Robot Protection Zone Chapter 82

After hanging up, the Master looked away from the smartphone screen and down at me.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, his eyes felt particularly sharp. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I felt intimidated for no reason and mumbled an excuse.

“You were sleeping, Master, so I answered it for you. The person who called was Thomas, so….”

“I know. It’s fine.”

With a short reply, the Master reached out his hand. He grabbed my arm, pulled me into a gentle hug, and then lay down on the bed just like that.

I could feel him burying his face in my hair and taking a deep breath. The sound of his breathing right next to my ear was so distinct that I felt embarrassed.

“Master, please let me go….”

I timidly tried to push him away, but there was no answer. Instead, the arm wrapped around me tightened.

I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to sneak out after the Master falls asleep….

He still looked tired, so he would probably fall asleep soon. Resigning myself to the situation, I closed my eyes in his embrace, but the memory of him kissing me last night suddenly surfaced.

My heart began to pound. I hurriedly opened my eyes and, in an attempt to drive that scene from my mind, quickly thought of other things. Then, I suddenly remembered what Thomas had said during our call a moment ago.

Now that I think about it, he said the new product launch was canceled. I was about to hear the answer when the Master hung up, so I didn’t get to hear the reason.

“Master, may I ask you one thing?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“Is it… really true that the new product launch was canceled?”

“……”

The strength in the arm wrapped around me loosened slightly. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should use this chance to escape, but soon an answer came in a subdued voice.

“It’s just as it sounds. A defect was discovered, so we withdrew the launch plans.”

“Ah….”

So that’s why the Master’s face looked so tired….

Before I left, the Master’s attention had been entirely focused on launching the new humanoid product. For the launch to be canceled after he had prepared so hard… even I, who had watched him up close, felt my heart grow heavy.

I, too, had thought I had served my purpose to some extent by promoting the new product…. In the end, it meant I hadn’t been of any help to the Master at all.

“Was it a serious problem?”

“…Yes. It was an unexpected one.”

To make such a decision right before the launch, it must have been a truly fatal flaw.

The more I asked, the more the Master’s mood seemed to sink. I decided I shouldn’t bring up this topic anymore and closed my mouth.

“……”

Silence flowed for a while.

By now, the Master must be asleep, right? I wanted to stay just like this, held in his warm and firm embrace, but it was time to get away. If I stayed too long, I would continue to long for this warmth.

It was a shame, but I moved my body slightly to finally get up. But the Master’s arm did not release me. I shifted again, but the arm holding me, far from loosening, actually tightened its grip.

Only then did I realize. He was still awake….

The moment I recognized that fact, I stopped moving. I held my breath, pretending I hadn’t been trying to escape, when the Master quietly asked.

“Didi, is there anywhere you want to go?”

“…What?”

“Anywhere is fine. I’ll take you to all of them.”

It was an unexpected question, but many places immediately came to mind. The cruise ship where we had watched the fireworks together, the park where we had watched a movie on an outdoor screen, and the quiet and cozy aquarium.

If we revisited the places we had been to together, I might be able to smile like I did back then. But the situation was different now than it was then. And after wandering the streets for so long, I now just wanted to rest at home.

“Then… I want to go home.”

“…Alright. Let’s go home.”

Along with the quiet reply, the arm that had been wrapped around my waist silently let go.

I watched the Master’s back as he silently got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom, then I slowly sat up. I suppose I should get ready to go home now, too.

Just like when we came to the hotel, I was still in my pajamas for the trip back home. Anyone could tell they were pajamas, but they were a plain beige color, so they weren’t too conspicuous.

The one saving grace was that I now had shoes. Although they were slippers, thanks to them, I didn’t have to be carried across the lobby in the Master’s arms.

“Welcome. William, Didi.”

When we returned home, Sophia came out to greet us. I habitually nodded and lowered my gaze slightly, but Eve was not by her side.

Eve’s empty spot felt particularly vacant today. A chill ran down one side of my chest, and a feeling of melancholy instantly washed over me.

The Master, who had been staring at me for a moment, quietly opened his mouth.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Are you going to the company?”

“Yes. To check on Eve’s condition. If I press Thomas, we might be able to bring her back sooner.”

My eyes widened. It seemed the Master had noticed my dejected mood.

“I’ll be back soon… so don’t you dare leave the house. Stay inside. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

“And answer your phone right away when I call.”

“Yes, Master.”

The Master repeated the same words over and over. Even seeing my docile replies, he seemed anxious and couldn’t easily take his leave.

After the Master left, I walked into the house. Maybe I should do some cleaning for the first time in a while. Since Eve wasn’t here, it must have been hard for Sophia to manage the house alone.

As I looked around the empty living room where Eve was missing, one thing suddenly came to mind.

Wait, where is my smartphone?

If I didn’t answer when the Master called, he would think I had left home again. I rushed upstairs to the second floor, rummaged through the room, and began to search for my smartphone.

After leaving the house, William headed straight for the company.

He had planned to spend some time at home with Didi, but seeing Didi’s glum expression made him feel conflicted. Didi used to beam whenever he just looked at his face, but ever since being turned back on, he had worn a consistently gloomy expression.

If he could hurry Thomas and speed up Eve’s repairs, he might be able to see Didi’s smile again. He left the house with only that thought in mind.

“Haah….”

His hand on the steering wheel trembled. He was afraid Didi would disappear again. If he had his way, he would have brought Didi with him, but… he knew Didi would be hurt the moment he saw Eve, who was now just a small memory chip, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

It was his first time at the company in a long while, but he didn’t even glance elsewhere and went straight to Thomas’s lab.

“Thomas, Eve’s repairs….”

As he burst through the door, the first thing he saw was Nick, who was organizing the lab. But Nick was not alone. William froze when his eyes met a familiar yet unfamiliar being standing next to him.

Clatter!

As he exchanged glances with the robot that shouldn’t have been there, a clamorous noise came from inside the repair room. Soon, Thomas appeared in a flurry, his white coat fluttering.

“W-William? What are you doing here without calling…?”

Thomas couldn’t hide his flustered state and subtly hid the robot behind him. William furrowed his brow and asked.

“Thomas, why is the new humanoid product here?”

“Th-That is….”

“And on top of that, the robot looked flustered when it saw me just now. Am I imagining things?”

“Wait! I’ll explain! I’ll explain, so…!”

As William’s gaze shifted to the robot, Thomas wrapped his arms around it as if he were about to have it taken away and hurriedly began his explanation.

Thomas’s explanation was this. This robot, identical in appearance to the new humanoid product, was a failed prototype from the underground lab. Thanks to Didi speaking to it, its emotional code had activated, barely saving it from being a failure. In front of William, Thomas pleaded that it was too pitiful to keep it powered down. William let out a deep sigh.

“Haah….”

He pressed his brow as if he had a headache, and Thomas glanced at him with anxious eyes.

“Do whatever you want.”

“Huh…? Really?”

“Yes. It’s not like we’re going to launch it anyway.”

“Are, are you really William? The William I know isn’t like this…!”

Overcome with shock, Thomas stammered and couldn’t continue.

“Whatever. Is Eve not ready yet?”

“The main body is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so there’s nothing I can do right now. As soon as it arrives tomorrow, I’ll insert the memory chip and send her home.”

At the word “tomorrow,” William’s expression hardened. He had wanted to take her home today if possible, but if the main body hadn’t even arrived, there was nothing he could do.

“I had something to ask you anyway, so you came at a good time. About Eve, should I modify her into a cleaning robot like last time?”

Thomas asked William, who was slightly frowning. It would probably be better that way, since it might be hard for her to adapt to a new body. As he was about to nod, a familiar shape caught William’s eye.

It was the robot Didi had discovered at the museum and been so happy about. Right, the animal-shaped robot that his grandfather had supposedly made.

“That thing, did you say it works?”

“Ah, the robot dog? Of course! It’s in perfect condition, it’s hard to believe it was made so long ago.”

“What if we put Eve’s memory chip in there?”

“It’s not impossible, but…. The structure is different, so it would take a lot of work….”

In any case, it didn’t mean it was impossible. After thinking for a moment, William opened his mouth.

“Thomas, I’m going to use the lab for a bit.”