Kaiser stared at her for a moment, then spoke in a voice laced with sarcasm.
"Are you in this miserable state because of me? Well... I don't recall saying anything hurtful, or doing anything to harm you… as far as I know."
He furrowed his brows slightly, trying to remember something… but to no avail. Everything felt foggy, as if the steam from a shower had wiped the details from his memory.
"Seriously, I don't like this."
Kaiser muttered, tilting his head slightly, gazing away for a moment before turning his eyes back to Charlotte. Her long hair was hanging in front of her face, hiding her features as if she were deliberately trying to shut herself off from the world.
He sighed and stepped closer, then gently reached out to lift her chin.
"Crying won't change anything. If you're upset with me, you have every right to slap my face."
He took her hand and softly raised it, placing it against his cheek.
"Would it make you feel better to slap me? Go on, don't hesitate… do it."
He expected her to do it to snap, to release something bottled inside her but just as he predicted, she did nothing. She only shook her head vigorously and pulled her hand away from his grip.
As time passed, confusion began to flood Kaiser's mind, and a sense of disgust took hold of him, though he made a clear effort to hide it. He crossed his arms over his firm chest, his abdominal muscles visibly defined.
He looked like a forgotten jewel.
"Charlotte… you're hard to understand sometimes. Anyway, go wherever you want, as long as you won't talk… or scream."
Kaiser paused for a second, then added with irritation:
"It's disgusting to see your tears… I'll close the door."
He took a step back and was about to close it when a sudden kick stopped him halfway.
Kaiser's eyes widened as he opened the door again to find Charlotte standing there, having kicked it without warning.
"What's wrong with you now?!"
He groaned impatiently, annoyed by her sudden aggression toward his door. Just moments ago, she was like a meek lamb, silently weeping as if the air itself had wounded her and now… she dares to stare him down and kick the door!
"Your insolence is growing, Charlotte!"
"You're the reason!"
She screamed sharply, making Kaiser clench his teeth as sparks practically shot from his eyes.
"I'm the reason, huh?"
"Yes! You never shut up while I'm busy cursing myself!"
"Cursing yourself?"
Kaiser narrowed his eyes in disdain, then suddenly reached out, grabbed the collar of her jacket from behind, and yanked her toward him with force.
"Then allow me to join you… I'll curse you properly."
Then he shoved her inside the apartment, ignoring her stunned, tear-filled eyes, and slammed the door shut behind him with a loud bang.
On the other side, Leonid was staring at the ceiling, his apartment wrapped in deep silence.
He might not have noticed it at first, but he suddenly realized the vast emptiness that filled the space after the loss of his pet.
In the past, he had a puppy one that made cheerful sounds and jumped around him. Sometimes he forgot its name, and at other times, he thought about giving it away. But now that it was gone, he felt emotions he never expected to feel.
Especially after seeing it lying on the cold tiles, soaked in its own blood.
"Hunter."
He murmured the name softly, as if making a vow to himself never to forget it.
Hunter's memory would remain etched in his mind, just as his mother's memory was carved into his heart.
Leonid slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, as the memory of his mother's death passed before his eyes like a ghost that never left him.
Red droplets flowed smoothly into the glass, and the scent of red wine filled Kaiser's nose before he picked up the glass and took a small sip.
"I'm really awful!"
Kaiser narrowed his eyes, then turned around, glancing at Charlotte, who was crying bitterly, clinging to a couch pillow in a pitiful state.
"Pathetic! God, I wish I were dead."
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue in irritation, clearly displeased with her.
He wanted to scream at her, curse her, maybe even slap her gently but she ended up sobbing against his chest.
Speaking of his chest, Kaiser glanced down, eyeing it briefly still damp from drying off with a towel after tossing Charlotte onto the couch like a stray cat.
"You're overreacting,"
he muttered wearily, lifting his glass again and sipping more wine.
He couldn't understand why she always blew things out of proportion whenever she made a minor mistake.
"Anyway… are you really ready to spend the night alone?"
Even he felt uneasy about her being by herself.
"For your information, it's going to be a rough night… You won't feel at ease, and sometimes, you'll feel like you're suffocating."
Kaiser stared at the red liquid in his glass, resting his weight on one hand.
"You'll be haunted by thoughts and illusions… You might feel like the devil is circling around you, maybe even setting you free."
He downed the rest of the wine in one gulp. The bittersweet burn clutched at his throat the same way his dark memories clawed at his mind.
That cursed night that changed his life forever, and cursed him in return.
"Tell me the truth."
Kaiser raised a brow, turning to Charlotte, who now stood beside him, drowning in tears.
"Tell you what?"
He leaned back in his chair and gave her a smug smile as he crossed his arms.
Before she could even ask her question seriously, Charlotte wiped her tears harshly, then said:
"Do I look pathetic?"
"Hm?"
Kaiser tilted his head slightly, as if to confirm what he just heard. Charlotte gestured to herself with her free hand and said:
"Do I look pathetic? Please don't judge me by how I look."
She let the pillow drop by her feet, then cupped Kaiser's face in her hands.
"Look beyond my appearance. You can… So tell me, do I look pathetic?"
The moment her palms touched his face, Kaiser's arrogant expression shifted his eyes turned blank, emotionless, like a black sheet of paper.
"To me, since the day I met you, you've always been…"
His voice was calm and honest. He had no trouble forming his words, and for once, he was being truthful, just like she asked.
Charlotte's lips parted slightly, unintentionally, afraid of the decisive word about to leave his mouth.
"Annoying."
Kaiser finished his sentence with an unexpected word that made Charlotte's eyes widen.
He glanced at her wrists, then gently removed her hands from his face and added with crushing coldness:
"But of course… you're pathetic too."
"Huh…?"
Charlotte felt like his words were knives carving into her heart wounding her and leaving her to bleed silently. He saw her as both annoying and pathetic.
"I don't understand…"
She whispered, but her voice came out like a breeze with no one to hear it.
Kaiser looked at her with empty eyes, then turned his gaze away. His voice was devoid of any emotion as he said:
"I don't think you need to understand. You're more than just a nuisance in my life but I've grown used to that."
Then he fell silent, as if the weight of the conversation was suffocating him.
He grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself another glass before calmly saying:
"Look on the bright side. You're annoying, but you're sweet. Pathetic at times… but always unpredictable."
He raised the glass toward her and added softly:
"Even someone like me can't seem to get rid of you. So, cheer up~"
He waited for her to take the glass, but Charlotte remained frozen, visibly shocked.
Kaiser sighed and brought the glass back to his lips, and just before downing the wine in one final gulp, he said:
"This might sound crazy or make no sense at all but somehow… I like having you around."
Charlotte clenched her fists, tears choking in her throat. She was content just hearing the truth even if it was harsh the truth that reflected Kaiser's perspective.
After Kaiser finished his second glass, Charlotte pulled it from his hand and poured herself some wine. But unlike him, she filled the glass a little too much.
"Hey, that's way too much."
Charlotte ignored Kaiser's warning and brought the glass to her lips.
Leonid had been honest with her and so, it seemed, was Kaiser.
Both had expressed their point of view. One had known her for a short while, the other for a much longer time.
"I, too…"
She whispered softly over the rim of the glass, as if the words were hard to get out then downed the wine in a single gulp.
Kaiser's eyes watched her intently, until a slight smirk tugged at his lips like a sudden, unexpected moment of joy slipping through.