The apology left my lips quietly, yet it carried the weight of genuine remorse. I looked at her with a sad smile, realizing how hollow the words felt despite their honesty. For a long moment, Ruby didn't respond. The silence between us stretched—fragile, uncertain, and oddly comforting. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her to say something.
To some extent, I could feel her pain. Maybe that was why I couldn't stop myself from asking, from digging into the wounds she tried so hard to hide. In a way, she was like me—wandering through the mist of her own confusion, not knowing who she truly was, being pushed into roles she never wanted to play. The resemblance between our struggles unsettled me. It was as if I was looking into a mirror that revealed things I'd tried to ignore for years.
She lost her family, her loved ones—she had something that I didn't have. Not now, not will.
Maybe I am not the correct person to feel her pain... to connect with her.
This person in front of me hated... despised herself.
Ruby's gaze drifted toward the window. I could see the conflict written on her face—the urge to stay silent clashing with the need to finally speak. Her hands twisted in her lap; she drew a shaky breath, then shook her head.
"It's fine, Sharon," she said softly. "I really needed to talk to someone about my past."
Her voice trembled at first, but as she continued, it grew steadier. I could see the relief settling in her posture, the way her shoulders dropped just slightly as if some unseen burden had eased. Her sad expression slowly melted into a fragile smile—small, hesitant, yet real.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
After a minute, I ruffled her hair. "You don't have to despise yourself," I said softly.
Ruby's eyes widened as she looked at me in shock.
"How do you—"
"How do I know?" I completed her question. Rubbing my chin, I smiled, "I just know, okay? Ruby, I don't know if some said this before to you or not. But I tell you one thing—Ruby, you are not guilty. You were just forced to do things against your will. So, please don't despise yourself."
Ruby looked into my eyes, gratitude slowly filling her eyes. "Sharon, thank you for saying this. I am glad that I met you," she whispered. She gave me a sweet smile as she grabbed my hand, rubbing her cheek on it. "I am really grateful to you, Sharon."
I shook my head, taking a seat on chair beside her. "I should thank you for telling all this to me... for trusting me."
Ruby nodded, "Well, I guess, I need to satisfy you more from now on, don't I?" Her words held a tinge of her usual mischievousness. "When will you reward me?"
I pulled my hand away, and put it over my face. "Can you please stop this?!" My face heated as I said those words. "As for your reward, I will reward you at night."
Oh god! This woman was too horny!
Then again, I am too... nah, I am less horny than her.
Right?
She pouted, "You are too cruel, Sharon. I think you are a sadist, torturing me like this."
"Deal with it," I scowled. Okay, this woman was too shameless. "Why are behaving like a kid? I told you that I will reward you at night. But now, answer a few more of my questions."
"Shoot."
"Why were you observing Alex?" I asked her. To be honest, I had an answer in my mind, but I didn't want it to be true.
Ruby replied, "Alex is the protagonist of this world. He is the focal point of this world." Her words were serious, leaving no chance for something to joke.
My whole body trembled as I heard those words. A chill ran through me, sharp and cold, like the room itself had turned against me.
If Alex was the protagonist of this world, then what was I? The question clawed at my mind, desperate and raw. I was certain I wasn't the protagonist—there was no grand destiny in my name, no spotlight waiting to find me. Then what was I supposed to be? A background character? A mistake? A placeholder in someone else's story? The thought burned through my chest.
I wasn't anything close to being called a protagonist. There was nothing extraordinary about me—no power, no destiny, no grand purpose written in the stars. So where do I come in? What role did I have in this world's script? Why wasn't I chosen? The world seemed cruelly silent, and that silence was worse than any answer.
Why is this imposter the protagonist? The name—Alex—echoed in my head, foreign and familiar all at once.
My past life as Alex was nothing special. I was just... an online writer, scribbling stories into the void, dreaming of worlds better than the one I lived in. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Why this Alex is the protagonist of this world? And why wasn't I the protagonist? I was Alex too!
No.
The question is...
Were both worlds even same?
I don't think that I need to ask this question to anyone... because I know the answer very well.
Both the worlds are different.
"Then what am I? What is my role? What's the role of Sharon?" My question sounded desperate. This question clawed my heart, turning my insides up and down.
Ruby stilled for a moment before looking at the floor. "You are one of his harem members," she whispered, every syllable deliberately slow.
Of course!
Why am I not shocked?
That bastard's look said everything.
I leaned on my seat, closing my eyes to process everything. "You were at the party to observe the protagonist. But you noticed me—a member of his harem, behaving differently, right?"
"Yes, you were different from the data. I had chosen this world to hide from The Bureau. There should be nothing different from the data that I had gathered, but you were different." Her voice sounded happy. Was she enjoying my pain?
I opened my eyes, glaring at her. "Are you enjoying my pain?" I hissed at her.
Shaking her head, she replied, "No, I am not. I was just happy that I got to meet you." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "But I also know that you aren't the original Sharon. You are something that is utterly different from her."
I smirked, "How different?"
Suddenly, Ruby threw a plate at me. My eyes widened at her sudden as my hands moved on their own. With just two fingers, I caught the plate.
"This different." Ruby's smug voice rang in my ears.