I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 97

<A bit of fatigue has been recovered!>

The first thing that greeted me as I opened my eyes was a system window. The lively system notification, reminding me that this wasn’t reality, floated in front of me. Staring blankly at the semi-transparent system window, I noticed a familiar figure behind it.

As the system window disappeared, Adrian came into view, watching me as I lay on the sofa. Blinking at him absentmindedly, I brushed back my hair and sat up.

The system displayed a message indicating that I had been asleep for ten minutes. Embarrassed, I touched my cheeks and offered a sheepish explanation.

“I don’t usually fall asleep in just a few seconds…”

I’m not someone who dozes off the moment my head hits a pillow. It’s just that the system forced me to sleep.

Adrian, who works far harder than I do without showing any signs of fatigue, must have watched me pass out completely in front of him. Feeling self-conscious, I mumbled to myself. Adrian, however, rose from his seat without a word, his disinterest palpable. Watching him stand, I noticed that the coat he had been wearing was draped over me.

As I tried to return the coat, Adrian stopped me. After thanking him, I wrapped myself in it, pulling it snugly around my neck for warmth. Compared to his initial indifference when we first met, this was a significant development.

The fact that he had placed the coat over me while I was lying down meant he had been watching over me.

Smiling to myself, I began tidying up the empty potion bottles on the table. Ever since Lucius had interfered with my system, I no longer hesitated to use it in front of the characters. They seemed to accept my unusual actions as manifestations of holy power.

As I stored the empty bottles in the inventory window, a system window suddenly popped up in front of me.

<Adrian’s affection has slightly increased!>

<You can now enter Adrian’s Capture Event (Special): ‘Reunion.’>

I casually glanced at the notification while continuing to use the inventory window, then tilted my head.

Right now? Hmm, Dion and Lucius will be here soon…

The timing felt awkward for starting an event. Pausing my tidying, I hesitated. Adrian had told me to rest for the day, so entering the event now might make it difficult to progress further in his capture route. It’s better to maximize affection gains when the opportunity arises.

As I stood still, deliberating, I shifted my gaze to Adrian. He was watching me with a stiff expression, his face tense as if deep in thought. Noticing this, I smiled warmly at him, trying to ease his nerves.

Why is he so tense?

Though my smile was meant to reassure him, Adrian clenched his fists and began glaring at me.

<Adrian’s affection has slightly increased!>

Even as the system informed me of an affection boost, Adrian’s body language seemed completely at odds with it. With his tightly clenched fists and rigid posture, it looked like he was on the verge of punching me. I watched him in bewilderment until a knock at the door broke the tension, prompting me to stand.

When I turned toward the door, familiar faces came into view.

“Apologies for being late.”

After the rhythmic knocking, Dion and Lucius entered the reception room. While Dion spoke, Lucius approached me without hesitation, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into a kiss.

Lucius’s skilled, insistent kiss snapped me out of my half-asleep state. Blinking in surprise as our tongues intertwined, I felt the distinct sensation of magic flowing through him. My fingers trembled at the overwhelming sensation.

<Magic has been supplied to the ‘Unknown Seal.’>

When his tongue brushed against the inside of my cheek, my flushed, sensitive lips tingled. Lucius teased the spot where the seal had been carved a few times before gripping my trembling hand tightly. Frustrated by his habitual use of magic without permission, I pushed against his forehead with my palm, breaking the kiss.

“Didn’t I tell you not to use magic?”

Every time Lucius kissed me, he channeled magic into the seal he had carved. While it didn’t seem to be a binding seal, I still didn’t understand its purpose, and each infusion of magic made me uneasy.

I bit my tongue, still numb from the lingering magic. Stumbling over my words, I glared at Lucius.

Lucius, who had been pushed away so easily, smirked in satisfaction. He ran a finger along his reddened lips and shook his head lazily, an obvious refusal.

Clearly unrepentant, he turned his gaze to Dion. My fingers still tingled from absorbing his magic, and I approached Dion for support.

As I moved closer, Dion immediately stepped in front of me protectively, his face flushed red as though he had witnessed something improper. Though he seemed eager to scold Lucius, no words came out.

Perhaps because Dion was a knight, he seemed particularly unable to speak harshly to Lucius. While Dion remained silent, his lips twitching, Adrian stepped forward.

“Sir Lucius, you should refrain from excessive contact with the Saintess. There’s a limit to how much I can silence the attendants.”

“What’s the problem? There’s no one watching here.”

“Dion and I aren’t people, then?”

“Are you planning to disclose my relationship with the Saintess?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Adrian sighed deeply, exasperated, and rebuked Lucius. Rubbing his temple, he waved his hand dismissively.

“I have no intention of spreading rumors, but I need to review the Saintess’s actions from yesterday for any oversights. I don’t have time for this farce.”

Adrian drove us out of the reception room and closed the door. A distinct sound of the door locking followed, as if to warn us not to even think about entering. Thankfully, it seemed I was the only one who noticed or cared about the sound of the lock.

The relationships between the capture characters didn’t seem particularly bad, but still, given their social standings, was it really acceptable for Adrian to act this way? While I knew this was just a game and adjusted my actions accordingly, Adrian treated this as reality and paid no mind to hierarchy.

Watching how Adrian interacted with Lucius and Dietrich had surprised me more than once. Despite his position as Crown Prince of the Empire and a knight of noble origin, Adrian had no hesitation about driving them—and even a Saintess dispatched from the Holy Kingdom—out of the reception room without any consideration.

Staring blankly at the locked door, I turned my head when Lucius spoke. He didn’t seem bothered by being dismissed by Adrian.

I’m glad Lucius is more broad-minded than I thought. At least I won’t have to worry about Adrian being killed for being rude before I can capture him.

“What happened yesterday?”

“I did what Sir Adrian asked.”

“You do that every day. I’m asking if anything unusual happened.”

“There was a fire in the herb chamber.”

“…You weren’t the one who started it, were you?”

Walking down the hallway, Lucius waited a moment before asking. Leaning my tired body against Dion’s arm as we walked, I smiled faintly but didn’t answer directly.

“It seems you forgot everything I said about not drawing attention before you left, Haniel.”

“Don’t worry, Dion. I handled it discreetly.”

Dion, who was walking without showing any signs of difficulty despite me leaning my entire weight on him, muttered in disapproval. I winked playfully at him as I spoke, and Dion scowled.

“Why did you set the fire?”

“I needed a way to steal the documents without getting caught. I considered a few alternatives, but this was the most reliable.”

“Still, what if something had gone wrong?”

Speaking brusquely, Dion inspected me carefully. Likely worried because I had mentioned setting a fire, he scrutinized my hands before confirming I wasn’t injured and continuing his reprimand.

“Starting a fire makes it easy to find the culprit. If the researchers testify that your actions were suspicious…”

“They won’t.”

I replied confidently. I had ensured no one would be capable of coherent thought after what happened.

Dion looked at me with confusion, as if he couldn’t understand. Catching his puzzled gaze, I glanced at Lucius and gestured for Dion to lean closer.

“What?”

“Lean down for a moment.”

After briefly glancing at Lucius, Dion bent his waist.

Cupping my hand near his ear, I whispered softly, “Do you remember when we were trapped by Hella? I used the herbs we saw back then.”

“What…?”

“You know, those herbs. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. Because of those herbs, you and I… uh, mmph…”

Dion, whose shoulder had twitched as if my breath tickled him, suddenly straightened up before I could finish my sentence. His face turned bright red, and he clamped his hand over my mouth. Glaring at me fiercely with his flushed face, Dion hissed quickly.

“That’s not something you should say in front of other people!”

His menacing glare suggested he’d grab my entire face if I even uttered the word “sex.” Pouting under his palm, I moved my hand to indicate that I wouldn’t say anything further. Dion’s face grew even redder as my lips brushed against his palm. He slowly removed his hand, bit by bit.

Why is he so embarrassed when he already knows everything?

Clicking my tongue, I matched his tone despite my thoughts. If he had been shy about it back then, I’d understand, but considering how much he enjoyed it, why act so embarrassed now?

“So, yesterday in the herb chamber, the researchers…?”

“Yes, that’s right. It happened… collectively.”

“Ah… unbelievable…”

“What are you whispering about?”

Dion buried his head in his hands and groaned, his ears still glowing red. Looking at him with pity, I shook my head and smiled at Lucius.

“It’s nothing important. Don’t worry about it.”

Firmly drawing the line, I addressed Lucius’s curiosity. Though he raised his brows slightly in displeasure, he didn’t press further.

Judging by the look Lucius gave Dion, he’d probably ask him about it later. I couldn’t wait to see how Dion would respond. If he wanted to answer Lucius’s question, he’d have to explain everything that happened with me.

Smirking, I looked up at Dion, who seemed flustered and unsure of what to do. Then I turned back to Lucius.

“Before we return to the room, could we stop by and see Hella for a moment?”

“Hella?”

“The child I’m sponsoring. She should be with Tricia around this time.”

“Aren’t you tired? It would be better to return quickly and get some rest.”

“It’s not so bad that I can’t manage.”

After explaining about Hella, Lucius nodded in understanding and looked me over.

“Saintess, you might not realize it, but your complexion looks terrible right now.”

“Sir Lucius is right. Please, rest today.”

Even Dion, who had been holding his head in despair moments ago, chimed in to dissuade me. Their affectionate concern made my fingertips tingle uncomfortably. Suppressing the ticklish sensation rising to my throat, I played with my fingers and reluctantly nodded in agreement.