I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 34

<Warning! Insufficient stamina for further activity.>

• Resting in a comfortable place is recommended.
• Continuing activity without rest will result in a fainting state due to stamina depletion.

While gazing out the window at the imperial palace scenery, a system window appeared. Checking my stamina bar, it was precariously low, flashing red.

How much longer can I hold out?

Pressing a hand to my throbbing head—a result of sleep deprivation—I straightened my posture. Since Dion wasn’t riding with me, I allowed myself to relax a bit, but it was almost time to disembark. The carriage soon stopped, and the door opened abruptly.

“Please step out.”

Looking at the stairs positioned just outside the door, I nodded. Dion neither offered me his hand nor moved to assist, simply staring at me blankly. Despite seeing his affection rise multiple times in the system notifications, the distance between us hadn’t changed much since our first meeting.

“Careful…!”

As I stepped down, squinting against the harsh sunlight, I missed a step and nearly fell. Dion caught me swiftly, preventing me from hitting the ground.

Ah, that was close. I thought I was going to fall.

The hazy fog clouding my mind cleared instantly. Placing a hand on my rapidly pounding heart, I exhaled shakily. Dion’s chest rose and fell heavily as he held me firmly by the waist, apparently startled as well.

“Thank you.”

“Can’t you even step down properly?”

I offered a short word of thanks to Dion, who grumbled as he helped steady me. Despite his curt tone, he cautiously loosened his strong grip around my waist.

“I’m just a bit tired…”

“That’s why I told you to take it easy with the potions yesterday…”

“Dion.”

Though his arm had moved away, Dion still held my hand, continuing to support me. He raised his voice, as though about to scold me further, but stopped when someone behind him called his name. Following his gaze, I turned to see the Crown Prince—a capture target—approaching us. He looked much the same as when I’d first seen him in the Emperor’s chambers.

“Sir Lucius.”

Lucius’ gaze wasn’t on Dion but rather on the arm he had wrapped around my waist. As if noticing the same, Dion released me and turned to face Lucius.

Once there was a proper distance of about a step between us, Lucius finally opened his mouth.

“You arrived early.”

He didn’t even feign politeness, let alone show any interest in me. It was my welcome banquet, and yet he hadn’t even bothered to wear formal attire. Though his outfit was neat, it was closer to loungewear than the extravagant formal attire shown in his character profile.

Well, I guess I’m not in a position to criticize, given that I’m attending in sacred robes.

Lucius, who hadn’t so much as greeted me, addressed Dion instead. “Since you’re here, go inside. Why are you standing out here?”

Glancing at my face, Dion answered with calm detachment, “The Saintess isn’t feeling well, so I was checking on her condition.”

“And what exactly is wrong with her? She must have been busy causing trouble if she’s too unwell to attend her own banquet.”

Why doesn’t he just ask me directly? He hasn’t even looked at me once and is only talking to Dion.

I let out a short sigh as I watched the Crown Prince deliberately ignore me.

Is it even possible to capture him? I know Lucius and Adrian have the highest capture difficulty, but come on—he has to at least look at me for me to even attempt capturing him. How am I supposed to raise affection when he won’t even talk to me?

“She has been helping out at the herb chamber for the past few days…”

“Dion, I’m fine.”

Dion, as if defending me, started to explain further. Seeing Lucius’ face twisted in displeasure, I cut him off. Tapping his arm lightly, I whispered, prompting Lucius to finally look at me for the first time. His golden eyes—similar to Orias’—met mine.

Is this a coincidence? Or maybe these golden eyes appear only in characters with magical or holy powers.

As I stared into Lucius’s eyes, lost in thought, he gazed back at me with the same calm demeanor. Without breaking eye contact, Lucius tilted his head slightly toward Dion, as if signaling him to continue speaking.

“Helping out?”

“She hasn’t been getting proper rest while assisting with the herb chamber’s work.”

“I never ordered her to help. She’s been wasting her time on pointless things.”

Lucius replied cynically to Dion’s words, then turned to address me directly.

“Can you attend the banquet, Saintess?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s too much, feel free to leave.”

Lucius’ suggestion made me pause. This wasn’t concern; it was clearly mockery. It reminded me of situations in real life where someone would sarcastically ask, “Why did you bother coming if you’re just going to slack off?” or, “If you’re not feeling well, why not just go home and rest?”

In real life, I might have clenched my teeth and denied it, but this was just a game.

Since I’d been planning to faint and skip the banquet anyway, this worked out perfectly.

“Oh, should I?”

“Saintess…?”

Smiling brightly at Lucius, I responded cheerfully. Mockery or not, what did it matter? Aside from the Emperor, Lucius was the most powerful person in the Empire, and he’d just given me permission to leave.

My enthusiastic reply caused Dion, standing beside me, to call my name in shock. He couldn’t hide his confusion as he grabbed my arm.

“Why are you doing this? What Sir Lucius said just now was….”

“He said I could leave. Besides, I can’t focus knowing I left herbs unfinished.”

“But, Saintess, this is your welcome banquet.”

Watching Dion’s distress as he glanced between me and Lucius, I felt a pang of guilt. Should I stick to my original plan and faint? Lucius, for his part, seemed utterly dumbfounded by my response. His previously impassive face now showed a flicker of emotion—not shock, but something closer to disbelief.

Before Lucius could recover, Dion leaned down to meet my eyes, his voice filled with urgency.

“It would be better if you attended today.”

Dion’s earnest gaze softened my resolve, and I reluctantly nodded. Relief washed over his face as he straightened.

Turning back to Lucius, I said, “Thank you for your concern, Sir Lucius, but I’ll attend the banquet.”

“I wasn’t saying it out of concern…”

When I spoke again, Lucius, who had been standing idly, frowned and replied. Before he could add another sarcastic remark, I quickly cut him off.

“Trying to hide your concern shows just how kind you are, Sir Lucius.”

Since I hadn’t officially started his capture yet, a little teasing should be fine. I responded with the brightest smile I could muster, and Lucius brushed his fingers near his lips, lifting one corner of his mouth. Judging by the way only one corner rose, it was clearly a sneer.

<Crown Prince (Lucius)’s affection has slightly increased.>

Huh? Why?

Despite his sneer, his affection slightly increased. I was sure I had teased him properly, so what part of my response earned his favor? Tilting my head in confusion, I couldn’t figure out the unexpected rise in affection.

“…You’re dumber than I thought. Or were you being sly?”

“Sorry?”

What did he just say?

I’d been staring at the affection window and missed what Lucius had muttered. It didn’t sound pleasant, though.

Without clarifying, Lucius walked right past me. Watching his unhesitating retreat, I turned to Dion and asked, “Dion, what did Sir Lucius just say?”

“……”

“Dion?”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

What?

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s head inside.”

Dion didn’t answer me and instead guided me forward. As he led me inside, I pouted in frustration. One flaw of this game was the lack of a feature to review past conversations.

***

The guards standing at the entrance formally verified our identities before letting us in.

“…We’re not late, right?”

“We arrived early, so don’t worry. The banquet starts in an hour; you’re free to move about until then.”

The moment we stepped inside, I felt dozens of intense gazes fixate on me. Nobles already present in the banquet hall were staring at me with barely concealed fervor.

It felt different from the gazes during the Saintess Coronation. Back then, their stares carried a sense of reverence, but now it felt as if they were ready to devour me. If I let my guard down even a little, I’d end up stumbling into a bad ending in no time.

“Dion, do I look strange?”

“Your face is a bit pale, but overall, you’re fine.”

I adjusted my sleeve nervously and asked Dion. He quietly examined my face before shaking his head and answering. His calm, steady voice made the tension in my shoulders ease.

There’s no need to be so anxious. After all, those gazes belong to characters created by the game.

Thinking that way, I managed to smile more naturally. No matter what these people wanted from me, I only needed to act according to the image of a Saintess.

When I met the eyes of a few people and offered them a gentle smile, they began gravitating toward me, inching closer. Watching the crowd slowly forming a circle around me, Dion let out a quiet sigh.

“There are no immediate dangers in the hall. I’ll fetch some refreshments.”

“Alright.”

<Warning! Stamina is low.>

• Resting in a comfortable place to restore stamina is reco…

As Dion walked away, the system window appeared in the corner of my vision. I closed it and smiled brightly at the people still watching me.

Through the crowd of nobles, who were moving toward me like sluggish caterpillars, a man with strikingly white hair emerged. Despite his silver hair, his face was relatively smooth, making it hard to guess his age.

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

The man’s tone was deeply emotional, so much so that it felt theatrical. He was even tearing up as he gazed fervently at my face.

“It is fortunate that you’ve come to the Empire, Saintess.  Truly fortunate.”

The man stepped closer and suddenly grabbed my hand firmly. His hands were wrinkled and weathered. Held firmly by his grip, I began to rack my brain, trying to deduce his identity.