Loved by the War Machine

38 – There’s a Reason for Obsession (2)

“…”

As if showing off, Dayeon began to press her body against mine.

She gently wrapped her arms around my head and lifted my chin with her hand,

“Chok, jjuk, jyuep…”

She deliberately made a loud noise, pressing and releasing her lips.

I tried to turn my eyes away to Da-yeon, but Ilia’s disheveled short hair artfully covered her face.

“Mr. Taehyuk, please stop.”

My right hand remained fixed,

And with my slightly loosened left hand, I tried to stop the affectionate movement gently –

But the hand that had been softly holding the back of my neck suddenly gripped my arm.

Ilia had no intention of ending it here.

“Sigh.”

The exaggerated sigh was undoubtedly crafted to grab my attention.

And rather than deeply intertwining our tongues, she seemed to be making sounds by sticking and separating our lips, probably because of Da-yeon.

Some strange tension flowed between the two of them.

“…Hey. What are you doing here?”

A man’s voice cut through the tangled sounds. Slowly revealing his face behind my shoulder was Do-jun.

“Wasn’t this uncle’s resting place? It’s a nuisance, get out… Hey…”

At first, the guy had turned his head to see Da-yeon, but now he was looking at me head-on.

Who was on the bed,

And what they were doing.

The gradually stiffening corners of Do-jun’s mouth clearly conveyed to me what was happening.

“Uh, um, sorry for disturbing…

Yeah, let’s go outside…!”

…”

With a tray in hand, Dojun, who had been gently trying to pull the motionless body, eventually gave it a slight push, but –

Soon, he found himself leaving the room alone.

Meanwhile, Ilia, as if trying to conclude a love affair, buried her head towards my neck.

“Why does it have to be like this – ugh -“

After a stinging pain passed through once, Ilia finally separated from me as if satisfied.

After wiping my slightly damp skin with her hand, she turned towards Dayeon.

“As you can see, Lord Taehyuk has regained consciousness. Although he still complains of body pain, proper rest can sufficiently address that. Thank you for your assistance during this time.”

However, her hand still lingered on my body, not withdrawing.

Dayeon seemed extremely uncomfortable with this sight.

Silently placing the prepared tray on the desk, she stared straight at Ilia.

“Don’t meddle in the affairs between the Tech Boys and Mr. Taehyuk like you’re trying to wrap things up. It seems like you’re seriously mistaken; we didn’t sign a contract with you. And the matter at hand isn’t yours to deal with.”

Step by step.

Although her body was light, as she put weight into each step, I couldn’t help but swallow my saliva.

I thought she was just a girl, but as Matthew said, she’s already an “adult” in a way.

…Of course, most of the Tech Boys have experienced things that are not appropriate for their age.

“I’ll admit that you’re special.

Even if it’s just imitation or if you’re really feeling emotions, I don’t really care.

That’s Taehyuk’s wish, and since Taehyuk likes it, I don’t pay much attention.

Anyway, I’m not your commander as you said.

But I can’t tolerate being treated like that.

Whether you’re a machine, an advanced artificial intelligence, or a personality –

There should be mutual respect. That’s basic courtesy, isn’t it?”

It was a reasonable argument.

Of course, if I were asked if I liked what Ilia did to me, I would nod my head,

But at least I agreed with the argument that one should know when and where to draw the line.

“Why did you kiss me so boldly in front of me because you were worried about Taehyuk,

And why did you leave a kiss mark on my neck?

On what basis do you behave like that in front of me,

And how can you see me so lightly, no matter how you look at me – “

“I have no obligation to disclose my behavior patterns to you.

Furthermore, I have no grounds to accept your proposal.

What I prioritize above all else is Taehyuk’s safety and happiness.

Accordingly, I simply performed the appropriate service.”

Did you feel uncomfortable with those actions?”

I believed that our feelings for each other had settled to some extent, but it wasn’t the case.

We had clearly resolved this fight once before, but once again, we were baring our fangs at each other.

“…No, that’s not it. I didn’t come here to fight with you, so let’s stop.”

However, surprisingly, it was Dayeon who took a step back first.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, the girl who tried to calmly open her mouth, brushing her hair aside, –

“It’s okay – Ugh, um, ahem!”

Perhaps it was because of the boiling emotions. I let out an involuntary cough.

In her flustered state, with her reddened face and a futile cough, her young age was evident.

“Are you alright?”

“My mouth and throat are a bit sore, but I’m fine.

…It’s been a while since I’ve exerted myself like this.”

Even now, I realize that what happened there was truly, dangerously terrifying.

If I hadn’t brought Ilia with me,

If we hadn’t decided to work together –

I would surely have become a cold corpse right there.

“…I’m sorry.”

It was a short phrase, but it seemed to contain a lot.

Tears that were a far cry from the anger shown to Ilia.

With her head bowed deeply and her body curled up, she looked so small.

I didn’t expect the mercenaries of the Omni’s Military Enterprise to show up there.

I thought I had discovered the place first, and I believed I had carefully examined the surroundings,

but I really, really didn’t know that such things would happen one after another.

Faced with the sight of her bursting into tears, I said nothing.

If I had to describe it, it was pitiable.

Even if the young girl had experienced many storms in life, she probably had never faced something like this.

Considering that I had come dangerously close to losing my life, reaching a level surpassing the count of ten fingers, I could handle it calmly, in my own way –

“Huh, huh, huh…”

It would have been difficult for the tech-savvy girl to know about the battlefield.

And no matter how much I boasted about the power I had nurtured, surpassing other competitors,

even if I handled and manipulated the relics of the battlefield, and even if I had kids with skills comparable to the company’s capabilities –

In the end, it was just a gathering of young teens and twenty-somethings.

That became evident after a long time when facing Dayeon.

“I’m sorry for being hasty, but if I had died, that apology wouldn’t have reached you. You know?”

“…Yes.”

Even to me, it seemed like a somewhat harsh statement that could leave deep wounds.

But I didn’t extend any ‘kindness.’

Comforting the wounded emotions would have been quite a task.

“Of course, it’s entirely your responsibility, your fault,

so I’m not going to tell you to kneel down and apologize, to do something you can’t handle – I won’t say such things.”

“If I offer more money… would that be better?”

“Yeah, how much are you willing to – “

“But, I’m not trying to say that.”

I lowered my head immediately towards Dayeon, who had raised her body to me.

Instead, I leaned forward and met her eyes head-on.

The reddened eye rims were already moist.

“Of course, I’m a mercenary who earns money by selling my life.

My appearance, doing anything for the right price, may not be admirable,

But I still think I can say this much.

Life is more important than anything else.

…Of course, I know it lacks persuasiveness. I used to think the same way.

I heard these words back during the corporate war, after all.”

Someone’s son, father, brother, friend, lover…

To me, who made a living by killing and hurting such people, these words were terribly unfitting.

The platoon leader of Sphere 04, Jeffry Parson, who tried hard to get along with everyone.

More disheveled than Matthew, yet a man with a soft beard.

A commander who tried to be kind to everyone and worked hard to save them all.

Thinking of him, the already healed leg seemed to ache for no reason.

“But still, life is important.

Certainly, I understand that ‘my’ life is important, too.

But it would be nice if you listened.

Life is something that can’t be bought with money, or with someone else’s blood – there’s only one.

A man with thick eyebrows, who once restrained the young me pulling the trigger on an enemy’s corpse, uttered sharp words, emphasizing that killing is no joke.

“Whatever is at stake, you should reconsider it countless times.

Whether it’s mine, Matthew’s, or Dojun’s…

Even if it’s an enemy, the issue of life and death comes to everyone equally.

If you’re willing to take, be prepared to be taken from; if you struggle to live, things may not go well.

Above all, if you don’t constantly recall the line you want to protect,

Eventually, you’ll become an insensitive monster no different from suits or murderers.

That’s what my squad leader told me.”

Ilyana, who had placed her hand on my shoulder, turned her head to me.

I had met Ilyana a few times in actual combat, after proving the squad’s skills.

“If you can learn from this, I’ll be satisfied.”

“Really, are you okay…?”

“Even if I told you to handle it, it’s a burden you can’t bear.

Especially at your young age.”

Now, I had no intention of burdening the child who had just become an adult, like a corporation and its debtors below.

I also doubted whether I had the ability to fully understand what I had said.

That’s why I intended to end it at this point with Dayeon.

Not Matthew, though.

“Is that all about the matter?”

“Um, I thought you might get angrier…”

“I told you. You’re still at an age where you don’t know these facts…

Things that shouldn’t be known even if you find out on your own.

Boys and girls your age should dream, as the nobleman said…

Of course, I held a gun, though.”

The stories I picked up somehow find utility in a place like this, is it fate to some extent?

It was a bit fascinating that the words I once said, that someday I would find a use for them, were coming true.

“…Yes, I’ll remember.”

Wiping away tears and nodding, Dayeon rose from her seat with a stretch.

With one arm wrapped by the other hand, her swollen eyes that she couldn’t wipe looked painfully lonely.

Since the arrival of Ilia, have I become more relaxed?

“Come here.”

Opening one arm, I embraced the girl in a similar situation to me.

Although I couldn’t move my right hand, there was enough space for a small figure to fit in.

Dayeon didn’t hesitate.

As if she had been waiting, she immediately leaned into the embrace, lightly tapping her back twice, wiping away the tears.

Recalling the moments when they comforted the young members of the Tech Boys.

“Now, do you feel a bit calmer?”

“…Yes. It seems much better.”

Even the slight upward curve of the corners of the mouth seemed to indicate an excessive improvement.

“What did you bring?”

“Oh, well, since you couldn’t get up for three days…

I brought some cream soup and water.

…It might be cold now.

Should I heat it up for you?”

“That would be nice.

Oh, and before you go.”

Da-yeon, who had turned her body with a tray, was held back.

Due to the hasty movement, he ended up grabbing the hem of her clothes with his left hand,

But apart from a slight surprise, she didn’t seem to show any discomfort.

“It would be good if you called Matthew too.

I need to see his face, at least.”

Of course, the intention was to hold her accountable much more maliciously and decisively than she had done to Da-yeon,

But she smiled in response to the carefully packaged words.

“Yes. I’ll serve the soup again in no time.

Well, see you later.”

“…Illyad.”

It was questionable whether I needed to add those words at the end.

Looking at his back, which had become much brighter than when he came in,

I could finally lean back comfortably.

“Master Taehyuk.”

Until I turned my head at the sound calling me.

“Why -“

As soon as I turned to the side, I was surprised by the face that came close to my nose, and my body fell back.

Upon that, Illyad climbed up right away.

In the face that covered the light of the lamp shining down without a word, there was no emotion, just like the face of an android with the power on, a creepy appearance with no change.

Illyad looked down at me.

“Why did you act towards Godayeon like that?”

With that question, another nail was driven into the truth.

Illyad liked me,

And because of that, he knew how to be jealous.