Everyone Realized the Saint Was a Fake, but She Still Thought She Was Fooling Them - Chapter 16

“B-break off the engagement…”

Celeste’s voice was trembling.

Brode’s eyes widened in shock.

“What?! Why?!”

“It’s not a question of why! You’re friends with the person who stabbed Lord Ernst? And that person is Lady Yelena’s lover? What does that even mean?! Lady Yelena is Lord Ernst’s fiancée, isn’t she?! Why are you just accepting this Dustin person, who is in love with Yelena even though she’s engaged? That’s impossible! Do you think it’s normal for someone with a fiancé to have a lover? Sorry, but I can’t accept that. You and I have completely different values!”

Celeste shouted, letting out everything she wanted to say.

Brode had been happily talking because Lianna had been flattering him, but now Celeste was questioning his morals, and he panicked.

It was his own fault, though.

“N-no! Of course, I haven’t cheated, and I never will!”

Sweat poured from Brode’s forehead.

“It’s not just about cheating! Saint Lucilda threatened Lord Ernst? What is this nonsense?! A saint threatening someone? Stabbing someone? This is completely insane!”

Celeste shook her head violently, unable to comprehend the situation.

“N-no, I only heard about it! I wasn’t involved in any of it!”

Brode kept making excuses.

“But you were telling Lianna all about it so proudly. And Lianna! Why aren’t you angry hearing this? Didn’t you like Lord Ernst?!”

Celeste’s anger now turned toward Lianna.

Hearing this, Brode looked up sharply.

“What? Lady Lianna likes Lord Ernst?”

“! Ah, um…”

Lianna looked uncomfortable.

Celeste became even angrier at her hesitant response.

“Why are you trying to hide it now, Lianna?! You’ve always admired Lord Ernst, haven’t you?! And you still haven’t moved on!”

“What? Admired him? Even now? But didn’t you say you were against him?”

Brode looked at Lianna with suspicion.

“She’s not against him at all! She still likes Lord Ernst! She might be a little focused on Wallace because they’re engaged, but that’s all!”

Celeste declared angrily.

“You tricked me?!”

Realizing the truth, Brode shouted at Lianna.

“…”

Lianna had indeed been deceiving him, and she didn’t know how to respond. She remained silent, troubled.

Since Lianna said nothing, Brode turned to Celeste.

“Lady Lianna isn’t against Lord Ernst… Then what about Saint Lucilda?”

“I don’t forgive Lucilda either!”

Celeste shouted.

“That fake saint is going to marry the crown prince? The Saint Law is completely corrupt! She’s too materialistic! Saint Lucilda can’t even recite the Goddess’s Prayer! And I often do fortune-telling at the temple, but her fortune-telling at the palace always gives completely different results! People just act like it’s because of small differences in conditions, but in truth, no one believes in her readings anymore. The crown prince is too soft on her, and the Saint Law protects her. No one speaks up because Lianna knows how to read the room and keeps quiet. But my friends don’t recognize Lucilda as a saint at all!”

“Lady Celeste!”

Brode shouted, as if warning her.

“Speaking ill of the saint isn’t allowed in the royal palace!”

Celeste glared at him fiercely.

“I see. So, you’re on Lucilda’s side. Then we can’t get along. I never intended to openly oppose Lucilda. That’s why I avoided this topic. I acted like an adult and didn’t insist on my opinion. But I’ll say it now—I don’t recognize Lucilda as a saint! And I haven’t forgotten all the rude things she said to Lianna!”

Then, still furious, she turned to Lianna.

“You felt the same way, didn’t you, Lianna?! So what is this?! Why are you suddenly defending Lucilda?! If you’re going to side with her now, then I’ll distance myself from you too! This is ridiculous! I was your friend! I even sympathized with you! But I don’t care anymore. If you share the same values as Brode, Lucilda, and Yelena, then we can’t be friends!”

“Celeste! Do you really mean that we can’t get along?”

Brode dropped to his knees at her feet, clinging desperately.

“I mean it, Brode. I hate dishonesty.”

“We were supposed to get along!”

Brode pleaded, reaching out his arms.

But Celeste coldly rejected him.

“Even if you take back everything you said to Lianna and apologize, saying you can’t forgive yourself, I still won’t make up with you. Same for Lianna. I won’t support her engagement to Wallace either—it would be better for Wallace if they broke up. I never supported her feelings for Lord Ernst in the first place.”

Brode suddenly realized something.

“That’s it, Lady Celeste! You don’t get mad when Lady Lianna longs for Lord Ernst, even though he has Lady Yelena, but you won’t forgive Dustin for longing for Yelena?!”

However, Celeste didn’t waver at all.

“I never supported Lianna’s feelings for Lord Ernst. I never encouraged her. I always told her to consider Lady Yelena’s position. Ideally, she should have given up, but feelings can’t always be controlled, so I tolerated her one-sided love. But now you’re telling me Yelena has a lover? What is that?! And you accept that? That’s something I can’t agree with at all! So I’m breaking off the engagement. I don’t even want to see your face again.”

Brode collapsed onto the floor.

But with his last bit of strength, he slowly lifted his head and looked at Lianna with dull eyes.

“And you? Lady Lianna. Whose side are you on? Saint Lucilda? Or Lord Ernst? Were you lying when you defended Lucilda earlier? Say it clearly right here, right now!”

Lianna lowered her gaze, ashamed of her deceit, and finally answered, resigned.

“I am on Lord Ernst’s side. Right now, I stand against Saint Lucilda. I’m sorry for deceiving you, Lord Brode. You don’t have to speak to me ever again…”

“Lady Lianna!”

Brode let out a scream-like cry.

However, Lianna ignored Brode’s desperate voice and turned to Celeste instead.

“Celeste. I’d appreciate it if you could let me explain the situation later… It seems Brode is on Lucilda’s side. And Yelena has a lover, even though Ernst is there. That lover stabbed Ernst, probably on Lucilda’s orders. I only wanted Brode to testify to that. I’m sorry for deceiving both of you. I regret it. And now… I’ve also ruined your engagement… I just… I can’t find the words right now…”

“Lianna…?”

Celeste was confused, unsure of what to believe.

Hearing “I wanted Brode’s testimony” and “I’m sorry for deceiving you” didn’t make it easy for her to just say, “Alright, I understand.”

She stared at Lianna with a troubled expression.

Lianna spoke sincerely.

“I want you to forgive me, Celeste. I don’t recognize Lucilda as a saint either. I want to talk properly until you understand. But Brode… I’m done with him. In fact, it’s better if he just breaks up with you.”

Celeste stood there, not knowing how to process it.