1 #01-Isn't This The World I Created?

"Athanasia Brown! I told you that you won't be able to run anywhere!"

Athanasia Brown cursed under her breath and sped up her run. The seventeen-year-old girl was running away from her school friends, who always bullied her. Of course, all this time Athanasia has always fought them. She did not understand what mistake she had made to them. Was it just because she was a transfer student from America that she was ostracized by everyone? For God's sake, her Mother is Korean and she can speak Korean too!

If all this time Athanasia Brown always fought her school friends, this time Athanasia couldn't do it. Those people brought along men, who were much older than her and had bodies that were much bigger than her. Athanasia tried to fight back but as a result, the girl received several injuries to her face and other limbs. Her running speed has also begun to decrease because her ankle, which had been sprained earlier, is now starting to hurt.

Athanasia was no longer able to run. She stopped at the top of a hill. The girl tried to catch her breath. Her lungs hurt a lot. Athanasia took a deep breath and looked at her school friends and also the men, who had been chasing her. They laughed mockingly and looked at Athanasia with disdain.

"You can't run away from us anymore, Athanasia Brown!"

Athanasia threw the spit mixed with blood aside. She glanced down. Below, a river flows swiftly.

"Kim Seo-Yeon," Athanasia called. She knew it all started with that short-haired girl. Athanasia clenched her fists and glared at the girl. "Why do you always find ways to bully me and hurt me? What did I do wrong to you?! Is it because I'm American and not Korean like you?"

Kim Seo-Yeon snorted and looked at Athanasia with a hateful gaze.

"I don't mind things like that, Athanasia."

"Then, what?!"

"It's because of your Mother!"

Athanasia blinked. She seemed unable to believe her ears. "What did you say? My Mother?"

"Yes, your Mother," nodded Kim Seo-Yeon. "Your Mother, she has seduced my Father! I caught your Mother and my Father going into a hotel at night together. Then, the next day, my Mother came to the hotel. They fought, Athanasia! Your Mother has ruined my Father and Mother's marriage! My Father left me and my Mother, and my Mother finally got ill. My Mother finally passed away. Because of that, I will avenge my Mother's death! I will make your Mother lose you so she will know how it feels to lose someone she cares about!"

Athanasia couldn't believe all this nonsense. She shook her head and cried. Her heart hurts so much. The Mother she loved actually had the heart to do something like that?

"Oh, by the way, I found this." Kim Seo-Yeon took out a novel from inside her backpack. Seeing that, Athanasia widened her eyes. "So, it turns out you're that famous mysterious writer, huh? Your novel is very good and very liked by many people. I also read it and I like it. However, I didn't expect that the one who wrote such a good story would be a lowly girl like you!"

When Athanasia saw Kim Seo-Yeon throwing her novel into the river, the girl reflexively jumped too. She could hear the shocked screams of those people, who wanted to hurt her. Athanasia caught her novel and hugged it. The girl smiled and cried. She will die any minute now. However, she wasn't afraid. Together, with all the characters she created in this novel, the characters she loves very much, Athanasia will never feel lonely. If she is to be reborn into the world once again, Athanasia will choose to be born as a person, who dares to fight bad people. She will help weak people, who are always being bullied by others.

"Mother, I'm sorry that I left you alone," Athanasia said in a sad tone. Her body plunged into the river and the cold immediately assaulted her. Athanasia let her body be dragged away by the swift currents of the river. "I am grateful to be your daughter. Hopefully, we can meet again, Mother. I love you."

###

"My Lady!"

The scream made Athanasia frown. When she opened both eyes, she was wide-eyed. Athanasia looked around and realized she was underwater. Her tiny body sinks deeper into the bottom of the water. She wanted to swim to the surface but the dress she was wearing was giving her a hard time.

Wait a minute.

Athanasia blinked and raised both hands. She looked down at her own palms, and then at the green-colored dress she was wearing. Then, Athanasia touched her face.

A dress?! Wasn't she wearing her school uniform when she fell into the river?!

It was then that Athanasia heard that terrified scream again. The voice that called her 'My Lady'. Athena frowned. She was starting to have trouble breathing. Then, Athanasia heard the sound of something jumping into the water. She blinked and turned her head around as someone grabbed her by the waist. Athanasia froze when she saw a handsome man with long silver hair and purple eyes trying to bring her to the surface. When they finally arrived at the surface, Athanasia was immediately assisted by several people to get up to a safe place. Athanasia coughed and she tried to inhale as much oxygen as she wanted.

"My Lady, are you all right?!" someone shouted. Athanasia looked up and frowned when she saw a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. The woman was wearing a maid outfit. Realizing this, Athanasia immediately looked around. The surrounding buildings were completely unrecognizable. The buildings also looked like European-style buildings. Like buildings in novels or movies. Athanasia stared at her dress. This is also a noblewoman's dress.

"If you want to kill yourself, do it somewhere else, not in my mansion!"

That sharp sentence made Athanasia turn her head around. She widened her eyes when she saw the handsome man, who had saved her earlier, drying his long silver hair with a towel. His purple eyes shone sharply, making Athanasia swallow hard. The woman tried to stand up and the maid, who had been crying in front of her, immediately helped her.

"Me? Suicide?" Athanasia snorted. "Are you out of your mind? I never had any intention of killing myself! It was those damn people who chased me and cornered me so I had to jump into the river!"

"The river?" The man with long silver hair and purple eyes raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms. "There is no river in my mansion, Princess Ruby Alasdair. It's just a lake."

Athena frowned. "Earlier... What did you call me?"

"Looks like you hit your head."

"My name is..." Athanasia swallowed hard. "What is my name?"

The man is silent. He looked at Ruby Alasdair with a probing gaze. Was this woman acting in front of him? But, Ruby Alasdair looked pale and scared. Such expressions did not reveal someone who was acting or lying.

"Ruby Alasdair. That's your name. You are the daughter of Duke Alasdair. However, the rumors I heard, the daughter of Duke Alasdair is a woman who doesn't really like socializing. She was famous for being shy and afraid of other people." The man looked at Ruby. "However, right now you look normal in my eyes. You are a woman who dares to look directly into the eyes of the person you are talking to and you can also speak in a firm and sharp tone. You're a brave woman. Are the rumors fake?"

Athanasia was silent. She raised her hands again. If her name is Ruby Alasdair, does that mean... she died and left her life as Athanasia Brown? And now, she's about to start her new life as Ruby Alasdair? An extra character in the novel she created when she was alive as Athanasia Brown?! In that case...

Athanasia stared at the man in front of her.

"Are you… Duke Sylver Cielo?"

The long silver-haired man snorted and grabbed Ruby's chin. He looked at Ruby with a sharp and cold gaze.

"You dare speak casually to me, Princess Ruby Alasdair? Didn't Duke Alasdair teach you any manners? Even though our family's noble status is equal, I am still above your family because I still have imperial blood in my body."

Ah... he really is that cruel and scary Sylver Cielo. The second male lead that Athanasia created to make the storyline of the novel interesting. Athanasia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. This is indeed hard to believe. It seemed impossible for her to enter the world of the novel, the world she had created, and then possess one of the characters. However, Athanasia must be able to accept her fate, whether she likes it or not. Because, even though she cried hysterically, she could never return to her life as Athanasia Brown.

When Ruby opened her eyes, Sylver Cielo raised an eyebrow. Those beautiful pink eyes were sharp and cold. Those pink eyes challenged him. Then, Ruby jerked Sylver's hand away from her chin and the woman directly slapped the cold-blooded cruel Duke, who was the most feared in the Graziano empire. The sound of Ruby's slap echoed, making the servants in Cielo's mansion, the Butler, and also the maid, who were very worried about Ruby's condition, freeze and widen their eyes.

'Isn't this the world I created? In this world, I am the ruler, not Sylver Cielo and also the Graziano empire!' Ruby Alasdair thought to herself. From this moment on, Athanasia will accept her new life and identity as Ruby Alasdair.

"Were you also never taught manners by your parents, Duke Sylver Cielo?" challenged Ruby. "Don't you know that touching the face of an unmarried woman is impolite, especially if it's done without the woman's permission? You've sexually harassed me, Duke. I will report this to my Father and also to Emperor Graziano."

Sylver Cielo was silent. The man held his sore cheek. However, there was a smirk that appeared on his handsome face.

Well, isn't this very interesting? Thought Sylver Cielo. A woman known as a coward actually has a hidden side like this!