Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 26

[Translation By Divinity]

Damian came to one conclusion.

He would work like a dog and buy a prosthetic arm.

It seemed better to live with one arm for a while and then get a better one, whether it was from Asher or someone else, once he saved enough money. But the problem was…

“Hmm? You’re missing an arm? That might make it difficult to work here.”

“Wouldn’t that hinder your ability to work?”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t hire you.”

“It seems like it would be hard for a right-handed person to work without their right hand.”

“There might be tasks that require strength. I’m sorry, but it’s not possible.”

As soon as he returned from rehabilitation therapy, Damian frantically searched for job postings and submitted his resume to any place that offered decent pay, regardless of the job. But he was rejected in every interview. He couldn’t find a place that would hire someone with one arm.

‘No, it’s only been two days. If I keep applying, I’ll eventually get lucky.’

Lilliana, seeing Damian with his head down and a gloomy expression, just like two days ago, furrowed her brow.

“So, what’s wrong today? Is it still about the prosthetic arm?”

Damian looked at Lilliana with a depressed face.

“I’m facing the absurdity of reality and feeling frustrated.”

“What’s so absurd?”

“I need to earn money to buy a prosthetic arm, but…”

“But?”

“I can’t earn money because I don’t have a prosthetic arm.”

Damian sighed deeply, unlike his usual self, and explained his situation.

“That’s definitely a dilemma.”

Lilliana frowned with a serious expression.

Not having money for a prosthetic was one thing, but being unemployed would create problems for his livelihood even before the prosthetic issue.

“There must be jobs you can do with one arm. Like simple paperwork or something…”

Lilliana’s words made Damian sigh again.

“I can do that, but I’m right-handed, and I’m not used to using my left hand yet. I’m practicing writing and other activities with my left hand in rehabilitation therapy, but it’s still too early, so I can barely write.”

Damian’s voice grew increasingly gloomy.

“I can live off my savings until I get used to using my left hand, but I don’t know how long that will take.”

Lilliana swung her legs while sitting on the chair, lost in thought, then spoke with a determined expression.

“Do you have any connections? Someone you could borrow money from, or someone who could pull some strings for you…”

Damian immediately thought of Paul but quickly shook his head.

“I don’t want to get involved with them.”

“Why?”

“I’ve decided not to associate with them.”

“Hmm…”

Lilliana crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.

“It seems like you have a lot of complicated circumstances too.”

“Yes…”

Damian looked back on his short life and replied in a dejected voice.

He was an outcast at the academy, so he had no real friends. In the military, his rank was awkwardly high, so the only superior he was close to was Paul. And he couldn’t burden his subordinates with his current situation, as it would be shameless for a superior officer.

“You can vent to me if you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

“It’s okay. I’ll figure something out. For now, I need to focus on practicing writing with my left hand.”

“Do you want me to help you with that?”

Lilliana’s words seemed sincere, and Damian waved his hand.

“No, it’s okay. I can do it on my own. I don’t want to trouble you, Lilliana.”

“I’m bored. I don’t know anyone here, I have no friends, and there’s only so much I can do in the hospital room. I’d be grateful for something to do.”

Lilliana said with a bright smile.

“Actually, I enjoy talking to you like this, Damian!”

Damian scratched his temple awkwardly, and Lilliana stood up and said,

“Then let’s meet at the cafe where we first met after your therapy. Okay?”

Damian nodded unconsciously. Lilliana smiled brightly, pleased, and as her name was called, she reminded Damian once again before entering the treatment room.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you, so don’t run away, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Damian chuckled and watched her go. But then Lilliana narrowed her eyes at him and turned back.

“That’s not fair.”

“…?”

Damian tilted his head in confusion, and Lilliana muttered to herself as she walked away again.

“I can’t tell if he’s a fox or a bear.”

Damian had no idea what she meant. It sounded like she was displeased about something, but if she was, why didn’t she just say it instead of leaving him hanging?

☆

After his rehabilitation therapy, Damian went to the same cafe and was taken aback to see Lilliana already there. She was sitting at a table, wearing nothing but her hospital gown.

“You came out like that?”

Damian sighed softly and quickly took off his coat, draping it over Lilliana’s shoulders.

“Oh, I was so focused on grabbing my notebook and pen that I completely forgot.”

“Did you order anything to drink? If not, I can go get it.”

“It’s okay. I already ordered for you too.”

“For me?”

“It’s an herbal tea that supposedly improves concentration.”

He had no choice. He had to drink it if she told him to. After all, Lilliana was the one taking time out of her day for him.

Damian sat across from her, and Lilliana got up and sat next to him, handing him a pen.

“Here, try holding the pen first.”

Damian gripped the pen. At least the way he held it looked natural. But the moment he started writing on the paper Lilliana gave him, she burst into laughter.

Calling his handwriting “like a worm crawling” would be an insult to worms. Damian groaned, and Lilliana patted his back.

“It’s okay! Your hand is still weak. You’ll be able to write soon if you keep practicing.”

She neatly wrote the alphabet in order on the paper with the pen and then slid it towards Damian.

“Wouldn’t it be helpful to practice tracing over these letters?”

Damian placed the paper in the center and looked at the letters Lilliana had written. He scanned them with his eyes, then suddenly stopped moving, as if frozen.

In the silence, Lilliana looked back and forth between the paper and Damian, then cautiously spoke.

“Um… Damian?”

“…”

“Damian?”

She lightly touched him with her hand, and Damian’s stiff body jolted as if waking from anesthesia.

“Yes, yes?!”

“What’s wrong?”

Lilliana looked at him curiously, and Damian wiped his eyes with his hand and said,

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about something…”

“What were you thinking about so suddenly?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, but…”

“It was really nothing. So, where were we?”

“I was saying you could try tracing over the letters I wrote.”

“Right, I see.”

Damian tried his best to copy the letters Lilliana had written. But every time he looked at her handwriting, he lost focus.

‘The handwriting is the same.’

Damian traced Lilliana’s letters with his eyes, not just his pen, and thought.

‘It’s the same as the handwriting in the letters.’

The round handwriting he was practicing.

‘It’s Lady Lintray’s handwriting.’

Rip.

The tip of the pen scratched against the paper, tearing it as it veered off the letters.