Snowfall was growing thicker, and the sedan exited the estate, pulling onto the road. Iwon, who had been staring out the window as if trying to bore a hole through the glass, finally opened his mouth just as the car began to merge with traffic.
“Let me off here.”
He spoke before the car fully entered the congested flow. As the man driving hesitated and glanced at the rearview mirror, Caesar asked,
“Where are you going? I’ll drop you off.”
“I said I’m going to the bookstore. It’s fine, I can take the tram from here. Would you stop the car for a moment? I’ll get off here.”
When Iwon addressed the driver directly, Caesar didn’t say anything else. The man had no choice but to stop the car. Iwon adjusted the collar of his coat and promptly stepped out onto the road. Behind the stationary sedan, a line of vans had come to a halt as well.
As he turned his gaze indifferently and began heading toward the tram stop, he suddenly felt a strange presence. Iwon looked back—and froze. Caesar had gotten out of the car and was now standing tall, looking down at him.
Just then, the door of the van that had stopped with them opened, and men rushed out, tripping over each other in haste. People who had been walking hurriedly through the steadily thickening snow screamed and scattered in all directions. Blinking in confusion, Iwon looked up at Caesar. Did he have business nearby? As he stared in bafflement, Caesar extended something toward him. A shapka.
“Walking around without a hat in this weather? That’s dangerous.”
Caesar said calmly as he placed the shapka on Iwon’s head. Of course, Iwon knew better than anyone that one couldn’t survive the brutal northern cold without a shapka and a fur coat. But he had been riding a scooter and had to wear a helmet, so he couldn’t wear a shapka.
Not that the scooter was of any use now. After fitting his own shapka on Iwon’s head, Caesar silently looked down at him. Iwon could feel the warmth and luxurious softness of real fur surround his damp hair. It was just a hat, yet it seemed to ease the chill instantly. Without refusing, Iwon replied,
“Thanks. I’ll give it back when I get home.”
After all, Caesar would be taking his car anyway. That thought in mind, Iwon gave his thanks, and Caesar responded with a faint smile. Iwon suddenly noticed how thick the snowfall had become, layering itself on Caesar’s shoulders.
Even wearing a fur coat, enduring the northern winds was difficult. Yet Caesar willingly gave up his own hat for Iwon. Seeing the man standing in the snow, white flakes settling on him as he looked at him, Iwon felt something strange stir inside.
Caesar raised his hand. His long fingers gently brushed against Iwon’s eyebrow. The snowmelt collected there soaked into Caesar’s fingers. After a moment of silent eye contact, Iwon decided it was time to leave. If I leave, Caesar will get back in the car too, he thought. Just as he opened his mouth, Caesar spoke first.
“Where’s the station?”
Iwon answered without much thought.
“Right over there. Well then…”
After a brief farewell, Iwon turned and walked off briskly. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. He continued on without thinking much of it.
It didn’t take long before he realized something was wrong. The heavy, synchronized sound of men’s footsteps—like soldiers marching—was right behind him.
No way… it can’t be.
Even as the bad feeling rose in his chest, Iwon didn’t look back. He told himself it was just a mistake. But the footsteps were too clear.
And there wasn’t just one.
He hesitated, then turned around. And he saw it.
Caesar was following him, with more than a dozen men in black coats trailing behind.
“Why are you following me?”
Reaching the station, Iwon spun around and demanded an answer. Caesar stopped walking, and the men behind him halted en masse. Iwon frowned at him, but Caesar simply smiled.
“Because I want to go with you.”
Iwon said nothing. He just stared up at him in disbelief. He could feel the stares of people waiting for the tram, their faces pale.
He wanted to yell, ask what the hell Caesar thought he was doing, but he didn’t want to cause a scene. And besides, if Caesar were the type to listen to reason, he wouldn’t have followed him like this in the first place.
I’m an idiot for getting touched over that shapka.
Iwon turned around with an angry face and boarded the tram just as it arrived. Behind him came Caesar, and behind him, a stream of men in black suits. The once-quiet tram quickly filled with large men, even after rush hour.
Iwon stifled a groan rising in his throat.
But that was only the beginning.
As soon as Iwon took a standing spot, Caesar stood beside him, and the men immediately formed a circle around them. They all glared sharply at the seated passengers. The people who had been chatting on phones or listening to music gradually fell silent. Even a young man with loud music quickly shut off his device. The tram fell eerily silent. Only the rattling sound of the wheels could be heard.
Iwon furrowed his brow slightly—when someone spoke.
“A seat’s open, Tsar.”
At the call, Caesar turned his head. The men parted like the Red Sea, creating a path for him. The man who had absentmindedly shifted in his seat stood up in a panic, clearly bewildered. A middle-aged man, looking close to tears, scurried off. Caesar turned to Iwon.
“Sit.”
By all accounts, he was a perfect gentleman. But Iwon already knew the truth. So did everyone else on the tram. No matter how well-dressed, surrounded by this many men, his identity was unmistakable. Iwon responded in a cold voice.
“No thanks.”
He declined, but then the tram lurched. Off guard, Iwon stumbled hard, and Caesar caught him. His face collided with Caesar’s shoulder, and Caesar reflexively stepped back. At that moment, the men shouted and rushed in from all sides.
“Tsar!”
“Tsar, are you alright?!”
“You bastard, can’t you drive properly?!”
Chaos erupted. One man kicked the door and screamed while the terrified driver inside shouted, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” People screamed and fled toward the doors, and by the time the tram reached the next stop, everyone had fled in terror—everyone except Iwon and Caesar’s group.
“Aaah!”
At the screeching cry, Iwon turned his head. He saw the driver trying to flee the control cabin—only to be dragged back inside by one of the men.
“So,”
A voice suddenly interrupted, and Iwon looked up. Caesar was smiling as usual, looking down at him.
“How far’s the bookstore?”
Iwon forcibly swallowed the scream bubbling up from deep in his throat.
A few stops later, they finally reached their destination. Iwon was the first to get off. As expected, Caesar followed, and his men trailed behind like ducklings. The tram, not even waiting to load new passengers, sped off like a bat out of hell.
Without a word, Iwon walked toward the bookstore, his mood dark and bitter.
The well-known bookstore in the city center was as large as it was well-stocked. Even though it was still morning, the store was already bustling with a fair number of customers. Slipping inside right after a man exited, Iwon immediately headed for the shelves, scanning for the section he needed.
Under normal circumstances, he might’ve browsed new releases, picked up a hobby book, and sat in one of the designated reading areas to enjoy a quiet break. But today was absolutely not one of those days.
The reason?
A massive presence following right behind him.
Ignoring Caesar, who was glancing around the store, Iwon walked with purpose. His objective was clear. He made a beeline for the section on law, quickly scanning the titles before pulling a few promising volumes from the shelf and flipping through them.
After selecting several books, he turned his head—only to find Caesar nowhere in sight. Glancing around with little concern, Iwon soon spotted a familiar sight not far off. A group of men in black suits had formed a barricade of sorts, and Iwon instantly knew Caesar had to be inside that wall. Sure enough, moments later, a flash of platinum-blond hair emerged from within.
Of course.
As he turned away disinterestedly, a voice called out behind him.
“Counselor.”
Iwon instinctively furrowed his brow at the sound of Caesar’s voice cutting through the quiet bookstore. When he turned around with a “what now” expression, the men parted immediately, and Caesar walked toward him.
“It’s a gift.”
Caesar smiled as he handed him a book. Iwon stared at it blankly.
Anyone Can Cook With Ease.
A vein popped on Iwon’s forehead.
“I don’t need it.”
He spat coldly and turned away. As memories of past humiliations began to rise, his insides boiled. If this kept up, he’d be teased about this for the rest of his life.
For the rest of his life?
The stray thought made him frown. Just then, a store clerk who’d been organizing books behind the counter noticed him and stepped out.
“I’d like to check out, please.”
Iwon set down the books. The clerk quietly began scanning them one by one. As he watched the total being tallied, a book suddenly dropped onto Iwon’s head from above. He instinctively caught it. His expression twisted.
Caesar, standing behind him, spoke casually.
“Add this too.”
That damn cooking book. He had just tossed it in like it was nothing. Don’t smile like that after wrecking my entire mood! Iwon glared at him and hissed,
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? I told you I don’t need it.”
But Caesar's expression turned unexpectedly serious.
“You absolutely need it. If you keep going like this, you’re going to die of food poisoning someday.”
Seeing Caesar even shake his head with a sigh, Iwon’s blood boiled.
“I said I’m fine! I’ve lived this long without it, and I’ll keep living just fine.”
“Life is more important than pride. Think it over seriously.”
“Think what over—shut up already. Just go put it back.”
“I skimmed through it. It’s pretty good. Even a kitchen disaster like you could pull these recipes off.”
“I said put it back…!”
“Sir.”
The sudden voice cut in. Just as Iwon was about to blow up, he froze and turned toward it. The clerk was watching them with a blank expression.
“That’ll be 1,324 rubles.”
Iwon pushed the bag aside, quickly pulled out his wallet, and handed over the cash. Huh? Thirteen hundred? He tilted his head in confusion—he was sure the amount didn’t add up.
He accepted the change and receipt, then glanced into the paper bag.
There it was, glaring back at him in smug defiance:
Anyone Can Cook With Ease.
Steam practically poured from Iwon’s ears as he stormed down a shabby, empty alleyway, the paper bag crumpling in his grip. Alongside the legal books he’d actually come to buy sat that utterly useless cookbook.
Why the hell did I have to spend 480 rubles on a book I’ll never even look at?!
Worse yet, the damned thing was thin as hell and still cost as much as a law book. Not even a finger’s width thick, but the price was outrageous.
Grinding his teeth, Iwon kept walking—until Caesar spoke up again behind him.
“If you study just one page a day, you might avoid dying a tragic death.”
Iwon shot him a murderous glare. Caesar, of course, returned it with a beaming smile.
“It’s pathetic to die from your own cooking, isn’t it?”
Want to find out how pathetic it feels to die from being hit with a cookbook?
As he glanced at the hardcover recipe book with dark intent, something unexpected happened. Children suddenly ran out from deeper in the alley, shouting.
Before they could dodge, they were surrounded.
Dirty faces, tattered clothing—Iwon instantly realized they were street kids. Foreigners and the wealthy were easy prey to them. As the kids rushed in, trying to clean his shoes and brush snow from his coat, Iwon raised his hand to stop them—
And Caesar struck one of them without hesitation.
The malnourished, drugged-up child didn’t even scream. He flew through the air like a rag doll. Iwon froze in shock, unable to shout in time.
Caesar immediately drew a Glock from his coat and pressed it to another boy’s forehead. Iwon’s eyes widened in horror as the children screamed and ran. But he couldn’t move.
This wasn’t something that could happen.
With the gun pressed against the child’s forehead, Caesar looked down with the same unreadable face. The chill Iwon had once felt from him surged through every nerve in his body.
A man who could point a gun at a child without even blinking. A man whose face didn’t show anger, sorrow, or joy even when poised to kill.
His expression was like ice.
The click of the safety being released echoed in the silence. And Iwon knew—this man would really pull the trigger.
“Stop it!”
He shouted, stepping between them just in time. Caesar turned the barrel to the air, and a sharp gunshot rang out.
“Argh!”
Iwon instinctively clutched one ear. The ringing in his eardrum vibrated painfully, but Caesar didn’t flinch. He just frowned and looked at him.
“What the hell was that? I could’ve been hurt!”
“You’re the one who interfered. I was about to shoot.”
“You were going to shoot a child?! What the hell are you thinking?!”
Caesar still didn’t understand, staring at Iwon as if confused by his anger.
“I don’t see the problem. I just did what needed to be done.”
“Shooting a kid is doing what needs to be done?!”
At Iwon’s raised voice, Caesar coolly asked,
“What difference does it make if it’s a child?”
Iwon was speechless.
A lawyer—someone who lived and breathed words—couldn’t find any.
But Caesar didn’t give him a moment.
“If that’s all you wanted to say, move.”
He raised the gun again. This time, he meant it.
Iwon instinctively stepped in front of the child and pulled him close.
He wanted to tell him to run—but he couldn’t. When he looked at the boy, he saw the child’s pants were soaked. The kid hadn’t even cried. He’d just frozen, peeing himself in terror.
There was no way he could run.
Iwon bit his lip and met Caesar’s gaze.
“If you’re so eager to shoot, then shoot me.”
“What?”
Caesar frowned in confusion. Iwon stared him down and growled,
“Didn’t you hear me? If you’re going to shoot this kid, shoot me first. I hit you, remember? By your logic, I should be executed on the spot, right? Go ahead. Pull the damn trigger.”
Caesar didn’t respond. He just stared.
And Iwon wasn’t bluffing. He wouldn’t dodge, even if Caesar really fired.
The silence between them was suffocating. Caesar stood with his gun pointed at the child, the kid frozen behind Iwon, and Iwon blocking the way with fire in his eyes. None of the black-suited men dared to speak. Heavy snow fell around them with soft, dull thuds.
Finally, Caesar lowered the gun. The kid gasped, then scrambled away in a panic.
Only when he’d vanished down the alley did Iwon finally turn back. Caesar had already returned the gun to his coat. Iwon’s shoulders sagged with relief—but then came the anger.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Caesar suddenly looked past him and moved.
Startled, Iwon followed his gaze, half-expecting he was going to shoot the fleeing boy.
He wasn’t.
Caesar had bent down and picked something out of the snow. Iwon immediately recognized it—the paper bag he had thrown aside earlier.
He brushed the snow off the bag, walked over, and held it out.
What he did next left Iwon speechless.
“You can’t lose this. It’s the book that’ll save your life.”
Caesar smiled like it was all a joke.
Iwon couldn’t find the words.
He had already reverted to his usual self. Laughing. Teasing. Smiling as if nothing had happened.
The whiplash was unbearable. If not for the lingering scent of gunpowder, Iwon might have thought he was hallucinating the whole thing.
How could someone change like that? A moment ago, he was ready to kill a child—now he was joking.
Iwon blinked, dizzy.
“You… are you really… okay with what you just did?”
Caesar tilted his head.
“With what?”
Iwon couldn’t hold it back anymore. He shouted.
“You just did that to a child and you don’t feel anything?! How can you be so calm? Even if you’re mafia, there’s a limit! Pointing a gun at a kid?!”
But Caesar just stared at him with that same strange expression. Like he couldn’t understand.
And suddenly, Iwon felt empty. As if yelling made him the fool. Caesar wouldn’t understand no matter what he said.
Iwon knew he shouldn’t show sympathy to street kids. But what Caesar did wasn’t just discipline. To him, a life—even a child’s—meant nothing.
The ringtone of a phone suddenly cut through the silence. One of the men answered urgently and approached.
“Tsar, the car is waiting nearby. What should we do?”
Caesar looked in that direction—lined-up sedans and vans, blinkers flashing. He nodded, then looked back at Iwon.
“Should we go back? You’re done here, right?”
He reached out a hand.
For the first time in a while, Iwon spoke.
“No. I’ll go alone.”
Caesar frowned. Iwon’s voice cracked with rage.
“Are you deaf? I said I’ll go alone.”
He snatched the bag from Caesar’s hand and turned away. Caesar didn’t try to stop him. Iwon could feel his eyes on his back—but he didn’t look back.
That man would never understand why he was angry.
A gust of wind blew, and Iwon instinctively raised his hand to his head. He felt soft, warm fur. The shapka. He remembered Caesar placing it on him.
He had only seen that version of Caesar until now.
But it was a lie.
Now faced with the side of him he’d never known, Iwon walked and walked, struggling under the weight of the revelation.
Snow continued to fall, piling thick on his shoulders.
It was already night by the time Iwon returned to the estate. He had walked all the way from the bookstore—including the long stretch from the gate to the house.
Caesar watched him from the window.
A while later, a subordinate knocked on the door.
“Nothing happened. He just walked…”
At the brief report, Caesar nodded. The subordinate bowed and left the room. Caesar lit a cigar. Even as the smoke filled his lungs, his tangled thoughts remained.
What the hell did I do wrong?
He’d asked himself that over and over. But he couldn’t find the answer.
He had simply done what he wanted. Eliminate obstacles. Why should it be any different just because it was a child?
Why was he so angry?
Frowning, Caesar took another drag.
The questions spiraled, but the answers never came.