I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 83

“Saintess, it’s time to head back.”

“Yes.”

The Third Prince, noticing the Emperor had fallen asleep while listening to my performance, spoke to me in a soft voice. I gathered the violin Dietrich had gifted me and left the Emperor’s chamber alongside the Third Prince.

“You’re going straight back to Brother Lucius, right?”

“That seems to be the plan.”

<‘The Third Prince’s Invitation’>

• Objective: A performance for the Emperor.

The objective of the Third Prince’s invitation was to play an instrument for the Emperor. Since the reward involved an event to increase Lucius’s affection, I couldn’t skip it.

At first, my hands trembled just holding the bow, but as time passed, the shaking gradually subsided. My vague fear of performing faded more easily than I had expected.

Unlike in reality, where even looking at a violin felt agonizing, I found myself enjoying playing it here as I had when I was young.

Was it because of the system-regulated sensitivity?

I couldn’t predict how I would react if I ever played the violin again in the real world, but one thing was clear: I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did here.

In the absence of distractions and with the system almost forcing me into the performance by generating events, I could empty my mind and focus solely on playing.

“Thanks to your performances, Saintess, His Majesty’s condition seems to be improving. He’s sleeping well and has become gentler, like he was before.”

Over the past two weeks of visiting the Emperor together, I had grown accustomed to the Third Prince’s chatter. I half-listened to his words while closing the system window.

With so much to do, I had no idea how much longer I would need to keep visiting the Emperor.

I still needed to craft the Emperor’s cure, collect Lucius’s past fragments, and meet with Tricia…

As I mentally reviewed my ever-growing list of tasks, I sighed deeply.

“If my brothers came along, His Majesty would be even happier…”

“Are you referring to Sir Lucius and the Second Prince?”

“Yes. They used to get along well when they were younger.”

Oblivious to my sigh, the Third Prince continued speaking about whatever was on his mind.

However, something piqued my curiosity, so I turned to him and asked, “Are you close to the Second Prince, Your Highness?”

“No…”

The Third Prince trailed off, shaking his head. His delicate and timid demeanor was apparent as he cautiously continued.

“The Second Prince doesn’t like Brother Lucius or me. It’s only natural… He’s the one who desires the throne the most…”

<Event! ‘The Third Prince’s Invitation’ has been completed.>

• Rewards have been obtained.

<You have acquired information about the capture target ‘Lucius’!>

<You have collected Lucius’s Past Fragment!>

• Lucius’s Past Fragments (5/5).
• Lucius’s affection has slightly increased.
• Your understanding of Lucius has slightly increased.

<You have completed the collection of Lucius’s Past Fragments.>

<An affection-increasing event for the capture target ‘Lucius’ has been triggered!>

• The event will occur in 3 minutes!
• Prepare for the situation accordingly.

As I quickly skimmed the necessary details from the system window, my gaze stopped at the final line.

Prepare for the situation?

The message urged me to prepare for the situation, so I glanced around. Yet, the area near the Emperor’s palace was eerily quiet and peaceful, as if no disturbance would ever occur.

“What’s wrong?”

<Event will occur in 2 minutes!>

The system window flashed ominously, in stark contrast to the tranquil surroundings. Frowning, I rubbed my temples, causing the timid Third Prince to fidget nervously.

“Are you feeling unwell? Please wait here for a moment.”

“Oh, wait…”

“I’ll fetch a physician immediately.”

The Third Prince dashed off, shouting for an attendant. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared down the corridor, leaving me alone.

<Event will occur in 60 seconds!>

Watching the system window begin its countdown, I set the violin aside.

Whatever situation was about to unfold, a dagger would be more useful than a violin if it turned dangerous.

I reached for the handle of the dagger Tricia had given me and fixed my gaze straight ahead.

<Event! ‘Abduction by the Second Prince’ has been generated!>

• This event cannot be avoided.

“Mmmpf!”

A hand suddenly clamped over my face. My vision was obscured by fabric, and I couldn’t see anything, but the system persisted, generating another window.

Unable to see but able to read the information displayed, I stopped struggling and let my body go limp in the arms that held me.

“What the… Is she unconscious?”

“She fainted already?”

“We haven’t even done anything yet. What is this?”

“Whatever. Let’s move quickly.”

Since this was an unavoidable event, I decided to quietly assess the situation and bide my time.

Discreetly, I transferred the dagger Tricia had given me to my inventory. If I left it in my pocket, it might be taken away, so I planned to retrieve it later when the moment was right.

“Saintess?”

While being dragged away by the Second Prince’s subordinates, I heard the Third Prince’s voice.

“Saintess!”

Hearing his desperate calls, I debated whether to answer but decided to remain silent.

Having once disrupted Dietrich’s capture event, I understood how troublesome things could become if events were derailed.

Creating a new route might yield better rewards upon completion, but the system wouldn’t recommend events aligned with the route anymore.

Unlike Tricia, the Second Prince didn’t seem to be under the system’s influence, which could manipulate his state of mind. So, for now, I decided to stay quiet.

***

“Wasn’t the order to leave her here?”

“Let’s finish the body search and leave quickly.”

I felt hands roughly groping my body here and there. They emptied my pockets and searched for any hidden weapons. Once they were done, they threw me to the ground and left the room.

Even after hearing the door close, I continued pretending to be unconscious for a while before cautiously opening my eyes.

Only my wrists and ankles were tied. My eyes and mouth weren’t covered, so I could freely observe my surroundings.

No one was watching me. I sat up and retrieved the dagger I had stored in my inventory. Cutting the rope binding my ankles, I examined the room.

Leaving the rope around my wrists intact would prevent the Second Prince from realizing I had a weapon. He might assume my ankles had never been tied in the first place.

Muttering to myself, I inspected the room.

“Where am I?”

The layout of the room was unfamiliar. It didn’t resemble the quarters in Lucius’s palace or the room Dietrich had provided me.

It was too simple to be a room in the Imperial Palace. Walking along the walls, I stopped in front of a large window. Beyond it stretched an expansive view.

“How high up is this?”

The room was so high up that I could sketch a bird’s-eye view of the Imperial Palace. Knowing escape through the window was impossible, there wasn’t even a latch on it.

Opening the window, I gripped the frame and cautiously looked down. Cold wind brushed against my cheek, making me dizzy. Turning away from the window, I abandoned the idea.

If I tried to escape through there, it’d lead to a dead ending.

This place resembled a prison.

The cold stone walls and a small bed tucked into the corner of the room. The bed frame had…

Wait, what?

Turning my gaze, I noticed something strange and whipped my head around.

Are those handcuffs?

Approaching the bed, I examined the cuffs attached to the frame and frowned.

<Clue collection is possible.>

A system window, similar to the one I had seen when investigating a village afflicted by disease, appeared. Dusting off the bedding, I uncovered a large symbol carved into the bed frame.

<Clue Collection Complete!>

• A bed inscribed with Gillian’s binding seal.
• The research process for the binding seal.

<‘Fragment of the Relationship between Gillian and the Second Prince’ has been acquired.>

The symbol was identical to the one engraved on my chest.

Was the research for creating the binding seal conducted here? It seemed Gillian had collaborated with the Second Prince…

“Saintess.”

Startled by the voice behind me, I shot up from the bed. When had he entered? The Second Prince was standing there, a sinister smile on his face.

Feigning fear, I shouted at him, “What is the meaning of this?”

“That’s what I should be asking you, Saintess. What have you been up to?”

Gone was the Second Prince’s polite demeanor from when others were present. His voice was now threatening as he glared at me.

“I heard you claim to be able to cure the Emperor. That you and the First Prince discovered the cause of his illness together.”

Muttering to himself as he approached, his voice reverberated ominously in the room.

“Is that true?”

Grinding his teeth, he came closer and asked me directly. The Second Prince was clearly worried that his poisoning of the Emperor would be discovered.

If it became known that the illness was caused by poison, investigations would inevitably trace back to him.

Looking directly into his murky eyes, I responded firmly, “Yes, it’s true.”

“The Emperor’s illness…”

“It’s not an illness; it’s poisoning. Isn’t that something you know better than anyone, Your Highness?”

Meeting the Second Prince’s gaze, I spoke unwaveringly. He took a step back.

“What are you saying? Saintess, how would I know such a thing?”

<Warning! Approaching a dead ending.>

Uh-oh. It seemed I had provoked him too much. The system issued a warning, and I winced.

What should I do?

Since this was an event to increase Lucius’s affection, he would likely come to rescue me. But I couldn’t count on that happening immediately.

With a dead ending looming, I had to handle this on my own.

Seeing the Second Prince’s frozen expression, I racked my brain for something to say that would change his mind.

As I searched for a way out of the situation, an idea struck me.

“Of course, I thought you knew, Your Highness. Isn’t that why you brought me here?”

In this ruthlessly challenging game, which even demanded acting skills from players, I had managed to capture four characters without any guides.

When the Second Prince scowled and reached for the sword at his waist, I stepped closer, gripping his hands to stop him from drawing it.

With a shameless tone, I said, “I’m talking about the First Prince, Lucius, attempting to poison the Emperor.”

“…What?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to summon me, Your Highness. The Third Prince is too weak-willed to stand up to the First Prince.”

At my audacious claim, the Second Prince’s face twisted in confusion. My motives seemed unclear to him, making it hard for him to judge the situation.

My goal was to survive until Lucius arrived to save me, so I continued spinning my tale to the Second Prince.

“I wanted to inform you of this, but the First Prince confined me to the palace, leaving me with no way to contact you.”

In a scenario like this, flattery is the best strategy.