I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 172

She couldn’t even stand properly with both her ankles broken. Adrian had thought the Saintess wasn’t in any condition to harm herself—but when he saw her eyes glowing, he froze.

The Saintess’s eyes were burning gold.

Like the last flare of a dying fire, she gripped the chain around her neck and stood. In front of Adrian’s eyes, she attempted self-harm.

“Huhk, ugh…”

It wasn’t until he heard her groan that Adrian snapped out of it. He ran to her, held her up, and removed the clothing tangled around her neck.

Her limp body slumped over Adrian’s shoulder.

The body that had trembled at every touch now hung without resistance. Adrian steadied her and laid her down on the floor.

There was no skeletal damage, but the marks from the cloth digging into her neck were clearly visible.

Adrian didn’t even realize what expression he was making as he examined her condition.

Her neck was severely swollen. In this state, speaking or moving her neck would be difficult for a few days.

“…I’ll release the restraints. You’ll be allowed to move freely within the room…”

Adrian stammered as he spoke. At some point, the Saintess had opened her eyes and was looking up at him.

Her eyes, cold and devoid of emotion, gazed at him—without fear, without accusation. Then, all of a sudden, she smiled.

She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Her brow furrowed, and she waved her hand sharply. Adrian reflexively grabbed it.

As Adrian’s hand caught hers, the Saintess gently lifted the corners of her mouth and raised her fingers.

[What’s with that face?]

Her strength faltered at points, and it took a long time just to finish writing that sentence. Adrian blinked blankly as he read it.

What is she talking about?

[I’m fine. It’s not a serious injury.]

Adrian stared at his own palm in confusion. It seemed the Saintess was mistaken about something.

As if she were witnessing the moment from Adrian’s childhood just before he escaped the herb chamber—she calmly consoled him.

Her actions brought that memory vividly back.

Adrian met her eyes, and he heard the scream.

‘Were her eyes really blue back then?’

His memories began to blur.

At the time, Adrian’s mental state had been deeply unstable. And the memories of an unstable person were easily distorted.

The hand that the Saintess held began to tremble from tension.

‘What if they weren’t blue but gold? What if I was wrong all along?’

The memories of an unstable person were easily distorted—and easily shaken.

Adrian didn’t yet realize that his current emotions were more precariously unstable than in his childhood.

For the first time, Adrian began to doubt his own memory.

[I’m glad you’re not hurt. That means… I can leave this place now, right?]

After writing the final line, the Saintess gripped Adrian’s hand with trembling fingers. As if to soothe him, she gently patted the back of his hand before her strength gave out entirely.

The trust Adrian had once held so firmly crumbled in an instant. The moment he doubted his own memory, it all began to collapse.

“This doesn’t make any sense… There’s no way you could be her.”

Adrian held the Saintess’s limp hand as he spoke. He could still feel the distinct sensation of her fingers against his own skin. Even when contact had become impossible, he remembered the care of someone whose identity he had never known.

“No, it can’t be. No.”

Adrian murmured stubbornly, as if trying to drive away his doubt.

But once it had been stirred, the doubt snowballed, consuming him completely.

Kneeling blankly in front of the unconscious Saintess, Adrian finally covered her with a blanket and stepped out of the room.

If he didn’t find proof—now—that the Saintess wasn’t her, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

***

“Hmph.”

After Adrian left, I slowly opened my eyes. As instructed by the system, I had written a few of the phrases I had used in the past on Adrian’s palm.

It seemed like something I had said while comforting him, but it had been so long that I didn’t really remember.

Without the system’s help, I probably couldn’t have written it correctly.

I rubbed my sore neck and tested whether I could still speak.

“Ah, ah.”

It hurt, but my voice came out fine. I cleared my throat and let out a quiet exclamation.

Even I had to admit—that was some pretty impressive acting.

I remembered the look on Adrian’s face when he saw me standing while gripping the chain—he had looked utterly horrified. He had seemed quite shocked to see me, who had been crawling around with broken ankles, suddenly rise to my feet.

He must have been shaken badly, because he finally removed the shackles he had sworn never to unlock and left the room. For the first time in a while, my neck and wrists felt light.

Lying down, I rotated my wrist while watching the system windows that continued to pop up, admiring my own handiwork.

<Adrian’s guilt level has risen significantly!>

<Adrian’s current status>

1. Confusion: Memory distortion may occur.

He was someone who had climbed to his position believing in no one but himself. The fact that I had made Adrian even doubt himself—herbal assistance notwithstanding—was a remarkable achievement.

I wrinkled my nose at the plant I had placed in the corner.

The system had recommended I take it. It was an herb that, when dried and ground, acted medicinally, but when burned, became poisonous.

According to the system’s note beside it, it could confuse memory and induce anxiety. The system had shown me how to use it since, in my extremely low stamina state, I couldn’t use memory manipulation.

Even after Adrian had left, system windows continued to pop up saying that his guilt level had risen.

After confirming the guilt stat, I let out a short sigh.

Seriously, if you were going to regret it this much, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

I’d forgive most things, but breaking my ankle wasn’t something easily pardoned.

I couldn’t leave this place without getting an apology from the fifth-playthrough Adrian. It felt like I wouldn’t be able to let go until I heard him sincerely say he was sorry.

Actually, even if he did apologize, I wasn’t sure I’d let it go.

I thought about it seriously.

If I showed the emotions I was feeling right now in front of Adrian after logging out, it would be a disaster. I had played the part of someone terrified of him so thoroughly that now, just the brush of his fingers made my body tremble.

Once I exited the system, I’d be face to face with the real Adrian in reality—what if my fingers twitched?

With how perceptive Adrian was, he’d catch on immediately.

“Just the sound of his shoes is still seriously terrifying.”

That part wasn’t even acting. At the mere sound of heels tapping the floor, tears would spill from my eyes—it had become a real problem.

I needed to reduce this fear of his footsteps before leaving.

I rolled over on the soft blanket and lay on my stomach. Resting my chin in my hand, I stared blankly ahead. Then, two guilt-related system windows popped up in quick succession, followed by a different kind of system alert.

<The guilt level of capture target [Adrian] now exceeds affection level.>

<When guilt exceeds affection, the likelihood of the character complying with the player’s requests increases until guilt drops below affection.>

This was the system message I had been waiting for.

***

“Adrian!”

I greeted Adrian with a bright smile. His guilt level had been sufficiently raised—now it was time to lower his suspicion.

Adrian, entering with a change of clothes and a simple meal to replace the outfit I had torn while bound in chains yesterday, stopped at the door.

His gloomy, weary eyes widened in surprise. He glanced quickly around the room as if trying to assess the situation and stared at me with great intensity.

There was nothing different about the room. Not that there was enough space for anything to change, anyway.

Sitting with the blanket wrapped around me, I gave him a tentative smile and said, as if reading his expression, “Sorry you have to do everything by yourself because of my ankle.”

“…What do you mean by that?” Adrian replied with a voice full of suspicion.

“We have to figure out how to get out of here.”

He didn’t come any closer, stumbling over his words as he asked, “A way to get out of here?”

“You said you wanted to help… Sorry, I haven’t been much help myself.”

“What on earth are you talking about…”

“Did the village chief send that food? I’m okay, so you eat it. You were really sick a few days ago. You need to recover,” I said in a gentle tone, like one would to a child.

Adrian’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably when he realized something was wrong with me. Trying to hide his tension, he quietly set down the food and clothes he had brought.

Watching his nervous profile, I casually said, “You look tired. Want to lie down? Come over here. I don’t have a pillow, but you can use my legs.”

Adrian froze, his face turning pale.

“I can tell the time, so I’ll wake you up when it’s morning.”

Following the system’s record of past conversations, I extended my hand toward him.

Adrian stood still for a long while, unable to say a single word.