"Hey, easy now, grandson, slow down."
Grandma Dorothy sat in her wicker chair, watching her grandson, Jay, burst into the yard excitedly.
"Grandma, your legs! It can be healed!"
Jay placed a flyer in front of her, pointing to the bold words on it. "Look! It says here that no matter if you've lost a hand or a leg, they can attach something called a bionic prosthesis to your body. It'll work just like real limbs. Grandma, that means you could dance again if you got a new pair of legs!"
"Silly child, there's no such miraculous thing in this world." Dorothy picked up the flyer, peering at it over her reading glasses. "Oh my, what big talk! Sounds too good to be true!"
"Grandma, you've got to believe me! The president of the Adventurers' Guild, Mr. Cyrus, personally vouched for it. I even saw Old Sam—who used to be crippled—running and jumping on stage!"
"I don't believe it. They're probably just trying to scam you for money." Dorothy shook her head and handed the flyer back. "You should be more cautious. Remember the last time you spent money on that potion that was supposed to cure me? What was it? Just a bottle of sugar water. You even drank the whole thing yourself. Well, how was it? Tasty?"
"It was delicious!" Jay blurted out, then quickly shook his head. "But, Grandma! Don't you want to dance again? Let's just give it a try this time! They're starting to sell it tomorrow. Let's go have a look!"
"I'm too old to dance, even if my legs weren't bad," Dorothy leaned back into her chair, her eyes glimmering with memories.
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The next morning, Dorothy was awakened by a commotion. Opening her eyes, she saw Jay entering the room with a stranger dressed in a white coat and hat, bearing a red cross on the coat.
"Grandma, I brought someone to look at your legs!" Jay exclaimed excitedly.
"Good day, ma'am. I'm a staff member from the Dawn Winery Bionic Prosthesis Project Team. Here is my certification from the Knights of Favonius, and this is my project ID card," the person said, presenting two documents.
"What's this?" Dorothy, still groggy, took the papers and noticed the official seal of the Knights of Favonius.
"Our bionic prostheses are officially certified by the Knights of Favonius, and we work under their guidance. You can trust us completely. May I examine your legs?"
"Uh... sure, sure..."
After assessing Dorothy's legs, the staff member pulled out some paperwork. "Is Roberta Bessie your son? Is Omar Carpenter your daughter-in-law?"
"No, no," Dorothy corrected. "Omar is my son, and Roberta is my daughter-in-law."
The staff member smiled. "Got it. Your situation has been verified. According to our project rules, family members of fallen Knights of Favonius are eligible for free prosthetic replacements, with all costs covered by the Knights."
"W-what does that mean?" Dorothy was still confused.
"Grandma, it means you can get prosthetic legs for free!" Jay exclaimed with glee.
"Is there really such a good thing?" Dorothy grew suspicious. "You're not trying to scam us, are you? We don't have anything worth stealing!"
The staff member, half-laughing, half-crying, replied, "Please wait a moment." Then they left the room.
"Grandma, why don't you trust anyone? Don't you trust me, even? The whole city is talking about bionic prostheses! Everyone knows they were invented by a genius alchemist. If it were fake, would they dare be so open about it?" Jay was on the verge of tears.
"It's just... how could something so good happen to me?" Dorothy closed her eyes, tears quietly rolling down her face as memories of her lost son and daughter-in-law surfaced, along with the image of little Jay, now parentless. She thought about her own legs, ruined by illness, and how she could never dance again.
"Grandma, Grandma."
Dorothy opened her eyes to see a bright, cheerful young woman sitting beside her.
"Are you... Miss Barbara?" Dorothy exclaimed in surprise.
The idol beloved by all Mondstadt citizens—Dorothy had once caught a glimpse of her on stage, hopping and dancing, which reminded her of her own youth.
"Grandma, let me explain. The bionic prostheses are real, and it's true you don't have to pay…" Barbara held Dorothy's wrinkled hands warmly.
After Barbara's reassurances, Dorothy finally let go of her doubts. She was taken to a hospital room by two staff members using flying hoverboards. There, she shared the room with a young woman missing her right hand and a blind lady. They had each spent 60,000 and 30,000 Mora, respectively, even with Knights of Favonius subsidies for Mondstadt residents.
On the fourth day, Dorothy was finally brought to the operating room. When she regained consciousness, she was back in her room.
With Jay's help, she shakily stood on the clean hospital floor. Though unsteady, she was indeed standing again.
On the fifth day, now able to walk normally, Dorothy left the hospital with Jay.
───────
Passing a small square on their way home, Dorothy saw a young girl singing and dancing. The crowd cheered loudly.
Dorothy paused.
"Grandma." Jay tugged at her hand, his eyes full of encouragement.
Finally, she walked into the square, joining in the girl's song:
Raise your hats and your glasses too,
We will dance the whole night through
We're going back to a time we knew
Under this Cecilia-like Moon
Cheers to the Knights and days of old,
the beggars and the thieves living in an enchanted wood
Under this Cecilia-like Moon (T/N: REFERENCE By Author ─ Under A Violet Moon)
As she sang, the crowd parted for her, and she reached the young dancer's side. The girl, surprised and delighted, welcomed her, and together they danced, their movements equally graceful.
They were like two blooming Cecilia flowers, vibrant and beautiful.
When the song ended, the crowd's applause grew thunderous.
The young girl approached Dorothy, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Are you... Dorothy?"
"You know me?"
"When I was little, my parents took me to see your performance! You danced to this very piece, and it was stunning!" The girl's voice was filled with reverence. "But why did you stop dancing ten years ago?"
"Back then, my legs were injured, and I couldn't dance anymore. But now…" Dorothy glanced at her prosthetics and smiled. "It's all thanks to bionic prostheses!"