the puzzle to glance at Halt, though his hands continued assembling pieces at an astonishing speed. At this level, he could easily be called a true master.

Although Halt had stepped away from his primary responsibilities, his past experience often led Hans to drag him back in to assist Richard on occasion. So, when Johan said that, Halt raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“A few days ago, after completing a major project for the company, there was a family dinner in the evening. But he got some kind of call, left midway through, and didn’t return until nearly morning. Since he went alone, I figured it wasn’t Tarten business……”

“Oh, I heard he went to Prague*.”

“Prague? Leaving for there in the middle of the night?”

“Apparently, he got hold of some item he’d asked someone to find for him, so he went to pick it up. But since he didn’t elaborate, I doubt it was company-related—it must’ve been something personal.”

“An item, huh……”

Johan mumbled, sounding slightly disappointed, as if he’d been hoping for something more exciting.

“I was thinking that after working himself to exhaustion all this time, now that it’s over, maybe he went out on a midnight date or something.”

“That’s unlikely……”

Halt deliberately avoided Christoph’s gaze, muttering under his breath while pretending to focus on the conversation. Meanwhile, Johan continued assembling puzzle pieces at a dizzying pace, replying without even lifting his head.

“You never know. Last week, he worked through the night for an entire week, sleeping barely three or four hours a day to complete the merger. His dark circles practically stretched down to his chin. And then, the moment he got a bit of a break, instead of sleeping for three days straight to recover, he skipped the rest entirely and went straight to Prague. If you told me there was some woman he’s madly in love with living there, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“No…… now that I think about it, he doesn’t even have time to meet women.”

Halt glanced at Christoph again as he spoke, and Johan immediately nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you’ve got a point.”

But right after, Johan switched the topic, aiming directly at Christoph:

“Then, Christoph, why don’t you go back to Dresden to help Richard out a bit? What if he collapses?”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you drop the puzzle and go help him yourself, Johan?”

Christoph shot back immediately with a derisive chuckle, but Johan was quick to shake his head in refusal.

“I was born to be a freeloader. A caterpillar’s job is to munch on pine leaves. But you’re different—you’ve helped Richard before, so you’ll be fine. Besides, he knows your personality and won’t push you as hard as he did with Halt.”

“He’s been treating you well lately. I don’t know if it’s because things weren’t great between you two before, and now he’s being more careful, but he’s been spoiling you like crazy. Earlier at dinner in the dining hall, you two looked like lifelong best friends. Anyone who doesn’t know better would definitely misunderstand.”

“……”

Christoph, who was naturally reserved, remained silent. Even Halt, who usually had plenty to say, fell completely quiet after that comment. Johan, meanwhile, continued assembling the puzzle at a supernatural speed, scratching his ear as if thinking: ‘Is someone taking a jab at me?’

Halt’s gaze at Johan seemed to say: ‘If people didn’t misunderstand after seeing that, that would be strange. The fact that you don’t get it is what’s weird.’ Meanwhile, Christoph quietly lowered his eyes, returning his focus to his book with an expressionless face.

As Johan mentioned, Richard truly did treat Christoph exceptionally well—so well that it sometimes made those around them wonder: “Is this really okay?” Christoph’s naturally aloof attitude toward others didn’t seem to affect their relationship at all.

Surprisingly, getting along with Richard wasn’t particularly difficult. Richard accepted most of Christoph’s preferences, went out of his way to accommodate them, and clearly communicated what he disliked. Christoph, though not entirely obedient, usually complied without directly opposing Richard. ……Then again, this might be because Richard rarely asked Christoph to do, or not do, anything in his day-to-day life.

The only clear request Christoph could remember Richard making was: “Come back to Dresden.” But even that, Richard only mentioned for a short period before eventually dropping the subject altogether.

“Am I being tormented because I’m too nice?!” – Halt yelled indignantly, but Johan paid him no mind, only sparing Christoph a quick glance.

When Christoph first returned to Germany from Riyadh, he wasn’t particularly happy about being forced to leave the stability of Berlin just to visit the Tarten estate every weekend. The suggestion that he move there permanently only made him dislike the idea even more. Christoph had never been fond of the Tarten family. He had few siblings he genuinely cared about and no fond memories tied to the estate.

A few years ago, Christoph had decided that since Richard was the heir to the Tarten family, he would at least make an effort not to act too coldly toward the family members, if only out of respect for him. He practiced smiling and even occasionally responded to people he used to completely ignore. However, this small change backfired, people who previously avoided him now acted overly friendly. Some would stop mid-stride to greet him as soon as they saw him. Others, who neither read books nor played games, would loiter aimlessly around the West Wing basement lounge, seemingly just to find an opportunity to strike up a conversation with him.

It was incredibly bothersome. Most of the time, their conversations had no real purpose and were filled with meaningless chatter:

“What book are you reading? I should try that one someday.”

“I’ll be in Berlin in a few days. Are you busy that day, Christoph?”

“You should have become a movie star. Your looks are stunning—it feels like such a waste. But then again, if too many people knew about you, it’d be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

Comments like these were typical.

Christoph couldn’t understand why they said such things, nor did he know how to respond. So, he would just quietly look at them, and instead of replying – following the method Taeui had once taught him for situations where he didn’t know what to say – he would flash a carefully practiced smile and return to whatever he was doing.

It was strange. No matter how much he thought about it, it remained strange. People who once didn’t dare approach him now lingered around him every day, acting overly friendly for no apparent reason. Christoph couldn’t wrap his head around it. One day, unable to tolerate their annoying interruptions any longer, Christoph snapped at Richard.

“Why do those useless loafers keep hanging around me?! Tell me the truth—did you put them up to this? Did you tell them to pretend to be friendly with me? Are you trying to force me to get attached to this family?!”

“……No way, Christoph. I’ve never said anything like that to anyone.”

Richard had just returned to his bedroom and was unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt after a long day’s work, he paused for a moment, then shook his head.

“That’s absurd! The people who used to avoid me now act increasingly friendly. They keep saying meaningless things, and I have no idea how to respond. Nine out of ten things they say are either incomprehensible or impossible to reply to! What does it matter to them what book I’m reading? Why do they care if I’m going to Berlin or not? And my appearance, what about it? What do they even want from me?!”

“……Lately, I’ve also noticed things seem livelier around you than usual. So that’s what they’ve been saying?”

Richard chuckled as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. But for some reason, Christoph found his smile strangely cold. He looked at Richard with a suspicious gaze.

“Are you absolutely sure you haven’t said anything to them? Something like telling them to get along with me or to act friendly on purpose?”

“……,……,…… I vaguely remember saying something like that a long time ago…… Hmm, but thinking about it now, it really wasn’t necessary to say. Even if I hadn’t said it, you’ve learned to smile at them and even listen to what they have to say.”

Although Richard was still smiling, the sense of coldness became even more pronounced. Christoph quietly stared at him, his brows furrowing tightly.

“You like it when I force myself to smile, don’t you?”

Richard’s fingers, which had been unbuttoning the last button on his shirt, froze mid-motion. The practiced smile on his face wavered slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching as if suppressing something.

“……I feel like I’ve just fallen into a trap of my own making.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Besides all that, did they say anything else?”

“Aside from that…… Oh, right. They asked when I’m going back to Dresden. That wasn’t something you told them to ask, was it?”

The moment Christoph said that, his suspicion suddenly crystallized into an undeniable truth: there was no one else who would want him back in Dresden more than Richard.

But even when Christoph narrowed his eyes and asked again, Richard didn’t respond. He simply remained silent, unbuttoning his shirt. The way he tossed it into the laundry basket with a hint of irritation made Christoph glance at him in confusion, wondering why Richard suddenly seemed so agitated.

A moment later, as Richard was heading toward the bathroom, he abruptly stopped. Turning sharply, he strode back toward Christoph with a face completely devoid of emotion—there was no trace of the faint smile he often wore. Without a word, he grabbed the back of Christoph’s neck, yanking him forward and kissing him with a roughness that felt almost like an outlet for his frustration. Richard only released Christoph’s lips when he began gasping for air, then leaned in close to murmur in a deep but so husky voice laced with authority:

“I never told them to ask you about that, nor did I ever tell them to bother you. But there’s one thing I want to make clear: I no longer have any intention of asking you to move back to Dresden, Christoph. You only need to come back on the weekends—when I can spend time with you.”

And that was that.

From that day onward, Richard never brought up the idea of Christoph moving back to Dresden again. In fact, on weekends when Christoph arrived before Richard, if Richard was delayed due to work, he often seemed uncomfortable with Christoph being at Tarten before him and would ask him to come later instead.

Just like that, the request for Christoph to “Return to Dresden” vanished entirely, and in truth, Richard rarely asked Christoph for anything anymore.

“So, what do you think, Halt? Christoph and Richard used to be bitter enemies, always at odds, especially with the inheritance rivalry, so it was like fire and water between them. But I think if they genuinely tried, they wouldn’t be so incompatible. Remember last time? When Christoph helped Richard with work, everything seemed to go so smoothly.”

“Uh…… well…… I guess that’s true……”

Halt took a sip of his tea, his gaze distant and voice hesitant, clearly wishing for a glass of wine instead of this bland green tea. Because he understood Christoph and Richard’s relationship all too well, perhaps one of the few who had known from the very beginning. There was that day when he had to receive a parade of store managers delivering outrageously expensive gifts for Christoph. Not to mention the countless times he arranged flights for Richard to personally travel to Riyadh to see him. It had been such a chaotic time that Halt lost track of how many nights he had drained his wine glass just to unwind.

Knowing all of this, Halt couldn’t help but be surprised that Johan, sitting right in front of him, didn’t seem to recognize the glaringly obvious dynamic between Christoph and Richard. Was Johan truly oblivious, or was he just feigning ignorance? Halt looked at him with growing suspicion. Yet Johan, carefree as ever, remained absorbed in his puzzle, wearing his signature expression of relaxed indifference.

Even during tonight’s dinner, it was the same. Anyone paying the slightest attention would have noticed something unusual.

But Halt wasn’t brave, or foolish, enough to openly reveal that he ‘knew everything’. After all, he had no desire to risk even the smallest mistake that might disrupt the fragile peace they currently enjoyed. So instead, he muttered to no one in particular:

“Well, just because people work well together doesn’t mean they’re compatible personally……”

However, under Christoph’s cold glare, Halt quickly shut his mouth, focusing solely on swallowing his green tea in silence.

In front of them, Christoph closed his book. He was no longer in the mood to continue reading.

Christoph rarely cared about what others thought or said about him. But this situation truly irritated him. What annoyed him most wasn’t the part that involved only himself, he could handle that, but the fact that Richard was being dragged into it.

No, it wasn’t just that Richard was being ‘dragged in’. The problem was Richard.

Even during dinner, nothing particularly significant had happened. It was something so routine it barely warranted mentioning anymore.

Hans’s rare moment of joy, having a day to relax, didn’t last long. With the nature of Tarten’s work, unexpected events were nothing unusual. That afternoon, a sudden issue arose in South America, forcing Richard, Hans, and a few others to head to the office.

And Christoph, left alone, had indulged in a rare, thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of horseback riding. By the time he entered the dining room, dinner had already started. Richard was seated at the far end of the table, engaged in conversation with Hans beside him. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the work hadn’t been entirely resolved yet.

An empty seat on the other side of the table remained, but since it was far from the entrance, and Christoph had no interest in listening to their work discussions, he chose a closer empty seat instead. As soon as Christoph picked up his fork, Richard, mid-conversation with Hans, glanced in his direction. And then, immediately:

“Chris, come here.”

Richard’s voice rang out clearly across the spacious dining room. Though it was a simple call, Richard’s tone was so sharp that even sitting at the farthest end of the room, his words reached Christoph, who was seated near the entrance, as clear as day. And naturally, everyone else in the room couldn’t help but hear it too.

For a moment, the eyes in the room flickered toward Christoph, like a sudden swarm of attention, only to quickly scatter, like startled cockroaches. Christoph blinked at Richard, his expression briefly shifting into a faint frown.

“There’s no need. Just continue your conversation. I can eat here perfectly fine.”

“Christoph, come here.”

But Richard repeated the request, unfazed, even pulling out the empty chair next to him as if to emphasize his point. After a brief hesitation, Christoph realized that refusing again would only lead to the same response, repeated in that calm, insistent tone. Finally, Christoph stood and made his way toward the empty seat beside Richard.

When Christoph sat down, Richard gave a satisfied smile and then turned to Hans: “Let’s discuss the rest after dinner.”

Despite this, no particularly noteworthy conversation took place between Richard and Christoph. It was just the usual questions: What did you do this afternoon? Which route did you take while horseback riding? The snow probably hasn’t fully melted on that path, so did you run into any problems? Such ordinary and simple small talk, nothing more.

However, whenever Christoph’s glass emptied, Richard was always the first to notice and called the server to refill it. If Christoph glanced up at the table and looked toward the salad plate in front of him, Richard would immediately pick up the bottle of his favorite dressing and hand it to him. Everyone seated nearby couldn’t help but notice.

At one point, in the middle of the meal, Richard unexpectedly leaned close to Christoph’s neck, inhaled lightly, and said: “Did you wear cologne? Your natural scent is already pleasant. Adding cologne masks it—it doesn’t suit you.” Anyone who witnessed that moment would instantly ‘misunderstand’. (Though, in truth, it wasn’t really a misunderstanding.)

“I don’t mind, but don’t you think making it this obvious might cause trouble for you? After all, those who know already know.” 

After dinner, as they stepped out of the dining room, Christoph spoke to Richard with a subtle undertone. Richard raised an eyebrow, looking slightly puzzled. Annoyed, Christoph clicked his tongue and clarified:

“I mean—what’s going on between you and me.”

Finally, Richard seemed to understand. He gave a slight nod and replied: “I don’t see any problem with it. Besides, there are still plenty of people who don’t know.”

“This isn’t something you can excuse with ‘plenty of people don’t know.’ But if it doesn’t bother you, then I don’t care either.” Christoph shrugged, muttering as he added: “Not like I come to Dresden that often anyway.”

Richard suddenly let out a quiet laugh.

“Christoph. Perhaps you misunderstand. If you truly didn’t care, then right now, I’d drag you to the main hall of the Tarten estate, right into the center of it, and…… I’d shove my cock into you. Until everyone living here witnesses it——so no one would dare lay a finger on you ever again.”

Richard whispered each word with a serious expression, his gaze fixed intently on Christoph as if studying his reaction. Christoph stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him with a tired expression. When seeing that look, Richard softened his demeanor, a gentle smile spreading across his face as if the words he had just spoken had never existed.

“Just kidding.”

Richard continued in a casual tone: “Work isn’t finished yet, so it’ll probably take another one or two hours.” Christoph shot him an icy glare. Though Richard claimed it was a joke, his tone and expression made Christoph feel otherwise. He thought to himself that pressing the issue would only create more trouble, so he chose to remain silent.

“……”

Yet no matter how much he tried to dismiss it, Christoph couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t a joke. ‘I can’t ever go back to Dresden……’ He told himself firmly. ……And perhaps that was for the best. After all, Richard no longer brought up the idea of him returning anymore.

“Dresden isn’t as terrible as you seem to think. Sure, there used to be people who tried to mess with you, but that doesn’t happen anymore. It’s a livable place. You should consider coming back someday.”

“No.”

Christoph’s response to Johan’s comment was short and decisive. Meanwhile, Johan, still assembling the 1,000-piece puzzle at a machine-like speed, casually added,

“Judging by how Richard’s been acting lately and how busy he is, if you went back and helped him, I think he’d be willing to do anything you asked for.”

Sitting beside them, Halt smirked slightly and mouthed silently: “Even if you don’t help, he’d still do anything for you……”

“What I want is to never hear the words ‘Come back to Dresden’ again.” 

Christoph replied coldly, with a faint snort of derision. At that moment, Johan seemed to struggle with a particularly tricky puzzle piece, his brows furrowed as he stared at the pile. Then, as if finding the perfect solution, he said,

“Then why don’t you go back to work, Halt?”

Halt immediately shuddered, jumping in his seat as he shouted,

“NO WAY! I JUST QUIT DRINKING BECAUSE OF THE ALCOHOLISM THAT CAME FROM WORKING TOO MUCH BACK THEN, AND NOW YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK TO THAT NIGHTMARE?!”

Sitting there listening to the heated debate between the two, Christoph found his thoughts drifting. It was true that Richard knew exactly how to ‘pamper’ him. Apart from once asking him to move back to Dresden – a request Richard had quickly abandoned – he was rarely forced to do anything at all.

“Ah, right…… Taei.”

Christoph muttered to himself without realizing it, which immediately made Johan and Halt snap their heads toward him. When noticing their stares, Christoph fell silent again, and they resumed their argument:

“Then why don’t you take responsibility and try it?”

“If I did, I’d end up destroying Tarten entirely!”

“You just demand privileges without fulfilling any responsibilities!”

But Christoph’s mind wasn’t on their conversation. One of the few things that displeased Richard was Christoph’s interactions with Taeui. Richard had never outright forbidden him, but whenever anything involving Taeui was mentioned, his expression would darken, and his words would noticeably dwindle.

In truth, over the past few years, ever since Rick and Taeui had their international arrest warrants lifted and began traveling the world, they had rarely returned to Germany. Christoph had practically forgotten about them until they came back to Berlin late last year. Since then, he had started meeting up with them more frequently.

“……”

However, Christoph always told himself that they wouldn’t be staying long. Once this winter passed, they would leave again. So…… meeting them every few days wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t anything serious.

Christoph nodded to himself, coming to a conclusion.

After all, he and Richard weren’t going to spend their entire lives together. This was how things would always be between them. Sometimes, he still found the whole situation strange and incomprehensible. But no matter how indifferent he tried to be, he could never waver from that thought—a certainty as solid as an undeniable truth.

Even Christoph didn’t know exactly why that was.

He remembered once overhearing someone confront Richard with evident displeasure. It had been after his relationship with Richard had started to improve, at least outwardly.

“Someone like you—how could you possibly get along with someone like Christoph? You’re not really close, are you? Isn’t it just because he’s part of the Tarten family that you put up with him?”

The person had persistently urged Richard to distance himself from Christoph, fearing it might tarnish Richard’s reputation. But what they got in return was a pointed question from Richard:

“Why do you think that?”

“Why? You know perfectly well how crazy he is! His personality is awful, arrogant, unpleasant, always doing things his own way, acting like he knows everything but being clueless about the real world. Every word out of his mouth is biting, and he doesn’t have a single close relationship.”

“That’s true. All of that is true.”

“Exactly, right? So in the end, you’re just pretending to get along with him.”

“That’s Christoph. And I like him, including everything you just said. So I hope I won’t have to hear these kinds of remarks again.”

Richard spoke with a voice that was gentle yet firm, leaving the other person flustered and at a loss for words. They hesitated for a moment before falling silent. Christoph, …… found it strange.

Even now, remembering that moment, the feeling still struck him as odd. A mix of anger, sadness, and a faint warmth spreading through his chest, yet he couldn’t explain what it was.

Christoph tried to think about it more deeply but still couldn’t understand. He sighed softly and shook his head slightly.

‘Now that I think about it, even I find it strange. I don’t understand why he likes me. ……Then again, I’m no different. I don’t know why I’ve gotten to this point with someone like him, a two-faced man, pretending to be kind but really just a villain.’

“……”

A sudden warmth surged through Christoph’s chest, making him unconsciously take a deep breath.

At that exact moment, Halt, who had been fiercely arguing with Johan about selfishness, abruptly looked up. He froze, startled, and then muttered in a half-shout:

“Richard!”

Christoph flinched for no reason, slowly turning around.

Richard had just entered the hall. His eyes swept across the expansive room before settling on Christoph. The moment their gazes met, Richard began walking toward him.

“Finished already? Looks like things wrapped up sooner than I expected.”

Christoph lowered his eyes to the watch on his wrist, it had been barely over an hour since the last time he’d checked. Then, glancing back up at Richard, he murmured: “Huh?” Seeing Richard already close, Christoph blinked in mild surprise.

‘……? Something feels off. Why does he look like he’s in a bad mood?’

It was strange. When they had parted at the dining room door barely an hour ago, Richard had been in high spirits. He’d even smiled, saying the work would be done in one or two hours, and that he’d come to the West Wing to pick Christoph up. As he turned to leave, Richard had even lightly brushed his fingers across Christoph’s ear.

But now, even though Richard’s face still wore his signature smile, Christoph couldn’t shake the feeling that the air around him carried a distinctly unpleasant vibe.

“Ah, Richard.” – Johan called out casually – “We were just telling Halt that he should help you out a little.”

“No way! I won’t agree to that!”

Halt, holding a cup of green tea, immediately shook his head so vigorously it looked like the tea might spill. His eyes darted around the room like a cornered mouse until they landed on Christoph. Halt suddenly yelled:

“What about Christoph?! If Christoph went back to Dresden and helped you, you’d probably get more rest than you do now!”

“……You guys have been ignoring my words since the beginning.”

Before Christoph could furrow his brow and prepare to pick up his book to “escape” the bothersome conversation, Richard spoke calmly.

“That won’t happen. But, thank you for your concern nonetheless. In that case, I’ll take your advice and go rest a little earlier tonight.——Chris.”

Richard didn’t sit down but instead called Christoph. Seeing Richard’s usual faint, empty smile on his lips, Christoph rose without a word. He placed the book back into the empty space on the shelf, murmured, “Excuse me,” to his two cousins, and followed Richard, who was already a step ahead, out of the room.

Behind them, the sound of something crashing to the floor was followed by Johan’s loud yell:

“Ah! My puzzle!! Halt, you idiot!!”

But Christoph didn’t turn back.

From behind, he focused on Richard, who was walking briskly ahead. As they neared the door to the West Wing, Richard finally turned to look at Christoph. Christoph frowned slightly and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“Was the work not going smoothly?”

Richard raised an eyebrow as if puzzled by Christoph’s question, then shook his head.

“No, everything went very well.”

“But you don’t look happy at all.”

When Christoph spoke, his eyes carried a hint of scrutiny. Richard looked at him for a moment with his usual composed smile. A smile that, to Christoph, felt like a mask. 

Unexpectedly, Richard spoke:

“Just as I was about to leave the office and head to the West Wing, I got a phone call.”

Christoph’s expression shifted slightly to confusion, but he stayed silent, waiting for Richard to elaborate.

“Rick called me. He wanted to thank me.”

“Rick? Thank you for what?”

The moment Christoph heard that name, he instinctively grimaced, his discomfort evident. Richard observed his reaction carefully before continuing:

“Rick said thanks for the rare book. He mentioned that I had given it to you, and you then passed it on to Jeong Tay.”

“Huh? Oh……”

Christoph finally realized what Richard was referring to.

A few days ago, Richard had given him a book. Later, Taeui called and asked if Christoph could part with that very book. At the time, Christoph had been deliberating over what to give Taeui as a birthday present, and the book seemed like the perfect choice – though he personally loved the book and hesitated – after some thought, he decided to gift it to Taeui. Christoph believed that giving someone what they wanted most was always the best option, and since Taeui would be leaving Germany in a few months, it felt like a worthwhile decision, even if it left a pang of regret.

So, without dwelling on it much, he had given the book to Taeui. But now……

“……Are you upset about that?”

Christoph asked, his brows furrowing slightly.Richard stared at him, the usual faint smile gone from his face. After silently looking down at Christoph for a long moment, Richard finally spoke:

“When you say ‘that’, are you implying the word ‘just’ should be in front of it?”

“Well…… the book, it’s…… just an object.”

“That’s right. An object that I gave to you.”

Christoph faltered, his intended words cut short, leaving him in silence with an unmistakable look of confusion and unease.

There was no need to ask further. Richard spoke in an even tone, but it was unmistakable—he was angry. This was a rare sight. The number of times Richard had shown anger or genuine hurt in front of Christoph could be counted on one hand, and this moment was one of those times.

“……I already read it. It was a good book, very interesting. I remember everything I read…… Thank goodness I had the chance to read it.”

“So now its value is gone? You have no reason to keep it anymore?”

Richard’s gentle yet probing question left Christoph in silence again. He could only look at Richard, his confusion growing more evident, while Richard met his gaze with an intense, penetrating stare. Then slowly, his voice grew firmer:

“That’s right, Chris. It’s just an object. By itself, it has no value. For someone else, it might be a treasure, but to you, it’s meaningless. The object itself isn’t what matters.”

Outside the West Wing, the winter garden was cloaked in icy darkness. As the forecast had warned, snow was expected to fall tonight. Clouds blanketed the sky, creating the feeling that snow could descend at any moment. Though there wasn’t much wind, the bitter cold seeped through thin layers of clothing, biting at the skin, neck, and the face.

“But did you even think about how much thought and care I put into that item when I gave it to you? Do you think I just picked something expensive and handed it to you? Or that I randomly bought a rare object without knowing its value?”

On the short path from the West Wing to the East Wing, Christoph, despite wearing only a thin coat and being surrounded by a cold so biting it felt like it could freeze his entire body, didn’t notice the chill. His attention was entirely on Richard’s face, which held a fleeting sadness and bitterness. It left Christoph feeling as lost as a child unsure of what to do.

“When did you start being the one to assign meaning to objects?”

Christoph barely moved his lips as he finally spoke the question aloud. Richard’s expression immediately became void of emotion, his features wiping clean as though erased. Christoph caught a brief glimpse of painful darkness flitting across Richard’s face before it vanished, leaving behind a cold and empty indifference.

After a pause, Richard broke the silence:

“Because it’s me. Because I gave it to you.”

“――.”

“Does the fact that I gave it to you mean nothing? ……To me, that alone is enough for it to hold meaning.”

And those were the last words. Richard looked at Christoph for a moment longer before turning away and walking off, the soft rustle of his footsteps breaking the silence as he crossed the dry grass in the garden. Christoph stood there, motionless, staring blankly at Richard’s figure as it gradually disappeared into the cold darkness of the night.

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

*Prague: is the capital city and the largest city of the Czech Republic. It’s one of the most historic and beautiful cities in Europe, renowned for its stunning architecture, historic landmarks, and picturesque views.