Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 47

[Translation By Divinity]

Lilliana’s words made Damian realize the truth belatedly.

“But my duty is to be a bodyguard, not a tour guide…”

“…I knew you’d say that! But if I go out, you have to come with me, right? Because you have to protect me.”

“That’s true.”

Damian nodded obediently.

“Well, I volunteered to be a tour guide in the first place, so I have no complaints. We’ve only been to Lomeltos Palace so far. There are still many places to see.”

“Right?”

Lilliana smiled with satisfaction.

***

Damian and Lilliana stopped when they saw a sign that read “Olon Surgical Hospital” in an alley not far from the tram station.

“Olon?”

It was the address of the hospital that Asher had given him. Damian once again took the lead and entered the hospital, with Lilliana following behind.

“Hello.”

The first person they saw in the hospital waiting room was Asher, with noticeable dark circles under his eyes. He was holding a beer mug full of coffee, drinking it like water. It was unclear how much coffee he had brewed.

Damian, who had finished registering, sat next to Asher and said cautiously,

“You seem… busy.”

Asher yawned lazily at Damian’s words.

“Yeah. Thanks to you, I’ve been up all night.”

Damian scratched his head with his left hand, looking apologetic.

“I don’t need you to rush and work overnight like this, Asher. If you’re pushing yourself too hard, you can adjust the schedule even now.”

“What?”

Damian’s words, intended to be considerate of Asher, only seemed to irritate him.

“Who do you think I am? I’m Asher Olon, Asher Olon! The world’s best prosthetic craftsman! You think I need to adjust my schedule?!”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“When I say I’ll do something, I do it! Providing the fastest, most comfortable, and most perfect service to those who need prosthetics is my work philosophy!”

Damian shrank back at Asher’s intensity and just nodded.

“Do you understand?!”

“Yes. Th-thank you.”

“Hmph, it’s not something to be thankful for.”

While Asher turned his head away haughtily, the door to the examination room opened, and a middle-aged man in a white coat came out.

“Asher, why are you being mean to another innocent person? I could hear your voice all the way inside.”

The man with a mustache said, scolding Asher. Asher scratched his head and gave Damian a brief introduction.

“That’s the doctor who will be doing your surgery. Go in.”

With that perfunctory introduction, the man sighed softly and led Damian into the examination room. As Damian sat down, the man sat across from him and introduced himself properly.

“Hello, I’m Hendrick Olon. I run a small surgical hospital and also collaborate with Asher on his prosthetic work.”

“Olon?”

Damian seemed curious about the relationship between the two people with the same last name, and Hendrick chuckled.

“I’m Asher’s uncle. It’s a family business, so we can offer ‘quick and efficient’ service.”

Hendrick laughed heartily and looked over Damian’s medical records, which Asher had sent him in advance.

“Fortunately, the location of your arm loss is quite favorable. The point where your right upper arm was severed is usually an area with fewer surgical complications and faster recovery. Rehabilitation will also be relatively easier compared to other areas.”

Damian’s face brightened at those words. It seemed like the money was worth it.

“But that doesn’t mean the entire process will be easy. It’s just relatively better, not that rehabilitation won’t be difficult. You’ll need to be prepared to some extent.”

Hendrick added a meaningful remark, but Damian didn’t fully register it.

“Anyway, let’s do a few more tests before the surgery the day after tomorrow.”

While Hendrick took Damian for various tests, Lilliana was left alone in the waiting room with Asher. She struck up a conversation with Asher, utilizing her characteristically bright social skills.

“Um… Are you and the doctor here related?”

“Yeah, he’s my uncle.”

Asher sipped his coffee with tired eyes.

“Ah, so it’s a family business.”

“Something like that.”

“Damian’s prosthetic surgery will go smoothly, right?”

“What? What did you just say?! Who do you think I am?!”

Asher reacted sharply, and Lilliana quickly waved her hands.

“No, I’m not doubting your skills or anything! I just meant that since you’re taking care of it, there shouldn’t be any problems~ Really! I trust you 100%!”

Asher, who had been about to jump out of his seat at Lilliana’s words, sat back down.

“But you work incredibly fast. I asked other prosthetic makers, and they said it would take over a month even for a simple prosthetic…”

“It’s partly because I’m fast, but also because I work diligently.”

“Don’t other people work overnight too?”

“If they worked like me… they’d die.”

Asher smiled with a lifeless expression. It was quite chilling to see him smile, considering his default state was one of irritability due to chronic fatigue. Lilliana scratched her arm, feeling goosebumps, and asked,

“Ah… Is it because you have a lot of backlogged orders?”

“No. My prosthetics are expensive, so I don’t get that many orders. Including Damian’s, I only have two this month…”

“Then why are you pushing your schedule so hard?”

At Lilliana’s innocent curiosity, Asher slurped his coffee and fell into thought. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and then meticulously cleaned the lenses with his clothes.

“Have you ever lived without an arm or a leg?”

Lilliana shook her head, showing her limbs.

“No.”

“I have.”

He lifted his left leg slightly and then stomped it on the floor. A metallic clang echoed. Lilliana’s eyes widened as she looked at Asher.

“It was shitty.”

Asher took another gulp of coffee.

“Oh, of course, having a disability or two doesn’t automatically make your life miserable. But the human mind doesn’t work that way. I wasn’t unhappy because I didn’t have a leg. There were plenty of ways to live without one. But whether it was pity, contempt, or disgust, I wanted to gouge out the eyes of everyone who looked at my missing leg. It was none of their business whether I had a leg or not.”

Lilliana swallowed at his raw emotion. But Asher continued, unfazed.

“Well… that was my case, but some people’s livelihoods depend on their limbs, and even if they don’t, it’s inconvenient. So people need prosthetics for various reasons, right? Then it’s better to get them as soon as possible.”

Asher shrugged.

“So I have to make the prosthetics with the best speed and skill I can offer.”

“You’re a true craftsman, Mr. Asher.”

Lilliana’s gaze towards Asher changed. But he remained indifferent, gulping down his coffee with a weary expression.

“I’ll do my best, and the rest is up to him. It’ll probably be tough. You’re his… what did you say? Girlfriend?”

Asher looked at her questioningly, as they hadn’t clarified their relationship. Lilliana shook her head, embarrassed.

“No, not that… We’re just friends.”

“Oh, I thought… Well, his family will probably need to help him until he’s fully recovered. It speeds up the healing process.”

“…”

Lilliana’s eyes darted around at Asher’s words. Damian had no family. Well, she supposed she could be considered family, but she didn’t know how Damian felt about that.