I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 19

“Lady Haniel.”

As expected, Ardal was standing in the position with the best view of the obelisk, just as the Pope had said. He was calmly organizing the knights’ formation. His usually firm and composed face seemed slightly gaunt with exhaustion, giving off an oddly decadent air.

If Ardal appeared to be struggling, I had planned to give him a stamina recovery potion I had saved. However, I discreetly tucked the potion back into my bag.

Though his sharp, composed expression was appealing, the tired shadows on his face held a rare and peculiar charm. I decided to enjoy this unusual look a little longer before offering the potion.

As soon as Ardal spotted me, he immediately approached.

“The sun is strong today. If you’re here to watch the rehearsal, you should sit in the shade over there…”

Wrapping the long cloak draped over his arm around my head, he created shade for me as he spoke. The glaring sunlight disappeared, replaced by a cool shadow. Unlike the hot air around us, a refreshing scent emanated from Ardal.

As I smiled at him, untouched by a single bead of sweat, an irritated voice called out from behind him. A man of similar build to Ardal stepped into view.

He had ash-gray hair and blue eyes. Instead of the white uniform of the Holy Knights, he wore a black uniform, signaling his status as a knight of the Empire.

“I thought outsiders were not allowed during the rehearsal. Who might this person be, Commander?”

“She is not an outsider.”

“Judging by her attire, she’s neither a knight nor a cleric. If she’s not an outsider, then…”

“Do not be rude. This is the Saintess.”

<Capture Target Discovered!>

<You have encountered Dion, Knight of the Empire.>

<Dion’s affection has slightly decreased!>

I recognized the familiar voice just as a cascade of affection decrease notifications began to appear.

<Dion, Knight of the Empire – Capture Difficulty: ★★★★>

That cursed difficulty.

Dion almost always started with a drop in affection. Even now, meeting him had resulted in an immediate decrease. Watching this behavior from the shade Ardal had created, I stepped out to face him.

Compared to the drastic affection loss that followed any interaction with the Grand Duke, this minor decrease was almost comforting. Confirming that Dion’s affection level had fallen into the negatives, I turned to Ardal.

“Ardal, who is this?”

“He is from the Empire. He will accompany you as your guide when you travel there.”

“It seems he’s assisting with the rehearsal preparations?”

“Yes.”

Smiling warmly, I extended my hand toward Dion.

Dion was a knight of noble birth. He had a particular disdain for anything unrefined or impure and harbored dissatisfaction with the fact that I wasn’t of noble origin.

In front of Dion, maintaining a dignified demeanor was crucial to avoiding further drops in affection.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Dion. I’m Haniel.”

“…Forgive my rudeness, my lady.”

“I’m not fond of being addressed as ‘my lady.’ While I would prefer ‘Saintess,’ it’s still before my coronation, so please call me Haniel.”

“As you wish, Haniel.”

Unlike Ardal’s respectful use of honorifics, Dion simply called me Haniel and brushed his lips against the back of my hand. His lips barely touched before he pulled away, and I couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

So, he still finds me unpleasant.

Still, it wasn’t as bad as our first meeting in the previous playthrough, where his affection had plummeted considerably.

Back then, every interaction with the Grand Duke triggered a barrage of affection decrease notifications for Dion, to the point where I had to close the affection level window to keep my sanity.

<Dion’s affection has decreased!>

<Dion’s affection has significantly decreased!>

<Dion’s affection has slightly decreased…!>

The endless stream of decreases had made it feel as though Dion hated me even for breathing.

At least now he’s letting me breathe.

Smiling faintly, I met Dion’s blue eyes. His face contorted into a grimace as he averted his gaze.

His rude behavior caused Ardal’s right arm to twitch beneath my left hand. Feeling the tension in his taut muscles, I tightened my grip on his arm.

“Ardal.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll sit over there while you finish preparations. Shall we have dinner together afterward?”

“Alright.”

Before Ardal could lose his temper, I intervened. Dion glanced at us briefly, then turned his attention to the knights’ movements as if uninterested.

<Dion’s affection has slightly decreased.>

Correction: he wasn’t uninterested; he was diligently chipping away at his affection for me.

***

Dion’s eyes gleamed as he watched the Holy Knights coordinate under Ardal’s command. Ardal was a renowned knight even within the Empire.

An astute and highly skilled Holy Knight, he was widely praised for his resistance to worldly temptations. His incorruptibility earned him greater admiration than even the Pope himself.

‘Seems he’s fallen.’

There was no denying Ardal’s brilliance and skill. However, the notion that he was impervious to temptation was clearly false. The presence of a woman named Haniel made that abundantly clear.

The way Ardal shaded her with his cloak revealed his feelings plainly. It wasn’t the admiration of a knight for the saintess but the affection of a man for a woman.

Haniel, too, smiled warmly at Ardal before turning to face Dion.

Though Dion had heard that the Saintess was a commoner, her gaze contradicted his expectations.

He had assumed she would be intoxicated by a knight like Ardal’s favor, but her calm demeanor was completely different. Haniel, fully aware of Ardal’s evident affection, accepted it with composed grace and extended her hand toward Dion.

Despite having received the divine revelation designating her as the Saintess not long ago, her movements were remarkably elegant.

The sunlight glinted off Haniel’s pale hand as Dion brushed it lightly with his lips before swiftly pulling away.

A strange scent wafted from her—an alluring and otherworldly fragrance that unsettled him deeply. It pierced some hidden corner of his chest. Though he knew abruptly pulling away was impolite, his reaction was purely instinctual.

Having acted on instinct, Dion found his behavior vexing. From a young age, he had learned to suppress his emotions, yet in Haniel’s presence, he had failed.

As he glanced down to identify the source of his discomfort, Haniel met his gaze with a sweet smile.

Despite his rudeness, Haniel neither reproached him nor showed any sign of displeasure. Her composed demeanor, unbecoming of someone who wasn’t of noble birth, only deepened Dion’s irritation.

Frowning, he averted his eyes from her softly curved lips, only to find Ardal’s sharp gaze fixed on him.

Ardal made no effort to hide his affection for Haniel and seemed ready to confront Dion directly. However, Haniel’s soothing words calmed him.

“Ardal.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll sit over there while you finish preparations. Shall we have dinner together afterward?”

“Alright.”

Listening to Haniel’s gentle tone as she placated Ardal, Dion’s irritation only grew.

“Sir Dion, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Take care.”

“And you as well, Sir.”

As the rehearsal wound down, Haniel gracefully bid Dion farewell. The evening air had grown chilly, and Ardal removed his cloak to drape it over Haniel’s shoulders. To any onlooker, they would have appeared as lovers.

As the pair walked away, chatting softly, Dion turned to seek out the Grand Duke.

On his way to the prayer room, he passed several blushing female believers. Arriving at the prayer room, he found the Grand Duke surrounded by male knights, pestering any passing female believers. Upon spotting Dion, the Grand Duke greeted him with exaggerated cheer.

“Dion!”

“Let’s return to the quarters for now.”

“Alright, alright.”

Sweeping his radiant silver hair back with one hand, Dietrich flashed a seductive smile. Even with no one to flirt with, his expression remained inviting.

Watching the Grand Duke’s smile, Dion shuddered and pulled him to his feet.

Dietrich dusted off his clothes and began walking. As they left the temple’s central grounds, they arrived at a quiet interior chamber. Once inside, Dion dismissed the knights standing guard.

Dietrich asked, “Come to think of it, I didn’t meet the Saintess today. I saw plenty of other believers, though. How about you?”

“I saw her.”

“Ah, so we had some success after all.”

Dietrich chuckled softly.

“So, what did you think of her?”

“She’s a lot like you.”

“Like me? Comparing the Saintess to me, what an insult that is.”

Well aware of his own reputation, Dietrich responded mockingly. Judging by the displeasure on Dion’s face, the Saintess appeared to be quite worldly.

“This shouldn’t be difficult.”

Worldly women were Dietrich’s specialty. Relaxing his shoulders, he flopped onto the bed in the center of the room.

While Dietrich lay sprawled, Dion inspected the room’s security. Pulling flowers from vases to ensure no hidden objects were present, he only disarmed after thoroughly checking every corner.

Watching Dion’s meticulous behavior, Dietrich remarked, “You’re so tense. If the Pope wanted to spy on us, he’d use his powers directly. That artifact Lucius gave us would have activated by now.”

“That device only detects magical power,” Dion replied coolly, glancing at the object Dietrich had retrieved from his pocket. Crafted by the sole wizard, Lucius, the magical orb could sense the presence of holy or magical power.

But this place wasn’t one where the device would likely activate.

“Be cautious of the Pope’s abilities.”

“Of course. I’m staying sharp.”

Tossing the orb into the air and catching it playfully, Dietrich’s lighthearted response deepened the crease in Dion’s brow.

From the sudden announcement of the Saintess Coronation to her dispatch to the Empire, nothing about the Pope’s actions seemed trustworthy to Dion.

Whatever the Pope hoped to gain from sending this so-called Saintess to the Empire, Dion was determined not to let any Imperial secrets slip into the hands of the Holy Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke remained insufferably carefree.

Dion said sharply, “There’s only a week until the coronation. You should—”

“I know what I need to do.”

Interrupting Dion’s stern tone, Dietrich sat up from his relaxed position.

Meeting Dion’s sharp blue eyes, he smirked coldly and said, “I just have to seduce the Saintess, right?”

“If you put it that way, yes.”

“That’s what I do best.”

Rolling the magical orb in his hand, Dietrich whispered with icy determination.