Robot Protection Zone Chapter 56

I woke up before the alarm even went off.

I was afraid that if I overslept, the Master might change his mind and go to work alone. Perhaps because I had been anxious even before falling asleep, I ended up waking up before the alarm rang.

The spot next to me was already empty. I traced the faint warmth of the Master left behind with my fingertips and slowly sat up. As I was blankly looking around, my eyes met the Master’s, who was just coming out of the bathroom.

“Didi? You’re already awake?”

“Yes, Master. Good morning.”

The Master, wearing only a pair of underwear, toweled his wet hair. The firm muscles that were revealed every time his arm moved flexed with his movements. I did not know where to look and just rolled my eyes around before lowering my head, pretending to tidy the blanket.

Thanks to waking up early, I was able to follow the Master on time today. As soon as we arrived at the company and entered the office, his secretary approached.

“Mr. Chairman, reporters will be visiting this morning for an interview.”

Suddenly, the conversation I had heard when we went to Thomas’s lab came to mind. They said the Master had to reschedule the interview because he had suddenly left the new product presentation. Since that had happened because I disappeared without a word, I resolved not to be a hindrance this time and quietly took a seat on the sofa.

For a while, the Master went over the interview-related materials with his secretary. After a long meeting reviewing documents, the secretary left the office, saying the reporters would be arriving soon.

Only after the office became quiet did the Master get up from his seat and approach me. He plopped down next to me, where I was sitting quietly and waiting on the sofa.

“Master, are you finished with the interview preparations?”

“For the most part.”

The Master leaned back on the sofa as if he were already tired, then looked at me and spoke.

“Didi.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you want to come to the company tomorrow too?”

The question was short, but I quickly understood the intention behind his words. I averted my gaze and hesitantly asked back.

“Are you suggesting… we do it now? Guests will be here soon…”

“We just have to finish before they arrive.”

“I guess so…”

I was persuaded by the Master’s words and nodded. I mean, it would not take long as long as I did not cling to him like yesterday…

I fidgeted with my fingers and glanced at the Master. He was staring at me steadily, as if waiting for me to kiss him.

Suddenly, the Master’s lips came into my view. They look warm and soft. But once we start kissing, he will devour me as if that were never the case.

I leaned my body toward the Master and carefully kissed him.

At first, I lightly licked the Master’s lips. Feeling the Master’s breath tickling the tip of my nose, I slightly parted my lips and lightly touched the tip of his tongue. As I kissed him softly, the Master immediately wrapped his hand around the nape of my neck and continued the kiss deeply.

“Eu-eung…”

The tips of our tongues gently intertwined, and a hot warmth spread throughout my mouth. Every time our lips met, a shiver ran through my whole body, and my fingers twitched. Today, too, my clumsy tongue was led around by the Master’s.

It was the Master who had said we should finish quickly, so I thought this would be enough and carefully tried to pull my lips away. But the Master’s hand held the back of my head firmly and would not let go.

“Master, aht… People will be here soon… Please stop now…”

Before I could say more, the Master whispered with a small laugh, without even parting his lips.

“Didi, shall we start a dating rumor?”

“What?”

“You want to get into a scandal with me too, don’t you.”

A series of short kisses landed on my lips. The Master asked me, giving me light pecks.

My heart broke down with a jolt, and at the same time, my cheeks flushed hot. It felt as if he had seen right through my heart, which had long envied the people who had dating rumors with the Master.

A dating rumor with the Master… It was absurd, but just imagining it made my heart swell.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

— Mr. Chairman, the people from the New Times are here.

The lips that had been nibbling at my ear as they waited for my answer lightly pulled away. However, they stopped at a distance where they would touch with the slightest movement, and the Master whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

“What should we do, Didi. Do you want to keep kissing like this?”

Every time the Master spoke, his lips brushed softly against my earlobe, like a peck.

The Master’s breath made my heart pound as if it would burst. My breathing fell into a chaotic mess at the sweet, hard-to-refuse suggestion. My heart pounded like crazy as I entertained the absurd fantasy of a dating rumor between the Master and me, one that would set all the media abuzz.

But…

I soon collected myself. A dating rumor with a robot, that would surely tarnish the Master’s reputation.

Quickly knowing my place, I calmed my pounding heart and shook my head slightly. As I pulled away from the Master’s embrace, he raised the corners of his mouth as if he had known I would.

— Mr. Chairman?

From outside, the secretary called for the Master again in a puzzled voice. The Master straightened the wrinkled part of his shirt, crumpled to the size of my hand, and then opened his mouth.

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and reporters and people carrying broadcasting equipment entered in succession. In an instant, the spacious office was bustling. There were more people than I had expected, so I quietly moved to a corner so as not to be in the way.

The Master looked so perfectly put-together it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been devouring my lips just moments before. His neatly swept-back blond hair, his impeccable suit, his relaxed smile… He was in every way the complete opposite of me, whose heart was still trembling.

Then our eyes met. My face flushed bright red, and I lowered my head, needlessly rubbing my lips, which still felt soft and plump, with the back of my hand.

“Then let’s begin.”

The Master began the interview with his usual expression, as if nothing had happened. I held my breath quietly, unable to hide my unsightly expression.

“Hello, Mr. Spencer. The new product presentation held two days ago created a huge buzz. A humanoid robot being released for the first time in a long time. I heard there’s already a waiting list for pre-orders.”

It was about the new product. They were already taking pre-orders. It had only been a few weeks since I saw the prototype, and the release schedule was so tight it felt like they were rushing things.

Because I had left the venue before the presentation began, I had no idea how the schedule was progressing. So that was why the Master had seemed so busy lately. Hoping I might learn something new again, I perked up my ears and listened intently to the interview.

“Many people are particularly curious about the reason you suddenly left during the event. May I ask if something happened?”

It was the first question.

I flinched as soon as the question was finished. Knowing that the reason the Master had bolted from such an important event was me, I glanced at the Master like a guilty thief.

“My robot disappeared without a word.”

The Master answered, looking at me. Because of that, everyone’s attention suddenly turned to me.

“He gets lost often. My robot.”

I did not know what to do in front of so many gazes. The only silver lining was that the cameras were not pointed at me. Only the Master looked at me, flustered, and smiled with the corners of his mouth raised as if he found it amusing.

“It’s good to see you cherish your robot, just like your grandfather, the former chairman.”

The reporter said, mentioning my old master. The Master usually did not like such comparisons, so I thought he would be offended, but surprisingly, he just smiled and let it pass without any particular reaction today.

The next question followed immediately.

“The manufacturing of human-like robots was banned due to ethical issues. How did you resolve that problem?”

“Robots have made significant technological advancements, but there have been limitations due to restrictions on their appearance. To overcome those limitations, Spenix has, for a long time, visited and persuaded state legislators, the ethics committee, and regulatory authorities on numerous occasions to amend the relevant laws.”

“But that is also a law enacted by the former chairman himself, the founder of Human-Bot. I understand it was made while enduring criticism from the same industry and public opinion at the time.”

“My grandfather must have made that decision considering various social issues. However, I believe that decision halted technological progress. Now that I have become the CEO of Spenix, following in my grandfather’s footsteps, I want to correct that problem.”

The Master answered in a confident tone. On the surface, it was a confident answer, but the content also felt as if it were subtly mocking the old master’s decision. However, it seemed no one else had noticed.

“Among those who have been waiting for Human-Bot, there have been voices of disappointment that this model does not have an emotion function.”

“The emotion function is still being restored. Once it is technologically complete, I believe it can be applied through a future update.”

“Then is it highly likely that future products will also be equipped with an emotion function?”

“That is correct.”

I listened quietly to the Master’s answers, lost in thought.

Did the Master still believe I knew some great secret? I could no longer guess the Master’s thoughts at all. He used to constantly press me, asking if I remembered anything, but lately, he had not even mentioned it.

Perhaps the Master had now realized it too. The fact that I knew nothing.

And yet, the Master kissed me and was intimate with me. The man who had said he would not get involved with the likes of a robot, one day fell asleep holding me in his arms, and another day, he smiled and kissed me.

What if all of this was just the Master’s whim…

I could only hope that the end of it would not come for a long, long time.