Okay Ezekiel loving Athy even in the first novel is quality feels but what is just as interesting is how Lucas mentions Ezekiel is putting on an act of being nice. Keep in kind that from the time he met Athy in the early chapters of the story, Lucas could tell the nature of her soul (so he knows on some level that Athy is a transmigrator and that this is not her first time living out this story either). I don't think we should take Lucas's words about Ezekiel having some kind of fake nature lightly. Taking that into account, what if Ezekiel does love Athy both now and in the original novel, but in the events of the original novel proved to not be a truly kind-hearted person by enabling her death, or worse, having an active hand in her death? THAT would be truly delicious.