Passion: Diaphonic Symphonia Novel - Chapter 76

Jeong Taeui quietly sighed and put down his teacup. Then he looked up at him. Their eyes met naturally, as he had been observing Jeong Taeui.

“It seems you’re curious why someone who clearly looks like a third party is present at a gathering like this. To be honest, I’m curious too.”

Jeong Taeui chuckled lightly, speaking in a joking tone. The Arab man’s eyes widened slightly, then he burst into laughter.

“Oh, I apologize. I didn’t mean to, but I suppose I was too obvious in my observation. My name is Malik Al-Kahim.”

Jeong Taeui readily took the hand he offered for a handshake, and vaguely said, “Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He didn’t know how much to introduce himself. Which name should he use? Would this man know about Jeong Taeui, who was widely wanted, or not? Without information about him, Jeong Taeui couldn’t open his mouth first.

He glanced at Ilay, who was sitting next to him. But Ilay just silently looked at their clasped hands, seemingly unwilling to help Jeong Taeui.

Fortunately, the man who introduced himself as Malik didn’t seem to mind that Jeong Taeui didn’t introduce himself, and released his hand with a pleasant smile.

At that moment, even without anyone telling him, Jeong Taeui instinctively realized.

This man in front of him knew Jeong Taeui.

Although it was their first meeting, he must have already known information about Jeong Taeui before coming.

Thinking about it, in this situation, there was no way he wouldn’t know Jeong Taeui’s face. Just as he knew Ilay’s face, who was sitting right next to him.

“…—”

Jeong Taeui quietly turned his gaze sideways. Sensing his gaze, Ilay looked back.

The moment their eyes met, Jeong Taeui smiled bitterly. Seeing that smile, Ilay only smiled with his eyes. A smile so faint that even Jeong Taeui wouldn’t have noticed it if they hadn’t lived together for several years.

…Damn it. So that’s what this is.

Are they trying to get a look at him before negotiating with Tarten? Even so, they must have already tentatively decided what to do before leaving their home country.

Jeong Taeui inwardly grumbled, “This is why I can’t understand the thoughts of people in high places,” and bit his innocent teacup.

What they might want, assuming they didn’t want repayment under completely unrelated conditions, could be narrowed down and guessed.

The easiest guess would be the extradition of the mastermind behind the Riyadh bombing.

Jeong Taeui unconsciously turned his head and stared intently at Ilay.

What was this man thinking?

Although he had become remarkably human-like now, and had been quietly staying only in Berlin for the past few years without news of any incidents—though he occasionally went out for work—Jeong Taeui couldn’t understand what he was thinking, or why he had come here at this time.

“Why?”

Ilay, who had briefly glanced at Jeong Taeui, asked curtly. Jeong Taeui shook his head.

“No. We’ve known each other for years, and it’s still strange that there are corners I don’t know.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged and picked up a wine bottle from the corner of the table, examining it without much interest. He heard Ilay chuckle beside him.

“Yes, I’ve also thought countless times over the years that I don’t know myself at all.”

“Hmm…? I never thought of you as someone who didn’t know himself well.”

“Is that how I seemed? I thought so too, until a few years ago.”

Tap, tap, a white hand tapped Jeong Taeui’s thigh. To be precise, a dark blue glove covering a white hand.

It didn’t matter, but it was a bit much to keep rubbing his thigh… Jeong Taeui thought to himself, but couldn’t say anything.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp gaze and looked that way, seeing Christoph glaring at the hand resting on Jeong Taeui’s thigh.

The atmosphere was… He inwardly clicked his tongue and glared at the innocent wine bottle.

At that moment, Malik, who had been quietly watching them, opened his mouth.

“Speaking of which, I heard that the two of you are very close. Indeed, it’s just as I heard.”

Jeong Taeui, who had been looking at the wine bottle label, suddenly paused. Ilay’s hand, which had been lightly stroking Jeong Taeui’s thigh, also paused for a moment.

Jeong Taeui and Ilay Riegrow were close.

Regardless of the truth of that fact, the words came from Malik’s mouth, of all people.

…Ah, indeed.

Jeong Taeui smiled bitterly.

Malik had just said, “I know who you are.”

Jeong Taeui felt more at ease in front of Malik, who surely hadn’t heard the strange rumor that Kim Young-soo and Riegrow were close. It was better not to have to rack his brain about how much he knew.

“Was there a rumor that we were close?”

When Jeong Taeui asked with a smile, Malik shrugged and replied, “Of course.” Seeing his deep smile, Jeong Taeui also gave a wry smile.

It seemed the rumor had spread all over the neighborhood. He would never get married in his life this way. All his marriage prospects were blocked.

Jeong Taeui inwardly prayed fervently. He couldn’t help the rumors that had already spread, but he desperately hoped that at least from now on, there wouldn’t be anyone like that Johan guy who would blatantly ask, “You’re doing all that with him, and your lower half is still fine?!”

Indeed, if he thought about it, wasn’t the reason they were wanted as terrorists also because “they were close”?

“So.”

At that moment, Ilay, who had barely spoken, opened his mouth. As if nothing had happened, his gloved hand began to move again, and as Jeong Taeui looked up, he saw Ilay’s faint smile around his eyes.

Perhaps because he thought of it that way, his black eyes stared directly at Malik, who wore a somewhat meaningful smile.

“Are you perhaps asking about the source of that story you heard?”

“Haha, not at all. I merely thought your friendly relationship looked very good.”

Malik smiled kindly and then looked at Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui, who wanted to remain a bystander until the very end and never intervene between them, involuntarily stiffened his lips when the gaze suddenly flew towards him.

Perhaps because of the situation, it didn’t seem ordinary.

An internationally wanted terrorist who had bombed the capital of a nation.

A person who came as a representative of that nation’s state-owned company.

A friend of the wanted terrorist, and an intermediary who owed the state-owned company a debt.

“You’re Jeong Taeui, aren’t you? My superior said he was indebted to you the other day.”

Jeong Taeui could only remain silent for a long time at Malik’s words.

From his mouth, though he had already guessed it, his name had been spoken exactly. And then, about the superior who followed.

If he was the superior of this man, who came as the representative of the state-owned company’s negotiation…

Before Jeong Taeui could even wonder, Malik continued, resolving his question.

“No, to be precise, it was your elder brother, Jeong Jaeui, wasn’t it? We hosted him at the Seringe villa, and I hope he stayed comfortably.”

At that moment, he immediately realized who this man’s superior was.

A man he would be hard-pressed to forget even after several decades.

“Ah—that—”

But he fumbled for a moment, unable to recall the full name, then suddenly realized. Right, that superior’s villa had also been completely destroyed by a bombardment from this man right next to him.

Beside Jeong Taeui, who awkwardly smiled as he recalled another new memory, Ilay, who probably had a similar thought, smiled silently.

Malik calmly tilted his teacup and slowly shook his head.

“At that time, my superior never imagined that Mr. Jeong Taeui and Mr. Riegrow would have such a deep acquaintance.”

How could he have known that his villa would be bombed while he was briefly away?

It was Ilay who answered his pointed words, softly whispered.

“Deep acquaintance, indeed… Are you perhaps curious about just how deep that acquaintance is?”

His affable, smiling face made him seem like a rare good-natured person.

At the same time Jeong Taeui felt an instinctive threat from the incongruity of the epithet “Ilay, the rare good-natured person,” Ilay’s hand, which had been resting on his thigh, tightened.

“If you wish, I can show you how far below the waist it goes. Though there will be an admission fee.”

It was simultaneous with his adding the words, “there will be an admission fee.”

When Jeong Taeui flinched and looked back, Ilay had already drawn his pistol and released the safety. And before anyone around could stop him or get out of the way.

Thwack—!

The sound of the teapot shattering into pieces. The sound of scattering fragments followed.

The large porcelain teapot, intricately decorated with countless petals, was shattered beyond recognition, leaving only its handle and base.

Malik, who had frozen still as if paralyzed from the moment Ilay drew his gun, slowly turned his eyes to follow the fragments of the finely crafted object that had been placed in front of them. And then he realized that it would not have been strange at all if their own blood and flesh had been scattered there instead of those fragments.

He knew what kind of person the man sitting in front of him was. Although he was now wearing the guise of “Riegrow’s man visiting Tarten,” he was the madman Rick. The one who bombed a nation’s capital with a calm face.

“…I appreciate the offer, but I’ll postpone that viewing for another time.”

Malik was silent for a moment, then spoke with a bitter smile, as if nothing had happened.

The person who, to one ten-thousandth degree, expressed his bitter feelings was Christoph, who had been calmly drinking tea, oblivious to what was happening beside him.

He had been bringing the teacup to his lips when he suddenly frowned, put down the cup, and glared fiercely at Ilay.

“What did you do? The pieces flew and now I can’t drink my tea.”

“My apologies. If you don’t mind, you can drink mine instead. Even though I’ve already been drinking from it.”

Ilay casually offered his cup. Christoph glared at his cup, then scoffed and turned his head away. Of course, he didn’t even think of reaching out.

These people are indeed off-kilter.

The mental structure of these people, who were almost strangers, even distinguished guests hosted in their home, yet remained unfazed when bullets flew through the air, was not normal.

Beside Jeong Taeui, who quietly pressed his throbbing temples with his thumb, only Richard, the most sensible among them, offered a polite apology to Malik with an awkward expression.

While Richard’s seemingly sincere apology and Malik’s generous reply followed, Jeong Taeui, who had subtly snatched the gun from Ilay’s hand and sat on it, looked at Richard, who had more or less handled the situation. Then he suddenly raised a hand to wipe his eye and realized.

A small scratch had appeared under Richard’s eye, perhaps from a flying fragment.

“Oh… a piece must have flown. Are you okay otherwise?”

When Jeong Taeui asked, people’s gazes belatedly gathered on him. Richard, however, shook his head as if it was nothing worth mentioning and said casually,

“This much is fine.”

Richard rubbed the reddish line, like a red thread, under his eye with his fingertip.

As he said, it wasn’t a big injury, but even though he had suffered an unprovoked mishap, this good-natured young man continued to speak, even looking at Ilay with very friendly eyes.

“Tarten and Riegrow have been on good terms for a long time. They boast a bond as strong as the relationship between those two.”

Malik just nodded silently to Richard, who added, “As you already know.”

A brief silence fell.

Jeong Taeui, regretting having started the conversation with such subtle nuances in the air, swallowed his tea with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He shouldn’t have come to a place like this. He shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. He should have resisted even if they dragged him here.

From earlier, every single word seemed to have a thorn embedded in it, reflecting their respective positions. The words no longer sounded ordinary. A feast of words with hidden meanings; it was rarely this exhausting.

“Indeed. After all, not everything I heard could be true.”

Malik spoke casually, perhaps trying to gloss over the situation.

“The two gentlemen of Tarten also seem very amiable, contrary to what I heard in rumors. To be honest, before coming here, I heard that your relationship was quite hostile. But now that I’m here, I hear that the two of you are more intimate than usual… Ah, my apologies.”

Malik paused mid-sentence, smiled leisurely, and subtly closed his mouth.

However, if he had truly thought it was rude, he wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. Jeong Taeui immediately understood the meaning of his words, which clearly contained a hint of mockery. Just like Christoph, whose eyes turned chillingly cold, Ilay also raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

Only Richard, who still looked genuinely puzzled, clearly didn’t know about that problematic rumor.

Jeong Taeui glanced at Christoph—the source of the rumor that Richard and Christoph were having an unnatural relationship, and who even believed it to be true himself—then silently stared at his teacup.

Unaware of Jeong Taeui’s inner struggle, wondering what to do about Christoph’s mistaken belief, Richard soon replaced his puzzled expression with a smile.

“Did that false rumor about our relationship not being good reach even there? Haha, it’s true that we were once rivals due to family circumstances, but apart from that, there’s no discord within Tarten. As you can see, Christoph and I are connected by a very close partnership.”

Looking at Richard’s face, as he looked at Christoph and sent him an eye-smile as if seeking agreement, the two genuinely seemed more than just close friends. Since he was originally a very good-looking person, that impression was several times stronger than for others.

No, that eye-smile at this timing is very bad, it’s like asserting that the dangerous rumor that reached their ears is true, Jeong Taeui cried out inwardly in anguish, but he couldn’t bring himself to convey those words to him.

Unlike the foolish Christoph, Richard would never consider his brief touch of his genitals an unnatural act, nor could he even imagine such a thing. Jeong Taeui was terrified of how Richard would react if he heard the rumor, while Christoph, who was gravely aware of his own victimhood in his mind, flinched and closed his mouth when he saw Richard smiling at him.

It was like watching a rapist kindly say to the police, ‘Rape? We’re originally lovers, we just had a slight disagreement. Right?’

Christoph, who silently stared at his teacup and then even heard Richard’s worried voice saying, ‘You don’t look well today, wouldn’t it be better to go in and rest? …If you’re tired, I can help you back,’ trembled and shook his head.

Jeong Taeui watched them silently, swallowing a bitter lump.

Richard had always been kind and friendly to everyone, but his degree of kindness towards Christoph was even greater now. It might have been to exaggerate their “very close partnership,” as he said, but Jeong Taeui suspected it was more likely to enjoy Christoph’s disgusted reactions.

“Honestly, I don’t know what was said between them, but it’s strange. I never thought Christoph would endure a situation like this so obediently…”

Beside Jeong Taeui, who suddenly muttered to himself in a voice so low no one could hear, Ilay gave him a faint, curved gaze, as if he had heard even the sound of an ant crawling.

It was then.

Christoph, who clearly knew that Richard’s kindness was meant to enjoy his suffering, seemed unable to endure it any longer with his temper.

Christoph looked up and stared intently at Richard with an expressionless face. Richard still met his gaze with a calm smile, as if expecting his helpless reaction.

Christoph stared at Richard with that gruff, devouring expression for a moment, then blinked a few times, and suddenly, as if making a decision, softened his face.

“…—”

Jeong Taeui, who had been nervously watching Christoph, almost choked on his tea for a moment.

Christoph was smiling. Just as he had diligently practiced every night with Jeong Taeui for the past few days.

That smile still wasn’t a natural one, and it still felt quite stiff, but Christoph was smiling. When he smiled like that with that face, it looked exactly like a portrait.

Yes, it was a smile that could more or less be stamped as “pass,” but the fact that this smile was directed at Richard was unusual.

And Richard, the recipient.

In contrast, the smile had vanished from his face.

As if he had been unexpectedly hit in the back of the head, his face was completely devoid of expression. No, depending on how one looked at it, it could even be seen as a grim, angry expression.

His unblinking gaze was fixed on Christoph’s eyes and mouth.

“Richard.”

Christoph quietly called him. Only then did Richard drop the expressionless look from his face. But his usual smile still hadn’t returned. He merely raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Christoph.