Chapter 4 His Quirk

Norene had told Carsten that she couldn't sleep and asked for a glass of red wine. After drinking it, they engaged in intimate activities. They continued intermittently, and she couldn't recall when they eventually stopped. It seemed the man's observation was accurate.

Bringing up that topic instantly created a warm atmosphere.

Dillon expressed his surprise, "I don't know much about Uncle Carsten's personal life because we live in different places. I always assumed he wasn't interested in women."

Dillon's comment cleverly supported Carsten's image as someone without female companions, while also explaining his own distant behavior towards Carsten.

Carsten, placing his teacup on the table, responded with a sly smile, "I really don't like women. They will cost me."

He emphasized his last words with a pointed glance at Dillon and Norene, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Really? What about the woman in your room last night? That didn't cost you anything?" The man who brought up the events from last night grinned.

Carsten raised his eyebrows. "To be precise, she was the one who wanted to make love with me."

"Oh!" The crowd erupted into a buzz of chatter, curious. "Who was this woman? How did she seduce you? Was she attractive?"

Carsten chose to ignore their questions.

Another person chimed in jokingly, "Is she really that great? Does she need another companion? We haven't had sex for a while."

Norene, caught off guard, coughed on her tea.

Carsten casually tossed the food into an empty plate, preventing it from falling into his bowl. Then, he looked up and replied nonchalantly, "This dish is just average. I'll take you to try something much better another time."

His critique appeared directed at the dish, but the underlying message was clear to all.

Did he find their sex unsatisfying? But he had a good time last night. Norene snorted inwardly, thinking him a liar.

Dillon, joining in with a laugh, said, "You've been eating for so long, claiming it's not great. If it were delicious, you'd be at it all night."

As he joked, he casually draped his arm around Norene, unaware that the woman they were discussing was right beside him.

Carsten, losing interest in the current line of conversation, swept a cold gaze around the room and said, "Are you here to eat or not? If not, you might as well leave."

Feeling uneasy, Norene quickly slid Dillon's arm off her and stood up. "I need to use the restroom."

Once outside the room, she was finally able to breathe easily, as the tension in the room had felt almost suffocating.

Heading towards the restroom, she grabbed her phone to text her close friend Miriam Barnes, sharing a brief rundown of her awkward dining experience with the group of men.

Miriam didn't respond right away, likely busy.

Norene added a voice message, saying, "Could Carsten have a weird habit, like collecting underwear from women he's been with? Why else would mine be missing from the room?"

Miriam replied shortly after, suggesting pragmatically, "Maybe you should go buy some new underwear."

Norene didn't reply. She suddenly found Miriam's suggestion quite reasonable.

She switched off her phone and exited, realizing the restaurant was located inside a shopping mall, where she could find underwear.

Yet, as she stepped out of the restroom, she was met with the sight of Carsten leaning against the railing by the entrance, calmly puffing on a cigarette. Dressed in black and white, he exuded a captivating aura.

The huge crystal ceiling lamp cast its radiance upon him, accentuating his broad shoulders and slender waist, enhancing his allure.

She attempted to avoid Carsten, but he caught sight of her.

He didn't look away this time, instead, he continued to watch her, appearing to expect a greeting.

With a forced smile, Norene approached him, saying, "What a coincidence. Carsten, you're also here for a smoke, right?"

Then she realized there was something odd about her statement. Why did she say "also"?

Carsten, who always looked emotionless, said with a little interest, "I was waiting for you."

Caught off guard, Norene asked, "Waiting for me? Why?"

Carsten expertly extinguished his cigarette with a flick of his hand, tossing it neatly into the bin nearby. He then stood before her, hands casually tucked into his pockets, gazing down at her. "Why are you still wearing last night's outfit?"

Anticipating that he would ask this question, she pretended to be aggrieved and pouted. "What choice did I have? My room key is back in your room. I can't get in to change."

Carsten narrowed his eyes and asked, "So..."

He subtly gestured towards her legs with a nod of his chin, asking, "Is that why you're out here without any underwear?"