Richard's hand gripped Christoph's pale neck so tightly that it seemed like he wanted to tear it
apart. Suddenly, Richard leaned down. Their faces were so close that their noses almost
touched, and he looked down at Christoph - who appeared to be struggling to breathe.
"You shouldn't have given up the competition for succession."
Richard's lips curled into a sneer as he whispered. His eyes, shiny like glass, looked down at
Christoph from above.
"You should have stayed until the end. Waited until the final moment to choose the successor,
then yielded to me and spent your life writhing under my feet."
"―…"
Even as he opened his mouth, Christoph still couldn't breathe. He bit his lip, forcing himself
to open his eyes and look at Richard.
What do you expect, Richard? Do you want to win the competition for succession? Do you
want the clear feeling of victory when looking at the loser?
If so, you have already won.
Christoph had lost.
Ten years ago, when Christoph gave up his second chance. When he abandoned the
competition, choosing a massive debt instead of promised glory and wealth, he fled from the
competition with Richard.
No need to wait ten years. Therefore, Christoph fled. He lost.
"You have no idea how disappointed and angry I was when I heard you withdrew from the
succession struggle. I decided to conquer Tarten just to crush you under my feet, but you ran
away?... At that moment, I really wanted to kill you. If I couldn't, I'd rather smash my own
head because I hated you that much."
Richard squeezed Christoph's neck so hard it seemed like the bones might break. The anger
from his hatred seeped out like blood on his hands.
Christoph closed his eyes as his vision gradually blurred. His head spun, his consciousness
gradually slipping away due to suffocation.
But just before he fell into the distant darkness, Richard's hand suddenly released his neck.
Christoph tried to open his eyes and saw Richard's face moving away.
Sitting on top of Christoph, Richard's icy and furious gaze vanished as if it had never existed."Yet you still use the name Tarten."
A dry laugh, muttering as if talking to himself.
As air filled his clogged lungs, Christoph coughed violently.
He curled up, coughing so hard it felt like his lungs might tear. Richard looked down at
Christoph, then slowly stood up from him.
But only for a moment.
Richard immediately flipped Christoph over, using his knees to pin Christoph's arms and
thighs.
Christoph tried to struggle, but Richard used his body weight to hold him down.
Richard silently tore open the seam of Christoph's shirt, ripping the shirt at the back.
Christoph's back and waist were exposed, with dry blood clinging to unhealed wounds still
oozing continuously.
In the darkness, Richard couldn't see clearly. He clicked his tongue.
He placed his hand on the wound and gently pulled. Christoph flinched. Seeing his shoulders
tremble, Richard nodded as if he understood.
It wasn't because of the pain. It was the creepy feeling of someone else touching his flesh.
"Don't…! Ri…"
Christoph whimpered like a wounded animal but then fell silent when Richard pressed on the
wound. His fingers moved slowly along the wound, digging deep as if dissecting the fresh
red flesh. Richard watched Christoph's shoulders stop trembling as if he had calmed down,
and Richard smiled faintly - "Ha."
"That's right. You can endure the pain. Then bear it."
Richard shifted his position, twisting Christoph's arm and sitting up. The distant streetlight
shone on the wound, enough for Richard to see.
"Don't touch…! I'd rather be stabbed…!"
Christoph's voice was so weak it was barely audible, though still full of anger. His body lay
flat, occasionally twitching.
Richard slowly ran his finger along the wound, opening it up to its full depth, even to the
clotted parts. Richard looked down at Christoph's face, now pale for reasons other than pain.
He checked for any foreign objects before withdrawing his hand. Throughout the process, his
eyes never left Christoph's trembling face.
"Why… Do you want to vomit?"Richard whispered.
He slowly wiped the blood on his fingers on Christoph's bare back. Christoph's shoulders
twitched.
Richard stopped.
On Christoph's smooth white back, only the bloodstains remained, and Richard's hand rested
on it.
"It seems you've gotten a lot better. Now you can endure someone else touching you. That's
right, your 'friend'."
"You…"
"I told you I don't like it."
Despite saying this, Richard slowly slid his hand down Christoph's back. Christoph's face
turned even paler.
"Stop… I will… vomit…"
"Ha, that's worth seeing. Your beautiful sculpted face covered in vomit would be interesting."
Richard's voice was full of sarcasm.
His large hand moved from Christoph's back to his waist, avoiding the wounds and touching
the smooth skin like caressing.
"Richard, stop… kill me…"
"You are so precious that just touching you feels disgusting, truly a valuable body.
Homosexuals would go crazy for you."
Richard abruptly fell silent. His hand stopped on Christoph's waist.
Richard's sarcastic gaze slowly looked at Christoph. From his tightly clenched lips, as if
suppressing a rising nausea, to his pale cheeks, neck, shoulders, and back. Then down to his
waist.
"I heard Riegrow said that doing this would make you react terribly. Although I'm not
interested in this…—"
Richard's low voice trailed off.
His hand, moving on Christoph's waist, stopped, then slowly slid down to Christoph's
stomach - the one lying pressed down on the ground.
Christoph's body convulsed violently.But Richard still held Christoph's back firmly, pushing his hand deeper into Christoph's
stomach. Richard's face was expressionless, but a small wrinkle formed at the edge of his
eyebrows, as if he was grimacing, seemingly fascinated.
He pressed lightly on the area below Christoph's navel.
It was surprisingly soft.
The smooth feeling, like a baby's skin, pressed against his palm.
Christoph groaned, making unclear sounds as he squirmed. But Richard still held him tightly,
moving his hand slightly as if soothing a baby with a stomachache.
The rough feel of body hair brushed against his little finger, which he gently rubbed with his
water-soaked little finger. Richard's hand moved further down.
At some point, Richard stopped speaking.
Christoph, too, after a few screams and curses, now only gritted his teeth, his face deathly
pale. Occasionally, choking sounds as if wanting to vomit rose from Christoph's throat.
Richard's hand stopped at the thick hair on Christoph's lower abdomen, then moved further
down.
For the first time, someone else's hand touched Christoph's forbidden area. As soon as he
touched it, Christoph flinched. The hand paused for a moment, then continued to move down
to the forbidden area.
First the fingers, then the palm touched the warm skin.
Christoph jerked violently. Though unintentionally, Richard's hand still enveloped the soft,
delicate flesh. He held it firmly enough not to cause pain.
The strange feeling of flesh touching flesh.
And at that moment.
"E-ugh…eugh…!"
Christoph's body convulsed, and he began to vomit.
Though there was only gastric juice because he hadn't eaten, he still convulsed and vomited
repeatedly.
Richard withdrew his hand in surprise as he watched Christoph convulse like a fish out of
water.
Richard clumsily withdrew his hand, looking at Christoph with a bewildered expression, then
frowned and clicked his tongue. He muttered a curse at someone indistinctly."Damn…"
Richard stood up from Christoph.
He looked at Christoph, who was trying to get up, coughing continuously, with angry eyes.
Richard intended to extend his hand to help but then retracted it.
As if Christoph's disgust had spread to him, Richard's hand paused in mid-air as it neared
Christoph's shoulder and arm.
Christoph finally stopped vomiting, only heavy breathing remained, looking no different
from a corpse. Reflex tears streamed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes.
Richard looked at Christoph with an annoyed expression, realizing that Christoph had lost
consciousness.
Perhaps it was better that way. If Christoph had the strength to resist, Richard wouldn't have
had the energy to handle it now.
Tsk, Richard sighed heavily, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, then
looked back at his hand.
"..."
Richard clenched his fist tightly in tension, cursing under his breath.
Christoph lay motionless like a corpse. Liquid from his body formed a faint blood puddle on
the ground.
Richard rubbed his forehead, then lifted Christoph's arm over his shoulder and stood up.
Christoph's entire weight leaned on Richard.
Richard stood up more easily than he thought, then looked at Christoph slumped on his
shoulder. He began to walk.
Christoph's weight pressed on his back. His body was cold and damp, but Richard's warmth
was still there.
"Hmph, when you were awake, you didn't seem human…"
Richard muttered.
From the bridge above, a shout rang out.
"CHRIS! CHRISTOPH!! ARE YOU THERE?"
A voice called out from the darkness, searching for Christoph. It was the voice of the young
man who had been with Christoph.Richard stopped walking. He glanced at the unconscious Christoph. If he had heard that
voice, the man beneath the cold exterior would probably have lit up with a bright smile. But
now, that voice couldn't reach him.
Richard continued to walk. Footsteps echoed as he trod on the dirt and climbed up the
riverbank. The young man's voice grew closer.
"IS THAT YOU OVER THERE? ...HEY CHRISTOPH?!"
Following the young man's voice was a familiar one.
"Don't forget your promise."
"..."
Richard recognized the deep, leisurely voice behind the young man, causing the young man
to suddenly fall silent.
...Aha.
Finally, Richard remembered what he had forgotten.
Yes. Before jumping into the river, Richard had heard it.
He chuckled softly. His steps became lighter.
As Richard emerged from the darkness, the people on the bridge saw them.
"CHRISTOPH! ...Richard."
The young man called Christoph's name first, then Richard's. Richard looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
Seeing Christoph, his entire body injured, his clothes covered in blood and hanging limply
like a dead body, the young man grimaced. Richard turned his gaze to the man standing
behind him. When Richard's eyes met the man right behind - Riegrow - he raised his
eyebrows slightly.
"You look well."
Hearing Riegrow's words, Richard smiled as usual.
"Ah, thanks to you."
Richard then shifted his gaze to the young man, who was quickly approaching them. Richard
carefully observed the young man from head to toe as if meeting him for the first time.
When the young man reached out his hand, seemingly to support Christoph. Richard subtly
shifted, causing the young man's hand to hang awkwardly in the air. Richard smiled calmly.
"If I'm not mistaken…you are Jeong Taeui, right?"