I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 66

“Is there a way to return Lady Tricia to her original self?”

“I’ll have to think about it from now on.”

After Dahlia and Hella had left, Dietrich asked me this question as I remained lost in thought. Truthfully, part of the reason I accepted Dahlia’s request was out of spite toward the system, which had displayed a window warning me not to interfere.

This was the first time I acted purely of my own will without a system-generated event guiding me.

If only the second objective would generate, it might provide some assistance… but the second objective of Dietrich’s capture event was still not available, with its opening date pending. Staring at the letters on the system window as though I could rip them apart, I let out a small exclamation.

“Ah.”

The objective’s release date… would something happen on that day?

Seeing me accept Hella’s request without any concrete plan, Dietrich grimaced. However, when I caught his gaze, he quickly corrected his expression and smiled.

“Dietrich, is there any banquet or major event coming up in the next few days?”

“A banquet or major event… Hmm, there’s a hunting festival in ten days, but it would be difficult for you to attend. One must be skilled in horseback riding to participate.”

Dietrich replied after some thought.

“Will Lady Tricia be attending?”

“Lady Tricia participates every year, and she’s won for the past three years in a row.”

<Information on the event ‘The Source of Fear’ has been updated.>

• Before the Second Objective (10 days remaining until the objective’s release date).

Looking at the timely system update, I spoke to Dietrich, “I need to relearn horseback riding.”

“Saintess, you’re not thinking of participating in the hunting festival, are you?”

Hearing my declaration, Dietrich responded in a reluctant tone. His eyebrows furrowed, expressing his displeasure.

Finding his reaction curious, I looked at him as he explained, “The hunting festival is… quite a rough event. It might be too barbaric for you to participate.”

“Barbaric?”

“There are many injuries, and even if someone gets hurt, they can’t drop out halfway. They’re left unattended until the event ends.”

And Tricia has won for three consecutive years at such an event?

Frowning as I repeated the information, I asked, “Didn’t you say Lady Tricia has won for the past three years?”

“Yes, she’s been unbeatable. If you were to participate and Lady Tricia held hostility toward you, it could lead to dangerous situations.”

Dietrich continued in a worried tone, “I’d prefer if you didn’t participate in the hunting festival. It would be better to focus on finding a way to transfer the binding seal first, wouldn’t it?”

Ultimately, his concern wasn’t for me but whether the binding seal imprisoning him could be moved.

“If we transfer the binding seal, you can participate in next year’s hunting festival.”

Dietrich added with a smile. His words essentially implied that whether I lived or died after transferring the seal was of no concern to him.

Shooting him a brief glare, I said, “Let’s go practice horseback riding.”

***

Tricia exhaled heavily, unable to hide her displeasure. She couldn’t understand why she had come to such a place—despite coming of her own volition.

Thinking about how she had gone to confront the Saintess living with Dietrich and stammered in front of him made her want to crawl into a hole.

“Why did I act like that?”

She swore she had never held any rational affection for Dietrich, not for a single moment. She despised his frivolous behavior. Admiration was out of the question—if anything, she loathed him.

Though he was a man with a beautiful face, she found him entirely unappealing. His behavior, flitting shamelessly from one person to another, was utterly repulsive. Shouldn’t men devote themselves to just one person?

Even with his stunning appearance, his personality made it impossible for her to feel any attraction.

As Tricia finally regained her composure and stood to leave the drawing room, someone entered.

The man saw her, gave a benevolent smile, and approached a chair.

“You’ve been waiting, haven’t you, Tricia?”

“…Sir Gillian.”

Recognizing the elderly man who entered the drawing room, Tricia replied belatedly. Gillian smiled with a scheming look and gestured for her to sit.

“It’s been a while. You mentioned you had a favor to ask?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Gillian was a man with his hands in various aspects of the palace. Crown Prince Lucius tolerated his meddling as long as he didn’t appear in his presence.

Lucius neither respected nor rejected Gillian.

‘For reasons I can’t understand.’

Sighing, Tricia sat in front of Gillian. She had called him, so she had to offer some sort of explanation.

‘To think I almost asked him to take care of the Saintess. Am I really losing my mind?’

The fact that Gillian was the person she had almost turned to made the situation even stranger. Tricia had never relied on him before. Remembering how Dahlia repeatedly told her she was losing her mind, Tricia decided to retract her request and met Gillian’s gaze.

“You mentioned something about the Saintess, didn’t you?”

As soon as their eyes met, Tricia felt her judgment clouding. Biting her lip, she grimaced.

This sensation always arose when facing the Saintess, Dietrich, or Gillian. The unpleasant feeling of her will vanishing made her frown.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I think I can help.”

“I want to get rid of the Saintess.”

Grinding her lips together, Tricia blurted out the words. Her mouth moved on its own, and dark, insidious suggestions spilled out, entirely against her will.

Hearing her, Gillian widened his eyes in apparent shock.

“Get rid of the Saintess… What do you mean by that?”

“I mean I can’t stand seeing the Saintess near the Grand Duke. Sir Gillian, please help me.”

“No matter what you say… How could I possibly… the Saintess…”

Gillian responded with an awkward smile, covering his lips that were curling upward after hearing Tricia’s request.

“Even for your request… this is…”

“Please, Sir Gillian,” Tricia pleaded, biting her lips until they bled.

Staring at Tricia’s darkly glowing eyes, Gillian smiled inwardly.

‘Tricia has feelings for Dietrich?’

If he had known this earlier, he could have used Dietrich to manipulate Tricia at his will. Gillian clicked his tongue in regret.

This was too valuable a card to simply discard after use. However, it was an opportunity to deal with the Saintess without dirtying his own hands. Although Gillian was executing other plans to bring the Saintess under his control, he decided to change his strategy entirely.

“Alright, Tricia. Since it’s your request, I’ll do my best.”

Pretending reluctance, Gillian masked his smile with his hand as he replied. Tricia’s face twisted at his words.

“Yes, I’ll assist you as well, so please make sure to deal with it thoroughly—and as quickly as possible.”

As Tricia replied with a deeply furrowed brow, Gillian made a proposal.

“To handle it swiftly… yes, it would be best to use the hunting festival.”

“The hunting festival?”

“Yes. During the festival, even if something happens to the Saintess, it won’t be possible to raise objections.”

“The Saintess can’t even ride a horse properly. She won’t participate in the hunting festival, so how will you…?” asked Tricia in a doubtful tone.

Hearing the distrust in her voice, Gillian responded confidently, “I’ll ensure the Saintess participates in the hunting festival, so don’t worry about that.”

His firm tone caused Tricia to nod as though mesmerized.

“Tricia, you just need to follow my instructions during the festival.”

“Yes, I understand.”

For someone like Tricia, who usually wouldn’t agree so readily, her compliant demeanor seemed unusual. Gillian briefly pondered her change but dismissed it lightly.

‘She must be blinded by Dietrich.’

Though surprising, Tricia’s infatuation with Dietrich wasn’t unheard of. Gillian had a history of exploiting those enamored with Dietrich, so this wasn’t particularly strange. Patting Tricia’s hand, Gillian smiled.

***

“Ensure that the Saintess participates in the hunting festival.”

Dietrich obediently nodded in response to Gillian’s greedy expression.

“Yes.”

“Of course, Dietrich, you are not to participate. Nor should you assign anyone else to accompany the Saintess for her protection during the festival.”

“Understood.”

It wasn’t a difficult task. Even before Gillian issued the order, the Saintess had already decided to participate in the hunting festival on her own.

‘So he plans to deal with the Saintess during the festival.’

Though uncharacteristically sloppy for Gillian, Dietrich did not oppose the plan. Naturally, he also didn’t inform Gillian of the Saintess’s intentions to participate.

‘I need to ensure her horseback riding skills are properly trained.’

He couldn’t allow the Saintess to fall into Gillian’s hands before he figured out how to transfer the binding seal.

***

<Dietrich’s Capture Event: ‘The Source of Fear’>

<Second Objective Unlocked.>

• Second Objective: Participate in the hunting festival and survive officially.

<Event ‘Gillian’s Trap (2)’ has been triggered.>

• Participating in the hunting festival automatically activates ‘Gillian’s Trap.’

Beyond the continuously appearing system windows, I noticed Tricia quietly watching me. Her intense gaze, sharp enough to pierce, instinctively drew my attention to her.

Meeting Tricia’s gaze, Dietrich approached me. Stroking the neck of the horse I was riding, he placed a hand on my thigh and whispered.

“Saintess, please be careful.”

I knew his touch carried no genuine concern for me, but it seemed to convey something entirely different to Tricia.

Her previously still shoulders shook violently. Next to her, Dahlia looked at me with teary eyes. Pointing at Tricia’s head, Dahlia seemed to notice the golden mist around her was denser than usual.

“Lady Tricia is staring at you, Saintess.”

“It’s probably because of your actions, Dietrich.”

“Oh, it’s because of this hand, then.”

“Yes, so stop touching and lower your hand.”

Speaking softly to avoid being overheard, I saw Dietrich nod in agreement.

“What do you think is controlling Lady Tricia?”

It’s the system.

I sneered internally at Dietrich’s question.

“I’m not sure.”

Feigning ignorance, I shrugged, prompting Dietrich to sigh and step back.

“Be careful. I don’t care if you get hurt, but you must return with your life intact.”

“Yes, I will.”

Dietrich’s repeated reminders irritated me. The fact that he only cared about my survival and not my well-being grated on my nerves, but my attention was more focused on the system window than on Dietrich or Tricia.

• Second Objective: Participate in the hunting festival and survive officially.

After confirming the objective, I gripped the reins tightly and steadied my breathing.

If official survival is the goal, that must mean there’s a possibility of unofficial survival too.