"I think we'll need to reheat the food again."
"You mean for the third time? Seriously, Lyudmila, there's no need to wait any longer. Let's just eat they'll manage on their own."
Lyudmila sighed, not agreeing with Daniel's point of view. She stood up from her chair, and at that very moment, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the stairs.
"They've arrived. That's good."
Lyudmila smiled and motioned for Daniel to get up and help her.
"Let's reheat the dishes one more time... This is definitely the last."
"Yes, of course. The last time."
Daniel rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the lovebirds walking toward the dining table.
They were whispering and exchanging smiles, and Charlotte looked shy but she didn't seem to mind Leonid being so close to her, even pressing his body slightly against her back, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Tsk, a kiss really works wonders."
Daniel scoffed with disdain and got up to help Lyudmila with the dishes one minute for each plate then arranged them around the table.
On one side, Leonid pulled out a chair for Charlotte and helped her sit like a true gentleman, which only deepened the frown on Daniel's face as he watched.
Daniel moved to sit next to Charlotte, but a hand yanked him by the collar of his shirt like a stray pup.
"Your seat is on the other side, boy."
Leonid said coldly before releasing Daniel's collar and taking the seat next to Charlotte.
"What?!"
Daniel took two steps back, ready to retaliate, if not for Lyudmila returning with the last plate.
"Daniel, what are you doing? Come, sit down so we can eat together."
"Hmm... I'm coming."
He answered calmly, though a spark of anger flared in his gray eyes. He looked like an angry angel as he stared at Leonid, who was blatantly ignoring him, as if he didn't even exist.
Reluctantly, Daniel sat across from them, tapping his fingers on the table in tense silence while the others began eating.
He tried to focus on his plate, to distract himself from the soft whispers and giggles coming from her side. But every slight tilt of her head toward Leonid, every sparkle in her eyes, ignited a fire in his chest.
Truth be told, he was still jealous. He might not be Charlotte's real brother, but he saw himself as her possessive, protective one.
"Stop staring. You're scaring Charlotte."
"Excuse me, what?!"
He turned toward Lyudmila with a confused look, then shifted his gaze to Charlotte, his eyes searching for something some kind of denial.
"Charlotte, am I scaring you by looking at you?"
"Oh…"
She stopped laughing and looked at him with a warm smile.
"Of course not."
She denied it gently and added her perspective kindly.
"On the contrary... you look quite cute right now."
Daniel choked on his food, as if the word had gotten stuck in his throat. Then he sat up straighter, trying his best to maintain the calm, masculine friend image in front of Lyudmila.
"Please... I'm not cute."
He said it firmly, despite the slight blush creeping up his ears and cheeks.
Lyudmila interrupted him, waving her hand dramatically:
"Look at this! A woman in a relationship flirting with my boyfriend right before my eyes and her boyfriend's! What kind of behavior is this?!"
"What are you saying?!"
"Lyudmila, that's slander!"
Daniel and Charlotte shouted in unison, both responding to the accusation.
Leonid, on the other hand, shook his head with fake disappointment and added in a heavy tone, playing along with the comedy:
"She's right... what a shame, I'm so disappointed."
"Leonid, wait—"
"Oh my God!"
Lyudmila cut off Charlotte, continuing her performance with exaggeration, raising her hands to the ceiling as if she were on stage:
"We are simple people. We don't deserve to be treated this way by our loved ones!"
"Wait... I didn't know you were such a skilled actress."
Daniel said with mild sarcasm, some of his calm returning.
"Well, you'll have to get used to it, because I plan to become an actress~!"
Lyudmila answered with a bright smile, running her fingers lightly through her red hair, pushing it back with confidence.
"You really do have a lot of dreams…"
Daniel looked away from her, murmuring, hiding a small smile. He knew she wasn't being serious.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was still affected by Leonid's dramatic words.
"Leonid... were you serious about what you said a moment ago?"
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, a mix of curiosity and hesitation in her gaze.
"I was just playing along with the act, nothing serious."
Leonid said with a smile, though it quickly faded as he added:
"If I were serious, I would've gotten rid of Daniel the moment you flirted with him."
"You're joking now... right?"
Charlotte frowned, while Leonid simply shrugged and resumed eating his breakfast as if nothing had been said.
After that, silence fell over the table, broken only by the sound of spoons clinking against plates.
Once the meal was over, Charlotte quietly gathered the dishes without asking for help and headed toward the sink.
Leonid stood at the same time and took a small towel, then returned to the table and began wiping its surface carefully.
As for Lyudmila, she stood up in a rush to start getting ready, while Daniel remained seated, silently observing. After a moment, a sarcastic smile spread across his face.
"You're doing your job perfectly… keep it up, and I might just tip you."
Leonid raised an eyebrow coldly, then glanced at him from the corner of his eye and replied in a calm but cautious tone:
"You're not in a position to mock me, boy."
Daniel rolled his eyes disdainfully, then leaned slightly forward on the table, a childish spark returning to his eyes:
"By the way, did you two really make up? That's a shame… It was kind of fun watching you argue."
Leonid paused his cleaning and looked at Daniel, his expression cold and unreadable.
"Look who's talking."
He scoffed, then leaned forward over the table, his eyes locking with Daniel's.
"Isn't this the same person who nearly cried the night we broke up? If memory serves me right, you were the first one trying to fix things between us."
"That—!"
Daniel bit his tongue, a light blush coloring his cheeks.
"Hmm? Why the blush?"
Leonid continued in a low, sly tone, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"It's not like I'm flirting with you… I'm just stating facts."
"Oh, shut up!"
Daniel burst out, waving his hand in the air in frustration.
"I did it for Charlotte, not for you! And cried? I was crying from joy, okay?!"
Leonid let out a short laugh, shaking his head, clearly enjoying the effect of his words.
"Now you're lying."
"Screw you! You're insufferable!"
Daniel suddenly stood up and slammed both palms on the table.
"I wish Kaiser had beaten you to a pulp two days ago!"
Leonid let out a mocking chuckle, then pointed to himself with his thumb.
"I'm the one who beat that bastard to a pulp."
He said it confidently, standing up straight and shaking out the towel in his hand, as if to signal the childish quarrel was over at least in his mind.
Daniel, however, was still fuming, on the verge of launching into another round of insults, when soft footsteps from the kitchen interrupted him.
Both of them turned toward the sound to find Charlotte approaching, staring at them in confusion.
She stopped a step away, looking between them with a mixture of bewilderment and irritation, then asked:
"Are you two serious?"
She narrowed her eyes, focusing especially on Leonid, as if trying to dig the truth out of him.
"Did you really fight Kaiser? And beat him up?"
Even after all this time, the name felt heavy on her tongue its bitterness still stung whenever it was mentioned.
Leonid nodded silently, without saying a word.
In truth, it had only been two punches, but that was more than enough for him at the time.
Charlotte lowered her head slightly, her expression clouded with confusion, emotions tangled, silent as if trying not to drown in old thoughts.
A moment passed before she turned to Daniel:
"And you? Did you join the fight too?"
She asked in a reserved tone, as if bracing herself for an unpleasant answer.
Daniel shook his head gently, then said quietly:
"No, actually… I was the one who stopped them."
Relief softened her features for a moment, as if a small weight had been lifted from her chest.
Then, without adding anything, she turned and walked back toward the kitchen, her voice warm as she said:
"Good job… I'm glad you weren't hurt."
Charlotte entered the kitchen with quiet steps, but her body didn't fully cooperate; a slight tremble ran through her limbs, saying what her lips couldn't.
She walked toward the sink and turned on the faucet in silence. She watched the water flow gently, as if it were escaping… just like her tears had escaped that day.
It wasn't long before she heard footsteps behind her.
She didn't need to turn around; she knew who it was just from the sound of his steps.
"Charlotte…"
Leonid called her in a soft voice, carrying that familiar warmth the tone he always used when trying to soothe her without actually apologizing.
He stood beside her, reached out, and gently turned off the faucet, saying:
"Don't take your anger out on the tap and leave it running… that's wasteful."
"I'm not angry… and I'm not wasteful."
She spoke in a low voice, barely audible to him.
"No, you're not. But you're upset… Did my fight with that bastard upset you?"
At the mention of Kaiser, Charlotte narrowed her eyes, as if the name alone was enough to stir bitter memories.
Then, after a moment of silence, she slowly shook her head.
Leonid watched her quietly, then crossed his arms and turned to lean against the table. His gaze was probing, but his tone remained calm.
"Then what is it?"
"It's nothing… I just don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Are you serious?"
He gave her a sideways glance, as if trying to read more into her words.
"I'm talking about you… and Daniel."
She lifted her head and looked deeply into his eyes before adding:
"What was between me and Kaiser ended that day."