Passion: Diaphonic Symphonia Novel - Chapter 13 - Riegrow and Kim Youngsoo

The problem was the books.

No matter what turmoil erupted in this household, no matter how fiercely the handsome young men competed in a tense atmosphere, it truly had nothing to do with Jeong Taeui.

He could calmly find the books he desired, Kyle’s books, bid them farewell, and that would be that. To look for books within the mansion, as if he were there and yet not, with the mind of a bystander – that was the thought Jeong Taeui harbored.

However, from the very beginning, it seemed that his wish would not go smoothly. Perhaps the moment the guard at the iron gate said, “There’s no such person,” was his last chance to turn back.

In any case, by the time he realized that, the opportunity had long passed, and Jeong Taeui had no choice but to fulfill his duty within this pit of discord.

“Where on earth are these damn books…?” Jeong Taeui sighed and mumbled.

Christoph had taken about ten books from Kyle.

Not a single one of them was visible in the temporary bookshelf right before Christoph’s eyes.

As Jeong Taeui had already seen many times in Kyle’s study, each of these books was old. Their appearance was distinctly different from ordinary books, so there was no way they could be indistinguishable if mixed with others.

Jeong Taeui gazed blankly at the small bookshelf for a few moments, then slowly shifted his gaze. A gigantic bed was within arm’s reach of the bookshelf. Inside, Christoph lay, pulling the duvet right up to his neck.

When Jeong Taeui knocked on the bedroom door and entered, Christoph seemed to open his eyes slightly and look at Jeong Taeui for a moment, then frowned in annoyance and closed his eyes again. After a few seconds, the wrinkles on his brow disappeared, suggesting he wasn’t feigning sleep but had truly fallen back asleep.

It was only recently that he had flatly told Jeong Taeui not to enter the bedroom, even if standing on the threshold, yet last night, he had capriciously called on the intercom, saying abruptly, “Wake me up at seven tomorrow morning.”

Gazing intently at the receiver that had been abruptly hung up after leaving that message, Jeong Taeui briefly wondered if he should really enter this bastard’s bedroom and wake him up tomorrow morning. But he didn’t know the intercom number to call back, and so, now, he had reached a situation where he had opened the door and entered without permission because there was no response after knocking.

“Chris. You said to wake you up at seven. It’s seven.”

Jeong Taeui spoke, but Christoph, deeply asleep, showed no reaction. Only his soft breathing could be heard.

Jeong Taeui took this opportunity to look around the bedroom, but the items he was looking for were not visible.

No, there weren’t many books in the bedroom itself. Other than the small temporary bookshelf right next to the bed, no books could be found. He had heard there was a separate study, so they might be there.

He scrutinized every corner of the room while the owner of the room was asleep, but still, the books he needed to find were not there.

Well, it would be strange if they were found this easily.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and sighed. But even as he did, anxiety and apprehension surged in his chest.

He had to find them quickly and return. There wasn’t much time given.

No, now he couldn’t even accurately gauge how much time was left. Or perhaps it was already useless to even try to gauge it.

“…Ugh, my head…”

Jeong Taeui pulled over a neatly placed stool at the foot of the bed, plopped down onto it, and groaned.

The tragic news had arrived last night, right after Christoph’s sudden call and hang-up.

While Jeong Taeui was gazing at the phone, wondering what change of heart had allowed him entry into his bedroom, the phone rang again.

Jeong Taeui, who had been contemplating calling back to confirm, “Do you mean for me to enter your bedroom, which you forbade me from entering, and wake you?” but couldn’t because he didn’t know the intercom number, had no doubt that the call, coming back within mere tens of seconds, was Christoph.

“Uh, why?”

Jeong Taeui answered, thinking, “Did you reconsider and decide you still want to tell me not to come in?” A short silence followed in the phone, then a voice asked, “Were you waiting for someone’s call?” and Jeong Taeui stammered, “Uh…”

“No, no. Christoph just called and hung up, so I thought it was him. But what’s up, Kyle?”

Jeong Taeui answered cheerfully. He heard Kyle’s laughter, sounding surprised at his cheerfulness.

“You and Christoph seem to be getting along well, then.”

“Ah—well—”

He wanted to answer, but he couldn’t.

Considering Christoph’s indifferent, cold gaze and aloof manner, he couldn’t tell if they were truly getting along. Should he answer, “Well, I haven’t been threatened with my life yet, so I guess we’re getting along?”

“How are the books? Found any?”

“Ah, not at all. But I’m going to wake him up tomorrow morning, so I’ll check his bedroom.”

“…Aha, so you two are getting along.”

Jeong Taeui nodded, not knowing what part meant they were getting along, but if Kyle said so, then so be it. He scratched his head, thought for a moment about his human relationships, then another thought came to mind, and he changed the subject.

“Speaking of which, Ilay, have you heard from him? Surely he didn’t contact you again when Kyle wasn’t around…”

“…Ah. About that.”

Again. Again, an ambiguous answer came back.

His quietly resting heart began to beat ominously again.

“He called when I wasn’t here, and Rita must have answered.”

“…”

Kyle’s troubled voice subtly tickled his ears.

No. Rita must have been on his side. Even if she seemed very strict and aloof, he knew she was actually kind.

Jeong Taeui pressed down on his throbbing heart and urged, “So?” Kyle, who had lingered for a moment, saying “Eum,” finally continued.

“She must have, unknowingly, told him you were out. So, if he had something to say, he should contact you on your cell phone.”

“…”

He had left his cell phone in Berlin.

Jeong Taeui felt the blood drain from his face, recalling the phone that must have rung forlornly at his bedside.

“So…, Kyle, to Ilay…”

“I tried to contact him, but I couldn’t get through. So I haven’t been able to tell him yet…”

The receiver slipped from his ear. The blood drained from his hands too. He felt as if his fingernails had a bluish tint.

Kyle, quickly realizing Jeong Taeui’s silence, hastily added, “No, I’ll contact that guy again. Don’t worry. It’s fine, he’s not stupid enough to think you ran away.”

To be precise, he would think that Jeong Taeui wasn’t stupid enough to run away from him.

Suddenly, the world seemed bleak. Jeong Taeui felt as if he was all alone. There was no one on his side in the world. Even innocent paranoia arose, wondering if even Kyle and Rita, whom he had trusted, were actually looking for such an opportunity.

Jeong Taeui hung up the phone, half-listening to Kyle’s repeated assurances that he would contact him and not to worry, as he tried to comfort the instantly depressed Jeong Taeui.

One fact was certain now.

Ilay had told Jeong Taeui, “You’ll die if you go out,” Jeong Taeui had left Berlin, and Ilay had found out that Jeong Taeui had left.

He had been prepared, but it was a situation he wanted to avoid as much as possible.

He had thought of quickly finding the books, going back, and pretending nothing happened.

Since things had come to this, there was only one conclusion.

To return home before that guy and pretend he didn’t know anything.

He wouldn’t be interrogated about why he went out if he was plainly at home. It might be a bit tiresome, though.

Jeong Taeui pulled at his hair.

Yes, even rethinking it, the problem was still the books. In any case, he just needed to find the books. Then he could steal them or extort them and flee to Berlin.

Jeong Taeui turned his gaze from the bookshelf and stood beside the bed again, idly nudging the bed leg.

“It’s past seven. Aren’t you getting up?”

He looked down at Christoph, who was soundly asleep, buried deep in a thick down comforter, even at this time when it was warm enough to be getting hot.

His white cheeks were slightly flushed. His regular breathing sounded peaceful. Occasionally, his eyelashes trembled.

“You should sleep for life…”

Jeong Taeui murmured, lightly patting his unexpectedly thumping chest, as if looking at Sleeping Beauty in the forest.

He looked like a sculpture again. It felt miraculous that he was breathing. His hand twitched, wanting to brush over that face once, but he forcibly suppressed it. He already knew well enough his peculiar aversion to touch, never tolerating others touching him.

“Not getting up? …I’ll shake you awake. Can I touch you?”

Jeong Taeui pretended to poke around Christoph’s arm over the comforter. Surely, he wouldn’t make a fuss if he was touched over the comforter…

But then, as soon as Jeong Taeui’s fingers rested on the comforter, Christoph opened his eyes as if by magic.

He blinked his eyes like a glittering doll, staring straight at the ceiling. After blinking a couple of times for a few seconds, he slowly shifted his gaze to Jeong Taeui, who had quickly pulled his hand away.

“…Get up. You said to wake you up at seven. It’s past seven.”

“…Quiet…”

“You told me to wake you up…!”

The only thing he said after being woken up was “Quiet.”

Jeong Taeui frowned, fighting the urge to powerfully pinch that soft, smooth-looking cheek.

Christoph sat up in bed. He sat up feebly, breathing heavily as if he had low blood pressure, and then put a hand to his forehead as if his head ached. A low groan escaped him.

“Ah… quiet…, be quiet…”

“…?”

Jeong Taeui raised an eyebrow with a strange look and peered at him from the side. Christoph seemed unaware of Jeong Taeui’s presence, gripping his head with one hand and muttering in a low voice, grinding his teeth.

“Quiet… my ears hurt…”

No outside sounds leaked through the closed door and windows. The only sound in the room was Christoph’s low muttering.

Jeong Taeui, looking down at Christoph, who was letting out a thin breath that was indistinguishable from a sigh or a groan, suddenly frowned slightly and whispered in a low voice.

“…Christoph. …Chris?”

His shoulders twitched.

As if hearing a sound for the first time in his life, or as if something had suddenly emerged from nowhere, Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui.

His eyes were blank.

His eyes were unfocused, like someone who had lost their mind.

His deep blue eyes, so dark they looked black, like the crushing deep sea, looked at Jeong Taeui.

“…Chris.”

Jeong Taeui unconsciously reached out to him.

Then, even in his somewhat dazed state, Christoph instinctively flinched slightly. Jeong Taeui stopped his hand.

When Jeong Taeui called out “Chris” once more, he blinked. His eyes, opened again, were already as usual. They were indifferent and expressionless.

“I hear sounds.”

His sunken voice muttered as if to himself.

“What sounds?”

“Constantly here…, muttering. Continuously. Like ants put in my ears, small and incessant…”

Jeong Taeui was silent. Then he said quietly, “I hear nothing.”

“… …Ah… quiet…”

This time, it was a monologue.

Christoph clicked his tongue and muttered nervously, then suddenly kicked off the covers and got out of bed. He immediately went into the bathroom. The sound of water running could be heard.

“…”

Jeong Taeui looked at the open bathroom door for a while.

He suddenly frowned slightly, but then relaxed his expression with a sigh.

He wondered if he should just leave now that he had woken him up, but as he picked up the half-fallen blanket from the bed to neatly make it, Christoph came out almost immediately, as if he had only lightly rinsed himself with water.

Christoph, with water dripping from his body, only wiped his hair with a towel and walked directly to the closet.

“You usually don’t get out of bed until late, so why are you up so early today?”

Though it had only been a few days since Jeong Taeui arrived, Christoph had consistently woken up late, close to noon, every day.

In contrast, Richard, who contrasted him in many ways, would get up at dawn every day and live a diligent life. Whenever Jeong Taeui opened his room window around 5 or 6 AM to air it out, he would already see Richard returning from his jog below.

“When they were young, even before they were chosen as succession candidates together, those two had completely different types. Christoph was a genius type, but Richard was a hardworking type.”

Johan’s muttered words came to mind.

As he said, Richard seemed like an incredibly diligent person, with a credible rumor that he slept only a few hours a day.

Even Jeong Taeui, who had only recently arrived here, could tell that he was a diligent person in all matters.

Today, too, when Jeong Taeui came to wake Christoph, Richard was already neatly dressed and leaving the West Wing. He heard that Richard was going to inspect a business with a distinguished guest staying in the East Wing. Wicked whispers were mixed in, saying that he was undoubtedly trying to curry favor with the guest who could influence the succession decision, but Jeong Taeui paid no attention. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to do that. Character could be faked, but diligence could not.