Ez sighed.
âI canât believe you mention work as soon as you wake up. You need to rest, maâam. The doctor said that youâre sick because of overworking. The doctor also said that it mustâve been hard for you to take your meals recently. He repeatedly ordered that you should not be overdoing it for a while.â
He said that as if he was upset and the corner of his eyes were welling up with tears. As he held onto Vivianâs thin enough wrist, he leaned his head down and brushed it against his forehead.
âSeriously⦠please donât overwork yourself. I really thought that something bad had happened to youâ¦â
He murmured, which seemed like he was barely stifling his tears. His hair, which had the color like a wheat field that basked in the afternoon sunshine, slowly tickled her fingertips.
âIâm sorry, Ez. I wonât worry you from now on anymore.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âReally? You promised, okay!â
Vivian nodded at Ezâs repeated question as if he was confirming it.
âBy the way, were you the one who moved me here?â
âAhâ¦â
After a brief pause, he slowly closed his eyes and nodded.
âYes. Thatâs right. I moved you to your room.â
âI just kept on doing things that made me feel sorry for you.â
âYou said that you wouldnât say that word anymore, right? Donât worry and just take a rest for today. Iâll work hard for today as well.â
âBut thereâs a whole lot of guests today.â
âItâs okay, maâam. Iâve been entertaining them these past few days, so Iâve begun to adapt enough.â
He raised one of his arms and posed like he was utterly confident.
Until just now, he was filled with tears. His desperate attempt to reassure Vivian had eventually made her laugh without thinking.
âYou believe in me, right?â
âYes, Ez. Iâll believe it if itâs you.â
Ez sincerely made a happy expression at Vivianâs statement. Vivian then looked around after listening to Ez bragging on making her believe in himself even more.
âWhat about Ashley?â
âAshley is doing fine. I just put her on the bed since she was only sleeping.â
Ashley was the one he tended to first since he was afraid that Vivian might wake up as she was still resting then. What if Vivian wakes up because of her childâs cry? Somehow, Ezâs effort in soothing Ashley had paid off well.
âThank you. Ez, this is all thanks to you.â
âIf youâre truly thankful, then please donât do something like this next time. When I heard you fainted, you donât know how muchâhow much Iâ¦â
âI wonât anymore.â
Vivian quickly spoke the moment she saw his look that was on the verge of tears.
She knew that she had to make sure this kind of thing wouldnât happen anymore. She was no longer alone and there was someone she had to take care of as well. Through this incident, she clearly realized that nothing could be gained if she were to continue overworking her body in this manner.
âPlease donât bear it alone. Rely on others and look at your surroundings. And if you can obtain any assistance, then please ask for help from others.â
Especially, to me. After saying that, Ez carefully grasped Vivianâs hands.
âIs it okay for me to do that?â
She just couldnât say yes easily to Ezâs words. She didnât want to get hurt after trusting others once more. She believed in them out of her own accord, but the wound that hit her back was still too sharp for herself.
She didnât want to get hurt anymore. She just didnât want to be exhausted as she lost any more sleep than this. The wounds which she received from others had stabbed Vivian sharply and resulted in her passive manner of communicating with people.
Ez slowly caressed Vivianâs hands with both of his. He then softly went over her fingers and covered them with his palm before wrapping them up warmly.
âOf course. Didnât you just say that youâd believe in me?â
When she saw he was smiling brightly, Vivian then slowly moved her forefinger. Her fingers slipped into the gap between his own and began to stroke them as if she was linking them both. It was a rather lukewarm reaction, but it was an obvious change still.
Vivian slowly spoke as she looked at Ez.
ââ¦Ez, should we go and play at the festival?â
ââ¦sorry?â
âYou said the festival is fun, right? Since you asked me to look at my surroundings, I got curious at once.â
âTh-thatâs of course! I can show you as long as you wish for it, maâam.â
Ezâs embarrassment gradually flushed his face. His ears, which just like a ripe fruit, stood out exceptionally.
ââ¦do you really plan on going there with me?â
His eyes became serious when he carefully asked her again. The pair of warm eyes that were looking at her revealed a slightly burning desire.
âYes. It might be a bit late since I can only go after closing the inn, but will that be okay?â
He nodded with all his might and shouted excitedly.
âItâs okay! If you feel uneasy, I can ask my acquaintance to look after the inn for that one day. Heâs a diligent guy and he has done a lot of miscellaneous jobs before. Iâm sure he can take care of the inn nicely as well.â
âThereâs actually someone like that? Heâs a talent that I really wish to have.â
As Vivian remarked playfully, Ez parted his mouth out of confusion.
âUh, huh? Maâam, are you abandoning me?â
âNo way.â
Vivian burst into laughter at his cute antics. He was a transparent person whose inside and outside were absolutely the same. Those gestures of his were what made Vivian feel at ease.