I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 22

The Saintess dropped the Holy Grail. Before the crowd could criticize her for letting the sacred Holy Grail fall, her body collapsed to the floor as well.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the Saintess tumbled to the floor, and the Pope hastily caught her.

“Haniel.”

“Lady Haniel!”

Ardal, who had been standing tall and composed before the knights, rushed toward the platform upon seeing the fallen Saintess. Her limp hand swayed outside the Pope’s embrace as she lay motionless.

The sight of the lifeless Saintess caused an uproar.

“The Saintess has collapsed!”

As the crowd grew noisy, the Pope quickly composed himself. Handing the Saintess over to Ardal, he stepped forward. Dietrich silently watched the Pope as he moved ahead, while Dion stood stiffly, staring at the unconscious Saintess in Ardal’s arms.

Despite the sudden development, the Pope quickly regained his composure.

Stepping forward with a serene smile, the Pope raised his hand, showing his open palm to capture the crowd’s attention before speaking in a calm voice.

“The effects of the holy water have manifested. The Saintess is now in communion with God.”

His elegant words quickly settled the murmurs among the crowd. It was as though the Pope had anticipated this situation and was fully prepared for it, continuing the coronation ceremony without hesitation.

“Oh, so this was planned?”

“Is that how it’s supposed to be?”

The Pope’s composed demeanor worked wonders. As he continued to speak, the worried expressions of the crowd began to shift away from Ardal’s anxious face as he held the Saintess. Despite her collapse, the coronation ceremony proceeded without interruption.

“Dietrich, that situation.”

“Yes, it’s likely not part of the plan.”

“Did the Saintess drink poison?”

Dion, who had been watching the Saintess with a detached expression, murmured softly while scanning the area. Hearing his sharp observation, Dietrich touched his arm and subtly gestured toward someone in the crowd.

“That man.”

The person Dietrich pointed out was wearing a faint smirk as he looked at the fallen Haniel. It was Zoro, who had been responsible for the Saintess’ education.

Noticing Zoro’s smile, Dion furrowed his brow.

“He’s in charge of the Saintess’s education, isn’t he?”

“He was. I’m not sure why, but according to the believers, the role suddenly shifted from him to the Commander.”

“Where did you hear that…? No, never mind.”

As Dion recalled Dietrich’s habit of gathering information exclusively from female believers, he shook his head, dismissing his own question. The source of Dietrich’s intel was obvious.

Seeing Dion’s expression, Dietrich chuckled softly and added,

“He must have borne a grudge after being demoted.”

“Dietrich.”

“Yes?”

“You knew the Holy Grail was poisoned.”

Dietrich, who had been laughing lightly, clamped his mouth shut at Dion’s accusation. The disapproval in Dion’s gaze was unmistakable.

“If the Saintess dies, suspicion will fall on us. From now on, act more cautiously.”

“It wasn’t our doing, so why the concern? What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“…I’m just saying it’s better to be careful.”

Dietrich’s curious gaze lingered on Dion, who avoided his eyes.

Watching Dion avert his gaze, Dietrich’s eyes darkened further. Meanwhile, Dion redirected his focus to Haniel, lying unconscious in Ardal’s arms.

Haniel’s words from before the coronation replayed in his mind.

“With His Holiness and Ardal handling everything, there’s no need for me to worry.”

Even right before the ceremony, Haniel had shown no signs of nervousness. Smiling at Dion, she had spoken those words with full confidence in the Pope and Ardal. For some reason, this trust had stirred something unusual within Dion.

Just before collapsing, Haniel had looked intently at the Pope and Ardal.

As if aware of the poison in the Holy Grail, she had glanced at them before tipping the Holy Grail without hesitation.

‘Why?’

Dion swallowed his rising questions. Drinking the holy water was the most critical part of the Saintess’s coronation ceremony. Without it, the gathered crowd would have been thrown into disarray.

‘To prevent the ceremony from being disrupted?’

Did she willingly drink poison just to avoid tarnishing the Holy Kingdom’s authority in front of the Pope?

The Pope’s demeanor suggested he could have handled such a situation easily. Yet Dion doubted Haniel had known about the poison beforehand.

‘No, there’s no way she could have known it was poisoned.’

Interrupting his thoughts, Dion focused on the Pope, who was gesturing subtly at Ardal during his speech. Following the gesture, Dion grabbed Dietrich’s arm. Blinking blankly as though watching someone else’s affair, Dietrich tilted his head.

“What is it?”

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

“The Saintess cannot die right now. Find out who poisoned the Holy Grail.”

Dietrich squinted at Dion, his face puzzled, before sighing and nodding.

“Fine, got it.”

“Let’s move.”

***

“We need to identify who poisoned the Holy Grail and what kind of poison it is to find an antidote.”

“Commander, please calm down…”

“The Holy Grail intended for Lady Haniel was poisoned! Do you understand what this means?”

“C-Commander…”

“Who would dare to betray the Holy Kingdom…”

Following Ardal, Dion and Dietrich arrived at the door, hearing his voice thunder with rage from inside the room. The moment they knocked, the yelling ceased.

The door soon opened.

“Who is it?”

Dietrich peered into the room as Dion restrained him, addressing the figure who emerged.

“We’re envoys from the Empire. We have something to discuss with the Commander.”

“I’m sorry, but the situation right now is…”

“Commander! We have information about the poison!”

Before the man could finish, Dion raised his voice, directing it toward the unseen interior of the room.

“Let them in.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Ardal’s voice answered from within. The man stepped aside, allowing Dion and Dietrich to enter.

Inside, Haniel lay pale and unconscious, surrounded by physicians.

“You said you had information about the Holy Grail?”

Ardal rose from where he had been kneeling beside Haniel, his intense gaze demanding answers. Dietrich nodded casually, unfazed by Ardal’s barely restrained fury.

“If you have something to trade, let’s hear it.”

“Are you demanding a trade for the Saintess’s life?”

Ardal’s low voice cut through Dietrich’s arrogant tone, his piercing black eyes fixed on the Grand Duke. Resting a hand on his sword hilt, Ardal’s expression turned darker as he commanded the physicians to leave.

“Everyone out.”

The sharp authority in Ardal’s voice sent the physicians scurrying out, leaving only Ardal, Dion, and Dietrich in the room. Turning to face them, Ardal’s fury was palpable.

“What information do you have?”

“Zoro.”

“Wait, Dion!”

Before Dietrich could deliver his honeyed retort, Dion stepped forward, speaking bluntly. Ardal’s menacing aura faded slightly as he blinked in surprise at the name.

Dietrich grabbed Dion’s arm, but Dion continued without pause.

“The Grand Duke witnessed him poisoning the Holy Grail. Apprehend him before he escapes and interrogate him.”

Ardal studied Dion’s face with suspicion. “Is this true?”

“It is.”

“This is madness… Are you giving this information for free?”

Though doubt lingered on Ardal’s face, he called for a knight and issued swift orders.

“Bring Zoro here.”

“Commander, why Zoro…?”

“Bind him so he cannot escape and gag him to prevent suicide. If he resists, use force but ensure he’s brought alive.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Hurry!”

Ardal’s sharp voice snapped with urgency, leaving no room for hesitation.

***

The sound of the door opening caught Ardal’s attention, and he turned to look. The Pope entered, his footsteps echoing heavily in the quiet room, his face devoid of any expression.

“Your Holiness.”

“Explain, Ardal.”

“There was a report from Grand Duke Dietrich and Sir Dion. They claim that Zoro poisoned the Holy Grail intended for Lady Haniel.”

Right after the coronation ended, the Pope had come to check on Haniel. Zoro, who had been captured by knights, sat bound to a chair with a gag in his mouth. His wild eyes darted toward the Pope as he shook his head furiously. At the Pope’s gesture, Ardal removed the gag.

The moment the gag was off, Zoro strained his neck and shouted, “Your Holiness, I am innocent! First, Ardal stole my authority, and now he’s framing me for poisoning the Holy Grail!”

“We already have witnesses. The Grand Duke and believers testified that they saw you entering the Holy Grail storage room.”

“That’s not true, Your Holiness! I… I didn’t…”

Zoro stammered, his voice faltering under Ardal’s accusations. The Pope approached Zoro with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“What kind of poison did you use on the Holy Grail?”

“I… I didn’t do it!”

“Zoro, I don’t have much patience.”

“I swear I didn’t! The Grand Duke and the believers are lying!”

The Pope’s silence seemed to encourage Zoro, who continued, “The Grand Duke bribed the believers to implicate me. Ardal’s working with them! They’re trying to kill the Saintess as part of some imperial plot, Your Holiness!”

“Zoro, I know how devoted you are to the Holy Kingdom.”

“Yes, Your Holiness, that’s right!”

“Ever since you brought me to the temple, you haven’t changed one bit. You’ve always been willing to do anything to serve your own interests.”

The Pope’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

“Zoro, I have never trusted you. Not for a single moment.”

“W-wait, Orias. Don’t you remember what I did to make you Pope? To enhance your holy power, I even… that child—!”

Zoro’s frantic words were cut off abruptly as the Pope snatched Ardal’s sword and drove it into Zoro’s bound hand. The Pope’s jaw tightened, his face hardening as he spoke.

“Aaaah!”

“Ardal, leave. I’ll handle the interrogation alone.”

Gritting his teeth, the Pope twisted the sword before pulling it free from Zoro’s hand. Unrestrained fury, long suppressed, burned in the Pope’s eyes.

Despite the Pope’s sudden and violent actions, Ardal showed no surprise. Bowing his head, he left the room as instructed. Screams of agony continued to echo from the room, where only the Pope and Zoro remained.