The door clicked shut behind Aoi as she entered their countryside home, her heels echoing softly on the wooden floor.
"Ren?" she called out, dropping her bag by the entrance. Silence.
She walked into the living room, checked the kitchen, then peeked down the hallway toward their bedroom. Still no sign of him.
"Again?" she muttered under her breath, brushing her bangs aside. "He's out working on that thing, isn't he…"
Frustration curled in her voice, though the corners of her lips lifted with a small, fond smile.
Just then, a soft whirring sound filled the air.
Aoi froze.
She turned slowly, eyes widening as something floated into the living room from the hallway — a sleek, cylindrical shape with soft blue lights glowing along its sides.
It was flying.
Her mouth opened in shock. "W-What the hell?!"
The device stopped midair, then rotated gently until it faced her directly.
"Good evening," it said in a calm, gender-neutral voice. "You must be Aoi."
Aoi blinked. "You… talk?"
"I'm Lucia. Ren built me."
Her knees nearly gave out. She staggered back, sat on the couch with a dazed expression, and stared at the AI.
Lucia hovered forward, its lights pulsing gently. "He speaks of you often. You're the reason I exist."
Aoi's hands curled into fists on her knees. She stared at the AI, overwhelmed by a sudden wave of emotions — pride, awe… and irritation.
"So this is what he's been sneaking off to finish… While I've been dealing with deadlines, Naruse's creepy flirting, and everyone at the office wondering if I'm married to a ghost."
Lucia tilted slightly. "Naruse?"
Aoi sighed and leaned back on the couch, crossing her legs with a loud huff. "He's this annoying heir at my office who keeps trying to flirt with me, even though I told him I'm engaged. And married now. But he doesn't stop."
Lucia paused for a moment before responding. "Would you like me to take action?"
Aoi blinked. "What—? No! God, no. Don't do anything rash!"
"I meant information gathering. Observation."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Can you keep a secret?"
"I'm built for trust," Lucia replied. "What you tell me stays between us, unless you ask otherwise."
Aoi exhaled, rubbing her temples. "Okay… just… keep an eye on Naruse, okay? And don't tell Ren. He's stressed enough. I don't want him thinking he has to protect me from everything."
"Understood."
Aoi looked at the hovering AI for a long time, then slowly leaned forward.
"You know," she muttered, "it's kind of romantic. He built you to remember us… To protect me."
She smiled faintly.
"Guess I should forgive him for being late so often."
Later that night…
Ren came home to find Aoi already asleep on the couch. Lucia hovered silently near the ceiling.
He whispered, "Did she see you?"
Lucia responded gently, "Yes. And she understood."
Ren walked over and tucked a blanket over Aoi's shoulders. As he did, she mumbled in her sleep:
"...Don't let Naruse near me, Lucia…"
He blinked.
"What?"
Lucia simply floated higher, its blue lights gently glowing in the dim light.