I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 179

<Dietrich’s affection has slightly increased.>  

As his affection steadily rose, on the seventh time I visited Dietrich, an imperial banquet was held in my honor.

The outfit he prepared for me was an outrageously extravagant dress. Though it was a simple white in color, it was intricately embroidered, revealing how much effort had gone into making it.

Because I knew that the Dietrich in reality often chose white when selecting dresses for me, I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw it.

This Dietrich’s taste must not be so different either, so he had chosen a dress he thought would suit me well after much deliberation. He even helped me arrange my hair—just brushing and placing a hair ornament, but still.

Seeing glimpses of the real Dietrich in him here, I couldn’t help but fall for this Dietrich too.  

When I arrived at the banquet hall dressed in the prepared attire, Dion and Lucius were already there, waiting for me.

“I heard you’ve been getting along well with Dietrich—looks like it’s true.”  

Lucius, noticing my luxurious dress and well-styled hair unlike the previous playthroughs, commented with a smirk. Everything had been prepared by Dietrich.

Lucius, aware that Dietrich had coerced me into this engagement, made the comment out of deliberate sarcasm, while Dion, seemingly unaware, simply wore an expression of pure disgust directed at me.  

I merely exchanged light greetings as I passed their now-familiar gazes.  

During the second playthrough, when I’d come here with Dion, I’d looked practically half-dead.  

Seeing such a stark contrast in their reactions this time made me feel oddly delighted.

All thanks to Dietrich.  

It was entertaining to watch everything play out exactly as the real Dietrich had described.  

“Dion will definitely make a disgusted face. He sees me as some kind of demon who seduces people.”

Just as he said, Dion’s expression extended his disdain to Dietrich as well.  

“Thanks to him. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Sir Lucius, Sir Dion.”  

It was strange how I’d gotten used to these kinds of looks over time. I thought they’d never stop hurting.

With Dietrich beside me, as if enjoying the stares that followed us all the way into the banquet hall, we entered together.  

It was the same inside. Even before, favorable gazes toward the Saintess were rare—but now, the stares of hatred were so intense I could barely lift my head.

Even if they’d found out I was a spy, I doubted they would look at me this way.  

Dietrich flinched a moment later.

“To think I would see the Saintess while I still live… What an honor.”

The trembling was something only I, holding his hand as he escorted me, could feel.

Ah, this man…  

“It is fortunate that you’ve come to the Empire, Saintess. Fortunate, too, that Dietrich has found his match.”

The man who approached us was a familiar elder. The wrinkles on his hand, the very moment he grasped mine—everything was familiar.

He was Gillian, Lucius’s former magic instructor and the one who had engraved the binding seal on Dietrich.  

He was also the source of Dietrich’s trauma.

I had forgotten that this was my first time meeting Gillian in this playthrough and instinctively stepped in front of Dietrich.  

Because his trembling had been transmitted through our arms.

Dietrich always endured fear and hatred as a matter of course. What I wanted was to help him express his emotions—at least when he was with me.

<Dietrich Capture Event ‘The Source of Fear’ – Primary Objective Generated.>  

• Identify the source of what oppresses Dietrich, and build mutual understanding and support to foster a favorable relationship with him.
• Primary Objective: Learn about Dietrich and Gillian’s relationship
• Secondary Objective: Not yet available (Target unlock date not reached.)
• Reward for Primary Objective: Slight increase in Dietrich’s affection

The system window helpfully informed me just in time.  

Closing the system window, I stepped in front of Dietrich, who couldn’t be hidden due to our height difference, and said, “Thank you for the welcome, but approaching without an introduction is rather rude.”  

“Ah, I’ve committed a faux pas by not introducing myself to the Saintess. Age makes one forgetful, you see.”  

Gillian mumbled like a kindly old man.

But since I knew he was a villain, it didn’t affect me.  

This was the same man who had tried to scramble my system in the past.  

I stiffened my lips, gently pushed his hand away, and looked toward Lucius, who was watching us from a distance.

I remembered how Lucius had helped me before.  

This time, Gillian wasn’t trying to interfere with my system—meaning my holy power—but the problem was the way he looked at Dietrich.

Even if he didn’t help me, I figured he would help Dietrich.  

It seemed my desire to keep Gillian and Dietrich apart reached Lucius.  

Our eyes met, and he furrowed his brow and raised one eyebrow at me.

‘What do you want?’

That was the expression on his face.

I gestured subtly toward Gillian and took a step back, nudging Dietrich a little farther behind me. Lucius’s eyebrow rose even higher.

‘Do you know something about Dietrich?’

His expression turned sour, and he narrowed his eyes. Maybe I was right in thinking that even if he wouldn’t help me, he’d help Dietrich—because I saw him sigh and start walking.

His destination was right in front of us.

The first to greet Lucius was Gillian.

“Sir Lucius!”

No one welcomed Gillian’s cheerful tone.

But since he had Dietrich in his grasp, it seemed it didn’t matter to him at all.

Lucius made no attempt to hide his annoyance as he said, “Invitation?”

“Pardon?”

Hearing his question, I realized something.

This was the easiest way to kick Gillian out.

“There must’ve been an invitation issued by the Holy Kingdom. The Saintess would’ve sent them to the selected guests, wouldn’t she?”

So now he was trying to shift the responsibility onto me.

As if. When did I ever select those?

Lucius stepped forward, tilted his head as if to ask for confirmation, and looked at me. “Did you send this man an invitation, Saintess?”

I smiled, masking my incredulity. “I’m sorry, but this is the first time I’ve seen this man—name and face both. I don’t recall sending him any invitation.”

To anyone. Not to you either, Lucius.

I smiled flawlessly as I spoke, and finally, Gillian’s expression began to harden.

He realized that I was rejecting him—and more than that, that I recognized him as an enemy.

While we were locked in this silent power struggle, Dietrich stood there like a lifeless statue, not saying a word. If I turned around, I’d probably see the faint smile he forced on his face.

Because that’s the kind of face he always wore in front of Gillian.

Since Gillian wasn’t someone who usually showed up at parties, there were probably few who recognized Dietrich’s fear.

And I didn’t want anyone else to realize it either.

Dietrich always believed that being dignified and radiant was his value, and I didn’t want to destroy that. Aside from Ardal and Dion, everyone else was a bit precarious.

I didn’t want to touch that part of him in a place that wasn’t reality.

Because the ones I had to care for were, in the end, the people in my reality.

“Right.”

Lucius muttered coldly and called for the guards stationed inside the hall. The moment he crooked his finger, they swarmed in, and Lucius gave the order.

“This man did not receive an invitation. We can’t have an uninvited guest at the Saintess’s banquet.”

“Pardon? But this banquet doesn’t require invitations…”

“Escort him out.”

The guards hesitated and stammered at his command.

“You said you didn’t send this man an invitation, didn’t you, Saintess?”

Lucius forcefully shifted the responsibility to me.

Damn it. That means I’ll be the one held responsible for this later.

Even if his affection for me is low, couldn’t he help a little with removing someone he knows is my enemy?

A guard turned to me and asked, “Saintess, is that true?”

“…Yes, it is.”

The guards sighed dramatically and cautiously approached Gillian. “Our apologies, Sir Gillian. But since the Saintess said so, please come this way…”

Gillian glared at me with blazing eyes. The glare of the old man was so fierce that even I, who wasn’t afraid of him, felt a chill.

So this is what a madman’s gaze looks like.

I met his eyes calmly, hiding my fear.

“I will remember this, Saintess.”

Gillian, now speaking in a chilling tone unlike before, brushed off the guards and exited.

Feeling a wave of dread, I gave Lucius a brief nod.

Even if you dumped all the responsibility on me, thank you for helping. You can go now.

Thinking that, I turned around.

I meant to check on Dietrich’s expression.

“Dietrich.”

As I turned, I saw Dietrich’s jaw slightly clenched.

His face still bore the remnants of fear from his sudden encounter with Gillian.

…It couldn’t be helped.

I decided to stage a scene that Dietrich would want.

If it was to hide his fear, it wasn’t something I couldn’t do.

Even with high heels on, it wasn’t difficult to kiss his jaw.

Rising slightly on my toes, I pressed my lips to his jaw and smiled softly as I spoke to him.

“I understand you’re nervous from escorting me, but try to focus a bit more on me.”

<Dietrich’s affection has increased.>

Sharp as ever, he seemed to realize I said it for his sake. The system windows popped up in succession.

<You’ve completed the first objective!>

• This is information you already know.

<As a reward, Dietrich’s affection has slightly increased.>

<Dietrich Capture Event ‘The Source of Fear’>

• Primary Objective: Learn about the relationship between Dietrich and Gillian (Completed)
• Secondary Objective: Not yet available (Target unlock date not reached.)