There was no nameplate on the gate.
Or perhaps there was one somewhere along the long fence, but it was too long to search thoroughly while walking around.
“I’ve seen plenty of grand houses, and Kyle’s place is no small one either...”
Jung Tae-ui muttered as he gazed at the seemingly endless fence.
Thanks to his genius older brother, who was often invited to high-ranking officials’ mansions since childhood, Jung Tae-ui had also seen numerous prestigious estates.
But the mansion before him now was exceptional even among those.
“Who would live in a palace like this... Wow. You can’t even see the building.”
Like a country woman visiting Seoul for the first time, Jung Tae-ui blinked in awe at the fence.
Through the bars of the massive iron gate, a building was faintly visible in the distance, but whether it was the main building of the estate was uncertain.
Jung Tae-ui glared at the note in his hand. He had already memorized the address, written in Kyle’s neat handwriting, after seeing it several times.
Yet he wasn’t certain if this was indeed the correct address for the mansion before him.
There was no nameplate to verify the resident’s name.
Next to the iron gate was a small guard post. Two guards in uniform sat inside, casting suspicious glances at him.
It was understandable—an unfamiliar Asian wandering near the house and carefully looking for a nameplate was suspicious behavior.
“Better than asking, this is more certain.”
Jung Tae-ui pocketed the note and stepped forward. One guard stood up and came out of the post as he approached.
Standing across the iron gate from each other created a slightly awkward feeling, but Jung Tae-ui reminded himself that he was outside the gate, not inside.
After all, the ones locked inside were the guards.
“What is your business here?”
The guard asked politely but firmly, his eyes mixing caution and curiosity, echoed by glances from inside the post.
“I’m here to see Christina Tarten.”
“Christina Tarten?”
The guard’s expression changed oddly.
He repeated the name with a puzzled look, then glanced inside the guard post. The other guard nodded subtly.
They seemed to have no knowledge or information about her, which left Jung Tae-ui confused.
Though he couldn’t check the nameplate, he was fairly certain this was the right place.
Kyle had said the house was large enough to be unmistakable in the area, and this was the only mansion large enough to stand out.
“There is no such person here.”
After a few words inside the post, the guard came back and spoke decisively.
Jung Tae-ui exchanged a brief, blank look with the guard.
He saw no sign of deceit; there was no reason to lie.
Jung Tae-ui scratched his head.
“Is this the Tarten residence?”
“Yes.”
“...Christina Tarten is...?”
“There is no such person.”
Something was already off from the start. Where was the problem?
He asked if there was another Tarten family nearby, but the guard shook his head in disbelief.
“This is troublesome...”
Jung Tae-ui sighed. He figured he’d have to contact Kyle for confirmation.
“Tarten...”
It was a name he’d heard multiple times recently.
Only when he heard that Christina’s surname was Tarten did he realize why she was such an unshakable guest—someone from a family with ties going back over a century.
That explained why Illay had a childhood friend.
He decided to contact Kyle again to confirm.
Just as Jung Tae-ui was stepping away from the gate, a dark blue sedan approached and stopped in front of the gate.
Seeing the car, the guard checked the driver and began to open the gate.
As the guard opened the gate, the window rolled down, perhaps curious about the unfamiliar Asian standing nearby.
Inside the car were three young men of similar age.
The young man sitting in the front passenger seat lightheartedly asked Jung Tae-ui, as if joking,
“Who are you here to see?”
Judging by their similar features, they were probably family or relatives.
If relatives had come in a group, it was likely they were blood relations of this household.
Perhaps the guards didn’t know the distant relatives’ names, but these young men might.
“I’m here to see Christina Tarten.”
Jung Tae-ui replied hopefully with a friendly smile.
Unfortunately, the young man repeated the name with an expression not much different from the guards’.
Jung Tae-ui sighed bitterly. It seemed he really had to contact Kyle.
Just as Jung Tae-ui started to step back, the young man who had repeated “Christina” suddenly hardened his expression.
...Ah. Bingo.
Jung Tae-ui stopped moving.
Not only that young man, but the others in the car also changed their expressions one by one as if recalling the name.
But while the “bingo” was good, their expressions...
Jung Tae-ui glanced into the car.
Their looks were not just surprise or curiosity—they held clear suspicion and hostility as they gave him fierce stares.
He understood something was wrong but wasn’t sure what.
He tilted his head slightly, feeling like he was about to be on the receiving end of a beating.
“Who are you?”
Their tone instantly turned harsh.
“Ah... I’m just a messenger.”
“What are you here for?”
“I’m here on someone’s request to retrieve some borrowed items.”
Jung Tae-ui answered calmly and looked at them carefully.
Their hostile gazes grew sharper under his steady look.
It was clear these young men were not on good terms with Christina.
Well, who could be friendly with someone like Illay’s friend or colleague?
If you don’t hang with your own kind, there’s no chance.
In that respect, it was fortunate these young men were not part of that faction.
“So, is Christina home now?”
Jung Tae-ui asked. After a brief silence, a harsh shout answered.
“There’s no such person!”
What was he supposed to do when they denied the very person he came to see?
Before Jung Tae-ui could recover from the bewilderment and speak again, the young men spat out the window and glared at him, then pressed further with questions.
“Who sent you? What borrowed items?”
...So many questions about someone who supposedly didn’t exist.
Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue and sighed.
Talking to these guys wouldn’t help. Better to just get out and find another way.
“Fine if there’s no one.”
Jung Tae-ui backed away from the car and motioned them to leave.
Wait...
The guard didn’t know her.
And while these guys must know her, they hadn’t recalled her name immediately when first mentioned.
Kyle had given him this address.
So...
Jung Tae-ui pieced together the situation, tilting his head, but the conclusions didn’t quite fit.
Just then, a rough shout called him from behind.
Turning around, the young men showed no intention of leaving, and they didn’t look like they’d let Jung Tae-ui sort things out in peace.
Damn. What’s with this from the start?
“Hey! Who sent you? Speak properly!”
Clearly holding a grudge against Christina, they weren’t about to let him utter her name and walk away.
One of them even opened the rear door and stepped out.
Reluctant to fight from a disadvantaged position, Jung Tae-ui allowed himself to be grabbed by the collar.
He’d heard it wouldn’t be easy to retrieve the books, but hadn’t expected a whole ordeal even before meeting Christina.
“Why do you want to see that person, huh?!”
The young man holding Jung Tae-ui’s collar growled harshly.
The guard hesitated but didn’t intervene, choosing to just watch.
Jung Tae-ui struggled, wondering if he could just punch and run, but that might cause bigger trouble later.
At that moment—
Behind their car blocking the gate, another vehicle arrived silently.
A black sedan stopped without honking. The rear window rolled down.
“What’s going on at the gate?”
The voice was gentle but firm.
At once, the young men surrounding Jung Tae-ui fell silent.
Jung Tae-ui turned toward the voice, which felt strangely familiar.
“...Ah.”
Unconsciously, he murmured.
He had seen the man sitting in the back seat, looking out the window.
That was the man who had visited Kyle—or maybe Illay—recently.
The calm, pleasant smile left a strong impression.
Yes, the man who had asked Illay to do something.
Why was he here?
Before Jung Tae-ui could ask, the man met his gaze with a curious tilt of his head.
“A guest arrived?”
When the man spoke softly, the young man still holding Jung Tae-ui’s collar quickly let go.
Embarrassed by his own rude behavior, he stammered an excuse.
Jung Tae-ui silently brushed off his collar and looked back at the man.
Their eyes met.
The man examined Jung Tae-ui carefully and politely asked,
“Who are you here to see?”
Jung Tae-ui hesitated, silently studying the man.
The guards didn’t know the name, and these young men showed hostility to it.
So this man, hopefully, wouldn’t be the type to throw punches first.