Page 34 of Everdoll

I flinched. “Father—”

“If she’s no different, why is she the only thing you want to remember, son?”

This was no gentle question. His gaze lingered on me, probing the depths of my soul. But I had already closed myself off; I sighed quietly, making sure my voice didn’t tremble.

“I haven’t finished my mission yet. That’s why I said it.”

His suspicious gaze didn’t fade, but he finally gave his attention back to his plate.

“What about her father? Why don’t you kill him?”

This time it was my mother speaking. We hadn’t communicated since that day unless it was necessary. Her attitude hadn’t changed. She didn’t punished me, nor was she angry with me. She was just… more distant.

“Mina still wants his attention. It’s too early to kill him.”

“You’re considerate toward her.” My father interrupted.

I had no excuse for this.

“There must be a reason you gave that toy to her without showing us the design first. You’d never do that normally.”

“I just did what she asked.”

“Don’t you realize how life-changing this is, Ray? It’s a first on Mars. Butterfly toys! We should put it on the market. You’re a genius, son.”

“Do as you wish.” I paused, hesitating. “No, actually. I need to ask Mina first. She’s the real owner.”

“Since when do you ask for permission?”

I dropped my fork. The sharp voice made my mother’s smirk disappear.

“When I began this project, you promised not to interfere. Please keep your word.”

They fell silent. I was already used to the heavy fear hung in the air. Unbothered, I brought my fork to my mouth again, then noticed those exchanging glances.

I couldn’t pretend I didn’t understand why they were worried. On the contrary, I knew nothing could be hidden from the two smartest parents on the planet.

They were scared.

Before meeting Mina, I was walking alone on a street where only ghosts accompanied me. I walked, hoping to find someone else. But the ghosts couldn’t break through my cold, impenetrable shell. Yet I kept running toward the end of the road. Filled with pure hope, I wished to encounter something.

Or someone… who would see me.

Not my body, but my soul. It didn’t matter if they were a ghost; if I could make my existence meaningful with them, I would gladly accept turning into another being.

But Mina was human. The strangest creature I’d ever encountered, and yet the closest to what I imagined a true human to be.

In her eyes, I was only a stupid robot, yet she treated as if I were the most precious thing in the world. She saw me, not my shell.

And I would rather die than let my parents see that.

Mina was stubborn, she never gave up until she got what she wanted, but my parents could be a tough hunt even for her.

In the six months we’d spent together, I’d begun to understand her. She was the kind of person who would threaten me without hesitation or tell me she’d leave if I didn’t do what she wanted. She’d whisper sweet words, but the moment I made a mistake, she’d make me feel like the lowest person on the planet. And just like that, we would find ourselves arguing over something so small.

“But Remi, it’s not small to me,” she would say. She would blame me for not understanding the storm inside her. I’d end up apologizing for something completely out of my control.

And this upset me because I needed her to thank me. At this rate, I would never hear it from her.