Robot Protection Zone Chapter 39

Even after returning home, the master still had a tired look on his face. The faint crease in his expression and the dark circles under his eyes clearly revealed his fatigue.

It seemed his recharging had been insufficient. Should I suggest he recharge again? I thought about it for a moment, but then shook my head.

He would probably find it annoying if I even spoke to him right now. Thinking I shouldn’t get on the master’s nerves for no reason, I kept my mouth shut obediently.

As I spent time in my room like that, it was evening before I knew it.

“Something smells delicious…”

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, my sense of smell was captured by a savory aroma wafting from somewhere. As if possessed, I followed the scent down to the first floor, and my eyes fell upon a neatly set table with what looked like freshly prepared dishes.

There was freshly baked baguette and fresh arugula salad, moist and well-seasoned grilled chicken, and a smooth cream of mushroom soup. On one side, there were also colorful fruits prepared for dessert.

I licked my lips looking at the delicious-looking food. My stomach, which had been quiet until just a moment ago, rumbled, clamoring to be fed.

Should I sneak a bite? Normally, I should wait until the master arrives, but…

It was pure torture to just look at the deliciously prepared food. As I was struggling with my inner conflict, I suddenly noticed that the center of the table, where the main dish would be placed, was empty.

Come to think of it, I could still hear clattering sounds from the kitchen. I peeked inside the kitchen and saw Sophia cooking. I hung around the kitchen, guessing the menu, and finally, unable to bear the curiosity, I approached her and asked.

“Sophia, what’s the main menu for today?”

“Salmon en papillote baked in the oven with vegetables, herbs, and white wine.”

“That sounds delicious…”

The salmon was sizzling and baking in the oven. When I brought my nose close to the oven, the delicious smell that stimulated my sense of smell became even stronger. It was the very scent that had been tempting me since I left my room.

Looking at the remaining time on the timer, it seemed the last dish would be ready soon. I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth and looked at the table again. The master was still nowhere to be seen.

“Sophia, where’s the master?”

“He went up to the second floor and has not come down yet.”

“Is he sleeping…? I’ll go tell the master to come down for dinner.”

“Understood.”

I left the delicious smells behind and went up the stairs. The thought of wanting to eat the dinner Sophia had made as soon as possible made me hurry. I quickened my pace, thinking of the salmon that was cooking deliciously in the oven, and soon arrived in front of the master’s room.

Knock, knock.

“Master?”

I knocked on the firmly closed door, but no answer came from inside the room. I carefully opened the door and peeked inside.

The lights were off in the room. I scanned the darkness and could faintly see the master lying on the bed.

“He must have been really tired…”

The master was lying down, still in his outer clothes, without even a blanket over him. I could picture him collapsing onto the bed as soon as he got home.

I approached the bed cautiously. The master was someone who always woke up at the crack of dawn, but surprisingly, he was a rough sleeper. I had been in trouble once before when I tried to wake the master up, so I had to be extra vigilant today.

Maintaining a safe distance, I called out to the master carefully.

“Master, please come down and have dinner.”

“…Tell Sophia I’m not eating.”

“Uh…”

A short, firm reply. The master turned his back to the other side, as if to say not to talk to him anymore.

The conversation was cut off in an instant. At the unexpected reaction, I froze for a moment. I blinked in confusion, then spoke to the master again.

“Are you really not going to eat? Sophia worked so hard to prepare it…”

I tried to persuade the master once more, but this time, a slightly more irritated voice came back.

“Sophia won’t be sad or disappointed just because I don’t eat.”

“……”

I was at a complete loss for words. Just as the master said, Sophia, who had no emotions, would not feel hurt and would simply nod her head.

But no matter how emotionless she was, Sophia had clearly spent time and effort cooking for the master. Even if she couldn’t feel hurt, the fact that her efforts were being nullified was a separate issue…

But even if I kept trying to persuade him, the master probably wouldn’t budge. I lowered my eyes dejectedly, but I couldn’t think of any way to wake the master up.

Should I give up? I knew it was right to back down at this point, but my feet wouldn’t easily move. I lingered in the master’s room for a long time before muttering helplessly.

“But still…”

“Ha… damn it…”

With a deep sigh, the master’s eyes opened. The master swept a hand over his face and said in a low voice.

“I’ll change and come down, so go ahead and eat first.”

“Yes!”

Thankfully, it seemed the master had finally changed his mind. I replied brightly and nodded my head. I had to quickly deliver this news to Sophia before the master changed his mind again.

I was about to leave the room with a happy heart when the master suddenly called out to stop me.

“Didi, wait a moment.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Come here and help me take off my clothes.”

“M-Me…?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m tired, but my body feels too heavy to move.”

I looked at the master, doubting my ears. I wondered what kind of prank he was trying to pull this time, but seeing him lying on the bed without moving an inch, I started to get confused.

Could he be serious…?

As suspicion turned into certainty, I grew more and more flustered. My eyes darted around quickly. To undress the master. I had never heard such a request, nor had I ever imagined it. I began to back away slowly without realizing it.

His words to undress him were clearly a command, yet I couldn’t carry it out immediately. As I hesitated for a long time, the master sighed lowly and said.

“You should hurry before the dinner Sophia made gets cold.”

“Th-That’s…”

How could he use such a cheap threat…

Just as the master said, the food might get cold if I didn’t go down soon. Of course, if it was food made by Sophia, it would still be delicious even if it were cold, but I wanted to eat it when it was at its most delicious… I had no choice but to approach the master.

I stopped beside the bed and looked down at the master. Today, the master was wearing a black suit. Underneath the jacket, I could see a white shirt and a navy blue tie that was already half-loosened.

First, I should loosen the tie.

I reached for the tie. Unfortunately, the master’s body was far from the edge of the bed, so my hand couldn’t reach it easily. As I was trembling and struggling to stretch my arm, the master suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled.

“Ugh!”

My body, which was already leaning heavily, lost its balance and I fell on top of the master. As I, flustered, scrambled to get up, the master held my waist firmly. I felt my body lift up, and then I was in a position where I was straddling the master’s waist.

“Master!”

So he was just tricking me to play another strange prank on me! Soaked in a sense of betrayal, I trembled and burst out in anger at the master.

“I was just trying to help because you looked like you were having a hard time?”

“Ugh…”

But the master acted as if he really had intended to help, letting go of my body and playing innocent. I wanted to complain, but faced with his nonchalant expression, I had nothing to say and clamped my lips shut. In the end, I couldn’t say anything, and only when the master urged me did I finally start to move my hands again.

First, I untied the tie. Perhaps because it was already half-loosened, the tie slid down on its own as soon as I touched it.

Next was the shirt.

After placing the tie aside, I looked down at the master’s shirt and hesitated for a moment. Was it really okay to take it off? Perhaps because of the thought of directly touching the master’s body, I was overcome with a strange sense of guilt.

Soon, having made my decision, I began to unbutton the master’s shirt, starting from the one below his neck. I could see my hands trembling slightly from nervousness. It was my first time unbuttoning someone else’s shirt, so I was clumsy to begin with, and with my hands shaking, I kept fumbling.

As the buttons were slowly undone, the master’s body was revealed between the opening collar. As the firm and well-defined muscles unfolded before my eyes, my gaze wavered without me realizing it.

I couldn’t look at the master and fumbled about, but to continue unbuttoning, I had no choice but to look down at the half-unbuttoned shirt. But strangely, my eyes kept drifting to the master’s body instead of the buttons.

“You like it?”

“Wh-What…?”

“I’m asking if you like undressing your beloved master.”

It seemed the master had finally caught me glancing at him while pretending not to look. At the master’s mocking tone, my face flushed hot.