My gaze naturally shifted to the dining table.
I was drawn by the subtle, savory aroma and looked at the food placed before me.
“Ah…”
It was freshly baked bread and pasta generously mixed with white cream.
Just looking at it, it seemed like a smooth, rich flavor was lingering on my tongue.
The moment I saw the food, my mouth watered.
I glanced around hesitantly, and Enoch chuckled, saying, “Please eat comfortably. It’s a menu chosen by the Master himself.”
“Then… I’ll eat well.”
Bread and pasta.
It was quite a simple meal, but I eagerly began to eat.
The soft mushrooms and the occasional chew of bacon were so delicious they brought tears to my eyes.
How long had it been since I’d filled my stomach with food instead of just water?
I could feel my empty stomach welcoming the warm meal.
“Haa…”
I emptied the plate in an instant and let out a satisfied breath.
But Enoch and Amy were still eating.
“Did I eat too fast because I was hungry…?”
I felt a little embarrassed seeing that I was the only one who had completely cleaned his plate, leaving not a single breadcrumb.
“Master, you need to eat your mushrooms too.”
Enoch pushed mushrooms towards Amy, who was being a picky eater.
Amy glared at the mushroom approaching her mouth and puffed out her cheeks stubbornly.
I smiled as I watched them, and then my eyes met Enoch’s.
After a brief silence, Enoch carefully asked, “May I ask how you ended up in such a place?”
I bowed my head slightly.
He had lent me a charger and provided a place to rest, so I thought it was right for me to tell him my story.
“My master no longer needed me… so I left home.”
“Oh dear…”
Although I didn’t elaborate, Enoch understood from that single sentence that I had been abandoned.
Being abandoned for a robot was practically a death sentence, so a bitter taste filled my mouth.
“Do you have anywhere to go?”
“I have a former home, so I’m planning to go back there.”
I answered in a cheerful voice, trying not to let my sadness show. Seeing my demeanor, Enoch nodded gently.
Just then, a trembling voice came from beside me.
“Are you already leaving…?”
“Master…”
Amy, who had been quietly picking out mushrooms, suddenly started to whimper.
Soon, large tears began to fall, and Enoch quickly comforted her.
Come to think of it, Enoch and Amy lived alone in this vast house.
The quiet atmosphere I had felt on the way to the dining room came back to mind.
A large, silent space. If it was just the two of them in such a place…
I would feel lonely too.
Enoch, who was comforting Amy, cautiously spoke.
“Didi, why don’t you rest here for a bit? The rainy season is about to start, and it will be dangerous to travel alone.”
“But if I stay, I’ll be a bother…”
“My Master also doesn’t want to send off a guest who’s just visited after a long time. How about staying here until the rain stops?”
“The rainy season is coming soon…”
No wonder it had been so humid lately.
I could already hear the sound of rain.
Looking out the window, a steady rain was falling.
It was still a drizzle, but the distant rumble of thunder was ominous.
It seemed the rain would soon intensify.
In this kind of weather, if I wandered through the forest, I would power down before even reaching my master’s mansion.
I didn’t know how much further I had to go, so it seemed best to depart at least after the rainy season ended.
“Then… could I trouble you for a little while?”
“Of course. Master, are you okay with that too?”
“Yes!”
Enoch smiled brightly.
A smile finally spread across Amy’s face too, as she nodded cheerfully.
***
The morning dawned.
I woke up in an unfamiliar house and immediately looked out the window.
Likewise, an unfamiliar landscape stretched out widely.
The weather was still gloomy.
It seemed to have stopped briefly in the early morning, but now it was raining again.
I imagined what would have happened if I hadn’t met Enoch.
If I had been walking alone in the dark, rainy forest, not knowing when I might power down… and then gotten lost and encountered a bear somewhere…
Just imagining it was terrifying.
Thinking it was fortunate that I had met Enoch by chance, I left the room.
“Didi!”
When I went to the dining room at the time Enoch had told me, Amy spotted me first and ran over.
Her small body tightly hugged my leg.
I heard laughter nearby and turned my head, seeing Enoch.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, charging finished well. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
I handed Enoch the neatly arranged charger.
It was really nice to sleep in a bed after a long time.
Although I tossed and turned thinking about my master, just lying down felt like my fatigue was melting away.
Now, charging was also perfectly complete.
My mind felt much lighter, as I wouldn’t have to worry about the battery for a while.
After breakfast, I decided to join Enoch and Amy for their day.
They usually go for a picnic if the weather is nice, but since it was raining today, they planned to read fairy tales at home instead.
Enoch and I held Amy’s hands on either side and headed to her room.
“This one!”
The book Amy chose was “The Little Mermaid.”
Enoch opened the book on his lap and began to read in a quiet voice.
Although I already knew the story, I sat beside him and listened intently to Enoch’s voice along with Amy.
At the end, during the scene where the mermaid fails in love and disappears into sea foam, I found myself sniffling along with Amy without realizing it.
It was so similar to my own situation—my master rejecting my feelings and me going to shut myself down—that my heart ached.
Time passed, and after lunch, Amy fell asleep for her nap.
“Finally asleep….”
The energy of a five-year-old…
Amy had been running around the hallway all day, wanting to show me the house.
Of course, Enoch and I were exhausted from chasing after her.
Thanks to that, I got to know every corner of this house in just one day.
In the study, especially, I unknowingly stopped.
There was a TV there.
I wondered if I could find news about my master through it.
Unconsciously, I reached for the power button.
But Amy pulled my hand again, quickly leading me to the next spot.
I had to swallow my regret, constantly looking back at the study.
Then, suddenly seeming tired, Amy began to doze off in Enoch’s arms.
Once we returned to her room and he covered her with a blanket, she quickly fell asleep.
Enoch and I quietly watched her for a moment before slowly leaving the room.
“Didi, you look very tired. You can rest now.”
“What are you going to do now, Enoch?”
“I’m going to tidy up the house.”
Enoch replied in a calm voice.
Hesitating for a moment at his words—that he would clean the house without resting—I spoke up.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t ask guests to do such things.”
“You lent me a charger and allowed me to stay for a while, and I’m grateful. I want to repay your kindness… I can certainly help with cleaning.”
I looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes.
Enoch tried to avoid my gaze, looking troubled, but when I didn’t give up, he reluctantly nodded, unable to refuse.
“In that case… just simple cleaning, please.”
“Yes!”
I replied brightly and immediately started moving.
Enoch took charge of organizing things, and I walked around the rooms, wiping dust.
The more I focused on cleaning, the clearer my cluttered mind became.
I didn’t stop my hands and concentrated even more on cleaning.
***
While cleaning the windows, I paused for a moment and looked around.
It was hard to believe that Enoch had been managing this large house by himself all this time.
What’s more, every nook and cranny was impeccably clean, without a speck of dust, showing at a glance how much effort Enoch put into it.
Since Enoch managed the house with such care, I shouldn’t clean carelessly either.
I recalled helping Sophia clean in the past and began to move my hands again.
As I wiped the windows, making a squeaky sound, I looked out at the falling rain.
It didn’t seem like the rainy season would end anytime soon.
That meant my stay here would be a little longer.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to help Enoch in return for his hospitality.
I was a bit clumsy with the latest appliances, but I felt I could quickly learn if I learned from a fellow human-bot.
Most importantly, Enoch and Amy were more than happy for me to stay here.
Their warm welcome made me feel a little more at ease.
I looked up at the sky, heavily covered with storm clouds beyond the window.
Suddenly, I wished the rainy season would never end.
Just a little.