After hearing more than one person say that Elkan was handsome, Viona began to feel insecure. She had been completely turned off when Elkan first came to her house. But now, the opposite was happening. She felt unworthy of walking beside him.
"Elkan."
"Yes, Miss."
"Can I feed you?"
"No, Miss. Your hands will get dirty," Elkan refused.
"Why? Are you embarrassed to let me feed you?" For some reason, Viona suddenly felt inferior.
"Oh, it's not like that, Miss. I just don't want your hands to get dirty. But if that's what you really want, I don't mind. Besides, who wouldn't want to be fed by a woman as beautiful as you?"
Viona smiled faintly, but she still couldn't shake her insecurity. "But I'm not beautiful anymore, El. I'm blind now."
"Even if you're blind, that doesn't diminish your beauty in the slightest, Miss Viona."
"But the proof is that no one wants to come near me. All my friends pulled away after I went blind. Not one of them has wanted to visit me."
"Maybe they have a reason for not coming yet. After all, Miss Viona hasn't exactly been in the best mood either."
Viona nodded faintly. She realized that she had often lashed out after going blind.
After they finished eating, they intended to head back. But as they walked toward the car, Viona stopped. For some reason, her leg cramped. "What's wrong, Miss?" Elkan asked.
"My leg is cramping, El."
"Maybe you're tired from walking so much. I'll carry you."
"But, El—" Before Viona could finish, Elkan had already scooped her up into his arms.
"El, put me down. I'm heavy." Elkan simply laughed.
"What's heavy about you? You're this small. What part of you is heavy? You're too light, if you ask me."
Viona fell silent. She could tell that Elkan was tall and broad, which was why he considered her body light.
As Elkan carried her, Viona placed one hand against his chest. She could feel how solid his chest was, and her curiosity only grew. She wished she could see him right then and there. What puzzled her was why a man as handsome and strong as Elkan would want to become the caregiver of a blind girl like her.
When they reached the car, Viona asked before Elkan started driving. "Elkan, why did you agree to work as my caregiver?"
"I told you, Miss. I want to make amends for my mistake against a girl who went blind because of me."
From that answer, Viona could conclude that Elkan was no ordinary man. "If you met that girl, who would you choose? Would you choose to become her caregiver, or would you stay on as mine?"
Elkan fell silent for a moment. He hadn't expected Viona to ask him that. "Maybe I'd stay as your caregiver, because that girl probably wouldn't want me to take care of her."
"Why not?"
"Because she must hate the person who caused her to go blind."
"But if she wanted you to be her caregiver, would you leave me?"
Elkan fell silent again. Viona's question was truly difficult to answer. Even so, he had an answer that would calm the girl in front of him. "I won't leave you, Miss Viona. If that girl asked me to take care of her, I'd bring you along too so I could look after both of you at the same time. But I don't think that's possible, because I know she must hate me. And my hope right now... is that she can regain her sight, so I won't have to feel guilty."