Robot Protection Zone Chapter 72

It didn’t rain today for the first time in a while.

The sky was still overcast, but it was a quiet morning without a single drop of rain falling. I let out a low sigh as I looked at the peaceful scenery. It felt like a sign that the rainy season was ending, which made my heart feel strangely complicated.

After about two days of heavy downpours since the rainy season began, it had been continuously drizzling lightly. What if the rainy season ends too early? The more the rain subsided, the more dark clouds gathered in my heart.

I was still staying at Enoch and Amy’s mansion, helping with simple cleaning and housework. Today, too, as I was sweeping the wide hallway and moving through the house, I suddenly stopped in front of the study.

“……”

I quietly opened the door and stepped inside the study. A bookshelf with neatly arranged books, a comfortable sofa, and a large wall-mounted TV on one side of the wall came into view.

I occasionally had the chance to change the channel when Amy fell asleep while watching TV, but I had never once touched it. If I turned on the news and suddenly saw the master’s face… I felt like I would burst into tears.

But today was a little different. The thought that I might have to leave this place soon made me curious about how the master was doing. If I could confirm that he was still doing well after I left, I thought I would be able to turn off my power with a peaceful mind.

I carefully reached out my hand. However, just before my fingertips touched the power button, the study door clicked open.

“Didi, you were here.”

I snatched my hand back, startled. My eyes darted around rapidly as I looked at Enoch entering the study, as if I had been caught doing something wrong.

Anyone could see I looked suspicious. I opened my mouth, hoping my actions didn’t seem strange.

“Wh-what is it…?”

“I’m planning to go out for a little while with the master. Would you like to come with us, if you don’t mind?”

Go out?

I blinked and looked at Enoch. It was then that I realized I hadn’t been outside even once since coming here, due to the rain falling all day long.

The spacious house wasn’t stuffy, but sometimes I wanted to get some fresh air. The words “I’ll go” were at the tip of my tongue, but it suddenly occurred to me that if we went to a crowded place, I might run into the master.

“I don’t think I can. It would be difficult if I ran into my master…”

Enoch looked at me with pity as I shook my head dejectedly. It seemed my desire to go out had unwittingly been conveyed in my voice.

“Hmm… If that’s the case, would you mind following me for a moment?”

After saying that, Enoch suddenly started leading me somewhere.

Soon, Enoch stopped in front of an ordinary room and told me to wait for a moment before going inside. A little while later, Enoch came out of the room with a black hat and mask in his hands.

“If you cover your face with these, no one will recognize you.”

I carefully accepted the items he held out to me. A hat and a mask. It certainly seemed like no one would recognize me if I bundled up this tightly.

Perhaps because it was his first outing in a long time, Amy looked extremely excited, humming a cheerful song. Once in the car, I fiddled with the hat and checked my reflection in the mirror.

My face is covered, but… it’ll be okay, right? The master isn’t looking for me anyway…

As I looked out the window, familiar landscapes came into view, and then, in the distance, high-rise buildings began to appear. We were heading toward the city.

“Enoch, by the way, where are we going?”

“To a department store in a nearby city. They said there’s an on-site sale today for a limited-edition toy from the master’s favorite children’s program.”

“Ah…”

As soon as I heard our destination, my anxiety abruptly grew. It seemed we were heading into the city center. I might run into the master…

What’s more, the place we arrived at shortly after was a department store I had often visited with the master. The thought that I might really run into the master suddenly terrified me.

But I couldn’t ask to go back now that we were here. We had already come too far, and I would feel sorry for Amy, who was excited in the back seat.

I quietly lowered my head and looked down at myself.

I was currently wearing clothes borrowed from Enoch, and on top of that, I had my face covered with a hat and mask. Even if I were to run into someone I knew, it would be difficult for them to recognize me just by my dark outward appearance.

Just in case, I pulled my hat down further before getting out of the car. I also pulled the mask up to just below my eyes to cover my face more thoroughly.

The department store was particularly crowded today. There were an especially large number of customers accompanied by children around Amy’s age. When I turned my gaze to where the people were gathering, I saw characters from the children’s program Amy watches every day displayed at an event booth.

The line was long and there were many people. Enoch calmed down the very excited Amy, then said to me.

“Didi, I’ll be back in a moment with the master. Would you like to rest nearby?”

He had probably seen me constantly looking around anxiously. I nodded my head without a word. I kept my mouth firmly shut, worried that someone might recognize me if they heard my voice.

I moved to a corner where there were no people and quietly looked outside.

After wandering the streets for a long time, I had barely managed to get to the outskirts of the city, but after just a few hours’ drive, I was back here again. To go round and round and end up back where I started. It felt so futile it was draining.

The streets all around were familiar. When I first woke up in the future, everything was unfamiliar and I couldn’t adapt, but after walking around frequently with the master, this area had now become familiar. So much so that I could hardly remember what it used to look like…

This scenery will be the last, I suppose. I don’t know when my power will turn on again, and it might not ever turn on for the rest of my life.

I quietly looked around, slowly taking in everything I saw.

But then, I saw a familiar figure in the distance. Bright, brilliant blond hair and the neat silhouette of a suit. I flinched, thinking it was the master, but the way he walked was a little different.

“Ah…”

It was the master’s father. The father stopped walking as he was passing by with his attendants. Then he looked at the event booth where Enoch and Amy had gone, spoke with some employees, and then I saw him giving some instructions.

Was this also one of the father’s businesses? I remembered him saying he was trying out various businesses.

Suddenly, a conversation we had in the past came to mind.

‘Didi, if William torments you too much, won’t you come with me?’

He had certainly said that. I didn’t know if that offer was still valid, but I felt that the father would readily accept me, even if I had become useless.

I had been prepared to turn off my power when I left the master’s house, but I was still scared of my power being turned off. If I got a new master, I thought that this time, I could be faithful to just serving my master without harboring any futile feelings.

Since I have been abandoned twice, I won’t repeat the same mistake again. This time, I’ll do a little better…

“……!”

Just then, I thought my eyes met the father’s. I whipped my head down without realizing it.

I averted my gaze after seeing the face that resembled the master’s. The moment our eyes met, my chest stung.

Did he recognize me? My heart in my throat, I hesitantly lifted my head. Fortunately, the father hadn’t recognized me and was slowly walking away with his attendants. The familiar view of his back grew more and more distant.

“Haa…”

I let out a long breath in relief.

Following the father… that won’t work either. Just seeing a face that resembles the master’s makes my heart throb like this. There was no way I could endure that.

Turning off my power is indeed the right choice. And it was the only way to escape the pain.

I decided not to be curious about news of the master anymore. Checking would only make my heart ache.

As soon as the rain stops, let’s leave Enoch and Amy’s house. I shouldn’t be a nuisance any longer…

A while later, Enoch and Amy returned. Amy, who was hugging the doll he wanted tightly in his arms, had a bright smile covering his entire face.

The car was quiet on the way back home.

Amy quickly fell asleep while hugging the doll, and a silence fell as no conversation was exchanged. The sky was also overcast, which seemed to make the atmosphere even more subdued.

I was the one who broke the silence first.

“When the rain stops… I plan to leave right away.”

Enoch, who was holding the steering wheel, turned his head and looked at me with worried eyes.

“You don’t have to rush so much. The master wants to be with you more, Didi.”

“Still, I think it’s time for me to go now.”

Enoch didn’t ask any more questions and just nodded. It seemed he had realized that I had already made up my mind.

“Thank you.”

I said it with all my heart. Thanks to him, I was able to avoid my power shutting off before I even made it back to the mansion, I was able to take shelter from the rain in a safe place, and above all, I was able to have time to sort out my thoughts again.

My mind was now completely clear.