WCMP 07

His arm is still attached for now.

I had briefly forgotten because I was distracted by his appearance.

In the original story, this man, Arban, appears as a one-armed man missing his left arm.

Long before the original story begins, there is a sudden incident where the monsters of the Esit Mountain Range go berserk.

Arban leads his knights and soldiers into the Esit Mountains to subdue the crazed monsters, and there he encounters a monster he has never seen before.

That monster possessed an enormous body and overwhelming strength, so even Arban, who was called the Empire’s greatest swordsman, struggled against it.

During the fierce battle, an accident occurred when Arban’s sword snapped in half against the monster’s steel-like hide.

Naturally, the monster did not wait for him to grab another sword.

And so, Arban lost his left arm.

However, with a new sword handed to him by one of the knights, he succeeded in killing the monster.

The moment the monster died, it melted away and disappeared. Once it melted, the other monsters escaped their berserk state and returned to normal.

“So if this incident can just pass safely, that means Arban’s left arm can also be saved….”

There was one problem.

The original story only covered the scene of the monster rampage incident.

Which meant there was no way to know exactly when it would happen.

“It seems the young lady did not come merely to greet me. I assume the Duke has another important matter?”

Arban, who had been sitting upright without leaning against the backrest, finally spoke.

At his voice, I pulled myself out of my thoughts and focused on him again.

The way he wore his neat cravat and formal suit looked restrained yet sexy at the same time.

But the improper thoughts that briefly rose in my mind were instantly bleached clean and swept away the moment our eyes met again.

At this moment, if someone whispered some absurd story that magic lingered in his eyes and bewitched people, I felt like I might actually believe it.

“…Yes, that’s right. To get to the point, Father left several days ago to inspect the territory. He was supposed to return this morning, but there’s still no news from him.”

“It is already nearly noon, yet there is still no word…. You must be very worried.”

“Yes, I suppose so….”

Arban and I talked about the Duke’s silence, but neither of us looked especially shaken.

To begin with, I already knew the Duke would return safely.

There was no reason for something to happen to him at this point in time.

I hadn’t interfered with the original story yet, so there was no way the predetermined future would suddenly change because of some outside factor.

Well, that was only my rational judgment.

Emotionally speaking, the Duke resembled my father—the one who left me behind with nothing but wounds—in a strange way, and I couldn’t shake the unpleasant feeling.

And regardless of my personal emotions, he was still someone who neglected a child that needed a guardian.

No matter how much affection and devotion he gave to Rielly, that did not excuse abandoning Amon.

So I doubted I would ever worry about the Duke or feel close to him.

I looked at the handsome man before me.

Compared to the Duke, this man concerned me far more.

I wasn’t certain, but there probably wasn’t much time left before the incident where Arban loses his arm.

If my memory was correct, Arban becomes Amon’s teacher when Amon is seventeen, and the incident was said to have happened roughly eight years before that.

In this grimdark novel where most of the characters suffered from mental problems, Arban Carnelwell was the only character with a physical disability instead of a psychological one.

In the original story, he was also the only person who somewhat helped Amon, so I had liked him. Even if his role wasn’t very large.

“There is likely nothing wrong, so please do not worry too much.”

“Yes, I’m alright. It’s just that the schedule planned for today….”

Arban spoke comforting words the entire time with an expressionless face.

With such an emotionless expression, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“You do not need to worry about it. Since there is no word from the Duke, it cannot be helped. I shall take my leave for today.”

“Thank you for your consideration. I heard you came regarding the mana stone mine discovered in the Esit Mountains… If you tell me when you’re available later, I’ll pass it along to Father.”

Since we had made the Grand Duke come for nothing, the Duke would probably make time for him even if he had none. Not me—the Duke.

Arban seemed to think about something for a moment before speaking a beat later.

“…Ten days from now, I have business in this area. I shall visit again then.”

“I’ll pass that along. Should I assume it will be at the same time?”

“I hope we can have dinner together then.”

“Yes, then I’ll expect to see you again in ten days. I’m truly sorry about today, Your Grace.”

“There is no need for the young lady to apologize. I shall see you next time.”

“I’ll see you out.”

Arban looked steadily at me as I rose with him.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Please at least allow me to escort you out. I feel bad for making you come here for nothing.”

It wasn’t my fault, but I still felt a little sorry. Though there was a much greater ulterior motive behind it.

When else would I get to see a handsome man like you again? Well, in ten days, but let’s ignore the small details.

Don’t make me look foolish after I apologized. Just say yes already.

“…If you insist that much, then I won’t refuse further.”

When I urged him again, he finally accepted obediently.

I responded with a smile and left the reception room together with him.

I glanced sideways at Arban, who seemed to be matching his pace to mine, perhaps because my legs were shorter than his.

I had already felt it while he was sitting, but even the way he walked was disciplined and elegant.

His posture was proper enough to serve as an example to anyone.

I was consciously trying to act carefully, but for Arban it looked like second nature.

Well, he had lived his entire life as a noble, while I had transmigrated only a few days ago. Comparing us in the first place was ridiculous.

“…Still, what a waste.”

No matter how you looked at it, this man who was perfect from head to toe was going to lose his arm soon….

“If he were a little less handsome, maybe I wouldn’t care this much.”

His face was simply too handsome to ignore.

Until now, I had never agreed with the saying that someone could live just off their looks, but with beauty at this level, I felt anyone would nod along in agreement.

“What do you mean?”

I had muttered so quietly that even I could barely hear it, but apparently he heard me.

Just how good is his hearing?

But this was not the time to admire it so leisurely.

What should I say?

I obviously couldn’t say, “I feel bad because your arm is going to get cut off soon.”

While desperately choosing my words, I could feel his gaze pressuring me from the side.

In the end, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Um… I suppose it feels like a waste to just let Your Grace leave like this….”

“…….”

“…….”

Arban’s mouth shut firmly.

In response to his silence, I also fell silent, and we walked quietly for a while.

But unlike my calm exterior, my mind was in complete chaos.

“I’m crazy, I’m crazy! There’s a limit to speaking without thinking! Seriously, where did my brain go?!”

Arban finally spoke while I was busy mentally scolding myself.

“…You seem to be a very honest person, Young Lady.”

“H-Haha…. I am pretty honest.”

I shouldn’t have offered to escort him….

The price of speaking so freely was too great. Ugh…!

How long had we walked while I cursed the unnecessarily large mansion?

By the time I saw the carriage waiting in the front yard, it almost felt like the heavy atmosphere had finally lightened.

Phew… I secretly relaxed without Arban noticing and savored the sense of relief.

But people really are shameless. The moment I realized I truly had to send him off, a sense of regret slowly crept back in again.

Even I found myself ridiculous.

Still, since we had already arrived at the carriage, there was no excuse to keep him here.

Besides, I would see him again in only ten days anyway.

I looked up at Arban and greeted him with lingering regret.

“Your Grace, thank you sincerely for visiting today. Please take care on your way back.”

“It was an honor to meet you, Lady Rober. I shall see you next time.”

After quietly returning the greeting, Arban extended his hand toward me.

I was puzzled by the sudden gesture, but without thinking much of it, I placed my hand over his.

Then Arban lifted my hand and lightly pressed a kiss to the back of it before boarding the carriage.

“……!”

While I stood there in shock with my mouth hanging open, the carriage carrying Arban disappeared into the distance.

I remained frozen in place for quite a while.

“…What was that just now?!”

I never thought I would receive a hand kiss like something out of a movie.

I quietly covered the back of the hand he kissed with my other hand.

I was flustered, but it didn’t feel bad. No, honestly, my heart fluttered a little.

And at the same time, I felt regretful again.

That man’s arm was going to be cut off.

“I don’t like that….”

Of course, losing one arm wouldn’t make Arban any less handsome.

Still, all things considered, it was obviously better for him to remain whole.

I glanced down at my own left arm.

To be honest, part of me simply didn’t want to feel unnecessary guilt.

By chance, I had met a character I liked—or rather, a person named Arban.

And then that person would lose one of his limbs.

Of course, it wouldn’t be my fault.

But if I did nothing and later met Arban again only to see his arm gone….

“I’d definitely blame myself.”

Especially if he was someone who could have remained unharmed with my help.

I didn’t want to carry around that pointless guilt.

It was better for my body to suffer than my mind.

And rather than thinking of it as self-protection, it felt much easier to think of it as simply saving the life of a handsome man.

That was how I decided to see it.

It would be good for both Arban and me.

He wouldn’t lose his arm, and I’d be able to sleep peacefully at night.