The moment those words left his mouth, waves of shock and utter disbelief shot down Ivy’s spine.

"What kind of expensive joke is that?" Ivy asked with a light chuckle, shaking her head as she wiped her tears away.

"It’s not a joke," Darren replied immediately. "I’m being serious. Though, honestly, I don’t think that day will ever come. You’re strong, Mrs Ivy."

"And it’s Miss, not Mrs or better still just call me Ivy like you do sometimes please," Ivy corrected with a heavy sigh. "My husband and I are nothing to each other anymore. I’m raising my children on my own."

"Oh..." Darren swallowed hard, instantly realizing he had stepped into a sensitive topic. "Okay then. I’m sorry about that."

A brief silence followed before Ivy spoke again.

"Anyways, we’ll see the children again tomorrow. Let’s discuss more outside and of course find something to eat."

She carefully laid little Hope down beside the others before rising to her feet. Darren followed shortly afterward, and together they made their way out of the living room into the base compound.

"Here."

Darren suddenly placed a plate in front of Ivy the moment she settled down on the chair outside.

"I made some fried chicken and chips."

Ivy accepted the plate immediately.

"Figured you might be hungry," Darren continued with a small smile. "It’s been a long day after all."

"Thank you, Darren."

A warm smile spread across Ivy’s face before she began eating.

Darren leaned against the counter and folded his arms.

"So... what’s the reward?"

Ivy blinked.

"The reward?"

"For completing your mission."

"Oh, right!"

Ivy snapped her fingers.

"Thanks for reminding me. So, where’s my reward system?"

Ding!

{You have been rewarded with an Electric Butler Host.}

{Would you like to activate it now?}

{To activate the butler, give it a name and then say its name followed by the word ’Activate.’}

Ivy’s eyes widened then she glanced at Darren.

"The reward is an Electric Butler Darren . Honestly, I think this will give me a lot more peace of mind around here and I’m to give it a name now before I can activate it."

"Then you should name it," Darren replied with a warm smile.

Ivy thought for a few seconds.

"Melody."

Darren raised an eyebrow.

"Melody?"

"Yeah. I think that’s the perfect name. I’m not really good at naming things, but let’s go with that."

She straightened herself.

"Melody! Activate!"

Immediately, a sharp electrical hum filled the air.

Tiny sparks danced around several electrical appliances before vanishing.

Then a feminine mechanical voice echoed throughout the entire base.

"Melody has been activated, Host."

"I will now be responsible for managing all base activities twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

"My responsibilities include cooking, laundry, cleaning, maintenance, electrical management, inventory organization, and childcare assistance."

"My objective is to reduce the Host’s workload and improve overall base efficiency."

Both Ivy and Darren froze.

Then their jaws dropped simultaneously.

"Woah!"

"Woah!"

The two chorused in perfect unison.

Before either of them could say anything else, the gas cooker Darren had just used suddenly began cleaning all thanks to the electric butler.

Water turned on automatically.

Soap appeared.

Within seconds, everything was spotless.

"What the hell..." Darren whispered.

The potatoes Ivy had placed on the counter suddenly was taken by a machine hand and their skins were being peeled off.

They were washed, sliced into perfect pieces, and neatly packed into containers before gently sliding into the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, a broom rose from the corner of the room.

The dirt-covered floor began sweeping itself.

Dust disappeared.

The entire kitchen became spotless within moments.

Ivy and Darren simply sat there, staring.

Neither of them knew what to say.

"Fuck..." Darren finally breathed out.

His eyes were still wide with disbelief.

"This is extremely awesome!"

He pointed around the room excitedly.

"We literally don’t have to do any work anymore other than fighting monsters!"

He burst into laughter.

"You wanted a nanny for the children, right?"

A grin spread across his face.

"Well, congratulations. You’ve got one now."

He pointed upward dramatically.

"A machine nanny."

Ivy couldn’t help herself.

She burst into laughter alongside him.

The sound of their laughter filled the kitchen while Melody continued silently carrying out her tasks.

"It’s perfect."

Ivy watched the spotless room with a satisfied smile.

"I absolutely love it."