Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Private conversation (2)

What I heard was so astonishing that my mind simply refused to accept it.

For a few moments, I was frozen, unable to utter a word or even move.

"Wait..." I finally managed to say, barely finding my voice, "you know that this world is... a game?"

The boy didn’t answer right away. He leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms, and seemed to smile thoughtfully. There was a barely noticeable movement under his hood.

"I know," he said calmly, almost casually, but there was a slight, barely perceptible mockery in his tone.

My mouth went dry. My heart skipped a beat — I could almost physically feel it jolting my chest before beating again.

He knows.

I hadn’t misheard him. He had said it in all seriousness.

I was once again overcome by a feeling close to numbness. Only one thought remained in my head: the thought that in this world, I was not the only one who knew the real truth.

This thought was both stunning and frightening at the same time.

Could it be that the person sitting in front of me was just like me? Someone who had also played this game before, and then... for some reason ended up here?

"Were you... a player?" I finally asked, feeling my voice betray me with a tremor.

He turned his head toward me. From under his hood, I saw a slight movement of his lips — an almost invisible smile.

"No," he replied softly, "I’m not a player."

For a moment, I was stunned.

"Then..." I swallowed hard, "are you a developer?"

This time he laughed quietly.

"Developer... If only. But, alas, neither one nor the other."

"Then who are you?" I asked more firmly, though my heart was still pounding wildly.

He tilted his head slightly to one side, as if pondering the answer. For several long seconds, silence reigned in the carriage, broken only by the faint wind outside.

Finally, my companion spoke:

"For now... unfortunately, I can’t tell you that. Everything in its own time."

I pressed my lips together, barely containing my irritation. Of course, his answer did not satisfy me at all.

I wanted to know who he was. Who was this boy who suddenly claimed to know about this world what, in theory, no one but me should have known?

But he obviously had no intention of opening up to me — at least not now.

I sighed quietly, realizing that I wasn’t going to get any more out of him than he was willing to give.

"All right," I said finally, trying to keep my voice calm. "Then at least explain one thing."

He lifted his chin slightly.

"I’m listening."

"A little earlier," I began, trying not to betray how nervous I was, "you mentioned game music. What did you mean by that?"

For a few moments, a tense silence reigned in the carriage.

The boy was silent for a while. Then he exhaled quietly and said, "Ah... you mean that." There was a slight weariness in his voice, as if he were saying something self-evident. "As I said, when that music plays... all our actions are being watched. That’s why it was so difficult for me to find a moment when it wasn’t playing. Like now."

I frowned involuntarily. His words sounded strange, almost insane, but there was no hint of jest in his tone.

"Observed?" I asked quietly.

He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something outside the carriage, then looked at me again from under his hood.

"Have you never noticed?" the boy asked, a faint smile flickering in his voice. "Have you never heard it? It plays almost constantly. That’s why I had to wait so long before I could contact you."

I thought for a moment, mechanically interlacing my fingers.

Game music...?

At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. But then, gradually, a quiet, barely perceptible melodic accompaniment came to mind, one that really did almost never stop. Light, repetitive notes, a background theme from the original game that had been playing since I first appeared in this world.

Before, I just didn’t think it was important. After all, I thought this music was just part of this game-based world, brought here along with the system.

Until that moment, I had never thought that it could mean something more.

Now, when the boy said this in such a calm, confident voice, a feeling of unease arose within me.

"Are you saying..." I slowly looked up, "that someone is watching us through the music?"

"Exactly," he replied briefly.

"But who?" I asked, feeling my voice betray me. "Who is watching?"

The boy slowly straightened up, and for a second, the edge of his face was illuminated from under his hood. I saw pale skin and a thin, calm smile.

"Oh," he said softly, almost affectionately, "you know her very well."

I didn’t even understand the meaning of his words at first.

"What... do you mean?" I asked, swallowing with difficulty.

He smiled a little wider, but there was nothing cheerful about that smile.

"Of course, I’m talking about the main villain of this game. Rubiella Weinstein."

"What...?" I froze, unable to believe my ears.

For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

Rubiella?

My Rubiella...?

"Wait," I finally exhaled, "but what does my niece have to do with this?"

The boy smiled again.

"Your niece?" he asked again, tilting his head to one side as if studying my reaction. "Hmm... It seems you’ve really gotten into the role of your character. Do you seriously consider her your niece?"

Those words made everything inside me tighten. I pressed my lips together, trying not to show my excitement.

"Be that as it may," I said firmly, "in this world, I am her aunt. That is a fact."

"Well," he nodded lazily, "you’re probably right about that."

We were silent for a few seconds, and I couldn’t tell if he was laughing at me or being serious. But there seemed to be no mockery in his gaze. Yes, perhaps there was something like anxiety flashing in the depths of his eyes.

"Then what did you mean?" I finally asked, feeling my patience running out.

The boy looked up, and his voice became quiet:

"Don’t you know," he said, "that she knows everything that happens in this world?"

I blinked, not immediately understanding what he meant.

"Knows... what exactly?"

"Everything," he replied. "Absolutely everything." Much more than you can imagine.

He spoke calmly, but his words sent shivers down my spine.

"She knows everything," he continued, "about people, about events, about you. She sees what you don’t see, hears what you don’t hear. There is not a single action in this world that escapes her attention. You have no idea how hard it is for me to hide from her."

I instinctively stepped back, staring at him and trying to figure out whether this man was lying or telling the truth.

"That’s... nonsense," I muttered, shaking my head. "You must be mistaken. What are you talking about? How can Rubiella watch us?"

"It’s much simpler than you think," he whispered. "Her influence in this world is incredible."

I frowned, feeling everything inside me tighten.

"What are you trying to say?"

"If she wants to," he said quietly, "this world can change in a matter of seconds. She is capable of changing everything around us, and none of us can do anything about it."

He paused, as if giving me time to comprehend what he had said.

"One wish from her, and day will turn to night." One word from her, and any of us could cease to exist.

I froze, as if I had lost the ability to breathe. For a few seconds, I just stared at him, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"That’s..." I finally exhaled, feeling my voice betray me, "that’s crazy. You’re wrong!"

The boy didn’t answer me right away, just bowed his head slightly, continuing to watch me.

"You... you don’t understand!" I continued. "Rubiella is just a character in this game. She doesn’t have that kind of power!"

I fell silent, taking a deep breath.

"And besides... she’s just a child now," I added, trying to sound confident. "A sweet, kind girl. She doesn’t even know what’s going on here. And even if you," I emphasized, "are aware that this is all a game, I don’t understand where you got such ridiculous ideas!"

The boy smiled quietly. His laughter was almost silent.

"Lady Weinstein," he said after a short pause, "listen to me carefully."

There was no irritation or sarcasm in his voice, only cold seriousness.

I didn’t answer. I just looked at him, feeling a sense of unease rising in my chest.

"You should have taken off your rose-colored glasses a long time ago," he said quietly, "and finally seen how things really are."

I frowned.

"What do you mean by that?"

He leaned back slightly in his seat, and the shadow from his hood once again completely hid his face.

"Everything you see around you," he said clearly, "is just a beautiful illusion."

I shook my head, not wanting to hear it.

"That’s impossible."

"It is possible," he replied firmly. "And you should also accept the cruel reality as soon as possible. It will be better for you."

He paused briefly and added in a whisper:

"This world is already rotting from within. And if we don’t do anything, very soon everything will turn to ruins."