Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 41

[Translation By Divinity]

Hearing that, Damian couldn’t help but realize how fickle the human heart could be.

Even if he got involved in something unknown, she said it didn’t matter to her. So, getting Asher Olon’s prosthetic arm and working hard for a while didn’t seem like a bad deal.

Damian narrowed his eyes like a fish contemplating whether to take the bait.

“So, how much is the pay…?”

“Excluding the Asher Olon prosthetic, we’re offering a formal contract fee of fifty thousand Hirks, paid immediately. After that, we’re thinking of a monthly salary of ten thousand Hirks, but that’s negotiable if you want more.”

Damian coughed slightly, choking on his saliva.

“Then, what about the contract… duration?”

“I’d like to set the contract period for as long as you want, Damian, but we also have an investment to consider…”

Damian was prepared to hear even a lifetime contract from Pascal’s mouth. But the duration she suggested was much shorter than that.

“We’d like you to work for at least three years. Longer is fine too. After that, we can renew the contract annually if you wish.”

It was Lilliana who was surprised this time.

“Auntie, isn’t three years a bit long? You said the treatment period was one year! Do I have to stay here for three years?”

“We can’t predict the future, so it can’t be helped. And if we have to leave Nichio before three years, we can terminate the contract and pay a severance fee.”

Both Lilliana and Pascal seemed to think three years was long, which surprised Damian.

“You’re willing to spend hundreds of thousands of Hirks to hire someone for just three years?”

Damian looked skeptical, and Lilliana shrugged.

“I told you, you could die. It’s cheap if you think of it as a life insurance premium.”

“No, even if you go to war, a soldier’s salary is nowhere near that much. Besides, let’s say I accept this job and get an Asher Olon prosthetic. It’s not something you can use freely overnight just because it’s attached to your body. I’d need at least six months of rehabilitation training…”

“Couldn’t you do it in three months if you work hard?”

Pascal’s words seemed serious, but Damian couldn’t tell if she was teasing him, being sincere, or just telling him to earn his keep.

“Damian, these aren’t bad conditions, are they?”

Pascal said in a sweet voice. As she said, they weren’t bad conditions; in fact, they were excessively generous for Damian. That’s why it was even stranger. He still couldn’t understand what was going on.

Damian rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, then asked Pascal,

“Have you… made this offer to anyone else besides me?”

“No. This is the first time I’m discussing this with anyone other than you, Damian.”

“What happens if I refuse?”

“Then, of course, I’ll have to ask someone else.”

“With similar conditions?”

“Well, that depends on the situation.”

“Hmm…”

Seeing Damian lost in thought with his eyes downcast, Lilliana sighed.

“So, don’t feel pressured and just refuse if you want to. Damian, I know my aunt is being pushy. So it’s okay if you say no.”

Lilliana rambled on, trying to ease Damian’s burden, and he nodded briefly in response.

“I see. Then I guess I’ll…”

“Yes, it was a bit of an unreasonable request.”

“I’ll accept your offer.”

“You rejected it well… Whaaat?”

Lilliana mumbled, nodding her head, then added a strange sound in a strange tone at the end, staring at Damian.

“You’ll do it? Are you serious? Do you even know what this…”

Interrupting Lilliana, Pascal pushed her aside and leaned closer to Damian.

“Really? You’ll accept the bodyguard job?”

“Yes.”

Pascal was overjoyed at Damian’s simple answer, but Lilliana, the subject of the request, grabbed her head.

“Why?!”

“Lilliana, after thinking about it, I realized that even if the world is absurd, it doesn’t mean there are no solutions. I’ve been offered a job that solves both my prosthetic and employment problems at once. Why would I refuse? And with the money, I can solve my housing problem too…”

“Oh, I see! So you’ve been staying in a hotel like this because your living situation was unstable! Then don’t worry. For the convenience of your bodyguard duties, I’ll arrange for an additional room at Lilliana’s boarding house! Would that be alright?”

At Pascal’s proactive support, Damian looked at Lilliana.

“My housing problem is also solved. Now all my worries are gone.”

“No… No!”

Lilliana seemed to have a lot to say but couldn’t organize her thoughts.

She ruffled her hair and said to Damian,

“You said you could die?”

“Why are you in danger of dying, Lilliana? As a friend, I think I should know.”

Damian lowered his eyebrows, and Lilliana spoke in a frustrated tone.

“Didn’t you hear me say you could die?”

“That doesn’t mean much to a retired soldier…”

Of course, he didn’t want to die. If possible, he wanted to live. But it felt somewhat ridiculous to desperately avoid something that could potentially kill him now. So Damian remained indifferent to the mention of death.

“Do you not want me to take this job, Lilliana?”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to… I’m just worried!”

Lilliana’s voice rose involuntarily, and Damian’s expression turned serious.

“I’m worried about you too, Lilliana. That’s why I accepted.”

“What…”

“I don’t know the details, and I don’t know why you’re making this offer to me instead of someone else, but the fact that Ms. Pascal didn’t stop you from asking me means you trust me to some extent as a friend. So, as your friend, I need to know why you’re in this situation. That way, I can figure out how to help you.”

“Damian… I’m happy you said that, but still…”

“Plus, I can earn a decent income from this.”

Lilliana was speechless. As Damian said, Pascal’s offer solved all his immediate problems: finding a job, getting a prosthetic arm, and securing housing.

And having Damian as her bodyguard wasn’t a bad thing for Lilliana either. She knew how much Pascal had been worrying about this.

Still, involving Damian in her complicated personal affairs felt uncomfortable as a friend. She felt like she was being too selfish, even if he was getting paid.

Lilliana fidgeted with her legs, her face showing disapproval, but she said in a resigned voice,

“Well, do as you please.”

“Alright, then.”

Damian pushed aside his now cold coffee and said,

“So, what do I need to do now? You said you didn’t want to tell me the details, but I’d appreciate it if you could at least tell me what you can. How am I supposed to protect you?”

Pascal glanced at Lilliana and then spoke.

“Someone is trying to harm Lilliana. They’ll probably appear without warning. Your job is to protect her when that happens.”

“Who’s trying to harm Lilliana?”

“That’s a bit difficult to say right now.”

Damian tilted his head at Pascal’s words.

“Why not? I need to know to prepare accordingly. Please tell me as much as you can.”

“Well, for now…”

Pascal took a sip of her tea. She glanced around the cafe and continued,

“There are many eyes and ears here.”

At Pascal’s words, Damian also discreetly observed the people in the cafe without turning his head. Almost all the tables were occupied.