Eren walked slowly down the hall, his eyes occasionally glancing at the seniors who were busy passing by. The sound of footsteps echoed lightly between the walls.
He stopped in front of a door, took a deep breath as if gathering his courage.
He knocked. Once.
Silence. He knocked again. Twice.
Still no answer. The third knock finally sounded a little louder, and suddenly, the door swung open.
Someone was standing there, staring at him with sharp, knife-like eyes.
"Noisy."
The low voice made Eren's body stiffen. As soon as he saw who was standing before him, his face immediately paled.
Levi Captain.
With a slightly trembling tone,
"I'm s-sorry..."
"You need something? Don't waste time, there are more important things to take care of."
"Y-yes Captain, Commander Erwin is inside right?"
"You want to meet him?"
"Y-yes."
There was a long pause, and Levi didn't answer immediately. He stared deeply into Eren's eyes. His mind raced, trying to figure out what reason he had for meeting Erwin. If it involved his Titan powers, it was clearly something he couldn't ignore. Levi didn't ask, simply turned and walked in, letting Eren through.
Eren raised an eyebrow slightly. He didn't understand why Captain Levi had left him without a word. For a moment, he just stood in the doorway, contemplating whether to step inside or not.
He took one hesitant step. The second, his eyes began to take in the room. A long table lay in the center, piled on top of it were sheets of paper and maps, some bent at the edges.
Around the table sat the important figures of the Scout Regiment: Hange, Mike, and several other seniors he didn't yet know. At the head of the table, Erwin sat upright with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
As Eren stepped closer, all eyes in the room turned to him.
Lonely.
Only the sound of his own footsteps could be heard.
"Close the door, Eren."
The cold tone shattered the silence. He closed the door carefully, as if even the slightest sound could be considered a violation.
Eren stood up straight with one fist placed on his chest in salute, there was still a second of silence as he thought about where to begin his words, but Erwin greeted him first,
"The timing is not good, is there something you need?"
"Yes."
Eren took a short breath,
"I got a request from someone, she said she wanted to join."
A commotion erupted from the seniors, faint voices could be heard from them.
Come on.
Seriously?
What joke is this?
Then Levi, who was leaning beside the door, wanted to approach him with a disappointed face,
"Get out, we don't have time for it—"
Unexpectedly, Erwin cut him off,
"Wait Levi."
The room immediately fell silent, Levi returned to his position without saying anything, but from his expression he was not happy.
Erwin gently shifted the documents on his desk then his hands interlocked again.
"Speaking of recruitment, we can't just randomly put anyone into this unit.
In a context outside of the official training that is held every three years, this kind of thing... is much more complicated than you think, Eren. But I hope you don't waste your chance now. So... speak."
Eren was initially desperate after the reactions of his seniors, but after Erwin's words came out, he saw a glimmer of hope, however he now had to make the most of it.
"Thank you, Commander. Sorry… I don't know what procedures to go through."
Eren pulled his hand back to his side after saluting, a firmness starting to grow to replace the doubt that had gripped him.
"Violet Evergarden... She's a waitress from a tavern in the northern region of Wall Rose. Nothing personal, I have no ties to her and I don't know if she has any military experience or not... The only thing I know is her reason for joining... She wanted to..."
"Understanding the World."
Levi looked furious with Eren's words,
"So, you meet someone you don't even know... then come here, talk nonsense, and hope something happens?"
He took a step forward, his gaze sharpening. "You don't even know what you're doing, huh? What makes you think she deserves to be here?"
A heavy silence followed after that as if the air in the room was holding its breath.
Eren was silent for a moment. The atmosphere felt tense. He lowered his head and took a deep breath.
"You're right, Captain... that's all I can do."
He looked at Levi, this time without hesitation, as if fully accepting every word that had been directed at him.
Eren straightened his gaze again to catch all the pairs of eyes that were now focused on him
"But at least... we inherited her will."
Her voice was soft, but clearly audible amidst the silence. Eren recalled a snippet of a sentence he had once heard.
"Because... we can't prevent human curiosity."
No one blinked, not even Levi.
Erwin fell silent, those simple words... had once lived in his own head. He felt like he was reflecting himself through Eren.
Hange whispered, looking down slightly trying to hide her enthusiastic face, the look in her eyes couldn't lie.
"Damn, Eren gave a good line."
Eren again clenched his fists to his chest in salute.
"I'll take my leave."
Without hesitation, he turned around...
And closed the door politely.
Erwin's gaze lingered. He followed Eren's back until the door closed tightly.
The seniors did not immediately continue the meeting. They gave space as if they knew there would be another agenda outside of what was written in the report.
Mike glanced at Hange in front of him, a brief glance enough to understand each other without words. Then his gaze shifted to Levi.
Yes...
It seems like they're all thinking the same thing.
. . .
Documents began to be sorted out after the meeting concluded. Each captain had his or her own assistant, helping to sort through the piles of paperwork on the table, except for Levi, who, as usual, rarely sat down during the meeting.
"Hmm."
Erwin cleared his throat, just a hint before actually speaking. The assistants remained busy, but the captains seemed to already know what to say next.
Erwin's gaze first fell on Levi. They stared at each other for only a second before Levi pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the door.
"There's something I need to take care of."
Without waiting for permission, he left.
Erwin didn't hold back, just let out a short breath.
His gaze shifted to Mike.
But Mike immediately straightened his body, as if he had prepared an excuse.
"I haven't finished my report yet, I don't want to work overtime anymore."
Pause for a moment.
Erwin knew the real intention was not about overtime, but about the pile of forms and Military Police signatures that would surely accompany the recruitment process.
"...I will instruct my subordinates about that," she said quickly.
Finally Erwin turned to Hange.
Hange raised her hand slowly, a half-resigned smile.
"Thank you, Hange," Erwin replied flatly, but his eyes showed a faint sense of relief.
Hange nodded.
The atmosphere returned to calm, only the sound of paperwork could be heard. Everyone knew the matter wasn't over yet, but they simply agreed not to discuss it further today.
.
.
.
Hange walked down the hallway, her steps calm but her voice heavy. Beside her, Floch seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts. He glanced at Hange's back every now and then before finally summoning the courage to ask a question.
"...by the way Hange, why do the captains seem to be avoiding the recruitment issue?"
Hange sighed, her face looking lazy,
"Actually, no one wants to refuse, it's just that... dealing with the military police is very tiring. Since I'm the person in charge, I'll be the one to accompany him until the process is complete."
"Did Captain Levi also go through the same process?"
"No."
"Huh?"
"Erwin did have the authority to recruit someone outside of official training, but after Levi's case... they changed the rules to be stricter."
"I see, why would they bother doing it?"
"In the written rules they made, they want to make sure that the people who come in are completely 'clean' and have never had any criminal connections...."
Hange narrowed her eyes, staring blankly ahead.
"...But I'm sure they have other reasons."
Floch just silently swallowed his saliva, he didn't ask any further.
Outside, Eren stood for a moment, the air feeling colder than he remembered, his eyes blankly staring toward the canteen. The footsteps of the other soldiers could be heard faintly behind him, mixed with brief, meaningless conversations.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching.
"Floch-san?" Eren turned his head quickly, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"There you are," Floch replied, his voice filled with relief but fatigue. He took a deep breath before looking at Eren with a more serious gaze.
"I have taken responsibility… regarding the person you mentioned."
Eren nodded slowly.
"So... is there something I need to do?"
"Just a moment…" Floch rolled his eyes skyward, as if just remembering the pile of work awaiting him. "Ah, damn it. I have too much to take care of, so let me write the instructions."
He was carrying documents from his arm, then pulled a pen from his pocket and began searching for a blank page among the stack of papers. He was in a hurry, but his movements were too regular, like someone who had done this too often, even outside of his official duties.
Hange was about to walk the other way, she glanced at Eren for a moment as she passed them but her ears still clearly caught the conversation that was going on.
"Can you name the characteristics?" Floch asked without looking up from his paper.
"Characteristic features?"
"Yes, what is that girl like?"
Eren touched his chin, trying to remember.
"She has blonde hair."
"So?"
"I didn't really pay attention to anything else… but the thing I remember most is that he was wearing gloves."
Hange's steps stopped.
He stared blankly ahead, his eyes slightly wide as if something that should have been buried in his memory had just been touched.
One second… two seconds…
Then he turned around and immediately asked
"Gloves?"
Eren and Floch immediately turned their heads in confusion, neither of them daring to respond.
Hange stepped a little closer, "What was he doing at that time?"
Silence hung for a few seconds. Eren glanced at Floch and then back at Hange.
"You… are asking me, Hange-san?"
"Yes, Eren!"
His voice sounded a little high.
Eren smiled awkwardly. "Ah… sorry, I don't understand what you mean."
Hange took a deep breath. "Does she have a job?"
"Oh, about that, yes. Yes... he's a tavern waiter, maybe."
"The tavern waiter..." Hange repeated the words to herself
"So there are also luxury tavern there?"
"I don't know what Hange-san means by luxury, but judging from the outside of the building, I think... it's just a small tavern."
Everyone fell silent again, Eren shifted his gaze from Floch to Hange. Hange touched her chin while Floch just stared at Hange silently as if trying to guess where her thoughts were going.
Not long after that, Floch, who noticed Eren's attitude, immediately turned his head.
"You can go now, Eren."
"Okay."
Eren hurried away even though he still looked confused.
There was no further discussion but for unknown reasons Hange withdrew her order and chose to check it out herself along with Floch.
.
.
.
Hange and Floch stopped right in front of the tavern door. Floch glanced at the sign. The paint was starting to fade, but the letters were still legible. He took a breath and then carefully pushed open the door.
The small bell above the door jingled softly. Two servants immediately greeted us at the front door: a tall, burly man and a young woman beside him.
Both of them bowed politely.
"Welcome to the Three Roses Tavern," said the man in a low, warm tone.
Violet was standing in the corner, her eyes unblinking as if time had stopped for a moment as she watched Krause do something she never expected.
Greta was sitting beside her. Without looking, Violet asked,
"Has Krause-san ever been a waiter here?"
"No... but back when he was in the military, his position was high enough to meet with the royal family."
Greta also looked in the same direction, but her gaze stopped on Krause's hand. On his right arm, a faint scar was still visible.
Hearing Greta's answer, Violet immediately turned her head and her eyes widened slightly,
"The royal family... isn't it great?"
Greta smiled then lowered her voice to a whisper,
"Yes, you're right, Violet… but for her own sake, don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
Violet blinked once, her gaze blank for a moment before slowly nodding slightly.
At the door, after receiving a warm welcome, Hange didn't speak immediately, she swept her gaze around for a moment, this place looked ordinary but somehow felt more peaceful than anywhere else.
"I want to meet the tavern owner, is that possible?"
Krause answered without hesitation,
"Of course, he even anticipated your arrival and had prepared a special place."
Krause smiled while puffing out his chest elegantly then he turned to Sophie,
"Can you take them, Sophie?"
Sophie nodded politely.
"Oh-Thank you so much! I didn't expect it to go that far. Is he the man sitting in the corner?"
"....you are right, miss."
"Then there's no need, just think of us as feeling more comfortable without anything too excessive."
Krause placed one palm on his chest, accepting with respect a gentle rebuff from Hange.
His other hand was half raised, making a polite gesture towards Greta to let them pass.
"That's very wise, please."
Step by step, Hange and Floch approached Greta's table. Floch saw a man sitting in his forties, with an empty chair beside him, and then another...
A girl.
The features were exactly the same as Eren described, but when he saw it in person…
Somehow... something felt different.
Her face was expressionless... but still beautiful.
His gaze was straight, not cold... but gentle.
Among the gentle breeze that swayed the strands of her hair, there was something that made one's breath stop for a moment.
So...
The blue eyes shifted towards him.
Floch immediately turned his gaze in another direction.
Greta, who was still sitting, immediately got up, his chair shifting slowly, making a shuffling sound that was almost drowned out by the din of conversation at the other table. He tried to stand, but before he could straighten up, Hange made a simple hand gesture that politely told him to remain seated.
Greta hesitated for a moment before finally complying. Hange smiled faintly, then turned to the girl beside him.
Violet bowed politely.
Hange responded with a small nod, enough to convey respect without needing words.
The atmosphere at the table slowly calmed down. Only the distant clink of spoons could be heard.
Finally, they sat facing each other.
Hange greeted first, she took a deep breath without feeling awkward pushing herself into the chair, the morning breeze entering her nose as comfortable as she was sitting in this place now.
Then he started talking,
"A great place... "
Hange said while looking around the room.
Greta smiled faintly,
"Thank you, we try to maintain the atmosphere so that customers feel calm."
Greta then turned to Violet,
"Sit down, Violet."
"Okay," Violet answered briefly.
The chair creaked softly, sliding against the floor. Her skirt swayed, and with a graceful movement, Violet sat down beside Greta.
"You seem to already know the purpose of our visit. Let me introduce myself, my name is Hange Zoe, I am with my subordinate named Floch Foster. Nice to meet you."
"Greta Albrecht. It's an honor to meet you, Hange."
His tone was calm, like someone who was used to speaking to people of rank.
"This is my fourth year running this business, and this girl..."
Greta turned his head slowly to the side. "...one of the waitresses at my tavern"
Violet caught the hint instantly. Without hesitation, she bowed slowly and respectfully until the strands of hair on the side of her face touched the edge of the table.
"Thank you for responding to my wish. It… means a lot to me."
"My name is Violet Evergarden."
Floch stared at him without blinking.
Her voice was much softer than he had imagined.
Hange pushed herself forward, placing her hands on the table, her face looking more serious than a moment ago, as if she wanted to immediately open the main conversation but Greta beat her to it.
"I've already prepared the food, you guys are ahead of the meal time, right? But if you feel rushed, I totally understand."
Floch stared at him sarcastically while Hange showed a different reaction. Her eyes widened at the words, then she smiled faintly.
"I don't really understand, Mr. Greta," she said quietly.
"This place… the service you provide… everything feels genuine. I'm sure you have no ill intentions." Hange took a deep breath, then looked around gently. "It's just… that kind of information is quite intimidating. It makes us a little uncomfortable." She looked back at Greta. "Does it have something to do with something that happened before we arrived? Or… do you have another explanation?"
Floch was stunned by Hange's words, not expecting his captain to choose an open discussion, without considering the risks.
Greta stared blankly at Hange for a moment, then he laughed softly.
"Thank you, I feel like I've been slapped, I apologize for my behavior earlier, it's ironic that the one who makes the customer uncomfortable is me."
He took a deep breath before continuing. During the pause, he made a light gesture to Sophie, and she quickly went into the kitchen.
"I used to be a military doctor. West Garrison of Wall Rose, eighty-eighth class."
"Military?" Floch asked spontaneously.
Hange listened more seriously than before then she said,
"That's interesting. Are those young men included?"
Greta casually replied,
"About the people outside? Oh, that's a different story."
Floch, who had been tense, now had his breathing returning to normal. He seemed to be opening up as well. He slowly pushed himself back against the chair, occasionally glancing at the girl in front of him.
There was no reaction whatsoever, the girl remained calm, listening carefully to every word that came out of their mouths.
Floch was too lost in his thoughts to notice that Krause came from beside him carrying a heavy tray of food in one hand.
Krause seemed to be very experienced, he walked carefully while watching his steps, he started to bend down to put the dish on the table, in between he accidentally saw Floch's face who was looking at Violet in an unusual way.
"Be careful about looking at something for too long, sometimes that look can reflect back on your own heart."
Floch blinked instantly, the words breaking his thoughts.
"...Huh?—Ah sorry."
Floch immediately straightened his body, trying to control himself because he was nervous, but before he could speak, Violet's soft voice was heard first.
"Did I make you uncomfortable?"
Floch didn't answer immediately, now the nervousness he felt disappeared immediately, now he was silent for a moment with a half-confused face.
"What? No-no, I'm the one who should be asking that."
Violet nodded slightly, "I don't mind that, it's just... some people can't be honest when I make a mistake."
Everyone fell silent, except for the clink of plates being prepared. Greta smiled faintly, glancing at Violet's face.
Floch blinked, even the girl... everyone around him was so open. Floch took a deep breath, then he said,
"Mistake? You really do care about others, huh. That thing comes from the past, right?"
Violet stared blankly at Floch, looking beyond what he was saying.
"We always think we have time, but thinking about what other people think is the most useless thing."
Floch smiled awkwardly, then added,
"Well that's just advice from a young man."
Hange read the situation, she guessed that the girl was confused because she probably took Floch's words literally.
"We never know when we're wrong in someone else's eyes. But if they don't explain it in good faith, it's not your responsibility, Violet. Is that what you mean, Floch?"
Violet touched her chest with her palm, her eyes widening for a moment.
"I understand. Thank you."
Greta took a deep breath and then clapped his hands once lightly.
"Okay."
Sophie followed with a drink but Greta didn't bother to continue her speech,
"Because this is an important meeting, we are not providing beer."
Hange sighed dramatically.
"Oh, so I'm unlucky today."
"Captain." Floch's tone was firm, like a suppressed rebuke.
Hange turned her head, smiling awkwardly.
"Yes, Floch... that's right. If Levi had come here maybe he wouldn't have made much of an offer."
Greta laughed softly,
"Please don't say that name, I feel a little creeped out. The last time I saw him… ah, I'd rather not tell you."
"You're exaggerating sir, that big man isn't just any waiter, is he?"
"Your sense of smell is sharp....I'm not surprised, even my people from outside can be detected by you easily."
"You have no intention of hiding it at all, Mr. Greta?"
"Hide it from who, from you? Your question sounds like a joke," Greta said with a chuckle.
Floch was flabbergasted, his eyes shifting from one face to the other. How could they be so calm… so open… as if sensitive information wasn't something to be kept at arm's length?
The wind from the shop door came in slowly, but for some reason Floch felt the room was actually getting warmer.
.
.
.
After eating, Violet was asked to fill out several forms.
Paper after paper, Hange read each one carefully to make sure everything was filled in correctly.
She held on to the last sheet a little longer. Hange slid the paper to the center of the table, then turned it so it was easy to read, enough to tell that it was addressed not only to Violet but also to Greta.
"Ignore this paper for now, can I ask you something, Violet?"
Violet nodded quickly, "Yes."
"Why do you always wear gloves?"
The question fell like a small stone on the surface of the water. The vibrations were immediately felt.
Sophie was standing close enough to hear the question.
She knew Violet wasn't someone who could lie and was good at protecting herself with words.
Sophie's face paled slightly, her breathing shallow. She could only hope that Violet would get through this moment safely.
Then, a palm landed on her shoulder.
She was stunned.
Krause stood beside him, silently.
His face was calm, almost like a boulder holding back the wind.
He nodded his head once, conveying one simple message,
Trust her
Sophie took a deep breath. Her chest was no longer as tight as before, though the worry hadn't completely disappeared.
Meanwhile Violet's body immediately straightened, her gaze dropped for a moment, then her other hand automatically moved to hold her other arm.
"This..."
Her voice was broken, soft but heavy.
"Something I find difficult to talk about."
Silence stretched between them.
In just one second, Greta immediately understood it. He then took over.
"There's a scar on his hand," Greta said softly, his voice almost a protective whisper. "Sometimes… things are too hard to forget."
Violet lowered her head slightly, strands of her blonde hair falling over her face.
She didn't argue. Nor did she add anything.
Floch stared at Violet for a moment, and for the first time he saw the fragile side of all the calm she displayed.
Hange nodded slowly, then leaned forward slightly.
"I understand."
She took a deep breath, then tidied up the files in front of him.
"I deduced the data from the form Violet filled out," she said calmly. "Full name: Violet Evergarden. Origin: Evergarden family, East of Wall Maria. Proficient in ODM Gear through informal training by Krause Vogt, a former soldier. Reason for not attending training… occupation. Status: good citizen, with no record of illegal activity."
Hange turned her gaze to Greta.
"This data is accountable, right, Mr. Greta?"
Greta nodded slightly, without hesitation.
Hange continued in a lower voice.
"Regarding that, it's not my job to judge. What you need to understand is... if there is even one wrong piece of data, then you, this tavern, and your people will have to deal with the Military Police."
She leaned in slightly. "And not your average military police. Need I explain what their deepest division is?"
Hange's gaze sharpened.
Greta returned the gaze without moving an inch.
"By deepest… you mean darkest, right?" He sighed softly, but his eyes remained sharp. "Of course I know. The best of the best. The Human Hunter Division."
The air suddenly became heavy. Floch held his breath. No one moved.
Just two pairs of eyes meeting each other, without blinking, as if they were measuring the limits of each other's trust.
"Okay."
He touched the last piece of paper.
"This paper requires two signatures. You may read it too, Mr. Greta. It lists the terms of the agreement you agreed to hand over Violet to. For your information… this agreement was drawn up directly by the Military Police."
Greta read from top to bottom.
She came to a point that made her eyebrows slowly lower.
Will not report anything, if a recruit dies on duty…
or off duty.
"…Off duty?"
His tone was flat, yet heavy.
Hange didn't answer.
"If you agree," Hange continued, "please sign, Mr. Greta."
Greta didn't move.
He pulled her chair closer. The sound of scraping wood rang out in the silence.
He leaned forward, his hands clasped together on the table.
In a low voice he said:
"I'll sign. We have no problem… if Violet ends up a corpse in one of the carts you bring home."
Floch, Sophie, and Violet both gasped, their eyes widening almost simultaneously.
Greta clenched her fists.
She landed a soft blow on the table.
"But if I smell a senseless death… or something strange endangering her life… depending on the situation, we might become allies… or the first enemies you will face."
Hange stared at him intently.
The man wasn't joking. He glanced at Krause, the large man with his arms crossed, his gaze as sharp as a thin blade.
Suddenly, Hange grabbed Floch's hand.
Her young subordinate was holding the handle of a pistol. His face was tense, his jaw clenched.
"Know your place, old man," Floch hissed.
"Who do you think you are? Threatening the Captain like that."
"Floch."
Hange calmed her voice. "Take a breath. And see… are you sure you can take down that big guy anyway?"
Floch turned around.
Krause still had his arms crossed calmly, but his face was like a predator ready to pounce at any moment. Floch swallowed hard.
Hange continued, slowly but sharply,
"He wasn't threatening. He was warning us. So that… we wouldn't choose the wrong enemy. And so that we'd know whose side to take."
Greta smiled slightly.
"You're so smart, Hange."
Greta slowly pushed her chair back. She took the pen on the table and signed the paper without hesitation. After that, she moved the paper to the side.
"Violet, it's your turn," Greta said softly.
Violet didn't move.
Her eyes stared blankly at the table.
Her hands were shaking slightly.
Her face couldn't lie, the sadness was written all over it even though he tried to hold it back.
One by one, all eyes turned to him.
"I..." her voice broke, barely audible.
Greta tensed, panicking. He thought Violet was going to say something she should never have said. His hands clenched tightly on his thighs.
Sophie couldn't help but take a step but a big hand held her shoulder.
"Why?" he whispered.
"Shut up," Krause replied coldly.
Hange listened without blinking as Violet's lips moved again.
"I… feel unworthy, to be protected to such an extent, Greta-san," she said in a trembling voice.
Her eyes began to well up with tears.
"Huh?"
Sophie held her breath, not expecting the direction of that sentence.
Unexpectedly by anyone, it was Krause who responded to Violet's words.
"Bullsh*t." It wasn't a shout, just a flat, piercing tone.
Krause walked slowly towards Violet.
"Kr–Krause… san?"
Violet was shocked, not knowing how to react.
While still walking, Krause said in a lower tone,
"There are many people..."
His steps kept getting closer, each stomp of his shoes echoing on the floor.
"Those who do not understand their value...."
He stopped right in front of Violet.
For the first time, Violet saw a cold gaze from the person who always gave her warm greetings.
"After it was really too late."
Then, with a movement so gentle that no one would ever have imagined from such a large man, Krause touched Violet's head. His fingers stroked her blonde hair before gently pushing it down, as if protecting her from a world that was too harsh.
"I don't want you to be one of them."
Violet's tears just fell. Something had touched the deepest part of her… something that hadn't been touched for a long time.
He held back his sobs, lowering his head deeply, as if hiding behind his own fingers.
Greta didn't give any reaction, she glanced at Krause for a moment,
"Finally he spoke... Thank you Krause."
Floch stopped breathing for a moment. The hand that had been holding the gun now slowly weakened.
For the first time in a long time, Floch felt ashamed of himself.
He looked down, whispered so quietly that only he heard,
"…damn."
As soon as Violet cried, Sophie immediately held back.
He wanted to move forward. He wanted to hug Violet.
When he saw Krause's sad face…
He finally understood,
Violet's tears were not for anyone to save her. They had to come out. Otherwise, Violet would never move forward.
Sophie bit her lip, looking down, her chest tight.
But he didn't move.
For the first time, Sophie learned to restrain herself not for herself, but for Violet.
Hange didn't say anything. Her eyes followed Krause and Violet's movements with a silence that she rarely showed.
Hange knew what sadness looked like on the man's face.
Hange leaned back slowly in the chair, letting out a barely audible sigh.
He respected the moment without a word.