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Chapter 117
The True Nature of the Saint
January 13, 2023
Stella’s plan was very simple.
To reveal the shameless fake’s true nature, she would publicly show that the so-called thief was a thief. Using the holy relic bracelet for that purpose was an unavoidable choice.
‘After all, a relic is something meant to be used for the saint.’
No matter how the relic was used, wasn’t it ultimately up to the saint who owned it? Of course, the plan had many gaps. If she let her guard down she could be outwitted by that cunning fake instead. So Stella waited for the optimal moment.
“Is Chancellor Orteca willing to tolerate the existence of that fake?”
“There’s no way I can tolerate it.”
“The fake’s family was executed for treason. Even if they married into a meritorious house, having the fake still alive and well—would that be of any use to the imperial power?”
She had found the perfect collaborator.
“If I become Duchess Blanchet, I will grant whatever wish Chancellor Orteca desires.”
“You already know my wish?”
“I am the Saint. God answers my prayers.”
Fortunately, Chancellor Orteca took her hand. Stella, cautious against unforeseen problems, made sure they wrote a contract.
[Cesare Orteca will do his utmost to help Stella become Duchess Blanchet. In return, Saint Stella will grant Cesare Orteca’s wish.]
Orteca, loyal to the throne—what did he have to lose by aligning with the woman who would become the new Duchess Blanchet and holding her weakness as leverage?
Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
‘Why is a conversation like that coming from the magic device?’
Stella could no longer keep her expression in check and glared at the shattered magic device.
‘That conversation is between Chancellor Orteca and me.’
Come to think of it, Orteca had been the one who gave this magic device to Stella. She clenched her fist and stared at Chancellor Orteca.
“Chancellor Orteca, the magic device is trying to frame me.”
Since he had given her the device, he would also find a way out for her.
‘If our deal is exposed, the chancellor won’t be safe either.’
“Please help me.”
Chancellor Orteca had consistently sided with Stella and helped her—just moments ago as well. It made sense that he would help her now.
“We must reveal it now.”
“…Yes?”
“This recorded conversation on this device is definitely real.”
Stella widened her eyes at Chancellor Orteca’s words. But his mouth continued without pause.
“You must have found it strange too: if Saint Stella had set a trap, then why did that relic reappear in the Saint’s room?”
“Chancellor Orteca!”
“I did it. I actually tried to dissuade the Saint as much as possible. Of course, it was wrong to do that to Duchess Blanchet. But…”
Chancellor Orteca bowed politely toward Estelle.
“The Duchess wanted to keep giving the Saint chances. Isn’t that right, Duchess?”
“…I believed the Saint had no ill intent.”
Estelle blinked and let a single mournful tear fall.
‘What on earth is going on?’
Chancellor Orteca had suddenly taken my side and betrayed the Saint. Frankly, I hadn’t factored in Orteca’s cooperation into my plan.
‘For now, cry.’
I fluttered my long lashes and let the tears fall.
“…I wanted to give the Saint every chance.”
Lowering my gaze as if sad, I assessed the situation. Why had Chancellor Orteca suddenly betrayed the Saint?
‘Is he just trying to save himself?’
At that moment, Johan gripped my shoulder and spoke as though restraining his anger.
“So that was it?”
Johan’s voice was low as he asked me.
“For something like that, she made the Duchess suffer while giving opportunities, and didn’t even tell me.”
“That is…”
But when I met Johan’s eyes, I realized: there was no trace of confusion in his red irises.
That meant—
‘Chancellor Orteca was one of Johan’s chess pieces as well.’
Orteca was not a trivial man. To have dragged him into such a dangerous level of involvement…
‘He would have been satisfied with Cardinal Simon at most…’
Johan must have prepared everything in advance just in case.
‘There never was any real chance for the Saint to escape.’
Even if I hadn’t altered the recording on the device with Isidore’s help, Johan would have surely driven the Saint to a miserable downfall.
“The Saint is someone blessed by God, so I wanted to believe she had a great purpose.”
“…”
“Maybe I wanted to believe that so badly.”
Soaked like a delicate iris, I naturally looked at the Saint. She sat motionless, her lips trembling.
‘Can’t stand it when someone imitates your actions exactly, huh?’
She wore an expression of being disgusted, as if she couldn’t bear me.
‘Stella’s already finished.’
Even if I ended things now, the Saint would have no way to recover.
“Saint, why on earth did you do that to me?”
But I still had business to settle with Stella. She still retained some divine power.
“Why did you hate me so much?”
Even in the midst of being accused, the tears that fell from me were those of someone who had not shown a single tear until now.
At my pitiful display the nobles began whispering in surprise. My shoulders trembling faintly, I summoned the courage and, as if to embrace her, stepped toward the Saint.
“Surely there must have been circumstances you couldn’t help—things I couldn’t have known?”
I moved as though to hug her and whispered into her ear.
“Who’s the fake now?”
I murmured so only Stella could hear.
“Shut up!”
I worried she might not hear, but thankfully my words reached her.
“This is all your doing!”
“Sa—Saint…”
Stella couldn’t hold back the surge of emotion and pushed me away. She immediately bit her lip as if regretting it.
‘That’s understandable.’
It was the worst possible choice.
Johan tried to protect me, but I waved him off. He furrowed his brow, displeased, but there was nothing to be done.
Although hard to accept, that reaction seemed to provoke Stella even more.
“Cut the disgusting act. I know this whole thing is a trap you staged.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Saying it’s to give me a chance is just words. There was never any such conversation recorded on this device! I wouldn’t have recorded that kind of conversation. Isn’t that obvious?”
“…Then what words should have been recorded?”
“Are you asking me because you don’t know?”
Stella glared at me with an expression of extreme grievance.
“You should have recorded the ridiculous things you said about me. The words about not giving me my place back, calling me delusional!”
Unfortunately, she had never said those things.
“I’ve never said anything like that.”
“Ha! Now you’ll deny it?”
“No, I truly don’t understand.”
I wore a face of confusion to make the Saint look worse.
“Oh, are you talking about when you said you loved my husband and called me a fake thief?”
“I didn’t say that! Not that—what you said was…!”
“But, Saint, I don’t know. If I had really planned to trap you, I wouldn’t have covered up all your faults until now, would I?”
“What are you talking about? Don’t change the subject!”
“Saint, that list was given because I worried about you.”
The quiet Emperor asked me.
“A list? What is that?”
“The list… is, you might say, evidence.”
Small and anxious, I clasped my hands together and glanced at Betty. Betty brought the list to me.
“It’s a list of people who spoke ill of me while associating with the Saint, together with their testimonies. There are unpleasant stories the Saint spread about me.”
“What?”
“I collected it like this but worried the stories might be distorted and damage the Saint’s reputation further, so I only spoke a few words.”
The Saint went pale with outrage. She seemed to have lost the strength to shout.
A perfectly natural reaction—because she had never said those things.
‘But from now on I’ll frame you.’
Still, I wasn’t going to pin crimes on her that didn’t exist—so she didn’t need to be unjustly anguished.
“Still, Saint, I said I’d let it rest and take the blame. I said it would be fine to present it as if the Duchess donated it…”
“Donate? What are you talking about?”
“You once claimed a foundation I donated to anonymously as yours. Worried the orphans would suffer, I said it would be fine to list it under the Saint’s name.”
The women among the faithful who had been watching in silence exploded in rage.
“The Saint didn’t donate?”
“What is this! Then the donations you took—!”
“You collected donations under the pretense of treatment for orphans. If that was all personally paid by the Duchess, what did the Saint do!”
Until now the Saint had drawn the female worshippers to her side and collected donation after donation. The noblewomen boasted of their gifts and raised their own honor.
But it was a fraud.
Money that had been proof of nobility became proof of foolishness. The Saint could not cope with the rising resentment and anger from all sides.
“Ev—everyone, calm down. I only said I would use it for good, not necessarily for orphans.”
“How can you say that? Then at least tell us where you spent it!”
In truth, this hadn’t been my own preparation.
On the way here today, Johan had privately prepared this as a gift for me.
‘The more knives for stabbing an enemy, the better, right?’
He had gathered information through Luigi. He’d heard a lot about Estella’s actions, and apparently the closer circle had even greater vulnerabilities.
Stella, unable to answer the noblewomen’s accusations, shot me a poisonous look.
“You hid it all until now and then revealed it at this very moment. And you never said those things to me. It’s all to frame me…!”
“No, Saint. Please believe me. Was it wrong that I held your weakness? Did you think I was threatening you and making you a criminal?”
“…Madam.”
Johan spoke in a voice laced with sorrow.
“Why did you hide this from even me? Why take such an extreme course…”
“But if I’d told you, it would have made things harder for Johan.”
I smiled weakly and wiped away my flowing tears.
“I didn’t want to give more burden to the person already suffering because of the scandal of taking me as his wife. I thought the Saint would get better with time.”
“Estelle, that’s not right. You should never have tolerated this.”
“Sorry, I thought if I endured it myself, it would be fine.”
The rest of what he might have said went unsaid.
But everyone began to look at me with even more pity.
Johan hugged me tightly as I swallowed tears. I heard him speak to Stella.
“You say the title of Duchess belongs to you?”
“Jo—Johan…”
“Have all the warnings I gave you been a joke?”
Hidden within his embrace, Stella’s face was not visible.
‘But why?’
Now I noticed Johan was clenching his jaw. It was strange, but he seemed genuinely furious.
‘Didn’t he already know everything?’
Stella tried to speak, but Johan ignored her and turned to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty. This woman who calls herself a Saint has viciously tried to make my wife a criminal time and time again—risking my life to do so. It was not once but countless times!”
“Johan. I truly never intended to—”
“Is she really a Saint?”
Johan asked, as if unable to contain his anger.
“To me, she looks like a hideous delusional fanatic who abuses her status as ‘Saint’.”
His voice carried the resolve that he would, as promised, destroy that Saint.
