I've Become A Miserable Character In A Novel

The precise sound of a heart rate calculator machine with the sound of clashing scalpels and the cold touch. This was the composition of a sophisticated sophia, where she was the best surgeon in the city. After a full day of standing at the operating table and saving precious lives, she went tiredly home.

As soon as she entered, she hurried to the kitchen where she smelled the aroma of her favorite food. Her family was gathered at the table, waiting for her to start eating. A faint smile appeared on her lips, but it quickly vanished when she heard her brother's complaint, "Hurry up, I'm hungry, turtle."

Sophia responded with a hint of irritation, "Start eating. I didn't ask you to wait for me."

But things didn't stop there. Her brother started mumbling words that only he understood. "What did you say?" she raised her head and gave him a cold look.

"I didn't say anything."

Sophia was about to say something, but it seemed that the mother sensed there might be a fight between her two adult children. So, she looked at her with a glare. Sophia swallowed what she was going to say, and the annoying brother smiled triumphantly.

Amidst the meal, the mother began endlessly complaining about her daughter and how she hadn't married even at the age of 37, while her brother mocked her and called her a spinster, despite the fact that he was also unmarried and behaved like a teenager at the age of 35.

Sophia got annoyed and started talking about how no one in this world is worthy of being her husband, and how all men in the world are scoundrels.

The mother got upset, and the brother laughed as if it were a comedic play, unaware that he himself was also acting according to his sister's definition of men.

Meanwhile, the father consoled her and promised that he would never leave her alone.

After dinner, Sophia went to her room after forcing her brother to do the dishes. She picked up her phone and began reading the third volume of a novel called "Hareem," which had caught her attention because there was a character with the same name as hers.

However, with each chapter she read, her expression grew uglier, and she couldn't continue reading. She angrily threw her phone onto the bed, started cursing the past and future generations of the author and the protagonist of the novel.

The character with the same name as hers died in the most horrific way at the hands of the protagonist, after he had killed her husband. She had been reading the novel for the sake of these two characters, not the protagonist, she already lost interest in him after reading the novel's description.

She closed her eyes, with thousands of curses in her mind for the author and the protagonist if she ever met them,

and then she fell into a deep sleep.

She didn't know how much time had passed until she opened her eyes and looked around expectantly. However, her eyes quickly dimmed when she realized she was still in the same room, in the old Eastern style.

"It was a dream, again."

Feeling bewildered, hopeless, and alone, she didn't even know why she was here. In fact, as a person from the 21st century and a veteran of transition novels, she knew she had moved into the "Hareem" novel she had read. Yet, she couldn't accept it, especially knowing that she wouldn't be able to see her family again.

Lost in her thoughts, she heard the creak of the door without bothering to look at who entered. She said, "Leave."

Her eyes were already sore from crying, and her condition was worsened by the presence of the small servant girl who came every morning to urge her to get ready and leave the room for something to eat or a stroll.

"Madam, please, even if you don't want to go out, just eat something. You haven't eaten for days."

Sophia responded angrily, "Don't you understand? Are you stupid? I've told you repeatedly, I don't want to see any of you."

Silence finally prevailed, and as Sophia waited for the sound of the door closing, she heard the servant girl pleading, "Please, madam. The prince has returned from his journey. Seeing him might make you feel a bit better."

There was no response from Sophia, and the servant girl thought she might be considering the suggestion. Slowly, she approached, fearing to upset her again, only to have a porcelain vase thrown at her face.

"Don't you understand? I've told you over and over, I'm not your lady, I'm not... cough, cough." Sophia began coughing, and suddenly she felt a terrible pain in her chest. Blood started flowing from her nose onto her white nightgown, creating a horrifying scene.

The servant froze, especially at the terrifying sight of her lady. Her eyes were red, swollen from tears, her skin pale, and blood covered her from every angle.

Worried, the servant girl moved closer to check on her condition, but she stopped when she heard Sophia's trembling voice, "Please, leave."

The servant girl pressed her lower lip and said, "Yes, madam," before leaving her alone in the dark room.

Once she was sure the servant had left, Sophia sighed and examined her body. "No hope, at least five months, at most ten. Even if a miracle happens, I'll die within a year." She was a physician herself, well aware of her own medical condition. Having read the novel before, she knew the fate of this character, "Sophia," all too well-the same character with the tragic and dreadful ending she had read about.

Upon recalling her miserable existence in the novel and seeing blood on her hands, Sophia could only remember a few lines from the novel between the protagonist and one of his lovers, who was the reason for the original Sophia's death.

***

The protagonist looked into his beloved Angela's eyes and presented her with Sophia's head. Sophia had died with her eyes open, wearing a perplexed expression as she hadn't known how she died in the first place.

He embraced Angela and called out to her in a voice resembling the whisper of a handsome devil from hell, "Angela, are you happy now? You no longer have to bear the title of the Second Beauty of the Northern Royal Family." Angela nodded shyly, as Alex's hands had already roamed under her skirt...

***

Sophia felt an increased sense of disgust upon recalling this and that the original body's owner had died for such a ridiculous reason. "Seriously, does the title of 'The First Beauty' matter this much? Damn the author and the hero," she muttered in her mind, but as she turned to look at herself in the mirror, all she could do was gaze in astonishment at her reflection. She experienced a mix of emotions, sadness and bewilderment, unable to see any trace of her former facial features she had grown accustomed to seeing every day for 37 years.

Before her lay a beautiful face, impervious even to bloodstains, with clear blue eyes and long black hair. A cascade of tears burst from her eyes once more, and she pressed her forehead against the mirror, feeling barely able to sit. In a soft voice, her words slurred from a week of constant crying, she said, "You, if you're watching me... Please take me back home. This isn't a funny joke, please... Why did you bring me here? Is this a hidden camera prank? Screw you all. I'm not a joke to you. My family will be worried; all I did was close my eyes and take a little nap."

After some time, the idea crossed her mind, "Maybe if Sophia dies as in the novel, I can return to my world..."

Sophia's gaze turned sharp as she said this, feeling her own stupidity, and she dragged her tired, sick body to select a sharp shard from the wreckage of artifacts and vases she had broken earlier. If anyone saw her from a distance, they would perceive from her gaze that she had lost all reason. She seemed like a crazy person muttering, "If I came here for a short nap, I'll return to my home with an extended slumber, a very long one. Who cares if Sophia dies now or in the future." A smile appeared on her lips as she thought that she wouldn't remain in this cursed place much longer.

After selecting a sharp shard, Sophia cut every vein in her wrist. Being a surgeon, there was no room for error. She ensured a swift, painless slumber that would last a long time.

She lay on the ground, surrounded by a large pool of blood, and with each passing moment, her vision became foggy. All she could see in that moment was the silhouette of a person. A sharp pain shot through her wrist, causing her to open her eyes quickly with an expectant look. But like fragile glass, all those expectations shattered with one look at her surroundings. She was still in that ancient Eastern-patterned room.

The headache started to intensify, and in astonishment, she thought, "Why didn't it work?"

Then she looked at her wrist and felt the pain growing stronger, her expression turning very ugly as she muttered, "This didn't work."

Suddenly, a voice next to her responded, "Is it painful?"

Sophia was startled by the sudden voice and quickly looked towards the source, not sensing anyone beside her. Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized the character from the novel immediately, as he possessed distinct features that set him apart from others in the story. He had pitch-black hair and fair skin, but what truly distinguished him were those deep, abyssal black eyes. It was as if a single glance from him could unveil all the secrets within a person.

Naturally, this was the character she had been drawn to, the one who had made her continue reading the novel despite all the disgust-inducing events.

He was none other than the Crown Prince of the Eastern kingdom "Noah," who was the original body's husband. As soon as she saw him, a few lines from the novel immediately came to her mind.

***

Alex said coldly, as he looked at Noah's body that seemed like a mass of flesh and bones, "You were a good punching bag, Noah. This young master won't forget you, because you were a good stepping stone for me. You unlocked new possibilities for strength on my path."

***

Sophia looked at the person sitting beside her with pity, feeling that she wasn't the only wretched one in this place. Noah was just a typical young master, a role commonly found in any wuxia novel, serving the purpose of refining the protagonist's skills and perhaps even helping him break through his cultivation bottleneck. Yet, her train of thought halted when she sensed the coldness, and a chilling sweat covered her all over. She then heard Noah say, "I asked you, answer."

She managed to respond with difficulty, fighting the pain in her wrist and the pressure coming from Crown Prince Noah, struggling to prevent tears from flowing. "Of course, it's painful. Please stop."

Noah was taken aback upon hearing this and was even more surprised by the pitiful expression on her face. The pressure instantly lessened, and Sophia could breathe again, but she still felt as if there were a thousand needles piercing her body. She then heard Noah say once again, "Don't do this again. You won't catch my attention by hurting yourself like this."

Sophia hadn't encountered anyone as self-absorbed as Noah, someone who thought so highly of himself. All she could do was laugh, despite the pain she felt, as she clutched the left side of her clothes, her hand turning pale. Nevertheless, Sophia didn't give his narcissism much importance; she had lost a part of her sanity on the day she was transported to this place.

She smiled at Noah, whose ugly expression was met with her attempt not to choke on the blood she was coughing up. "Noah, I pity you."

He didn't reply, but mumbled something shortly afterward. A person dressed in black suddenly appeared from thin air, kneeling on one knee, waiting for the Crown Prince's command. "Summon the doctor and Liam."

Sophia didn't pay attention to what Noah said, continuing to laugh at their unfortunate fate, even as she coughed up dark blood with force, appearing like a mad person. Nonetheless, her gaze froze in the air when she saw a transparent blue panel and heard a robotic voice:

[Ding: System activated]

[Ding: Matching souls in progress]

[Ding: First task: Stay awake during soul matching]

[Reward: Slowing down the action of poison within the host's body]

[Ding: System activated]

[Ding: Matching soul in progress]

[Ding: First task: Stay awake during soul matching

Reward: Slowing down the action of the poison within the host's body]

Sophia's expression froze as she saw the blue screen and read its contents. But before she could even grasp what was happening or what was written in front of her, an unbearable pain surged through her. It felt as if someone was tearing her soul into countless tiny fragments.

Immediately, Sophia collapsed, unable to remain seated. However, Noah, who was agile, caught her before her head could hit the bed's edge.

Noah felt bewildered. He had completely understood, up until now, that Sophia wasn't pretending madness or illness to catch his attention. Her eyes were dim, and her skin was pallid, as if she were on her deathbed.

In fact, he had only been teasing her about this matter! He knew her personality well after spending three years with her. A proud person like her would prefer death over anyone seeing her in such a state, especially him.

But now, all he knew was that she was in pain-a tremendous pain. Her hand clung to the edge of his robe, as the remaining color drained from her face, leaving her eyes bloodshot.

It wasn't just her eyes; her coughing intensified more and more, while her nose began to bleed.

Noah's eyes widened at this sight. Ever since the day he married Sophia, he had considered her his guiding star, especially since he knew she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his interests. She was more of a puppet to him than a wife, never caring even about this issue, which prevented him from hating her to that extent after being forced into the marriage.

Before he knew it, her eyes had become like deep abyss as he looked at Sophia, who started to gasp and whimper. "Are you going to die?" As he said this, his tone was gloomy and cold. Yet, he always spoke in this manner, as no one knew what he was thinking or feeling.

Sophia wasn't aware of what was happening around her due to the excruciating pain she felt. She endured it without losing consciousness, and amidst this, floating words caught her attention.

[Ding: In case of host's failure and loss of consciousness, the punishment will be final death.]

Fear gripped her as she read those words. She wasn't afraid of death itself, but rather the idea of never returning to her family, and that was her sole fear. While pondering the possibilities of losing consciousness, she saw millions of images and scenes suspended in the air. A burning sensation filled her mind as those scenes she witnessed became a part of her. They were like a short and long film at the same time, starring the original Sophia herself.

Instantly, she realized that these scenes belonged to the memories of the original body. Yet, she didn't even attempt to fully grasp them as the pain intensified exponentially. Nevertheless, she felt even more astonished when she saw the final memory of the original body's owner. There was a beautiful smile on her face, and she said while looking at the mirror, "Don't give up, not so easily."

The pain ceased immediately after those brief words from the original body's owner, and a blue screen appeared in the air.

[Ding: Soul matching successfully completed]

[Ding: Reward obtained]

[Ding: Poison action slowed down]

[Ding: Punishment canceled]

Sofia felt exhausted after going through this experience, as if she had been tormented for years. As soon as she read those words on the floating blue screen, her vision turned hazy, and she fainted instantly.

Noah looked at Sophia, who had fainted, and gently laid her on the bed. Then, his gaze shifted to the old man and the young girl beside him. He coldly called their names:

"Doctor Steve, Emma."

"Examine her immediately and find out what's wrong with her. Send me a report," Noah commanded, before leaving the room, which had become filled with the metallic scent of blood.

Hours passed, and Sophia could barely manage to open her eyes. When she looked beside her, she saw a young girl holding her right hand as she slept soundly. She felt grateful to this girl, but she wasn't in the mood to return the favor. Her gaze turned to the floating blue screen in anticipation, as she couldn't help but think about the original protagonist's cheating-level system-a golden finger that allowed him to become the world's strongest without much effort, simply by collecting harem members here and there. This was what made Sophia detest this type of story.

However, there was a glimmer in her eyes when she saw the absurd system she had disliked. She reached out her hand and attempted to touch the screen, but her hand passed through it.

So, she tried to inquire within her mind: "How do I return to my world?"

[Ding: Conditions not met to receive an answer]

Sophia pressed her lips together to ask again, "Why am I here?"

[Ding: Conditions not met to receive an answer]

The glimmer in her eyes faded, and she returned to her original opinion that the system was absurd. It lost all its appeal when it failed to answer these questions. Yet, she couldn't ignore it either, as it might be her only way back to her world. So, she asked, "What should I do?"

[Ding: Main task: Search for the remnants of the Soul Gem and assimilate them]

[Ding: Reward: Obtain one wish]

A tired, pale smile appeared on her face. The only thing on her mind now was to complete this task as quickly as possible and return to her world.