Robot Protection Zone Chapter 71

My gaze naturally shifted to the dining table. Drawn by the savory scent that was subtly spreading, I looked at the food placed before me.

“Ah…”

It was pasta with freshly baked bread and plenty of white cream. Just looking at it, I could almost feel the soft flavor melting on the tip of my tongue.

The moment I saw the food, my mouth started to water. As I hesitated, glancing around cautiously, Enoch laughed and said.

“Please, eat comfortably. It’s a menu the master chose himself.”

“Then… I’ll eat well.”

I picked up the fork carefully, offering my thanks in a small voice.

Bread and pasta. It was a rather simple combination, but I started eating ravenously.

The soft mushrooms, the bacon that I occasionally chewed, were so delicious they brought tears to my eyes. How long had it been since I filled my stomach with food instead of water? I could feel my empty stomach welcoming the warm food.

“Haa…”

I emptied the plate in an instant and let out a satisfied breath. But Enoch and Amy were still eating. Did I eat too fast because I was hungry… I felt a little embarrassed seeing that only my plate was wiped clean without a single breadcrumb left on it.

“Master, you have to eat your mushrooms, too.”

Enoch pushed a mushroom toward the picky Amy. Amy glared at the mushroom approaching his mouth and puffed out his cheeks sulkily.

I was watching them with a smile when my eyes met Enoch’s. After a moment of silence, Enoch asked carefully.

“May I ask how you ended up in a place like that?”

I lowered my head slightly. Since he had lent me a charger and provided me with a place to rest, I thought it was only right that I tell him my story.

“My master doesn’t need me anymore… so I left home.”

“Oh dear…”

I didn’t go into detail, but with just that one sentence, Enoch seemed to realize that I had been abandoned. For a robot, being told you’ve been abandoned is practically a death sentence, so a bitter taste filled my mouth.

“Do you have a place to go?”

“I have a house where I used to live, so I’m planning to go back there.”

I answered in a cheerful voice, trying not to reveal my sad feelings. Seeing my attitude, Enoch nodded gently.

Just then, a trembling voice came from beside me.

“Are you leaving already…?”

“Master…”

Amy, who had been quietly picking out the mushrooms, suddenly began to whimper. Soon, large teardrops started to fall—plop, plop—and Enoch hurriedly soothed him.

Come to think of it, Enoch and Amy were living all alone in this spacious house. The desolate atmosphere I had felt on the way to the dining room came back to me. A large, quiet space. If it was just the two of them in a place like that… I felt that even I would be lonely.

Enoch, who had been comforting Amy, spoke cautiously.

“Didi, how about you rest here for a little while before you go? The rainy season is about to start, so it will be dangerous to travel alone.”

“But if I stay, I’ll be a nuisance…”

“It seems my master doesn’t want to send off a long-awaited guest so soon, either. How about staying here at least until the rain stops?”

So it’s the rainy season soon…

No wonder it’s been so humid lately. I could already hear the sound of rain.

I looked out the window and saw it was drizzling. It was still a light shower, but the rumbling sound I heard from afar was unusual. It seemed the downpour would intensify soon.

If I wandered through the forest in this weather, my power would shut off before I even reached the master’s mansion. I didn’t even know how much further I had to walk, so it seemed best to leave at least after the rainy season ended.

“Then… may I impose on you for just a little while?”

“Of course. That’s okay, right, Master?”

“Yeah!”

Enoch smiled brightly. A smile finally spread across Amy’s face as well as he nodded cheerfully.

Morning came.

Waking up in an unfamiliar house, the first thing I did was look out the window. An equally unfamiliar landscape stretched out wide before me.

The weather was still gloomy. I thought it had stopped for a moment at dawn, but it was raining again.

I tried to imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t met Enoch.

If I had been walking alone through a dark, rainy forest, not knowing when my power might turn off… if I had gotten lost and run into a bear somewhere… It was horrible just to imagine.

I left the room, thinking how fortunate it was that I had met Enoch by chance.

“Didi!”

When I went to the dining room at the time Enoch had told me, Amy was the first to spot me and came running over. Patter patter patter. His small body hugged my leg tightly. I heard laughter nearby and turned my head to see Enoch.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. I finished charging well, thanks to you. Thank you.”

“I’m glad I could be of help.”

I handed the neatly organized charger to Enoch.

It felt so good to sleep in a bed after such a long time. Although my thoughts of the master kept me from sleeping soundly, I felt like my fatigue was melting away just by lying down.

Now, I was fully charged. My heart felt much lighter, as I wouldn’t have to worry about the battery for a while.

After finishing breakfast, I decided to join Enoch and Amy for their daily routine. They said they usually go on a picnic when the weather is nice, but since it was raining today, they planned to read a fairy tale at home instead.

Enoch and I held Amy’s hands on either side and headed to Amy’s room together.

“This one!”

The book Amy chose was The Little Mermaid.

Enoch, who had opened the book on his lap, began to read it aloud in a quiet voice. I already knew the story, but I sat next to him and listened to his voice along with Amy.

At the last scene, where she fails to win her love and disappears into seafoam, I secretly sniffled along with Amy. It was so similar to my own situation—being rejected by my master and going to turn off my own power—that my heart ached.

Time passed like that, and after we had lunch… Amy took a nap.

“He’s finally asleep…”

The stamina of a five-year-old… Amy had been running up and down the hallway all day, saying he would give me a tour of the house. Of course, Enoch and I were also exhausted from chasing after him.

Thanks to him, I got to know every nook and cranny of this house in just one day. I found myself unconsciously stopping in the study, in particular.

There was a TV there. Could I possibly find out news about my master through that? I unknowingly reached my hand toward the power button.

But Amy grabbed my hand again and quickly led me to the next place. I had to keep looking back at the study, swallowing my lingering attachment.

Then, as if he had suddenly become tired, Amy began to doze off, nodding his head while held in Enoch’s arms. When we returned to his room and covered him with a blanket, he fell asleep in no time.

Enoch and I watched him quietly before slowly exiting the room.

“Didi, you look very tired. You can rest now.”

“What are you going to do now, Enoch?”

“I am going to tidy up the house now.”

Enoch replied in a calm voice. Hearing that he was going to clean the house without even resting, I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Can I help you, too?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t ask guests to do such things.”

“I’m grateful that you lent me a charger and let me stay for a while. I want to repay your kindness… I can at least do some cleaning.”

I looked at him with sparkling eyes. Enoch avoided my gaze, looking troubled, but when I didn’t give up, he couldn’t refuse and ended up nodding.

“In that case… I’ll just ask for some simple cleaning.”

“Okay!”

I answered brightly and started moving right away.

Enoch was in charge of organizing things, and I went around the rooms wiping off dust. The more I focused on cleaning, the clearer my cluttered mind became. I didn’t stop my hands and focused even more on the cleaning.

While in the middle of cleaning a window, I took a short break and looked around.

It was hard to believe that Enoch had been managing this spacious house all by himself. Moreover, every corner was clean without any accumulated dust, so I could see at a glance how much care Enoch had put into it.

Since this is a house that Enoch has treasured and maintained, I shouldn’t clean it carelessly either. I started moving my hands again, recalling the times I helped Sophia clean.

As I wiped the windows until they were squeaky clean, I looked out at the rain. The rainy season didn’t seem like it would end soon. That would mean the time I stay here will be a little longer. It didn’t seem like a bad idea to help Enoch as a way of repaying his kindness for letting me stay.

I’m a bit clumsy when it comes to handling the latest home appliances, but I thought I could learn quickly if I was taught by a fellow human-bot. Above all, Enoch and Amy were gladly welcoming my stay here. Their warm hospitality put me at ease a little.

I looked up at the sky, which was full of dark clouds beyond the window.

Suddenly, I had a thought that I wished the rainy season wouldn’t end for a long, long time. Just for a little bit.