I didn’t want to admit it.
I wanted to deny it.
But no matter how much I turned away and ignored it, my reason, which had calmed down more coldly than ever, pointed to only one truth.
That’s because, in the memory of that day, the moment my consciousness became strangely disconnected, there was only one place where it happened.
It was when, right in the middle of the party’s lively atmosphere, I, who had been looking for an opportunity, seriously confided to her about my unusual physical state that day.
And not long after that, strangely, my consciousness was completely cut off.
In the end, everything pointed to a single truth.
Someone had meddled with my memory that day, and as hard as it was to believe, the culprit… was Yuri.
‘Why?…’
‘Why in the world?’
The first thing that came to mind was a deeply rooted question.
And next, a sadness that filled my heart, and an endless fear of a reality I could not accept.
It was none other than her, the one I trusted more than anyone else, who did this to me, so naturally, the shock I felt physically was beyond what I could ever imagine.
‘Of course, as a mere mechanical doll and property, I had no position to complain about my master’s judgment… but still, this incident was quite far from Yuri’s usual kind behavior, which had always treated me with care.’
As a result, the emotions that filled my heart weren’t anger, but pure sadness and despair.
Thus, I was in a panic for a while over the identity of the unexpected culprit, but fortunately, that dark current of despair didn’t last long.
The reason was simple.
At first, I was only fixated on the fact that she had forcibly meddled with my memory, but as time passed and the confusion started to subside, what naturally filled the void was the precise intention behind her decision.
After deeply organizing my thoughts and continuing my contemplation, I soon found a single thread of hope.
The hypothesis that Yuri had meddled with my memory that day not for her own benefit, but for me.
In fact, that was a fairly plausible hypothesis.
Surely, after I forgot those memories, my physical condition completely returned to normal.
Furthermore, considering that I had confided in her at that time in order to find a specific solution, Yuri had acted with the intention of helping me.
To be precise, she had given me the most sweet and reliable prescription—forgetfulness.
Of course, until I confirmed it with her, nothing could be easily assumed.
But I couldn’t even imagine that this assumption was wrong.
To me, Yuri was an irreplaceable core.
In other words, she was the very meaning of my existence.
Everything that made me up existed for her, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that.
So, whatever the circumstances, it must be for me, for some deep purpose that I didn’t yet understand, and I was sure of it.
I managed to calm my confusion and finally returned to the Cheonggung.
However, that was only a temporary patch.
Beneath the surface, my heart was still filled with deep anxiety and fear.
Without a certain obsession—like the one that made me hand over the dress I had obtained after a long struggle—I wouldn’t have been able to imagine facing her now.
“…? Kaya? What is this…?”
[This dress made of such high-quality fabric must have been quite expensive. Where did you get this kind of money, Kaya?]
I handed over the mysterious, luxurious black box.
***
And as soon as they saw the contents inside, Yuri widened her eyes in surprise, and Mark also appeared shocked.
On one hand, this was a very natural reaction.
The black long dress made from the finest fabric, oozing elegance, was so luxurious that it was obvious it was a high-end brand.
At the same time, the question of how I managed to acquire such an expensive item was already something I had roughly anticipated.
‘…Actually, after hearing that Yuri didn’t have a dress for the party, I started going out at night to make some money. Oh, and I assure you, it wasn’t anything illegal! I made the money in a perfectly legal way, so you don’t need to worry.’
That wasn’t exactly a lie.
Of course, a lot of details were omitted, but none of that would harm Yuri, so I didn’t feel guilty about it.
On the other hand, Mark, who knew about my abilities, seemed to have quickly figured out how I had earned the money, and his shock was evident.
He had always been concerned about my safety when I went out, so he must have wanted to scold me for ignoring his advice and secretly doing something dangerous.
I wasn’t unaware of Mark’s care for me.
But this time, even considering everything, I couldn’t remain silent about this serious matter.
…My body could be shattered and repaired, but the emotional wounds Yuri might suffer because of it might never be healed, no matter what I did.
It seemed like there were a mountain of things I wanted to say, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to say them in front of Yuria.
Mark kept silent, as if he was overwhelmed by the emotions he couldn’t express.
Naturally, my attention shifted to the person next to me.
Although I had boldly handed over the surprise gift, I couldn’t help but nervously swallow my dry saliva, squinting my eyes a little.
After all, the most likely question that would come next from that person was about the work I had been doing outside every night.
It was a question that, for me, was awkward and uncomfortable in many ways.
Of course, I could make up a lie to answer, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that with Yuria in front of me.
The guilt weighed heavily on my mind.
Besides, it was practically impossible to earn enough money to afford a dress like this without engaging in some illegal activity, except for a short-term job that paid a lot.
I could say that I had worked multiple part-time jobs at once, which would sound somewhat believable, but there were still unnatural parts to the story, so I didn’t want to lie if I could avoid it.
I wondered if Yuria could see right through my thoughts.
Or perhaps, she simply chose to believe what I had said.
Instead of asking about it, Yuria was lost in looking at the black dress I had taken out of the box.
The sight of her smiling with pure joy, like she had returned to her childhood innocence, was a rare sight, far removed from her usual serious and mature self.
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her, not wanting to miss a single moment of it.
At that moment, I truly believed that I had made the right decision, despite everything.
Even though I had faced a serious crisis and encountered dangerous situations I never wanted to know the details of, I would still throw myself into the same situation again without hesitation if it meant seeing that smile.
Protecting my master’s safety and burning myself out for her happiness—this was my only mission as “Maid Kaya.”
***
After that, we had some time to try on the dress, and although Mark was still silent in the corner, the atmosphere was warm and joyful.
Normally, I would have said a few words or tried to contribute to such a pleasant atmosphere, but today Mark remained completely still, deep in thought, as if lost in his own world.
It might be an odd expression, but it seemed clear that he was upset.
His disappointment was likely due to my reckless actions without saying a word to him.
However, looking at the outcome, the financial issues in Cheonggung were resolved, and I had successfully bought the dress for Yuria, so I had no regrets.
I convinced myself that Mark would forgive me if I apologized later, and so I ignored his persistent gaze, focusing on enjoying my sweet time with Yuria.
***
And the climax of the day came with an unexpected statement from her.
“…Huh? Really!? You’re serious, right?”
“Of course. You worked so hard for me, so it’s only right that I give you something in return. Although I’m not sure if it’s worth the price of the dress…”
“It’s more than enough! No, it’s actually more than enough!”
Seeing Yuria smile, even though she looked slightly dissatisfied with herself for only being able to give such a small reward, I shook my head vigorously, feeling deeply happy.
In the next few days, before the banquet, sleeping in the same bed as Yuria was the best reward I could ever imagine.
Just thinking about it made my head feel hot, and the joy was almost overwhelming.
In fact, over the past ten years, there had been times when I had shared a bed with Yuria, but those were distant memories now.
Whenever she was feeling down or a storm was coming, I would sometimes be called to sleep beside her.
But after she had matured over time, those times became part of the distant past.
I had often thought to myself that, even just once, I wished I could go back to those days.
Now, it had become a reality.
Given that, my intense reaction was, in a way, only natural.
The anxiety and fear that had been lingering in the back of my mind, even if just for a moment, were completely forgotten in this dream-like moment of happiness.
Although I still couldn’t figure out Yuria’s true intentions, I decided to focus on the happiness in front of me, ignoring the rational advice that this might just be a temporary escape.