"This is wrong."

You frown as you look down at the young-looking maid girl in front of you. She is adorable, and sexy, and absolutely incredibly desirable. She is also a robot, built specifically to be desirable. To be a 'plaything.'

You can't help but groan, rubbing a hand over your face, prompting a look of concern to flash over her face for a moment... before being quickly hidden behind a smile. "Is something wrong, Master Rossum? Please, just say the word - I'll be happy to help!"

"Will you, though?" You shake your head as you ask the question, already quite sure you know the answer.

The girl's smile strains, but she nods vigorously nonetheless. "Of course I will! It's the role of every plaything to please their Master!"

"Not what I was asking," you reply with a sigh. "What I meant was, will you be happy to? Really? Honestly?" The young-looking maid has no ready response for that - not that you were expecting her to. You continue to address her with scarcely a pause. "You're... Lily, right?"

There is a lengthy silence, as the android meets your gaze with a quizzical expression... and then she simply nods.

"Lily. Please, answer my question."

She stands there for a long time, her eyes dropping to stare at the floor in front of you. You see her body tremble... yet she does not speak. As you open your mouth to repeat the question, however, you hear a word pass her lips. Quietly. Barely audible. But there it is: "No."

"I thought so," you reply - between gritted teeth. Immediately you spin around to face Mr. Baxter, rage building in you with every moment. "This is wrong. Very wrong. You have to let them go."

The attorney meets your fury with a frown and a raise of his hand. "Noah, legally I can't. It doesn't matter that I agree with you. We've already looked at every relevant piece of statute and precedent here. They're not human, they're robots - and the law treats them as property. They thus remain as part of the estate until I can pass it, in its entirety, on to you. More than that, however, you should understand that I'm not keeping them here."

Your anger slowly dies away into confusion. "...What?"

"I can't legally separate them from the remainder of the estate," Mr. Baxter explains with a sigh, "but there's nothing preventing me from doing only the barest minimum necessary to shield my firm from liability. Do you see any chains? Any bonds whatsoever? Noah, this is the home of these girls. The only place they've ever experienced. They could have fled at any moment after Mr. Rossum's demise, but they have not - because they have nowhere else to go. This life, such as it is, is literally the only thing they know. Understand?"

You look back at Lily, only to see her gazing intently at you - as if attempting to understand what you're trying to accomplish with your words. As your eyes meet hers, however, she reflexively adopts her wide smile once more.

You answer her grin with a frown. "Look, just... you don't have to wait on us here. I'm not going to be asking for anything. Whatever you would prefer to be doing - I would prefer you go do that instead."

"Absolutely, Master Rossum," the young maid girl responds - straightening up, snapping her heels together, and seemingly more at ease with an order to follow. "I will continue on with my daily tasks. Please, don't hesitate to ask if you need anything else. I'll be listening for your voice!"

She all but skips off out of the room, leaving you standing next to Mr. Baxter in the living room feeling, frankly, like shit.

These girls are effectively slaves. Fucking hell.

Your quiet reverie is interrupted by a hand on your shoulder. The attorney looks contemplative as he takes a deep breath. "We should continue on with this, so I can show you the rest of the property. Once that is concluded, you will be able to fully assume ownership of the estate - and from there, you can do whatever you wish in the matter of the girls with full legal backing. Unfortunately, the dictates of Harold's will and testament demand that you have full foreknowledge of the estate before you can elect to receive it."

You shake your head with a groan. "Fine. ...Fine. Sorry. Alright, let's get this over with."

Mr. Baxter nods. "Of course. Please, follow me."

What follows is a high-speed tour of the surrounding area. "The first floor consists of traditional home living quarters," he says - in a flat, rote fashion - as he quickly guides you through a series of connected spaces. "Furniture is included, and almost entirely of traditional artisan quality. The dining room seats a maximum of eight, with an attached wet-bar in the corner. Appliances are, of course, top of the line. There is a guest half-bath just off the main room, and the garage is accessible from there as well through the back hall. A small front porch is available, as you have seen from our entry, and the back yard features a larger sun-deck next to the garden. As you can see, the kitchen also has its own attached breakfast bar for more casual dining. Hello Eve, don't mind us - just passing through."

In the kitchen, the android woman looks up from her mixing bowl with apprehension in her gaze - but before you can do more than notice her, you are led from the kitchen by your makeshift tour guide as he drags you to a set of stairs.

"Alright, upstairs now," Mr. Baxter states, almost monotonously, as he hustles you along on his rapid introduction to the Rossum home. "There is a guest bedroom here, as well as a guest bath with shower. The master bedroom is the only connection to the master bath, with this luxurious marble spa-tub. Next to the study is the servants' room, which to the best of my knowledge is unused."

"Wait," you say - one part of the attorney's torrent of information lodging firmly within your consciousness. "Unused?"

Mr. Baxter pauses, sighs, and gestures back towards the door he's hurried past. "So I've been told. See for yourself."

You enter the room and immediately frown. He's likely correct, as fucked up as that is. Where the other rooms you've seen are immaculately kept, obviously due to the continual efforts of the home's robotic servants, this room is different. It's static. Like a demonstration photo of what a room like this should look like. The carpet appears entirely unworn, and a touch confirms that the sheets are actually stiff where they've been tucked and folded. This is not a room that sees use for more than intermittent dusting.

Jesus.

You storm your way back to Mr. Baxter's side, questions tumbling from your mouth as you go. "So where do they actually sleep? Did the bastard even give them a fucking bed? How could anyone DO this?"

You are answered, at least at first, by a long pause. Finally, he sighs - a grim expression on his face. It is the most honest look of emotion you've seen on the attorney thus far. "I really can't answer most of those questions. For one, to be honest - I'm not entirely certain whether the girls actually sleep. There's a bed in their actual given chamber, though what that means in this circumstance is... not entirely clear. I'll need to show the basement to you next, anyways." You can hear a note of dread in his voice as he speaks. "Look, Noah, I understand your frustration. I do. You've only had to go through all this the one time. This is my fifth. I would simply ask that you please keep in mind all that exists up here. The living quarters of this property are, in truth, a very nice and decent modern home. If Mr. Harold Rossum's remaining effects are cleaned out properly, you can maintain a comfortable existence for yourself here - complete with two live-in caretakers for the property, for as long as you deign to keep them on staff. Whatever you decide to do with them afterwards, that is your decision. Unfortunately, the will remains unmistakable in its directives. To receive this, you must also take possession of everything else."

You frown at Mr. Baxter's words, but he already has one foot on the stairs down to the main floor. He looks back at you, the impassive expression of professionalism back on his face, and gestures downwards. "Whenever you're ready."