Three days have passed, and Helia's attempts to find Toji have proved futile. It's as if he's actively evading her, disappearing every time she tries to locate him within the estate.

She had searched the entire estate, looking high and low for any sign of Toji. She had checked his room, the training grounds, the gardens, even the kitchen - but no matter where she had looked, he was nowhere to be found. It's as if he had vanished into thin air, deliberately hiding from her.

Currently, she's cleaning the spacious entry of the estate, her frustration with Toji's absence seeping through as she goes about her task.

Frustration mounts within her, her thoughts filled with anger at his childish behavior. Is he a bad-tempered child, playing hide and seek with her?

Is that how he intends to resolve this issue? She understands that he's angry but acting like that won't help at all.

As she continues to clean the room, a sound catches her attention - footsteps approaching from behind her. In her current state of frustration and anger towards Toji, she doesn't bother to turn around, choosing to focus on her task instead.

The footsteps grow louder as the person gets closer. She's startled by the familiar voice that suddenly speaks up behind her.

"You know, you're quite a sight when your scars are hidden away."

Quickly, she turns around to find Naoya standing right behind her, a smug look on his face.

Unsettled by his unannounced presence and his words, Helia instinctively takes a step back, wary of his intentions. Her irritation from before now mixes with a hint of unease in the face of Naoya's unexpected arrival.

He steps closer, his tone laced with a hint of mockery. "What's the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost."

She acts as calm and polite as she can, hiding her hatred towards the man. "Do you need something sir?"

He chuckles softly, his gaze roaming over her form with a hint of arrogance. "Oh, I was just passing by and couldn't help but notice you working diligently... as always."

His gaze remains fixed on her, his eyes tracing over her body.

It makes her feel uncomfortable, and a shiver runs through her as she feels the weight of his gaze.

He steps even closer, reaching out to take a strand of her hair in his hand. He twirls it gently between his fingers, studying it closely. A small, almost sinister smile crosses his lips as he remarks.

"You have lovely hair, you know? So smooth and silky..."

With as much restraint as she can muster, Helia manages to reclaim the strand of her hair from his grip. Naoya's smile falters for a moment, and his eyes narrow slightly as she snatches back the strand.

"Do not touch me please." She says.

Without warning, he suddenly grabs a handful of her hair, yanking her head back to force her face up towards his. His expression hardens, his tone turning dangerous as he speaks in a low, menacing voice.

"Don't forget, little maid, that you're just a lowly servant here. I can do whatever I want with you, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

As he tightens his grip on her hair, the pain shoots through her scalp, but she refuses to give him the satisfaction of seeing her wince.

She glares at him, anger and resentment burning in her eyes, yet held back by the stinging feeling in her head.

Just as Naoya is about to lean closer, his grip painfully tight on her hair, the sound of distant footsteps rings out from the entrance of the estate.

Startled, he suddenly loosens his grasp on her hair, releasing her from his grip. His expression hardens, and he takes a quick step back, his focus shifting towards the entrance.

There is a man in the entrance who greets him, and Naoya responds politely before the man continues on his way. He turns back to Helia, a sly smirk on his face.

"I can't be seen talking to a worthless maid. But don't worry, we'll continue this another time."

With that, he strides away, leaving Helia behind, as her disgust towards his behavior solidifies. His arrogance and the way he spoke to her, the way he grabbed her hair like she was an object to be toyed with, all of it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

She shakes her head, clenching her fists tightly. What a jerk. Just because he's a member of the Zenin clan, he thinks he can do whatever he wants. Disgusting.

[...]

Toji has, in fact, been actively avoiding Helia as she suspected, precisely because he was angry and assumed that engaging in conversation with her would only fuel further anger and frustration.

Despite her attempts to find him, he has managed to evade her presence, disappearing at opportune moments to avoid a confrontation.

The change in his demeanor is palpable. The warm and loving side of him that used to hold a special place for her has been overshadowed by a cold, distant attitude and a burning anger that clouds his every interaction with others.

All the space in his heart that was dedicated to his love for her had been replaced by a feeling of burning anger.

His thoughts now turn to the question of why she hasn't revealed his plans to his father. He ponders why she has kept this crucial information to herself, instead of informing his father and putting a stop to his intended actions.

The fact that he is still free and not confined for his plans to kill everyone within the estate, only adds to his confusion. A thought begins to simmer in his mind - the possibility that this is just another one of her tricks to manipulate him even further.

The notion twists in his heart, further fueling his anger and suspicion. He finds himself doubting her motives, questioning if her actions are just another calculated move in her game against him.

His mind struggles to reconcile the idea of her betraying him with her lack of action, leaving him to ponder the true nature of her loyalty and intentions.

Nonetheless, his anger towards Helia for her perceived betrayal still remains raw and unprocessed. The wound inflicted on his trust by her actions continues to throb within his heart, fueling the fire of his frustration and resentment.

The pain of her deception burns brightly, consuming any chance for reconciliation or understanding in his current state of mind.

However, for some strange reasons, his gaze often unconsciously drifts towards her. Despite his efforts to avoid direct contact with her, he still finds himself unconsciously drawn to watch her from afar when she's within his line of sight.

As much as he may want to push aside his anger and forget about her, his gaze always finds its way back to her, silently observing her every move.

He's unsure why he finds himself so drawn to glance her way whenever she's nearby. It conflicts with his current anger and frustration towards her.

Every time his eyes linger on her, he wonders why he's wasting his time watching over someone he believes betrayed him.

In addition, his words from the previous day echo in his mind, the harshness of his tone and the choice of his words replaying in his thoughts.

He wrestles with the feeling of regret, unsure if he truly harbors remorse over his harshness or if the anger that fueled his words still burns within him.

Deep down, even if he refuses to admit it, some of his words were the result of anger and were simply used to hurt her the way she had hurt him.

When he had threatened to kill everyone in the estate, including her, it wasn't entirely accurate.

Even if he was to burn this estate to the ground, he wouldn't let a flicker of flame touch her.

No matter how furious he may be, his feelings for her still linger somewhere beneath his rage, protecting her from his wrath. Even if he carefully refuses to acknowledge it.

[...]

He is now walking towards the entrance of the estate when a familiar voice reaches his ears, a voice he would recognize among millions.

Her voice.

The moment he hears it, he stops in his tracks, and moves closer to her location, treading softly to avoid detection. With careful steps, he positions himself just out of sight, hiding behind an obstacle that shields him from view.

From his hidden vantage point, he has a clear view of her and the person she is conversing with: Naoya. Why was she talking to him?

But he is more confused by his own behavior. He wonders why he is still spying on her when he has decided to distance himself from her and any involvement in her matters.

Hadn't he vowed to avoid having anything to do with her? Then why was he still standing there, silently observing her from the shadows?

He was about to leave because he found himself ridiculous, when he saw Naoya grabbing roughly her hair.

The sight triggers a rush of intense anger within him, the protective instinct stirred up by the sight of her being handled so roughly. He clenches his fists tightly, restraining himself from immediately intervening.

His anger at Naoya's rough treatment of her stirs a confusing mix of emotions within him. He questions his own reaction, wondering why he feels so protective over her even though he believes he harbors nothing but anger and resentment towards her.

He should be happy that someone is taking revenge on his behalf. Even if he would have preferred it to be him.

He remains in his covert position, silently observing the interaction between Helia and Naoya. Despite his initial anger at Naoya's rough handling, he stays hidden, his internal conflict still raging within him.

However, as Naoya's hand releases her hair, a subtle relaxation flickers across Toji's face, his tensed muscles seeming to ease ever so slightly. Despite his efforts to distance himself and avoid any involvement, the sight of her being unharmed triggers a subtle relief in him.

And he curses himself for feeling relieved.

He sees Naoya move away from Helia, a brief moment of contemplation passes over his features. Toji's gaze remains on her for a few seconds, watching as she stands there in the aftermath of the encounter.

Then, with a silent determination, Toji peels himself away from his hidden spot, carefully and stealthily, and begins to follow Naoya.

As he shadows Naoya's footsteps, he questions the purpose of his actions. He shouldn't be getting involved, he shouldn't even care, yet here he is, quietly stalking after Naoya.

He grapples with the contradiction, trying to understand why, despite his determination to keep away from everything related to her, he continues to trail behind Naoya's every movement.

Why does he still feel the need to defend her after everything she has done?

His hand shoots out, grabbing onto Naoya's shoulder with a firm grip. He forcefully spins the other man around to face him, a fierce determination burning in his eyes.

Naoya's surprise momentarily registers on his face before he is met with Toji's intimidating presence.

Toji's voice cuts through the air like a sharpened blade, his gaze locked on Naoya with an intensity that brooks no argument.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Naoya, surprised by the unexpected confrontation, takes a moment to regain his composure before sneering at Toji.

"Oh look, if it isn't the family disappointment?"

Toji ignores his remark, he's used to it now. "What were you doing with that maid?" He carefullt avoid pronouncing her name because he knows it would taste bitter in his mouth.

Naoya smirks as he brushes off Toji's hand, his dismissive tone dripping with arrogance.

"Oh, you mean that little thing? She's just a maid, what's it to you? She's fair game for anyone to take."

Toji's eyes narrow as he stares down at Naoya.

"Fair game? She's not an object for you to play with. Keep your hands off her."

Naoya laughs and put his hands up in the air. "Relax, I was just telling her how beautiful her hair was. You know she's a very pretty thing, maybe her and I could have a little fun together."

Toji's hand shoots out, grabbing Naoya by the shirt, his fingers clenching tightly around the fabric. He pulls the other man closer, the fury in his eyes like a blaze as he snarls at him.

"You listen to me, you creep." Toji hisses. "You stay away from her. You don't even look at her, you got that?"

Toji's grip on Naoya's shirt remains firm. Naoya's gaze shifts to anger and he grabs Toji's wrist.

"Why do you care so much anyway? She's just a lowly maid. It's not like you've ever cared about the maids' well-being."

Toji's jaw clenches at the question, his own expression hardening. Yes, why does he care? He questioned himself as he stood face to face with Naoya.

Why was he itching for a fight? Why did he feel the urge to hurt Naoya for his treatment of Helia? It didn't make sense, given his current anger and resentment towards her.

He hated her and he never wanted to have any business with her ever again. No. He wanted to hate her. His mind tells him that he should hate her.

But for some unknown reason it was impossible. His heart loves Helia more than his mind hates her.

He struggles to make sense of the swirl of emotions raging within him - anger, jealousy, a desire to be the one to see her beauty.

Toji lets go of Naoya's shirt, his glare never leaving the other man's face. He doesn't answer Naoya's question, but with a final warning, he states.

"I warned you." And with that Toji turns and walks away, his steps heavy with the weight of his conflicted emotions.

Naoya observes Toji walking away, a sly smile playing on his lips. He watches until Toji disappears, then mutters under his breath:

"How interesting..."