It felt like his body had been glued to the mattress. Lee Won groaned as he slowly shifted his body.
He’d made a mistake.
No amount of self-reproach eased the pounding in his head. The cheap booze from the night before was the culprit. This is why you should never drink when you’re in a bad mood. He chewed over the regret again and again, but nothing changed. With a groan boiling out of him under the relentless throbbing in his skull, he suddenly heard a knock from outside.
"Hey, you in there?"
The raspy voice of the old lady rang out sharply through the door. She’d clearly come up to check since Lee Won hadn’t come downstairs at his usual hour. He let out a sigh and answered.
"Yes, I’m up."
His own voice sounded harsh and cracked, rasping out awkwardly. When the old lady opened the door and walked in, she clicked her tongue at the sight of Lee Won, still lying on the bed, completely immobilized.
"What the hell kind of drinking did you do? What happened?"
Lee Won groaned before he could answer, then exhaled and opened his mouth.
"Just… something pissed me off. I’m fine now..."
Even to himself, his voice didn’t sound fine, and he trailed off in embarrassment. His shirt and pants, which he had slept in from the night before, felt stiff and coarse against his skin. The old lady narrowed her eyes knowingly and spoke with a sigh.
"You’d better rest today. I’ll bring you some tea, so drink it and sleep it off. You shouldn’t drink like that, wrecking your body. Tsk..."
Her footsteps and nagging receded down the hallway. When she returned a little later with honeyed black tea, Lee Won had already fallen asleep again.
CRASH—
The violent noise tore Lee Won from his sleep. His eyes snapped open and for a moment he just lay there, blinking at the ceiling. His brow furrowed deeply in confusion. It didn’t take long for the next noise to follow.
"You bastards! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Stop that this instant!"
At the sound of the old lady’s furious scream and another explosive crash, Lee Won didn’t hesitate. He jumped out of bed. The world tilted hard. Shit. He went sprawling, smacking face-first into the floor. Swallowing a curse, he scrambled up. The chaos was ongoing.
"Grandma, what’s—"
He dashed down the stairs but stopped mid-shout. The sight before him was utter devastation. The café was a wreck—completely smashed and broken. Lee Won froze for a brief moment, stunned. The old wooden chairs were scattered across the floor, tables overturned and splintered, tea cups and dishes shattered into fragments. The men causing the chaos turned at his shout. The old woman, screaming and trying to pull them apart, also paused.
"Grandma, what the hell is this..."
He rushed over and pulled her away to safety before she could throw herself at the men again. Then he stepped forward, putting himself squarely in front of them.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You think you can pull this shit here?"
His sharp voice made the men hesitate. Then they exchanged glances.
"You must be that fancy lawyer."
Lee Won flinched. But only for a second.
"You should’ve listened. We told you to back off Nicolai."
As one of the men threw a punch, Lee Won shoved the old lady aside and kicked back at him.
"You bastards! You thugs! Stop this! Stop it right now!"
Her cries rang behind him. There were five of them. Nicolai had already been taken down before Lee Won even arrived. The others could only hold their breath, too stunned to act. Lee Won racked his brain, desperate to handle the men coming at him. Meanwhile, the rest were still smashing up the place.
"Cut it out, you goddamn bastards!"
He shouted the curse and swung his fist. The sound of teeth cracking and bones breaking followed. Without time for a scream, one man crumpled. Lee Won leapt over him, charging at another. But someone grabbed him from behind. He spun around and punched, dropping the man with a grunt before turning to the next one. Just as the thug was about to hurl an old kettle—
"No! Not that one!"
The old lady’s scream rang out behind him. Lee Won reached out with all his strength, but another man tackled him first.
Thud. The sharp crash of porcelain breaking echoed through the room. Lee Won knocked the man away and turned, but it was too late. The kettle lay shattered. The old woman had collapsed to her knees.
That kettle had been a keepsake from her late husband—one of the few treasures she had left. Normally so proud and unshakable, she now looked small and devastated. She knelt there in silence, picking up the broken shards with trembling, wrinkled hands. Tears fell freely down her cheeks.
Lee Won clenched his jaw.
Only one person could be behind this.
He’d said no yesterday. Was this what they called a response?
Nicolai’s wife was sobbing over his limp body.
Lee Won didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his coat and bolted out the door.
Unforgivable.
There was only one place to go. Straight to the source—Caesar, the man who had ordered this pathetic retaliation.
The office was filled with the soft scent of black tea. Like most Russians, Caesar had a fondness for tea. Especially the first cup in the morning—it set the tone for his entire day. Dressed in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, Caesar handed his jacket off, and Yulikh received it promptly.
"How are you feeling, sir?"
Yulikh, who had been waiting for Caesar to sip the tea, asked carefully. As Caesar savored the aroma and took a small sip, the tension eased from his eyes. Yulikh took it as the answer. Caesar spoke simply.
"Lyudmila always does it well."
Her tea, anyway. Her work was hopeless—forgetting memos, submitting error-ridden documents, struggling with even basic schedules. But she survived for one reason: she made tea exactly the way Caesar liked it. And this morning, judging by his expression, she’d succeeded again. Yulikh couldn’t help but admire her.
Tea was all she could do, but it was enough. It kept peace in the office. And today, the tsar seemed in a particularly good mood. Last night’s performance must have pleased him.
Yulikh was waiting for the right moment to ask about the lawyer, but the moment came sooner—and in a far different form than he expected.
Click.
The door opened without a knock. Both Caesar and Yulikh turned. It was Lyudmila. Even for her, barging in without permission was shocking. But her pale face made it clear—this wasn’t a mistake.
"A… a guest… has arrived…"
She looked ready to burst into tears. Behind her, a tall man appeared.
Yulikh’s confusion vanished the moment he saw the man—Lee Won—and what was stuck into Lyudmila’s back.
"You—you bastard!"
He started to shout, but Lee Won pulled his hand away.
Lyudmila screamed and staggered forward. What she saw made her face crumble.
A fountain pen.
Not a gun.
Just a pen.
Her expression twisted further in horror. She had let in an unscheduled guest—and the fear hit her like a brick.
"I’m sorry to startle you."
Lee Won bowed, offering a polite apology. Lyudmila stared, speechless. Then Lee Won raised his head and looked at Caesar.
"I had to see you."
Yulikh started forward, but Caesar was quicker.
"What brings you here? This early in the morning?"
Same relaxed tone. Lee Won met his gaze squarely.
"I have something to say."
"Then let’s get our guest some tea."
He stopped Yulikh with a glance. Silenced, Yulikh helped the still-sobbing Lyudmila out.
Click.
The door closed. They were alone.
Wearing a fresh vest over his shirt, Caesar gestured to the sofa beside him.
"You're in luck. Lyudmila’s quite good at tea."
Lee Won said nothing and sat across from him. Lyudmila returned with the tea soon after. She was more composed now, setting it down quietly. Lee Won offered a faint, apologetic smile.
She glanced at him with swollen eyes, then left the room in silence.
"Morning tea helps clear the mind."
Caesar took another sip, clearly pleased. He gestured at Lee Won to try his, but Lee Won didn’t move.
He simply stared, expression hard as always—but his eyes burned. From barging in to threatening the secretary, something about him was different today. His clothes were a mess. Shirt untucked, coat thrown on haphazardly, even his usual shapka was missing. His hair was wild. As if he had rolled out of bed in a rage.
A bruise darkened one side of his face, his knuckles bloodied. Caesar frowned slightly. A fight?
He changed the subject with a detached tone.
“This tea may not be the finest, but with the right temperature and steeping time, the aroma is exquisite. Lyudmila’s the only one who ever got it right.”
He chuckled.
“When someone has a single exceptional skill, you overlook the rest.”
Lee Won stared, exasperated.
How could he act so casual after what he’d done?
Caesar smiled faintly.
“So, let’s get back to the point. I assume the café got wrecked?”
Lee Won glared in disgust.
“You already know.”
“Do I? Why would you think that?”
Lee Won’s eyes flashed.
“Because you’re backing Zdanov—”
He stopped. A strange doubt struck him.
Was it not him?
"Is that why your face is bruised?"
Caesar asked first. Lee Won shut his mouth. There was no way he’d admit he’d fallen out of bed.
"You didn’t order it?"
Instead of answering, Caesar narrowed his eyes.
“Who knows.”
He dodged. Subtly but deliberately.
“You must have had some reason for storming in like this. Or maybe not?”
He had a reason. But…
"Be honest. Was it you?"
Caesar took a long drag of his cigar, exhaled. The acrid smoke made Lee Won grimace.
"If it were me, what would you do?"
"File a lawsuit, obviously."
Caesar raised an eyebrow.
"Proof?"
Lee Won froze. Caesar continued smoothly.
"You know better than anyone—baseless accusations are defamation. Where’s your proof? Outline exactly what happened, and show that I ordered it."
The interrogator had become the interrogated. Lee Won faltered. Caesar smiled and took another puff.
"A lawyer, barging in with no evidence. You’d lose in court."
Lee Won bit his lip. Angry—but he had to admit it.
A clean loss.
“…I was out of line.”
He straightened his back and said calmly:
"Understood. I’ll come back next time—with evidence."
He turned to leave.
“Lawyer.”
Caesar stopped him.
“That thing you said earlier.”
Lee Won stiffened.
Please not that.
“If you get lynched, bursting eardrums and corneal detachment are just the beginning. Some die.”
He said it like reading the news.
“Choose. Go blind—or spread your legs.”
Lee Won shot back.
“You’d rather be devoured by a starving lion or buried alive with your limbs bound?”
Caesar laughed unexpectedly.
Lee Won blinked.
“One life. Can’t test both.”
Lee Won snorted.
“Pick your answer first, then I’ll give you mine.”
Without looking back, Lee Won left the room.
As he closed the door, he caught a glimpse of Caesar waving goodbye with a smug smile.
Still smirking, still in control—Caesar disappeared behind the door.