I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 59

The temple was located at the heart of the palace, so there was no need to ride a horse or take a carriage. While it was possible to use a carriage, my thoughts were too jumbled, and I wanted to walk. I told Dietrich I preferred walking, and he agreed without hesitation.

“I heard you didn’t visit the temple while you were with Dion…”

“Yes.”

Pressing my throbbing head, I answered briefly. I could feel Dietrich glancing at me, but I didn’t look back. I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, picturing the vile face of Gillian.

The man who grinned greedily and the powerless Dietrich standing before him.

I should have paid closer attention when I noticed Gillian’s connection to Dietrich’s route at the banquet. I wanted to ask Dietrich directly about Gillian, but with his affection level in the negatives, there was no way he would answer me.

I’d be lucky if his suspicion level didn’t increase further.

Sighing, I fiddled with the ring on my finger, and Dietrich’s gaze shifted to my hand.

As he stared intently at the ring, he tilted his head and asked, “Saintess, does the ring bother you?”

“Sorry?”

“You’ve been touching it frequently. If it’s uncomfortable, why not take it off for a while?”

“I’d like to, but I can’t remove it…”

He noticed so quickly, even though I’d only touched it briefly. His perception was as sharp as ever. As my voice trailed off, he spoke gently.

“Perhaps applying some oil at the temple might help it slide off.”

If oil could remove the ring, I would have logged out long ago.

Swallowing a sigh, I forced a smile and replied, “Sure.”

Noticing my mood, Dietrich stopped talking after that suggestion. While talking things out can sometimes help, right now, I just wanted to walk in silence. Dietrich, perceptive as ever, seemed to pick up on this.

Given his status, he likely rarely had to cater to others, so it was surprising how attuned he was to other people’s emotions. If he were as kind as Ardal, this sensitivity might be expected, but Dietrich wasn’t genuinely kind—he only pretended to be.

I couldn’t figure out what his true personality was like. Despite how many times I had snapped at him, he never showed any displeasure, always responding with a composed smile. How does someone grow up maintaining such poise?

If only I could handle people as gracefully as Dietrich does in real life…

Suddenly, I recalled the time I found out my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me. The memory of yelling at him flashed through my mind, and I groaned, clutching my forehead. I should’ve laughed and dumped him instead! Reacting so emotionally must have made him think I was desperate for him.

Ugh, how irritating!

Hearing me groan while holding my head, Dietrich lightly placed a hand on my shoulder.

“There’s a small garden nearby. Shall we rest there for a moment?”

He escorted me by gently placing my hand on his arm. His movements were so fluid and natural that I couldn’t refuse, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

Following his lead, I found myself on a narrow path hidden by trees. The thick foliage cast a cool shade over the path, and as the chill seeped in, I shivered slightly. Not long after entering the path, we came across a bench.

“Please, have a seat.”

Dietrich gestured for me to sit and took a seat next to me. As I absentmindedly fiddled with the ring and looked around the garden, he broke the silence.

“Do you miss the Holy Kingdom, Saintess?”

“What makes you ask that all of a sudden?”

“Well, you said you wanted to visit the temple, and you’ve seemed rather down lately. I wondered if it might be homesickness.”

Turning to face me, his eyes, darkened by the lack of light, held a trace of concern. Even though I knew he was suspicious of me, for a moment, I foolishly thought he might genuinely care.

Dietrich was a surprisingly seductive figure. He had a knack for identifying moments of vulnerability and exploiting them expertly. His question hit its mark so precisely that I hesitated before replying.

“Yes, I do feel like going back.”

Of course, my idea of “going back” was to leave the game and return to reality, not the Holy Kingdom. But there was no need to clarify that for him.

When I nodded, Dietrich looked at me sympathetically and gently held my hand. Stroking the back of my hand, he consoled me.

“It’s all right, Saintess. You’ll find things here that bring you joy, too. While I can’t promise to send you back to the Holy Kingdom, I can promise to make your time here so fulfilling that you won’t miss it.”

“Dietrich…”

His sincere tone and the understanding in his deep gaze made me almost fall under his spell.

<Dietrich is wary of the player.>

• Dietrich’s suspicion has increased.
• Current suspicion level: 55%.
• If the level reaches 100%, affection growth will no longer be possible.

…Oh no, I almost fell for it.

I had nearly believed that Dietrich was genuinely comforting me, mesmerized by his beautiful face, but the system window snapped me back to reality.

Even as he comforted me, he was raising his suspicion level.

Forcing a natural smile onto my trembling lips, I replied, “Thank you, Dietrich.”

***

Dietrich’s warmth radiated from the hand he hadn’t let go of. Sitting together on the bench, I absentmindedly fidgeted with my fingers and glanced down at my feet.

<Passive Skill ‘Herb Identification’ has been automatically activated.>

• Discovered materials for ‘Truth Serum’!
• Discovered materials for ‘Aphrodisiac Neutralizer’!

<You’ve consecutively found rare herbs.>

• It is recommended to create potions before proceeding to the temple.

“Dietrich, just a moment.”

As if waiting for me to notice, the system window appeared. Pulling my hand free, I leaned forward to take a closer look.

Beneath the bench, there were unfamiliar plants. I’d never seen the ingredients for truth serum or aphrodisiac neutralizer before, and the system recommending me to craft them was also a first.

Frowning, I checked the system window and gathered the potion materials. But how would I make them without bottles?

<There are three bottles in your inventory.>

<Potion crafting is possible.>

Wait, even I didn’t know that.

Staring blankly at the system window that revealed things I hadn’t known, I was startled by Dietrich’s voice next to me. He had risen from his seat and was watching me collect plants with a curious look.

“Saintess?”

“Sorry, I found some interesting herbs…”

“Now that you mention it, I recall Adrian saying you’re skilled at potion crafting. What kind of herbs are these?”

“They’re for a restorative.”

“So these are the ingredients for restorative potions. I’ve never seen raw herbs before they’re processed.”

Dietrich asked with genuine curiosity as I collected the herbs. I chose the safest answer I could think of. If I honestly said the materials were for truth serum and aphrodisiac neutralizer, his suspicion level might immediately jump to 100%.

Moving closer, Dietrich pushed my hands aside to help pull out the herbs himself. For a noble, his actions were surprisingly unrestrained.

Touching the dirt with his bare hands, Dietrich showed no hesitation as he spoke, “Your hands will get dirty. Let me do it. Should I pull them out by the roots?”

“Ah, yes.”

I replied automatically, frowning slightly. So, he doesn’t mind getting his own hands dirty?

Before I could decline, Dietrich had already pulled out all the materials and placed them on the bench. His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he looked at me, prompting a light laugh as I sat back down.

“Thank you for helping. But Dietrich, your hands are dirty.”

“This is nothing. Don’t worry about it. By the way, Saintess, are you planning to craft potions here? Is that even possible in a place like this?”

Dietrich cheerfully brushed the dirt off his hands as he spoke. He was utterly unpredictable. Based on appearances alone, he seemed like someone who’d never lift a finger.

Watching him nonchalantly dirty his hands, I decided to skip the explanations and got straight to work.

<Skill ‘Potion Crafting’ has been activated.>

<Combining materials for ‘Truth Serum.’>

<Crafting in progress.>

A familiar sensation enveloped my hands, which moved on their own. The rapid, dexterous movements felt alien, as though they didn’t belong to me.

Dietrich, observing from the side, murmured in admiration.

<Crafting Complete!>

<Stamina slightly decreases due to potion crafting.>

<‘Truth Serum’ has been crafted.>

<Certain Effect Truth Serum>

• A truth serum crafted with a high-level potion crafting skill.
• Anyone who drinks it will truthfully answer any question for a certain period.

Raising my skill level through past events had been worth it. After checking the potion’s effects, I carefully stored the bottle and activated the skill again.

<Combining materials for ‘Aphrodisiac Neutralizer.’>

<Crafting in progress.>

<Crafting Complete!>

<Stamina slightly decreases due to potion crafting.>

<‘Aphrodisiac Neutralizer’ has been crafted.>

Making the aphrodisiac neutralizer was simpler than the truth serum. I quickly filled two bottles and stopped the skill.

<Certain Effect Aphrodisiac Neutralizer>

• A neutralizer crafted with a high-level potion crafting skill.
• May neutralize substances other than aphrodisiacs.
• Effective only before intoxication.
• Must be used within 5 minutes of crafting.

What?

Frowning at the extremely short time frame for usage, I immediately drank the neutralizer. It seemed the system was pushing me to consume it.

<You have consumed the Certain Effect Aphrodisiac Neutralizer!>

• You are immune to all aphrodisiacs for the next 5 hours.

“Huh? You drink it right after making it?”

Dietrich blinked at me, surprised. Though curious, he quickly nodded in understanding.

“Oh, right. You said it was a restorative? So you’re not feeling well. Saintess, if you’re unwell, perhaps we should return so you can rest.”

Fortunately, Dietrich believed what I had told him earlier. Nodding at his concern, I slipped the truth serum into my sleeve as I stood. While it had automatically entered my inventory, Dietrich only saw me placing it in my sleeve, causing him to tilt his head with a worried look.

“Won’t it fall out if you put it in your sleeve?”

“It’s fine. There’s a small pocket inside my sleeve.”

Shrugging, I lied and extended my hand to Dietrich.

“I think I’ve rested enough. I just drank the restorative, so I feel much better. Let’s head to the temple now.”

“Saintess, I really think it would be better to go back instead of heading to the temple.”

“It’s fine. I want to go to the temple now.”

Dietrich’s flawless face briefly contorted. Each time I mentioned going to the temple, his expression twisted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his hidden emotions.

It was like seeing a scared child trembling under the covers, fearing a monster lurking beneath the bed. His pure, frightened expression intrigued me.

I wanted to uncover the reason behind his fear. And surely, I could find out once we arrived at the temple.

“Let’s go, Dietrich.”

I urged Dietrich, who hid his fear behind a mask of calm.