My master was as beautiful as ever.
Her golden hair, flowing softly, was like brilliant gold, and her deep, blue eyes seemed to hold the calm and serene sea.
Her angular shoulders and broad frame were warm and comforting, making me want to dive into them endlessly.
However, something about her familiar face felt off.
The warm gaze had turned cold, and the once-gentle smile now had a chill to it.
As if time had reversed itself, my master seemed younger, almost as if she had aged backward.
The more I looked, the more I could see that she was not the same as the master I remembered.
It took me a moment to realize.
This person was not the master I remembered, the one with the kind touch.
***
After a long time, seeing my master again made me excited, but the loneliness that had been rising inside me quickly faded away.
Disappointment.
What I was feeling right now was disappointment.
It was the same feeling I had when my master had first slept in a different room, away from me.
I knew that feeling all too well.
“Right. That old man is dead.”
My master…?
I slowly lifted my head, looking at the man who resembled my master.
I could tell that a long time had passed since my body first started creaking, but I hadn’t realized it had been long enough for my master to pass away.
I had just thought that my master had come back to see me…
I was just happy.
I couldn’t hold back the flood of emotions and felt like my circuits might explode.
The focus I had barely managed to maintain blurred once again.
I looked around.
My master’s belongings were everywhere.
The sofa where my master always sat, the cherished teacup…
Strangely, the items that should have been scattered around were all packed tightly into this large room.
How much time had passed?
I had just closed my eyes for a moment.
If I couldn’t see my master again, then, perhaps, perhaps it would be better if I broke down completely.
It felt like my face was falling apart.
My vision blurred.
I wanted to return my twisted expression to normal, but it wouldn’t go back.
The circuits in my chest had been undergoing a massive failure for a long time.
Even when my master told me he would turn me off, it wasn’t this painful.
“Ugh… h-huhh…”
I lowered my head, swallowing my tears.
The sorrow that poured out overwhelmed me, and my chest felt as though it was collapsing.
I tried to stop the tears, but it was like a broken machine, continuously flowing.
Hot tears dropped onto the carpet.
I began to sob.
I would never again see my master’s beautiful smile.
Dreaming of a happy future with my master was now impossible.
Every time I closed my eyes to remember her, the last image of her turning me off filled my mind, making the pain worse.
The man who brought me the news of my master’s death simply stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at me with dry eyes.
He didn’t say a word, nor did he offer any comfort.
Before my sobs even started to die down, he spoke.
“How long have you been living here?”
“Three years…”
“Three years? Is that all?”
“Before that, I spent five years… in the lab.”
The man’s expression shifted slightly.
He clearly reacted to the word “lab.”
For a brief moment, his gaze sharply changed.
“In that case, do you know where the confidential documents were stored or any projects your master was working on?”
“Excuse me?”
“Anything else is fine. How about human-bot manufacturing technology?”
“I… I’m sorry. I don’t really understand what you’re asking…”
I shook my head in confusion.
The only things I knew about my master were trivial details, like the classical music she liked and the breakfast menu.
Everything that came out of the man’s mouth was unfamiliar and strange.
Perhaps it wasn’t the answer he wanted, as his interest quickly faded.
His gaze, once looking down at me, grew cold. I shrank back, feeling as if his eyes were made of ice.
“There don’t seem to be any other important items…”
The man clicked his tongue briefly as he scanned the furniture around him.
Was he looking for something?
But his hands were empty, as if he hadn’t found anything.
He let out a small sigh and muttered under his breath.
“Well, maybe something will come to mind with time.”
The man, who resembled my master, slowly reached a hand toward me.
The warmth that touched below my eye stole through my blurred vision and quickly escaped.
For a moment, the world seemed clearer, but soon it became blurry again.
“Look up.”
At his words, I unconsciously lifted my head.
As our gazes met, the man reached out his hand to me.
“From now on, I am your master.”
His voice was gentle, as if whispering, and it sounded just like my master’s, so I found myself nodding without thinking.
The world outside, following my new master, had turned completely white.
As I glanced around the snow-covered world, I felt a cold chill.
It had been summer before the power had turned off.
A sharp cold wind blew, and my body shivered.
Still wearing the thin pajamas from the day the power was turned off, I couldn’t help but let out a sound as the cold air touched my bare skin.
My new master looked back at me and said,
“Get in the car. It’ll be warmer than out here.”
With those indifferent words, my master’s black coat was draped over my body.
I quickly buried myself in the warmth of the coat.
As my new master had said, the inside of the car was indeed warm.
I curled up in the backseat and gazed out the window.
The home that had once been mine with my master was now a run-down mansion, covered in frost.
The clean yard was now filled with dried plants and overgrown weeds, as if it hadn’t been touched by human hands for a long time. It had the atmosphere of a deserted house.
As I stared out the window for a while, my new master, after looking around the house once more, got into the driver’s seat.
“Master.”
My new master looked at me through the rearview mirror.
After a brief silence, he placed his hand on the steering wheel and spoke.
“William Spencer.”
“Excuse me?”
“Call me whatever you like. Though, I prefer being called ‘master.’”
“…Then I’ll call you master.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I answered as I lifted my head.
If I lost the title of ‘master,’ it would make it painfully clear that I was just a discarded robot… nothing more than a worn-out, useless object with nowhere to belong.
As our gazes met, my new master silently turned his attention back to the road.
watched him for a moment before carefully asking,
“Where are we going now?”
“We need to go home first.”
“Home?”
I shook my head.
The only things I knew about my master were trivial details, like the classical music he liked or his breakfast menu.
Everything that came from the man’s mouth was unfamiliar and strange.
Perhaps the answer wasn’t what he had hoped for, as the interest in his face quickly faded.
The look in his eyes turned cold, like ice, and I shrank away from the chilling gaze.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything else important…”
The man clicked his tongue as he scanned the furniture around him, seemingly looking for something.
But his hands, empty, seemed to find nothing. After a small sigh, he murmured to himself.
“Well, maybe something will come to mind later.”
The man, resembling my former master, slowly reached his hand toward me.
The warmth that touched just under my eyes made my blurry vision swirl before fading again.
For a brief moment, the world cleared up, but soon, it was foggy once more.
“Lift your head.”
At his command, I absentmindedly raised my head.
When our gazes met, the man extended his hand to me.
“From now on, I am your master.”
His voice, sounding almost like a gentle whisper, resembled my former master’s tone, and without realizing it, I nodded.
Following my new master outside, the world was covered in a blanket of white snow.
As I glanced around at the snow-covered landscape, a cold chill ran through me.
It had been summer just before the power went out.
A sharp gust of wind made me shiver.
Still wearing the thin pajamas from before the power cut, the cold air made my bare skin tingle, and I couldn’t help but let out a sound.
My new master looked back at me and spoke.
“Get in the car. It’ll be warmer inside.”
With an indifferent tone, he draped his black coat over me.
I quickly buried myself in the warmth it provided.
As my new master had said, the car was indeed warm.
I huddled up in the backseat, gazing out the window.
The place my master and I used to call home had transformed into a house overtaken by winter.
The clean garden was now overrun with dead plants and overgrown weeds.
It looked like a house that hadn’t been touched in ages, almost like a deserted ruin.
I kept watching out the window until the house disappeared from sight, then lowered my head and curled up.
The ride to my new home was silent.
My new master was focused solely on driving.
It was my first time serving a new master, and I wasn’t sure how to behave.
I thought staying quiet might be best for now.
Wrapped in my master’s coat like a blanket, I quietly looked around.
The car had touchscreens and buttons everywhere.
Curiosity nudged me, and when I lightly tapped the small screen in front of me, a chime rang, and the screen lit up.
It was fascinating, but the small sound startled me, and I nervously glanced at my master.
After that, I promised myself not to touch anything.
I placed my hands quietly on my lap and continued gazing out at the snow-covered world outside.
As time passed, the scenery shifted from a snow-covered field to a street lined with buildings.
The unfamiliar buildings, new cars, and strange outfits of the people reminded me just how much time had passed since the power went out.
Staring at the unfamiliar world made my chest ache.
I took a deep breath and pressed my hand to my chest, but the pain didn’t subside.
Was something wrong with my body, or was this just another emotion?
I pondered this for a long while until the car finally stopped.
It was then that I realized we had arrived at my new master’s house.
“Is this your house, master?”
“Yes.”
Hearing my master’s response, I quickly got out of the car, but froze when I saw the tree branches swaying violently in the wind.
I tightened the coat around myself and opened the door.
Stepping out of the car, I found myself in a large yard covered in snow.
The untouched white snow made me smile briefly, but when I met my new master’s gaze, I quickly suppressed my expression, not wanting to seem too excited.
“Let’s go inside.”
My new master took long strides toward the house.
I couldn’t fully enjoy the snow under my feet as I quickly followed behind him.
“Welcome, William.”
Upon entering, a mechanical voice greeted my master.
“Eek!”
Was it another robot?
Curiosity got the better of me, and when I peeked over my master’s shoulder, I froze in shock and hid behind him.
What did I just see?
“What’s wrong?”
“Master…”
When my master turned to look at me, I timidly pointed at the robot standing behind him.
“It… it has no face.”
My finger trembled.
My master looked back and forth between the robot and me, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Master?”
“What’s so surprising? Robots these days come without faces.”
“Without a face?”
I couldn’t believe what my new master was saying.
I peeked again at the robot and saw its featureless, white face staring at me. A sense of distance grew in me.
“Is it a guest? I’ll prepare tea.”
“No. Go to your room, Sophia.”
“Yes, William.”
The faceless, white robot made clicking noises with its steps and disappeared into the house.
I felt a bit guilty for scaring her, but my master gestured for me to come inside.
I hurriedly entered the house.
The interior of the house was vast and luxurious.
Upon passing through the entrance, I immediately saw a large living room and a staircase leading to the second floor.
If my former master’s house had been warm, cozy, and inviting, this house felt cold and urban, decorated with white marble.
“Wait here for a moment.”
“Yes.”
My master said this and then went upstairs.
I sat down on a plush sofa and neatly folded the coat he had lent me.
I absentmindedly gazed at the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling until my master came back downstairs.
As soon as I saw him, I stood up.
In his arms, my master was carrying some clothes.
“Change in that room.”
“Yes.”
I obediently replied and took the clothes my master handed to me.
The clothes felt heavy and soft, with a cozy texture.
One was a thick brown sweater, and the other was a pair of black pants.
I went into the room my master had pointed to, holding the clothes.
“Excuse me…”
I cautiously opened the door to the room, and the familiar scent enveloped me.
A long wooden desk, a soft-looking chair, and bookshelves lining both walls…
Was this a study? It reminded me of my former master’s room.
I felt a sense of longing and began recalling the space I had shared with my former master.
Then, remembering that my new master was waiting for me, I quickly changed into the clothes.
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