11 – Not 125, but as Illya (2)
“If that is what Master Tae-hyuk desires, I have the capability to provide support in various ways.
Although there are numerous defense mechanisms in place to prepare for combat situations, the underlying foundation is that of a household android.”
I am well aware that I am not human.
However,
This body, designed to mimic humans, is not much different from a woman’s.
“If physical contact brings you happiness,
You may touch me as much as you wish.”
A solid hill swayed before my eyes.
As I observed its presence, like a speed bump rising in the middle of the road,
I swallowed my saliva.
“Master Tae-hyuk.”
Slowly, a hand was raised to hold mine.
And I began to be led by its body.
“You don’t have to be tense.
I prioritize your happiness, Master Tae-hyuk.”
I remember a time when I tasted bread, having received a commission from the upper class.
I can still recall the feeling of grabbing that freshly baked bread, proudly displayed before me,
Surely, the sensation I feel in my hand now is very similar to that time.
“…No, it can’t be like this.”
“What?”
It was an ideal body.
And, it was the size I had hoped for.
That’s why Iria displayed an incredibly satisfying figure.
The one that fit into the body I desired.
And it promised to make me happy.
However,
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“Sorry. It seems this won’t work after all.
I don’t think I can accept it.”
The atmosphere seemed to freeze.
I couldn’t even ask myself if I really wanted this, let alone answer it.
I withdrew the hand I had touched.
“Oh-“
“But, thank you.
Whether it’s your heart,
Or your thoughts.
I think I roughly understand.”
Yoon-gi’s flowing hair easily slipped through my fingers,
And easily slipped away.
The eyes of the one who had a faint warmth, even in their hair,
But had soft skin unlike mine, followed my gaze faithfully.
“Then, contact… do you not desire it?
Physically, from now on, refrain a bit -“
“That’s not it.
Just – it would be better if it became more natural.
You’re still trying to meet what I desire, aren’t you?”
“I cannot understand.
If refraining is for my sake,
I would prefer you not to do so.”
At those words, my heart needlessly ached.
Even to the point where the chest felt slightly painful, I gently brushed it away with my hand,
and Ilyah once again closed the distance between us.
“Lord Taehyuk’s heartbeat is rapidly increasing.
This is judged to be the result of interaction with me, however.”
“…Right.”
“Even so, at this moment, is it correct that you do not wish for it?”
Nodding my head, the face that had approached right in front of my nose obediently withdrew.
For a moment, rolling its eyes here and there, the one scrutinizing me was –
“I understand.
However,
if you wish, feel free to say so without hesitation.”
Softly distancing from me, she lowered her head.
A faintly crafted smile.
Her face was beautiful.
“…Is there a reason for patting my head?”
My hand reached out with a feeling similar to adoring a dog or a cat.
The only difference was that Illya existed in reality,
while those two might exist only in a virtual experience device.
“Well.”
However, she didn’t honestly disclose the reason.
She just offered her head to me,
and to the one with visual sensors aligned with the eyes, I simply smiled.
“…”
“Was there something you wanted to say?”
The one whose lips momentarily twitched began to feel truly human.
There were no blushing cheeks or such,
slowly and steadily –
much had changed in her compared to the first meeting,
even though it had only been two days since we met.
“No.
It’s not important.”
Hm. Well then, what if you stop your hand?
“…?”
With my hand still placed above my head, I quietly stared at the little fellow.
Black short hair.
Black eyes.
Lips that seemed tinged.
If it weren’t for that faintly glowing port on the neck, one might easily forget it’s a machine.
And someday, it might become just that.
“…Are you not going to pat my head anymore?”
The reaction was quite cute.
Perhaps it liked being petted.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of it questioning the pause.
“Why. Is it bad?”
“Isn’t that an action you, Taehyuk, wouldn’t normally do for me?”
“I did it because I thought you might like it.
Kids… and pets, like being touched like this, they say.”
“If Taehyuk is happy, that’s enough for me.”
It knew how to say heartwarming words.
But someday, the day might come when it’s not bound to me anymore, finding its own happiness.
“So, what was it that you wanted to say?”
“There are two things.”
“Quite a lot, isn’t it?”
“The first is that as it approaches 10 PM, bedtime is approaching –
The second is that the grocery situation is poor, so I recommend placing an order.”
Ah, right.
I had decided to buy clothes and food.
Did I end up wasting time arguing instead of getting anything done?
“Sip, that’s right.
Then, let’s order and call it a night -“
“But if you wish, I can continue massaging your head – Oh, I’m sorry.
If you could please convey what you were going to say, I would appreciate it.”
…Hmm.
Did I come to like having my head petted?
Hesitating to the point of bringing it up late?
“Why, should I continue petting your head, Illya?”
“I will follow Taehyuk’s decision.”
“Just don’t.
You said it yourself. Implementing a new behavior pattern.
Use your judgment.”
Will it continue to be caressed in my hands, or how should it be taken care of?”
Why do the lips that I couldn’t close look so cute?
I closed my eyes halfway, turned my head slightly to avoid eye contact –
“Do you need to use both hands to make a purchase?”
“Inhale.”
That face has returned.
There was no blush.
There was no smile.
But if my ears aren’t mistaken, what he’s asking for is clearly,
“Do you mean you want me to operate the phone with one hand and caress you with the other…
Is that what you mean?”
“If possible, I suggest that as an option.”
Is it because he can’t be honest,
Or is that his limit.
Either way, it was fine.
Either way, it was enjoyable.
And, it made my heart race.
“Alright, then. Come closer. I’ll touch your hair a bit more.”
Leaning against his shoulder gently.
His skin, made with reinforced material inside, is unbelievably soft and warm.
Feeling it, I tied my hair, which was not short but longer than yours.
“Let’s see… First, we need to buy some clothes and food.”
“Synchronize with the visual sensor.”
[Do you want to connect the device name, Ilia, with the screen?]
The phone in my hand rang.
Pressing the accept button –
“I’ll display it as a hologram.”
“Oh, can that be done?”
Immediately, the screen was projected into the air.
It seemed to be an advanced visual sensor indeed.
It contained various functions.
“First, Tae-hyuk wants to know how much you’ll spend today.”
“Well, I think you should decide?
I can’t even say with empty words that I’ve been eating well so far.”
“All right.
Then, let’s set today’s groceries to purchase a week’s worth.
Reflecting the current price of groceries…
It will cost a minimum of 350,000 won and a maximum of 700,000 won for seven days.
Including transportation costs, it will be a minimum of 500,000 won and a maximum of 850,000 won.”
“Hmm, not bad.”
Of course, there was dissatisfaction with the continually rising prices compared to before.
As the environment deteriorated, vegetable cultivation became more challenging.
It wasn’t that corporations were unaware of this; they were actively securing land for large-scale hydroponic cultivation facilities.
However, Incheon was an exception.
On the fictitious day, sending soldiers to engage in constant conflicts, expecting cultivation in a lawless zone where land disputes occurred daily seemed unrealistic.
Moving to a safer zone would undoubtedly improve transportation costs a bit.
However, for now, satisfaction had to be at that level.
“To minimize transportation costs, it seems reasonable to purchase one month’s worth of rations at once.
Then, by extending the shelf life through freezing and drying some of the ingredients—”
“It should be kept to a minimum. 3 million won is almost a luxury.”
Sighing, he pressed the guy’s head down,
Iria placed a few pictures on the left.
“For easier guidance, I’ve created additional images.
The left shows meal preparations for 1.5 million won,
the right shows meal preparations for a 3 million won budget.”
Something like fried rice and fried noodles with slightly different colors.
Externally, it could only be said that both options looked identical, even for the artificial steak.
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It seemed that both Korean and non-Korean dishes could be prepared.
Both of them look incredibly luxurious.
Is there a difference?
“The freshness of some ingredients and the quality of artificial meat vary.
You should personally confirm the feeling when you consume it.”
“The one I put in the fried rice was probably the cheapest.”
“The nutrients of that artificial meat are significantly low, so it was excluded from consideration.”
So, if it means that such extravagant dishes can be made at a reasonable price level of 1.5 million won.
There seemed to be no reason to hesitate.
“I’ll request it for 1.5 million won.”
“Yes, understood.
I have put the selected items in the shopping cart.
Would you like to confirm?”
“I’ll leave the cooking to you, Illya.
From now on, you’re the head chef.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Her eyes couldn’t move as they were fixed on the screen, but it seemed like she was expressing gratitude by getting closer to me.
It had only been two days, but her expressions were becoming more natural.
“Do you have anything else to purchase additionally?”
“Yes, clothes.”
A slightly oversized white tee covered my body.
Revealing my shoulders was somewhat provocative, but it bothered me that I couldn’t even find proper pants.
“I’ll search for women’s clothing and sizes that fit my body.”
As I scrolled through the descending items with my eyes, a checked filter caught my attention.
Tactical, sports, functional…?
“Hey, Ilia. It’s okay to buy something more comfortable or vibrant.”
“No. To prepare for situations similar to the one with Mr. Taehyuk later on, it is judged that clothing that does not hinder body movement is more suitable.”
I hesitated to respond to those words, briefly opening my mouth before closing it immediately.
Even though I tried to stop myself, the thought of helping wouldn’t disappear.
Perhaps I needed to prepare for the unexpected.
“Alright then, let’s also prepare another gun for you.”
“What?”
“You said you’d help. There are limits to stopping. If I’m that precious, then fine.”
“Watch carefully.”
I pressed my hand firmly against his head.
Unlike my rough and uneven skull, his was smooth.
Illya, with the appearance of a flawless beauty.
That guy suddenly closed the screen and looked at me.
“Are you respecting my decision, Mr. Taehyuk?”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Was the sparkle in his eyes just my imagination?
Though still black, it seemed to have the liveliness of a living human… Was it the light from the ceiling lamp?
“Thank you. I will follow your orders.”
“Instead of that, open the window again quickly.
I will buy what you need.”
“If you tell me, I will add it to the shopping cart.”
There seemed to be no need to force Illya to use a revolver.
So, I chose one automatic pistol, five magazines, and 300 rounds of specialized ammunition.
I added a bulletproof vest for women and a helmet identical to the one I wear, and the price quickly increased.
“Mr. Taehyuk, the bulletproof material for me -“
“Keep quiet before changing your mind.”
As he briefly looked at the clothes he had chosen, he soon realized that there were several strange garments mixed in.
In sports bra, cropped hoodie revealing the stomach, and leggings…
“He deliberately chose clothing that emphasizes the areas of the body Mr. Taehyuk usually responds to.”
With those words, I reached for the payment button.
It would be a lie to say I don’t expect him to wear them.
Then, hastily returning to the purchase window, I added one black plate carrier.
“…Let’s keep it covered outside.”
The price of one pistol is equivalent to two weeks’ worth of food.
Even though it’s 300 rounds, the bitter reality is that it’s only five thousand won per 50 rounds.
Now that tools for killing are cheaper than food, it’s probably the reason why gunfire never stops outside.
Things necessary for survival are so expensive.
Combining the helmet and body armor, it came out to the same price as a month’s worth of food.
Even though there are many clothes to wear in the future, still.
In an instant, 4.5 million won vanished from the balance.
Still, with this, worries are over for a while.
…The tension was easing.
“Mr. Taehyuk, it seems like the expenses were quite substantial.”
“It’s much cheaper than yours, so don’t worry.”
“…You look tired. Will you rest?”
Without saying a word, he lay on the bed, opening up a space for his body to fit.
Feeling the weight pushing gently against me, I slowly stroked their head.
“Please sleep well.
And… thank you.”
“…Let’s make one promise.”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“No matter what happens, prioritize your survival and mine.
Can we add this as Rule 0?”
I wanted to make sure of that, at least.
I let myself be swept away by emotions,
and though I provided all sorts of defenses –
the unease in my heart still wouldn’t disappear.
“It will become a priority over the First Law of obedience to the Prime Commander.”
They nodded.
For a moment, their eyes glowed blue, and this time, they nodded willingly.
“I have fulfilled your request.”
With that, I no longer spoke.
I simply continued to stroke their hair,
feeling their warm hands and embrace, gently pulling me in.
Even though my skin was heated by the thermal device –
“Sleep well, Taehyuk.”
I always found Ilia to be the warmest person to me.