“Didi, I have something to tell you.”
My master called me with a gloomy expression.
“Please speak, Master.”
“I’m getting married.”
It felt like a circuit somewhere in my body suddenly snapped.
I had sensed it, just a little.
A master who no longer hugged me.
A master who no longer told me they loved me.
A master who had started avoiding me at some point.
Still, I held on and waited.
I thought, maybe, they would hug me warmly again, whisper words of love like before.
***
Something felt off.
But my vision soon blurred, and I couldn’t analyze what that expression meant.
It felt like something was covering my eyes, stifling them.
When I blinked once, the stifling feeling cleared, and a hot liquid streamed down my cheek.
Ah, so this is a tear.
They say tears come when you feel sadness—so this emotion must be sadness.
It felt like all the circuits in my body, especially around my chest, were snapping and bursting.
The sadness I felt for the first time was unbearable.
My master frowned.
It looked like they were in pain.
It hurt too much to see that face, so I lowered my head.
“I’ve decided to turn you off.”
I nodded silently.
“Will you ever turn me on again?”
“Probably not,”
My master answered, as if they had read my thoughts. I nodded again.
“I’m sorry.”
My master slowly approached me.
I was still in the kind of pain that felt like my whole body was breaking apart and bursting.
Their hand touched the back of my neck.
With a cool sensation, something was pressed—firmly.
I slowly closed my eyes.
And then, I couldn’t see anything anymore.
***
Creeeak.
The sound of rusty hinges echoed through the old mansion.
A single beam of sunlight streamed into the dim interior as a man in a gray suit stepped inside.
He scanned the room with a detached expression, then began walking deeper into the house.
With every step he took, clear footprints were left on the dust-covered floor.
After briefly surveying the house, he muttered,
“Completely empty.”
William clicked his tongue shortly and frowned.
This mansion belonged to his grandfather, who had passed away recently.
In his lifetime, his grandfather had never mentioned this place even once.
Judging by the fact that even his own parents seemed unaware of it, it was clear that no one knew this mansion existed.
Normally, he wouldn’t have paid any attention to an old mansion like this.
Even if he had found it, he would’ve ignored it and walked right past.
But his grandfather, who passed away quietly without leaving behind a single noticeable keepsake, had left something only for him.
A rusty key and a piece of paper with the mansion’s address.
He felt certain that something important was hidden here.
That conviction had made him postpone all pressing matters and rush over as soon as the funeral ended…
He searched every room on the first floor, but they were all spotless and empty.
A complete waste of time.
William crumpled the paper in his hand and gritted his teeth.
To think he’d fallen for the prank of a senile old man until the very end.
“What a waste of time…”
As he turned to leave, the staircase leading to the second floor came into view.
After a moment of hesitation, William ascended the stairs.
The only room on the second floor.
Strangely, he had a strong feeling something would be there.
“Bingo.”
When he opened the wooden door, he found the room filled with old furniture that clearly reflected his grandfather’s tastes.
It seemed like just the kind of place where something important might be hidden.
At last, feeling somewhat satisfied, William scanned the room—until his eyes stopped on one spot.
In the center of the room stood a glass capsule.
A glass capsule that clashed completely with its surroundings.
The furniture around it obscured the inside, making it hard to see clearly, so William approached it to take a closer look.
Inside the tall, vertical glass capsule sat something that looked human.
It didn’t move an inch—clearly a robot.
But why would a robot be here?
William glanced around.
The room looked more like a storage space for collected items.
Was this robot also part of the collection?
If it were, it should have been dressed with more care, in something that matched his grandfather’s taste.
But the robot in the capsule wore shabby clothes, practically pajamas.
From its posture and attire, it looked used.
Definitely not for display.
William leaned in close to observe the robot.
“What kind of ancient relic is this?”
The moment he recognized what it was, he couldn’t help but marvel.
There were no visible seams in its skin, and the texture looked no different from a real person’s.
A Humanbot.
Such finely crafted humanoids were rare these days.
Humanbots with appearances indistinguishable from real people had been quickly banned due to ethical concerns shortly after they were released.
Most of the Humanbots that had been made were now gone.
The reason was simple: in trying to mimic humans, they had been designed to completely break down and become unusable after about 100 years.
Even with that, they were still just machines that could be turned on and off with a switch.
Maybe he could sell it for a high price.
There was a charity event coming up in a few days that included an auction.
He had originally planned to donate a piece of artwork from his home, but perhaps offering up this Humanbot would be better.
Thanks to its rarity, it would definitely attract attention.
Rumor had it that hugging one felt better than with a sex doll, so there were still people looking for them.
It might fetch a pretty good price.
Maybe enough to buy a small island.
“Hm…”
William carefully examined the robot’s face.
It was that of an East Asian male with black hair and smooth skin.
He had a neat, slightly cute look…
“Damn it, guess you really can’t escape your bloodline.”
Not only did they share the same face, but the same taste too.
William made a briefly disgusted expression as he thought of his grandfather, then turned his eyes back to the robot.
The robot had its head bowed and eyes closed, so its face couldn’t be seen clearly.
William tried to lift the robot’s head after opening the glass chamber, but it didn’t budge.
He didn’t want to force it, afraid it might break if he used more strength.
Wait.
Wasn’t the power switch supposed to be at the back of the neck?
Recalling something he had vaguely heard in the past, he felt around the back of the neck and found a small cover that opened.
William let out a small chuckle.
Of course. In the end, even a human-bot is just an ordinary robot.
He felt around the recessed interior and found a button, which he pressed firmly.
But nothing happened.
Is it broken?
Well, considering how long ago it was made, that wouldn’t be surprising.
Judging by the way it had been stored in the glass chamber, it seemed like no one had looked at it for a long time after shutting off the power.
William stood up from his crouched position in front of the collapsed robot.
Since the exterior looked intact, it was most likely a simple power issue.
If he threw this thing to someone who liked such stuff, they might get to see it open its eyes.
William stroked his chin as he looked down at the robot.
Should I take it with me?
Judging by its small body, it seemed light.
“Hmm?”
Just then, the robot’s fingers twitched ever so slightly.
Thinking he might have imagined it, he tilted his head, but this time, the hand definitely flinched.
Soon after, the entire body began to stir little by little.
It seemed to be having difficulty operating, likely because the power had been off for so long.
Since it looked like it would take some time, William sat in a nearby chair and watched the twitching robot.
Finally, the robot’s head creaked and slowly lifted.
“Master.”
And with a bright smile, the robot’s dark eyes met him.
“Damn old man… I’ve got to hand it to him for having consistent taste.”
Damn it all, the robot was exactly William Spencer’s type.
***
As the sun rises and brightens the world, the heavy sensations gradually return.
Just when had the power been shut off?
Had Master come back to find me?
The body wouldn’t move easily.
I mustn’t keep Master waiting.
I clearly saw Master’s face before the power was cut, but strangely, that face was blurry now.
Did the memory fade because of the power loss?
I wanted to see Master’s face again, so I wiggled my body to try to move.
But only my hands, feet, and neck moved slightly. It was frustrating not being able to move as I wished.
After a long struggle with creaking joints, I finally managed to lift my head.
Realizing that everything was dark because my eyes were closed, I slowly opened my eyelids.
Through the bright light, the Master’s figure appeared faintly.
“Master.”
I’m so happy that you came back to see me again.
Overcome with joy, I beamed.
“Fuck… ‘Master,’ seriously…? Gotta admit, the old man had a hell of a consistent taste…”
“Master?”
Master’s voice sounded a little different.
Was there something wrong with my auditory sensors because of the long power-down?
I thought I heard a vulgar word mixed in—one Master strictly taught me never to use.
Oh no, what if Master finds me annoying now that I’m malfunctioning?
“Do you have a name?”
“Didi….”
“Didi? That’s not even a dog’s name… well, it’s kind of cute.”
I hadn’t misheard.
Sensing something was off, I tried to focus.
Master’s figure flickered between blurry and clear, and finally, I could see him fully.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.