Robot Protection Zone Chapter 57

The interview continued.

“This new product is a highly polished robot, to the point that the lack of emotions is not a flaw. It can perform all given roles except for harming humans.”

“But might there not be people who use robots for other purposes? What are your thoughts on that?”

“We do not care how our customers use the robots. It only resembles a human in appearance; in the end, it is a machine. A robot is nothing more than a tool for humans.”

The Master treated robots strictly as tools. It was the complete opposite of his father, who had looked at the robot fish swimming leisurely in the aquarium tank with an affectionate gaze.

But even knowing the Master’s attitude, I was not disappointed. Because even though the Master spoke as if he treated robots merely as tools, when I saw how he actually treated them, that was not the case. The Master did not seem to have noticed… but I could see it now.

The Master cherished robots. He just would not admit it.

After that, ordinary questions followed, such as the release schedule, sales plan, and the functions搭載 in the new product. The reporter exchanged a few questions and answers with the Master, took a few pictures, and then concluded the interview.

“Thank you for agreeing to the interview. We will discuss the subsequent schedule with your secretary.”

With the reporter’s final words, everyone packed up their equipment and left the office. The bustling office quickly became quiet again.

I thought he would have some free time today once the interview was over.

But perhaps because it was right after the new product launch announcement, the Master only got busier. He seemed busy all afternoon, and in the end, even though it was long past quitting time, there was no sign of his work ending.

He’s going to work late tonight.

Since my role was to wait for the Master, I sat patiently without getting anxious, waiting for his work to be finished. The splendid night view unfolding outside the office window was beautiful, so the wait was not boring.

“Hah, the time already…”

I wonder how much time had passed like that. The Master, who suddenly checked the clock, frowned. Then he spoke to me, who was sitting quietly on the sofa.

“Didi, it looks like work is going to run late. I’ll tell my secretary, so you go home first.”

“Um… Master.”

If it were the usual me, I would have nodded and obeyed the Master’s command. But today, I wanted to stay by the Master’s side a little longer.

“I want to go back with you, Master… Would it be okay if I waited until you’re finished with work?”

“It might take a long time, are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes!”

I nodded my head vigorously. Waiting was not a problem as long as I was with the Master.

“Alright, then.”

The Master looked at me with a slightly proud expression and then focused on his work again.

While waiting for the Master to finish his work, I turned on my smartphone. I tried to check if the interview the Master did during the day had been uploaded, but I could not see it yet.

Instead, on the screen, along with articles about the new product presentation, there were several articles about the scandal with the woman who was by the Master’s side that day, and about the Master’s sudden departure from the event.

Among them, the one that stood out, of course, was the photo of the Master and the female model standing side by side with their arms linked.

More than Thomas introducing the new product in place of the Master, more than the prototype making its first appearance before the public, more than Nick assisting Thomas with a nervous face, my eyes were drawn only to the image of the two people with their arms linked affectionately. Perhaps because the Master was smiling faintly, it was a photo that anyone would believe at a glance that they were lovers.

Looking at the photo, my heart felt complicated. Suddenly, I remembered the words the Master had whispered to me with the reporters at the door.

‘Didi, shall we start a dating rumor?’

If I were standing next to the Master in the photo… My heart raced just at the thought.

If I had not pushed the Master away, would he really have intended to release a dating rumor article with me? A scandal with a robot, it was absurd, but I had a feeling that the Master might have really done it.

‘I should have… answered yes.’

I muttered the words to myself under my breath. A slight regret washed over me.

I was worried about the Master’s reputation being shaken by a scandal with a robot, but on the other hand, a deep sense of disappointment remained. If that had happened, I felt like I could have really become lovers with the Master…

Blink, blink.

I slowly lifted my eyelids. As my blurry vision focused, the first thing I saw was the Master’s chest right in front of me.

My body felt confined, so it seemed I was being held by the Master. I shifted my body slightly and turned my head.

I was sure I had been sitting on the office sofa, waiting for the Master to finish his work, and had dozed off for a moment, but strangely, it was bright all around. When I lifted my head, I saw the sky, filled with the morning sunlight, through the window.

“……!”

Gasp.

In an instant, my sleepiness vanished.

I was startled, thinking the Master had brought me all the way home without waking me, but this was still the office. The Master was sleeping on the sofa, holding me in his arms.

The sight of two adult men lying on the narrow sofa was very precarious. The Master, in particular, was curled up and precariously perched on the edge of the sofa, so it would not have been strange if he fell off at any moment.

The Master’s complexion was not very good, perhaps because he had worked late. His under-eyes looked particularly dark today, so I thought it would be best to let him sleep a little longer.

First, the sofa looked too narrow, so I tried to move to give the Master space to sleep comfortably. I carefully sat up, but the arm wrapped around my waist would not budge. It seemed like the Master would fall off the sofa if I shifted even a little, so I decided to just lie still.

I once again squeezed my body into the narrow gap between the sofa and the Master. My body was tightly squeezed, but it was not uncomfortable. In fact, it was nice because it felt like I was being held tightly by the Master without any gaps.

I buried my face in the Master’s chest and took a deep breath. The Master was sound asleep and would not know what I was doing, so today I could carry out this perverted act to my heart’s content without worrying about the Master’s gaze.

I filled my lungs with the Master’s scent, feeling happy, and then tried hugging him tightly. His large, solid body filled my arms. It was so warm that I felt like I could stay like this all day.

But did I rustle too much? The Master shifted his body and then opened his eyes. I hurriedly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

“Damn it, is it morning already…”

I felt the Master sit up, muttering a low curse. As I lamented the warmth leaving his embrace, I rubbed my eyes as if I had just woken up and looked at the Master.

“Master, good morning.”

I greeted the Master and straightened my messy hair. I must have slept so comfortably in the Master’s arms that my hair was sticking out in all directions and would not return to its original shape no matter how much I tried to fix it.

“Didi, get ready to go. Let’s go home.”

“Yes.”

I looked around to pack my things, but other than my smartphone, there was nothing to pack. I finished getting ready quickly and waited, then left the company with the Master.

It felt strange to be going home on such a bright morning. It somehow felt like a holiday… The day felt special, and for no reason, my heart started to flutter.

I rolled down the window and enjoyed the pleasant breeze, then asked the Master.

“Master, so are you going to rest for a bit at home and then go back to the company?”

“No, I’m going to rest at home today.”

Hearing the Master’s answer made me feel even better. In that case, I would have more time to spend entirely with the Master today.

As we got closer to home, a question popped into my head.

We had an unplanned sleepover yesterday, and I wondered if the Master had told Sofia in advance. As far as I could remember, I had not seen the Master contact Sofia while I was awake.

“Come to think of it, did you contact Sofia to tell her we weren’t coming home yesterday?”

“No?”

The Master shook his head nonchalantly. I was a little flustered and asked again.

“Then wouldn’t Sofia have waited for us all night…?”

“Sofia isn’t that stupid of a robot.”

For some reason, that statement stung my heart. If it had been me, I probably would have waited at the entrance all night until the Master came back…

Still, if what the Master said was true, then that was a relief. Because I knew better than anyone how lonely it was to wait for a master who did not return.

— (; ㅁ 😉

As soon as we arrived home, Eve ran over in tears to greet us.

Eve circled around me as if asking why I was only just getting back. I smiled apologetically and accepted Eve’s greeting. It seemed she had been worried all night because I had not come home without a word.