1.5 bonus track

One afternoon, Kyle was sitting in his study, leisurely drinking tea on a rare day off.

When he pressed a button on the component, Bach flowed from the speakers. Listening to the majestic first passage, he picked up the empty case of a record he had set aside a few days ago.

BWV 244.

Although he was Catholic, Kyle was not a particularly religious or pious man, but this was one of the records he enjoyed listening to very much.

“Erbarm dich unser, O Jesu…….”

Kyle, who had become immersed and was humming along with the chorale, felt extremely satisfied. He began to gesture unconsciously, and only when he felt the tea splashing from the teacup in his hand did he snap his eyes open.

“Oops…. I made such a mistake….”

Fortunately, he had almost finished his tea, so only a few drops had spilled. However, seeing the droplets of tea rolling onto the book he had left open beneath it, Kyle looked dismayed, quickly set down the teacup, and pulled out a tissue.

“Tsk tsk, on such a precious book….”

Carefully picking up the old, yellowed book that looked as if it should be preserved in a museum’s glass case, Kyle tapped it gently with the tissue and clicked his tongue.

This book was one example, but most of the books shelved in this study were items he had acquired through immense effort. Among them were a few books that he might never be able to find again in his entire life. They were truly treasure-like books. Among them, the book that had most recently brought Kyle joy was—.

As soon as that thought occurred, Kyle’s complexion turned pale. The headache that had barely subsided felt as if it were about to return.

There was a book that Kyle, having grown impatient after it passed through agent after agent from far-off Egypt, had gone to Cairo himself to retrieve. It was a very recent event.

But now, that book was not in his possession.

“My book… my blood-and-sweat Einer Meurs….”

His heart ached just thinking about it. The devilish face that had snatched away that precious book came to mind.

Kyle rubbed his aching chest, hoping that the book would return to his hands without any trouble.

Anyway, I wonder if he managed to find my prized book safely. No, before that, I wonder if….

Kyle muttered, “Hmm,” as he slid a book into an empty slot.

It was then.

The phone began to ring with a quiet sound.

Glancing over, a familiar number was displayed on the screen.

“Aha…. I wonder what this friend wants now.”

Kyle lowered the volume of the component and pressed the button on the phone. Soon, a familiar face appeared on the screen.

‘Yo. How have you been?’

“I’m the same as always. What’s up? Any good news?”

‘Well, I just called to check in. If you want some good news, I suppose it’s that the hooligans from Europe have finally gone back [Read [visit our site]on Read BL Novels]now that the joint training is over?’

“Aha, you worked hard.”

Kyle examined the face of his old friend reflected on the screen.

It seemed the UNHRDO’s regular joint training had just ended. Among them, the training between the European and Asian branches was famous for being rough, and the instructors, who had to absorb all that trouble, were bound to suffer in various ways during that period.

However, this friend, who served as an instructor at UNHRDO’s Asian branch, showed no signs of hardship; his expression was simply sunny.

“It seems it was a bit easier this time.”

‘Yeah. Since there are no more famous psychos like a certain someone, there’s nothing to stress over.’

As his friend casually badmouthed someone’s younger brother with a beaming smile, Kyle smiled back and agreed.

“Of course, that would be the case. If that famous psycho weren’t currently entrenched in my house, I would have purely rejoiced in your luck.”

‘Hahaha, what can you do, he was born that way. The world is truly fair. Isn’t it?’

The friend laughed nonchalantly, sending a thorn hidden in his words. It was simply sad that he couldn’t refute it.

Kyle had a younger brother with a personality that was second to none.

Originally, family is something you cannot choose. Children cannot choose their parents, and parents cannot choose which children to give birth to. Siblings are no different.

The parents given to Kyle without choice were very wonderful. Setting aside the external factor of being born with a silver spoon, he believed they were good parents.

However, as if a person cannot have everything, and with great fairness, the sibling given to Kyle without choice was utterly not wonderful, as if to balance the scales of fortune and misfortune.

His younger sister was fine. That sociable, spirited, and lovely girl had met a sturdy man, married well, and was now living a happy life across the ocean with her husband and two daughters as pretty as she was. The problem was the other sibling.

He had come to accept it now, but for many years, that brother had been his greatest source of agony. There were several times he had almost died at his brother’s hands.

‘Right, speaking of which, how is Rick doing?’

“Seeing as there’s no news, he seems to be doing well.”

‘He’s still in Dresden, right?’

“He is. ……Well, surely he wouldn’t cause harm to that guy there.”

If he could cause harm, it wouldn’t matter, but he wouldn’t do so there, even if he did elsewhere. That is what a deep-rooted relationship between families spanning long ages is all about.

‘Haha, is he the kind of person who would be easily harmed? Right, how about our nephew, who is probably lounging around now that he’s escaped that guy’s clutches? Is he doing well?’

“Hmm? Ah—… you mean Tae-yi…….”

Kyle trailed off. It was a very brief hesitation, but his friend was not one to miss such a short gap.

‘What’s wrong? Is there a problem? Is he sick or something?’

“No, no. He’s perfectly fine. Healthy as a horse, without a single ache. …At least, he was the last time I saw him a few days ago.”

‘A few days ago? Then right now—.’

Just as his friend was about to speak in confusion.

As if timed perfectly on purpose, a series of beeps—beep, beep, beep—interrupted the friend’s words, signaling a call waiting.

“Ah, a call. One moment. …This brat can’t even be a decent human being.”

Kyle, who had been about to put his friend on hold, reflexively frowned upon seeing the blue blinking numbers beneath his friend’s face on the screen.

It was his younger brother.

And right now, Kyle had a hunch as to why his brother would suddenly call at this hour.

“This guy is probably trying to eat me alive again. Please stay on the line so I can survive this encounter.”

‘What?’

Ignoring his friend’s bewildered expression, Kyle pressed the conference call button.

As soon as a short mechanical tone sounded and the call connected, a low, dry voice rang out desolately.

‘You sent that guy here, didn’t you, brother?’

Kyle understood the meaning of those words perfectly, despite them being blurted out without any context.

“I see you’ve finally crossed paths. You managed to find each other in that massive mansion. I thought you might actually avoid each other until the very end.”

‘What were you thinking sending him here in this situation? Have you lost your mind in the meantime?’

“Let me tell you now, I had absolutely no other intention. Chris took my book, so I simply asked him to retrieve it for me. Do you even know what he took? It’s a 1908 first edition of Einer Miersch!”

He must have spoken too passionately. As he talked, his emotions surged, and by the time he finished, his voice had risen a pitch.

“Or, you could recover the book from Chris and have Tae-yi bring it back to me.”

When Kyle composed himself and lowered his voice again, silence returned from the other end of the line. Looking now, his friend, who [stolen content]had been listening silently while occupying half of the screen, finally seemed to grasp [Read on Read BL Novels]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen content]the context of the conversation and nodded with an understanding look.

‘…I’m going to burn that damn book.’

Why did that low voice sound so vivid?

Kyle almost let out a hiccup.

“Hey, you brat!! Burn what, what!!”

‘If you don’t like that, you shouldn’t have done something like this in the first place.’

In contrast to Kyle’s voice, which had risen to the point of tearing, his brother spoke slowly, as if he had calmed down a bit.

Only Kyle’s sharp, ragged breathing and his brother’s cold, silent stillness flowed between them.

And in the midst of that, the friend who had been keeping silent suddenly began to laugh softly.

Finding the situation quite amusing, the [stolen [visit our site]content]laughter grew louder, to the point where it grated on the nerves of the displeased Kyle.

“What is so funny that you’re laughing like that?”

‘No, it’s not that it’s funny, per se… but don’t you think you’re overworking our nephew a bit too much?’

The friend’s voice remained consistently cheerful as he added, asking what the intention was in sending him to a death trap instead of letting him rest for once. There aren’t many people who can sound so lively while reprimanding someone for sending their nephew into a death trap. Could there be another uncle as heartless as this one?

“Look, Chang-in. Since you mentioned overworking him, let me tell you, there is no one who treasures your nephew more than I do.”

He could guarantee that he treasured him more than the uncle who was laughing heartlessly from afar.

Well, in reality, he had no way of knowing how much that friend actually treasured his nephew since he hadn’t been inside the man’s head, but Kyle sincerely cherished Jeong Tae-ui. It was rare these days to find a young man who was so sturdy and upright, yet flexible. Moreover, he currently felt more like family than his own biological brother.

It was just as Kyle was boasting about his affection for Jeong Tae-ui.

Suddenly, a short, scoffing sound leaked through.

The source of the sound was his brother. That desolate face, openly mocking him without even trying visit our site[stolen content]END: visit our site -->to hide his expression of absurdity.

“…….”

Kyle fell silent for a moment.

His friend, who likely felt a sentiment similar to that indescribable silence, eventually spoke quietly.

‘Rick… it’s not that I particularly want to deny your opinion, but wouldn’t it be better to exclude methods that are “wrong” from the definition of “treasuring” someone?’

‘As you wish.’

His brother replied nonchalantly with a tilt of his head.

Interpret it however you like, and I’ll interpret it however I like—hearing the voice that perfectly embodied that meaning, Kyle sank into a heavy mood. Only then did he think that he had done something truly terrible to Jeong Tae-ui.

He should have let them be apart for even a few more months; why had he pushed him into the cage of a beast with its jaws wide open?

Muttering apologies in his heart now was too late. Besides, if he thought positively—

“Look, Chang-in. Death trap, my foot. With that guy standing guard, who would dare harm Tae-yi?”

The person who causes the greatest harm would block all the other minor and trivial harms.

The latter part, which he didn’t say out loud, seemed to have reached his friend’s ears clearly enough. The friend nodded with a still-cheerful face.

‘Right, I suppose so. It would be a lie to say I’m not worried at all, but it does ease my anxiety a bit.’

Kyle felt a slight pang of guilt at his friend’s addition, wishing for peace in the future of his poor nephew. After all, the biggest culprit who would disrupt that peace was his own flesh and blood.

“Still, Chang-in, believe me. I sincerely treasure your nephew.”

‘Aha, of course.’

Fortunately, the friend seemed to believe Kyle’s words and answered readily. Meanwhile, his brother remained silent, leaving it unclear whether he believed him or not.

Kyle’s rock-solid friend then muttered, as if suddenly remembering something.

‘Right, then Tae-yi must be with Chris right now.’

The moment those words dropped, a brief silence fell over the line again.

After quietly reflecting on the hidden meaning behind those words, Kyle muttered gloomily to his friend once more.

“……I’m sorry…….”

Chris. Christoph Tarten.

A man who was notoriously infamous in the former private mobile task force of T&R. The protagonist of the European version of the killing fields.

Since he had dropped Jeong Tae-ui right in front of that fastidious and unpredictable man, Kyle’s sin was great, even though he had done it knowingly.

“But Tae-yi will probably be fine… he’ll be fine.”

The words he added without confidence were repeated more firmly a moment later. For Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novelsone, Ilay is there too… he started to say, but then he shut his mouth. Then, he suddenly thought of Christoph.

Come to think of it, Christoph wasn’t just Ilay’s childhood friend. Although there was a significant age gap, they met often as children due to family relations. Whenever both families had some event, large or small, they would send word to each other.

And so, Kyle, who was much older than them, would watch from the side as the children of similar ages—mostly Ilay and those around him—gathered to play or fight.

Among them, Christoph was undoubtedly the most striking child. Even now, in Kyle’s memory, Chris stood out vividly among those mediocre children.

It wasn’t simply because of his looks. While he had an exceptionally striking appearance from a very young age, it wasn’t just because of his looks that he remained so vividly in Kyle’s memory.

Very occasionally, in a fleeting moment, Kyle could see it. What was—or wasn’t—inside those cold eyes as the boy watched the other children from a step away.

He couldn’t clearly identify what it was. It felt as if he could grasp it, yet it remained elusive. It was because the boy possessed something Kyle did not, and Kyle possessed something the boy did not.

However, that thing, which appeared like a flash in an unexpected moment, as if it hadn’t been seen at all, remained in his heart. As desolate as those blue eyes that stared blankly at the children.

That was why Kyle wasn’t surprised even when he heard news of Christoph. When he heard that he had gone as a mercenary to some civil war and killed many, or that he had eliminated someone, or that he had become a subject of controversy for how he solved a certain incident, Kyle would mutter, “He really is a guy whose inside is different from his outside,” yet in a corner of his heart, he found himself naturally accepting it.

Or, when many people who knew his true nature were horrified that he had readily offered his own blood to a dying child he had never met, Kyle nodded, thinking that if it were Chris, Read on Read BL Novelshe might do that. No, perhaps he would have cut out his own organs and given them on the spot if necessary. unauthorized stolen contentcopySlitting his own stomach with an expressionless face. Not out of a good deed or anything, but out of a simple whim.

Christoph could do that. Because he possessed some things, but lacked others. Different from others from the very beginning.

In the same vein as that inexplicable acceptance, Kyle thought somewhere in his heart while sending Jeong Tae-ui: Tae-yi will be fine.

“Yes. Tae-yi will be fine.”

At least he wouldn’t be harmed by Christoph; for no particular reason, Kyle thought so.

‘Sigh… if you put it that way, I have no choice but to believe you.’

The friend, who had been quietly watching Kyle and listening to his words from inside the screen, eventually spoke with a gentle smile. Hearing the words of his old friend, Kyle’s heart calmed down significantly.

Yes, Tae-yi will be fine. Even if he isn’t, he’ll make sure he’s fine again somehow.

Moreover, although it might not be a fortunate thing for Jeong Tae-ui himself, he had that monster of a brother by his side.

“Anyway, you’re there. unauthorized copystyle="font-size:0;color:transparent;display:inline;">stolen contentWith you there, there’s nothing to worry about regarding Tae-yi.”

Kyle spoke to his brother as if it were nothing. In the corner of his vision, he saw his friend narrowing his eyes.

Yes, I know. I know very well that my skill in wagging my tongue has become remarkably proficient compared to the past.

Kyle sighed inwardly, reflecting on his reality. Well, even if he said things that sounded good to the ear, his brother wasn’t the type of person for whom such things would be effective.

Sure enough, there was no particular reaction from his brother. He simply gave a displeased answer, as if he had heard something obvious: ‘Does that mean you can just make things tedious for me?’

However, thinking about it from another perspective, the brother—who was most likely the person one should actually worry about—frowned and clicked his tongue softly.

‘If things get “fine” in a bothersome direction, it’s a pain for me.’

“Bothersome direction? …Did Tae-yi cause some kind of accident?”

He’s not the type to cause an accident first, though he might get caught up in one, Kyle asked, but his brother didn’t answer, slowly tapping the table as if lost in thought. Only the sound of tap, tap on the table could be heard. Then, after a few seconds, he stopped his finger.

‘No… whatever. That guy’s [visit unauthorized copyour site]preference is a face like candy or sweets, so he doesn’t fit the type.’

Kyle frowned, wondering what that meant, but no further answer came. The friend also slightly raised an eyebrow, appearing to chew over the thought, but said nothing.

A preference for a face like candy or sweets… Could this possibly be…

Kyle followed the direction of the conversation, reached a certain imaginary conclusion, and then shook his head.

It was true that Jeong Tae-ui seemed a bit unlucky, but it didn’t seem like he completely lacked an eye for people. He didn’t seem like the type to carefully choose and then walk straight into a fire.

Regardless, for now, he could only watch. Praying for their peaceful return.

To Kyle, who was praying inwardly, his brother clicked his tongue and spoke.

‘It’s become a hassle, but since it’s come to this, there’s nothing I can do. Just forget any hope that the book will return safely.’

With those words, the call was unilaterally disconnected. And at the same time, Kyle’s peace ended.

Hey, don’t you dare touch that book, don’t touch it! he shouted repeatedly, but since the call was already cut, his voice couldn’t reach the other unauthorized copyenstolen contentd, and only empty shouts echoed like a void.

In contrast to the storm-tossed Kyle, his friend muttered placidly.

‘It seems some minor things have happened in the meantime. It’s becoming worthwhile to call and check in occasionally.’

Had his friend’s laughter ever been this obnoxious?

“You fellow. It’s Einer Miersch… I’m telling you, it’s a first edition of Einer Miersch…….”

‘Ah, my Einer Miersch is safely enshrined in my safe. I hope you manage to defend yours well, too.’

Kyle thought that he had never found this friend more obnoxious than he did right now. He wondered if the man was secretly enjoying the misfortune of Kyle making his nephew suffer.

Now, he could only count the days until Jeong Tae-ui successfully completed his mission and returned.

 

2.0 prologue

He had a choice.

It was not a choice given under unfair circumstances.

He knew exactly what he would gain and what he would lose depending on which of the two options before him he chose.

The result of that choice would drastically alter the course of his future life. Depending on his decision, he might have to do things he didn’t want to do for a while, or perhaps for a very long time. However, he could also obtain numerous things that most people—those who never had such a choice—would never even get to glimpse in their entire lives. Therefore, he had to be cautious.

The first time such a choice came to him was when he was only seven years old.

But no one could shield him by saying he was too young to make such an important decision. The situation was neither unfair nor unjust. The four or five other children who were given the same choice were around the same age. The oldest among them was eight, while the youngest had only just turned five.

“Well. Will you do it, or will you not?”

The man’s soft voice, as he addressed the gathered children, did not implicitly force any particular choice. Everything depended entirely on the children themselves.

The children all seemed to be thinking deeply. Though young, they vaguely sensed how important this choice was. [Read on Read BL Novelsvisit our siteEND: visit our site -->solute;left:-9999px;">]They were given ample time to reflect.

Finally, the first child gave a firm nod. The man nodded slowly. Then, the second child nodded. The third child seemed to hesitate a bit longer, but eventually nodded. The fourth child hesitated with a slight frown and shook their head. Even then, the man simply nodded calmly with a gentle expression.

And finally, the man’s gaze landed on him. He looked back at the man.

The man was the ‘Elder.’ He was the most distinguished and powerful person he knew. His father, his uncle, and all the other adults he knew bowed their heads before this man.

It was his first time seeing the man from such a close distance. Since the man had always seemed like someone existing above the clouds, he hadn’t known he would ever be able to see him like this. He had expected him to be like a terrifying, frightening ghost, but the corners of the man’s eyes held soft wrinkles that deepened when he smiled.

He remained silent for a few more seconds. He wasn’t agonizing over which choice to make. After staring intently at those wrinkled eyes, he nodded.

The man nodded again and looked around at the children. He asked them one more time if anyone had changed their mind. No one answered, and the man gave a final nod. At that moment, the irreversible decision pressed down heavily upon his heart, like a seal carved from a heavy piece of iron.

That was the first opportunity for choice given to him, and he had made the decision himself.

That first choice was also the memory of the first mistake he would regret for years to come.

The second opportunity for choice came more than ten years after the first.

This time, he stood before the man alone.

He was no longer a seven-year-old child. The decade-plus of time had not changed him, but it had taught him many things. Though no one had explicitly told him, he already knew that his first choice had been a mistake. It would take another ten years or so for the full results of that first choice to manifest, but as with many things, he could predict this outcome with fair accuracy.

He should not have nodded when the first opportunity came. But that choice was already irreversible, and now he had to make a second choice atop that error. And this time, there would be no third choice.

“Will you do it?”

The man, whose wrinkles around the eyes had deepened, asked him again in that same soft voice. Once again, he gazed steadily into the man’s eyes for a few seconds. Just as before, he did not hesitate. He had already decided on his answer.

When he shook his head, the man looked at him for a moment and then nodded calmly. Only the man in the suit, standing politely behind him, briefly knit his brows, as if the man had received a mundane answer.

He made his second choice, and he was satisfied with it. Although he had been given a second chance, he still had to bear the weight of his initial misjudgment, but that was alright.

He wondered what the others would choose.

The first child, who was a year older than him, had made their second choice last year. He heard that the child had nodded. [unauthorized [unauthorized copy]copy]copy">unauthorized copyIn another half year, the second child would have to choose again, and after another year and some, the third child would stand before the choice.

But he soon erased them from his mind. It was no longer his concern. As long as he had shaken his head in his second choice, it didn’t matter what they chose.

He felt light.

He wished he had just shaken his head from the very beginning.

But it was useless to think about it now, and at least for this rare moment of lightness, he didn’t want to dwell on such thoughts.

As he turned away, he smiled. Now he could step back. It was somehow frightening, yet his heart felt incomparably light, and he smiled broadly.

However, his face, which had smiled so rarely that the instances could be counted on one hand, could not quite capture that unfamiliar expression; his lips merely twitched slightly. He tried to smile again, but this time, his mouth just frowned a little. Even though he had intended to smile.

That was the only thing he found slightly regrettable.