Viola fell silent for a moment.
Her gaze lowered slightly as memories she rarely touched began to surface again.
Explaining this to him… wasn't going to be easy.
"You know… back when I was a teenager," she began slowly, her voice softer than before, "I was often ignored… or taken advantage of."
She let out a faint breath.
"My parents were there, but… they were always busy. I kept telling myself that maybe if I just tried harder—if I did everything right—someone would finally notice me."
A small, bittersweet smile appeared on her lips.
"I believed that if I gave my best… someone would truly see me."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the plate she was holding.
"But because of that… I had a hard time saying what I really wanted. Doing what I truly felt."
Her voice grew quieter.
"And when everything fell apart… when everyone chose to save themselves and left me behind that time…"
She paused.
"That's when reality hit me the hardest."
Her eyes dimmed slightly.
"No matter what I did… no one was ever going to see me."
A faint tremor passed through her voice.
"And in that moment… all my regrets came rushing in."
The kitchen felt heavier with every word she spoke.
"I thought… that was it for me."
Then—
Her expression softened.
"But when I was about to die… someone finally did see me."
Her eyes lifted, meeting Ezekiel's.
"He made me realize a lot of things. He gave me a chance… a chance to undo all those regrets."
A small, genuine smile appeared this time.
"And I don't think any amount of money in this world could ever buy something like that."
She looked at him more firmly now.
"Because of him, I was able to fulfill my dream. And the reason I'm still standing here today… all the good things I have now…"
She paused briefly.
"They're all because of him."
Her voice became steady.
"So why would I leave him to face everything alone?"
Silence followed.
Ezekiel stood there, slightly stunned.
There was no exaggeration in her words. No hesitation.
Just sincerity.
"…Not everyone thinks like you, Viola," he said quietly. "What I did back then… it was just my responsibility as a hunter."
"Maybe," Viola replied gently. "But even so… I would still choose to do the same thing."
She smiled faintly.
"Even if I had to go through it all over again."
Those words struck deeper than he expected.
For a moment, Ezekiel felt something unfamiliar stir inside him.
Something dangerous.
Something he wasn't sure he should allow to grow.
And yet—
He couldn't stop it.
That was how Ezekiel's first two days off quietly came to an end.
---
Monday arrived faster than expected.
Ezekiel prepared himself and was about to leave for work when—
"Ezekiel, wait! You haven't had breakfast yet!"
Viola's voice called out from behind him.
He turned slightly, already reaching for the door.
"It's alright. I had a slice of bread. I'm in a bit of a hurry today—I need to check something at the office before everyone else arrives."
"Oh… I see, but—"
Before he could leave, Viola quickly grabbed something from the table—a small packed bundle—and rushed toward him.
"You should at least eat this on the way. Or while you're working."
Ezekiel accepted it, a little surprised.
He opened the bag and looked inside.
An energy drink, some cookies… and an apple.
"I added the fruit because I just bought these recently," Viola said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Trust me, they taste really good. I think you'll definitely like it."
She looked at him expectantly, almost as if she really wanted him to try it right then and there.
Ezekiel glanced at the contents again before picking up the apple.
He raised it slightly, inspecting it for a brief moment before taking a bite.
Viola's eyes followed his every movement, not leaving him for even a second.
He chewed, then swallowed.
Viola leaned forward slightly.
"So… how is it?"
"It's good," he replied. "It tastes a little different from the ones I've had before… but it's not bad."
A small pause.
"Thank you for the food."
Viola smiled, relieved.
"No worries. Then… you should probably go now."
She stepped back, giving him space.
"Be careful."
Ezekiel nodded.
"I will."
And with that, he finally stepped out the door not knowing what he just ate.
He accepted it without question or caution, he didn't even used his appraisal skill to check it simply because it came from Viola.
The only person who he now trusted blindly as if he didn't learned from the people who betrayed him.
He just know that Viola was different from those despicable kinds of people.