“Two hours, it’s actually a very short distance.”

When Kyle suddenly said that during the meal, Christoph, who was drinking water, paused, while Richard, although the fork spearing an olive slowed slightly, still calmly brought it to his mouth.

“Indeed, although going back and forth every day would be a bit much, every few days is an acceptable distance.”

Richard agreed while chewing the olive. Then he gave a gentle smile and said to Kyle: “So, you should come to Dresden often. It’s a small and beautiful place.”

It takes about two hours from Berlin to Dresden.

If one wanted to, they could easily drive there.

Compared to going to countries in the Middle East, this distance was incomparably closer. For example, to get to a place like Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, you had to go to Frankfurt, and then it took another six and a half hours by plane. The time from Dresden to Frankfurt, the waiting time at the airport, the time from that airport to the final destination, if you added it all up, it was enough to go back and forth between Dresden and Berlin three times.

Compared to that, the distance between Dresden and Berlin was so close it could be said to be right next door.

However, human greed seemed to be bottomless, Christoph thought.

“Even so, with your position, your work must be very busy, yet you come almost every week, every two or three days, right? Even if it’s two hours, if you consider the round trip, and it’s every two or three days, it’s not that close…… Don’t you get tired? Are you alright?”

Kyle tilted his head and asked, his voice laced with concern. Although not related by blood, due to the close relationship between their families, closer than ordinary distant relatives, Kyle always felt like he was facing a cousin of the same generation. Perhaps that’s why when looking at Richard or Christoph, he also felt a closeness as if treating them like his own siblings—no, even more gentle than the way he treated his own younger brother, a guy from whom he received no reward for his concern or worry.

“I’m fine. Still able to travel. Thank you for your concern.”

Richard replied with a bright smile. Christoph, still silently eating, glanced at Richard and muttered.

“Able to travel, yet whenever you see me, you urge me to come to Dresden.”

Richard paused, silently looking at Christoph. Unfazed by the gaze, Christoph continued to steadily eat his food, while Kyle raised an eyebrow and laughed.

“Ah, I see, now I understand. You’re trying to poach our valuable employee. Indeed, worthy of a CEO’s headhunting efforts, our Christoph truly is a talent. But if that’s the case, what can I do…… I can’t afford to lose such talent.”

“Chris, if you’re not satisfied with your current salary, just tell me anytime,”-  Kyle joked, but it didn’t seem entirely like a joke. Lately, Christoph had been taking over most of James’s work, and James would undoubtedly cling to Christoph tightly.

“That’s not the case. It’s true I’ve been persistently asking him to come to Dresden, but the person I want to bring isn’t Christoph Tarten, but a T&R employee.”

Richard smiled at Kyle, then smiled at Christoph. Beside Kyle, who was laughing and saying: “Family affection, how lovely”, Christoph silently ate with relish.

“But you should take care of your health. To get here, you must have really worked hard to arrange your schedule.”

Kyle said with a grimace. Richard simply nodded slightly, thanking him for his concern.

Just then, Rita, who was still in the kitchen but seemed to know precisely when they had finished eating as if by magic, quietly brought out a tea tray. After placing a cup of tea and a small plate of fruit in front of each person, she cleared the dirty dishes and returned to the kitchen.

Well aware of her almost mechanical routine, Richard glanced at his watch. Indeed, it was almost time for him to leave. Eating fruit and drinking tea was perfect timing.

“Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, I’m very glad. Actually, we saw each other last week too. But it’s true, when you usually see each other every two or three days, missing a few days, even just a week, feels like a long time. Let me see, you said you were on a business trip, where was it? London?”

“London is at the end of this month. This time I’m in Birmingham.”

“You’ve been traveling a lot lately.”

“Only in the last two or three months…….Oh. By the way.”

Richard was talking when he suddenly seemed to remember something, so he turned around. He appeared to be looking for a package he had left in the living room, but he didn’t bother to get up to retrieve it.

“I bought a bottle of wine. I think you mentioned before that you liked the local wine from Birmingham.”

Hearing Richard say that, Kyle immediately beamed.

“Ah, right, that wine has a wonderful aroma. Thank you. I wish we could drink it together…… but I suppose not?”

“Yes, because I drove here. I bought my own share separately, so please enjoy this bottle with your friends later.”

Richard shook his head in refusal as he was about to drive back. Then he turned to Christoph, who was sipping his tea without paying any attention to the conversation about wine.

“I also have a gift for you. It’s in the car. You said you wanted to see a book by Jill Darlington, right?”

He mentioned it casually, as if he had acquired it by chance. Christoph immediately looked up at Richard. But not only Christoph, Kyle, who was holding his teacup, also stared at Richard in astonishment.

“Jill Darlington? Which book?”

“[The Death of a Scream], the 1970 edition.”

“……Really?”

A spark flickered in Christoph’s impassive face. Kyle looked back and forth between Christoph and Richard with the expression of a puppy desperate to relieve itself. His earlier cheerful expression had completely vanished.

“That’s not an easy book to find…… Thank you.”

Witnessing the rare moment of Christoph expressing such obvious joy in his narrowed eyes, Richard politely replied, “You’re welcome.” However, amidst the two of them rejoicing, only Kyle wore a gloomy expression, lost in thought, before softly speaking.

“……Just asking, Richard. Have you registered on a British antique book auction site recently? Your nickname seems to be……”

As Kyle hesitantly uttered a name, Richard frankly nodded and calmly replied.

“Ah, yes, that’s right. I bought that book there as well.”

Kyle’s eyes widened. The hand holding his teacup began to tremble. If he hadn’t already drunk half the cup, the tea would surely have spilled.

“I kept wondering who was picking out all the rare books and bidding outrageous prices in the auctions, snatching them all up……! I kept thinking, who is this bastard daring to snatch these precious books right out from under my nose……!”

“Ah, Kyle also wanted that book? I wasn’t aware of that.”

Richard tilted his head, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. Kyle slammed his teacup down on the table.

“Not just one or two books! You, you don’t even like antique books that much, why did you do that?”

“Because Christoph likes antique books.”

“……”

“Huh?” – Kyle blinked, as if caught off guard. Christoph looked at them indifferently, as if unaware of the underlying story between the two, then his eyes met Kyle’s. He opened his mouth with an expression as if this had nothing to do with him.

“I thought you had run out of things to give in the fashion category.”

Kyle looked at Christoph with even more bewilderment. Christoph decided not to offer Kyle any further explanation and shifted his gaze to Richard.

Every time Richard came to see Christoph, he brought something with him. And of course, Richard had already given all the gifts that should be given. He had given all the items that could be worn. Then recently, he started bringing the antique books that Christoph always wanted to see, much to Christoph’s delight, but it turned out they were spoils he had competed with Kyle for in auctions without Christoph’s knowledge.

“……”

Until now, he had only thought that those books must be difficult to find, but now he realized Richard must have worked hard to acquire each one while bidding against Kyle. Richard also nodded as if he had just understood: “I see, so it was Kyle.”

Christoph, who was gazing intently at Richard, suddenly felt a sharp gaze directed at him and turned his head. Kyle was staring at him with eyes that seemed to spit fire. Christoph silently stared back at him for a moment, then coldly said,

“Not giving.”

“But…… I’m not even asking for it for free……”

“It was a gift, so I’m not giving it.”

Christoph’s firm and calm reply caused Kyle’s arrow-like gaze to shift to Richard. Richard simply smiled serenely as he faced Kyle’s glare, which seemed to want to bore holes in his face, then calmly finished his tea and set the cup down.

“I have to go now. I’ll drop Christoph off and give him his gift on the way back, so it might take a little while.”

Richard’s voice, though gentle, was even more resolute than Christoph’s.

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

The first time Christoph came to Berlin, Richard wore the expression of someone who had just been hit in the back of the head with a blunt object.

Christoph had returned with a large suitcase – referred to as ‘luggage’ prepared by Richard himself during the year-end and New Year holidays, but actually just one large piece of luggage – and, upon meeting a cheerful Richard who had come all the way to the airport to pick him up, immediately declared with great satisfaction,

“I’ve found a job in Berlin with room and board included.”

“The salary is also very generous,” – Christoph added casually. Richard’s entire body stiffened, a smile still plastered on his face.

“Someone was willing to hire you after you caused that royal assassination scandal and lost your job?”

“Yeah. Kyle invited me. Told me to just come.”

“……”

Thinking back, perhaps that…… was the moment. The moment the 150-year relationship between the Tarten and Reigrow families began to seriously crack. And thinking back again, it also seemed to be around that time that Richard began collecting antique books to give to Christoph.

While following Christoph, who was pulling his suitcase towards the parking lot and saying: “Let’s go to the Reigrow House in Berlin,” Richard dejectedly asked,

“You’re not planning on returning to Dresden?”

“I recall telling you I wouldn’t be going to Dresden anymore since I re-signed my contract in Riyadh.”

“But that contract was canceled.”

“But I have other work now.”

“……”

“You don’t seem to know this, but I actually don’t like staying home and doing nothing,”

Christoph said indifferently. Meanwhile, Richard – the culprit who had played a significant role in the cancellation of that contract – felt like he had ‘made porridge only to feed it to the dogs’.*

(*죽 쒀서 개 줬다: Made porridge only to feed it to the dogs. A Korean idiom used to express regret and unfairness when one’s efforts are enjoyed by someone else, or when all efforts become futile as the result falls into the hands of someone unworthy.)

“If room and board are included, then you’ll be staying at the Reigrow House?”

“Yeah. Kyle told me to feel free to stay.”

“Kyle……” – Richard’s face darkened further as he muttered the name. As if recalling something from the past, he suddenly stopped. Christoph, who was a few steps ahead, noticed Richard wasn’t following him and turned around. Richard looked directly at Christoph.

“I can’t interfere with where you work, but this is not allowed. I don’t want you staying at that house.”

Christoph frowned slightly as he watched Richard coldly declare this.

“Why? ……Is there something going on between Tarten and Reigrow recently?”

“I haven’t heard anything,” – Christoph tilted his head in confusion. Richard’s reply was concise.

“That’s the house of Jeong Tay, whom you like very much.”

The blunt words seemed to take Christoph by surprise. He stammered for a moment as if caught off guard, then retorted haltingly.

“Taei doesn’t live there. Rick took Taei away a long time ago.”

Richard certainly knew that as well. Ever since being cleared from the wanted list a few years ago, the two of them had been traveling the world—judging by how they mostly went to places where Rick worked, it was clear Jeong Taeui was practically being dragged along—.

“But they still come back from time to time.”

“What does it matter if it’s occasionally––––”

“It seems you don’t deny that you like him very much.”

And this time, Christoph was truly caught off guard. He just moved his lips without being able to say a word. Despite being fully aware of Richard’s increasingly cold gaze, Christoph wasn’t good at improvising.

“……I’m not staying there because of Taei.”

In the end, Christoph could only manage that much, unable to offer any reasonable excuse. His expression remained cold, but seemed slightly sullen. Richard watched him for a moment, then walked closer to him and clicked his tongue.

“I’ll find you a place near the T&R office, you can stay there.”

“I told you I’m not staying there because of Taei——”

“Even if Jeong Taeui isn’t there, Kyle, who likes you, is still in that house. Do you think living with him will be okay?”

Christoph finally fell silent as Richard clearly expressed his displeasure.

“……, ……Kyle likes me the same way he likes you.”

“Is that so? I only want him to like me.”

“……, ……, ……, ……What is your relationship with Kyle?”

Christoph mumbled as he followed Richard. Richard, meanwhile, strode irritably towards the parking lot, his mood seemingly soured by the fact that his plan to go straight to Dresden from the airport had been disrupted. Thus, all Christoph received in return was a sharp glare.

So, when Christoph said he wanted to find his own place, Kyle repeatedly suggested he just move in since there were plenty of spare rooms, but in the end, Christoph found a place halfway between T&R headquarters and the Reigrow House.

And now, he thought that finding his own place had been the right decision. Just as Kyle had said, Richard came to see him almost every two or three days a week, despite it being very late.

“……Didn’t you say you just got back from Birmingham today?”

Christoph glanced at Richard, who was driving next to him, and asked.

“Yes. I got back this morning.”

“You must have a mountain of work, yet you still came here.”

Richard looked at Christoph through the rearview mirror and saw him resting his chin on his hand, looking out the window.

“Because I haven’t seen you all week.”

“……”

Christoph didn’t say anything. He just kept looking out the window. He didn’t understand why his face felt slightly warm. Richard also remained silent.

He wasn’t used to this. The unfamiliar sensations that frequently arose when he was with Richard were always new and strange. This feeling was the same. This warm feeling under his ears, even though he had experienced it many times and should have been used to it by now, was still unfamiliar.

After a period of silence, Richard suddenly spoke as if he had just remembered something: “Oh, by the way.”

“It seems Rick will be coming to Germany soon. Not permanently, just passing through.”

Christoph only turned to look at Richard when he added: “Not sure if he’ll come to Berlin”, and replied: “Is that so?” Because his job was to grasp everything happening in the world, Richard sometimes even knew personal information that even family members weren’t aware of, such as Rick’s whereabouts. He must have received some report related to Rick.

“Rick. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“But he still contacts you, right? I heard he recently called two or three people in the T&R Private Task Force. Seems like there’s something going on in Russia. Didn’t he contact you?”

“Hmm? Oh, Alain told me to go to Vladivostok*, it’s probably Rick’s business. I refused. I don’t like the cold.”

Christoph frowned and shook his head. Although not picky about work, Christoph strongly disliked jobs that required interacting with many people and working in cold places.

“But anyway, someone can contact Rick. Kyle was just grumbling that he hasn’t contacted home.”

As soon as he heard Richard finish, Christoph snorted.

“Kyle must have gone soft after living with that guy and Taei for a while. Since when was that guy the type to diligently contact home?”

“I agree with that,” – Richard chuckled.

Before Jeong Taeui had to stay at Kyle’s house for a period because he wasn’t free to go outside a few years ago, Riegrow never visited his own house. He didn’t want to encounter the fastidious Rita, so even if he stopped by Berlin after a long time, he would usually leave without visiting the house. Then, since Jeong Taeui had settled in there, Rick had finally been tied down.

“……”

Christoph silently looked ahead. The small two-lane road was clear without a hint of congestion. They would be home soon.

“I never thought Rick would be so captivated by someone.”

Christoph suddenly murmured as if talking to himself. He felt Richard’s gaze glance over, but he didn’t turn his head.

Crazy Rick. The crazy second son of the Reigrow family. Ilay Riegrow. This man, usually called by his first name, though wearing the guise of a human, for a long time only left questions in people’s minds like ‘What is that thing anyway?’ before disappearing. Christoph never imagined that that man would one day look like a human being.

Now he looked quite human.

“Yes, Rick was also outside my expectations……. But on the other hand, perhaps it’s not too surprising. The future is hard to predict.”

Richard murmured. Those words, Christoph also thought, were probably true.

Looking back, he never imagined that he and this man would be sitting next to each other in a car, having such ordinary conversations, even just a few years ago. Moreover, even if someone had told him beforehand that things wouldn’t stop there, he would have laughed and called them crazy.

Meanwhile, the car Richard was driving turned into the residential area and stopped in front of Christoph’s house. Because it was deep within the residential area and late at night, there were hardly any people around.

“……Are you coming in?”

Christoph looked at the clock on the dashboard and asked. If he had just returned to the country today, Richard must be very tired, with a pile of work, and on top of that, he had to drive two hours back to Dresden. It was too late to come inside. It was usually like this on the days he came during the week. He arrived after work, grabbed a bite to eat, and then went back. Even so, unless he had something like a business trip, he still came here two or three times a week.

As expected, Richard looked at his watch and clicked his tongue.

“No, I have to go back. I have to get up early tomorrow……. Here. The book I mentioned earlier.”

Richard took out a thick envelope from the glove compartment and handed it to Christoph. He watched Christoph receive the envelope, a flicker of joy crossing his face, then checked his watch again and leaned in. His lips lightly brushed Christoph’s forehead as Christoph was intently looking at the book he had just taken out of the envelope.

Christoph flinched and pulled back reflexively, lifting his head. As if he had been waiting for this moment, Richard placed his lips on Christoph’s. Christoph unconsciously pulled back slightly, but as if anticipating this, Richard leaned in closer, deepening the kiss.

Christoph was still not used to physical contact with others, so he always instinctively recoiled when touched suddenly. But now, after Richard had kissed him a few times, he was gradually parting his lips. Even now, he was getting used to gently sucking on the tongue that slipped into his mouth, though still with some hesitation.

“……I have to go. If this continues, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back.”

After a long while, Richard finally released him. His lowered voice was now slightly hoarse. It seemed like the area around his groin was also slightly bulging. This was it. This was the limit to which he could restrain himself with reason.

Among the unfamiliar sensations that Christoph never got used to no matter how many times he experienced them, there was also this feeling. The soft sensation that seemed to linger on his tongue even after the kiss had ended. Christoph silently pressed his lips together and got out of the car.

“Go inside. I’ll be back on Friday.”

Richard spoke somewhat curtly, as if trying to regulate his ragged breathing, then turned the car around. When the car disappeared from sight after turning the corner, Christoph turned and walked, fanning himself with the book—an action that would have utterly shocked Kyle if he had seen it.

His face was burning. He didn’t know when he would get used to this.

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

*Vladivostok is a major port city located in the Russian Far East, near the borders with China and North Korea. It is situated on the Pacific Ocean, specifically on the Golden Horn Bay, and serves as the administrative center of Primorsky Krai.