I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 190

“Lady Haniel, I believe it would be best for you to return to the Holy Kingdom and focus solely on your treatment. His Holiness also wishes for your return.”

“But that’s…”

“You’ve completed all the important events, haven’t you?”

At Ardal’s suggestion, Haniel wore a troubled expression.

…What’s this now?

Dietrich, who had been nursing Haniel, narrowed his brows as Ardal continued the conversation while completely ignoring him.

Since their reunion after Haniel’s injury, Ardal had blatantly disregarded him. His gaze, filled with emotions that could only be seen as those of a man, was irritating. Haniel’s gentle attitude toward him was even more so.

And on top of that, Haniel was far too accustomed to being waited on by Ardal. Wasn’t their distance too close?

After Adrian, now even this man—supposedly just a knight—was looking at her with that same expression?

At this point, Dietrich couldn’t help but wonder if she truly loved him. Even though she had given him a definite answer, her affections now seemed uncertain.

Did she really mean it when she said she loved me? Or was she seeing someone else through me?

“So you were here together. Saintess, are you feeling well today?”

“You came again today. I told you many times that you didn’t have to…”

“No. I intend to keep coming until you recover. It won’t take much time, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Still. Doesn’t everyone know how busy you are, Sir Adrian?”

“I’m not so busy that I can’t spare time for someone who saved my life.”

“It’s not like I did anything worthy of being called a lifesaver.”

From the moment Adrian joined them, Dietrich began bouncing his leg. There were now two people in this one room who grated on his nerves.

Questions kept surfacing in his mind.

How did it come to this? Isn’t it all because of Gillian? If not for the binding seal, he’d want nothing more than to slit Gillian’s throat.

Thump, thump—the sound of his foot striking the floor harshly must’ve become annoying, as Adrian turned to him.

“Sir Dietrich. Is something wrong?”

“No. Not really. It’s nothing.”

“…Is that so?”

Adrian, furrowing his brows, stared at Dietrich for a moment before stepping closer to Haniel. “I didn’t come without a reason today… I brought this because I heard it was needed to make the medicine. It’s a rare herb, so I thought it might be hard to find.”

So that’s what he was holding—it must’ve been an important herb for wound treatment. On closer look, it resembled the kind used for treating the Emperor.

Knowing that Adrian personally grew herbs, it was likely something he had brought from his own garden for Haniel.

It was the greatest expression of goodwill he could offer.

Just as Dietrich was about to rise and thank him, Ardal—who had ignored him the entire time—turned and bowed his head to Adrian.

“Thank you.”

Why was he thanking him? Her fiancé was sitting right here, clear as day.

Dietrich, stunned and thrown off by the timing, let out a sharp exhale. Seeing Haniel accept Ardal’s thanks as if it were natural made his insides churn. She looked as though Ardal were her fiancé.

Dietrich struggled to rationalize what he was seeing.

Sure, she must’ve spent more time in the Holy Kingdom than the Empire, so they’d naturally be close. But still, wasn’t it inappropriate to act like this in front of her fiancé?

Even though he wasn’t really her fiancé, Dietrich found himself thinking that way.

Of course, by now, the plan to break off the engagement after the ceremony had long since vanished from his mind.

Just as Dietrich was about to say something to Haniel, Adrian spoke to Ardal, “For proper treatment, it would be best for her to go to the Holy Kingdom. Treatment is possible here too, but there’s a high chance she’ll end up limping.”

“What do you mean? There’s no way a wound of this level can’t be treated at the palace.”

“Yes, that’s true. But I’m saying this because I heard today how difficult it was to obtain the herb I brought. It’s hard to find, but not impossible.”

Hearing their conversation, Dietrich’s expression hardened.

So Gillian’s influence had reached here too.

Noticing the chill that spread across his face, Haniel spoke up to the two of them, “Thank you for coming today, Sir Adrian. You must have other duties—so it’s okay for you to go back now.”

“Yes. I will.”

“Ardal, could you step outside for a moment too? I have something to discuss with Dietrich.”

“…If that is your command, Lady Haniel, I shall do so.”

Only after the two had left did Dietrich’s expression relax. But it didn’t last long.

It was because of what came out of Haniel’s mouth.

“Dietrich. I think it’s best if we end our engagement here.”

“What do you mean…?”

“My reputation is already in ruins.”

“Wait, Haniel.”

“If a rumor spreads that I might limp even after treatment, it’ll sink even lower. There’s nowhere left for my reputation to fall.”

Dietrich hurried to open his mouth, but Haniel cut him off.

“You’ve achieved everything you wanted.”

Haniel looked a bit weary.

“I want to return to the Holy Kingdom now.”

***

“That’s absurd.”

He firmly rejected my request, his face crumbling.

It was the first time I’d seen such an expression on him since we met.

He must have thought I was leaving him behind and returning to the Holy Kingdom.

Seeing his face painted in completely negative emotions was painful for me, too. It reminded me of how I’d felt when I left Adrian behind, and I tightly shut my eyes.

I had no intention of taking back my words. This was the final step of the capture, and this process was necessary for Dietrich to realize his feelings for me and find a trigger to deal with Gillian.

The more the game progressed, the more I understood.

I couldn’t take on all their misfortunes myself. I could walk ahead of them, but I couldn’t walk in their place.

So in this round, dealing with Gillian wasn’t my concern. Dietrich, having realized something because of me, would be the one to deal with him.

Lucius, as a support character, might help too.

If I had started this on a different route than Dietrich’s coercion, our relationship might’ve turned out differently, and we could’ve handled Gillian together—but not now.

I shut my eyes and turned away from Dietrich’s expression.

“You haven’t even reached thirty visits to me yet. This isn’t what we agreed upon.”

“If you count the total number of times you’ve come to me, it’s well over thirty.”

“That’s… right. But if you leave like this, people will…”

“Dietrich.”

With my eyes lowered, I spoke to him.

“I know there’s no proof. That magic orb couldn’t leave any records.”

“When did you…”

“And there’s one misunderstanding you have. His Holiness and I may be siblings, but that had nothing to do with my selection as the Saintess.”

“…Siblings?”

Dietrich muttered in a dazed voice. It was information I had hidden for this moment.

Of course, we weren’t really siblings, but I’d let it slip since it would help with the capture. The fact that the real Orias existed was known to no one, so it wouldn’t cause any harm to the Pope here.

In a low voice, almost muttering, I said, “You thought His Holiness and I were secretly involved, didn’t you? The one I love is you. Though I know you don’t feel the same.”

“It’s true I misunderstood. But wouldn’t it still be better for you to stay here and maintain the engagement? If you stayed as my fiancée…”

“No. I’ll go back and forget everything. I was happier as the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom than as your fiancée.”

As I said that, I slowly lifted my head.

Avoiding his gaze while speaking wouldn’t be fair to the real him, who had revealed all his vulnerabilities to me.

With that thought, I looked up and met his eyes—

But Dietrich’s expression was not ordinary.

Suddenly, something he had said before flashed through my mind.

“I’ll notice right away if you’re trying to let me go. I’m quick to catch on, you see.”

He had murmured it once, burying his face in my shoulder.

“So what I mean is… I’ll be able to tell the moment you stop loving me, Saintess.”

I had known that this Dietrich was the same as him. So why hadn’t I taken that more seriously?

With an expression so dark it sent chills down my spine, he said, “Haniel, have you ever even looked at me?”

That this Dietrich could recognize that I had someone I valued more—he had figured it out.