Sometimes people doubt what they did in the past.
Sometimes... the present self cannot imagine how one could have said such things back then.
Why did they think and act that way?
This doubt mainly stems from a feeling of regret. Like Jeong Taeui at this moment.
"How could I ever think that face looked like an angel?!!!!!"
Jeong Taeui's monologue echoed sharply in the empty room along with the swirling dust.
Dust particles danced with each breath he took, rising from the book and landing on Jeong
Taeui's eyebrows and mouth. He rubbed his face with his hands, but it was futile. Dust had
also covered his hands, leaving more marks on his face.
"Oh... my eyes hurt..."
Dust flew into Jeong Taeui's eyes, making him pretend to cry as he rubbed the back of his
hand against his pants and wiped his eyes. But it was of no use. After all, he was alone here,
and if he pretended to cry, it would only make him more embarrassed.
The only thing in the room with Jeong Taeui was the bookshelves filled with books.
However, if exaggerated a bit, one could say that this room, as large as a stadium, was filled
with books.
Standing among countless bookshelves arranged haphazardly without any order, Jeong Taeui
was diligently organizing them. One hand busy arranging, the other holding a note on the
International Decimal Classification that Christoph had given him.
"The connection between the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses... ... must be in
the 900s for history. And this one, mythical riddles. It should be religion, number 200... ...
No, if the author is Will Clan, it belongs to humanities, so is it number 300 for social
sciences? Damn, I have to read it to find out."
Jeong Taeui irritably flipped through the pages and stared at the text. This one was social
sciences. He muttered and placed it in the 300 section. He had been doing this all afternoon.
"I thought only my uncle and Kyle were the ones mad like this, but even here I can't escape
it... ... Freud's understanding of religion and the aesthetic considerations of psychoanalysis...
... Damn, where should this be classified?"
Jeong Taeui buried his head in a thin book that looked more like a dissertation than a book.
He wished he could hit his head against a hard cover and pass out.Although there weren't as many books as his brother had - who once filled the entire house
with books in the past - this room full of books was quite manageable by comparison.
However, if he had to arrange each book according to the library classification system, it was
certainly not an easy task.
"Damn, just sort by the author. Or just put them in alphabetical order... ... Mix them all
together."
Jeong Taeui grumbled as he shoved books onto the shelves haphazardly and looked out the
nearby window.
This library was on the second floor of Seik, facing a hill leading to a trail. Not far away was
a forest. And from the remote green forest, he saw a spotless white horse stepping lightly. On
the horse's back was a figure more radiant than the horse.
After lunch, he said he would take a ride and went into the forest, now just returning.
Leaving the hard work to him while he leisurely rode a horse...
Jeong Taeui instinctively clenched his fists.
The library was in the middle of the west corridor, where there was almost no sunlight in the
morning but in the afternoon, the sun shone through the window.
Christoph's pale cheeks and bright hair were dyed golden under the sunlight shining from the
forest towards the mansion.
"...He really looks like an angel..."
His pale cheeks, whether due to the sunlight or not, seemed full of life. However, his
expression remained cold and indifferent as usual. But even that expression suited his
sculpted face so perfectly it was frightening. It was as if he had only one expression since
birth.
...Well, thinking back, he usually saw that cold expression.
Jeong Taeui looked out into the distance and made eye contact with Christoph. He was now
near the mansion, and upon seeing Jeong Taeui, his lips moved slightly.
"Are you done?"
And as soon as he realized that mouth movement, Jeong Taeui, enchanted by the radiant
figure, remembered the task he had momentarily forgotten. He had to organize these books
today.
"Ah... an angel's face but a devil's mouth..."
Jeong Taeui stepped back from the window and sighed as he looked at the pile of unsorted
books towering before him.He had asked him to let him come and read the books, but he never expected it to turn into
sorting books like this. Why did it turn out this way?
While Christoph went to the main building to teach the children, Jeong Taeui wandered
aimlessly around Seik with various thoughts. When people are idle, their minds become busy,
and worries creep into his thoughts. He tried calling Berlin, but it seemed Ilay had not called
again. One thing was certain, he had not been able to contact him since that day.
With each slow step forward, he only thought about returning as soon as possible. So, he
grabbed Christoph, who had just returned from the main building, and seriously told him he
wanted to read books.
But more seriously. If he could easily read books, Kyle wouldn't have had his books taken
away in the first place.
Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui with a face full of question marks. But seeing Jeong Taeui
staring at him intently, he frowned and said,4
"You're looking for books?"
"I have to see where the books are to find them."
"...."
Christoph silently looked at Jeong Taeui, then sighed and said. 'Alright, go ahead' and walked
past him.
And this was the place he brought a hopeful Jeong Taeui to. Christoph's private library on the
second floor.
"Great. Just in time, I was going to organize the books. Have you memorized the decimal
classification? Clean up well."
Christoph spoke in a commanding tone. In front of him was a massive collection of books
that even a lifetime wouldn't be enough to read.
"Huh? No... Wait, no way. Why do I have to clean this up?"
Jeong Taeui, not understanding, yelled in protest. Christoph frowned at him.
"Don't know it? How can you not know that? Then I'll write it down. Don't forget to sort by
author too."
"LISTEN TO ME FIRST!"
Christoph took out a note and started scribbling. Jeong Taeui yelled again, but Christoph
ignored him until he finished writing.
"Why do I have to clean this? When will I ever finish this? I can't do it, I won't do it.""Don't want to find the books?"
Christoph looked up and tore off some notes with detailed classification numbers. The words
'If you don't like it, forget it' sounded like an illusion.
Christoph handed the note to Jeong Taeui, who fell silent instantly. Jeong Taeui quietly
looked down at the note.
He really didn't want to accept it. If he accepted it now, the hard times would officially start
at that moment.
"Can't do it?"
"..."
"Won't do it?"
"I won't be responsible for the outcome."
Jeong Taeui gloomily said and took the note. With the sound of rustling paper crumpling in
his hand, he felt his heart shatter.
"But... Damn, where the hell are those damn books?"
Jeong Taeui grumbled and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand,
leaving a streak of dust.
He weakly picked up a few books and sorted them according to the classification table. Then
he remembered someone. A man who, while not as extreme, had a personality completely
contrary to his appearance.
Jeong Taeui knew someone like that.
If you only saw his normal demeanor at home, he was a handsome and polite man. But
stripping away that facade, he was an unimaginable kind of person. Although he hadn't seen
him in months, that man could never fade from his memory. He was someone Jeong Taeui
could never forget, even if only meeting once in a lifetime.
Now he didn't know where he was or what he was doing. It had been almost two months
without contact... No, to be precise, not long ago, he had contacted him. Well, if that could be
called contact.
Thinking back to the memory of the last phone call, his face heated up. Jeong Taeui sighed.
Anyway, he needed to return home as soon as possible, or at least before him. Otherwise, he
didn't know what the man who only heard Rita's easily misunderstood answer would do.
Would he show up like a ghost one day and say not to think about escaping a second time?
Then kill and devour him? If that were the case, he feared this time he would actually slit his
throat without giving him time to explain. What was scarier was that Jeong Taeui could
vividly imagine Ilay eating him alive. He tried to erase those terrifying images from his mind.No. He wasn't running away. He would never run away. Although Rita didn't explain, Jeong
Taeui could use Kyle's previous words as evidence. He had no intention of repeating the
foolishness of risking his life over a small misunderstanding.
"It's okay, I assure you, he won't think you're running away. He's not stupid enough to
confuse things."
Kyle had said that when he saw his pitiful state. Jeong Taeui also knew that. He knew Ilay
Riegrow was an unpredictable madman. But even if he was called a madman, Rick was
someone with a terrifyingly logical and rational mind.
He surely knew Jeong Taeui wasn't someone who would risk his life like that. He understood
him.
So, no matter what, he couldn't give up easily, even if it meant being killed and eaten alive.
...However, even if he didn't misunderstand that he was running away, Jeong Taeui still
thought a storm was coming. Because after all, he had emphasized many times that he
shouldn't go out during this time and stay home, so if he found out he went out alone, Jeong
Taeui could predict he would say something like, 'Oh, really?' or 'I've caught you.' or
something like that.
"I don't know, I don't care. Whether he gets angry or not, whatever. You only live once, might
as well do it and not think too much... ... Must quickly find those books and return home
before he gets back; that way, I'll be okay..."
After shouting determinedly, Jeong Taeui muttered quietly after thinking for a while. He
started placing books on the shelves again, feeling weak about his reality.
He had only been in this house for a few days.
The start was already like this; the future looked tough.
Jeong Taeui nearly mechanically sorted the books - now he had a little trick to group
difficult-to-classify books together or roughly sort them - after finishing a stack of books, he
stretched.
He looked at the clock; it was almost five o'clock.
Although he was told to finish sorting by the afternoon, there was still a mountain of unsorted
books. However, it seemed he had sorted about a third of the total books.
He had worked hard but didn't know whether to feel proud or depressed. Jeong Taeui looked
at the books and wiped the sweat off his forehead and nose. His clothes were soaked.
"It's like being bathed in sweat..."
Jeong Taeui fanned his wet chest. Well, this room wasn't small; he had been diligently
working in a closed room filled with books.Jeong Taeui looked down at his blackened hands from dust and sweat mixing together and
clicked his tongue. Among these books, there were some worth hundreds of dollars, but if he
touched them, they would bear black fingerprints.
"Probably not, shouldn't... Maybe take a shower and come back."
Out of habit, he rubbed his dirty hands on his equally dirty pants and squeezed out of the
bookshelves.
In the golden sunlight, he trudged through the dusty air, stepped out the door, and looked
back at the library once.
Dust particles danced quietly in the shimmering golden light and the books scattered on the
floor. Seeing the blood and sweat that went into it made it look even more magnificent. His
heart felt lighter suddenly.
When he returned to Berlin, should he clean Kyle's library? It was as large as here, but
because Rita was at home, at least it wasn't dusty. Alright, he would ask Kyle; if he didn't
mind, he would spend a day cleaning it.
But to return, he needed to find those books. Jeong Taeui looked at the pile of books with
difficulty. Among the books Jeong Taeui had sorted, none were the ones Kyle mentioned. He
had skimmed through the books but didn't find them, not even among the unsorted ones.
Well, he wouldn't leave them lying around like that.
Where on earth did he keep them? If not here, then the bedroom? However, even in
Christoph's bedroom, he couldn't find any. Perhaps he hid them in a drawer or something; he
hadn't looked closely.
Jeong Taeui scratched his head. If that were the case, he might consider becoming a thief
sneaking into the bedroom, rummaging through drawers and closets. After all, he didn't have
much time.
Despite his big talk, Jeong Taeui hoped to return home as soon as possible. Before he left
home, the contacts with Ilay were like small showers in a vague drought. He had to return
before Ilay did, but the problem was he didn't know when he would return.
"But what I mean is... people's personalities rarely change without reason..."
Jeong Taeui shook his head alone and muttered.
In reality, that wasn't what worried him.
No, of course, if exaggerated, it was a matter of life and death, so saying he didn't care would
be a lie. But there seemed to be something else.
Although Jeong Taeui rarely left the house and if he did, it was just a stroll around the
neighborhood. But Jeong Taeui wasn't a prisoner held in a constantly monitored house. Ilay
never restricted him from going anywhere or doing anything. It was just that he didn't bother
going far.However, two months ago or before he left home, Ilay looked him straight in the eyes and
said,
'For the time being, stay home and take good care of the house.'
Seeing he hadn't returned for a long time, he thought it was just a casual farewell.
However, Jeong Taeui still clearly remember the vague irrationality he felt upon hearing
those words.
"....."
Jeong Taeui pondered, looking at the void in front of him.
He stood there for a long time, but his mind couldn't clear up anything.
"Oh... I don't know. Is life just going to fall into the abyss like this?"
Nowhere left to fall, Jeong Taeui muttered as he walked out of the library.
Alright. Is there a deeper place he could fall into? Living as a wanted criminal and facing
inhumane people daily wasn't deep enough?
However, there was already someone like that at home, and now he couldn't escape it here –
just in a different way – where would his life lead to...
Jeong Taeui sighed and walked towards his room. He sighed again, heading towards the
central staircase to reach the last guest room on the third floor.
Anyway, the priority was to find Kyle's books, then return home before Ilay caught him.
He swallowed an endless sigh and shook his head. It was best to discard unsolvable worries
by pushing them out of his mind. Now his only task was to return to his room, shower, have
dinner, then return to the library and finish sorting the remaining books.
He was only a few steps away from the central staircase with a red carpet.
Someone seemed to be coming up from below. Hearing the faint sounds of conversation, it
seemed there were a few people.
Upon hearing a sound mixed in, Jeong Taeui's first feeling was a chill down his spine.
Even though he had only been here for a few days, he had a clear grasp of the young people's
faces in this house. They were divided into two distinct factions.
He had heard their external appearance to the world was very good, but from Jeong Taeui's
perspective, they were almost fiercely fighting each other.
And they assumed that Jeong Taeui (who was struggling because of Christoph) was on his
side. Jeong Taeui didn't care about factional fights but somehow got involved regardless ofhis will.
"As expected, flipping the table that time was the jackpot..."
Jeong Taeui had recently gained attention for flipping the dinner table. He was seen as an
enemy by the young people opposing Christoph for siding with him.
He tried his best to calm them down, but by the time he realized he had acted wrongly, it was
too late.
Since then, every time he walked around Seik, he endured the stares and not-so-nice words
from those on Richard's side.
"Though they don't notice much, nor cause harm beyond cursing, I still don't feel
comfortable."
Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue, sensing the people below approaching.
If they were older people, it was fine. Generally, older people only stayed in the main
building and the east side, rarely coming to the west side, so they didn't care who he was. But
if the group was younger, it was a different story.
Jeong Taeui didn't want to be Richard's ally or enemy - and neither was Christoph's.
Gang wars didn't suit his personality. He felt uncomfortable pretending to be friendly with
Christoph's side while they looked at him curiously and felt uneasy facing the hostile eyes of
Richard's side.
Fortunately, they didn't openly touch him because, after all, he was an outsider.
In short, he didn't want to encounter either faction.
Jeong Taeui licked his lips, feeling uncomfortable, and his steps slowed. Meanwhile, the
voices from below were getting closer.
When the sound reached the landing between the floors, Jeong Taeui intended to quickly turn
back into the library but suddenly froze. As if haunted, his face immediately turned pale.
Huh...?
The intertwined voices became clearer in the quiet space. Jeong Taeui didn't understand what
they were saying, but he was sure he could hear it.
A voice he could never mistake for anyone else.
That voice was deep and calm, with an icy coldness inside. It was a voice Jeong Taeui knew
very well.
"Huh..."Jeong Taeui blinked in confusion.
Two men climbing the stairs gradually appeared and walked towards where he stood.
He saw the man walking ahead, saying something to the man behind him.
The first man was someone he knew.
Although rarely speaking to him, he had met him a few times since arriving here.
Richard Tarten.
He was the one he had praised for his impressive appearance, only to be mocked by Ilay. He
was also the one who helped Jeong Taeui smoothly enter this mansion.
He wore a neat black suit, looking like he had just returned from outside. Richard approached
with a gentle smile on his handsome face and a fresh, undaunted demeanor.
Even if Ilay called him a pervert - or even if Christoph said that face was untrustworthy - he
still looked elegant and sophisticated. He couldn't understand which part of this gentleman
was perverted.
But now that didn't matter to Jeong Taeui.
He didn't care about Richard Tarten's surprised look when he saw him on the second floor.
His gaze was focused on one person. The man walked a step or two behind him.
Jeong Taeui's eyes were fixed on the
man who occasionally said something and shook his head.
That man had a tall, broad-shouldered build, dressed in a dark blue suit, exuding an air of
arrogance like holding an important position in a large corporation.
He had neatly trimmed hair, wore narrow horn-rimmed glasses, and had a silver tie pin on his
straight, wrinkle-free tie.
From one angle, he looked like a high-ranking executive in the fashion industry, but the
atmosphere around him was sharp and intimidating.
Beside that sharp, polished aura, the man – who could also be considered a capable young
lawyer – walked behind Richard, habitually adjusting his glasses.
Jeong Taeui stared at the man as if mesmerized; perhaps sensing his blatant gaze, the man
gradually looked in this direction.
Their eyes met.
"...."*********************