Christian looked at Anastasia and his gaze softened without him realizing.
Like he was staring at a treasure trove dressed up as a woman.
Then, suddenly, he spoke.
"I want to show my appreciation for all this… Can I?"
Anastasia's golden eye narrowed slightly in suspicion.
But in the end, she only smiled and gave a small nod.
And Christian didn't miss a beat.
Still holding her hand, he gently tugged — and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a firm, warm hug.
Her body, petite and soft, pressed against his chest.
He closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and said in a voice quieter than before, "Thank you, really."
Christian was content. Genuinely happy with how the day had gone.
But Anastasia — who had been taken advantage of once again — didn't seem to share the same mood.
She looked like she was on the verge of eruption. Her shoulders were stiff, her eyes twitching.
And yet… she didn't erupt.
Instead, Christian remained like that, holding her for a few solid minutes, shamelessly enjoying the moment.
When he finally pulled back and even let go of her hand, he looked at her with a wide, unapologetic grin.
Anastasia stared at him flatly. Then sighed.
She began scolding him — strict, cold, and full of authority — but Christian, who still hadn't felt his Danger Awareness skill trigger, simply nodded along, smiling as if he were listening to a lullaby.
When the tirade ended, Anastasia fell quiet for a beat.
Then, her voice softened slightly. "I'll be going away for a while."
Christian was slightly take aback. But before he could ask anything, she narrowed her eyes and added with a chilling smile, "If you want… you can try running away."
Christian froze.
He hurriedly shook his head, and swore that he doesn't have this kind of intention.
Only then, did Anastasia smile at him playfully, and in the next second — she vanished.
Christian blinked. Looked around the workshop just to be sure.
She was really gone.
He exhaled, long and slow.
Then a smile crept across his lips — and it wasn't because she left.
It was because of the progress he'd made.
He stood there, a quiet grin tugging at his mouth, staring at the space she'd just occupied.
Did he actually have a chance with her?
He didn't know.
Trust and power issues aside, she was still someone way out of his league.
But that didn't matter.
Because he had already fallen into the trap — the one called beauty — and Christian didn't think he had the strength to pull himself out of it anymore.
Not that he wanted to.
-------
With the android for Anastasia finally finished, and she herself gone, Christian thought that maybe he should go visit his sister and Eva.
But then, he decided against it.
He couldn't know when Anastasia would return, and he had already made a decision before — to make sure of her intentions toward him, before anything else.
So, despite the temptation, Christian still stuck to his decision.
But then… what should he do?
He wondered that, as his gaze swept across the workshop, now much quieter than before.
There were many thoughts in his head, many plans he needed to work on — projects, improvements, new ideas.
But in the end, he decided not to do anything.
He had been working nonstop for three months… and that was enough.
It was time.
Time to rest.
With the decision made, Christian walked out of the workshop and headed straight to his room.
He didn't take a long route. Just a quick, direct path — and then threw himself onto the bed.
In no time, he was asleep.
Christian slept for two days straight.
Somehow, during that time, he dreamed of conquering Anastasia's heart… the universe… and all kinds of exaggerated, ridiculous things.
And when he finally opened his eyes again — awake — he couldn't help but chuckle.
His dreams… his ambition… they were huge.
But now, he knew. The road ahead was simply too long.
So maybe… maybe he needed to tone them down a little?
For a moment, Christian seemed lost in thought.
But then, his drowsy eyes grew heavier once again — and he slipped back into sleep.
He ended up sleeping for another full day before he finally rose from the bed and stretched out his body, joints popping softly as the stiffness faded.
With a refreshed mind, Christian moved on with his day.
He still didn't return to work — not yet. Instead, he just did ordinary things.
Eating, playing, reading novels, or simply lounging around.
That lasted until the night, when he finally had a video call with his sister and Eva.
Seeing their faces through a screen didn't sit well with him. It felt distant…
And that's why, once the call ended, Christian found himself returning to the workshop.
He walked toward Iris's incomplete body, standing there cold and unmoving, like the cold metal it is, and began thinking more seriously about his plans moving forward.
After all, his research into the mini nuclear reactor had already finished a week ago.
The problem was — building it wouldn't be easy.
This would be his first time working on such a project. He didn't have the proper equipment, and worse yet, he was doing everything alone.
Even so… should he push through and start building the reactor first? Or wait?
Christian stood silently for a while, his eyes lingering on Iris, thinking deeply.
But eventually, his thoughts settled.
He made his decision.
He would start by creating Beta.
Once Beta was complete, he would move on to Iris.
After all, Beta's role as his assistant would be immensely helpful in the process — someone who could handle the mechanical work, manage resources, and other tasks.
With the decision made, Christian immediately got to work.
He began with the most essential component — the skeletal frame.
But this time, he didn't bother with blacksmithing it by hand.
Later on, he would upgrade her properly.
But, for now, this was enough. After all, Beta wasn't meant for combat — she was an assistant.