The world was covered in pure white snow that had fallen all night. The sound of clearing snow could be heard from the morning, but the snow was still falling. Lee Won woke up at the same time as usual and headed to the table.
As expected, Caesar was already sitting at the table. Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned his head and saw Yi-won’s face, then smiled.
“It’s snowing again.”
Caesar shook his head as if he couldn't do anything. Yi-won sat down in his seat without saying anything. As he unfolded his napkin and picked up the bread, Caesar opened his mouth.
“It’s become difficult to go to work. I guess I’ll have to work from home for the time being.”
Caesar continued speaking to the still silent Lee Won.
“They say that if you sprinkle salt, the snow won’t pile up. How much salt would you need for that amount of snow?”
"hey."
Suddenly, Yi-won interrupted Caesar. When Caesar smiled and looked at him, Yi-won spoke with a blank expression.
“I don’t feel like talking to you.”
That was the end of it. After giving a cold warning, Yi-won quietly ate the food the butler had brought him and did not open his mouth any more. Caesar, who had been resting his chin on one hand and looking at Yi-won, soon shrugged his shoulders.
“Are you going to stay locked in the study and work again today?”
As expected, Caesar didn't even listen to what Yi-Won said. Instead of answering, Yi-Won just ate his food in silence.
“Picking roses from the greenhouse…”
Before Caesar could finish speaking, Lee Won put down his napkin and stood up abruptly.
“I ate well.”
Caesar stared blankly at Lee Won as he greeted the butler and then left. The butler, who was clearing away the empty plates, noticed and asked.
“Why are you doing that?”
"well."
Caesar said.
"I don't know."
You really don't know, that guy.
Yi-won thought with a frown. He doesn't understand why I'm so angry. That must be why he's making such petty jokes.
Yi-won could not understand the man named Caesar at all. How could a man who would point a gun at a child without hesitation smile and joke around with him like that? He was clearly a cold-blooded man without any blood or tears, but he would pretend not to know and smile in front of him. He was a man whose identity was completely incomprehensible. Yi-won was annoyed by Caesar's 碩碩.
It's best to finish this quickly and go back.
Renewing his resolve, Lee Won hurried his steps toward the study.
For several days, Yi-won was locked in his study, wrestling with papers. He was so absorbed in his work that he even admired himself because he wanted to get out of this mansion as soon as possible. He ate in his study whenever possible and slept as little as possible. He literally worked with his eyes wide open. It was his intention, but his encounters with Caesar also decreased. At most, they would run into each other when eating or walking down the hallway. If it hadn’t been for the snow that had been falling for several days and Caesar had to stay at home, he wouldn’t have encountered them that much.
Caesar didn't change at all. When they met, he would say something trivial and irritate Yi-won. Yi-won, who had been irritated at first, soon changed his behavior to ignoring him. If possible, he wanted to pretend not to know, but reality was not like that. Unfortunately, Caesar was a client.
… …
Lee Won looked down at the documents with a frown. There were detailed records of how and to whom the ownership of the land under development had been transferred. No matter how much he searched through the documents, the final owner was unknown. It was known to be owned by the former mayor, but the truth was different. In the current situation, it would be more accurate to say that it was not owned by anyone. The mayor, who had a lot of unpaid taxes, would have likely reported his assets as little as possible. So did he put it under someone else's name?
Lee Won, who had been pondering, quickly stood up from his seat holding the documents. It was time to go meet Caesar.
As he left the study and walked away, Yi-won suddenly realized that this was his first time visiting Caesar. Thinking about it, it always felt like he appeared in front of Yi-won before he called. It was as if he was always there, like air.
Lee Won, who was walking with a strange feeling, happened to run into a butler walking across from him.
“Do you need anything?”
Lee Won answered the butler who spoke to him first.
“Yes, do you know by any chance where Caesar… the Tsar is?”
When he called his name without thinking, the butler made a strange expression for a moment. Lee Won quickly corrected him by calling him Czar like everyone else and asked him more. The butler changed his expression in an instant and answered indifferently as usual.
“He is in the private reception room. You will find him at the end of the hallway on the first floor.”
"Thank you."
After a brief greeting, Lee Won turned around. He had roughly imagined the interior of the building in his head, and soon remembered what kind of place it was. It was the place Lee Won had first been guided to when he had entered the mansion on Caesar’s request. In the quiet mansion, no other sound could be heard except his own footsteps. He even felt as if the entire wall had become his ears, listening to his own breathing. Lee Won, who had been walking with a strange sense of eeriness, finally reached his destination.
The glass walls revealed the interior without any filter. The private reception room, which seemed to strangely compromise the boundary between the garden and the mansion, seemed like part of the mansion and part of the garden. If it had been a place with stronger sunlight, it would have been possible to sunbathe, but it was regrettable.
Lee Won, who absentmindedly glanced at the floor, noticed a pair of slippers lying carelessly. He could tell who they belonged to without asking. Lee Won took off his slippers and went inside through the sliding door made of glass like the wall. The silence was still there, but for some reason, this place felt comfortable. Maybe it was because of the trees and bushes that made it feel like a corner of the garden despite being inside the mansion. The soft grass underfoot quietly swallowed Lee Won’s footsteps. Beyond the drooping branches, he could see a cocoon hanging from the ceiling. The chair, which looked comfortable like a caterpillar curling up in its egg, was half-turned toward Lee Won, unlike when he first saw it. Lee Won realized only then that it was a cocoon-shaped armchair. Caesar, his long body comfortably lying down, was asleep with a book on his chest. Lee Won suddenly stopped walking when he saw him half-lying with his eyes closed, his long bare legs hanging carelessly and his other leg hanging on the chair. The shock that was almost shocking when I first saw him came back to me. The man who had been shining as if his entire body was glowing. It was the same even now. No, it seemed to shine even more brightly now. If there really was such a thing as an angel, it was definitely this man. Lee Won stood there and stared blankly at Caesar. As he followed the silver hair that had been shining in the light, the outline of his shadowed face became clear. Lee Won was able to see Caesar’s face in detail for the first time. The eyelashes on the side that was tilted were shaded and sparkling gold, while the side that was receiving the light was silver. The soft hair slowly swayed in the pouring sunlight, turning gold or silver. The lips that usually spoke harshly or hurt Lee Won’s feelings were now closed, revealing a neat mouth. Lee Won absentmindedly reached out and held his hand to Caesar. Suddenly, he wanted to touch his hair. The elegant golden waves were shining brightly before his eyes. When I reached out and gently stroked his hair, Caesar's eyes suddenly opened wide.
Clank-
At the same time, a heavy sound rang in his ears. It was only then that he realized the situation. Caesar, who had suddenly pulled out a revolver, was glaring at Yi-won with cold eyes. Instinct reacted before his senses. Yi-won felt his entire body freeze and held his breath. Only then did Yi-won realize that Caesar was aiming the gun at him.
There was a short moment of suffocating silence. Caesar's expression, which had been staring at Yi-won with an extremely cold face, suddenly changed.
“I almost got into trouble.”
Caesar, with his usual grin on his face, put away his gun and pushed the revolver back into the chair.
“Next time, wake me up by calling my name. You might regret it.”
Caesar, who had given the warning casually, quickly stood up from his chair. The chair hanging in the air slowly swayed back and forth like a swing.
“I’m surprised, I thought we’d never talk to each other again.”
The lightly sarcastic remark was exactly the same as what Lee Won was used to. Only then did Lee Won regain his senses and open his mouth.
“I came here to confirm something. Can we talk now?”
“What happened again?”
Caesar frowned in disappointment, then shrugged.
“Let’s talk while drinking tea. Follow me.”
Lee Won followed Caesar, who turned around first. The moment the sliding door opened and he came out into the hallway, a cold silence suddenly enveloped him. For some reason, he felt like he was suddenly kicked out of his warm bed into the harsh streets. Feeling a strange sense of dissonance, Lee Won followed Caesar, who was walking ahead alone, slowly.
Among the many rooms, the one Caesar personally guided us to was a small tea room. Although it was small, it was much larger than Lee Won's boarding house, but compared to the size of the mansion, it was quite modest.
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
Caesar waited for the butler to leave the car and asked. He was no different than usual. It was as if he had no idea that he had pointed a gun at Lee Won. The memory of the gun pointed at him for a moment felt like a dream. But it was reality. The goosebumps that had not yet subsided were telling Lee Won that. Lee Won realized it again. The mafia is the mafia. Lee Won opened his mouth in an extremely businesslike tone as he thought about it.
“It’s land that Rep. Zhdanov and the former mayor touched together, but the names are different.”
Yi Won readily brought out the facts he had deduced. Caesar, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.
“So, are you saying we should find the person who lent us his name?”
Lee Won nodded and continued speaking.
“I’ll have to look into it, but he’s the one with the lead. If possible, I’ll try to convince him to testify. If it goes as planned, it’ll be a huge help in the trial.”
If it goes well, this will be over soon. Caesar didn’t say anything to Lee Won, who had come up with a solution. He just stared blankly at Lee Won’s face. Lee Won, who thought he needed to explain more, continued to speak while biting into the biscuit that was placed with the tea.
“The method is probably similar or the same. First, find out about this land and find the person in whose name it is, and then look around that person. Ask if there are any similar cases, and continue to track them down, and you’ll find other lands…”
“Am I scared?”
The crunching sound of the biscuit suddenly stopped. Yi-won looked straight at Caesar. Caesar was staring at him with a somewhat desolate look in his eyes. Yi-won continued to chew the biscuit with a blank expression on his face.
“What does that mean?”
Caesar answered quietly in a calm voice.
“You’re watching me.”
When Caesar, who would have otherwise beating around the bush or beating around the bush, unexpectedly asked a straightforward question, Yi Won was left speechless.
“Nothing special.”
Lee Won added in a quiet voice.
“I just thought the mafia was the mafia.”
Caesar stared blankly at Yi-won. After a while of silence, Caesar asked again.
“Are you still mad that I pointed a gun at a kid?”
“You don’t understand anyway.”
Lee Won added.
“Just as I don’t understand you.”
The two faced each other in silent silence. Caesar was the first to speak.
“I don’t like it when you stay away from me.”
Lee Won asked with a frown.
“What does it matter what I think of you?”
Caesar looked at Yi-won in silence and then opened his mouth.
“Because I care about you.”
Yi-won stopped in his tracks at the unexpected words. Blinking his wide-open eyes, Yi-won recalled the past events. He demanded a kiss using documents as bait, lured people to his house under the pretense of a favor, broke a scooter, and eventually even imprisoned them.
“That was what interested you?”
Thinking about it, Yi-won frowned, feeling irritated. Caesar did not respond to the provocative gaze. He did not smile faintly like usual, nor did he tease Yi-won with nonsense. He simply stared at Yi-won without saying a word. Yi-won was puzzled by his unexpected reaction, and unconsciously furrowed his eyebrows. After staring at Yi-won’s face for a while, Caesar opened his mouth.
“You attract attention wherever you go.”
“Because I’m tall.”
When Lee Won said this as if it was a given, Caesar smiled bitterly. Caesar, who had been staring blankly at Lee Won’s face, reached out his hand. Lee Won involuntarily paused. To Lee Won, who reflexively showed his wariness, Caesar simply touched his hair with his fingertips. While Lee Won was unable to react to the unexpected action, Caesar slowly rolled his fingers and stroked Lee Won’s hair. Lee Won was taken aback by the unexpected action. Caesar’s gaze was fixed on Lee Won’s face, and he saw him get up. He slowly and unhurriedly leaned over the table so that Lee Won wouldn’t be surprised. He approached him quietly, as if talking to himself, with an infinitely gentle face. Caesar put his hand into Lee Won’s hair, which was still motionless, and gently stroked it, and whispered in his ear.
“I feel sorry for the men who admire you.”
The soft whisper in his ear made his hair stand on end. Lee Won was surprised by the unexpected stimulation and swallowed his breath. Warm breath blew into his ear, and his heart started beating so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out of his mouth. Lee Won stood up at that moment and declared.
“I have to go to work.”
Lee Won, who had just blurted out his own words, turned around and left the room. He felt Caesar's gaze staring at his back, but he ignored it.
What are you thinking, you punk?
Lee Won walked down the empty hallway, deliberately making loud footsteps. Suddenly, he started saying strange things, touching his head. What on earth was his intention?
Memories suddenly came back to her. The feeling of his fingers going into Lee Won's hair, the silver-gray eyes looking at her, and even the low voice whispering in her ear.
At that moment, he felt someone breathe and unconsciously grabbed his ears. His heart was beating like crazy. He couldn't stand the heat rising from his body. He went straight into his room and slammed the door behind him.
Playing with people.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. But what made me angrier was my own reaction. The fingers touching my hair and the low voice kept coming back to me. Even the soft breath that was whispering in my ear.
The snow that had been falling for several days finally stopped. After clearing the snow all morning, the car could drive through the garden. Lee Won, who had been working late into the night, woke up to the sound of snow clearing. When he saw people moving busily outside the window clearing the snow, he felt a little relieved. Lee Won, who had been watching the snowballs disappearing in an instant, grabbed his paperwork while eating breakfast and went outside.
Suddenly.
Lee Won, who opened the door without thinking, almost bumped into Caesar, who was walking down the hallway. Caesar, who had always been at home, was always dressed casually, but today was different. Just like when he first saw him, he was wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit, and behind him, the butler was seen with his coat draped over both arms. Lee Won opened his eyes in surprise and stopped in a hurry, and Caesar smiled and said.
“Oh, I missed a great opportunity.”
Lee Won didn't say anything as he spread his arms out as if he was proud. Suddenly, the events of the day before came back to him, and he was overcome with anger. Lee Won threw the documents he was holding at Caesar, who was spinning around and spreading his arms out toward him as if he was proud. Lee Won spat out a stern remark at Caesar, who instinctively accepted the documents.
“Review all of that and talk about it today.”
And Yi-won turned around as if nothing had happened and went into the study. He thought he heard Caesar's laughter behind him. Yi-won furrowed his brow in annoyance. What on earth is so fun about playing with others? Anyway, the mafia. Yi-won roughly swept his hair back.
The afternoon passed without any progress. Lee Won flipped through the documents absentmindedly and had to go back and read the same part several times. He thought he had to be calm, but on the other hand, he couldn’t accept that. He started to feel impatient as the work wasn’t progressing properly. He had taken on this job to finish Nikolai’s trial, but instead of finding evidence, he was just wasting time by getting caught up in endless documents. How long will he have to keep doing this? After several hours of meaningless repetition, Lee Won finally gave up and put the documents down. This can’t go on. I should cool my head.
I guess I'll go for a walk after a long time.
Thinking back to the past few days when he had been stuck in the house due to the pouring snow, Lee Won quickly got up. He put aside what he was doing and went straight to his room through the door connected to the study. He took out his coat and left the room. At that moment, a quiet voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Do you need anything…?”
When Won-i turned around in surprise, the butler was standing there, looking at him as expected. Won-i had a hard time getting used to the butler's appearance in front of him every time, to the point where he felt like he was always watching him. Won-i said as he saw the butler's thin eyes glance at the coat.
“I just want to go for a quick walk.”
For a moment, the butler's eyes shone sharply. The butler opened his mouth in a nonchalant voice to Won, who stopped in thought.
“I see, then just a moment…”
When he reappeared after asking for understanding and disappearing, he was holding a hat in his hand.
“The Tsar told me to wear it if I ever go out.”
Yiwon silently looked down at Shapka, whose soft fur felt thick. He wanted to push it away, thinking that it was unnecessary. However, the thought of walking through the snow-covered garden without Shapka made him feel cold. After staring blankly for a while, Yiwon gave a short thank you before putting Shapka on his head.
“Are you going far?”
Lee Won trailed off in response to the butler's question.
“Yes… probably. I’ll be back by dinner time.”
When Lee Won added, the butler said nonchalantly.
“We’ll prepare meals whenever you want, so feel free to go.”
Lee Won readily nodded.
“Okay, thank you.”
After exchanging a few words, Lee Won left the mansion. The butler watched him with keen eyes as he walked along the path in the garden that had been cleared of snow.
The snow that had not been cleared away from his feet made a crunching sound. Lee Won slowly walked, exhaling his white breath little by little. The garden was endlessly wide. It was enough to make him wonder if he might get lost in the garden. However, the garden covered in white snow was so dramatic that anyone who saw this sight would want to walk through this garden at least once. However, Lee Won was not moved by the wonderful and fantastic scenery of the snow-covered conifers lined up and reaching up toward the sky. The dizzying thoughts continued even after he moved to a different location, so he had a hard time calming down. Lee Won, who had been pushing up the tilted shapka, stopped right there. The long fingers that had been stroking his hair suddenly came to mind. Lee Won continued walking with his eyebrows furrowed. His mind was intricately entangled with the connection between Nikolai’s trial and Berdyaev’s corruption. Before he knew it, his footsteps had slowed down, but he didn’t realize it. He tried to ignore it, but his thoughts returned to the starting point. The silver-gray eyes that were looking at him, the faint smile on his lips, the long fingers that were reaching out toward him.
Lee Won, who had unconsciously covered his ears for a moment, soon frowned. Why on earth do I have to think like this?
Yiwon thought that it was strange that he was worrying. He was the one who was annoyed. He didn't even want to get angry at a man who was obviously provoking and teasing him on purpose. Yiwon frowned absentmindedly, and then a thick coniferous tree came into his sight. Yiwon kicked it away in anger.
With a dull thud, the old tree trunk shook heavily. The problem came next. An ominous sound of rumbling resonated from above. A dark shadow loomed over him, and Lee Won, who had raised his head absentmindedly, saw a large lump falling on top of him.
100 million.
Before a scream could escape from his mouth that had opened involuntarily, the snowball had already fallen on Yi-won.
puck.
Lee Won, who had fallen to the ground, tried to let out a belated groan, but this was also impossible. Lee Won, who hurriedly spat out the snow that had filled his mouth, struggled to get out of the snowball that had piled up on top of him.
He was already in a state of disarray. Shapka was flattened by the snow, his coat was wet, and he already felt a chill all over his body. In his mouth, the remnants of the snow were crunching together with the broken leaves.
"shit!"
Yi-won stopped himself from kicking the tree again and instead swung his fist into the air. He was so annoyed that he could explode. It was so frustrating to worry and worry about useless things, and now he was soaked in his eyes. Yi-won gave up on his walk and turned around. He returned to the mansion with his shoulders hunched, continuously swearing through his clenched teeth.
When he finally got back to the mansion, the sun was already setting. He had been out for a walk for less than 30 minutes, but he was already hungry. Yiwon shivered from the cold and walked to his room with a quick step. Should he ask for something to eat? First, let’s soak in hot water. Yiwon grabbed the doorknob, his teeth chattering.
It was then that I felt an eerie premonition. Something unpleasant and uneasy was transmitted. Lee Won furrowed his brows and slowly turned the handle. A chilling chill surged into the air. Lee Won quietly opened the door, making no sound. The familiar scenery of the room came in through the crack in the door that opened little by little. And.
Lee Won opened the drawer frantically and saw the shadow of a strange man rummaging through its contents. At that moment, Lee Won shouted in a sharp voice.
“Who are you?!”
_________________
Authors note:
** Thank you to all the bees who have left long and short reviews;ㅁ; I haven't been able to reply because I've been busy preparing for the event. However, I always receive them with gratitude. The serial will end soon. Please read until the end and have fun^_^
** The bee who commented pointed out a part I missed;ㅁ; As you said, the place where Caesar and the street children collided in the first part is an alley. In my head, it was a shabby back alley with no one passing by, but I didn't have time to write that part. I'm sorry for the lack of description. I'll add it when I publish it as a book. Thank you for leaving a comment^ㅁ^