Clove walked in, chin high, trying to look as dignified as possible.....for reasons only she knew.
Zaviel's brows lowered. What's the point of that aura… trying to pressure me?
The doctor stood quietly beside her, his usual polite smile plastered on.
He gave Zaviel a quick, inspecting glance before looking away.
Probably just checking if his patient's still breathing.
The nurse let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here, Doctor! I was just about to call you to...."
"You may leave."
Clove's voice cut through like a command no one dared question.
The nurse blinked, confused, and looked at the doctor. He gave a small shake of his head, as if to say, Don't look at me, she's the boss here.
With a quiet grumble, the nurse walked out, clearly unwilling.
Zaviel tilted his head slightly, a half-smirk tugging at his lips.
"So… what is it this time? Another round of questions and answers? 'Cause as you can see, I'm not exactly in interview condition."
Clove exhaled slowly, her usual edge softening just a fraction."That's actually why I came, kid… to apologize."
She muttered the last word like it burned on her tongue
Zaviel raised a brow, his face shifting into the perfect mask of a confused kid who just had his candy stolen. Too good at acting.
"What do you mean by apologize? For what?"
Clove hesitated, her lips pursing before she spoke.
"During our first talk… you said something that stuck with me."
Zaviel tilted his head.
"And that is?"
Instead of answering, Clove glanced at the Doctor and gave him a nod.
The Doctor adjusted his glasses, that professional smile sliding back onto his face as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.
"Perfect timing. Let me show you."
He reached into his coat pocket and produced a small device. Sleek. Gold. Oval-shaped, with a single purple button at its center.
He pressed it, and instantly a hologram flickered to life—six figures rotating in the air like suspects on display.
"Here,"
the Doctor pointed to the top right projection.
A man with brown hair, sharp features, and a resemblance to Zaviel that couldn't be ignored.
"Our guest here," he continued, "was moved by your story and decided to help you. She mentioned you've grown up without a father, yet despite that, you've stayed diligent and even managed to come out as the top student in school. Admirable, truly."
Zaviel turned his head slowly toward Clove, giving her the kind of look that said...
Seriously? That's the best cover story you could come up with?Missing dad? He nearly rolled his eyes.
He scratched his head, pretending to be shy.
"Oh… uh, thanks for your kindness, ma!" He flashed Clove a wide, goofy grin.
Clove didn't return it. She simply looked away.
The Doctor continued, "As you can see, five of them, excluding you, all have heterochromia.... and judging from the ages, and of course, resemblance... Our guest has decided to investigate this man. He is the only one closer to being your father."
"Wow... he has the same eyes as I do." Zaviel's eyes widened. just too good at acting
Then he turned to Clove, "Ma, please, could you really tell me why you're helping me? I'm a very Cynical person!"
Clove shook her head
"I mean...what if my father turns out to be the night..."
"Shut it!" Clove screamed
"Okay," Zaviel smirked goofily, looking away
Clove turned to the Doctor. "Leave us alone for a moment."
The Doctor didn't protest. He simply adjusted his glasses, that polite smile never slipping, before walking out. Every step carried the air of a man who knew far more than even the well-trained agent left behind.
Clove folded her arms. Her tone was calm but edged with steel.
"The Night Demon is something the public knows nothing about. I'd like you to keep it that way… as you always have."
Zaviel's eye twitched.
Perfect.
Clove cracked her knuckles, gaze never leaving him."Yesterday… the Night Demon appeared. In broad daylight. Around the same time you blacked out and got rushed here."
Zaviel chuckled inwardly. Of course they did....just as I expected
Her knuckles pressed tighter, the faint pop echoing in the room."The Night Demon has never struck during the day. So why now?"
Zaviel arched a brow. "Am I supposed to answer that?"
Clove's voice dropped, deliberate, certain."Not really. The answer's obvious. He's sending a message. Telling us not to harm you. Which means…" Her eyes narrowed. "You're someone close to him. Maybe even family."
Zaviel's lips curled into the faintest grin. He gave a lazy shrug."I wonder."
Clove's eyes lingered on him, sharp and probing, as though she could peel back the mask and read every thought hiding underneath.
But Zaviel just leaned back against the headboard, his grin never slipping, his mismatched eyes glinting with amusement.
"You take this too lightly," she said finally. "Whoever he is… he doesn't want you touched. That should scare you, Zaviel. Because men like him don't protect....they.....they... Clove clenched her fist like she didn't want to remember something painful
Zaviel tilted his head, feigning innocence.
"So you're saying Daddy Dearest might be a monster in disguise? Yeah, well… tell me something I don't know."
Her brows furrowed, not at his words, but at the casual way he said them. Too casual. She knew teenagers hid behind bravado, but this felt… different.
Clove exhaled and turned toward the door. "Be careful, Zaviel. You don't know the kind of world you're tied to."
As the door shut behind her, silence draped the ward once more.
Zaviel's grin thinned, fading into something sharper.
He glanced at the hologram device still left on the side table, the six faces burned into the air.
His gaze lingered...not on the supposed father...but on the faint outline of another figure.
A figure he knew better than anyone, despite her disguise in the hologram.
A sharp laugh escaped his mouth
"Heh...So she helped me get rid of the trash"