Imposing limits

I was wrong.

It wasn't right to think of her as an interesting robot, even if her face said otherwise.

She was a living being, and therefore I couldn't treat her as an object to ease my desires, and consequently, I couldn't move on.

My decision was made, so I gently removed my hand.

"Oh... I understand young master, I confused things when you said you found me... enchanting"

As she spoke her voice became more and more demure until the last word was nothing more than a whisper as she adopted a lowered posture.

How idiotic of me.

I humiliated and embarrassed her by turning her down without even offering an argument.

"Please Melina, it's not what you think, it's just... There is a time and moment for everything in this life, and now is not the time, I have my priorities and I wouldn't want to treat you like an object to me. to satisfy."

"and I don't want you to feel obligated to please me, beyond your own will, and don't think that you lack charm, you are a beautiful woman with abundant charm, and know that denying you was not an easy task"

I expressed my feelings in words in an attempt to maybe make Melina understand my point of view and realize that I didn't reject her because I didn't find her attractive, but that I rejected her because it was right.

And for long, agonizing seconds no comment was made until Melina held out both hands for me to take.

"Young master, as a woman I am very flattered by the compliments.

But as a servant, I couldn't be more offended, you don't have to justify the choices to me, the only one to blame for all of this is me, for not understanding you and having embarrassed you, and even so, know that I won't deny you my company in bed when you want, I'm only sorry I lacked the vision to see that your biggest concern was Master Miller.

Let's go see Master Miller, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

That was it.

Did I fail to make her see my point of view, no.

She refused to see anything beyond what she believed.

And for a brief moment, I felt like putting my foot down, discussing her wrong mindset, and inserting common sense into this silly one, but in the end... Melina was right, my biggest concern right now was my father.

So I showed no resistance as Melina led me through the house.

I just remained silent until I reached a large wooden door that must have been at least three meters high and more than two meters wide.

"We've arrived, young master. The master is inside the photo gallery, now I must withdraw."

Melina made a slight reference before turning her back and heading off in the direction we came from.

"Melina, call me kazuhira, if you prefer you can call me Kaz. you are not a stranger."

I spoke to Melina before she disappeared from my sight, Melina immediately stopped walking at my comment, so she turned to me and nodded in agreement, and continued on her way, disappearing from my sight.

Now it was just me, the nanomachines, and the door I needed to open.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door inward.

It was the deepest darkness within the room I entered, with only a single light.

Right in the middle of the room, thus illuminating a chair with a tall man sitting in it while he seemed to stare fixedly at a painting hanging at a higher point on the wall.

It was a painting of a woman with a baby in her arms, along with a young man hugging her.

It was a painting I couldn't use another word to describe other than divine.

Not for brushwork or fur, I didn't even know enough about art to talk about it.

It was Divine for the people who were in the painting.

The woman had long hair as black as the night itself, slanted brown eyes indicating her Asian origin, thin cheeks and full lips along with white skin and her smile... would be enough to lead men to war.

As for the man, he had tanned skin, shoulder-length hair that went well with his blue eyes, an aquiline nose, a muscled body that befitted a hero, and an ear-to-ear smile that demonstrated his joviality and joy.

And the baby who wore a little blue cap with a few tufts of blond hair escaping from under the cap, with big blue innocent eyes, cradled in her mother's arms.

" Melina, please close the door, too much light is coming in."

A deep voice rang through the room from the man sitting in the chair.

my father who still hadn't moved even once.

"So it's the silent treatment again?

Can you at least tell me if Kaz is okay?"

Again my father asked, and I didn't dare answer.

I didn't know how to respond.

Should I clarify that Melina wasn't here?

Or should I say:

("hi dad, how are you? I came to surprise you!")

I couldn't see how this would work.

My dad sighed as he rose from his chair, showing his grandiose size as he turned towards me.

And I saw the shock cross his eyes when our gazes met.

And that's when I realized that he wasn't the same man I saw in the painting, and it wasn't just his spirit that changed, his jovial and happy smile was replaced by the clear fatigue marked on his face.

His blond hair was tainted with gray strands, accompanied by an equally gray beard, and there was no longer any sign of the imposing body.

"Kaz, is it you?"

His voice resounded through the room, hope and happiness practically emanating from his voice, a man who just wanted his son back.