Life From Now
"Mm… sorry." The elf gently put my left foot down and, in a soft voice, explained, "Sorry, your left foot… is beyond treatment now… Did you know humans should have small things connecting to their muscles? Your brain sends signals to your brain, which said small things deliver. Our medicine is supposed to be able to repair damage to those components, but you appear to have engaged in intense physical activity during the repair process. As a result, the messengers have snapped. You have recovered on the surface. Inside, though, you will never be able to sense medications again. That is why your foot will never regain normal functioning again…. Your left foot is forever… broken…"
I looked at my left foot. Elves had thoroughly researched humans' bodies; they already figured out the connection between the brain and nerves. My foot was crippled henceforth. Try as I may, I couldn't move my left foot. I had to use my hands to find the perfect angle to slip my shoes on my left foot. The good news was my foot was still attached. I, at least, didn't need a wheelchair or crutches.
"Papa!! Sorry!!" cried Leah, leaping over to tightly hug me as she wailed. She looked up at me with her face smothered with tears and sobbed, "It was all because of me. It was all because of me… Sorry… sorry… I'm truly sorry… Papa… Papa's foot… sorry…"
I laughed in a quiet tone. I pulled Leah into my arms and softly stroked her back: "It's all right. It's all right, Leah. It doesn't hurt, so it's all right. Between my foot, you and Veirya, I'll always choose you two. Papa doesn't think it's a pity to sacrifice a foot for your safety. Papa thinks it's worth it."
"But Papa, from now… from now…"
"Papa is used to using a cane now. It's just one foot. It's not that serious."
I picked up my cane from the side. I started to get the hang of using the cane to support my weight while allowing my left foot to relax. Veirya declared, "Leah, don't worry. It's just. One foot. In the future. I can. Support him."
"It's not that serious," I remarked.
The elf stood up with a helpless smile: "Well, this is bad news. If Consul General finds out about this, I am sure she will be furious. Alas, we have done our very best. Mr. Travor, we did not want for your foot to end up in this state. If you did not move about so rigorously, thereby overstressing your left foot, it would be all right."
"It's fine. I'll tell Lucilia I didn't heed your advice. Thank you for everything you did; you helped me out a lot. Without your assistance, my plan wouldn't have failed. Please send Lucilia my thanks."
"You should thank her yourself. She will be back to the North very soon."
The elf bowed, particularly to Veirya, with a smile. I didn't have a single clue as to how Leah and the elf differentiated between Angelina and Veirya. However, Leah's method seemed to have a flaw that was easily countered. The proof was in the fact that she wasn't able to identify Angelina during her recent kidnapping.
The elf left. Angelina had medication applied to her foot. Compared to my injury, hers was a minor one. She was probably going to be completely healed in two to three days. Leah tightly hugged me: "Papa, from now on, Leah will be Papa's foot. No matter where Papa goes or does, Leah will always stay by Papa's side!!"
I replied, "That sounds a little heavy… It's all right, Leah. Papa isn't that sad."
Frankly, I was absolutely calm when the elf declared my left foot dead. It was as if I just heard something I could nonchalantly brush off. All I thought to myself was, "Ah, so I've lost a foot." I probably felt indifferent, since I might've known to myself that my left foot was done for and was used to it.
I used my cane to stand up: "All right now. Veirya, let's go. We still have work today; we need to see Her Majesty."
"All right," responded Veirya, before walking up to me. I wondered what she was doing. She grabbed my arm from below and supported me with her hands: "This will do? Let's go."
Angelina, who was lying on the bed, watched us with a mischievous smile: "That's not too smart, is it? Veirya, you can't meet Queen Sisi standing, like that. If I were you, I'd choose another pose. For example, loop your arm inside his arm and support him."
In my mind: "Hey, hey, hey, you talk too much, don't you think?! Don't you think that you're going too far as a mother?! I know you're suggesting that out of good will, and I agree it would be more polite and aesthetic for us to see the Queen in that pose, but the smirk on your face reveals your desire to entertain yourself! You just want to laugh at me, don't you?!!"
"Oh? Like this?" Veirya wrapped her right arm around my left arm.
I instantly smelt Veirya's scent and her warmth on me. My heart instinctively began to race. My body tensed up. All of my attention was on Veirya; I couldn't think of anything else.
"You're too far apart. You can't even display any intimacy. Veirya, get closer to him; your body needs to cling to his."
"Like this?" asked Veirya, plastering herself to me.
In my mind: "Aaaahhh!!!! This is too much to bear! You're about to unchain the beast down South!!"
Not only did Veirya have her arm around mine, she even grabbed my arm with her other arm. I could feel her breasts firmly pressed her arm up against me. I was left speechless.
"Papa!!"
Leah jumped over from the chair and onto my back. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her chest to my head. However, she was in her child form; hence, it didn't feel as stimulating as at night time. I, in fact, didn't feel aroused whatsoever. All I felt was weight on my back and a painful sensation.
"I'm going, too!! Papa, I want to go with you! I'm going with you no matter what! I want to hug Papa's other side! I won't let Mama have all of Papa for herself!!"
Leah suddenly hugged my left arm then gave Veirya a mocking grin. Veirya looked down to Leah. Veirya didn't seem to comprehend what happened. Meanwhile, Angelina mischievous and bold look went from bold to bolder. She said, "You have a spot behind you now. Leave that one to me."
"Don't!! My foot is injured, and you still refuse to spare me?"
"I don't have any other motive. I'm being absolutely serious. Veirya isn't thinking about it anyway, so how about leaving it to me? I've been married before, but I know exactly how to please a man. Plus, I still have some love. I guarantee I can let you experience a different feeling at night… one that you would never feel with Veirya!!"
I grumpily warned Angelina, "What are you on about? Quit with the jokes."
Angelina looked identical to Veirya, but I absolutely couldn't mix them up. I loved Veirya, not Angelina. I liked Veirya's character, not her body. Even though Angelina was, for a fact, different, I would never do anything to her!
"Yeah? I'm being serious. We'll be cohabiting in the future. It's time to put your feelings for Veirya to the test. If you can't distinguish between us, even Veirya would definitely be angry.
"Huh?!!!" I looked at Angelina with an astonished expression. Then, I looked at Veirya, feeling relieved. I didn't think Veirya was that sort of person. Her emotions weren't complete, after all. Veirya shouldn't know what jealousy even was. I pondered, "While she was angry at me for not writing a letter, she wouldn't be angry if I couldn't tell them apart, would she…?"
Veirya turned to look at me with an absolutely serious look and nodded: "She's right. I will. Be very angry. I already. Told you. How to tell us apart."
"How am I supposed to normally see your breasts to tell you apart?!!!"
Gleeful, Angelina laughed: "That's why you need to be careful. Veirya and I have other differences, too. Even Leah can tell us apart. Therefore, you must be able to. Plus, I believe Veirya can accept showing you our breasts. It's just a flash; she won't say no."
"As if! I already told Veirya not to thoughtlessly let others see her body. How could she thoughtlessly let me see her breasts?!"
I snorted then turned back to tell Veirya that we were going to get going, only for her to have already undone her shirt's button. She had even opened her shirt already. She revealed her perfect cleavage to me, and then, in a serious tone, said, "Look."
"Please… Veirya… please, spare me…"