I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 183

<The Source of Fear – Dietrich Capture Event Secondary Objective Generated.>

• Identify the source of what oppresses Dietrich, and build mutual understanding and support to foster a favorable relationship with him.
• Secondary Objective Unlocked: Confirm Dietrich’s Binding Seal
• Secondary Objective Reward: Slight increase in affection from Dietrich and Lucius

While Dietrich was talking about the room, a system window appeared before me.

It was about his capture route, and this was the first time I had followed Dietrich’s capture this precisely.

The source of fear had already been identified and understood—this time, it seemed I had to weaken the binding seal and support him.

The only question was, how was I supposed to check the binding seal?

Given that an event had been triggered in a situation like this…

“They said only one room was left, so I’ll wait here. I’ve asked them to send up a change of clothes, so get changed and come back down. I’ll call for the carriage in the meantime,” Dietrich offered.

I had expected we’d go up together, so his suggestion caught me off guard.

Well, that was the proper thing to say… right?

I reflexively nodded, knowing I couldn’t suggest going up together either—but it was still unexpected.

What was going on? Did we really just happen to come here by coincidence, and there really was only one room left?

As I was climbing the stairs to head to the room with that thought in mind, a loud noise boomed outside, and people began to panic and look out.

“What was that?”

“Sounded like something collapsed.”

The flash of lightning seen through the window made it easy to guess what had happened.

Lucius must’ve caused a collapse with lightning to block the road.

With only one road in and out, blocking even one section would trap us here until the path was cleared.

I turned back from the stairs and returned to Dietrich’s side. As I approached, he explained, “It looks like lightning struck nearby and blocked the road below. We’d have to go through that way to leave…”

“Leaving now might be difficult.”

“Yes, it seems that way.”

Given how quickly he had figured that out, it was almost too on-point to be mere coincidence.

Looking past the people toward the window, I decided to ask the question Dietrich wanted to hear.

“You’re more soaked than I am, Dietrich, and they said there’s only one room, right?”

When I asked in a voice laced with awkwardness, he responded with a similarly uncomfortable look and nodded.

“I feel bad for bringing you to a place like this, Haniel…”

“You didn’t know something like this would happen.”

Probably. But I had to pretend not to know if I wanted the capture to go smoothly.

As I answered, Dietrich let out a deep sigh and said, “I’ll be fine. You should go up to the room, Haniel.”

“How can I leave you behind? Let’s go together.”

“But that’s…”

“We’re engaged, publicly. It’s not that strange, is it?”

As soon as I finished speaking, a subtle change flickered in Dietrich’s eyes. He seemed surprised that I was the one to suggest sharing a room.

Since I was the one who suggested it, it was out of his hands—he bore no responsibility.

Just like when Lucius had kicked out Gillian using my words, and again now. All these landmines were mine to step on.

This capture already felt exhausting, and it was only the middle.

How much worse was it going to get later on, if I was already getting blamed for so much?

It felt like event flags were stacking up one after another.

***

The Holy Kingdom and the Empire, the Saintess and the Grand Duke.

Though it was an awkward pairing, there was no trace of unease left between them now.

Dietrich entered the room, blankly staring at the Saintess’s back, who didn’t seem to care about his gaze.

Even though it was the largest room, it was still just a plain, simple space.

A room with a small attached bath, likely smaller than a single toilet stall in the palace where the Saintess usually stayed.

Watching Haniel walk about the small room as if it were her own home, Dietrich tilted his head.

It was strange that someone who had lived her whole life as a Saintess wasn’t surprised by such a modest room.

As she had claimed, it was actually Dietrich who was having trouble adjusting to this space.

If not for the loud sounds of rain, thunder, and wind, even the sound of their breathing might be audible in this room.

As that thought crossed Dietrich’s mind, he was almost grateful for the storm raging outside.

“Ah.”

While he was surveying the small room, Haniel let out a small exclamation as she moved to sit on the bed.

Dietrich quickly turned to look at her. She gave a sheepish smile and said, “I almost sat on the bed while still wet.”

Indeed, as she had said, Haniel’s clothes were still soaked. As he looked at the hem of her dress, drooping with moisture, Dietrich forced out words from a strangely tightened throat.

“…There’s a bathroom, so please use that. I’ll step out for a moment—”

“There’s a partition anyway, so it’s no big deal. Would it be alright if I changed first?”

“Yes, please make yourself comfortable.”

Haniel nodded and smiled. Only after she disappeared behind the door did Dietrich finally let out a breath and sit on the edge of a chair. His stiff neck throbbed from tension.

He lightly loosened the tie constricting his throat, and only then was he able to exhale. From earlier, he had been on the verge of going mad thinking about Haniel’s wet legs that kept flitting through his mind.

Honestly, it wasn’t as if he had never seen wet clothing before…

He had seen worse in his life. Normally, something so visually stimulating wouldn’t even provoke a reaction.

And yet now—what was this mess?

Swept up in emotions he didn’t understand, he was in this state.

As he focused all his senses on the faint sound of Haniel changing clothes beyond the door, Dietrich thought.

When he heard the wet fabric drop to the floor with a splatter, he stood without even realizing it himself.

The excuse for getting up was soon in sight.

Haniel had gone into the bathroom without taking her change of clothes. Dietrich grabbed them with one hand and strode forward.

“Haniel.”

When he knocked on the door, he could sense a startled intake of breath from inside. After a pause, Haniel cautiously cracked the door open—just enough for her eyes to peek out—and met his gaze.

Haniel curved her clear golden eyes and smiled.

“I’d forgotten I left my change of clothes outside—”

Her words were cut off.

Because Dietrich had pulled the opened door toward him.

With her body leaning against the door and only her eyes peeking out, Haniel toppled into Dietrich as the door opened.

Her body, bare of a dress, was revealed. Thin shoulder straps pressed against white skin, and below, a garter belt securing her stockings.

“…Dietrich!”

Haniel caught her breath and called his name.

Because she had stopped breathing in his arms, her heaving chest pressed directly against his. That alone was enough to stir Dietrich’s lust.

From earlier, he had wanted to place his hand on that shoulder.

He set his fingers on Haniel’s shoulder. Her skin was damp from the earlier wet clothing. As if hiding within his embrace, Haniel nestled into him.

She didn’t seem intent on pushing him away.

Dietrich lifted his gaze from her body and met her eyes.

There was no fear in them. On the contrary, they were filled with that same deep affection as always.

The Saintess, seeing the gaze of a man about to embrace her before even the engagement ceremony, instead seemed delighted. As if she had long awaited this moment—no, as if it was all too familiar to her.

Even in this situation, those eyes…

She was truly, thoroughly bewitched by him.

Dietrich placed a hand on Haniel’s back as she pressed into his arms. Her small body was chilled from the cold. Unlike his own heat-flushed body, hers was cold to the touch. As he embraced that chilled body, he opened his mouth in a gentle tone.

“Will this be alright?”

His voice was that of a lover before a kiss—tender to an unbearable degree.

In a tone that flowed out effortlessly without embellishment, Dietrich laughed at himself. Just how much experience had he built up to act so naturally, to treat Haniel this way?

He had always lived under the pressure of others. Following Gillian’s orders, he had dealt with countless women. For Lucius as well, there had been many times he stepped forward like this.

All those moments had shaped the man he was now.

Without even knowing what he truly felt, he stroked Haniel’s shoulder.

The heat rising in his body, the way his heart beat fiercely in his chest—

All of it must be the result of years of oppression.

As he looked at Haniel’s face, gazing up at him with tender eyes, Dietrich thought.

He had believed the guilt of deceiving someone had long since vanished. That belief had to have been a lie.

This fluttering in his chest must not be love. It must be guilt for using her.

This feeling must not be love.

Because if it were, then when Haniel’s gaze one day turned to reproach, Dietrich would never be able to bear the outcome.