I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 73

“The reason I’ll be away is… Hmm, yes. Let’s say it’s because Lucius asked me to investigate the Saintess after the hunting festival.”

“When did I ever ask you to do that?”

Lucius protested, but Dietrich was too busy explaining his plan.

“If I use Lucius’s name, I can provide a reasonable excuse.”

“You don’t even listen to what I say.”

After finishing his explanation, Dietrich made a request to Lucius.

“Lucius, please.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Dietrich’s face, which looked quite desperate. After staring at him for a while, Lucius relaxed his frown and stood up.

“You’d better find a way to transfer the seal before my patience runs out.”

Dietrich, receiving Lucius’s approval, visibly relaxed and smiled brightly.

“Then it seems time will be rather tight.”

***

Dietrich left immediately, and I moved to the building where Lucius lived. Although I stayed at Lucius’s residence, I rarely encountered him. He hardly ever came out and spent most of his time in his room.

“Saintess.”

While walking in the garden where the owner seldom appeared, I unexpectedly ran into Lucius. With a bored expression, he approached me, holding a large box in his hands.

Lucius, who had briskly approached, shoved the large box into my arms. Without any explanation, he left me holding the box, so I asked, “What is this?”

“It’s something Dietrich asked me to deliver.”

“So, what is it exactly?”

He replied indifferently and turned away. As I called out to him while looking at his retreating back, Lucius coldly replied, “Do you think I opened it myself to check what it is before delivering it? Unfortunately, Saintess, I don’t care enough about you to do that.”

He always talks like that. Watching Lucius’s irritating tone, I nodded, set the box on a nearby chair, and opened it to check the contents.

“Oh…”

Inside the box was a violin encased in a luxurious case. On top of the violin lay a note. I slowly read the note, which was written in elegant handwriting.

[I hope this gift is not unpleasant to you, Saintess.]

After reading the note, I let out a long sigh.

***

I told him I didn’t need it.

“Why did he give me this…?”

Although I brought it into my room, I couldn’t bring myself to take the violin out of its case. For several days, I just glanced at it from time to time before finally sitting down in front of it and cautiously reaching out.

It seemed Dietrich had realized that I wasn’t uncomfortable with instruments themselves, but with playing them. That must be why he sent this as a gift.

He’s perceptive—too perceptive.

As I held the violin and let out a sigh, the door suddenly opened. Startled by the door opening without a knock, I set the violin down and stood up.

“…What is it?”

Lucius, who had entered as he pleased, glanced at the instrument and answered, “There’s somewhere we need to go. Follow me.”

“At the very least, knock before you come in. That startled me.”

“Were you doing something that could be startling?”

“Well, not really…”

“Then there’s no reason to be startled. Stop complaining and follow me.”

I didn’t have anything to do in the room and was bored, so I decided to follow him. But his attitude was really irritating.

Even among the characters with low affection, none treated me like this. Dietrich was polite, at least outwardly, and Dion and Adrian didn’t issue direct orders to me. They disguised commands as requests.

I’m not even a citizen of the empire, so do I have to obey Lucius’s orders?

If it’s beneficial, I’ll follow him, but it was hard to determine if following his orders would be advantageous.

Lost in thought, I followed Lucius when he asked, “You’re not planning to play that in your room, are you?”

“No.”

“That’s a relief.”

Lucius sounded genuinely relieved. I hadn’t intended to play it, but his blatant dislike rubbed me the wrong way.

“So, where are we going?”

Lucius glanced at me coldly in response to my curt tone and kept walking without answering. Since he strode ahead, I had to quicken my pace to keep up.

“This seems to be where His Majesty resides,” I remarked as we approached a familiar hallway. Looking around, I realized it was the place Dion and Dietrich had shown me when I first arrived in the empire.

Crossing a hallway filled with guards, Lucius finally spoke.

“Yes.”

“Why here…?”

“The Emperor wants to see you.”

“Why does His Majesty want to see me?”

Lucius responded sharply to my question, “How would I know?”

This consistently prickly capture target had been like this since our first meeting. If I could smack him on the back of the head just once, I’d have no regrets.

Suppressing my irritation, I smiled.

I wasn’t particularly eager to capture anyone at this point, but… Lucius, I’ve decided I’ll capture you.

I resolved to see Lucius, with his maximum affection level, smile and talk to me.

Plastering on a friendly smile, I said, “I see. Sir Lucius, you don’t know either.”

When I answered calmly, Lucius’s face twitched slightly. Before he could retort, I turned to the guards at the door and asked with a smile, “May I go in?”

The guard, after glancing at Lucius, opened the door. As soon as the door opened, a strong smell of herbs wafted out. Crinkling my nose slightly, I stepped inside to see researchers organizing herbs in the room.

“Saintess?”

Noticing me, the researchers hurriedly approached. Though their faces were friendly, they formally greeted Lucius before speaking to me.

“Saintess, what brings you here?”

“If you have time, could you visit the herb chamber later?”

These people, approaching with kind faces, were already laying the groundwork to burden me with more work.

<If you visit the herb chamber, the event ‘The Herb Chamber’s Request’ (2) will occur.>

-Completing the request will reward you with potion materials.

-This is a repeatable event.

Seeing the system window, I closed it without hesitation and shook my head.

“Sorry, but I don’t have time.”

“Oh… is that so…”

“It would be helpful if you could…”

The reward wasn’t worth it, and I wasn’t about to go through that ordeal again. When I firmly refused, the researchers murmured with disappointed faces.

“We need more manpower to make medicine for His Majesty…”

“If the Saintess could help, it would be such a big help…”

“I lack the ability to be of much help.”

I’m really not doing it this time. Do you know how hard it was last time?

Stepping back from the researchers, who murmured and subtly pressured me until I agreed, I turned to Lucius.

“Sir Lucius, wouldn’t His Majesty be waiting?”

Lucius, who had been watching me decline with apparent amusement, unexpectedly nodded at my question.

“Yes, we shouldn’t keep him waiting. Let’s go.”

As Lucius moved, the researchers bowed and stepped back.

“If you have time, please visit the herb chamber, Saintess…”

Even as they retreated, one researcher mumbled persistently. I avoided their desperate gazes and entered the Emperor’s chambers with Lucius.

“Hm.”

As soon as I entered, the pungent smoke hit my nose and mouth, and I instinctively covered my face.

Thinking the smoke might be toxic, like in Hella’s trap, I checked the system, but it remained silent. Confirming no danger, I slowly lowered my hand. Lucius, standing beside me, seemed unaffected, as if used to the smoke.

Once reassured, I looked around the room. It was a quiet, tidy space. Incense burners releasing smoke were placed throughout the room, filling it with haze.

Are they burning herbs?

In the center of the smoky room was a large bed veiled with curtains. Through the white curtains, I could see a figure moving.

A shadow with a misshapen face. That must be the Emperor.

“Is that the Saintess?”

A rough, hoarse voice called out. The Emperor, without parting the curtains, addressed me.

I bowed and answered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Coughing intermittently, the Emperor caught his breath before speaking again.

“Hmm… Since I am unwell, I’ll get straight to the point.”

As his words implied, the Emperor’s health didn’t seem good. Perhaps his condition had worsened while I was busy capturing other characters; even sitting up seemed difficult for him.

Lying back down, the Emperor continued,

“The researchers speak highly of you, Saintess…”

What in the world did they say in front of the Emperor? Doing one quest has left me thoroughly tied to those researchers.

Now, I had an idea of why the Emperor had summoned me.

“The Second Prince is working to find the cause of my illness. I want you to assist him in his research.”

Huh? Not Lucius?

Hearing the Emperor’s words, I glanced at Lucius, who stood motionless like a statue.

Help the Second Prince with his research?

“Your Majesty.”

I didn’t even want to assist a capture target, let alone a villain like the Second Prince. I immediately opened my mouth to respond.

The Emperor gestured for me to speak. After confirming his motion, I calmly replied, “If that is Your Majesty’s wish, I will obey. However, I would prefer to research with Sir Lucius.”

“The First Prince… Hmm… Fine.”

The Emperor, hearing my words, spoke reluctantly. After falling silent in apparent contemplation, he muttered, “Is it as the Second Prince says…”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. Let’s consider this matter settled. Leave.”

The sudden dismissal left me no time to respond. Lucius led me out of the Emperor’s chambers.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Back at Lucius’s residence, I asked in bewilderment.

<Lucius’s affection has slightly increased.>

It was the system, not Lucius, that answered my question.