The Saintess Is Too Good at Lying - Chapter 61

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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 061
Unlike me, who stood dazed, those around me whispered excitedly with flushed faces.
“My, it seems someone secretly admires the Saint.”
“It’s hardly surprising. Someone as beautiful as her.”
“I wonder who it could be? Oh, how curious.”
Ah, right. If someone wanted to send flowers in secret, they would sometimes use an attendant as an intermediary.
‘How cowardly. If they truly admired the real Justitia, they would come forward openly and present the flowers themselves.’
It wasn’t as though only one or two men had given roses to Justitia.
I was about to refuse when it suddenly occurred to me whether this counted as a lie as well, so I nodded.
The moment the gauge popup appeared, exclamations erupted from those around me.
“As expected, the Saint is truly magnanimous.”
“I wonder if the King will grow jealous. I’m curious how he’ll react.”
Jealous, you say.
He had never shown much interest in Justitia to begin with, and now he’d even noticed that I was pretending to love him.
‘If anything, he’d probably find me repulsive.’
Well, breaking the engagement would be easier then.
‘But where is he? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?’
It wasn’t my concern, but it gave me the perfect excuse to slip away.
“I should find the King and explain before he misunderstands.”
“Oh, there’s no need for that. You’re always so righteous.”
Everyone readily let me go, and thanks to that, I had plenty of opportunities to roam about and raise my gauge.
‘Phew, I’m exhausted.’
I’d raised it as much as I could today, so now I should go to the Balcony to rest a bit….
‘What, it’s Sergio? No wonder I haven’t seen him around—he was here.’
It was our first reunion since leaving the Cassini Mansion.
As I debated whether to acknowledge him, I realized I hadn’t used the lie detector today.
‘I’ll be able to tell what his true feelings are about Lumiel.’
Since I had no intention of avoiding him forever, I was about to make my presence known when Sergio turned and spotted me.
“Justitia?”
Startled by his alertness, I hesitated for a moment, and Sergio strode toward me and seized my wrist.
“You don’t need to leave.”
I hadn’t even planned to, but since he’d set the stage, I responded with an awkward expression.
“I didn’t want to disturb your rest.”
“On the contrary, I was feeling rather lonely.”
Sergio fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“I apologize for what happened then.”
“I’m not sure what you mean….”
“You told me not to blindly believe harsh words about you, but to ask you directly instead.”
Surprised by his unexpected apology, I looked at him, and Sergio continued somewhat sheepishly.
“I failed to do that and became angry instead. You must have been hurt….”
“….”
“I’m sorry.”
It sounded genuine. I didn’t even need to use a detection spell to know that. Which only made me angrier.
‘…If only once.’
How wonderful it would have been if he’d shown such tenderness to the real Justitia.
A sudden wave of desolation stung my eyes. Sergio caught sight of it and drew a startled breath.
“Justitia, are you alright….”
“I’m fine.”
I forced a smile and covered my eyes.
“I’m fine. There’s just something in my eye….”
“Let me see.”
Whether he was humoring me or genuinely believing me, Sergio quickly leaned in closer.
The moment sandalwood enveloped my senses, he drew near as if being pulled into the depths of my gaze.
“It seems fine…seems alright.”
“…Yes.”
As I blinked, I suddenly noticed that Sergio’s jacket’s flower hole was empty.
Until now, there had always been a rose tucked in Sergio’s flower hole.
‘What’s this? Did he already give a flower to Lumiel?’
But I hadn’t seen Sergio at the Banquet Hall? When I looked at him, his eyes wavered for a moment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Ah.”
I answered casually.
“I noticed there’s no rose in your flower hole. Wasn’t there always one there?”
“….”
After a brief silence, Sergio answered.
“I threw it away.”
“Pardon?”
“It felt cumbersome.”
The man who used to deliberately tuck a rose in his flower hole for Justitia to see suddenly discarded it?
“Why would you do that? The Cassini Noblewoman will be quite disappointed.”
“Lumiel?”
“Of course.”
“Why? Isn’t it customary to give a rose to a woman one admires?”
Then Sergio glanced at my dress.
“It seems many men admire you.”
“That can’t be. Just as sons give flowers to their mothers, they gave them to me to express their devotion to the Church.”
I let out a hollow laugh as I replied.
“Besides, I’m already betrothed. What man would be bold enough to give me a rose for such a reason?”
“That’s true.”
“Could it be that you yourself gave a flower to a woman you admire?”
When I asked it as a joke, Sergio’s eyes narrowed. As if I’d said something utterly absurd.
‘Come to think of it, Sergio has never had any connection with women.’
Despite being mentioned as the Kingdom’s most desirable groom, all because Alfonso had gotten engaged so early.
‘Could he possibly prefer men?’
“What are you talking about?”
I was absorbed in this sudden thought when Sergio asked. …Did he really just ask me that?
“I naturally assumed you’d give it to the Noblewoman, but since you don’t have flowers, I entertained that thought.”
“I told you. I threw it away.”
“You’ve never thrown it away before.”
I looked up at Sergio and spoke.
“That’s why I naturally assumed it belonged to the Noblewoman.”
“…That’s.”
Sergio’s words faltered for a moment.
“Were you disappointed?”
“About what?”
“That I didn’t give you flowers.”
That was true for Justitia. But it wasn’t true for ‘me’.
I was confused about what counted as a lie when speaking of the past rather than the present. But regardless, right now I was Justitia.
“No. Not at all.”
[Lie Gauge increased by 0.1%]
[Current Gauge: 51.9%]
So it seemed I was right to tell lies from Justitia’s perspective about past events.
Then it’s easier this way. Because now I’m just telling him the truth as it is.
“There’s no reason for me to be disappointed. I already knew it naturally wasn’t mine.”
Then Sergio’s lips tightened slightly.
Before I could wonder what that meant, his voice reached me.
“Then that’s fortunate.”
“But the Noblewoman will be disappointed. That you didn’t give it to her.”
“Listening to you, it sounds like you genuinely care for Lumiel.”
I smiled and nodded.
“I am genuinely concerned.”
“Why? According to what you’re saying, Lumiel is….”
Sergio’s words trailed off. He seemed reluctant to voice it directly. I let out a small laugh and spoke.
“Didn’t I tell you? Even if she hates me, I understand. I’m the one who took everything from the Noblewoman.”
“…Both of you.”
Sergio muttered, his expression growing more confused.
“You say such things.”
“Did the Noblewoman say the same thing?”
“…No, no.”
Sergio shook his head, but I could roughly tell what kind of logic Lumiel must have presented.
He probably said I was anxious about losing my position as the Saint, about losing my place as the King’s betrothed.
“But my brother didn’t take those things from me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Because the Cassini Noblewoman is my brother’s first priority. He’s always been her steadfast support.”
I continued with a faint smile.
“So how much must the Cassini Noblewoman have been looking forward to the roses? Please don’t do that next year.”
“…If everything you’ve said is true.”
Sergio fell silent for a long moment after speaking those words.
“Why don’t you resent Lumiel?”
I gazed at him intently before asking.
“Are you believing what I say?”
Sergio’s eyes wavered, and he averted his gaze from mine.
“…I don’t know. Honestly, I can’t tell whose words are true. Neither of you are people who would lie….”
“….”
“One of you has to be lying.”
Poor man, his heart is in torment. His eyes, searching me for answers, looked genuinely pitiful.
‘Well, it’s not like my affinity gauge goes up from comforting this man.’
Let him wander through that hell a while longer. After all, no matter what conclusion he reaches, he has no intention of abandoning Lumiel, does he?
“I won’t resent the Cassini Noblewoman no matter what she does. She’s a pitiable person, after all.”
Separated from her family at such a young age, she wandered. She returned, but her place had already been taken by another.
Yet if Justitia had known what Lumiel wanted, she surely would have given everything back to her….
‘…Why did she slander Justitia so viciously and drive her to death?’
Until now, I had accepted that fact without much thought, but suddenly it felt profoundly disturbing.

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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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