The Saintess Is Too Good at Lying - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Saint Is Such a Good Liar! Episode 028
Truth be told, I wasn’t entirely without concerns about the debutante ball.
“Nora, you know….”
As we drew near the Temple, I broached the subject cautiously.
“Shouldn’t I at least practice dancing once?”
“Practice dancing?”
“Yes, it’s been far too long since I last danced.”
I waited anxiously for Nora’s response, but she simply laughed brightly and shook her head.
“My goodness, what are you saying? There’s no one who dances as beautifully as you do, my lady.”
“….”
And so, because of this unwavering faith, I hadn’t once verified my dancing ability with the debutante ball merely ten days away.
‘But I’m really not Justitia!’
While my body remained the same and muscle memory would likely persist, I myself had always been rather clumsy, which made me deeply anxious.
The problem was that Justitia happened to be an excellent dancer, so I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
“Still, it’s an important occasion. I simply don’t want to make mistakes. Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.”
“You, my lady, would transform even a fall from a tree into an elegant dance.”
Just how well did she dance, anyway?
“But as you know, there are few people in the Cathedral who can dance.”
“I suppose that’s true….”
“Why not ask the Archbishop?”
My eyes widened in horror at the suggestion.
“Is there no one else?”
“The Vice-Archbishop or perhaps a few of the senior priests might be capable, but… they wouldn’t be nearly as skilled as the Archbishop.”
“I’ll abandon the idea.”
Dancing with Formoso? The very thought sent shivers down my spine. Nora noticed my reaction and tilted her head in confusion.
“You dislike the Archbishop?”
“Of course not.”
I scrambled for an excuse while watching my affection gauge rise.
“It’s just that it feels burdensome. It’s not even Temple business, so asking him feels presumptuous.”
“My lady, really. The Archbishop isn’t the sort to take offense at such things.”
Nora laughed as though my worry was absurd, yet she sympathized with my feelings nonetheless.
“But since you’re such a principled person, my lady… would you perhaps reach out to the person who taught you before?”
Justitia had learned to dance while at the Cassini Duke’s Residence. That meant if I sought out that instructor, Sergio would inevitably learn of it.
Either way, neither option appealed to me.
‘I’ll just have to go. After all, I’m only dancing one piece before leaving.’
Even if I danced poorly, only Alfonso would suspect anything, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
The moment the carriage stopped, I reached that conclusion. I stepped out with Cassandro’s assistance.
“Thank you for your hard work today….”
At that moment, I couldn’t fathom why this man had suddenly caught my attention.
“Do you happen to know how to dance?”
My mouth moved before my thoughts could finish forming. Cassandro, who had been bowing quietly, lifted his head slightly.
Then he looked at me with an expression suggesting he’d misheard.
“Dancing.”
He probably didn’t know, after all.
I felt embarrassed belatedly. What was I expecting? The Holy Kingdom wouldn’t have taught such things….
“Yes.”
…or would they?
“I know how to dance.”
“…Why?”
Startled by his response, I asked back, and Cassandro looked equally flustered as he questioned me.
“Is knowing how to dance a problem?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just… unexpected….”
In that moment, no other thought crossed my mind. Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and made my request.
“Would you help me practice dancing? Of course, if you’re busy, you can refuse….”
“Understood.”
He answered quickly. I blinked my wide eyes and asked.
“Do you have time?”
Cassandro quietly pulled out his pocket watch and checked it before speaking.
“I happen to be free.”
At those words, one of the Holy Knights behind him interjected.
“Captain, that is, this evening….”
“Yes, it would be good to rest this evening.”
“Pardon? Are you, are you serious?”
“Yes, is there a problem?”
The Holy Knight’s eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. But I could read between the lines.
“You have something scheduled this evening, don’t you? It doesn’t have to be today.”
When I asked with narrowed eyes, Cassandro flinched and quietly turned to his subordinate.
“…Is that so?”
“Eh? Ah, no! This evening, I was just going to say that since the weather is cold, you should dress warmly!”
“So it seems.”
Cassandro nodded at me again.
“The clothes you’re wearing now seem rather thin.”
Then he suddenly removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. But what fit him perfectly hung on Justitia like a cloak.
Feeling as though I’d wrapped myself in a blanket, I laughed awkwardly and declined.
“We’re inside the Temple now. It’s fine.”
“I’ll retrieve it before your quarters.”
I ended up returning the jacket to him just before entering my room.
As the jacket fluttered, a scent wafted over—like entering a forest.
It was a harmonious blend of wood, grass, and earth—a calming fragrance that settled the mind.
As I lingered there, drawn to the scent that suited Cassandro so well, he looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked.
“Why are you doing that?”
“The scent is pleasant.”
Cassandro faltered at my words, and I belatedly realized I’d said something that could be easily misunderstood.
“I mean, your jacket carries a forest scent. It’s a light, refined fragrance that suits you well.”
“Ah….”
Cassandro couldn’t quite respond properly, and as a result, I felt even more embarrassed. I practically fled into the room.
“What if Cassandro thinks I’m strange?”
“Your Holiness?”
Nora looked at me with an expression that said that was absurd. This was all thanks to Justitia’s naturally good reputation.
“The Holy Knight Commander is actually famous for having a pleasant scent. Everyone at the Training Ground reeks of sweat, but the Holy Knight Commander apparently smells like wood.”
“How do you know that?”
“I didn’t smell it myself—I heard it from a friend’s maid.”
As she said this, Nora wore quite a regretful expression. What was she regretting about?
“Would you like to go check it out next time?”
“…No.”
I answered with distaste, but then suddenly recalled a conversation I’d had with Cassandro before, and quietly added to my response.
“Though I am curious about how he trains. He said it was crude, but no matter how I think about it, I doubt that’s the case.”
“Oh! I want to see how crude it is!”
Watching Nora’s eyes light up, I spoke with a strange sense of unease.
“You really do suit working in a noble household better than the Temple.”
“What? How could you say such a thing! I love it here.”
“Then I’m relieved….”
After finishing dinner, I decided to go find Cassandro first. The one who’s reluctant should make the move.
I was heading toward the Holy Knights’ Quarters with only a thin shawl draped over my shoulders.
Suddenly, I caught a familiar grassy scent, and something massive wrapped around my shoulders.
When I turned my head, Cassandro was draping his jacket around me, just as he had done before.
“It’s fine. I’m not cold.”
“I’m merely fulfilling my duty.”
Cassandro fastened the jacket carefully around me and replied without emotion.
“If you were to catch a cold, it would be a failure on my part as your attendant.”
“So if I were to fall, you’d blame yourself for that too?”
“That would also be my sin for failing to properly protect Your Holiness.”
The man who took my joke as earnest spoke with an incomprehensible expression.
“Why did you come all this way? If you had called, I would have come to you.”
“Since I’m the one making the request, I thought I’d take a walk as well.”
I walked with him toward the Cathedral and asked.
“Have you eaten dinner?”
“Yes.”
“What did you eat?”
Cassandro paused briefly before answering.
“I had grilled salmon and chicken breast, along with blanched carrots and broccoli.”
…What did I just hear? I turned his words over in my mind for a moment before asking.
“But… you don’t eat carbohydrates at all?”
“What are those?”
“Bread, pasta, or even potatoes…”
“I rarely eat such things. They make my body feel heavy.”
“That’s a terrible way to live. People become irritable without eating those foods.”
Cassandro’s expression showed little agreement. I pressed further.
“I suppose your blunt personality comes from not eating bread.”
“Is that what my personality is like?”
“You’re not exactly warm, are you?”
…I answered that way, then belatedly realized I was in a position to be asking this man for a favor.
I quickly changed my approach.
“Not that I mean you’re cold-hearted, of course.”
Then I flashed an artificially bright smile, and Cassandro flinched. He then quietly averted his gaze elsewhere.
“…I’ll try to make more of an effort.”
“To eat bread?”
“No. That’s not what I meant…”
Cassandro fell silent for a moment, then finished awkwardly.
“I’ll try to be more affectionate.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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