Looking back, the Tarten and Rieglow families were so close that they participated in all of
each other's family events. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Ilay was considered a
close member of this family. Therefore, if Ilay behave disrespectfully towards the elders in
the house, it would indeed be very rude. Although Jeong Taeui had heard that Ilay once
pointed a gun directly at his brother, he never heard any rumors of him doing similar things to
his parents, so it seemed that Ilay - at least to the minimum extent - still had some human
decency left in him.
Jeong Taeui unconsciously sighed in relief. But as soon as he realized this, he despaired at the
harsh reality of having to assess the fragile humanity of that man with such a task.
"Well, what do you think? Is there anyone capable of inheriting Tarten?" - The old man
smiled and asked Ilay.
At that moment, everyone in the room seemed to tense up.
Although Ilay's opinion couldn't determine the final outcome, if the family head asked
directly, it couldn't be taken lightly.
Jeong Taeui noticed the tense atmosphere in the room and scratched his head. Was the
competition this fierce?
"I heard there are a few candidates for succession. Besides Richard, who else is there?" he
whispered to Johan.
"Huh? Oh. Wait a minute. Fritz and who else? Max... Anyway, there are a few more, but you
don't need to worry about them. There are a few candidates, but realistically, no one can take
over except Richard. Though those two are also smart, Richard's capabilities are
overwhelming, so it's rare to find anyone more outstanding than him."
"Then there's no need for such intense competition. But why is the atmosphere like this?"
"Well, I also think there shouldn't be much competition, but you never know what can
happen. Maybe someone will turn the tables at the last moment..."
"Could anyone really turn the tables?"
"Oh, yes, soon—"
Johan was saying this when he suddenly gasped and clutched his throat as if choking.
Although Jeong Taeui didn't want to pay attention, if he left him like this, he would start
coughing and spitting everywhere, so Jeong Taeui quickly handed him a napkin and a glass
of water.But it was too late. Before Johan could use the napkin to cover his mouth, he had already spat
out the food stuck in his throat. Jeong Taeui instinctively leaned to one side, luckily avoiding
any harm, but the young man sitting opposite him was not so lucky.
"...How do you attract women like that...?" - Jeong Taeui shook his head and pulled his
plate closer, wanting to protect himself from Johan's 'splendor' like the unfortunate young
man across from him.
"All right, Richard, I heard you met McCarty not long ago." - This time, the old man spoke to
Richard.
Richard smiled calmly and replied.
"Yes, sir. By chance, he came to Berlin, so I went to meet him. He said that thing is still on
M15."
"Alright... How are things going there lately?"
"In general, there are no issues. I heard there was a counterintelligence issue with
Mahabharat not long ago. Shin Bet also seems to be involved, but there's no specific report
on this yet, so I'm still looking into it."
"Okay." The old man slowly nodded.
Jeong Taeui was lost in thought for a moment. The atmosphere in this house was becoming
increasingly ambiguous.
If he didn't hear wrong, the security and counterintelligence agencies of at least three
countries were involved in this matter. From the way Richard talked, it might not be a big
issue, but he didn't think it was something to discuss at a family dinner.
Jeong Taeui instinctively glared at Johan. Johan, who was wiping his mouth with a napkin,
looked at Jeong Taeui with a puzzled expression, wondering why he was being stared at.
"This family's atmosphere is hard to keep up with."
"Oh, really? Even I have trouble keeping up. In this family, daughters are the most precious.
It would be nice to have a few sisters, but here it's just a bunch of men."
He wanted to refute Johan – the same person who once said that having more than 20%
women around was already troublesome. But he held back, fearing he might become the next
victim of that sharp tongue.
Jeong Taeui quietly ate the food on his plate. He wanted to finish eating quickly and leave.
This atmosphere was not comfortable at all.
"I hate to admit it, but Richard is indeed a damn born businessman. He is incredibly good at
deals and negotiations. And although the old man laid the foundation for Tarten, Richard is
the one who stabilized and solidified the foundation in a short period."Johan ate and then drank some water before continuing.
"I've also heard that Tarten has a very old foundation."
"Well, yes. But the past few decades have been difficult. Tarten faced significant risks. So
there was a time we had financial difficulties."
"...Um?"
"And the miraculous achievement of reducing the debt ratio to below half in a short period
back then was almost entirely Richard's doing. No one else could have done that."
After finishing his meal, Johan glanced at Jeong Taeui's plate as if he was still hungry. Seeing
Johan's lean body despite his large appetite, Jeong Taeui didn't hesitate to give him his plate.
He wondered where all the food Johan ate went.
Kyle said Tarten was a reliable company, so Jeong Taeui vaguely thought the company was
doing well, but it turned out to be burdened with such a large debt. After all, funding is the
most crucial thing in any endeavor.
Jeong Taeui didn't know if the old man did this every time he dined here, but now he was
talking to each person at the table in turn, clockwise.
Because the old man was the highest-ranking elder in the family, Jeong Taeui thought he
would be much more stern and frightening, but seeing him talk to the younger ones, who
could be his grandchildren, one by one, he seemed kind and benevolent like a grandfather
caring for his grandchildren.
Jeong Taeui's gaze shifted to Christoph sitting beside the old man. If the conversation
continued in order, Christoph would be the last to speak with the old man. Christoph had
been quietly eating with his head down.
From this position, he looked like a genuinely beautiful and courteous young man. Maybe if
he always behaved like this, his life would be much easier.
Jeong Taeui suddenly felt a bit sad for Christoph. Christoph, who was eating, suddenly
looked up, moving his lips as if saying something, then looked at the old man briefly before
lowering his head again. The corner of his mouth slightly lifted. His eyes formed a slender
curve.
Ah… He's smiling.
Jeong Taeui looked at Christoph curiously. Christoph almost never smiled. A genuine smile,
in the literal sense, he had never seen.
Even if something was funny, Christoph never laughed, or if his mouth or eyes slightly
curved, there was no real laughter in them. But at this moment, Jeong Taeui could
immediately recognize it as a genuine smile because the characteristic coldness and
indifference on Christoph's face disappeared."The old man really is a good person."
Jeong Taeui unconsciously muttered.
Christoph liked the old man. Whether it was close to admiration and respect or not, it was
clear he had affection for the old man. It was a pity that this emotion wasn't expressed more
clearly.
Johan had already devoured more than half of the food on the plate Jeong Taeui gave him.
Johan, while eating, said - "Everyone likes that old man. He is a highly respectable person.
However, he is old and too busy to care for each person individually. He can only divide his
time this way occasionally."
"He isn't someone you can easily meet like this."
Johan spoke boastfully.
"Is that so?"
Jeong Taeui lowered his head and looked at Christoph again. Christoph's current appearance
was like a shy boy sitting next to his hero.
Jeong Taeui smiled.
This was the first time he witnessed this side of Christoph – and although it was unexpected
to the point of disbelief – it wasn't so bad.
"I heard Christoph was originally a candidate for succession."
"Huh? Yeah."
"If he hadn't given up halfway, he could have met the old man more often."
Christoph's obedient and delighted appearance was rare, so it would have been nice if they
could meet more frequently.
Jeong Taeui spoke regretfully, and Johan responded while stuffing his mouth with food.
"Better... let's see... Christoph was indeed the only one capable of competing with Richard
up until then, but even so, he couldn't have been chosen as the successor even if he had
stayed until the end."
"…Because he's crazy?"
"Although capability is important, personality cannot be overlooked for the leader of a large
organization."
No, if we consider personality, Richard's character is far more unexpectedly twisted... And
while Jeong Taeui thought this, he felt there was no need to voice it, so he kept his mouth
shut. It was something that an ordinary person, no matter how clear their vision, wouldn'teasily see, so there was no need to gossip about it. Besides, his excellence as a figure wasn't
up for debate either.
"Yes, personality is certainly important. Christoph does lack in that regard."
Jeong Taeui nodded and openly stated Christoph's shortcomings without hesitation. Although
he didn't hate Christoph, he knew very well the flaws in his personality.
However, Johan's next response differed from Jeong Taeui's thoughts.
"Instead of personality issues, it's more accurate to say his mind is somewhat strange."
Jeong Taeui was taken aback by Johan's bluntness.
He couldn't deny those words were true, but to calmly say 'that guy has mental issues'
required an extraordinary mindset.
"He can't do much. Just living well is already difficult."
Jeong Taeui frowned at Johan's serious words as he set his fork down on the empty plate.
He was uncomfortable with how Johan talked as if passing judgment on someone else's
misfortunes.
Jeong Taeui knew how others viewed Christoph and understood why they thought that way.
It's just that he couldn't help but feel uneasy hearing such straightforward words.
"I know you don't like Christoph, but those words were a bit too much."
Jeong Taeui's discomfort must have been evident in his words.
Johan glanced at Jeong Taeui, silently swallowed his food, and wiped his mouth with a
napkin. He looked directly at Jeong Taeui. As usual, though not cold, his eyes were hard to
read.
"I don't know what you think, but I don't dislike Christoph. Although I don't want to get
close to him every time he goes crazy and beats people, and I don't want to befriend him,
that's all. Besides that, I don't hate Christoph. If I had to be honest, I'd say I like him more
than I dislike him - and although I like talking about other people's pasts, I don't badmouth
those I don't even hate."
Johan spoke with a somewhat pained expression, yet his tone remained gentle and lively as
usual.
"But regardless, he can't. It's a pity, but with his personality, it's hard to be happy. … Or if he
becomes happy, the form of that happiness might be entirely different from common
thoughts."
Johan shrugged as if he couldn't help but watch helplessly.At that moment, he noticed the dessert being brought on a tray by the server, his eyes lit up,
and he ended the conversation nonchalantly.
"Anyway, that's not an issue anyone can bear. Is that Millefeuille ice cream? Or crème
brûlée? If it's fresh fruit sherbet, that would be wonderful."
Jeong Taeui stared at Johan, who had completely shifted his focus.
He wasn't wrong. Although Jeong Taeui didn't want things to be that way, those words
somewhat convinced him.
Jeong Taeui quietly sighed. Even Johan's last words held the truth. Each person's life is not
something outsiders can bear for them.
For some reason, Jeong Taeui's taste became bitter, and he scratched his head.
At that moment, Jeong Taeui suddenly felt a slight headache. He turned his head slightly and
met Ilay's gaze. It seemed their side had finished their meal.
Who knows how long he had been watching him? As soon as Jeong Taeui turned, he met that
deep, fiery gaze.
"...?"
Jeong Taeui, out of curiosity, locked eyes with him. The gaze from behind those elegant
glasses was equally unyielding. It would be strange to avoid eye contact now, so Jeong Taeui
continued to stare at him intently. It was only a few seconds after their eyes met that he
realized it was even stranger to sit there staring at each other like this. But by the time he
realized it, the staring contest had already begun.
Until he had to open his eyes wide and stare directly into Ilay's eyes, teetering between
glaring and simply staring, a voice broke the silent battle.
"Let's see… Right. I heard Christoph's friend is also here. It seems to be that young man,
right?"
Suddenly feeling eyes on him, Jeong Taeui turned to look. And when he looked back,
everyone was staring at him with strange expressions.
"Huh?... yes?"
After blinking and looking around for a few seconds, he realized the old man had just spoken
to him.
He quickly turned back and responded - "Ah, yes, sir." - He replied politely and quickly
smiled. But it was too late.
The old man smiled warmly and asked - "Alright, it seems you have something to say to
Rick. I saw you staring at him.""Yes? No, that..."
Jeong Taeui was startled and started sweating as he looked at the old man and Ilay. In that
position, anyone would think he was caught sneaking a glance at Ilay.
"Rick looked at me first..."
When Jeong Taeui stammered, Ilay raised his eyebrows. He widened his eyes in surprised
curiosity as if to ask - "Me?"- then laughed. That expression seemed to say, "I never did, but
since you said so, I'll keep quiet."
Anyone could read that expression.
"No, I really…"
Jeong Taeui muttered and quickly closed his mouth. He was so frustrated that he patted his
chest to swallow his resentment, but it was clearly counterproductive.