I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 132

“Are you two feeling down because you were late today?”

Theodora spoke as she set down the items she had brought in the corner of the room. Her expression clearly showed her disbelief.

She glanced around, quickly finding a candle and lighting up the dark room.

As the room brightened, our eyes met. I hurriedly looked away.

When I lowered my gaze and fidgeted with my fingers to avoid eye contact, Theodora turned to look at my brother. Alternating between the two of us, she pressed her fingers against her furrowed brow, as if dealing with a headache, before speaking in a calm tone.

“I did find some work since Orias insisted on doing it, but you two really don’t need to work anymore.”

I wrapped my arms around Orias’s arm and lifted my head. When our eyes met, Theodora let out a small laugh and added, “Lady Haniel, Lord Orias, you will soon be candidates for the Pope. There’s no need to be fixated on earning daily wages…”

“We’re always grateful to you, Priest Theodora. But we can’t just believe in such an uncertain future and stop working. If you withdraw your support, we’ll be left alone again.”

Oppa, who had been sitting gloomily, spoke in a slightly rebellious tone.

“I don’t mind struggling myself, but I hate seeing Haniel suffer.”

“Hah.”

A scoffing sound came from Orias.

His laugh was tinged with cynicism, as if he couldn’t understand such selflessness at all.

At that moment, Theodora, who had been focused on my brother’s words, turned to glare sharply at Orias. Her gaze was noticeably colder than when she looked at me and my brother.

Fixing a piercing stare on Orias, Theodora spoke to my brother in an unusual tone, “If you don’t want Lady Haniel to suffer, you need to get rid of that child first.”

She wasn’t merely suggesting it as a possibility—Theodora seemed completely certain that as long as Orias stayed by my side, I would suffer.

“That child will bring Lady Haniel sorrow.”

<Information acquired.>

• Theodora’s prophecy.

As Theodora spoke with a solemn expression, a system window popped up beside her.

<Priest ‘Theodora’>

• ‘Theodora’ is a priest with foresight abilities.

The system window was filled with ominous information.

I had no way to interfere in this situation. Even though I was being shown such foreboding information, there was nothing I could do.

All I could do was watch through Haniel’s eyes and feel anxious.

“Ah.”

Theodora’s pupils trembled violently as she continued to glare at Orias. Covering her mouth with both hands, she turned pale.

Her expression showed regret, as if she wished she could take back her words, but it was too late—her words had already reached Orias completely.

Even after hearing himself being treated like an ill omen, Orias remained unfazed.

He simply clicked his tongue and stood up.

“Do you think I wanted to come here?”

Orias scoffed as he rose to his feet, shaking off my hand.

He wasn’t wrong. Orias had only ended up here because my brother and I had dragged him along.

After being turned away from work, we had returned home together, and on the way, Orias had grumbled nonstop.

Then, upon seeing the house, he had muttered disapprovingly, “At least the roof keeps the rain out.”

He had also insisted that he would only stay for a single night before leaving.

“You don’t have to say anything—I was already planning to leave.”

Theodora flinched but couldn’t find a response.

Orias, as if expecting this, didn’t seem to care.

He took a step forward.

“No!”

I jumped up and clung to his waist.

“Don’t go. It’s cold outside.”

“How does that have anything to do with you?”

As I clung to Orias’s waist, my brother let out a long sigh.

He had been listening intently to Theodora, but now, seeing me struggle with Orias, he turned to Theodora and spoke, “If we send him away now, Haniel won’t leave me alone. She’ll nag me for at least a week. Rather than dealing with that, it’s much easier to just let him stay.”

“Orias, what I just said wasn’t my own will, but…”

“That foresight ability that let you find us, right?”

“Yes. It wasn’t something I said by choice, but it’s not something to take lightly. Perhaps that child really will…”

Theodora’s voice wavered slightly as she continued. It was clear she wanted to take back what she had said, but she couldn’t.

“Priest, do you really think that child will harm Haniel?”

“Maybe not now, but if my prophecy is correct, in the future…”

“It’s fine. Even if that happens, I’ll be by Haniel’s side. I can protect my sister.”

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s fine.”

I chimed in cheerfully, cutting through the serious conversation. The tension in the room eased slightly at Haniel’s bright voice, and Theodora’s face softened.

With a low sigh, she said, “…Alright. If that is your decision, then I will watch over things as well.”

“Let go of me. I’m leaving.”

“They said you can stay! That’s great!”

Orias’s opinion was ignored once again.

Even Theodora, who had just foretold a grim future for him, joined in blocking the door, preventing Orias from leaving.

With no choice but to stay, Orias sat down as Theodora set out food for us and kept watch outside until late at night.

She carefully checked for anything unusual, making sure there were no signs of danger or suspicious people lurking nearby.

Before heading back to the temple, she turned to us and said, “…Even if you two weren’t candidates for the Pope, I would never stop supporting you. So don’t worry about being left alone again.”

It was a kind and warm sentiment, yet Theodora lowered her head in embarrassment as she spoke, then quickly left the room.

“…I will return tomorrow.”

Without looking back, Theodora turned and walked away.

“She said she’ll come back.”

“I like Dora unnie.”

“Mm, me too. I’m glad she’s a good person.”

My brother, who had been watching the candle Theodora had lit, smiled in satisfaction. He moved the half-melted candle to the center of the table, and we began preparing our bedding.

Orias, sitting in the corner, was watching us move busily.

“You barely know me. Why do you meddle so much?” said Orias in an exasperated voice, as if he truly didn’t understand.

My brother and I were too focused on setting up our bedding to pay attention to his words. Orias grumbled to himself for a while, then leaned against the wall and silently observed us.

“I’m going to sleep in the wardrobe!”

“You sleep here, I sleep here, and he’s in the middle.”

“Orias oppa, I want to sleep in the wardrobe…!”

“No. Ah, by the way, what’s your name?”

My brother, pressing down on my hand as I pointed to the wardrobe, turned to Orias and asked.

Orias didn’t answer, his red eyes merely rolling around.

That night, we never got to hear his name.

***

The system quickly skipped through my time spent with Orias, as if there was nothing more important in those moments. It only resumed normal playback when the day came for us to enter the temple.

“Since you are now candidates for the Pope, you will be staying at the temple.”

When I woke up, the area in front of our house was bustling with priests from the temple.

Among them were familiar faces.

At the front of the group stood Zoro, who greeted us with delight.

“You must have struggled in a place like this. If Priest Theodora had reported it earlier, we could have found you much sooner.”

Though his tone sounded sympathetic, his words were filled with blame toward Theodora. Theodora furrowed one eyebrow as she stared at Zoro but didn’t bother to defend herself.

She didn’t need to—because we knew she had done everything she could for us.

It was Theodora who had comforted us when we were afraid of the new power that came with our awakened holy power. It was also Theodora who had taken in Orias and cared for our growing household.

If she had presented us as Pope candidates before a divine revelation was given, we would have been condemned as heretics instead.

This was because the abilities granted by our holy power were considered rather unusual.

The ability to manipulate memories seemed more like the trickery of demons rather than a blessing of God, and Theodora had been deeply concerned about that.

For that reason, she had waited for the divine revelation to be bestowed as she had foreseen. She had remained with us, waiting for the right time.

“They are Pope candidates. Show some respect, Priest Zoro,” Theodora rebuked him calmly. “They are just children! Do you not feel any sympathy for children who have endured such hardships?”

Zoro’s soft, uncalloused hand reached out and patted my head.

“Don’t touch Haniel so carelessly,” said my brother sharply, pushing Zoro’s hand away in clear displeasure.

Zoro frowned for a moment before quickly composing himself and forcing a sheepish smile. “M-my apologies. I just felt a sense of closeness, as if you were my own children…”

“If, as Priest Theodora says, we are truly Pope candidates, then please show us proper respect. We are not your children, Priest.”

My brother lifted his soft eyes and met Zoro’s gaze firmly.

Zoro barely managed to hold his smile in place as he looked at my brother, who was outright rejecting him.

“…As you wish.”

Clenching his teeth, Zoro responded curtly, then quickly scanned his surroundings. Before long, his gaze landed on Orias.

“Who is that child?”

“Ah, he’s…”

“Only those who belong to the temple may enter. That child cannot come with us. I don’t know who he is, but it’s time to say goodbye.”

Zoro smirked cunningly. His sly smile made it seem as though he had found our weakness.

“Ah, but he’s coming with us…”

“Unfortunately, you will have to say your goodbyes here, Lady Haniel.”

Clutching Orias’s arm, I whimpered.

“Then I won’t go either. How can he stay here all alone?”

As my voice wavered, Theodora, who had been watching from behind, hesitated. She then moved her lips silently, mouthing words to me.

‘Don’t cry. I will keep visiting.’

Her whispered reassurance only confirmed that Orias would not be able to come with us. Naturally, that answer wasn’t satisfying.

Realizing what Theodora meant, I couldn’t hold back my sobs and burst into tears.

This wasn’t me crying—it was young Haniel.

I tried my best to ignore the sound of my own weeping and focus on the situation.

“Is there no way for him to come with us, Priest Theodora?”

“There is a way?”

As I cried, Zoro leaned down toward me, nodding with a smile that was clearly meant to exploit the situation.

“Of course, Lady Haniel. I have a way.”

Zoro’s voice was laced with greed as he explained.

“One can enter the temple if they possess holy power or if they become a holy knight. However, that child seems too old to begin knight training. That means he must possess holy power in order to enter.”

“Priest Zoro, that is…!”

“Lady Haniel, can you share your holy power with that child?”

“Then he can come with us?”

Blocking Theodora from interfering, Zoro turned to me and asked directly.

Innocently, I responded to his question, and his crafty smile became even more pronounced.

“That is correct, Lady Haniel.”

“If I can share it, then I will.”

The moment I answered, a system window appeared next to Zoro’s face.

<Information acquired.>

• Priest Zoro’s scheme.
• The player cannot interfere in this situation.

The system window, which always provided me with information, flickered briefly—almost as if it regretted not being able to help me.