Chapter 22: Chapter 21

CH 21

“The prosthetic arm…”

“It’s not something good for Miss to stare at it like that.”

“But, it’s Winston’s hand. Why is that so bad?”

Seeing it for the first time, I thought it was amazing, but I never thought it was scary.

I turned my eyes from his hand and began to eat my soup again.

However, his gaze that followed from the side did not leave. At the gaze that didn’t leave me even when I finished my soup, I turned my head.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Miss, don’t you find this hand gross?”

“It’s not gross.”

“That’s unexpected. Usually, young children say they don’t like to see this hand.”

I couldn’t help but look at him with worry due to Winston’s vain smile.

“Because I’m not a child.”

“…..is that so?”

“Yes. I don’t find it gross because I’m not a child.”

“But even grown-up adults get disgusted seeing my hand.”

At his words, I replied raising my eyebrows,

“That’s because they’re rude.”

“…yes. You’re right. They gave me that look without even hearing why I was wearing a prosthetic arm.”

“That’s mean.”

“…if Miss doesn’t mind, may I explain to you what caused me to wear a prosthetic arm?”

Suddenly?

When I opened my eyes wide, Winston raised the glasses he was wearing. The smiling eyes over the round glasses looked good.

I didn’t know his reason, but I don’t think he was someone who talked nonsense, so I nodded.

“It may be a little scary, but-“

“I said no.”

At my immediate reply, Winston laughed as if he was happy to hear it.

Then he folded up his sleeves and showed me the prosthetic arm attached to his wrist.

“A long time ago. Shall we start from the story when I first met the Guild Master? The guild master was still in her position of the successor, and I was a petty thief.”

The story was older than I thought, and it sounds like a dark story.

‘Is it okay to listen?’

It must be a very personal story, and that, to a kid he had seen for the first time…

But the thought quickly faded away.

“At that time, Mrs Chloe was taking a test to become the next Guild Master. The test that asked her to find her most precious thing in the capital.”

An interest suddenly arose in those words. As my eyes glistened, Winston burst into a small laugh as if he thought it was funny.

When I tilted my head, he covered his mouth and started talking again, saying it was nothing.

“I robbed the Guild Master’s wallet.”

“…really?”

“Yes. After that, I was chased and got caught in vain.”

“… At that time, did Mom have the ability to be a smoke mage?”

Winston shook his head at my question.

“Of course. Since, I ran to death trying to avoid the smoke.”

“… that’s amazing.”

I knew better than anyone that my mother’s ability was amazing because I watched her abilities right in front of me.

I’m sure even in the past her ability was something amazing.

‘I don’t think he was a simple petty thief.’

At my suspicious gaze, he burst out laughing again.

“You are looking at me with the same gaze the Guild Master made. She looked at me like that and then she said,”

“What?”

“Are you b*stard really just a petty thief?”

As expected, what I saw yesterday wasn’t a lie.

Come to think of it, even Mom’s rough mouth suits her.

“And then she forced me around to pay for it.”

Winston sighed quietly, saying it was hard.

“She also said, if I knew how hard it was to make money, I wouldn’t do this again. She dragged me around and made me work hard.”

“And?”

“She gave me all the money in that wallet as a monthly salary. Then cheered me on to live a new life.”

He laughed out loud, saying it was thrilling, then he came to his senses and coughed.

“But, the head of the security forces, who learned of the facts, concluded that I had stolen the money and dragged me away. He said he would cut off the thief’s wrist.”

“…..”

I naturally frowned upon hearing those words.

Is that why his hands were like that?

Seeing my face, he shook his head, saying that wasn’t the case.

“It was because the leader was surrounded by scandals at that time, so he tried to make me the right prey and escape from it.”

Winston’s expression changed from moment to moment and became more immersed.

“…so?”

“When he was about to drag me into the middle of the square and cut off my wrist, the Guild Master came up and told him that the money was my reasonably paid salary.”

I didn’t understand.

Mom was with him, so what exactly happened to his hand?

Winston’s face darkened a little after finishing his words.

“But he didn’t believe it. He said that the foreign girl was fearless and drove Guild Master as mine accomplice.”

“Mom is probably not a foreigner.”

“It had been a long time since she came back from abroad, so there was no way to prove it right away.”

Even I, who was listening to the situation which I didn’t even see, became frustrated.

When I hit my chest, he continued to fill the empty glass of water, telling me to calm down.

“That wasn’t enough, so he made fun of the Guild Master. He said something vulgar with his dirty mouth. At the square where so many people gathered.”

As if recalling that day, Winston pressed his chest lightly.

“And then the Guild Master said, If he really did it, you can cut my wrist yourself.”

“What nonsense…”

There’s no such sophistry!

“Unfortunately, he didn’t listen to the Guild Master but rather got angry that she confronted him.”

He was an ugly adult.

I couldn’t hold back my anger and started to fume.

“Otherwise, he threatened to cut off Guild Master wrist first. The feeling that came to me at that moment was… I didn’t want to see that happen to her.”

“…no way.”

“I realized a lot during the time I spent with her.”

Winston closed his eyes and smiled sincerely.

“She was the one who gave me hope to live a new life. I didn’t want to see her treated like that anymore.”

Winston had a relieved smile.

“So I cut my wrists myself.”

Winston’s story was over.

“There must have been other ways…”

“Back then, I just didn’t want to get her involved with my karma.”

He said so, cleaning up the empty dishes.

However, he did not stop talking.

“When everyone was shouting, covering their eyes, swearing, the Guild Master punched the head of the security force in the face.”

“…with her fists?”

“And then a security guard came running from far away. The man who came to know the identity of Guild Master was running to stop him at that moment.”

I can’t believe he appeared after everything was over.

This world was not friendly to him.

Nevertheless, he smiled merrily.

“Doesn’t Winston feel frustrated about losing the wrist?”

Is it because it happened a long time ago that his injustice died down?

No, If it were me I wouldn’t be able to let that go easily.

So what the hell is it?

“The Guild master brought a doctor and a priest from the capital city to treat me.”

If it was Mom, she probably brought all the doctors and priests and put them in line to heal his wrist.

But I’m sure Winston’s wrist wasn’t healed.

“Even so, my wrist could not be restored. To someone like me, she handed me a prosthetic hand and apologized. Even though it wasn’t her fault.”

He brought me a little pudding and put it in front of me. There was no awkwardness in all the actions of opening the lid kindly as if he was asking me to eat it for dessert.

“And she took me to the merchants’ group and said, I was the most precious treasure to her in the capital.”

“…oh…”

Suddenly the way this is flowing…

I couldn’t understand it, so when I looked at him with surprised eyes, he laughed.

“Because someone you can trust to have next to you will always be a great treasure to you.”

“…then did Mom pass the test?”

“She passed her test. She hired me since then, and it’s been 15 years since I started working as her secretary.”

Oh, that prosthetic arm wasn’t an embarrassing and shameful flaw for Winston.

It was the beginning of the life that he chose for himself. That’s why it wasn’t unfair.

“It was our first time to meet today, but I wanted to tell you this in person. Just in case you might be wondering?”

He winked playfully.

“So I don’t feel sorry for you nor for the scars on your legs.”

Winston’s voice was solemn.

But it didn’t hurt me.

“Because it was something Miss chose herself, and that’s why you are here. This moment itself has become the life you tried to make.”

While talking like that, he stared anxiously at the untouched pudding. It might’ve been an unkind word for a child, but I rather liked it.

It seemed like he was saying that he respects me.

“Winston.”

“I think I can get along with Winston.”

“Oh, I thought so, but I guess we’re on the same page.”

Winston took the pudding out of my hand with a friendly smile. Then he scooped it himself and brought it to my mouth.

“Then shall we start our relationship with this pudding?”

“…why did the story go there?”

“I’m just offering you the meal the young master prepared. Please help me carry out all my duties.”

If you say that here, I have no choice but to accept it.

With no choice left, I opened my mouth, and as if he was giving a bird feed, he put the floating pudding in my mouth.

“You seem to like sweets. The lunch snack is cocoa.”

As I was staring at the finished pudding bowl, I heard those words and my face was filled with disgust.

“Ugh…”

“I’m sure I was told your favorite snack is cocoa… that’s why I should take good care of it. Am I wrong?”

Looking at him, who smiled mischievously saying that master Ricarda mistook, I nodded.

“Ricarda is the most confident when it comes to cocoa. I hate it because it’s too sweet.”

“And why couldn’t Miss say that to him directly?”

“Because he looked so excited when he made it…”

As I heaved a sigh, he slowly turned his head away. Then suddenly, he trembled, and after a while, he turned to face me again.

“?”

“For a moment, I thought I’d sneeze. Now, uh…. that’s fine.”

You’re going to be okay, right?

I was going to ask him because he was still shaking, but he was faster to speak up.

“You’ve finished your meal now. Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Can I go anywhere?”

“There’s no place you can’t go here.”

“Then I want to go to a little prison in the woods.”

Winston hesitated at my words and asked again with a serious look.

“Would you like to go there? Really?”

“Yes. Really. I’d like to meet that child.”

Winston, without hesitation, turned around and pulled something out of the corner of the closet.

It was a wheelchair with a bunch of unknown devices.

“That’s strange. I’m sure I’ve got it ready for you to use right away, but there’s no sign of use.”

“You’ve all deceived me.”

I heard it would take a long time to build my wheelchair.

Why is my wheelchair coming out of there?