Chapter – 1 || I Was Stigmatized As A False Saint, And My Engagement Was Broken Off

“Elvira Von Lustro. I can’t accept you as a saint! The ‘Maiden Lily’ you were cultivating was a fake! You false saint!”

The young king of this country, Alexander-sama, told me so.

Everyone shouted in surprise.

“Lady Elvira is not a saint?”

“There must be some mistake.”

There must be a mistake.

Originally, this ‘Ritual of the Saint’ would have recognized me as a legitimate saint.

But now, all of a sudden, they were calling me a ‘fake saint.’

Prince Alexander raised his voice further.

“Only Elvira was able to grow and bloom the legendary Maiden Lily. Everyone thought so, including me. But that was exactly what Elvira had planned! The ‘Maiden Lily’ was a fake! They were just white lilies that were rare!”

“That’s impossible!”

It was my father who intervened.

Alexander grinned and said, 

“Duke Lustro, I’m going to disregard your behavior as an act of love for your daughter. But no matter how you argue, the fact remains. What do you say? High Priestess.”

The High Priest came out quickly and said.

“You’re right. Lady Elvira was not a saint.”

“Then I ask you, who is the real saint?”

The High Priestess called out the name of a woman.

“Natalia Zittrina Zwoto! Come here.”

“Yes, I’m Natalia, I’m here.”

Natalia appeared from the crowd and stood next to me.

I don’t think that the black lace and revealing dress that she wears to masquerade balls is appropriate for this occasion, but that’s not for me to say.

“Congratulations, Natalia.” the High Priestess said in a high-pitched voice.

“Congratulations, Natalia. You are a saint!”

“Nonsense!”

The sound of my father’s cries made my heart ache.

I’m sorry, Father.

The High Priestess continued.

“Natalia, the lily you grew was the ‘Maiden Lily.’ Therefore, the saint of this land is… Natalia!”

“Natalia?”

“Natalia? The baroness?”

“So, what’s going to happen?”

The buzz around us was at its peak. My father was about to protest, but my mother held him back.

Then, Prince Alexander said,

“If you’re not a saint, then that means that my engagement to Elvira is forgotten.”

Then, for the first time, I opened my mouth.

 

“—Yes, I understand.”

[ This is not the summary, though it is extremely similar to the first chapter. ]