Liliana's words made Damian realize the truth too late.
“But my duty is to be a bodyguard, not a tour guide...”
“...I knew you were going to say that!
But if I go out, you have to come with me, right?
Because you have to protect me.”
"This is correct".
Damian nodded obediently.
"Well, I volunteered as a tour guide first and foremost, so I have no complaints.
We've only visited Lomiltos Palace so far.
There are still many places worth visiting."
"Yes?".
Liliana smiled relieved.
***
Damian and Liliana stopped when they saw a sign saying "Olun Surgical Hospital" in an alley not far from the tram stop.
“Olon?”
This was the hospital address Asher had given him.
Damian took the lead again and entered the hospital, followed by Liliana.
"Welcome".
The first person they saw in the hospital waiting room was Asher, who had noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
He was holding a beer mug filled with coffee, drinking it like he would drink water.
It was not clear how much coffee he had prepared.
Damian, who had finished recording, sat next to Asher and said cautiously,
"You seem... busy."
Asher yawned lazily at Damian's words.
“Yes, thanks to you, I stayed up all night.”
Damian scratched his head with his left hand, looking apologetic.
"I don't want you to rush and work all night like this, Asher.
If you're putting too much pressure on yourself, you can adjust the schedule now."
"What?".
Damian's words, meant to consider Asher, only seemed to annoy him.
"Who do you think I am?
I'm Asher Ollon, Asher Ollon!
The best prosthetics craftsman in the world!
Do you think I need to adjust my schedule?!"
"No, that's not what I meant."
“When I say I will do something, I do it!
Providing the fastest, most comfortable and perfect service to those in need of prosthetics is my business philosophy!”
Damian stepped back at Asher's intensity and just nodded.
"do you understand?!".
"Yes.
Shh-thank you."
“Hmph, this is not something you should be thankful for.”
As Asher arrogantly turned his head, the door of the examination room opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a white coat walked out.
“Asher, why are you being so cruel to another innocent person?
I heard your voice from inside.”
The mustachioed man said as he scolded Asher.
Asher scratched his head and gave Damian a brief introduction.
“This is the doctor who will operate on you.
Come in.”
After this quick 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 to him properly.
“Hello, I'm Hendrik Ohlon.
I run a small surgical hospital and I also collaborate with Asher on his work on prosthetics.”
“Olon?”
Damian seemed curious about the relationship between the two people with the same last name, and Hendrik laughed.
“I'm Asher's uncle.
It's a family business, so we can provide a 'fast and efficient' service.”
Hendrik laughed merrily and took a look at Damian's medical records, which Asher had sent him earlier.
"Fortunately, the location of the arm loss is quite suitable.
The point where the upper right arm was cut is usually an area with fewer surgical complications and faster recovery.
Rehabilitation will also be relatively easier compared to other areas."
Damian's face lit up at those words, it seemed like the money was worth it.
"But that doesn't mean the whole process will be easy.
It's relatively better, but the rehabilitation won't be difficult.
You'll need to be prepared to some extent."
Hendrik added a meaningful remark, but Damien did not fully understand it.
“Anyway, let's run some more tests before the surgery the day after tomorrow.”
While Hendrik took Damian for various tests, Liliana was left alone in the waiting room with Asher.
She struck up a conversation with Asher, using her clever social skills.
“Um… are you and the doctor here related?”
"Yes, he is my uncle."
Asher sipped his coffee with tired eyes.
“Oh, so it's a family business.”
"Something like that."
"Damien's prosthetic surgery will go smoothly, right?"
"What?
What did you just say?!
Who do you think I am?!"
Asher's reaction was sharp, and Liliana quickly waved her hands.
"No, I'm not questioning your skills or anything!
I just meant that as long as you take care of it, there shouldn't be any problems~ Really!
I trust you 100%!"
Asher, who was about to jump out of his seat upon hearing Liliana's words, sat down again.
“But you work incredibly fast.
I asked other prosthetics makers, and they said it would take more than a month even for simple prosthetics...”
“Partly because of my speed, but also because I work hard.”
“Don’t everyone else work at night too?”
“If they act like me...they will die.”
Asher smiled lifelessly.
It was very scary to see him smiling, since his default state was irritability due to chronic fatigue.
Liliana scratched her arm, felt a shiver, and asked,
“Ah...
Is it because there are so many backlogged orders?”
“No, my prosthetics are expensive, so I don't get many orders.
Including Damian's prosthetics, I only have two orders this month...”
“Then why are you pushing your schedule so hard?”
Motivated by Liliana's innocent curiosity, Asher drank his coffee and thought.
He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and then carefully cleaned the lenses with his clothes.
“Have you ever lived without an arm or a leg?”
Liliana shook her head, showing her limbs.
"no".
"I have."
He raised his left leg slightly and then stomped it on the ground.
He heard a metallic sound.
Liliana's eyes widened as she looked at Asher.
"It was bad."
Asher took another sip of coffee.
"Of course, having one or two disabilities doesn't automatically make your life miserable.
But the human mind doesn't work that way.
I wasn't sad because I didn't have a leg.
There were plenty of ways to live without it.
But whether out of 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."
Liliana swallowed hard at his sincere feelings, but Asher continued speaking without showing any discomfort.
"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 different reasons, right?
Then it's better to get them as soon as possible."
Asher shrugged.
“So I have to make the prosthetics as quickly and skillfully as possible.”
“You are a true craftsman, Mr.
Asher.”
Liliana's gaze changed towards Asher, but he remained indifferent, drinking his coffee with a tired expression.
"I'll do my best, and the rest is up to him.
It may be difficult.
You're his...what did you say?
Sweetheart?"
Asher looked at her questioningly, as their relationship was unclear.
Liliana shook her head, embarrassed.
"No, not that...we're just friends."
"Oh, I thought... well, maybe his family needs to help him until he fully recovers.
It speeds up the healing process."
"..."
Liliana's eyes darted around Asher's words.
Damien had no family.
Well, she supposed they could be considered family, but she didn't know how Damian felt about that.