Everyone Realized the Saint Was a Fake, but She Still Thought She Was Fooling Them - Chapter 22

Lianna, Wallace, and Bartlett spent an enjoyable time horseback riding together.

Bartlett had made up his mind to confess to Celeste, while Wallace stayed close to Lianna the entire time, holding her hand or putting an arm around her shoulder, openly declaring, “Because I’m her fiancé.”

However, deep down, Wallace couldn’t shake the worry that Lianna still had strong feelings for Ernst and that her self-esteem remained low.

Bartlett noticed this too and was concerned for Wallace.

Still, Wallace remained a gentleman, looking after Lianna until the very end. After their ride, he returned to his estate with Bartlett, then rode in the prepared carriage alongside Lianna to escort her home.

Lianna, on the other hand, was slightly puzzled by Wallace’s unusually polite behavior towards her.

Because he would be her husband? Because he said he would make her forget Ernst…?

The moment she recalled those words, her chest felt warm, and her heart pounded.

Wallace’s presence was growing inside her.

When she saw his smile, she felt a comforting warmth, similar to what she once felt for Ernst.

And since Wallace had not withdrawn from their engagement, she was set to marry him.

Her husband… this man…

Would they sleep in the same bed?

The thought made Wallace suddenly seem like an unfamiliar man, and a strange, bittersweet emotion washed over her.

But Lianna couldn’t afford to be lost in these newfound feelings.

Even as she rode with Wallace, one particular thought lingered in the back of her mind.

It was something Wallace had said.

The man who stabbed Ernst, Yelena’s lover, Dustin. Wallace had mentioned his whereabouts:

“He’s at the temple where Lucilda’s chief supporting priest resides.”

That’s right. Lianna had decided to go visit Dustin for a ‘night stroll.’

This had nothing to do with Wallace’s affection.

The man who stabbed Ernst.

A man connected to Lucilda.

She couldn’t allow him to roam free.

Since Wallace knew where Dustin was, he had likely sent people to secretly monitor his movements.

If Dustin hadn’t been captured yet, it meant they were using him to gather more information.

Wallace planned to follow the trail from the evidence of Ernst’s attack to eventually reach Lucilda.

But Dustin wasn’t a fool.

He surely knew he was being hunted.

And after Lianna had tricked Brode, Dustin was now aware that Lianna and Ernst’s side knew about him.

His guard would be up even more, making it much harder to investigate him.

Though Wallace assured her it wasn’t her fault, Lianna still felt responsible and wanted to do her part.

I can follow him without being noticed. I can listen in. I can track his movements. If it’s during a ‘night stroll.’

Lianna was convinced of this.

So, as soon as she returned home, she ordered another maid to summon Mesha.

If she was going on a ‘night stroll,’ she needed Mesha to watch over her defenseless body.

However, instead of Mesha, the one who entered was Celeste.

Celeste had a stern expression.

“Celeste?”

Lianna was startled by the unexpected visitor.

“W-what’s going on? I wasn’t told you were coming. It’s already dinner time.”

Celeste sighed, then gave a small, wry smile.

“And what about you, Lianna? Why did you change into loungewear instead of a dress for dinner?”

Lianna gasped and quickly glanced down at her outfit.

Since she had planned her ‘night stroll,’ she had decided to skip dinner and hadn’t changed into a dining dress.

She had to come up with an excuse.

“Ah, well… I was just tired today, so I decided to skip dinner.”

“Tired, huh?” Celeste muttered skeptically, eyeing Lianna closely.

“It’s true! Ask Wallace and Bartlett. We went horseback riding.”

Lianna hurriedly explained.

“Hmm?” Celeste gave a vague response, neither confirming nor denying whether she believed her.

“A-anyway, why are you here, Celeste?”

Lianna was beginning to calm down. She had been panicked when Celeste arrived just as she was about to set off on her ‘night stroll,’ fearing she had been found out. But on second thought, there was no way Celeste could know about it.

—I should be fine.

Yet another worry crept into Lianna’s mind.

If not about the ‘night stroll,’ then what?

Even for Celeste, arriving at this hour unannounced and heading straight to Lianna’s private room instead of the drawing room was unusual.

Or perhaps not so unusual.

After all, the broken engagement with Brode was her fault.

Celeste had also learned that Lianna had been keeping many secrets from her.

Even though Lianna had explained, she wasn’t sure Celeste had truly forgiven her.

If this visit was about that, it made sense.

Seeing Lianna’s worried expression, Celeste let out a soft chuckle.

“I decided to visit you unexpectedly on purpose.”

“On purpose? What do you mean?”

“Lianna, you’re hiding too many things.”

Celeste’s voice was laced with sadness.

“Hiding things?”

Lianna’s heart skipped a beat as she waited for Celeste’s next words.

“The conversation you had with Brode. I thought Wallace and Bartlett knew, so I tried to ask them, but they were out horseback riding. So, I had no choice but to ask Ernst. It was nerve-wracking since we’re not close, but after the engagement was broken, I couldn’t wait. So, I went straight to him. He confirmed that what you said was true. So, I accepted that part. But there was one thing he found odd. He said you somehow knew everything too quickly. Even Ernst was wondering—how did you get that information so fast?”

Lianna flinched.

“Oh, well, if you use money and people…”

She parroted something Wallace had once said.

“That’s a lie. Before I came to this room, I asked your mother. She said she knew nothing. If you had used money and people, the Gruber Ducal House would have known. But they didn’t. So, tell me—what connections did you use to gather this information?”

“I-is that really important, Celeste? As long as the information is accurate, does it matter where it came from?”

Lianna’s voice was strained.

Celeste’s expression darkened.

“Of course, it matters! If you got it through Saintess Lucilda!”

Lianna’s breath caught.

“Celeste… are you suspecting me? That I’m siding with Lady Lucilda?”

“Of course, I am! If the Gruber Ducal House isn’t involved, and you’re working separately from Ernst, Wallace, and Bartlett—then who is backing you? Lady Lucilda? Lady Yelena?”

Celeste’s sharp gaze pierced through Lianna.

“Neither of them!”

Lianna nearly cried as she shouted.

“Then prove it! At least tell me who you’re really getting your information from!”

Celeste stood firmly in front of Lianna.

“I can’t say…”

Lianna shook her head, now on the verge of tears.

“Then should I assume it really is Lady Lucilda?”

Celeste’s voice was almost threatening.

Lianna lowered her head.

“So that’s why you came… You wanted to catch me off guard and find proof that I’m connected to Lady Lucilda.”

Celeste still looked stern.

“Yes. It wasn’t a pleasant method, but I couldn’t think of another way.”

“Too bad for you, then. I’m not connected to her…”

And at that unfortunate moment—

“Ugh, I was called? How annoying.”

Mesha entered the room.