Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 100

Episode 100

"B-But Your Holiness. That's…… That's a monster."

Liv said courageously, her voice trembling.

"It seemed to listen to your oppa quite well."

But the Pope merely smiled benevolently, reaching out a still-damp hand to stroke Liv's head.

"It would be best to squeeze out a method, whatever it is, before the tournament, my daughter."

"……"

"Otherwise…… how would anyone know that monster wasn't a pet monster you twins were controlling. I, too, feel my heart break at the thought of executing the witch who impersonated the Saintess for so long."

"……"

"But what choice is there. If you had shown a more certain quality of a Saintess and received the full support of the ignorant masses, this wouldn't have happened."

"……"

"If you must resent someone, resent the Crown Prince who dares to defy the will of the gods and oppress the temple."

At the quiet threat, the color drained from Liv's face.

"Well then, I'll assume you understand, so you may leave."

At the order to leave, she was ultimately unable to say anything and had to leave the Pope's office.

She did not return to her quarters, but headed once again to the Fourth Prayer Room.

The temple, shrouded in darkness, was silent and still.

She crossed the corridor, where not even the slightest presence could be felt, and finally opened the door to the small room, tucked away in the farthest corner.

Click, creeeak......

Along with the sound of old hinges, the nauseating stench of blood filled her nose again.

But she didn't feel that heart-sinking feeling from before at all.

Only an anxious and urgent feeling completely possessed Liv.

It was the same even when she saw her only brother, lying face down in the middle of the room, bare-chested and in a terrible state.

Liv closed the door, hurriedly approached the fallen Nise, and took out the dagger she hadn't managed to pull out earlier.

And without delay, she cut her palm with the blade.

Sliice!

With the gruesome sensation, the flesh split open, and black liquid trickled out.

She was in such a daze that she didn't even feel the pain.

No, perhaps it really didn't hurt.

She clenched her fist tightly and let the black blood flow down onto Nise's blood-soaked back.

This amount should have been more than enough to easily heal wounds torn by a whip.

Moreover, the holy, black, transparent liquid should have washed away the blood cleanly, as if purifying it.

"Heueut……"

But the more blood she shed, the more black, filth-like clumps fell, spotting Nise's back.

This wasn't purification; it was more like contamination.

As if to prove it, a foul stench began to emanate from somewhere.

"H-Heueu!"

Liv, terrified by the sight of Nise's back, now covered in the black liquid, stumbled backward and fell with a thud.

Looking back and forth between her own hand, which reeked of rot, and Nise's back, Liv burst into tears, as if having a seizure.

The Pope's words, calling her a witch, might actually be true.

Gush. Fear washed over her.

"O-Oppa……"

She crawled on all fours toward Nise, who was a short distance away.

And she shook the unconscious Nise, like a child who had lost its mother.

"Oppa. I, I…… My healing power isn't working at all."

Her healing power's efficacy had waned from time to time, but never before had such foul-smelling, dirty blood come out.

Gagging at the awful rotten smell, Liv sobbed and begged.

"Oppa, hurry up and do something about me, okay?"

"……"

"You made me like this, oppa……!"

But when Nise didn't respond, no matter how much she shook him, her voice grew increasingly venomous.

Her hands, shaking the unconscious boy, also grew rougher.

"You saved me, oppa! You made me like this, oppa. You, oppa, you made me a monster……!"

"……"

"So take responsibility! I said, take responsibility!"

"……Liv."

Just then. As if responding to her unreasonable tantrum, Nise's eyes fluttered open.

As always, he soothed his only little sister.

"……Don't worry. Oppa will take care of everything."

"Sob, really……?"

"Of course…… You don't have to worry about anything."

"You promise, right? You promised……?"

At those words, Liv slowly stopped crying and asked again, dragging out the end of her words like a child.

"Hm? Oppa?"

"……"

But no answer came from the unconscious Nise.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Getting out was extremely easy, but returning to the temple presented a big problem.

Namely, the fact that the Teleport Scroll's destination was obviously not the temple roof.

When we arrived in the alley near the temple where I had taken Nise, I had been following Kassel without thinking, but I was disheartened to see the massive, closed entrance.

There were still about three hours left until six.

Kassel, who knew the way out, apparently also knew the way in, as he skillfully bypassed the entrance and went around the side.

'Damn it. I'm stuck sleeping outside……'

I stood there blankly, looking up at the still-dark sky.

If I waited in front of the temple and went in when the doors opened, I'd be caught for having been out all night. It was better to be somewhere else and sneak back in when the time was right.

'……Should I go to the hotel?'

I briefly thought of the hotel where Elaine would be waiting, but quickly shook my head.

There were only three hours left, and I felt like if I went in, I wouldn't want to come back out.

Having no choice, I was trudging back to the alley, resigned to sleeping outside.

"Are you not following?"

Suddenly, an annoyed voice sounded.

I flinched and turned my head. Kassel, who I assumed would have heartlessly left on his own, was standing at a distance, watching me.

My brain stopped for a second, and I pointed at myself, asking foolishly.

"Me……? Sir?"

"Then just stay there all night."

"No!"

At the sight of him turning his back, I shouted hurriedly and ran, afraid to be left behind.

He, who had disappeared around the right corner of the temple building, had thankfully not gone far and was standing there, stopped.

The path led to the narrow ledge at the edge of the cliff I had seen when I climbed out the window earlier.

It seemed that, except for the temple's entrance and the north side where the old temple was, the entire building bordered the cliff.

'Don't tell me we're going to sidestep along the wall all the way to the window?'

A jolt of anxiety shot through me.

Recalling the location of my room and Kassel's, at the very end of the long corridor, made my vision swim.

'I was going to get auto-summoned precisely because I didn't want to do that…… This won't work.'

I wasn't confident I could make it to the window without falling off the cliff, so I just decided to sleep outside.

"I'll just……"

"Get on my back."

But just as I opened my mouth, Kassel turned his back to me and bent over.

For a second, I thought I'd misheard and asked again.

"……Pardon?"

"Get on my back."

"What……"

"What then, you want to climb the cliff like you were about to?"

"N-No. But……"

Am I dreaming?

If not, there was no way this personality-shattered bastard would show me his back and tell me to get on.

With wavering eyes, I kept staring at Kassel's broad back.

I was scared that if I got on, he'd try to strangle me, asking, 'How dare someone like you touch my royal body?'

However,

"If you're not on by the count of three, I'm going ahead. Three, two……"

"Aah! I'm getting on, I'm getting on!"

With no time to grasp his intentions, the countdown was already shrinking, so I scrambled onto his back.

Kassel, now carrying me, straightened up easily without the slightest sign of effort.

"Am I not heav- Uwaah!"

The moment I belatedly worried and asked if I was heavy, he leaped up and began to scale the wall without hesitation.

My center of gravity shifted back suddenly, and I yelped, throwing my arms around his neck.

Kassel scaled the wall skillfully, as if he had done it many times.

Strangely, everywhere he grabbed and stepped, bricks or structures protruded slightly, or there were crevices to grip.

As expected of the Male Lead, he moved quickly and nimbly, carrying me on his back without even breathing heavily.

The problem was me.

'How is this any different from sidestepping along the edge of a cliff……!'

My head spun and my heart pounded every time I looked at the dizzying drop below.

"Ughh……"

Was it because I was letting out groans of terror without realizing it?

Kassel suddenly asked irritably.

"Why are you making such a strange noise?"

"……B-Because I'm scared."

"It's annoying, so stop whimpering in my ear. It makes me want to throw you off."

He definitely can't throw me off!

Sobered by his words, I clamped my mouth shut.

But it wasn't long before a strong gust of wind howled, and I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled all over again.

"Ugh……"

"Hoo……"

Kassel let out a deep sigh, and I finally came to my senses and apologized timidly.

"……Sorry. I'm just not used to this kind of thing."

"You're scared of all sorts of things. Scared of goblins, scared of climbing a wall while getting a piggyback ride. Aren't you scared of me?"

'Of course, you're number one.'

But I couldn't say that, so I asked indirectly.

"Aren't you scared of this, Your Highness? What if we fall?"

"Like I said, when you repeat something hundreds of times, you get numb to it. And if you're unlucky enough to fall and die…… Oof."

Kassel suddenly stopped talking with a low grunt.

While I was trembling with fear of falling, we had already reached the top of the temple.

He grabbed a protruding roof structure and lifted his body with incredible arm strength.

The movement jolted my body.

I clung to him even more desperately and squeezed my eyes shut.

"You just vow never to repeat such a ridiculous mistake again."

"……"

"Get off."

At the cold command, I slowly opened my eyes.

As if dangling from the wall moments before had been a dream, Kassel and I had arrived safely on the temple roof.

Even if he hadn't ordered it, the strength left my arms, and I slid off his back.

"……Thank you, Your Highness."

I muttered, still scared out of my wits.

No matter what terrible method we used to get up, this time it was really thanks to him, so I didn't forget to offer something in return.

"I will repay this kindness soon with Sleep-Inducing Potions……"

"That won't be necessary. I don't need them anymore."

My carefully offered repayment was rendered meaningless by his immediate refusal.

He had pestered me to hand them over, and now he suddenly didn't need them.

"Pardon? Why……"

I was naturally bewildered by his sudden change of mind.

But then, saying something incomprehensible, Kassel laughed cheerfully.

"I was just pretending to be asleep. I was trying to mess with that sly old man with a testimony that I was actually awake. Well, it seems to have gone pretty much as planned."

It was the first time I had ever seen him with such a bright expression, even including all the forums.

I stared at him, momentarily mesmerized.

"If you're really grateful, and anyone asks if you prescribed me sleep potions, tell them the truth: that you didn't."

"……"

"What are you standing there so stupidly for?"

"Ah, yes. That…… I'll do that."

Only after he scolded me did I snap back to my senses and hurriedly nod.

After that, we went back down the same way we came, climbing down the goddess statue's head.

In the middle, a 'Ding-dong' sounded, another incomprehensible summons from Ari, but I ignored it.

By the time we passed through the long corridor of the east wing and finally arrived safely at our rooms, my body, stiff with tension, began to relax.

I gave a polite bow to Kassel as he headed straight for his room.

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

"You too."

I thought he would ignore me, but he glanced back and returned the sentiment.

Moreover,

"Ah. Did you say you don't sleep because of some apothecary's duty or whatever?"

He mocked me again with another cheerful laugh.

Because of that, I remained lost in a strange feeling until he had completely disappeared into his room.

Creeeak, click.

Finally, when he was beyond his door, and I had also entered my room.

A sudden realization struck me.

"Ah, the gloves."

The fact that despite our prolonged contact without me wearing the presence-blocking gloves, Kassel hadn't tried to kill me.

My heart felt a little... unsettled, until the morning dawned.