Chapter 39: The Fake Saintess
The Emperor personally sent a congratulatory message for the birth of the new Saintess.
All the nobles and important figures of the Empire sent expensive gifts to celebrate Annette’s birth. They also sent countless invitations, eager to see the baby, who couldn’t even open her eyes properly yet.
Rumors of the Saintess spread beyond Blenheim, the Empire’s northernmost region, and even to neighboring countries.
However, the Marquis soon sensed that something was wrong.
No matter how much he looked at his third child, she did not resemble him at all. It was then that he became certain of his wife’s affair. But his wife had already died during childbirth, so there was no way to confirm the truth.
To make matters worse, Annette never displayed any divine power.
Despite multiple tests conducted by the temple, the priests only shook their heads.
People started to become suspicious.
When Annette turned ten, a rumor spread about a girl from the slums performing miracles.
This girl was recognized as the real Saintess by the High Priest—her name was Kathren.
In an instant, Annette was labeled as a “fake Saintess” who had deceived the Empire.
High society mocked and criticized her relentlessly.
Consumed by shame and rage, the Marquis locked Annette inside the mansion and raised her in near captivity.
People assumed that he was protecting his daughter from the humiliation, but in reality, she suffered extreme neglect and scorn at home.
Her older brother, Ferdinand, ignored her completely, while her older sister, Ladriel, distanced herself by gossiping about Annette’s disgrace at social gatherings.
For Annette, the title of “fake Saintess” was a permanent scar she could never erase.
“If I were the real Annette, I would have been devastated.”
Perhaps the other person was trying to provoke me, but I couldn’t tolerate such a low blow.
“You’re permanently out of my favor. Disgusting.”
Still, I was proud of myself for not falling for such a petty attempt.
“The Grand Duchess is truly amazing.”
I had never been in a position of power in my life.
Now, I could act as I pleased.
“Power is truly frightening… It’s so exhilarating, I might get addicted.”
Feeling lighthearted, I walked back to my room.
Back in my room, I reviewed the list of candidates for my lady-in-waiting.
I immediately skipped over Avoir Meisel’s name, flipping to the back.
The other candidates seemed fine, but their family backgrounds and experience alone weren’t enough to help me decide.
“Aside from Meisel, I don’t know any of these people from the original story.”
It seemed like the best option was to host a tea gathering and meet them in person.
However, the thought of organizing a tea party immediately overwhelmed me.
There must be proper etiquette for hosting one.
“I’ve never even attended a tea party, let alone hosted one.”
Hoping for guidance, I opened the etiquette book I had glanced at in the Grand Duke’s office a few days ago.
“Tea time… here it is!”
The book said:
“A refined lady must be able to host a tea gathering with ease. Guests will judge not only the tea and refreshments but also the tableware and setting… (omitted)… If the hostess cannot skillfully manage the gathering, the guests will compare it to other parties and—”
“Why is there so much unnecessary information?”
I skimmed through the pages.
“The best way to prepare for a tea party is to seek advice from an experienced noblewoman. If that is not possible, consulting a knowledgeable maid is also a good alternative.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s the most important part, and it’s missing!”
What I really needed to know was:
- How far in advance should I send invitations?
- How should I phrase the invitation?
- Should I personally greet the guests?
- How many types of refreshments should I prepare?
Frustration made me sigh.
If I got this wrong, people would call me ignorant or uncultured.
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed a final sentence at the bottom of the chapter:
“Ultimately, what matters most at a tea gathering is the hostess’s sincerity. There is no need to be overly bound by trivial etiquette.”
That made me pause.
“Wait, that actually makes sense.”
I wasn’t a palace official responsible for state ceremonies.
Why should I be so obsessed with etiquette?
After all, I am the Grand Duchess.
Unless I caused a major scandal, no one would dare criticize me for minor mistakes.
Besides, my reputation was already as bad as it could get:
-A fake Saintess
-The daughter of Marquis Freis
-A notorious villain in the capital
-The woman who forced the Grand Duke of Blenheim into marriage
“Wow, that really does sound awful.”
There was no reputation left to ruin, so I might as well do as I pleased.
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll just say it’s the latest trend in the capital.”
With that decision made, I called for Whitley.
Around lunchtime, I went to the administrative office.
Ever since I discovered this place while wandering the castle, I had been visiting at least every two days to kill time.
At first, the administrative officers were wary of me. But over time, they began warming up.
“I get the feeling they’re starting to look forward to the refreshments I bring.”
I walked into the office with the cookies Whitley had given me. The junior administrators, who had been talking among themselves, greeted me even more enthusiastically than usual.
“Your Highness!”
“How have you all been?”
They all greeted me formally, but I could tell they had something they wanted to say.
“We were just talking about you,” said by the most outspoken of the group.
“About me?”
“We just came back from trying today’s special menu!”
Today’s menu?
I was confused for a moment until another administrator pulled out a chair for me and explained.
“It’s at Marie’s inn. The innkeeper was proudly telling everyone that it was Your Highness’s idea.”
Oh! I had completely forgotten about that.
So Marie had actually started selling a “menu of the day” like I suggested. The administrators, noticing my realization, eagerly gathered around.
“You all tried it?”
I pulled my chair closer, curious about their reactions.
“Not just us—almost every customer ordered it.”
“People were excited just picking their dessert!”
They kept asking me how I came up with the idea. It seemed they were fascinated by how a simple service could make people so happy.
‘As expected, they’re interested in what captured the citizens’ attention.’
I didn’t give them a proper answer, but they seemed more excited about the topic itself than my response.
“So, did the inn get more customers?” I asked.
One administrator tilted his head slightly.
“A little, I think.”
“A little?”
“The location isn’t the best. It mostly relies on regular customers, so it’ll take time for word to spread.”
That made sense—the inn was a bit off the main streets.
If location was the issue…
The administrators all looked thoughtful.
It felt like we were working together to solve the problem, so I took a moment before suggesting,
“What if they put a menu board outside?”
“A menu?”
“If they write down the dishes for each day and hang it outside, wouldn’t people be curious?”
“Hmm…”
One of the administrators hesitated before shaking his head.
“It probably wouldn’t help much.”
“Why not?”
“There are quite a few people who can’t read.”
“Oh…!”
I hadn’t even considered that. My face warmed with embarrassment, but the administrator looked just as awkward as he continued.
“Of course, most of the citizens in Blenheim can read. The previous Grand Duke made education mandatory.”
I nodded, remembering Marie’s elegant handwriting when she wrote down the tomato stew recipe.
“But in recent years, many people from the border areas have moved in, and most of them are illiterate.”
Apparently, after welcoming refugees who had lost their homes to monsters, more and more people from Rondoris and beyond the mountains had started settling here.
The problem was that because most of the original citizens could read, the newcomers were struggling with daily life.
“Children can be taught, but most of the adults are too focused on survival to learn right away.”
“I see…”
“Inns and markets are filled with people who can’t read—probably more than half of them.”
‘They must think I’m a clueless noblewoman.’
Feeling flustered, I rubbed my warm cheeks with the back of my hand. Just then, a young administrator who had been quietly listening spoke up.
“Normally, we use illustrations.”
“Illustrations?”
“For example, when we post public notices—like banning late-night drinking or fighting—we include pictures alongside the text.”
Hearing that, I clapped my hands together.
“That’s a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Menus usually have pictures!
‘It didn’t occur to me because I haven’t seen one since coming here.’
If they hung up pictures outside the inn, even those who couldn’t read would get curious. It could also attract passing travelers.
And I didn’t even need to think about who should draw them.
‘I wanted to give Morina some work anyway—this is perfect!’
Seeing my excitement, the administrators’ expressions brightened.
“Did we help?”
“A lot! Blenheim’s administrators really are the best!”
At my praise, they all looked pleased. Since they were still trainees, they probably spent most of their time following orders rather than making decisions. Just discussing ideas seemed to excite them.
And I felt the same.
‘If Madam Marie agrees…!’
My heart started racing at the thought of making my idea a reality.
Feeling unexpectedly proud, I eagerly planned my next steps.
“Ugh! This is so frustrating!”
Lady Meisel, the esteemed daughter of Count Avoir, angrily threw down her pen.
“I gladly accept the Grand Duchess’s kind invitation…”
She was sitting in the beautifully decorated parlor of the count’s estate.
Before her, standing stiffly with a serious expression, was the Grand Duke’s head maid, Marzella.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel
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