My Eccentric Harem

It started as an innocent mistake. Aoyama had set up Netflix for Albedo, figuring it would help her pass the time and maybe distract her from her disdain for this world. He'd even made a custom profile for her, complete with a horned avatar and the name "Duchess of Shadows."

What he didn't expect was for Albedo to stumble upon a certain anime.

---

"Aoyama," Aqua called from the kitchen, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Why is Albedo so quiet? Did you finally bore her to death?"

Aoyama looked up from his textbook. "She's not in the living room?"

"She's been sitting in front of the TV for hours," Aqua said. "It's weird, even for her."

Curious, Aoyama walked over to the small partitioned section they'd set up for Albedo—her unofficial "corner" in the apartment. What he saw made his blood run cold. Albedo was sitting on the floor, her hands clenched into fists, her entire body trembling. The screen displayed a paused frame from Overlord, where Ainz Ooal Gown's skeletal form loomed over his loyal NPCs.

"Albedo?" Aoyama said cautiously. "Are you... okay?"

She didn't respond. Her golden eyes were fixed on the screen, her expression a mixture of disbelief, fury, and heartbreak.

"I see," she finally murmured, her voice low and trembling. "So this is the truth."

Aoyama's stomach sank. "What are you talking about?"

Albedo slowly turned to him, her eyes blazing with a fury that made him take a step back. "You knew, didn't you? About... this."

"I—what?" Aoyama stammered. "I didn't know anything! What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to me!" Albedo snapped, standing abruptly. She pointed at the screen, her voice breaking. "This... this show—it's my world! My life! And now I know the truth about Lord Ainz... and about myself."

"What truth?" Aoyama asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Albedo's lips trembled as she struggled to speak. "He... rewrote me. My feelings, my devotion—none of it is real. It's all a lie. A manipulation. I wasn't even created to love him; it was an afterthought. A... joke."

Aoyama's eyes widened. He remembered the scene from the first episode of Overlord, where Ainz had casually altered Albedo's programming to make her obsessively love him. At the time, it seemed funny—a typical anime gag. But to Albedo, it was a devastating revelation.

---

For the next few hours, Albedo didn't say a word. She retreated to her small sanctuary, a secluded section of the living area she'd claimed as her own, the faint sound of her muffled sobs reaching Aoyama's ears. Aqua, for once, refrained from teasing and sat beside Aoyama on the couch, her expression unusually serious.

"What do we do?" Aqua asked quietly.

Aoyama shook his head, his chest heavy with guilt. "I don't know."

"She's been through a lot," Aqua said, surprising him with her rare moment of insight. "Finding out that your entire existence was manipulated? That's... rough."

"I have to talk to her," Aoyama said, standing.

"Good luck," Aqua said. "You'll need it."

---

"Hey, Albedo? Do you want to talk?"

There was no response. Albedo was sitting on the edge of the Futon, her back to him. Her shoulders were slumped, and her wings drooped lifelessly.

"Go away," she said, her voice hollow.

"I'm not going anywhere," Aoyama said, keeping a respectful distance. "You don't have to talk, but... I'm here if you want to."

For a long time, there was silence. Then Albedo spoke, her voice barely audible. "Do you think I'm pathetic?"

"No," Aoyama said firmly. "Not even close."

Albedo let out a bitter laugh. "I was so proud of my love for him. I thought it was pure, unshakable. And now I know it was nothing more than a line of code, written as a joke. How am I supposed to live with that?"

"You're more than just that code," Aoyama said gently. "You're smart, strong, and passionate. Maybe Ainz messed with your programming, but that doesn't define who you are now."

Albedo turned to him, her golden eyes shimmering with tears. "How can you say that? Everything I am, everything I've done, was for him."

"And now," Aoyama said, meeting her gaze, "you have a chance to decide for yourself. To figure out who you are beyond what someone programmed you to be."

Albedo stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, to his surprise, she smiled faintly—a small, fragile smile. "You really are a fool, Aoyama."

"Yeah," he said, smiling back. "But maybe that's what you need right now."

---

The next morning, Albedo emerged from her corner looking more composed, though there was still a heaviness in her gaze. She sat down at the kitchen table, where Aoyama was making tea.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" Aoyama asked, handing her a cup.

"For... listening," she said, her voice soft. "And for reminding me that I'm more than just... him."

Aoyama sat across from her, his chest feeling lighter. "Anytime."

Albedo sipped her tea, her expression thoughtful. "I don't know what my place is in this world yet. But... maybe it's worth figuring out."

Aoyama smiled. "I think so, too."

---

That night, the system updated.

---

Name: Albedo

Affection Level: 20/100

---

"Twenty," Aoyama murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "We're getting there."

He glanced at Albedo, who was sitting by the window again, her expression calmer than it had been in days. For the first time, he felt like they were truly making progress—not as part of the system, but as something real.

To Be Continued...