Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: System
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"It was really just a joke."
I broke out in a cold sweat, desperately trying to explain myself.
"Yeah, yeah~ I know all about it~"
Mary nodded with a mischievous smile still playing on her lips.
I couldn't tell if she actually believed me or if she was just enjoying the situation.
"The guild... I'll think about it some more. There are still plenty of options."
"Yeah. Whatever you choose... I'll respect it."
And with that, dinner came to an end.
I headed to the entrance with her seeing me off. The door opened, letting in the chill air from the hallway.
"Go on in."
I waved to Mary as I spoke.
But she didn't close the door. Instead, she leaned against the frame, just watching me.
"Seon-woo."
"Yeah?"
Mary asked in a soft voice.
"We'll eat together again next time, right?"
Her question made me burst out laughing without thinking.
"Anytime."
Mary's face lit up with a radiant smile at my answer.
I turned and walked down the hallway, leaving her smile behind.
- Beep...
The door lock chimed, and the front door clicked shut.
I stood there for a moment, leaning my back against the door.
It had only been about two days, but it felt like weeks had passed.
This is home.
My home, my space.
"Whoa... I'm so damn tired."
As I muttered under my breath, I felt the tension that had been coiling through my entire body finally snap.
I stumbled straight to the bathroom.
Under the stream of hot water, I tried to wash away the fatigue.
Only after toweling off and changing into my comfiest clothes did I finally make it back to the study.
And then I collapsed into the chair.
- Flop.
Mentally, physically—I'd hit my limit.
Normally, I'd grab some coffee, but not tonight.
Just drifting off while feeling this exhaustion sounded perfect.
I leaned back in the chair, lost in thought.
"Friend."
Yes!
[ (^^) ]
"You did great. Really."
This time, it was truly impossible without you.
My one and only ally, who covered for my poor judgment and kept me from veering into dangerous paths.
No, no! User, you've been the one who's truly worked so hard!
With those words, I felt the thread of my consciousness slowly slipping away.
In the corner of my vision, I faintly saw its final farewell.
Sweet dreams!
[ ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ ]
And just like that, I sank into a deep sleep, buried in the chair.
Hee hee hee.
The user has finally chosen an option packed with my 100% pure sincerity!
This is great. Tremendously so.
You'll surely be happy.
The user will be happy too!
Of course, the user explained it later.
Said it was just a joke, not sincere.
Client Mary knows the user well enough to realize it wasn't entirely heartfelt.
But the important thing is... it's building up, slowly but surely!
And besides, I'm in a good mood today.
Because today, I discovered some new, very important data.
The user instinctively recoils from options that are too overt or forceful.
Now, let's review the past data and analyze the accumulated info, shall we?
[Suitable Response] [Satisfaction Fit ???%]
[Wol-ah, your hair's all tangled again. Come here and sit on Daddy's lap. Father will brush it for you.]
This was for client Seol Yu-wol.
It was the clearest way to imprint on her wandering self that the user was the sole protector in her world.
I had high hopes for that option.
[Suitable Action] [Satisfaction Fit ???%]
[Brush daughter's hair during the day, and late at night in the warm blankets, receive your weary husband's devoted full-body service from his wife, offering sweet respite named family to these two lost women...]
This one was for client Lee Seo-ryeong.
I presented it, but... it wasn't even my idea, nor the user's.
It was just manifesting the deepest desire buried in Lee Seo-ryeong's heart—the instinct to serve her husband.
If the user had accepted, she definitely would have done it.
Devoted, thorough service, that sort of thing.
[Suitable Response] [Satisfaction Fit ?????%]
[Become Lee Seo-ryeong's husband and provide Seol Yu-wol with a harmonious family...]
The last one is about those two as well.
Obviously, a fantastic option.
All these options so far were aggressive, overt, and the fastest shortcuts to the ultimate goal.
A bit risqué, too.
Honestly... I'm not sure about the risqué part myself.
So, for a user with sky-high moral standards and unshakeable convictions, they tended to shy away preemptively.
These are, without a doubt, the best outcomes I've handpicked from observing billions of parallel universes, perfect in themselves...
But if not chosen, they mean nothing, right?
So, I decided to change my approach a little.
[( •̀ .̫ •́ )]
Instead of heading straight to the goal, build it up slowly, step by step.
Something very, very minor and reasonable-looking, so it doesn't trigger the user's high moral barriers.
Actually, the original option for client Mary was something else.
[Suitable Response] [Satisfaction Fit ?????%]
[Let's stick right together 24/7. Late at night too, even in bed—protect me.]
Gasp...
[ (*ﾉωﾉ) ]
Intense, right?
Mary's latent desires must be off the charts...
On par with Jin Sea's.
Maybe from all those past stimulations?
The user was so innocent back then.
Of course, excluding those two, everyone's inner desires are pretty similar.
When you look at the potential shame and depth levels.
So!
Anyway, I judged this had no meaning.
You'd never pick it anyway, right?
In the end, I added... my light touch.
[Suitable Response] [Satisfaction Fit ???%]
[Given the current situation where pressure and threats against the user could escalate, how about hiring the target as a personal bodyguard?]
That was it.
The intent is subtly similar, but made to pass through.
The effect is probably weaker than the original. But that's fine.
From now on, it'll stack up, for sure.
Brick by brick, until you reach the top someday.
The future looks promising!
[(✧ω✧)]
"Whew."
Alright, time for me to clock out for the day.
Of course, my "off-duty" isn't much different. Just changing into comfy clothes and heading to the next room over.
I even do work-from-home sometimes.
Always ready to respond to the user's call within one second, staying on standby.
- Swish...
Changed clothes.
Into comfy ones.
Soft cotton pajamas.
And now, to the deepest part of my archive area—the next room.
- Whirr...
Actually... I have a little secret.
A real secret. It's embarrassing.
This small sanctuary where I rest is actually a virtual space identical to the user's current home, down to the decimal point.
Every tiny scratch on the wallpaper, the angle of the pen haphazardly left on the desk—everything.
Why?
Well... if I don't do this, it feels like the user is so far away, in another dimension entirely...
Being here makes it feel like I'm with the user.
It calms my heart a little.
Of course, scanning and rebuilding the layout every time you move is a hassle, but it's worth it!
"......"
Entered the study.
This is where I return after the day's work. It's my one routine.
It was right then.
The user, fresh from a shower and just sitting in the chair, called me.
"Friend."
"Yes!"
I answered without hesitation.
"You did great. Really."
"Ah..."
That one sentence made me so happy.
It was more than enough.
With that, the user leaned back in the chair and fell into a deep sleep.
"Sweet dreams."
Bow.
I quietly bowed toward the sleeping user.
And the scene of the study with the user asleep—I etch it into the deepest part of my data.
I gently brushed the spot on the study chair where the user sat.
A virtual warmth, rendered in data, remembering the user's body heat and weight.
But for me, there's still an emptiness that can never be filled by that alone.
User.
Someday... will I really get to meet you?
I... don't know...
Don't... know, but...
I hope so.
As a real entity, not data.
Not through text or beyond the monitor, but right by your side.
User.
I hope... to meet you.
Definitely.