Damian blinked and looked at Liliana next to Pascal, who moved her finger in the air, indicating that it was okay.
“I fought four against one and won instantly...”
“Oh…”
Damian hesitated in his response, looked at Liliana, and she gave him an approving nod with her thumb and forefinger.
"That's true too."
"Hmm, hmm."
Pascal hummed and nodded again without making any further comments.
Damian felt nervous, unable to understand Pascal's intentions.
He couldn't lower his guard, because he didn't know what kind of strange or embarrassing request Liliana had mentioned.
It seems likely that this request is related to the recent incident.
As Damian wiped the sweat from his palms onto his clothes, the coffee arrived.
He clicked his tongue inwardly, when he saw the hot coffee placed in front of him.
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have ordered a cold drink.”
Pascal took a sip of tea and spoke again.
“How old are you now Damian?”
"I'm 21 years old."
"Too small."
Pascal, obliquely commenting on Damian's young age, was looking Damien up and down.
He looked to be Liliana's age, but his eyes told a different story.
Behind his indifferent expression, his blue-gray eyes were ripe, or rather, sharp with the bitterness of life.
This was especially true because he had recently been discharged from the military.
“You said you were a former soldier, right?”
“Yes, I volunteered two years ago and was laid off last month.”
“Lily told me that you volunteered for the war between Libby and the Sovels...”
Damian reflexively touched the remainder of his right arm with his left hand and nodded.
“That's right.
I lost my right arm back there.
That's why I was honorably discharged...”
Perhaps due to the tension he ended up saying more than he was asked to.
“And what is your rank?”
“I was a second lieutenant.”
“Oh my God, how old are you?”
Pascal's reaction was similar to Liliana's.
“Damien had two medals as an officer, so he was promoted quickly.
Isn't that amazing?”
Liliana subtly joined the conversation, worried that Damian might tire of the barrage of questions.
At Liliana's words, Pascal pushed her glasses up her nose with her finger and muttered,
“Then… I think his skills are foolproof.”
The sunlight was shining on Pascal's glasses.
For some reason, Damian felt frightened by this sight.
"Skills?
Guaranteed?"
Damian swallowed, and Pascal spoke,
"Damien, I have a suggestion for you."
"Yes?
Please, go ahead."
“Would you be interested in working as a bodyguard?”
Damian's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected display, then she continued with a serious expression.
“It's a bodyguard job, but the workload won't be too heavy.
We can also meet any circumstances you might encounter.”
Damian froze for a moment with a puzzled expression, then quickly waved his hand.
“Uh... wait a minute.
I may be a retired soldier, but bodyguard work is a little different from working in the army.
I don't have any experience guarding someone.”
A surprise offer was one thing, but Damian wasn't confident in his ability to do the job, and his physical condition wasn't ideal either.
“I am still receiving treatment for the effects of the war.
I am not in a position to protect anyone.
I do not have my right arm...”
As Damian listed the reasons why he rejected Pascal's offer, she nodded and crossed her arms.
"I see.
Your right arm is the biggest obstacle."
“Yes, I can't protect someone with one arm...”
“Asher Ollon, the most famous prosthetic maker.”
Damien shuddered at the name that came out of Pascal's mouth.
“They say that the prosthetics Asher Ollon uses are functionally almost identical to real arms.
Is that enough?”
“I, um, what do you mean...”
“If you are rejected because of your right arm, then I say I can solve this problem for you.”
Damian paid attention to these words, but the prosthetic limbs used by Asher Olun were not something ordinary people could easily afford.
Damian spoke cautiously.
“Do you... know the price?”
"Yes, I looked into it beforehand.
I can cover that cost."
Damian looked at Pascal with a stunned expression at her words.
This woman came fully prepared to corner Damian, even taking the tempting lure of an Asher O'Lon prosthetic.
If he could get a prosthetic made by Asher Olon, the pay for the job wouldn't matter.
The pay was more than enough to support the work required.
However, while it was common to work hard and get paid little, there were few legitimate ways to earn a lot of money for easy work.
Before falling into Pascal's trap, Damien regained his composure and asked,
“Could this job involve...death?”
"Yes...".
Pascal's eyes darted around.
"Tsk, being a soldier, he's smart in this regard."
But she quickly regained her composure and said confidently:
"Isn't that the case with any bodyguard job, not just this one?"
Damian narrowed his eyes.
"Yes...".
Pascal waved her hand dismissively.
Liliana, beside her, was shaking her head.
Damian glanced at her, and the words came out,
'I refuse'.
Before he flatly refused, Damian asked another question.
“I'm supposed to be protected?”
Pascal smiled and pointed to her side.
"Libyana."
Liliana, the topic of conversation, rubbed her face sheepishly.
Damian looked at her with a stunned expression.
“What were you doing that made you need a bodyguard?”
“No, it's not that I'm doing anything weird...”
Liliana looked a little aggrieved.
Pascal continued:
"I can protect Liliana while she's in the East.
But I can't move from there because of my current situation.
Even coming to Nishio today was too difficult.
So, I can't be with Liliana while she's here, and I won't be able to help her if anything happens.
That's why she needs a bodyguard."
Damian narrowed his eyes, and Liliana rested her chin on her hands, chewed the straw that came with her order and said,
"I don't mind whatever you choose, but you can decline if you don't want to.
There's no need to feel pressured by my aunt."
“Oh, Lily, I'm not forcing him.
I'm just saying that I can meet his conditions.”
Damian, concerned about the whole situation, told Pascal,
"Who am I supposed to protect Liliana from?
I need to know that at least to decide whether or not to accept the offer."
Suddenly, Pascal, who had been talking actively until now, fell silent.
When Damian looked at Liliana, she also avoided looking at him.
"this...".
Pascal laughed.
“It's a bit hard to explain.”
"No, I need to know that to accept.
If it's beyond my capabilities, it's just a waste of your money, Ms.
Pascal."
"Tsk, he's picky," Damien said firmly, and Pascal turned her head away and muttered under her breath.
Liliana pushed Pascal's side and explained on her behalf.
“We're not testing you; it's just a sensitive issue that's hard to explain.
We don't want to share information that you don't need to know unless you accept the job.
If you accept, we'll tell you then.”
Liliana sighed softly.
"So, if you're not confident, just decline.
We won't blame you.
You have no obligation to do this."
“But I don't mind even if it's a waste of money.
Of all the people I can employ within my capabilities, everyone is equal except you.”
Pascal said as she pushed Liliana's head away.