Clockwork Bride

Karen's 3D image twitched its long ears and looked genuinely exhausted. Her long, green hair, which had been so neatly styled at the wedding banquet last night, had now reverted to the messy, bushy look it had been in college.

She lost control and caused trouble at Adam's wedding last night. She must have been severely reprimanded by her boss at the company after fleeing the venue, and maybe even scolded by her parents, who also work in the human resources department of the Mitra Group.

That's right, also in the human resources department of the Mitra Corporation. Karen Starflower's entire family is an elven family deeply rooted in the Mitra Corporation's human resources department. And the human resources department of such a large company basically knows everything, down to the patterns of underwear in an employee's wardrobe. Besides, Karen has always disliked people who engage in office politics and marriages; wouldn't Hayden be foolish not to take this opportunity to gather some gossip from her?

He had a very clever plan.

However, plans rarely keep up with changes. Before Hayden could even speak, he saw Karen's expression suddenly change on the screen, then she lowered her head and vomited a bunch of brown paste that needed to be blurred out. This really startled Hayden.

"Damn, Karen? Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." The elf raised her head weakly, her ears drooping. "I was just busy with company matters and didn't sleep all night. Suddenly I felt a little breathless."

startled.

Although Hayden had guessed that Karen would be punished by the company for what happened at the wedding banquet last night, he never expected her to turn out like this.

"Are you really alright? Where's your family doctor?"

Hayden likes to say he's very free, but he's not crazy. And if at this point he's still only focused on getting information from Karen, then he's a bastard.

“I’ve been living alone since I started working, so where would I get a family doctor?” Karen on the screen pressed her thin chest against the table to suppress the urge to vomit, and answered weakly, “But if I keep throwing up, an ambulance might be on its way. fxck, I haven’t even finished my work yet.”

You guys in the company are crazy.

Hayden once again truly understood this fact.

"You live alone now? Perfect. Give me your address, I'll come over right now."

As he said this, he glanced back at Angela, who was watching the conversation with great interest, and then a sudden idea struck him.

"I'll also bring you some good food for your health."

This is a great opportunity to test the capabilities of AI.

But Karen was stunned when she heard this: "Huh? Why should I give you my address? Are you trying to take advantage of me and force-feed me some weird stuff?"

"As expected of an elf. Smart people are so easy to talk to."

Hayden smiled.

"Hehehe, don't worry, little girl. I'll make you feel better soon."

He really meant it.

Therefore, Karen immediately scoffed:

"Fuck you, Hayden. Come on then!"

007: Company Dog

"Fuck you, Hayden. Come on then!"

Karen Starflower was extremely arrogant during the call.

Ten minutes later, Karen was notified by her apartment security that a man wearing a grey cloak like that of an ancient wizard had run to the apartment entrance, claiming to be her guest and wishing her good health.

While others couldn't understand what was going on, Karen had been dealing with Hayden since college, so how could she not know that he was playing some strange ancient ritual magic?

She and Hayden were friends in college, and she had seen him perform this trick before, knowing it was an ancient blessing spell from thousands of years ago. Now, Hayden was calling her guest by name at her door, wishing her peace. If she chased him away now, it would be like chasing away the blessing as well, and the blessing would naturally turn into a curse.

Modern people no longer play with such unstable effects. If someone else were to use this trick, Karen wouldn't be afraid at all—her high-class apartment naturally has an arcane defense barrier, so the curses of ancient magic would only be reflected back.

Ancient magic, which has been phased out, cannot possibly defeat modern arcane magic; this is the only truth in the world.

However, this is Hayden! Karen knows this oddball very well. She knows that he is not someone who just follows the old ways, but someone who is very good at taking ancient techniques, refining and improving them with modern thinking.

If we leave him to cause trouble, who knows what will happen? A modern-day cursed Trojan horse capable of breaking through barriers?

So Karen had no choice but to quickly have the apartment building's security guards and receptionists let Hayden in.

"I have the ability, that's why I'm here!"

Hayden had barely stepped into her single apartment when she said those words.

"Are you crazy? You're arguing with me about this? By the way, how did you find my address...? What!?"

Karen was about to start cursing when she caught sight of Angela following behind Hayden. She was so shocked that she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

That's understandable. After all, Hayden suddenly showed up at her apartment with a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Greetings, Miss Starflower, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Angela, a servant of Master Hayden."

Moreover, Angela uttered some very explosive words as soon as she opened her mouth.

Hayden wasn't crazy enough to let Angela run to her classmate's house in a wedding dress. The bodysuit she was wearing, which resembled a wedding dress, was deformable, so Hayden let Angela decide what she wanted to transform into.

Angela thought for a moment, did some research online, and transformed the wedding dress into a traditional black and white maid outfit. The skirt hem only revealed half of her calves, and her long, silver-white hair was loosely braided with gears as hair accessories. At first glance, it actually looked quite convincing. Considering what she said when she first opened her mouth, it's no wonder Karen was stunned on the spot.

Why did Hayden, dressed like a grey-robed wizard, and Angela, dressed like a Victorian maid, stroll through the streets without attracting any attention? Of course, they did, but it was all because of Angela's appearance, not their attire. These days, people wear all sorts of clothes on the street. Even if you wore a bathrobe with a samurai sword at your waist and wooden clogs, no one would think much of it.

However, it's a different story if someone dressed like that comes to your house.

Karen's expression froze, her gaze shifting between Hayden and Angela, her mouth opening and closing without uttering a sound, much like a goldfish's mouth.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hayden led Angela into the apartment and slammed the door shut behind them.

As a young female elf who had graduated from university and worked for a few years, living a single life, Karen's apartment wasn't particularly attractive. It was supposed to be a high-end studio apartment in the city center, complete with a manager and private security, and even a lobby with a reception area—the entire apartment resembled a first-class hotel.

However, upon entering Karen's own apartment, the room was a complete mess. Various items were scattered haphazardly, clothes tossed aside were strewn everywhere, and empty dishes piled up in the kitchen sink. If it were the room of a single urban mercenary like Hayden, it wouldn't be too outrageous. But to think it belonged to a young woman—and an elf at that—would be unbelievable.

It is true that there are indeed many single young women in the world whose rooms are really like this.

Think about it, working 996 every week, twelve hours a day, you're already exhausted, where do you have the energy to nitpick about your home life? Who has the time to care if your refrigerator is a mess or if your clothes are piled up? Of course, you'll just leave them as unattended as possible, and after get off work, the first thing you do is lie down and scroll through your phone.

To paraphrase Karen's words from her college days, only those who have nothing better to do at home would keep their homes so tidy. Hayden didn't entirely agree, but he never dared to refute it.

He casually picked up an unlabeled empty bottle lying on the table, smelled the lingering medicinal odor inside, and immediately frowned: This was a mind-stimulating potion made from a mixture of a bunch of synthetic hormones and other brain-regulating chemicals, and it was probably not a legal commercial product, at least containing some illegal materials.

"You made this yourself? You rely on this to stay awake for extended periods?"

Hayden turned around and asked seriously.

"Yes, I customized it according to my own genes. I drink two bottles a day, and on average I only need to sleep six hours every four days... Wait a minute!"

Although she answered the question subconsciously, Karen quickly came to her senses.

"What's going on?! Didn't you say you didn't have a girlfriend yesterday?!"

She pointed at the smiling Angela, her fingers trembling with shock.

"Why are you barging into my house with such a beautiful woman?!"

Actually, although Angela's appearance was painstakingly sculpted by Hayden over several months, that doesn't mean her beauty is unparalleled. After all, with today's technology, if you have money, it's incredibly easy to alter your appearance. If your parents are wealthy enough, they can even customize your physical characteristics at the genetic level before birth. Adam's wife at yesterday's wedding is a prime example of genetically customized beauty. Her beauty is in no way inferior to Angela's.

And what about Karen? She's also the daughter of a high-ranking executive at a major company, and an elf, so her beauty is naturally undeniable. Although she's slender and petite, her skin is as white as jade, without any excess fat, and paired with her flat chest, she exudes a sculpted beauty unlike Angela's.

But why is her chest so flat? Well, that's just how the elves' culture is. They think big breasts are vulgar, and androgynous beauty, which doesn't emphasize secondary sexual characteristics, is the best.

By the way, Hayden likes big breasts, so Angela's breasts... well, that's a digression.

"Is this the time to meddle in such trivial matters? Don't you have any sense of order?"

Therefore, Hayden scoffed at it.

"Drink something hot, go to bed, and rest! You have no right to refuse!"

Karen was naturally unwilling to submit, but she was currently feeling nauseous from staying up all night and being under too much pressure. Furthermore, Hayden and Angel had pulled her close, so how could she possibly resist? She was quickly subdued.

————————————————————————

"...I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Forced to lie down on the bed and drink the cream soup that Angela had prepared and brought in advance, Karen finally calmed down.

A soft, slightly sweet flavor was already spreading in her mouth. Angela's creamy soup contained thick slices of mushrooms, carrots, and glistening sautéed onions. The natural vegetables floated in the soup, each one so tender it would almost melt with a gentle bite, and each was saturated with the absorbed broth. The fragrant aroma filled the air, making Karen's face relax like pudding, and her stomach felt much better.

Fortunately, she was, after all, a wealthy young lady, and wouldn't be easily swayed by such culinary delights. After relaxing, Karen didn't forget her most pressing question.

"So, who exactly is this Miss Angela?"

Huddled under the covers, she glanced at Angela, who was helping to clean the entire room, remaining vigilant.

After all, Angela's way of cleaning and tidying up was just too strange. Just like when she helped Hayden tidy up the studio after starting up the computer last night, Angela simply waved her hand at the messy things in Karen's room, and all of them immediately came to life, singing and dancing as they went to where they were supposed to be. It was all as absurd as a fairy tale animation.

Therefore, Hayden knew that Angela's affair could not be completely kept from Karen.

Angela's AI has an unknown origin and is suspected of being out of control. If she were to announce it to the whole world, problems would inevitably arise.

"how?"

So Hayden calmly said

"Kallen, this is the perfect wind-up doll I created myself!"

He had no interest in announcing this to the whole world, but Karen was his friend, and Hayden wasn't the type to make friends with just anyone.

You've created an amazing doll wife, but you still have to keep it a secret, not even telling your friends—hey, what's the point of living in fear all the time? If you're afraid of everything, you might as well be a corporate slave and live a life of conformity.

Moreover, Hayden didn't feel he had any reason to be afraid.

As expected. Hearing Hayden's words, Karen was startled, but quickly calmed down, saying with disdain, "Huh? You actually built yourself a talking robot? You're a pervert!"

Because that's how a normal person would react.

Most people would find Angela a bit strange upon first meeting her. But once they learn she's a wind-up android, they're less likely to immediately realize her AI is off. This is because current wind-up android AI, much like sophisticated chatbots, can project an illusion of consciousness and even pass the old Turing test.

Aside from people like Hayden, whose credit cards were maxed out by Angela and who spent a day in close proximity to her, no one would notice the subtle strangeness emanating from Angela; they would simply regard her as a superior AI doll.

Because they take it for granted.

When Angela was called a "talking robot with a penis," she was neither angry nor ashamed. Instead, she smiled and said, "My master has never used me in that area, so it's a pity that I can't bring out that part of my function."

These words almost made Hayden spit out the cream soup he had just taken a sip of.

However, Karen remained calm: "Of course. If this guy had built a doll and dared to go for it, he wouldn't have been stuck at twenty-nine years old without a girlfriend."

In her view, it's only natural that AI wouldn't feel ashamed about this topic. Because that's indeed the case.

"Speaking of which, you actually built a robot that flies x cups, and even made it so faithful to desire in appearance. It's an all-rounder in housework and wears a maid outfit? You're disgusting."

Now that she knew Angela was a mechanical doll, Karen no longer held back and began to curiously examine her from head to toe.

"This outer shell was custom-made by Pygmalion, right? And this scent of lilies... wait, the circulating fluid used in this doll, could it be the Andrea No. 3 I designed when I was a junior in college? Are you using it to carry that kind of ancient housework magic?"

Her gaze was distinctly different from the look of an ordinary woman when she saw something beautiful. Sitting on the bed, Karen was observing Angela with the curious and inquisitive eyes of a craftswoman.

However, she was only half right. Hayden did use her invention from university, but as for the magic Angela used, it was clear that even Hayden herself didn't understand it.

So Hayden shrugged and replied in a half-joking tone, "Of all the circulating fluids I know for clockwork dolls, this is the only one that can buffer the recoil from spellcasting by constructs of level seven or higher without emitting a foul odor. I just happened to remember your old formula, so I secretly made it myself. What, are you going to charge me a patent fee?"

Karen immediately curled her lip and gave him the middle finger: "Go fuck yourself."

Hayden calmly accepted her resistance.

"It's clear that even though you've been working in the human resources department for the past few years, your alchemy skills haven't declined."

Then he shook the empty bottle that had just contained the mind-awakening potion.

"But do you really need to drink this? What on earth is your company up to?"

"I'm already considered to use very few performance-enhancing drugs. Besides, my medications are all custom-made for myself, and the side effects are less than 20% of those of commercially available products."

Karen responded with a cold laugh.

"Those who work 16 hours a day take stimulants like food and sedatives and sleeping pills like snacks. Those drugs sold on the market or even on the black market will poison you sooner or later if you drink too much of them."

Even though Hayden was a man of considerable experience, he couldn't help but show disgust upon hearing this: "You corporate people are all crazy."

"You're just talking without understanding the pain; you have no idea how terrible the competition among middle-level employees in a company can be."

Karen retorted irritably.

"What you can do, your colleagues can basically do too. No matter how outstanding you are, you won't be much better than your colleagues. If you want to climb up, you have to stay ahead at all times; even if it's just to avoid being pushed down, you can't relax at all. But everyone at the same level is about the same level, so of course you can only increase your working hours by taking drugs and not eating, drinking, or sleeping. I have connections, so I'm unlikely to be pushed down, which is already considered very lucky."

What a fine example of involution! What a prisoner's dilemma!

Hayden shook his head, speechless.

At the same time, perhaps due to physical discomfort and excessive work pressure, Karen started rambling and complaining about her college days.

"Damn it, I remember when we were about to graduate, everyone else was scrambling to find jobs, but you were off messing around with those people at the Energy Research Institute tinkering with some plasma magic cannon, and you even blew up the statues on campus. And the professors were protecting you. And now? You don't even look for a job, you're making money through freelancing... Why does fate always favor people like you who are both crazy and idiotic?"

Hayden wasn't angry at her rambling, and simply replied, "Every industry has its difficulties. To some extent, we're all being led by the nose by big companies. Who's an exception? It's just that I have my own way of life. The reason I came to see you today is because I have something to ask you."

"As expected. I knew you weren't just here to deliver soup."