I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 49

As Adrian’s hand passed through mine and touched his cheek, his tears abruptly stopped. Blinking in disbelief, Adrian held his hand to his cheek. Thankfully, he didn’t appear terrified.

If it were me, I’d have probably fallen over in shock.

“Have I finally gone mad?”

Adrian blinked and spoke hollowly.

“Maybe my senses have gone haywire. Or I’ve lost my mind from the sheer shock.”

No, that’s not it.

Seeing young Adrian muttering with a stiff expression, I scratched my cheek awkwardly. It was my fault for touching him and causing him to question his sanity. Feeling guilty, I embraced Adrian, who was deep in thought about his mental state.

As I hugged his thin body and patted him gently, Adrian mumbled again in despair.

“I really must be mad… It feels like someone is holding me.”

A child who concludes that they’re insane—Adrian was certainly a unique character. After mulling over his situation for quite some time, he sat upright five minutes after our contact ended. Now tearless, Adrian calmly surveyed his surroundings.

“It’s fine. I can get out. I just need to find a way to escape.”

Muttering resolutely to himself, Adrian ignored the deer writhing on the altar and began inspecting the chamber. He ran his fingers along the thorn-covered walls until a prick from the sharp thorns made him sigh deeply. Then, he started walking along the walls again.

<Video Acceleration Available. Would you like to accelerate?>

Accelerate?

Following behind Adrian, I nodded, and his movements sped up. Adrian tirelessly searched the chamber, closing his eyes and killing the deer. Blood flowed down the altar and into the channels, nourishing the herbs.

Ugh, they really grow those herbs with actual blood. Didn’t they say the herbs used in my restorative came from here?

Watching the herbs glisten vividly after absorbing the blood, I gagged momentarily. As I reeled in disgust, the sealed door opened, and the village chief entered. Observing the slain deer and the herbs, the chief and the villagers smiled wickedly.

The video continued to accelerate. Time passed quickly, with the door opening once every three days. Each time, new animals were brought into the chamber.

While Adrian kept killing the animals brought in, he also continued searching for a way to escape. His hands, wounded from clearing the thorn-covered walls, were soon marked with scars.

I felt a sense of relief knowing that Adrian’s scars weren’t inflicted by the villagers but by his own relentless efforts. Pacing beside him, I wished I could apply medicine to his wounds, but I had none. I waited, following the predetermined events, hoping for an opportunity to intervene.

Adrian wrote in his journal with the single piece of paper and pencil he was given, documenting the herbs he cultivated. I stood behind him, watching as he wrote daily. After witnessing this scene more than two hundred times, an event requiring my intervention finally occurred. Adrian, who had stoically endured until now, suddenly collapsed.

I stopped the video acceleration and immediately approached Adrian.

He lay curled up, groaning softly.

“Adrian, are you okay?”

The question slipped out naturally, though I knew he couldn’t hear me. Adrian remained curled up, releasing pained groans. I stopped asking meaningless questions and placed my hand on his sweat-covered forehead.

<You have made contact with Adrian.>

• Special circumstances detected.
• You may maintain contact until Adrian recovers.
• Situation interventions: 2/3

“Who… Ah.”

After stroking his heated forehead several times, Adrian opened his eyes slightly. He seemed to be speaking to the air, but realization dawned on him as he fell silent.

“Is it happening again?”

When I affectionately stroked Adrian’s head as he asked into the empty air, he let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his face.

“Is someone there?”

His voice was filled with a sorrow that tugged at my heart. Adrian muttered pitifully, asking again as if begging for confirmation.

“You’re there, right? Please tell me I’m not mad…”

I wanted to answer, but he wouldn’t hear me.

Unable to respond verbally, I held Adrian’s hand and patted it gently, contemplating how to convince him he wasn’t crazy.

What could I do to make Adrian believe in his own sanity?

“Ah, writing… Would that work?”

“Please…”

Murmuring to myself, I released Adrian’s hand.

“Sniff.”

“Wait, I just stepped away for a moment… Why are you crying again?”

As soon as I let go, Adrian burst into tears, leaving me flustered. Watching his frail body trembling, I instinctively reached out to hug him.

Oh, he’s so light.

Adrian’s body was so light I could lift him effortlessly. Startled by my sudden embrace, Adrian’s eyes snapped open.

Confirming his situation, he let out a short scream.

“Ugh, I’m not insane after all…”

Even in this state, he diligently assessed his condition and buried his face into my chest as he spoke.

“Floating in midair… I don’t have abilities like that.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

I gave a meaningless reply as I slowly walked toward the spot where Adrian kept his journal. I set him down on the floor and tried to open the journal, but my hand passed right through it.

“It doesn’t work.”

I sighed in disappointment, turning to look at Adrian. He sat on the ground, gasping for breath. His vacant eyes darted around, seemingly searching for me. Watching him silently, I reached out toward his limp hand.

Even when I held his hand, Adrian remained still, letting me take control. I moved his hand to touch the journal. The book shifted easily under his fingers.

“So this works.”

Using Adrian’s hand, I opened the journal and placed a pen in his grasp. After pondering what to write, I decided to answer Adrian’s earlier question.

[You’re not crazy.]

“Really…?”

Adrian mumbled despondently. He didn’t seem surprised to see his hand moving on its own. Then, he asked, “Who are you?”

[……]

“Who?”

I tried to write my name, but my hand refused to move. Why isn’t it working?

<Past video playback in progress. The player’s name is unavailable information.>

Watching Adrian stare expectantly at the paper, I sighed. If he learned my name here, he might have reacted differently when we met in the palace. Since Adrian had shown no recognition of me during our palace encounter, it was clear he didn’t know my name.

[Secret.]

I moved his hand to write the response, and Adrian’s expression twisted as he read the words.

With a feverish face, he squinted at the paper and asked, “Are you someone who died here?”

[No.]

Adrian seemed convinced I was a ghost. He wiggled the hand I held briefly before asking again.

“Are you here to help me?”

[I can’t help much.]

“I see. You don’t seem to have much physical strength.”

Wow, is he a genius? Well, considering he rose to the rank of an imperial scribe, it’s no surprise he’s smart…

“You can’t do much physically, except maybe hold me. And since you haven’t interacted with me since the day I was trapped, it seems like you’re bound by specific conditions…”

What, that’s scary.

Reluctantly, I moved his hand to write:

[Correct.]

I knew he was a sharp character, but figuring out my situation so thoroughly after just two contacts was almost frightening. Despite his poor physical condition, his mind worked with alarming speed.

“Then give me some useful information,” Adrian said in an impatient tone.

Rather than focusing on the possibility that I might be some inexplicable being beyond his comprehension, he was intent on the idea that I could help him escape this place. He was an excessively rational character.

The moment he realized I was cooperative, Adrian pressed me for information. Watching him demand answers so relentlessly, I hesitated.

Useful information…? Like the fact that the village chief is a bad guy? Adrian probably knows that better than I do.

Writing something so obvious might just anger Adrian enough to tear up the journal. After some thought, I recalled what I’d seen in the most recent fragment of Adrian’s journal.

‘Verify clue.’

I opened the system window to confirm the information.

<Adrian’s Journal Fragment>

• Fragment 3: [Herb Chamber Maintenance Log, Day 241: Identified information on individuals requiring herbs and cases of overdose.]

This is it.

So far, Adrian’s journal showed no awareness that the herbs were needed for the Crown Prince. Since Day 241 was approaching and Adrian hadn’t discovered this, it seemed like the player’s intervention was required.

Confidently, I moved his hand to write:

[I’ll give you information about the herbs.]

“I already know quite a bit about the herbs. What information?”

[These herbs are crucial for the Crown Prince.]

Adrian silently stared at the paper.

Was that not enough?

[Overdosing might have negative effects too.]

Seeing Adrian fixate on the paper, I added the uncertain remark. It wasn’t confirmed information—the villagers suspected the herbs caused the plague, but the system hadn’t verified it yet.

“For the Crown Prince?”

[Yes, he might even be searching for them now.]

“If the village chief knows this, he’ll exploit it somehow.”

[Probably.]

“And if this isn’t true, then I’ll…”

Adrian fell into deep thought. While he contemplated, I gently stroked the scarred back of his hand.

That must hurt…

Memories of Adrian searching for a way out while getting pricked by thorn-covered walls filled my mind. Despite having no clear escape route, Adrian had never given up. In previous playthroughs, I hadn’t paid much attention to his character, but seeing this side of him now made me like him.

Like Ardal and Dion.

I liked steadfast people, like knights, or those who didn’t give up even in tough situations. Maybe it was because I wasn’t like that in reality. They say people are drawn to those who are their opposites, after all.

Even though they were just characters, the fact that I hadn’t been able to log out of the game for so long made me start seeing them as real people. I knew I shouldn’t feel this way…

As I absentmindedly rubbed the back of Adrian’s hand, he, who had been deep in thought, suddenly raised his hand and placed it over mine.

“This time, I can touch it.”

Unlike when he had tried to touch my face earlier, Adrian’s hand clasped mine firmly. With both hands tightly gripping mine, he smiled faintly.

“I have no other options, so I’ll trust you this time.”

It was a mature smile, one that didn’t suit a childlike appearance.