Chapter 02
“Honestly, Saintess… you’re just too kind.”
“Nora.”
“Yes?”
“Above your head.”
“Huh? What’s above my head?”
Nora was startled and quickly looked up.
But soon, she made a puzzled expression.
“There’s nothing there.”
I awkwardly smiled and shook my head.
“I must have seen it wrong.”
Apparently, this status window was only visible to me. I recalled the first time I encountered it.
[Yustitia’s memories have been transferred.]
[You have returned to the time before Yustitia’s execution.]
[You have become Saintess Yustitia.]
What?
Was I dreaming?
I looked around in confusion, and my reflection appeared in a large mirror.
Or rather, Yustitia’s reflection.
“…It’s real.”
I pinched my cheek, and it hurt.
This wasn’t a dream.
Was this what they called transmigration in web novels?
I frowned.
Just yesterday, I had received the news that I had passed the civil service examination.
I had finally passed after taking it five times.
Now that I had secured a stable job, all that remained was to enjoy a work-life balance for the rest of my life.
So why did I have to live in someone else’s body in some unfamiliar place?
And on top of that, Yustitia was going to die within the year!
Just then, a new window appeared.
[Do you wish to return to your original world?]
Maybe it noticed my unhappy expression, or perhaps it could read my mind.
I couldn’t tell.
But it seemed like I could communicate with the status window.
I immediately nodded.
But then…
[To return to your original world, you must reach 100% on the Lies Gauge.]
[The gauge rises whenever you tell a lie. The more serious the lie, the greater the increase.]
[However, the gauge cannot increase by more than 1% per day.]
[Once the gauge reaches 100%, you will be given the option to return to your original world.]
No, just send me home.
You brought me here without my permission, so why are you putting conditions on sending me back?
It made no sense, and it was ridiculous, but fortunately, the condition wasn’t particularly difficult.
‘So I just have to hold out for about 100 days and then I can go back?’
All I had to do was lie like it was nothing.
There was nothing difficult about that.
Especially when I was surrounded by disgusting people like the ones around Yustitia.
Aside from when she volunteered at poorhouses or in the slums, Yustitia rarely went out.
Normally, she practically lived in the temple, doing nothing but praying.
She occasionally attended social events, but only those where her presence as the Saintess held significance.
The charity bazaar being held at the royal palace today was one such occasion.
The Archbishop had asked her to attend, saying that more people would participate if the Saintess herself encouraged them to donate.
Strictly speaking, it was a social event, but even at such occasions, Yustitia avoided dressing extravagantly.
She appeared before the people wearing only a simply designed white dress and a shawl.
‘Her face is so striking that accessories would probably just get lost anyway.’
Well, I really did like this face.
Even in such a simple dress, she was beautiful enough.
After taking one last look in the mirror, I went outside.
As I was about to get into the carriage waiting in front of the temple, a large hand suddenly reached out from beside me.
I reflexively turned my head and saw an extremely tall man with a remarkably small face.
Pitch-black hair and snow-white skin that contrasted sharply with it.
His eyes and lips were like drops of blood fallen onto white snow.
Yet because of his strong jawline and intense gaze, he had a distinctly masculine air about him.
He was handsome.
“So handsome…”
I almost blurted out what I was thinking, but hurriedly changed my words.
“Please take good care of me.”
Instead of answering, he bowed his head.
Holy Knight Cassandro.
He was the man who had been dispatched to fill the vacant position of Commander of the Holy Knights, which had been empty since last year.
He was extremely taciturn, so he had barely exchanged more than a few words with Yustitia.
Normally, he protected the temple, but he also personally accompanied the Archbishop or the Saintess as their escort whenever they went outside.
“I thought you were accompanying the Archbishop on his outing.”
“He declined, saying that escorting the Saintess was more important.”
“Ah.”
I twisted my lips into a smile.
“How grateful I am.”
[That is a lie.]
[Lies Gauge increased by 0.1%.]
[Current Gauge: 0.2%]
“I didn’t try to poison the Duchess. I really didn’t. Please believe me, Archbishop…!”
When I had pleaded like that at the very end, what had that man said?
“Admit it and ask for forgiveness. If you do, I will do everything I can to make sure you at least keep your life.”
What an asshole.
I kept saying I hadn’t done it, so how could he refuse to believe me until the very end?
‘Well, it’s not like my fiancé or my brother believed me either. Why would the Archbishop be any different?’
Lumiella was suspicious.
But I had no intention of letting that suspicion show, unlike Yustitia.
If anything, I would raise the gauge by defending Lumiella.
For the same reason, I planned to be kind to the three men who had abandoned me for her.
“We’ve arrived, Saintess.”
While I was thinking about what to do from now on, the carriage had already arrived.
As soon as the carriage door opened, another large hand suddenly appeared.
This time, I was more accustomed to it.
I grabbed the firm hand and stepped down before speaking.
“You can wait here.”
“I cannot do that.”
“It’s a charity bazaar, not some other event. If I walk around with the Holy Knights accompanying me, it’ll look like I’m threatening people into donating.”
“But…”
“Nothing will happen, so don’t worry.”
After reassuring him with confidence, I headed toward the hall where the bazaar was being held.
“Oh my, the Saintess is here!”
“Welcome, Saintess. It has been such a long time since we’ve seen you at the royal palace. You look beautiful today as well.”
“How do you shine so brightly even in a dress without any decorations? Could it be thanks to God’s grace?”
“The lady who has attended such a meaningful occasion looks absolutely beautiful to me as well.”
“Oh my, you have such lovely things to say.”
Fortunately, Yustitia’s reputation hadn’t yet completely fallen into the dirt.
There were still about six months left before her execution.
I had to fill the Lies Gauge and return to my world within that time, if only because I didn’t want to die.
“Please, I hope everyone will contribute generously to this worthy cause…”
“Saintess!”
Just then, a clear voice interrupted me.
Lumiella approached with her silver hair tied halfway up and suddenly grabbed my hand.
“You came! I’m even happier to see you here at the royal palace!”
She was a beautiful woman with a lovely air about her, slightly shorter than me.
Lumiella acted as though we were close, her aquamarine eyes sparkling so brightly that it was almost overwhelming.
This was exactly why people hadn’t noticed that something was suspicious about Lumiella’s behavior.
Yustitia was no exception.
“I’m happy to see you too, Lady Cassini. And…”
My gaze shifted toward the man standing behind Lumiella.
“My brother came with me too!”
The moment I met those water-blue eyes, he flinched slightly.
However, Sergio’s expression remained impassive.
Sergio Cassini.
Yustitia’s adoptive older brother and Lumiella’s biological older brother.
And the first person to abandon Yustitia.
Unlike Lumiella, his features were cold, and his expressionless face was enough to make him look angry.
But I didn’t care and smiled as I greeted him.
“Welcome, Duke Cassini. It has been a long time.”
At the title I used to address him, Sergio—and even the people around us—seemed startled and flustered.
Until now, Yustitia had always called Sergio ‘Brother.’
Lumiella asked in a puzzled voice,
“Why are you suddenly addressing him so formally, Saintess?”
I answered with a faint smile.
“I realized that I’ve been too informal with the Duke, even at official gatherings. Now that I’m an adult, and Lady Lumiella has returned, I intend to treat him with a little more formality.”
Seven years ago, when the real Saintess, Lumiella, disappeared, House Cassini fell into a panic.
The reason the Cassini family had risen to the rank of duke in the first place was because they had produced a Saintess.
With that justification gone, their position was in danger.
But just then, a new divine revelation was delivered.
“The Duke of Cassini will be able to find a new Saintess who resembles Lady Lumiella in every way.”
“……”
“So spoke God.”
