After the office grew quiet, I checked what the Secretary had delivered.
First, I looked over the document that outlined the tasks.
No wonder there was only one sheet—it was simple.
Although it seemed written in as much detail as possible, when I summarized the contents, it boiled down to some basic document work and assisting with tasks.
Master always seemed so busy; isn’t this workload too light compared to his?
Before my thoughts spiraled further, I shook my head.
I shouldn’t judge hastily without even starting.
I decided to postpone any evaluation of the workload until I actually began the work and opened the laptop.
“This hasn’t changed much…”
Still, I was familiar with the computer since I had used it before while assisting with lab work by Master’s side.
The overall atmosphere had shifted a bit, but the basic layout hadn’t changed much.
I had been worried the software would be completely different, like smartphones tend to be, but thankfully, I felt I could adapt quickly.
If the document program was similar to what I had used, I might even pick up the work faster than I thought as I stared at the screen.
“Didi!”
Just as the training video, which had been playing for about an hour, was nearing its end, the door suddenly swung open and Master stepped into the office.
He seemed a little out of breath, probably having rushed over right after his meeting ended.
“You’re here?”
Master approached calmly as I greeted him politely from my seat.
Perhaps he had been worried I’d disappeared somewhere in the meantime.
Seeing the training video still playing on the screen, Master asked,
“You’ve already started?”
“Yes. I wanted to learn quickly before I began working.”
“So, how does it seem?”
“More doable than I expected.”
“That’s a relief.”
Master said this as he sat down next to me.
I thought he was just watching me study, but then his firm arm suddenly pulled me closer by the waist.
“Didi, studying is fine, but you should finish what you were doing earlier.”
Not here to observe, but to interrupt, huh…
As Master’s face drew closer, I instinctively blocked it.
Feeling his warm breath on the back of my hand, I glanced up only to see the corners of his eyes twisted in a stern expression.
I quickly averted my eyes and said,
“Wouldn’t it be better to check the documents first? I heard they need to be finished by today…”
I glanced at the papers on the desk.
No matter how I looked at it, this wouldn’t be something done quickly.
If Master kept spending time with me like this, it would surely be impossible to finish today.
At the mention of work, Master’s eyebrows twitched.
His displeased, furrowed gaze seemed to silently ask if I was serious.
When I didn’t change my mind after a long pause, Master slowly withdrew his palm from my waist.
Tsk, he clicked his tongue briefly and stood up.
“Alright. We need to finish quickly.”
Watching Master approach the desk piled with papers, I shifted my gaze back to the laptop.
Those papers wouldn’t disappear any time soon, so I planned to spend the time listening to the lecture again.
“Didi, let’s step outside for a moment.”
“Huh? Now?”
Barely after pressing play again, I heard Master’s voice once more.
You just sat down! I turned around to see Master already up and preparing to leave.
“But… what about the documents?”
“We’ll just have lunch and come right back. It’ll be fine.”
Come to think of it, it was already close to noon.
If it was just a quick meal, that would be alright.
I nodded as my stomach rumbled and stood up.
We left the building by car.
I thought we’d go to a nearby restaurant since we were eating lunch, but we arrived at a place farther away than I expected.
It was my first time at this restaurant, so as I sat down, I slowly looked around.
Maybe because it was a little outside the city, the atmosphere was quiet and calm.
It was the perfect spot for having a meal alone with Master.
“Didi, what would you like to eat?”
“Ah, I…”
I leaned forward to check the menu but stopped myself when I spotted a serving robot passing by.
It looked similar to Eve.
But that wasn’t why I hesitated to speak.
“What’s wrong? No menu you like?”
When I didn’t answer, Master seemed ready to suggest going to a different restaurant.
I shook my head quietly and, after the robot completely passed, whispered to him.
“I’m worried the robot will hear my voice.”
“It’s okay to talk to the robots now. Thomas updated them a few days ago so they don’t develop emotions anymore.”
“Really?”
I felt relieved at Master’s words that the robots wouldn’t develop feelings anymore.
Knowing I could now speak to them without worry brought comfort, though a strange emotion bubbled quietly inside me.
It seemed Master had truly given up on restoring the human-like robots.
I was ready to help if he wished, but it looked like he had moved on.
For lunch, we had a salad topped with tenderloin steak and creamy pasta.
Feeling satisfied, I thought we’d head back to the office, but the car stopped somewhere unexpected.
“A tailor’s shop…?”
“You’ll be starting work at the company soon, so you need suits. You only have casual clothes right now.”
I nodded in agreement.
Most of my dresses were casual.
Even the outfit I was wearing was the closest thing to a suit I owned.
Inside the shop, neatly hung suits greeted me.
It felt like I had stepped into Master’s dressing room.
My eyes sparkled as I looked around.
“Good afternoon, William.”
“I’m here to get clothes fitted today.”
Master greeted the tailor and stepped forward to introduce me.
Guided by the tailor, Master and I walked toward the back of the shop.
The room was warmly decorated with racks filled with clothes.
Inside, the air was cozy, unlike the chill outside.
“Could you please take off your shirt briefly for the measurements?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and was about to remove my shirt, but Master grabbed my hand and stopped me, answering for me instead.
“No, have her try on the clothes for the measurements.”
“Understood.”
The tailor nodded and went somewhere.
I looked up at Master, who finally released my hand.
“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to measure after taking off the clothes?”
“Didn’t you look in the mirror this morning?”
“Mirror?”
He returned the question.
I tilted my head, unsure what Master was getting at.
After a moment of silence, Master checked that the tailor hadn’t returned yet, then stood me in front of a mirror nearby.
With one hand, Master quickly undid a few buttons of my shirt.
It happened so fast I couldn’t react before the collar flipped back.
“Ah…”
I unconsciously sucked in a breath at my reflection.
The reddened marks that had been hidden beneath my shirt spread thickly from my collarbone down to my chest.
There were even bite marks near my shoulder—clear signs of being bitten and sucked last night in bed.
Why hadn’t I noticed these when I showered this morning?
The marks were so vivid and dark it made me wonder if my eyes were broken.
“Do you understand now?”
“Y-yes…”
I quickly buttoned up my shirt and nodded.
If Master hadn’t stopped me earlier when I tried to take my shirt off, that would have been an incredibly embarrassing situation.
I lowered my head to hide my burning face as the tailor approached with the measuring tape.
“Then, let’s proceed with the measurements.”
With gentle hands, the tape touched my body.
Shoulder width, arm length, and chest circumference were measured one after another, the numbers recorded in a small notebook.
When the tailor asked me to spread my arms briefly to measure my waist, I raised my hands slightly to the sides.
As the tape tightened around my waist, shaping my figure, I suddenly felt a gaze.
Turning my head, I saw Master quietly watching the scene while seated.
His lingering stare traced my waist, and memories of last night flashed vividly.
The warmth left inside my body flared again, growing hotter, but I quickly suppressed it.
Even as the tailor’s hands moved along my waist, Master’s gaze didn’t waver.
Feeling that intense, bare look scanning me, I awkwardly stared at the floor, not knowing where to rest my eyes.
I pretended it didn’t bother me, but each time I felt his gaze, the marks left on my body burned hotly beneath my skin.