[TIDK] 38 – Prosthetic Limb

“I opened an ice cream shop,” Nicholas said.

At that, Viktor raised his hand. Carefully, he opened the box on the table. It was cold, but the ice, contrary to his expectations, had not melted.

Nicholas spoke, feeling slightly awkward. “I guess I shouldn’t have brought ice cream on this cold day, right Captain?”

“I think it’s already too late.”

Viktor’s response was immediate and he took out the ice cream.

At that moment, Nicholas sighed in relief.

“Your face is better,” Viktor chuckled.

“Yes, using this my face is better than my hand. I’m good looking.”

Viktor laughed at Nicholas’s casual remark.

As his sniper, he was struck on the wrist by a poisoned arrow. A pirate had shot him and the poison had spread rapidly. As a result, his arms had to be amputated. He immediately bought a prosthetic arm with consolation money from the empire, but he could only get a prosthetic arm after a year had passed since the production period was long.

Nicholas spoke, clenching his fist. “Even if it looks sloppy, I can clench my fists.”

“Well, it’s more useful than what I initially thought,” Viktor observed.

“Hey, you’re still arrogant. Well, I suppose that’s your charm, right Captain.”

Nicholas, always cheerful, joked about his prosthetic arms and looked at him in surprise. However, Viktor smiled.

Nicholas was relieved, thinking that perhaps Viktor was doing fine after they amputated his arms.

Nicholas, ten years older than Viktor, was the only non-noble officer on the Rubied. It was thanks to his successive achievements with his precise shooting skills that he surpassed the noble house masters who graduated from the military academy.

“Are your thumbs not moving on purpose?” Viktor asked.

“Ah, this one, yes. It must have broken,” Nicholas shrugged, showing his unmoving prosthetic thumb.

“It needs to be fixed,” Viktor stated matter-of-factly.

“Stop talking. Isn’t this something that took half a year to make and half a year to bring here? It would take another half a year to repair, send, and receive, but how can you live half a year without your hands?” Nicholas said.

“Order a new one. I will buy it for you.”

“Hey, that’s great. But it’s too expensive for me to be indebted to you, so I’ll turn down your offer,” he responded jokingly.

Nicholas thought for a moment and then smiled slightly.

“I didn’t know you would meet me, Captain.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow.

“Why.”

“To be honest…When they told me to get off the boat immediately, I was disappointed. No reason to stop all operations and turn back because I was at sea.”

“It was a plan that couldn’t be done without you because you can’t do your part,” Viktor spoke casually.

“Nevertheless. Captain...Ah, well, I’m retired, so I’ll tell you honestly. Captain, you’re the one who throws away things when you don’t need them.”

Nicholas confessed his disappointment, then caught himself. His face turned white thinking his statement had crossed the line.

Fortunately, the door swung open before Viktor could say anything. There, standing in front of the door, Scarlett stopped surprised when she realised a customer was present.

A man with prosthetic arms and her ex-husband were eating ice cream. Scarlett hardened as she pondered whether to be surprised at the unusual sight.

“We have a mechanic here. Don’t need to send it off to be fixed,” Viktor said, cocking his head towards Scarlett.

“Huh, pardon? No, it’s not….” Nicholas followed Viktor’s line of sight.

His face dropped when he recognised the ex-wife who had divorced Viktor. It seemed that Viktor was punishing him for crossing the line.

Viktor spoke calmly to Scarlett.

“No matter how interested you are in machines, looking at a prosthetic arm so oddly is not polite.”

“It’s amazing that you’re eating ice cream.”

“Someone without hands brought it here, so I have to eat it.”

Nicholas looked at Viktor for a moment, wanting to say, ‘You’re much more impolite!’

“There is nothing to fix, but you can take a closer look if you are curious. I’ve heard madam, that you’ve opened a watch shop….” Nicholas spoke, hesitantly.

“Thinking about it, shouldn’t you say, Miss, she is single now.”

Viktor’s words made Nicholas even more uncomfortable, and he shut his mouth.

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