“Finished clearing the snow yet?

When Richard asked, Hans was standing by the window, worried about the heavy snowfall.

Snow had been falling since last night and hadn’t stopped even after morning came and everyone finished breakfast. Although it paused occasionally, it would resume shortly after, then pause again, and now it had accumulated up to calf height. The forecast said the snow would stop in the afternoon, but even so, there was already plenty of it.

“Everyone is focusing on clearing the snow from the main road first, but I think we’ll need to call in the snowplow. I’ll head to the office and make the call right away.”

“Are there any guests visiting today?”

“No, fortunately, the start of the year coincides with a Sunday, so there aren’t any appointments. Even if snow clearing is delayed, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about today.”

“Is that so? In that case, no need to call the snowplow. Just tell everyone to take a break.”

“What??”

Hans stopped in his tracks, blinking in surprise. The two of them were on their way to the office after breakfast to deal with their tasks when Hans noticed that Richard had taken a few steps ahead and had turned back to look at him, prompting Hans to quickly catch up.

“Not clearing the snow anymore… Even if there aren’t any scheduled guests, who knows if someone might show up unexpectedly? Or what if someone in the house needs to go out? Oh, right, Christoph also has to head back to Berlin. How are we supposed to manage if the snow’s like this——”

As soon as Hans finished his muttering, listing the names of possible people who might need to go out, an idea suddenly struck him. Not just because Richard glanced at him at that moment.

“Ah… um… maybe… clearing the snow can wait until it stops. The forecast says it’ll stop in the afternoon, so I’ll tell them to take a break in the meantime.”

Hans stammered, and Richard nodded before continuing on his way. Hans followed closely behind, speculating that Christoph had something to do with Richard’s somber mood, even if he wasn’t entirely sure what…  

But really, who else but Christoph could make Richard so brooding? On normal days, if something was bothering him, Richard would address it immediately rather than keeping it bottled up like this.

Once inside the office, Richard turned on the computer and pulled out some folders, while Hans did the same and quickly called the estate’s snow-clearing manager.

“It’s me, Hans. Yes, thank you for your efforts. Ah, no need to call the snowplow. I think we can wait until the snow stops to clear it, so I’ve told everyone to take a break for now. Yes, it’s fine. Luckily, no one is visiting or needs to head out today… I think… Haha… …What?”

Hans froze mid-conversation upon hearing something through the phone. He quickly glanced at Richard’s face to gauge his reaction, while Richard, browsing the files on screen, sensed something odd and looked back at Hans with curiosity.

Hans hesitated before turning to Richard. 

“They said the main road, especially near the parking area, has already been partially cleared in case of any urgent need to go out. Snow is still falling, so it might accumulate again, but if required, it should still be possible to drive carefully.”

The manager’s proactive attitude deserved praise, but Richard frowned upon hearing this. Of course…

“But Richard, with snow coming down like this, who would even think of going out? If they really needed to leave, they’d wait until it stopped anyway.”

Hans tried to justify the situation, but Richard continued frowning in thought. Then, suddenly, he stood up and left the room. Hans hurried after him, unsure of where Richard was heading.

‘They’ve had a fight, definitely a fight.’

From breakfast, the tense atmosphere had already been palpable. Especially when Hans entered Richard’s room earlier that morning, the man had been sitting at his desk, seemingly waiting for a runaway child to return, to the point that it looked like he hadn’t slept at all. And now he was saying not to clear the snow, so Christoph wouldn’t leave for Berlin? If he didn’t want him to go, he should just convince him to stay—surely that would be easier.

Hans muttered to himself while rubbing his stomach, feeling like the tensely charged air had made his breakfast hard to digest. He was surprised to see Richard heading toward the parking area but continued to follow him closely.

They left the East Wing of the estate amid swirling snow, making their way around to the back of the Main Building. Snowflakes dotted their hair and shoulders, and when they reached the parking area, just as the manager had said, a path leading out of the lot had been cleared. Snow was beginning to cover it again, but for now, cars could still get out safely if needed.

Richard’s gaze scanned the parking area before settling on the Porsche parked between the columns in the far corner. Even though it was under shelter, snow had still coated its roof. It was Christoph’s car.

Then, Richard strode toward the management office in the corner of the parking area. The manager, sitting inside the small room warming himself, quickly opened the door upon seeing Richard.

“Are you heading out, sir? Lucky for you, the road has already been cleared, so you can leave now if necessary.”

“Where’s Christoph’s car key?”

Richard interrupted the manager, and he immediately responded.  

“Mr. Christoph? He didn’t leave the keys, perhaps he’s keeping them.”  

“My car keys. Get the Phantom*.”  

Richard, who almost never drove a large and majestic car like the Phantom, suddenly demanding it surprised the manager slightly. But he quickly fetched the car keys Richard requested.  

“Richard, in this weather, where do you plan to go?”  

Hans exclaimed in shock, but Richard didn’t answer, only striding straight toward the massive Phantom parked in the corner of the lot. Hans followed in confusion but didn’t dare say anything further.  

Richard climbed into the driver’s seat himself, started the hulking vehicle, and moved. However, the Phantom barely covered a few dozen meters before coming to a stop, blocking right in front of Christoph’s Porsche.  

“…”  

Hans, who had been following behind the Phantom, stared in astonishment as Richard stepped out of the car. The massive Phantom stood perpendicular to block the Porsche, leaving less than 30 cm of space between them, effectively sealing the Porsche’s only exit. The scene looked like an adult standing in the way of a child.  

Richard glanced at the trapped Porsche – it clearly wouldn’t be able to move unless the Phantom did – then pocketed the keys and walked away. He crossed the Main Building as if nothing had happened, heading towards The East Wing. Hans hurried after him, not forgetting to stare intently at the back of Richard’s head with wide, alarmed eyes.  

‘Why go this far, honestly.’  

Hans mumbled to himself. But in any case, Christoph wouldn’t just leave without a word… or maybe he could. Thinking back to this morning, when he had walked into Richard’s room and found the man sitting there with a grim expression, Hans had almost thought Christoph had left the night before. But then Christoph had appeared in the snowy weather, completely covered in snow after riding a horse, surprising Hans once again.  

‘If you’ve blocked his car, why not just tie him up while you’re at it?’  

Hans cursed inwardly, but just then, Richard suddenly asked.  

“Is Christoph in the basement of The West Wing?”  

“Huh? Oh, probably. With this snow, it’d be hard to go out, so most likely he’s down there reading or chatting with some people in the house.”  

“Mmm.” – Richard nodded, his expression far from pleased.  

“What exactly did you two argue about?” – Hans finally couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked outright. Richard, now climbing the stairs of the East Wing, glanced at him and raised an eyebrow: “Argue?” As if the notion were absurd.  

“Not at all. Christoph and I were simply discussing our differences and finding a way to resolve them.”  

Hans smirked. That was certainly a flowery way of describing an argument. He sighed and replied: “Don’t be too hard on him. Christoph has been trying really hard.”  

“Oh, so you mean I’m being too strict, Hans?”  

“Not exactly… but maybe a little.” 

After years of working alongside Richard, Hans felt close enough to be honest with him. Everyone acknowledged that Richard was reliable, polite, and considerate to those around him. But Hans knew the man wasn’t as simple as he seemed. In fact, his inner world might be far darker than anyone imagined. Compared to Christoph, who was cold and openly abrasive, at least Christoph’s interior matched his exterior… unchanged for better or worse.  

Hans smacked his bitter lips, but ultimately still sided with his cousin, who had once been deemed a cold-blooded, unfeeling man.  

“That solitary force of nature, well, he’s been trying harder recently. He’s actually making an effort to connect with others.”  

Hans couldn’t help but chuckle at how even in his own thoughts, he was softening the truth. But in reality, Christoph merely refrained from ignoring or staying silent during conversations. Yet compared to years ago, that was already a significant improvement. Hans secretly thought Christoph deserved some credit.  

“Ever since you took over Tarten. Because you’re leading it, Christoph doesn’t want to cause friction within the family organization. You’ve noticed that too, haven’t you?”  

“Yes, I’ve observed that. Compared to before, he’s been getting along with people much better, even going as far as to practice smiling.”  

“Exactly, practicing smiling! Everyone’s been reacting quite positively to that…”  

Hans clapped his hands in approval and spoke enthusiastically, but suddenly stopped when he saw Richard’s expression. It was only now that Hans realized that smile… wasn’t a genuine one.

“Don’t you like it…?”

Hans asked cautiously. Richard turned back, his face maintaining a composed but cold smile as he looked directly at him.

“Not like it? There’s no such thing. Why wouldn’t I like it?”

‘He doesn’t like it for real.’

In Hans’s mind, countless thoughts and words were swirling, but he decided to remain silent and followed Richard. From here, the office was already visible in the distance, and he knew that once they stepped inside, the towering piles of daily work would quickly sweep away these random thoughts.

However, Richard, walking a few steps ahead, suddenly spoke.

“No, Hans. I think it’s a good thing. Yes, even though it’s not a pleasant feeling, who wouldn’t be annoyed by a few flies buzzing around their food? Nevertheless, if Christoph truly starts blending in with everyone, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. It’s a positive sign. My rationality tells me so.”

Richard muttered further, almost as if talking to himself: “At the very least, my rationality thinks so. Otherwise, I would have locked him up somewhere long ago.” That might have been a joke, but Hans wasn’t entirely sure. He looked intently at Richard, trying to discern if the man was serious, but it was no use. Perhaps Hans decided to let it slide because it sounded like a joke, but in reality, it wasn’t entirely so.

“Anyway, smiling is better than crying, isn’t it?”

Hans softly spoke, testing the waters. Richard gave a slight nod as if agreeing.

“That’s right. A crying face can be just as captivating as a smiling one, but those people will never get to see Christoph cry in their lifetime. So, sharing a little of his smiling face doesn’t hurt.”

“….”

Hans frowned slightly and again smacked his own bitter lips. The phrase “crying face” involuntarily brought a certain memory back to mind. In the past, there was a time he went to Richard’s room in the morning and heard loud noises coming from the bedroom. At that time, Hans peeked in, intending to scold: ‘You’re still not asleep at this hour!’, but immediately turned around and walked out. However, in that brief moment, the sounds echoing from inside the room were seared into his memory. It was Richard’s voice, deep and rough, mixed with mocking laughter: “Chris, Chris, don’t cry like that. The more you cry, the harder I want to thrust—just like this. …Oh dear, if you keep crying like this, it’s really troublesome. Do you know how alluring your crying face, your crying voice is?” And alongside it, there were sobbing sounds mixed with intermittent noises resembling moans. 

Surely, those moans had an uncanny allure – so much so that Hans was startled and even nearly tripped over the doorstep in his shock – Christoph, undeniably, was likely quite beautiful, regardless of what his face truly looked like… but no, Hans shook his head vigorously to dispel such thoughts. He had no business imagining such things. Never.

Hans shuddered, quickly shaking his head to drive out the memories, then agreed with Richard: “Yes, yes, Chris should smile. He looks better when he smiles, no doubt about it.”

Hans nodded repeatedly to reinforce the point. But damn it all, Richard suddenly turned to glance at him with a crooked, sardonic smile, as if he’d just thought of something amusing.

“You’re right, Hans. I can share a smiling face, but I never said I wanted to do so.”

“…”

Hans briefly pondered pretending to lose his mind entirely so he could grab Richard by the collar and shake him in frustration. But just at that moment, they reached the door to their office. Remembering the mountain of work waiting inside, Hans inhaled deeply to steady himself.

It was time to get to business. More precisely, it was time to make ‘that guy’ work. Last night, an unexpected incident had occurred on the South American circuit, plunging everything into chaos. For those whose livelihood depended on trading information like them, work always came without warning, for any reason, at any time. When it hit, whether you were lounging on a beach thousands of kilometers away, you had to drop everything and rush back to deal with it. There was no other way.

Only yesterday afternoon, everything had been unusually calm and peaceful. But alas, Hans was used to it by now. This wasn’t his first rodeo. He sighed deeply, then entered the office, immediately opened his laptop, took off his coat, and sat at his desk. Richard did the same.

While waiting for his computer to boot up, Hans stole a glance at Richard. Watching him stare out the window, where snow was falling incessantly, he appeared truly exhausted. Come to think of it, the man must be perpetually sleep-deprived, having stayed up all night and stressing over Christoph. No wonder he looked so drained.

“Richard, why don’t you go rest for a bit? I can handle the most urgent tasks myself.”

As Hans made the suggestion, Richard, still staring out at the falling snow, turned to him after a moment and shook his head: “No, I’m fine.” Immediately, as if prompted by some unseen force, Richard opened the files and glued his eyes to his laptop. Hans clicked his tongue, feeling a pang of pity.

“You look terrible, you know.”

“Really? That’s good.”

Hans froze, unsure if he’d misspoken or if Richard had misheard. He stared at Richard for a moment and then repeated himself.

“I said, you don’t look well.”

“Not well is better.”

Richard replied with an indifferent expression, speaking while moving his mouse.

“That way Christoph won’t just turn his back and walk away so easily.”

Hans grimaced. He studied Richard intently but only responded with: “Alright then, if you say so…” He then buried himself in the documents, lowering his gaze to the work in front of him.

Being someone who had never known how to delegate or shift responsibilities to others, it was unlikely that Richard would leave to rest, no matter how exhausted he was.

Even so, Hans had known beforehand that Richard would refuse…

Hans muttered to himself internally, thinking that his earlier suggestion wasn’t entirely insincere. But now, it didn’t matter anymore. A pair like that, really, wasn’t much different from cockroaches.* Better to let the two ‘cockroaches’ scuttle about on their own. He had plenty of work to get through himself.

(*In Korean culture (and some other places), “cockroach” (바퀴벌레) is often used metaphorically to describe things or people who are unpleasant, bothersome, or ‘resilient’ in an obnoxious way, but persist and are difficult to get rid of.)

Hans opened a few essential folders and began skimming through the documents. But just then, he heard a low voice murmur:

“Because I’m truly this desperate,”

Hans, who had been engrossed in his work, lifted his head and asked, “Huh? What did you just say?”

Richard looked at him with an expression of confusion, as though he hadn’t said anything at all. Hans blinked several times, meeting Richard’s gaze, then shrugged it off, shaking his head: “Ah… never mind, I must’ve misheard.”

Hans thought about it briefly, certain that he’d heard something, but decided it wasn’t worth dwelling on. It likely wasn’t anything important.

Richard gazed out at the falling snow for a moment, then turned back to his desk and resumed his work. Hans quickly picked up his pen and focused on reviewing the documents in front of him.

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

*Phantom:

*Porsche: