I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 109

“Here it is. Please check if this is the document you were looking for.”

“…Adrian?”

Holding the document Adrian handed me, I blinked in surprise. The place he had led me to was a secret location I would never have found on my own. After manipulating a bookshelf and performing a few specific actions, we passed through a dark corridor and arrived at a library filled with a massive collection of documents.

Adrian, who had effortlessly located an important-looking section, retrieved a locked document and handed it to me.

<Objective: Secret Document Acquisition Complete!>

• Second objective generated: ‘Read the document within one hour.’
• Reward: ???

The document Adrian placed in my hands was the original. It wasn’t a fake, nor was it the copy said to be in the Third Prince’s possession.

Even though I had asked for it, receiving it so easily left me feeling uneasy.

“This is an important document…”

“Yes, it is. But what does that have to do with me?”

“Isn’t that relevant…?”

His expression remained composed, but his words were absurd. I had assumed Dietrich was the least loyal, but I was wrong. Adrian was the greatest threat to the Empire.

As I hesitated to say anything, opening and closing my mouth, Adrian spoke indifferently.

“Saintess, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I simply prioritized your request over anything else. That does not mean I have betrayed His Highness Lucius.”

“The world calls that betrayal.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. I just said thank you. I’ll read it now.”

Closing my mouth, I flipped through the document.

<Accessible Information>

• Information 1: Method to Remove ‘Unknown Seal’
• Information 2: Method to Remove ‘Irremovable Item’

As I turned the pages, a system window appeared. Watching the shifting text, I selected the first option.

<Accessing Information 1: Method to Remove ‘Unknown Seal.’>

• Method 1: Capture target ‘Lucius’ must die.
• Method 2: The seal will automatically disappear when magic power reaches 0% (current depletion rate: 0.2% per hour).

Useless. How could I possibly kill Lucius?

Method 2 was just as useless. There was less than a week left until the coronation, and there was no way to drain 80% of his magic in time.

Removing the seal was out of the question.

<Accessing Information 2: Method to Remove ‘Irremovable Item.’>

This was my last hope. Tension filled me as I checked the contents.

• Method 1: Player Character ‘Haniel’ must die.

What the hell!

The moment I saw the method, my grip tightened on the document. Why were all the methods about dying? Was this some kind of joke?

Dying means the end… No, wait. This is a game. Even if I die, I can start a new playthrough.

Still, how could the only options be killing a capture target or dying myself? Grinding my teeth in frustration, I glared at the text. Just then, new words appeared beneath Method 1.

It felt as though the system was reacting to my distress, but that couldn’t be possible. That was just my imagination.

<If the player possesses the item ‘Dagger of Meaning,’ a ‘Sacrifice’ event will trigger, generating a new method.>

• Method 2: Participate in the coronation and offer the body part wearing the irremovable item as a sacrifice to activate item removal.

Letting out a deep sigh, I read through the newly revealed method. The gift I had received from Tricia and Dahlia had now unlocked another way to remove the item.

Right, Lucius did mention something about sacrifices before.

This was better than a dead-end ending, but… The game’s sensitivity was set to 100%, and now it was asking me to offer up the body part wearing the item. Did that mean I had to cut it off? Or would a small amount of blood suffice?

<Only body parts that have been fully severed from the player’s body will be recognized as a ‘sacrifice.’>

This is insane. Seriously…

A simple wound wouldn’t be enough. It had to be completely severed.

I glared at the ring wrapped around my left index finger, deep in thought.

Of all places, it had to be on the part of my body that was injured in reality. After hurting this hand, I had to give up playing the violin completely. Even after rehabilitation, doctors said my hand would tremble for the rest of my life. The moment that diagnosis came, my sponsorships vanished, and the professors who once promised to mentor me stopped reaching out.

The people who had adopted me for my talent abandoned me once public interest faded. After that, I wandered from place to place, struggling to survive.

Even if this was a game, I didn’t want to go through that pain again.

Was there no other way?

As unpleasant memories surfaced, I frantically searched the document for any other alternatives, but nothing new appeared. This was the final conclusion. If I wanted to log out properly, this was the only choice I had.

Ugh, I hate pain. Maybe I should just go for another confinement ending instead.

With a deep sigh, I set the document down on my lap.

<Second Objective: ‘Secret Document Reading’ Complete!>

• Reward: ‘Sensitivity Adjustment Ticket’

A reward…? What’s this?

<Sensitivity Adjustment Ticket: Allows temporary modification of physical sensitivity, increasing or decreasing it for 30 minutes before returning to default. (Adjustment range: 1-300%)>

As if reading my thoughts, an unexpected reward had appeared. I stared blankly at the item description.

With this, I could… without pain…

“Saintess, we need to leave now.”

Adrian helped me up as I sat in a daze. Snapping back to reality, I placed the document into my inventory. As it disappeared into thin air, Adrian furrowed his brows slightly.

He seemed about to say something but ultimately remained silent as he guided me out. I followed Adrian through the secret passageway.

Upon reaching Lucius’s chambers, Adrian erased any traces of our entry and spoke.

“There were rumors that the document contained a method to control people’s minds, but that doesn’t seem to be true.”

“No, nothing like that was written in it.”

“Well, if it really contained such a method, the Holy Kingdom would have done anything to retrieve it. But the only thing written inside is how to remove a ring…?”

Someone who had been sent to retrieve the document at all costs was here. Adrian muttered coldly, showing no interest in the document itself. He seemed to believe exactly what I had told him—that the document contained a way to remove the ring.

He didn’t doubt a single word I said, making me feel guilty for lying.

Adrian checked the time and furrowed his brows. The minute hand on the clock had made a full rotation. It had already been an hour since we entered to find the document.

“I need to prepare for the coronation now. Saintess, make sure you are not caught searching for the document…”

“I have something to discuss. Can I come with you?”

“A discussion? If it’s not about the coronation or you deciding to stay in the Empire, tell me later. I’m busy.”

“I’m not saying I’ll stay… but it is related to the coronation.”

Hearing that, Adrian quickly turned around. Clearly in a hurry to leave, I grabbed onto his clothes and made my request again.

“I’ll listen as we walk. Let’s go, Saintess.”

It seemed he wasn’t lying about being busy—he walked quickly as he spoke. The hand that had been gripping his clothes was now held by Adrian. Normally, he would match my pace, but now he was striding ahead rapidly.

“Saintess!”

As I followed after him, Dietrich and Dion spotted us and tagged along. Seeing our hurried steps, they asked curiously:

“Where are you going?”

“I need to discuss something about the coronation.”

“The coronation? If the Saintess has something to discuss… Ah, is it about the ritual?”

Dietrich, who was now walking in step with us, asked with a smile. As he spoke, he gently pulled my hand from Adrian’s grasp and placed it on his arm, drawing me closer.

Trying to keep up with Adrian’s fast pace had left me breathless, so I leaned against Dietrich’s arm to catch my breath.

“A ritual?”

“Is it not?”

I had been told to participate in the coronation ritual, so it was true. However, I had no idea what kind of ritual it was or at what point it was conducted.

When I raised my voice slightly in question, Dietrich tilted his head. Listening to our conversation, Dion interjected.

“Do you need an explanation about the ritual?”

“Yes, please explain.”

“It’s a ceremony performed before the coronation to cleanse lingering attachments and sins. A simple offering is made to symbolically absolve the future emperor of their past wrongdoings.”

“An offering…”

I murmured quietly, looking at the ring on my finger. The crimson gemstone caught my eye. As I stared at it, Dion spoke in a displeased tone, as if he didn’t like the ritual.

“It’s purely a formal tradition. There’s no need for it, honestly. I don’t know who came up with such nonsense.”

Hearing his discontented voice relieved some of my unease. I smiled slightly and asked, “Has His Holiness been chosen to officiate the ritual?”

“Yes, that was the plan.”

“Hmm…”

As I let out a short hum, Dietrich scrutinized my face. He carefully observed my expression and asked, “Do you want to officiate it instead, Saintess?”

Quick-witted as always.

When I nodded in response, Dietrich immediately turned to Adrian, who had already moved ahead.

“Adrian, put the Saintess down as the officiant for the coronation ritual.”

“Shouldn’t we get Sir Lucius’s approval first?”

Adrian paused briefly, then turned back toward us.

“I’ll report to Lucius now. There’s no reason he would refuse, so don’t worry and proceed with the arrangements.”

“Understood. I’ll tentatively arrange it, but once you get official approval, send confirmation.”

“Got it. I’ll send word within the day.”

Speaking decisively, Dietrich smiled and led me forward, continuing his explanation.

“The offering is usually a living being, but in coronation ceremonies, the officiant sometimes cuts off a portion of their hair and burns it instead. If you don’t want to take a life, cutting your hair should be enough.”

Dietrich was explaining the standard ritual. But what I truly wanted was to use this opportunity to remove the ring and log out.

Ah, perhaps I could cut my hair first and then offer the ring as well…

“Dion, why do you look like that?”

Just as I was about to nod, I noticed Dion’s expression had darkened. He was scowling at Dietrich, looking as if he regretted hearing that explanation.

“Why cut off something valuable? Ignore Dietrich. Just sacrifice a deer or something…”

“Don’t you think killing a deer is more wasteful?”

“Cutting your hair is a greater loss…”

“Saintess, you don’t have to listen to Dion. It seems he has a strange attachment to hair.”

Dietrich interrupted Dion and pulled me closer, speaking teasingly. Dion, looking frustrated, raised his voice in protest.

“I don’t have a strange attachment—I just think it’s a shame to cut hair that took so long to grow. The Saintess’s hair is also so soft and—”

“Wait, Dion. Have you touched my hair before?”

I don’t remember that.

When I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, Dion opened and closed his mouth wordlessly. Dietrich smirked and whispered openly in front of him.

“Looks like he touched it while you were unaware. Be careful, Saintess. The ones who act all innocent are usually the most dangerous. Compared to that, I’m very safe.”

That’s rich, coming from someone who enjoys dominating people in bed like pets.

Caught between Dion, who was flustered, and Dietrich, who subtly stroked my shoulder, I chuckled and continued walking with them.

My previously anxious mood had lightened, even if just a little.