I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 55

Dion, suppressing his emotions, left the office after warning me in a way only I could understand. It was a prudent decision since revealing his affectionate feelings toward me would only provoke Dietrich and Adrian into interfering, preventing him from getting closer to me.

“You seem to have grown quite close to Dion.”

It seemed his efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Dietrich, who was guiding me to my new quarters, spoke in a tone that feigned warmth. Smiling gently, he fixed his gaze on me.

“I noticed he calls you Haniel”

<Dietrich is wary of the player.>

• Dietrich’s ‘Suspicion’ level increases.
• If the suspicion level rises too high, affection growth will no longer be possible.

A system window appeared, completely mismatched with his expression.

“And how do you address Dion, Saintess?”

“The same way you do, Grand Duke.”

“Dion, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Dietrich’s lips curved into a loose smile as he continued in a tone that seemed overly polite.

“Saintess, don’t you think the way we address each other feels a bit distant?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re welcome to call me Dietrich. I’d like us to have a more intimate relationship.”

He was putting in quite the effort to seduce me.

While it was pleasant to have a man with such strikingly good looks attempting to charm me, his intentions were far from pure. As a result, I couldn’t allow myself to fall for his advances.

Since Dietrich’s capture route remained completely unpredictable, I decided to play along with him for now.

“All right, Dietrich.”

And then, once I log out, I’ll memorize Dietrich’s strategy guide before coming back.

“Hearing my name from your lips is delightful,” Dietrich declared confidently, saying something that would never fly in real life.

I let out a hollow laugh and looked at his face.

“What’s the matter, Saintess?”

Surprisingly, despite myself, hearing those words paired with his face made them seem like a plausible form of seduction.

If only he kept his mouth shut, I might even like him more. Such a shame.

I managed to give Dietrich a natural smile.

***

The relocation to my new quarters happened without prior notice. Fortunately, Hella, the girl we brought back from the village, had a place arranged by Dion as soon as we arrived at the palace.

If Dion hadn’t sponsored her, I would have asked Adrian to take care of her, but thankfully, that wasn’t necessary. I wasn’t particularly keen on bowing my head and asking for help from Adrian, who still didn’t recognize me, especially since I was already annoyed with him.

“This way.”

The room Dietrich led me to was filled with luxurious furnishings. The bed looked so cozy that once you lay down, you wouldn’t want to get back up. The wardrobe was packed with enough clothing to change three times a day for an entire year.

Compared to the modest room near the herb chamber where I had stayed with Dion, this was pure opulence. It made me suspicious—was Dietrich trying to ensure I wouldn’t leave my quarters voluntarily? Perhaps my activities—going in and out of the herb chamber and resolving Adrian’s request with Dion—had irritated him.

As I examined the room carefully, Dietrich, who had been watching me wander around, asked in an elegant tone, “How is it, Saintess? Do you like the room?”

“Was my clothing budget supposed to be this large?”

“Oh, not at all. These clothes were purchased with my personal funds. Please, use them freely without hesitation.”

Dietrich spoke smoothly, adding with a seductive smile, “I personally selected every piece, thinking of you, Saintess.”

Facing his blatant attempt at charm, I smiled politely and replied, “You must have gone through a lot of trouble to prepare all this. Thank you.”

“Thinking about you could never be called a trouble.”

Dietrich answered in a subtle tone as he approached and took my hand, planting a light kiss on the back of it.

“The time I spent preparing this, thinking of you, was truly enjoyable, Saintess.”

He gestured toward the extravagant clothes with his eyes.

Despite the sweetness dripping from his words, Dietrich’s intentions were clear—manipulative and insidious.

As a saintess, I was already a notable figure in the palace. Walking around in the clothes Dietrich had prepared for me would draw even more attention—but in a very negative way. It was evident that his gift of these clothes was meant to tarnish my reputation.

How could he behave the same way he did in the previous playthrough? Truly, Dietrich’s character was nothing if not consistent.

In the last playthrough, he had also given me clothes like these and encouraged me to wear them, leading me to face scorn from the other capture targets.

A saintess didn’t always have to dress modestly, but wearing flashy outfits made it harder to earn people’s goodwill. The ideal image of a saintess was someone untainted by worldly desires.

Though, in terms of sexual desires, I had already collapsed not just to my knees but flat on the ground. Fortunately, in this playthrough, the only one in the empire aware of that fact was Dion.

With a smile, I asked Dietrich, “Can I use all the clothes in this room as I wish?”

“Of course, Saintess.”

The in-game items I obtained meant nothing to me. It wasn’t something I could sell in the real world, so I had no reason to covet it. The dresses were lovely to look at, but they were uncomfortable to wear. While trying on new outfits could be fun, they didn’t hold much appeal for someone like me, who was accustomed to modern clothing.

Since wearing them wouldn’t increase affections either, there was no point in keeping them.

Smiling brightly, I told Dietrich, “That’s great. I’ve been feeling guilty about leaving Hella’s sponsorship to Dion, but now I can sell these clothes to raise funds for her support.”

“What?”

“Oh, right. You probably don’t know Hella, do you, Dietrich? Hella is…”

Before I could explain, Dietrich interrupted with a sharp question, “You’re planning to sell the clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Without even trying them on?”

“I’ll keep two or three pieces just in case I need them.”

When I answered decisively, Dietrich folded his arms and observed me carefully. His beautiful face twisted in thought, his brows furrowing deeply.

After a moment of deliberation, he asked with a regretful expression, “Are the clothes unsatisfactory? If they’re not to your taste, I can summon a different designer to create new ones for you.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“Then, may I ask what I could prepare that would bring you joy, Saintess?”

Using his delicate features to full effect, he asked with a touch of sorrow. His dazzling face only enhanced the sense of disappointment he conveyed.

After a moment of thought, I looked up and replied, “The best gift would probably be cash.”

“Cash?”

“Yes. Supporting Hella will likely require a considerable amount of money.”

“If you specify the amount, I’ll deliver it to her in your name.”

Dietrich answered, his expression clearing as if the issue had been resolved.

“If you ever need money, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Well, then, I’ll ask for your help occasionally. You might not know this, Dietrich, but being a saintess isn’t exactly a lucrative job.”

“I’ve never heard anyone describe being a saintess as a job before.”

<Dietrich’s affection has slightly increased.>

Responding playfully, I managed to raise Dietrich’s affection slightly. Not that it would make much difference, given how minimal the increase was.

***

“Grand Duke!”

“Lady Tricia, what brings you here?”

I was reluctantly enduring an exhausting tea time with Dietrich when I heard a sharp voice and turned my head. A woman with fiery red hair was glaring at me.

It was Tricia, whom I had met at the banquet. Tricia, a character designed to have feelings for Dietrich, becomes hostile toward me when entering his route.

As Tricia approached Dietrich, her gleaming green eyes fixed on me, she shouted, “I heard you’re planning to have the Saintess stay at your residence. That can’t be true, right?”

It had barely been six hours since I began staying with Dietrich. While I was simply looking around the room and enjoying a cup of tea, the rumors had already spread. Her information-gathering skills were truly impressive.

Admiring Tricia’s prowess in gathering intelligence, I sipped my tea.

“It’s true, Lady Tricia.”

Dietrich calmly responded to Tricia, who was panting with rage.

“Is there any issue with the Saintess staying here?”

“Well, there’s no issue, but…”

I looked at Tricia, who hesitated awkwardly in front of Dietrich, with curiosity. She was the quintessential villainess—so perfectly stereotypical it was almost fascinating.

She didn’t seem interested in Dietrich at the banquet, though.

Resting my chin on the table, I observed Tricia intently.

“It’s inappropriate for the Grand Duke to live with the Saintess.”

Would Tricia react whenever I spent time with Dietrich? And what role would her younger sister, Dahlia, play?

“Sister Tricia! What are you doing here?”

“Dahlia?”

No sooner had I thought of Dahlia than she came running in. Grabbing Tricia’s arm, Dahlia alternated between looking at me and Dietrich with teary eyes.

“S-sister, Father is looking for you. Please, let’s go back now, okay?”

“I’m in the middle of a conversation with the Grand Duke. Why are you being so rude?”

“Let’s go back. We need to leave.”

“Dahlia!”

Dragged by Dahlia, Tricia reluctantly turned to leave. However, before being pulled completely out of sight, she turned back to me and shouted, “Saintess! If you stay with the Grand Duke, I won’t forgive you!”

As expected. So overdramatic.

“Let’s go, sister.”

“Dahlia, what’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? Sister, pull yourself together!”

Muttering sharply under her breath, Dahlia dragged Tricia away.

“I apologize, Saintess. I don’t know what’s gotten into Lady Tricia all of a sudden.”

“She seems to like you, Dietrich.”

“That can’t be true. Lady Tricia has no interest in me.”

Dietrich offered a light apology as he watched the two women disappear into the distance.

Fiddling with his now-cold teacup, he smiled with his eyes and asked, “Enough about Lady Tricia. Saintess, have you ever thought about learning horseback riding?”

“Horseback riding?”

“Yes, I noticed last time that you seemed unfamiliar with it… If it’s not too presumptuous, I’d like to teach you.”

I had thought about learning, but… when did he notice that?