Chapter 159:Visit a Friend

Tuesday, morning

Adjusting his expensive and elegant suit jacket, Glaint sighed nervously.

"You can do it Glaint, short and long breaths... short and long breaths..." he encouraged himself as he repeated the exercise his psychologist had taught him.

He was standing in front of Dutch Wilson's mansion.

The mansion had been rebuilt after what had happened in June.

It seemed as if what happened that Saturday had never happened.

This was another reason why he hadn't come to visit Dutch, every time he remembered this place he would have a panic attack.

Only after intense sessions with Miss Jane had he managed to recover.

And he had only come here after speaking with her yesterday, having her go-ahead that this would be a good step in his recovery.

So steeling himself, he walked over and knocked on the door.

Knock* Knock*

He took two steps away from the door and waited.

After a few seconds, the door was opened and an older butler with several wrinkles on his face along with a completely bald top of his head welcomed him.

"Welcome back Master Glaint"

"Master Dutch is waiting for you in his office, would you like me to come with you?" he said with a courteous smile and Glaint nodded, still a bit nervous.

"Thanks, Alfred, but I can go alone." He shook his head as he walked in and Alfred nodded.

"No problem Master Glaint." Alfred answered as he closed the door and went to do other work.

'Come on Glaint…You can do it…for Dutch…' Glaint encouraged himself and walked in the direction of the stairs.

Durch's office was on the first floor...

Arriving at the once familiar but now strange door of fine wood, Glaint felt his heart race.

'Short and long breaths... short and long breaths... short and long...' Glaint repeated the exercise about six more times and when his heart had calmed down a bit, he knocked on the door three times.

Knock* Knock* Knock*

Reaching down, Glaint reached into his pocket and taking out his handkerchief, he used it to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

After a few seconds that seemed like forever, a familiar but strange voice sounded from behind the door.

"Come in Glaint, it's open"

'Here I go...here I go...' Glaint thought and grasping the door handle with a shaking hand, he opened the door.

The office was a little different than he remembered.

Where before there were some fine porcelain vessels, now there were some plants that looked well cared for.

Sitting at an old wooden desk but with multiple and excellent details covering the entire body of the table, was a somewhat pale Dutch.

The man wore a white shirt and reading glasses.

There were several neatly arranged documents to one side and he was going through one now.

It seemed that Glaint had arrived in the middle of his work.

'Looks like he hasn't been out in the sun for a while...' Glaint frowned worriedly at his friend's skin.

"It's been a while Glaint. How have you been my good friend?" Dutch asked warmly, his lips a little dry.

Glaint shook his head slightly, he looked at Dutch, his eyes shining with concern.

"I'm better Dutch, I'm sorry I haven't visited you in the last month, how are you feeling? Have you seen a psychologist after…that?" Glaint asked, he hadn't said party because he had seen how his friend's face had broken at almost mentioning it.

Recovering himself, Dutch sighed wearily and pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

"You don't have to apologize Glaint, I was the one who's been ignoring you all this time. Please sit down" Durch apologized sincerely.

Glaint shook his head but complied with his friend's request and sat across from him, then he spoke.

"You don't have to apologize either Dutch. What happened that night...would tear anyone apart."

"He…he…" Dutch laughed sadly as he shook his head in defeat.

He looked down at the document he had been reviewing and spoke tiredly.

"You also went through the same thing but you still found time to write and worry about me...Unlike you...I stayed locked up here, without talking or going out with anyone...Sinking into my work so as not to think about what happened..." Dutch's words died in his mouth and he fell silent.

Glaint didn't say anything, he let his friend vent.

He had been the same when he first visited Miss Jane and he had vented it to her, it had helped a lot to calm his mind and now he would do the same for his friend.

He would listen to the pain that he had locked up in his heart all this time...

After a few seconds Dutch sighed, he was full of exhaustion and sadness.

He then raised his head, a small sad smile on his face.

"The worst were the funerals you know?"

"I made sure that all of them received the best funeral service I could afford... That did nothing to ease the guilt..."

"That wasn't your fa..." Glaint yelled at his friend but his words died in his throat.

Tears fell from Dutch's eyes.

"You know Glaint? When all the funerals were completed and all the families were able to say goodbye to their loved ones... I came here in this office and grabbed my father's revolver..."

Glaint's eyes widened, and his skin turned pale.

Dutch lowered his head.

"I didn't have the courage to do it."

He calmly grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face.

Calmly folding the handkerchief, Dutch spoke again.

"When that happened I realized that I needed help... I went to the Goddess and prayed, every time I prayed to her I felt better and better." A small smile settled on Dutch's face as he raised his head and looked at the frozen Glaint.

"I'm finally recovering after a month... It's a slow process but I think I'll make it..."

He then turned his head and looked at a painting that had a beautiful night landscape painted with the crimson moon high in the sky.

"Thanks to the moon..." he said with faith as he saw the moon painted on the painting.

Finally, after all that Glaint recovered and looked at Dutch in alarm.

"You need a psychologist! I know a good one at Empress Borough Hospital! She can help you-"

"No need to get so nervous Glaint" Dutch cut into the flustered Glaint as he held up a hand.

Glaint looked at Dutch in astonishment.

"You tried to kill yourself Dutch! You need professional help!" He stressed but Dutch shook his head seriously.

"All I need is to give my pain to the goddess and she will free me from it." He said like the staunchest believer, there was a bit of annoyance in his eyes.

Glaint noticed this thanks to being friends with Dutch for so long.

He was silent for a few seconds and looked seriously at his friend.

He then sighed in defeat and nodded with his eyes closed.

"You're right. As long as we surrender to the Goddess, she will free us from the pain that plagues us and let us sleep with sweet dreams." He said with faith, tapping his chest 4 times counterclockwise in a circle.

Dutch looked at this with a small smile as he nodded.

He did not repeat the prayer posture.

Dutch looked at his friend and asked.

"I really appreciate having you here Glaint but I still have a lot of work to do, tell me do you need anything else?"

Glaint's eyes widened and he scratched his cheek somewhat awkwardly.

"Actually yes... I hope you don't mind but I was wondering if you have an extra matured Manhal Fish's eyeball in your collection..."

Dutch's eyes widened somewhat in surprise.

"Are you going to become a Spectator? I thought you wanted to be an Apothecary?" he asked curiously.

Glaint shook his head and sighed.

"And I still want to be one, it's just that I can't find the formula and the eyeball is for a friend who needs it to avoid being punished."

Dutch exclaimed in understanding, he put a hand to his chin and after thinking about it for a moment he nodded.

"I still have an extra one, you can take it with you, just tell Alfred to give it to you and that's it."

Glaint sighed in relief and extended his hand to Dutch.

"Thank you very much friend, you saved me from this. What do you want in return?"

Dutch chuckled softly as he took Glaint's hand.

"I don't want anything, consider it a gift to thank you for caring and coming to visit me."

Glaint put his other hand over Dutch's.

"You are my friend, how could I not care about my friend?" He responded with a smile but then frowned in concern.

"Remember, if you need a psychologist or someone to talk to just write me a letter and I'll come as fast as I can."

Dutch smiled and nodded.

"Of course Glaint" he separated his hand from his friend and grabbed the document he was working with earlier.

"Have a good evening my good friend."

"You too" Glaint said with a small smile, Dutch just nodded and returned his attention to the document in hand.

Glaint looked at his friend for a few seconds before getting up from his chair and going to the door.

Opening it and before leaving the room, he turned to look at Dutch but he kept his attention on the document from before.

Sighing, he closed the door and let the man get on with his work.

Alfred was downstairs, after asking for the matured Manhal Fish's eyeball he went and brought it to him in a small silver container that he kept in his pocket.

With his job done, he left Dutch's mansion.

...

Having sent the container to Audrey hidden inside a necklace box, Glaint was now in his own office.

While signing some documents he couldn't help but think of something that had confused him a bit.

'Dutch would never have given me something from his collection just because...'

He then sighed sadly and continued working.

'Trauma really changes people...'