Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 78

[Translated By Divinity]

—And P.S.! If you get into trouble, go to the address I’m about to tell you, give them the jewels, and ask for help. Corot Apartments, 1st floor, 22 Luther Street, Gambena District, Nichio. Just tell the owner you’re there to buy raspberry juice.

“Forget about that! Auntie!”

Lilliana called out desperately, but the light in the amethyst faded, and it turned black before crumbling into dust. Lilliana slumped down, dejected. After a moment of stunned silence, she slowly turned to look at Damian.

She was visibly shaken, her expression like a puppy drenched in the rain, pleading for help.

“What… what am I going to do?”

Lilliana asked with a hollow laugh, but Damian felt the same way. He wanted to ask, ‘What was Ms. Pascal thinking, entrusting Lilliana to me, someone she barely knows?’

In truth, Damian’s responsibilities hadn’t changed. His contract was limited to Lilliana’s protection, and he didn’t need to do anything beyond that. He wasn’t getting paid extra for it.

The problem was Lilliana. With her memories ending at 20, she was suddenly left alone in an unfamiliar city, two years older, with no family or relatives.

Damian understood how psychologically distressing that could be.

So, he couldn’t just brush her off with an indifferent “Cheer up, Lilliana. I’ll focus on protecting you,” and pretend like he didn’t care.

First, he had already received a hefty sum as a retainer. He felt uneasy about taking that money and only providing bodyguard services; he wondered if the quality of his service was worth the amount.

It felt like betraying Pascal, who had trusted him and hired him with a generous payment, if he didn’t do something more than just protect Lilliana.

Second, Damian was Lilliana’s friend, even before their employer-employee relationship. It wasn’t right to turn a blind eye when a friend was in trouble.

‘Well, we’re supposed to help each other out. It’s a win-win situation.’

Reaching this conclusion, Damian gently placed his hand on Lilliana’s shoulder, who was looking up at him with a lost expression.

“Lilliana, calm down. Even without Ms. Pascal, everything will be alright. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Lilliana’s eyes filled with tears, and she grabbed Damian’s sleeve.

“I have no one but you, Damian!”

Damian unconsciously scratched his head and said to her, who was dampening his sleeve with her tears,

“Lilliana… I hate to say this, but please don’t rely on me too much. I’m just a man you met recently, and men aren’t exactly… trustworthy creatures.”

But Lilliana didn’t seem to take Damian’s words to heart. Like a child adrift at sea finding a lifeline, she clung to his sleeve and mumbled,

“But who else can I rely on if not you?”

“Don’t you have other friends? You said you had many friends when you were younger.”

“They’re not here! The only people I know in the capital are the people in this house.”

And unfortunately, while Damian and Annette were fine, Asher was the least reliable person for Lilliana to depend on, except for his skills as a prosthetic craftsman.

“What am I going to do now?”

Lilliana asked in a dejected voice, and Damian blinked and said,

“First, you need to focus on your treatment.”

“That’s obvious, but I’m talking about what to do after that. What should I do when I’m healthy again? What kind of work should I do? Do I have to spend my whole life running away from that Sigmund Sutton guy?”

Damian frowned at Lilliana’s words.

“It won’t be your whole life. There must be some kind of solution.”

“What kind of solution? From what my aunt said in her message, it doesn’t seem like he’s the type to listen to reason.”

Lilliana clutched her head.

“What am I supposed to do for the three years my aunt is asleep? Will things be okay when she wakes up? What should I do, Damian?”

At Lilliana’s desperate plea, Damian patted her shoulder.

“Calm down, Lilliana. I’m here, so things will be okay to some extent. You’re not alone.”

“Damian…”

Lilliana looked at him with teary eyes.

“I thought I’d go back to Kelta and return to university once I was healthy, but what’s this?! Things have gotten so complicated!”

After the initial shock and confusion, Lilliana was overwhelmed by a sense of frustration.

“My future plans…”

She said in a dejected voice, about to collapse onto the floor. Damian quickly grabbed her upper body.

“Don’t lie down on the dirty ground.”

“But I’ve lost the will to support myself.”

Lilliana had always been expressive, but this was the first time Damian had seen her exuding such negativity. He was at a loss for what to do. As a last resort, he cautiously suggested,

“Would you like to go to the cafe downstairs and have some cake?”

Lilliana, despite her gloomy expression, silently got up and walked out of the room. Damian followed her, dragging his feet.

“I heard a loud noise. Is everything alright?”

Annette asked worriedly from downstairs, but Lilliana remained silent until they reached the elevator.

Arriving at the cafe, Lilliana said to the counter in a somber tone,

“I’d like a slice of each cake, and a mocha latte with ice and lots of whipped cream, please.”

Then she went to their usual spot by the window and sat down.

“…And I’ll have…”

“The usual espresso, regular?”

The owner asked, and Damian nodded briefly before returning to the table. He sat across from Lilliana and observed her complexion.

She was still looking down with a blank expression. Damian rested his chin on his hand and asked,

“Was what Ms. Pascal told you shocking?”

“…It wasn’t shocking.”

“Then?”

“It’s scary.”

Lilliana’s answer made Damian frown. She continued, her brow furrowed,

“Damian, I… It hurts my pride to say this, but I’m honestly scared.”

“What’s so scary?”

Knowing his question came from genuine curiosity and concern, not reproach, Lilliana answered comfortably.

“If I hadn’t lost my memory, I wouldn’t be struggling so much to accept this situation. You know my personality. I’m a positive person. I might get lonely easily, but I can manage on my own. I’m not completely dependent.”

Damian nodded, acknowledging that his self-assessment was accurate. He felt that Lilliana would bravely overcome any difficult situation, even if it was a bit awkward. That’s why Lilliana’s current distress was somewhat unexpected.

“But I have no memories of the past two years. I don’t know what happened during that time. I don’t even know what my aunt is hiding from me or why she’s hiding it. I know something must have happened to me, but not knowing what it is scares me. It’s… similar to the fear humans feel towards the unknown. I’m afraid of not knowing. I need to know what it is to be prepared.”

Lilliana unconsciously ran her hand through her hair.

“And I still feel like I’m 20 years old. Until recently, I was living the life of a 20-year-old, but suddenly I’m 22! Of course, it’s not a big deal to be two years older, but I have an image of what a 22-year-old should be. A bit more mature and wiser than a 20-year-old, someone who has grown through the experiences of those two years. But look at me. I’m just a childish young lady!”

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