The Villain Is Obsessed With His Fake Wife

The nobles immediately started muttering at the shocking testimony.

“Is what Miss Luigi said true? Why on earth did the Saint hate Duchess Blanchet so much…”

“But Miss Luigi hated Duchess Blanchet even before meeting the Saint. Shouldn’t we hear the Saint’s side of things once more?”

“Saint Stella, you really are a talkative person in many ways. There has never been a Saint like this before…”

Saint Stella’s face gradually turned pale. The moment everyone’s eyes turned to the pitiful Saint’s face, the Saint spoke with an expression that looked like she was going to cry.

“I never did that.”

Then the priests nearby came to the Saint’s defense.

“Didn’t the Saint say no!”

“This is all a slander. It’s clear that the young lady misunderstood the Saint’s story.”

“That’s right. Why on earth would the saint try to slander Duchess Blanchet?”

It was a sensitive reaction, like a beehive being poked.

“Isn’t it Miss Luigi who is trying to diminish her own crimes by dragging in the innocent saint?”

“Are you done talking?”

Luigi blushed and shouted.

“I’m here with all my honor on the line!”

“Are you telling me to believe everything based solely on Miss Luigi’s testimony? Do you have any evidence that the saint did that to Miss Luigi?”

The focus of the trial quickly shifted to the issue of the saint and Luigi. She had lost track of the topic.

‘Is this the mastermind’s work?’

John slowly walked toward her with a meaningful smile. In the midst of the commotion, no one noticed John’s actions.

“I know you want to do it yourself, but I couldn’t help but step forward, so I put in some effort.”

John asked her with a sly expression.

“You won’t be mad at me for doing whatever I want, right?”

“Well, since John did it for me, what would I be mad at?”

“Thank goodness.”

John laughed softly, as if he was relieved.

“I was really worried that my wife would resent me.”

“How on earth does John see me?”

“My wife is so unpredictable.”

He naturally wrapped his arms around her waist.

“It would be nice if you just stayed by my side for the rest of your life without doing anything.”

John’s red eyes pierced her face. Goosebumps appeared on the back of her neck exposed to his gaze.

‘But why am I anxious?’

John helped her more perfectly in case she was in trouble. She could guess the circumstances that she couldn’t tell him in advance.

‘It must have been too short to tell everything about Luigi.’

In particular, John never said anything he couldn’t keep. That’s probably why he didn’t tell her even if there was a possibility of failure.

‘That’s something I need to understand.’

Even John worried about her, thinking she might be upset. She should be grateful for his consideration.

‘But why don’t I feel at ease?’

Luigi, who was in the middle of a fight with the priest, shouted venomously.

“In the first place, the fact that Duchess Blanchet pushed the saint was a lie!”

“T-what do you mean?”

“Do you think I wasn’t there?”

When the priests were blatantly shaken, Luigi pointed her fingers at several of them with a glare in her eyes.

“Come to think of it, you were all there too. Did the Duchess push the saint and cause trouble? On the contrary.”

“Miss Luigi, that’s not the same as saying that the saint ordered you to lie…”

“Anyway, it’s clear that the saint was framing the duchess! Am I wrong?”

While focusing on John, Ishewas amazed at Luigi’s mess.

‘This is why whistleblowers are scary.’

Luigi was irritated, living up to her reputation as a brat who trusted the Count’s family.

“Who spread all those false rumors? Did I start all those rumors? I didn’t!”

Even without that, the story of her meeting the saint at the temple had at some point been transformed into an anecdote about her harassing the saint.

‘Somehow, it seemed strange that it spread when there were so many witnesses.’

A nobleman asked Luigi as if he had caught a bug.

“So you’re saying that the saint started that false rumor?”

“Of course I can’t know that. But the truth is that I didn’t spread that rumor. Because I saw it myself.”

“Then what happened at the temple…”

“The reason I went to the temple that time was because the saintess was afraid to meet the duchess and called me and my friends. You can probably ask my friends about this.”

Luigi glared at the saintess with a murderous look.

“It was when the saintess went to see Duchess Blanchet. When I went to see the saintess because I was worried, what I saw was… Duchess Blanchet, who had collapsed and was spitting up blood.”

The priest blushed and appealed to the emperor, not Luigi.

“Your Majesty. The trial atmosphere seems too heated right now. I would like to ask you to postpone the trial to another day.”

“Isn’t it okay for it to be moderately heated?”

“Yes?”

The emperor, who had been watching with his arms crossed, smiled.

“This is the place that was set up to decide these kinds of controversies. It seems like more important testimony than I thought, so let’s continue listening to that story.”

When the emperor took Luigi’s side, the priest was taken aback. Luigi, who felt that the atmosphere was on her side, spoke in a more confident voice.

“At that time, the saint didn’t seem to have any intention of treating Duchess Blanchet, who was coughing up blood and collapsing.”

“Young Lady Luigi! That’s speculation!”

“Why else would someone who witnessed that scene go around saying that the saint hurt the duchess? And why did that great saint not treat the duchess and let her collapse?”

The priest carefully watched the saint’s expression. Saint Stella, who had been leaning against the priest, barely stepped forward.

The saint could no longer hide. However, the saint swayed her frail body as if she couldn’t bear the situation where everyone was paying attention and raising suspicions.

John asked in a soft voice so that only she could hear.

“How is it to see the saint now?”

“…What do you mean?”

“In that situation right now, the lady often went up there. Now, the lady is watching the saint.”

The saint who claimed her innocence, where everyone was suspicious.

“Did John plan this too?”

“Similar.”

John laughed cynically.

“I wanted the lady to see you in a different situation. That’s why I deliberately didn’t say anything and tricked the witness.”

At that moment, the saint turned away from her and looked at John with longing eyes. Her face, distorted as if she was about to cry, seemed to have a deep story with John.

She took advantage of this moment to ask the question she had been holding back.

“John, what’s your relationship with the saint?”

At that, John immediately frowned.

“We’re not related at all.”

“Is it true?”

“I don’t know about such a crazy woman.”

* * *

Prince Carlos looked for Diana. Diana looked at Prince Carlos and asked.

“Should I go testify now?”

“Yes. Have you changed your mind?”

Princess Diana remained silent.

Prince Carlos threatened Princess Diana with a bitter smile.

“Have you not yet grasped the subject, or did you think that it would be over if you were the only one to avoid it?”

Diana’s eyes wavered. Prince Carlos noticed Diana’s agitation and laughed mockingly.

“Stupid princess. After you are dealt with, your family will be next. Do you really think I dragged you in without any preparation?”

“Why, why on earth did you…!”

“Your family is not guilty.”

“…”

“But there is something I need to get my hands on by using the saintess. So the saintess must win this trial. Without a single flaw.”

* * *

The saintess remained silent for a long time. She was panting for breath, and only after the priests nearby helped her open her mouth.

“Lady Luigi, you are too much.”

Like this. The saintess spoke to Luigi like a tragic heroine.

“I thought of Lady Luigi as my true friend… How could you say such things to me?”

“That’s not what’s important right now.”

“Lady Luigi, please tell me now. Why are you, my true friend, saying such harsh things to me?”

Stella, who shed a single tear, asked Luigi.

“Did you meet Duchess Blanchett before the trial today?”

‘Why am I there?’

Luigi shouted.

“What are you talking about!”

“I understand how Lady Luigi feels. But that doesn’t mean I can cover up what never happened. It’s not too late even now.”

Stella’s words were illogical, but they were quite effective. Luigi opened her mouth as if she had completely dried up at her tearful appeal and couldn’t say anything.

To be honest, she didn’t like it either, but she could completely understand Luigi’s feelings.

‘What kind of person is she?’

She also found Stella very strange.

‘How could she say something like that in that situation?’

Of course, she also thought that Stella was not an ordinary person. Because the way she sometimes acted and spoke to her was unusual.

‘By the way, why is Cardinal Simon just sitting still?’

If he was a cardinal, he should have been the first to step forward and defend the saint before any other priest. However, Cardinal Simon just had a very complicated expression on his face. In fact, Stella grabbed Cardinal Simon’s arm and pulled him while sobbing.

“Simon, please say something.”

“…Saint Stella.”

“Simon, you know me better than anyone else, the saint of the Holy Land. Everyone will understand if you testify to me as the Cardinal.”

She felt a strange prickle in the saint’s words.

‘You are openly emphasizing your status as a saint?’

Certainly, as the cardinal of the Holy Land, he must do his best to protect the honor of the saint. So now, what Cardinal Simon had to say was set.

‘I thought something had changed, but in the end, he’s going to side with the saint.’

Cardinal Simon’s expression became complicated. At that moment, Chancellor Orteca, who was next to the Emperor, added words as if trying to give the saint some strength.

“Your Majesty, what the saint said is not wrong. Isn’t Cardinal Simon one of the most famous cardinals in the Empire and one of the closest aides to Your Majesty the Holy Emperor?”

“Hmm, then you can certainly tell us about what happened inside the temple.”

The Emperor nodded and asked Cardinal Simon.

“What exactly happened in the temple at that time?”

The saint, who seemed frightened, grabbed Cardinal Simon’s sleeve and clung to him. She whispered to the cardinal in a tearful voice.

“Simon, please.”

“Your Majesty, that day in the temple…”

Cardinal Simon, who had bitten his lip, said calmly.

“There was an incident where Duchess Blanchet vomited blood and collapsed. It happened right after the saint and she went out for a walk in the temple gardens.”

The saint let go of Cardinal Simon’s sleeve that she was holding. The saint’s sky-blue eyes shook like broken glass.

“Si, Simon. Why…?”

Cardinal Simon looked at the emperor as if ignoring the saint.

“I don’t know much about other things. But Saint Stella went around saying that Duchess Blanchet pushed her.”

Even the emperor looked quite surprised and asked.

“…Cardinal Simon, do you know what you’re talking about?”

“I don’t know if the saint’s actions were malicious, but it’s clear that they’ve caused trouble for Duchess Blanchet. And it wasn’t the first or second time.”

“Si, Simon! Don’t do that!”

Stella, who had been holding on while pleading, suddenly stepped on the hem of her dress and fell down.

‘Why all of a sudden?’

Then the trees burst into laughter and said.

– We did it!

– We did it! That woman fell down!

– How long we’ve waited for this day!

‘…What on earth were you thinking?’

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: