I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 138

For both Haniel and me, it was truly regrettable that the holy power Priest Theodora had given me remained completely intact.

Even the wound from the stabbing had healed due to the influence of the holy power, leaving me trapped in an unmoving body.

The priests and Orias simply rejoiced, calling it a blessing from God. Every year, on the anniversary of the day Orias had killed me, they would drag my body out of this house and put it on display.

The body of a girl that did not decay was revered as an object of sacred worship, and I was being used in this way.

“You haven’t changed at all. Haniel, you’ll stay by my side forever like this, won’t you?”

Unlike the priests, who only came to see me once a year for the ritual, Orias visited whenever he could.

Of course, I was never pleased to see him. What was the point of coming after killing me, when I couldn’t even speak?

Each time he visited, Orias would personally clean my body and talk about his life. His voice was unbearable, but I had no way to block it out.

“Thank you for asking me to come with you back then.”

At first, he would only clutch my hand and weep. But after a few years, as if only the good memories of when the three of us were together remained, he began to speak to me with a smile.

With the holy power he had stolen from us, he had erased all memories of his own wrongdoing.

“It would have been nice if you had stayed with me. I’ll make sure to take revenge on Zoro in your place.”

It was pathetic how he shifted all responsibility onto someone else without even considering his own fault. I listened to his words with a cynical heart.

To think he used the power he took from us merely for self-consolation. He would be better off kneeling in front of me and begging for forgiveness instead.

The only fortunate thing about Orias manipulating his own memories was that he had forgotten his jealousy toward Ardal.

Ardal had safely become Orias’s escort for when he would officially become Pope. Sometimes, he even visited me alongside Orias.

“Ardal, I’m going to step out and take care of the garden for a bit. Stay here and watch over Haniel.”

“Yes, Your Holiness…”

“You know I’m not officially the Pope yet. Just call me Orias.”

“…I cannot do that, Your Holiness.”

“You’re so rigid.”

Today was one of those times.

Orias had spent a long time talking to me before stepping away, leaving Ardal behind.

The sound of the door closing was followed by the sensation of rough fingertips touching my forehead. They belonged to Ardal.

‘Ardal…’

“Lady Haniel.”

At the sound of his stiff voice, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. Of course, it was just my imagination.

My body remained utterly motionless, unable to respond to Ardal’s touch.

Ardal carefully smoothed my hair and spoke, “I don’t understand. Why hasn’t your body decayed? Why has His Holiness erased all his memories of Orias? …I don’t understand, Lady Haniel.”

Unlike before, when his voice had a calm warmth despite his stoic demeanor, now it was filled entirely with despair.

After straightening my hair, Ardal gently cupped my cheek and murmured, “Lady Haniel, please tell me what you wish for. If you give the order, I will set everything right.”

His body trembled as he clutched my hands, grief evident in every fiber of his being.

“If you had simply returned to the embrace of God, this wouldn’t be so painful. Why… Why are you still here, unable to rest?”

I had thought that, after my brother and Priest Theodora had died, there was no one left who cared for me.

But there was still one person. For the first time in a long while, I felt something other than rage.

“I will make sure you can finally rest. I will cremate your body and build a grave beside Lord Orias’s. That way, no one will ever be able to use your body again.”

As I felt grateful toward Ardal, he, in turn, was releasing all the anger he had been suppressing.

“I will make sure of it.”

I appreciated that he was getting angry on my behalf, but that was something that couldn’t happen.

If my body was burned, Ardal’s fate would be obvious.

If he was caught cremating me—an object of holy reverence—he would undoubtedly be executed.

“Ardal, let’s head back now.”

“…Yes, Your Holiness.”

Orias, having finished tending to the garden, stepped back into the house and spoke. Ardal, as if he had never been angry, responded in his usual calm tone.

He calmly replied, then squeezed my hand tightly.

“…I will come find you tonight, Lady Haniel.”

Ardal murmured so softly it was barely audible.

“From now on, you’ll be able to rest in peace.”

‘No, Ardal. Wait…’

The moment I heard his voice, both Haniel and I had the same thought.

As Haniel’s thoughts overlapped with mine, my vision suddenly flooded with light, and my body moved again.

***

The first thing that appeared before me was a familiar system window.

[SYSTEM] [Player no. —]

[SYSTEM] [Administrator Mode] available

[SYSTEM] [Haniel]’s unique ability [Memory Manipulation] has temporarily increased significantly.

<Memory Manipulation Lv. 3>

• [Haniel]’s unique ability
• Lv. 1: Can manipulate their own memories.
• Lv. 2: Can manipulate the memories of a few individuals.
• Lv. 3: Can manipulate the memories of all individuals within the range of holy power.

“Where is your mind wandering? Start from the beginning again.”

“Ah, yes.”

I was playing the violin.

I recognized this place. It was from my childhood, before I entered the game.

The only difference was that I could now see the system window, which should have only appeared in the game.

Wait, I was just trying to stop Ardal…?

Why am I here? Am I dreaming because I was bored from being trapped in an immobile body?

“Lee Juha! Are you not paying attention?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Sigh, that’s enough for today. Sometimes, you need a break.”

The professor who had taught me before I injured my hand frowned before smiling.

“You said you were going out today, right? Stop for now and head home. And don’t play games on your phone while you’re on your way!”

“Yes, I won’t.”

“You say that, but you grabbed your phone the moment the lesson ended.”

“I’m not playing games. I’m making one.”

“Oh, making a game? Instead of wasting time on that, hurry up and head home.”

“Yes, yes. Professor, take care on your way back too.”

I remembered. This was the day of the accident.

After the professor left the practice room, I carelessly packed up my violin with one hand while holding my phone in the other.

Even now, my body didn’t move according to my will.

I realized that I was watching the past unfold through the system.

As I picked up my violin and stood, my eyes met my own reflection in the mirror in front of me.

My eyes were a vivid gold.

Wait, why were my eyes gold?

I had always had plain brown eyes, not these bright golden ones.

While I was still confused, I left the practice room holding my violin and looked down at my phone. With familiar movements, I tapped on the screen.

‘Holy Power Settings.’

The first words that caught my eye were none other than “Holy Power Settings.”

Then, what appeared next was what looked like a game.

It was still in the development stage, as the screen only displayed an incomplete interface.

Without hesitation, I continued tapping on my phone.

<[Player no. —] is using holy power for game development.>

<A large amount of holy power has been consumed.>

<Current remaining holy power: 14%>

<If holy power drops below 10%, the system will no longer be available.>

The me holding the phone was using holy power as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The way I wielded holy power was exactly the same as how Haniel had been using it.

“Hmm… Then today will be the last time.”

Checking the system window, I muttered.

“I should use up all the remaining holy power.”

<Game development will be completed in 7,461 days.>

• If another player participates in game development, the completion time will be reduced.

<All holy power has been consumed.>

<Due to holy power depletion, ‘Lee Juha’s’ trait, ‘Luck,’ has been removed.>

<Due to holy power depletion, all of ‘Lee Juha’s’ memories related to gameplay have been erased.>

<Once game development is complete, the player will be able to use the character [Haniel].>

Now, I finally understood why Theodora had kept my body alive.

I didn’t know if she had predicted this exact outcome, but Theodora had foreseen that as long as my body remained alive, I would find a way to regain control of it.

This game would be created under the name ‘The Saintess Is a Spy.’ And I would inevitably log into this game.

As I watched the system window flash rapidly, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘If I erase El from the settings now, would my brother’s death never have happened?’

<[SYSTEM] Executing Memory Manipulation (Lv. 3).>

<[SYSTEM] Character [El] has been erased from the memories of all characters except [Haniel].>

My fleeting thought was immediately reflected.

<Character [Orias] and [Ardal]’s past memories have been altered.>

<[Player no. —]’s holy power has been completely depleted.>

[SYSTEM] Shutting down.

The system terminated before I could even check how the characters’ memories had changed.

I knew better than anyone that, after this, I would get into an accident and lose my finger.

There would never again be a moment when [Player no. —], Lee Juha, would see the system window appear.

As the system shut down, I saw my reflection in the last glass door I passed.

My eyes were an ordinary brown.

***

<[Orias]’s mandatory event, ‘Erased Memories,’ has been completed.>

• Progress: 100%

In the darkness, I stared at the only source of light—the system window.

<The Hidden Stage, [The Past], has been terminated.>

• Rewards acquired.
• [Haniel]’s unique ability [Memory Manipulation] has increased in level.

<Memory Manipulation Lv. 2>

• [Haniel]’s unique ability
• Lv. 1: Can manipulate their own memories.
• Lv. 2: Can manipulate the memories of a few individuals.
• Increased proficiency in wielding holy power.
• Can transfer personal memories to others.

Now, I finally regained all of the memories I had forgotten.

“Haniel, what are you doing here? Entering a restricted area without permission…”

As I bit my finger, still overwhelmed by lingering emotions, the voice I least wanted to hear rang in my ears.

Orias, who had opened the wardrobe, looked down at me curled up inside with a displeased expression.