1.0 Prologue

The rain, which had begun to pour relentlessly at some point during the dawn, seemed to let up briefly around midday, but by the afternoon, heavy streaks of rain were falling once again. Showing no sign of stopping, the rain swept in with the wind, and raindrops incessantly pelted the window glass, clinging for a moment before sliding down.

It had rained frequently lately. Whenever it rained, the temperature dropped, making it cold even now, when spring was nearly over. Once this rain stopped, it would likely remain cold for another day or two.

“It’s especially intense today…”

Jung Tae-ui muttered to himself as he stared blankly at the raindrops frantically drumming against the glass door leading to the courtyard. While it rained every few days, today was exceptionally violent.

But he liked this, too.

The sound of the rain drumming on the outside of the thick glass door did not reach the interior. He could only see the currents of water shimmering and blurring the glass in silence.

It felt as if the world were submerged in water.

And deep beneath that, quietly and languidly, Jung Tae-ui lay. Beneath the lush curtains draped behind the sofa, in a spot rarely noticed by others.

From the curtains, which had been washed and dried crisp on yesterday’s sunny day, a faint, fresh scent wafted. It was a crisp, pleasant scent that suited a rainy day like this perfectly.

It was a place where Jung Tae-ui often rolled around.

Although by now everyone in the house knew that Tae-ui enjoyed lying there, it was still the perfect spot—hidden from view, filled with sunlight when it was bright, and capable of being shaded by pulling the curtains when the sun became too intense.

When Rita first caught him, she warned him two or three times not to lie on the dusty floor in such a corner. However, after witnessing him desperately curling his body in that narrow space to avoid being seen by her, visit [Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels]our siteshe either felt pity or found him pathetic, and stopped nagging him. Thus, the corner behind the living room sofa became Jung Tae-ui’s territory.

He was satisfied.

On afternoons when a chick-like, soft sunlight poured in, there was nothing better than opening the glass door, feeling the faint breeze, and taking a short nap in the shade of the curtains. Or, on days like today when the rain poured, he enjoyed feeling the slightly cool touch of the floor while listening to the distant, barely audible sound of the rain.

Except for the times when Ilay, who had been holed up in the study or his room doing something, would come out, sit on the sofa flipping through a newspaper, and pretend not to notice while letting his arm hang over the sofa to press down on Jung Tae-ui—otherwise, this spot was a highly satisfactory resting space.

“This is nice…”

Sighing languidly, Jung Tae-ui murmured to himself and closed his eyes.

Today was a ‘perfectly stable day.’

His heart wasn’t fluttering like it did on sunny days, nor was it an anxious day with thunder and lightning. Since Kyle had returned home early today, everyone who should be in the house was present, leaving no empty spaces. There were no urgent tasks to attend to, nor any incidents or accidents to cloud his mind.

“It’s nice. Just perfect.”

He murmured once more.

Could there be a more comfortable life for a hanger-on?

In this house, where he had become so accustomed that he didn’t even think of himself as a hanger-on unless he consciously reminded himself, Jung Tae-ui was rolling around peacefully.

Come to think of it, Jung Tae-ui had spent several years living like this. Unless he made [stolen content]content -->a conscious effort to go on vacation, he usually didn’t leave the neighborhood. stolen contentThe boundary he could walk freely within was limited to the immediate vicinity. Though it was largely a formality, Jung Tae-ui was, unfortunately, still an internationally wanted man.

The truly vicious fugitive staying in the same house, however, went about his business without any hesitation. For reasons unknown, he would occasionally go quite far for work and not return for several days.

In those moments, Jung Tae-ui felt the unfairness of the world, but it wasn’t something that upset him deeply. He wasn’t the type of person to feel suffocated just by staying indoors. Regardless, the tasks Kyle dumped on him, asking for help, would take Jung Tae-ui several times longer than they would for someone like James, Kyle’s skilled assistant, who could finish them in half a day. And unfortunately, Kyle’s company seemed to be prospering daily, as the workload never ceased.

Yeah, thinking about it, I’m not such a shameless hanger-on. I’m helping out with work quite diligently, after all.

Jung Tae-ui nodded with pride, recalling the bundle of files he had processed late into the night yesterday and handed over to James this morning.

Whatever. In a long life, what does a few years of prison matter? Where else could there be a prison as comfortable and luxurious as this? It’s a bit a pity that I can’t go see the faces I miss whenever I want, but they’re all incredibly busy people anyway. Besides, though it’s very rare, some of them do come to visit me. Like my uncle, who came two and a half years ago and stayed for exactly one day.

Now that I think about it, it should be vacation season for them soon. I wonder if he’ll come this way this time, Jung Tae-ui thought as he shifted his body. Though “shifting” merely meant squeezing himself into a slightly different direction within the space.

“You’re not a cat.”

Suddenly, a voice sounded from above his head.

A faint shadow was reflected on the glass door where the rain was creating ripple patterns.

Turning his head slightly, he saw that vicious fugitive, the international terrorist Ilay Riegrow, who had been holed up in his room since lunch tapping away at a laptop.

“It’s not as narrow as it looks. Though for you to lie down, it might be a bit… If you can, try lying down.”

Jung Tae-ui shifted clumsily in the space where he barely fit, pretending to make some room. An indifferent gaze looked down silently at the corner, [Read on Read BL Novels[Read on Read BL Novels][stolen content]style="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]which was less than a palm’s width of extra space.

“…”

“…”

“Then, why don’t you try lying—”

“My apologies. I spoke without thinking.”

As Ilay took a step forward with the same indifferent expression, actually intending to lie down, Jung Tae-ui spoke quickly and hurried back to his original position.

To begin with, the space was too tight for someone significantly taller and broader than Jung Tae-ui to lie in alone.

He had said it as a joke, but after the words left his mouth, he realized Ilay wasn’t the kind of person such jokes worked on. If Jung Tae-ui hadn’t retreated quickly, Ilay would have truly flattened him.

As Jung Tae-ui sprawled out with an air of absolute refusal to move, Ilay let out a short laugh. Then, he sat obediently on the sofa. Perhaps having no intention of disturbing Tae-ui’s rest, the rustling sound of him flipping through the evening newspaper, which had been delivered in plastic packaging about half an hour ago, could be heard.

“Any interesting news?”

“Not really.”

The brief conversation ended there.

Jung Tae-ui rolled over again to face the outside.

He could see the courtyard where the heavy rain was still pouring. He felt sorry for the short trees that Peter had neatly trimmed just yesterday.

From the courtyard, enclosed by a low fence of antique iron bars, the street outside was visible. Located deep in an alley even within a quiet and spacious residential area, this house had almost no passersby due to its location. Anyone who came close enough to see the courtyard was almost certainly visiting the house. Therefore, if he saw people, it was usually those passing through the small intersection a couple of blocks away.

However, today, perhaps because of the fierce wind and rain, no one was seen on the road. Indeed, on a day like this, anyone would want to drink tea inside a warm house.

“…”

He wondered if he should fry up some savory pancakes, but since dinner would be in another hour or two, he could easily imagine the displeased look Rita would give him. Moreover, the rice wine he had procured a while ago had run out recently. Pancakes and beer weren’t bad, but they weren’t the best combination…

Jung Tae-ui smacked his lips with a hint of regret.

It was around then.

Beyond the fence, amidst the rain that thoroughly soaked the street, a shimmering figure appeared. The figure, appearing after turning the corner at the end of the alley, gradually drew closer.

A tall man, his face almost hidden by a black umbrella held low. A sophisticated black suit, black tie, and black shoes. Except for the ivory dress shirt, he was dressed entirely in black, yet he didn’t give off a dark or gloomy impression. Perhaps it was because of his relaxed pace, as if he were enjoying a stroll even in such a violent downpour.

Someone’s visiting the house.

Jung Tae-ui suddenly thought so for no particular reason.

“Looks like a guest is coming.”

He muttered abruptly, as if talking to himself. Although the voice must have been clearly heard, there was no answer from the sofa. Only the sound of the newspaper flipping, as if he hadn’t heard, came back in response.

Just then, the grandfather clock in one corner of the living room began to chime. The pendulum swung heavily and slowly, and a familiar sound rang out slowly five times.

When the lingering resonance of that slow sound finally ceased, the intercom rang. He heard Rita’s light footsteps approaching from the kitchen. Her voice followed as she had a brief conversation with the security guard. The guest would likely be entering soon.

Since a guest is here, should I get up? While thinking this, Jung Tae-ui continued to linger, lying in that corner.

He hadn’t been lying there for long. He felt just right at the moment. Moreover, above all, the guests of this house were different from guests at other houses. Since it had become a daily routine for outsiders called ‘guests’ to barge in and stay, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of novelty.

No, still, there’s basic etiquette. I should get up.

Just as Jung Tae-ui was tensing his stomach to rise from his spot, a newspaper suddenly flew over his face.

Having finished the evening edition in that short time, Ilay had flicked the newspaper over the back of the sofa, and it landed with a rustle, covering his face. It didn’t hurt much, but the pages fluttered, sliding from his head down to the floor and scattering.

“What are you—”

“Is he here?”

But before Jung Tae-ui could voice his grumpy complaint, there was a sign of Kyle coming down from the upstairs study. Creak, creak, the wooden stairs groaned faintly.

As Kyle took the final step down to the first floor, the front door opened.

Still sitting on the floor behind the sofa with the newspaper covering him, Jung Tae-ui saw the man who entered along with the strong scent of rain.

After placing the black umbrella in the stand outside the front door, the man slowly raised his head to look at Kyle. Then, he looked at Ilay sitting on the sofa.

A smile slowly spread across the man’s calm expression. The corners of his eyes and mouth curved ever so slightly. Only then could Jung Tae-ui see the man properly.

The first impression that hit him was one of solidity. Like a cold stone, it felt as if not a single needle could penetrate him anywhere. The only part that seemed slightly relaxed was his smiling face, but even that gave the impression that he ‘would not be easy.’

Jung Tae-ui scratched his head vigorously.

Among Kyle’s friends or other people who visited this house, there were occasionally people like that. People who seemed like they would be handfuls.

This man would be no different—if anything, he’d be worse.

If there was one redeeming quality, it was that compared to other formidable people he had seen, this man had a far superior impression. That pitch-black attire, which would look gloomy on anyone else and be more suited for a funeral, looked sophisticated and neat on him.

It wasn’t easy to have such a good impression while possessing such an unusual aura. My, my.

Jung Tae-ui looked at the man with a feeling that was almost admiring. Although, from his current position, he couldn’t see him clearly, blocked by flowerpots and scholar’s stones.

While lost in these thoughts, Jung Tae-ui missed his timing to come out.

“Welcome. It’s been a while. It must have been difficult coming through the rain.”

“Not at all. It had been a long time since I’d seen rain, so I intentionally got off at the main road and walked. Have you both been well?”

“Hmm? I feel like it’s rained quite often lately. Did it not rain where you are?”

Kyle guided the man into the living room and sat in a spot perpendicular to the couch where Ilay was sitting. The man sat opposite him.

Now in a position where he could no longer see the man, Jung Tae-ui blinked for a moment, then sighed quietly and leaned back against the sofa. Sitting back-to-back with Ilay, separated by the thick backrest of the sofa, he looked out at the pouring rain once more.

The man’s slightly slow and unique way of speaking had a subtle Austrian accent mixed in, which suited his appearance and was pleasant to hear.

“I didn’t know the eastern corner of Germany was so vast. It poured heavily in Berlin four times this month, but you didn’t even see rain in Dresden…?”

Ilay’s voice, muttering with a smirk, was heard right behind his back.

Seriously, it’s so hard for kind words to come out of that mouth.

Jung Tae-ui needlessly tapped the sofa with his head. Of course, there was no response.

But as he said, it was indeed strange if one hadn’t seen rain for a while in a place less than 200 kilometers from Berlin.

“No, I was in Riyadh since March. I only just returned a few days ago.”

The man spoke in a comfortable tone, as Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]if he were well-acquainted with Ilay, and smiled. Jung Tae-ui, who had been yawning, snapped his mouth shut. Then he rolled his eyes.

Riyadh… He hadn’t expected to hear that painful place name.

Wasn’t that where the incident occurred that led to the man sitting right behind him being upgraded to an internationally wanted terrorist?

“Aha, I see. The rain in Germany wouldn’t have reached the Middle East.”

However, the terrorist’s older brother responded nonchalantly with a smile, and the terrorist himself didn’t seem to mind.

“Riyadh. Come to think of it, the anniversary is not far off.”

While Kyle spoke as if remembering, the clear sound of teacups clinking softly rang out. A moment later, a warm fragrance brushed past his nose. It was the black tea brewed by Rita.

If I stood up now and asked Rita to brew a cup for me too… forget it. Before I’m glared to death.

The conversation paused for a moment, as if everyone were drinking tea simultaneously.

Jung Tae-ui closed his eyes, inhaling the lingering scent of black tea.

Come to think of it, Ilay, who usually didn’t care whether Kyle had guests or not, was somehow drinking tea with them today. Well, he couldn’t see if he was actually drinking it or not. Or perhaps he wasn’t Kyle’s guest, but Ilay’s.

But before Jung Tae-ui’s question could reach a conclusion, regardless of whose guest he was, Ilay spoke, breaking the lukewarm silence.

“So, what about the succession issue?”

It was blatantly obvious that he found it tedious and wanted to wrap up the conversation quickly. Despite having just sat down, the man showed no sign of awkwardness and leisurely set down his teacup.

“There are a little less than four months left until the decision date.”

“Four months… I feel like it’s already been decided who it will be, so I wonder if there’s any need to wait, but well, those are the regulations.”

This voice, mixed with a somewhat calm laugh, belonged to Kyle.

“Well. One cannot know for sure until it goes to the end.”

The man’s voice was equally calm.

From that polite and smiling tone, Jung Tae-ui was able to grasp at least one thread of this mysterious conversation.

In a situation where a decision was pending, this man held the upper hand. And it was almost absolute.

Kyle was naturally prone to speaking kindly to others, but he never offered excessive praise that didn’t align with reality.

“So, who will be taking charge of this?”

The man finally spoke.

For a brief moment, silence fell again. In that subtle silence, Jeong Tae-ui somehow found it [visit our site]style="display:none;" aria-label="stolen content">stolen contentincreasingly difficult to leave.

He couldn’t stay in this corner forever, so he had planned to find a suitable opening to pretend he had just woken up and stand up groggily, but the atmosphere felt strange. Sitting here like this also felt, how should he put it, like he was eavesdropping, which wasn’t particularly comfortable.

…Then again, at least the person sitting in the seat behind him knew he was stubbornly sticking it out here. If that were the case, there was no need to feel so uneasy.

Jeong Tae-ui imagined himself suddenly popping out with a shout of “Surprise!” before shaking his head. In a situation already filled with such an odd silence, doing something like that would likely land him as a topic of conversation for a long time in that mouth, which rarely uttered kind words.

“I’ll do it.”

After a short silence, the one who spoke readily was Ilay.

“Provided you don’t mind, that is.”

Ilay added those words while slowly tapping the armrest of the couch with his finger—tap, tap. As he often did when lost in thought.

Glancing sideways at those pale, long fingers appearing in glimpses, Jeong Tae-ui sighed.

Something about… this fragmented conversation made the development completely incomprehensible, but regardless, it seemed Ilay had agreed to do something.

He felt a strange sensation. It was extremely rare for this man to so readily grant someone else’s request. He had even added the kind phrase, ‘Provided you don’t mind.’

Feeling almost deeply moved, Jeong Tae-ui leaned back against the sofa and watched the ripple patterns forming on the glass door, and in the reflection of the interior on that glass, he saw the man nodding.

“Either way is fine. Then, I’ll leave it in your hands.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man stood up without hesitation. After giving Ilay a nod of farewell, he turned back to Kyle.

“Then, I shall take my leave now.”

…Huh?

Jeong Tae-ui blinked, staring intently at the man reflected in the glass door.

He hadn’t even been in the house for long. Barely enough time for a single cup of tea to be finished. After exchanging only a few words without any particular discussion, he was already standing up to leave. It was faster than a visit from an insurance agent or a door-to-door salesman.

He could have just talked over the phone, how strange… While Jeong Tae-ui was thinking this, the man headed toward the entrance, and Kyle saw him out, as if he had expected such an attitude.

Soon, a few parting words were heard from the entrance, followed by the clink of the front door closing. Shortly after, the man’s figure appeared again beyond the glass door, in the outer courtyard.

Just as he had when he arrived, the man walked leisurely through the heavy rain that lashed beneath his umbrella. As he walked along the wall toward the main road, he suddenly stopped. And he looked at something.

Jeong Tae-ui, who had been watching the man without much thought, followed his gaze. What he was looking at were the climbing roses blooming along the wall.

Small yet brilliant rosebuds, with layers of petals mixed in deep apricot and crimson, grew along the wall. They were swaying in the battering wind and rain.

The man was looking at those flowers lovingly. A smile touched the corners of his eyes, as if those tiny, brilliant blossoms enduring the storm were the most beautiful things in the world.

A man who loves flowers. That’s romantic and nice.

Watching him enjoy the lovely flowers Peter had painstakingly planted, Jeong Tae-ui nodded with satisfaction. It made him feel good to see someone who could appreciate beauty in the small things around them.

The man switched the umbrella to his left hand and carefully caressed a flower with his right. A warm smile spread across his face.

A handsome man on a rainy day, lovely roses, a warm touch—Jeong Tae-ui was watching the atmosphere created by these things with contentment, when he suddenly froze.

The man’s fingers, which had been stroking the petals, were crushing them. All while maintaining that gentle smile.

“…Peter will…”

Peter will be heartbroken… That was the only thought that came to mind.

While Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly, the man rubbed the red sap that seeped out from a crushed petal with his finger, tapped the petal as if it were cute, and then walked away.

Watching the man’s receding back with his mouth agape, Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head.

“Good grief,” Jeong Tae-ui muttered as he stood up. Seeing this, Kyle, who was returning from the entrance, widened his eyes in surprise.

“You were there?”

“Ah, yes. I was about to get up, but the atmosphere was a bit… I ended up unintentionally eavesdropping while you were talking to your friend. I’m sorry.”

Jeong Tae-ui gave Kyle a slight bow.

However, considering Kyle’s unusual behavior—not even making a token effort to stop the man from leaving—perhaps that man wasn’t actually Kyle’s friend, but someone he got along poorly with and had only visited out of necessity for business.

“Still, he had such a good impression…”

He was a man with an impression so good that he wouldn’t be out of place as a gentle and upright friend of Kyle’s.

As Jeong Tae-ui muttered to himself, Ilay, who was sitting on the sofa in front of him, glanced over.

“A good impression? That guy from just now?”

“Yeah, he seemed nice. His quiet way of speaking, too.”

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui wondered if he had said something wrong. It was because Ilay was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

After staring for a long while, Ilay clicked his tongue softly.

“First that Chinese brat, and now saying that absolute pervert has a good impression… This guy’s eye for people is really…”

No matter how much he thought about it, the omitted end of the sentence didn’t seem like it would be a compliment, so Jeong Tae-ui glared and was about to shout, ‘What about my eye for people!’ but Ilay was already looking elsewhere. He was slowly tapping the armrest with his fingertips again.

An absolute pervert? That man from just now? He looked perfectly normal and polished.

Jeong Tae-ui recalled the memory with great suspicion. The man who had briefly visited and left the house had been polite and affectionate throughout. He didn’t have the face of someone who would be cursed at anywhere.

Then again, you can’t tell by appearances. Even the man sitting right in front of him looked perfectly fine if you only looked at his eyelids.

While Jeong Tae-ui gazed blankly at Ilay, Kyle sat down in the seat opposite him. Kyle was as silent as Ilay, who was lost in thought while tapping the armrest.

In the middle of them, Jeong Tae-ui stared vacantly at the two men, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I guess he wasn’t a very welcome guest. I thought he was Kyle’s friend… but it seems he might have known Ilay.”

Jeong Tae-ui spoke up as he sat between the two. Without moving an inch from his pensive posture, Ilay only shifted his gaze to Jeong Tae-ui.

“Was he a troublesome guest? He mentioned something about succession… and it seems he’s been to Saudi Arabia.”

As Jeong Tae-ui continued, Ilay stared at him for a moment before curling the corner of his mouth up, as if he had thought of something.

“Aha, I see you can understand German quite well now.”

“Huh?” Jeong Tae-ui asked back with a face that said, Why are you bringing that up now?

“I’m still not fluent in speaking, but listening and reading are okay. …I’ve lived here for this long; what would people think if I hadn’t adapted at least that much?”

“Right. I suppose in an environment surrounded by a foreign language, [stolen content]aria-label="stolen content">stolen contentone has no choice but to become proficient, even if they hate it. However…”

Ilay’s eyes narrowed. Those eyes, which looked like they were smiling in a way, felt somehow ominous, so Jeong Tae-ui narrowed his own eyes and shut his mouth.

“Everyone at home only speaks English, but don’t you think you’re excessively fluent for that?”

Hearing those words in that subtle tone, Jeong Tae-ui went blank for a moment. Soon, he arched his eyebrows and glared at him displeasedly.

“Why are you suddenly picking a fight over something you never did before? Do I only stay inside the house? I go for walks nearby sometimes. Besides, I don’t know how long I’ll have to live like this, so of course I learned German.”

“Right. Then don’t go out for the time being.”

“…What?”

The conversation, which had been flowing so naturally, suddenly hit a wall. It felt as if it had been flowing A, B, C, D and then suddenly Z popped out.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll be away from home for a while, so I mean you should look after the house while I’m gone.”

“Huh? Where are you going?”

In the flow of the conversation, the part he should have dug into was ‘don’t go out,’ but Jeong Tae-ui had been momentarily lured by the previous statement. However, no answer to that question came back.

Ilay was staring into space with eyes that held a strange glint on his expressionless face, as if he were facing something exciting. visit Read unauthorized copyon Read BL Novelsour siteHis long fingers moved rhythmically—tap, tap.

Seriously, this guy just stops talking in the middle of a conversation…

Jeong Tae-ui briefly considered snapping his fingers to get his attention, but he quickly gave up. Even when lost in thought, Ilay wasn’t the type of person who couldn’t perceive his surroundings. He was the kind of man who could process hundreds of thoughts simultaneously while keeping a close eye on everything happening beside him.

In other words, it meant he had no intention of answering. And there was no one in this world who could force him to do something he didn’t want to.

Then again, he wasn’t the type to report every single thing he did.

Jeong Tae-ui sighed lightly and scratched his head.

He didn’t know where he was going or what he intended to do, but he hoped for good luck in the future. Though most misfortune would likely flee before those menacing hands.

Jeong Tae-ui turned his gaze to look outside. The rain seemed to have eased slightly, but the world was still submerged in water.

And in the midst of it, the trace left behind by the guest in black who had suddenly arrived and suddenly vanished remained intact upon the climbing roses.