The Girl with the Prosthetic Arm - 8
"Would you like to talk about my comfort again, Master?"
"I don't mind."
The day after Steric's reading, they started their conversation as usual. Since they had picked up the clues "little sister" or "girlfriend" the day before, this was clearly meant to circle around that.
"Steric said I seemed like a little sister when he looked at me. I think that might be partly right. Did I ever tell you I used to be the big sister among the other slaves? Back then there wasn't a single adult I could lean on... but now I have you, Master. Maybe that's why?"
"Someone to rely on, huh. Yeah, I can see that."
"Right? Anyone older than me had already been sold off or disposed of. I was one of the lucky ones. It feels a little awkward saying that, but it's just the truth... And he also said girlfriend. I've never been in a relationship, so I don't really know about that part."
As the silence started to feel a little stifling, Ed scratched his head and continued for her.
"...Charlotte. I'm sorry to have to say this. I don't know how you see me, but if we became lovers I'd feel a bit guilty. Taking someone so much younger as a lover just sits wrong with me..."
"Wait, how old are you, Master?"
"Twenty."
Charlotte folded and unfolded her fingers, doing the math, then carefully looked up at him.
"...I'm only three years younger than you?"
Silence.
Charlotte's bombshell left Ed looking thoroughly confused, and she seemed just as startled.
"That body... is seventeen?"
"I-I'm just short! A-and you, Master! Compared to everyone else you're way more mature and cool-looking..."
Once the mutual shock over each other's ages settled, they picked the conversation back up.
"...Alright, Charlotte. People can just be short. It's fine."
"I-it was because I was a slave during my growth years..."
"...I'm sorry."
Charlotte quietly looked away, clearly embarrassed, while Ed watched her and seemed not to know what to do with himself. Even I hadn't imagined she was that young; it was a little surprising.
"O-okay. In that case, couldn't I be a girlfriend instead of a little sister?"
"Do you want to be?"
"I don't really know..."
Charlotte rubbed her chin, making a show of thinking it over, while Ed waited quietly for her next words.
"Then... can we just leave it as little sister for now and pause this conversation? I'd like some time to sort out my own thoughts."
"Of course. Let's both take some time to think it over."
"Thank you."
Charlotte quietly rose from her seat and headed for her room. Ed stayed where he was; from his still mouth and motionless posture, he looked deep in thought.
"Ah, good afternoon, Master."
"Yeah, good afternoon."
Having apparently finished thinking, Charlotte came back out into the living room and ran into Ed, who had been quietly reading.
"I've more or less sorted out my thoughts... H-how about you, Master?"
"I'll hear your opinion first."
"O-okay..."
Charlotte sat down across from him, fidgeted with her hands for a moment, then opened her mouth.
"We ended the last talk by calling it little sister, but the more I think about it, the feeling I have doesn't really seem like the way you feel toward family. Being with you is comfortable, Master, but it's not the same comfort you get from family."
"...How is it different, specifically?"
"There is a kind of ease you feel with family. But more than that, my heart feels... strange, I guess? A comfortable happiness. That kind of feeling."
"Happiness, huh."
"It's a little hard to explain, but it's a small happiness where I just wish nothing would change. Wanting to stay by your side with nothing special happening, wanting to see you when I'm alone, wanting to have silly conversations..."
At that, Ed propped his chin in his hand with a complicated expression.
"So you're saying it's more girlfriend than little sister."
"You could... look at it that way. But... I've never loved anyone or even liked anyone before. I don't know if this feeling is love. What about you, Master?"
"Coincidentally, same here."
"Same... how?"
"That 'small happiness' you mentioned. Charlotte, if your description is right, I'm feeling the same thing. The wanting-to-see-you part I'm less sure about, though."
"Then figuring out what this feeling is should come first."
With that, Charlotte stood and went to the living-room bookshelves. She pulled out the book she had been reading last time—Charlotte and Carlos—handed it to Ed, then returned to the shelves herself.
"If we just read something, maybe we'll figure it out?"
"Learning from books, huh. There are plenty of other ones, then."
"I think this feeling is close to love, so I figured reading books about love would help. When you stroke my hair I do feel happy, Master... but it seems a little different from the 'fluttering' they describe in books."
"What does the 'fluttering' in books look like?"
"Your heart pounds really hard, and you like the other person so much your head is completely full of them. They say getting a confession makes you flutter like crazy."
"A bit different from what we feel, but let's look into it for now. If this feeling really is romantic affection, then that means we like each other."
"Right."
Still talking as she scanned the shelves, Charlotte pulled out a book with a promising title and sat down. At the same moment Ed rose from his seat and quietly moved behind her.
"Charlotte, mind if I stroke your hair for a second?"
"Huh. I'm fine with it, but why?"
"While I'm doing it I want to check both our heart rates for a bit. I can't look inside our heads, but I can check if our hearts are racing."
"That's a good idea. One of mine's a prosthetic, so you check for me, Master."
At Ed's words Charlotte lifted her right arm; he took it and felt for her pulse.
"Normal beat. Got it."
Charlotte smoothly withdrew her hand, and Ed checked his own pulse as well. She waited with an expectant face, wondering when the head-patting would start, while Ed carefully reached out.
"I'm going to stroke your hair, Charlotte."
"Okay."
Ed stroked Charlotte's hair, and her expression softened as she simply enjoyed it. The motion was slow and gentle, careful and almost reverent; even watching it made me feel warm. It went on for quite a while before Ed stopped first.
"I'll stop for now."
"I wouldn't mind a little more... ah, right, we were measuring heart rates."
Looking disappointed, Charlotte remembered the original purpose and fell silent. She raised her right arm again, and Ed took her pulse.
"...It's racing like crazy."
"Wait, really?"
Charlotte looked up at him in surprise, while Ed stared at her wrist with a flustered expression. He carefully released her arm and then checked his own pulse.
"How about you, Master?"
"Mine's gotten pretty fast too."
Charlotte made an impressed sound of wonder; Ed frowned slightly and double-checked his pulse.
"So is this love...? I have no idea..."
Watching him hum thoughtfully, Charlotte offered brightly,
"Then how about borrowing a third party's help again?"
"You mean Steric. Not a bad idea."
Charlotte nodded with a positive look, and Ed used the same hand that had been checking her pulse to stroke her hair once more.
"Alright. It's late today, so we'll go see him tomorrow. Mind helping with dinner again tonight?"
"Sure, of course!"
"Then we'll do the walking after we eat. Anything in particular you want?"
"I'm fine with anything!"
"Come to think of it, wouldn't my heart rate be pretty high when you're holding me like this too?"
After they finished eating they headed outside for their usual walk. Nestled in his arms as always, Charlotte spoke as if she'd just realized something.
"That possibility isn't zero."
"I feel just as happy right now. The same kind of happy I feel when you stroke my hair, Master."
"Got it. I'm going to set you down for a second—keep your balance."
Ed carefully lowered Charlotte to the ground, and she slowly found her footing.
"O-okay. I've got my balance..."
"Your balance might slip while I'm checking your pulse, so lean on me if you need to."
"Then excuse me..."
Charlotte clung tightly to him with her left arm while Ed quietly took her pulse.
"Fast, just like I thought. This kind of contact seems to make the heart race."
"I guess so..."
Charlotte answered, but she was so focused on keeping her balance that the reply came out half-hearted. Ed seemed to notice; he scooped her back up before speaking again.
"Physical closeness makes the heart race. Yours was racing hard just now, Charlotte."
"Ah, you caught me not concentrating..."
"Let's say you couldn't, not that you wouldn't. You were busy trying to stay on your feet. Shall we get going?"
"Oh—okay."
Charlotte seemed to want to measure her own heart rate while being held, but with a prosthetic it was hard to feel; she gave up halfway through. It was a cute day, watching both of them slowly come to understand their own hearts.