/In Richard's Room/
The sound of running water continued for a long time in the bathroom.
Richard didn't say a word as water splashed into his eyes under the shower. Only the heavy,
uncomfortable breathing that occasionally escaped him, as if trying to suppress something,
revealed his state of mind.
Christoph leaned against the bathroom door frame, watching him with a nonchalant
expression but glittering eyes. Whenever Richard glanced at him, Christoph pretended not to
notice and looked away.
Finally, Richard turned off the shower. Seemingly calmed down, he wiped his bloodshot eyes
with visible veins using a towel. He stepped out of the shower stall.
"Christoph. Are you trying to blind me?"
His voice was cold and curt. Suppressed anger seemed to simmer within him.
"Of course not. If I wanted to do that, I would have used a simpler method long ago."
"But you must have known that ointment shouldn't be applied to the eyes. Otherwise, you
wouldn't have followed me to my room to check on me."
Christoph didn't answer. Instead, he simply tilted his chin, looking directly at Richard as if to
say – 'So what?'
"Anyway, thanks. Because of you, I don't feel pain at the scratch anymore. I was so moved by
your tender application of the ointment that I don't feel any pain at all."
Richard mocked and rubbed the area around his eyes with his knuckles. Christoph seemed
satisfied and turned away, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.
He hadn't expected Richard to cry so much, but he had hoped to see him at least unable to
open his eyes and tearing up. That hope hadn't come to fruition.
As soon as Richard sensed something was wrong, he stood up immediately, covered one eye,
and said he would see them at dinner. Then he left.
Christoph followed Richard, who was walking quickly back to his room without looking
back. Perhaps the others would go to their rooms to rest a bit before the dinner party.
When Christoph grabbed the door handle of Richard's room, Richard, who was slowly drying
himself with a towel, seemed to remember something and spoke up."Now that I think about it, you are quite amusing. People say you lock yourself in that
person's room every night and don't come out. Does that mean if your body is happy, your
mind is happy too?"
"What?"
Christoph frowned and turned around.
"Who stays in that person's room every night? Who? Whose room?"
"You. Kim Young S—... Oh no, Jeong Taeil's room."
".... How do you know?"
Christoph asked with dissatisfaction. Richard tilted his head and sneered.
"Living in the same house, you think that wouldn't get around? Why do you keep saying that
same-sex relationships are so pure? But when you do that with him, do you feel differently?"
"I AND HIM?! I DID NOT DO THAT!"
Christoph shouted, although he thought it wasn't that important. But he didn't want to be the
subject of Richard's ridicule.
However, Richard didn't seem intent on believing him; he laughed dismissively. The malice
in his eyes slowly became apparent.
"So, what do you do in there every night? Read fairy tales?"
At that moment, Christoph fell silent. He tried to open his mouth a few times but eventually
bit his lip and shook his head.
".... I won't say. I have no reason to tell you."
Richard silently looked at him. Suddenly, he tightened his grip on the towel he was using to
dry his hair, then loosened it again.
"There is a reason."
Richard's voice lowered. The undulating tone indicated he was very angry.
Christoph frowned.
"What reason? Just because I work under you, do I have to expose my private life?"
"I'm not interested in your private life. What you do with whom is none of my concern.
...Oh, right. With your mental condition, it's good if you can integrate with others."
Richard spoke with malice, and Christoph's face gradually turned cold.
"But if your private life interferes with my work, that is unacceptable.""...I don't understand what you mean."
Christoph's voice also lowered. Although he said he didn't understand, his expressionless face
said otherwise.
Richard deliberately threw the towel on the floor. Then he took a new towel and began drying
his wet hair with the dry one. His meticulous habit to the point of discomfort in small details
was nothing new.
Richard had always been that way. He seemed to let things slide comfortably enough, but in
reality, he was almost a perfectionist.
"You have no right to criticize me for obsessive-compulsive disorder."
Christoph muttered, looking down at the discarded towel, but Richard ignored him and began
to speak.
"Malik seems to want to take you. A leadership position in the private security team... That's
quite a good position, isn't it?"
"Private security team? What is that?"
Christoph frowned at the unexpected words. Richard glanced at him as he walked toward the
wardrobe.
"What they want isn't just debt repayment... But that's not important right now; let's set that
aside."
Standing in front of the wardrobe, Richard dried himself again with the now damp towel.
Then he turned to look at Christoph as if to confirm something.
"Although there is still the final negotiation, you can guess what their final condition will be,
right, Christoph."
"..."
"If they demand our people, what will you do?"
Christoph didn't answer. He just looked at Richard with dark eyes. Seeing those eyes, Richard
raised an eyebrow and squinted. Then he threw the towel on the floor again.
"That's why you can't be too close to Jeong Taeui... It's a pity, Christoph. The first person you
felt you could approach directly."
There was a cold smile.
Perhaps Richard truly enjoyed how things had turned out this way.
The only person Christoph truly cared for was Jeong Taeui. It was the first time anyone had
noticed Christoph showing clear interest in someone outside his family and colleagues.Christoph stared at Richard for a long time. Then he suddenly spoke.
"Give them Rick. After all, he was the one who carried out the bombing."
As soon as he said that, Christoph seemed to freeze for a moment but then continued.
"I never liked those Saudis from the beginning. They know well the relationship between
Tarten and Riegrow, yet they still made that condition. Whether we fulfill their conditions
and arrest Riegrow for them or violate those conditions, everyone will suffer losses."
While saying this, Christoph's gaze sharpened as if dissatisfied.
When Christoph finished, Richard stopped rummaging through the wardrobe and crossed his
arms, looking at him.
Richard's face no longer bore a mocking smile. Instead, there was clear displeasure and
anger.
"So what. What if their proposal is different? What if they present a condition that doesn't
harm the relationship with Riegrow, such as demanding the life of Jeong Jaeil's younger
brother, who will be held responsible for the terrorism?"
Christoph fell silent. He looked at Richard with a pale, bloodless face. His lips moved as if to
say something but no words came out.
Richard sighed in frustration. Then he threw the clothes he had just taken out onto the bed
and stepped toward Christoph.
A body covered in terrible scars approached Christoph. One of the wounds hadn't fully
healed; the arm that had been dislocated was still swollen and turned black, looking very
painful.
"Are you trying to stop me? Your fragile heart, unlike normal people, has been blinded and
enchanted to a ridiculous extent... Wake up, Christoph. Stop pretending to be a nice person."
"..."
Christoph's lips moved slightly. It seemed he said something, but his voice was too soft to
hear clearly. Only his light blue eyes stared angrily at Richard.
"Stop getting unnecessarily excited and deluding yourself; live true to your nature. You don't
actually like people. You don't know how to do that."
Richard stood right in front of Christoph, close enough to touch if he reached out. He looked
down at Christoph and spoke cutting words without mercy.
"...That's not true."
Christoph muttered. His fragile voice, like a breeze, was too soft for Richard to hear clearly,
prompting him to ask again, "What?""Who says I don't genuinely like Taeil? I really like him. Truly."
Each word, though slightly halting, was spoken slowly and clearly as if Christoph was
reminding himself.
Before Christoph's pale face, the expression on Richard's face disappeared. He looked down
at Christoph with an emotionless face like a mannequin.
Then, very slowly, very slowly.
Only Richard's lips moved. With a blank face, his soulless voice echoed like a machine.
"So what."
"...―."
"Are you trying to interfere? Bearing the Tarten name, you're going to interfere with Tarten's
work just because of that person?"
Christoph didn't respond. He just looked at Richard with eyes full of anger, confusion, and
anxiety.
Like a lost child, Christoph's light blue eyes trembled slightly.
Yet Christoph kept muttering as if hypnotized.
"I like him..."
The broken voice, like a malfunctioning recorder, couldn't finish the sentence.
Richard grabbed Christoph by the collar and lifted him up.
"Shut up. You haven't forgotten, have you, Christoph? You promised to follow everything I
say. Never do anything to hinder my work, you promised. Have you forgotten?"
"Let go...!"
When Richard grabbed his collar, Christoph flinched and shouted as if he didn't hear what
Richard said. Christoph tried to grab Richard's arm as if to break it, but when his hand
touched Richard's bare skin, his fingers curled back as if in disgust.
Richard glanced at the fingers curling back from touching his bare arm and gave a short
laugh.
"Yes, you want to interfere to the extent that you're willing to go against Tarten. A person
who hates touching others and doesn't want to be touched actually approaches someone
because you like them, right? You never expected someone like that to appear in your life,
did you? Surely that makes you feel precious and more human, doesn't it?"
".......Let me go!""Listen carefully, Christoph. You are not to interfere with me. You are not to go against me. If
you try to interfere, I will ensure you cannot do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Richard punched Christoph in the stomach. The hollow
sound and Christoph's face twisted momentarily.
But immediately, he regained his angry expression and struck Richard's elbow from above
with his own.
"Let go! Don't touch me!"
Richard released Christoph's collar in response to the short but strong and sharp punch. But
as if anticipating it, he kicked Christoph's leg.
Christoph punched Richard in the jaw. When Richard blocked the punch with his hand, the
contact made Christoph flinch. Even though he kneed Richard in the stomach, Richard only
groaned a little but didn't retreat. Instead, he grabbed Christoph's knee tightly.
"...!"
Christoph felt disgusted when Richard's bare leg – more precisely, Richard's shin – touched
his ankle. He tried to push Richard away, but Richard's strong arms didn't budge. On the
contrary, he held on tighter.
And at that moment.
Although unintentional, the warmth from Richard's private area touched Christoph's ankle.
"...!"
"...!! Let go!!"
Richard also didn't expect this and frowned slightly. No one likes their sensitive area
touching someone else's leg.
But that reaction was mild compared to Christoph's when he realized the source of warmth
touching his ankle. His face turned pale, and he screamed with hatred, then pushed Richard
away.
Although Richard clicked his tongue, he didn't let go of Christoph's leg, causing Christoph to
lose balance.
With a heavy thud on the thick carpet, Richard climbed on top of Christoph lying on the
floor.
"Get off before I kill you...!"
With an angry and bewildered voice, Christoph tried to push Richard off him.If it were someone else, they might have easily pushed Richard off and stood up. But Richard
knew Christoph's techniques and habits well and was strong enough not to be easily defeated.
Richard pressed down on Christoph, preventing him from struggling, and tightly held
Christoph's chest and neck.
Both were panting heavily with anger and excitement.
Richard, too, was gasping and spoke roughly.
"I told you before. You have a fatal weakness in close combat. Moreover, now you have no
weapons. So what are you going to do?"
"Get off...! Don't touch me...!"
"You can only growl."
Under Richard's grip on his neck, Richard deliberately slid his other hand down Christoph's
chest. Under the thin silk shirt, the trembling sensation transmitted directly to his palm.
"LET GO...LET GO LET GO!!"
Christoph's face twisted in anger. His blue eyes burned with a fierce blue flame.