Chapter 82

[Actually… I already told everything. But since Lillian said it’s okay, don’t worry too much.]

Click—

In the silence of my bedroom, I bit my nails while recalling Arien’s words.

It’s too late now.

Arien had already spilled everything to Lillian.

Outwardly, she seemed calm, but in reality, she confessed that she couldn’t bear the criticism and disdain from people and ran away.

That alone wouldn’t be a problem, but Arien even told Lillian about our relationship.

Lillian probably already suspects that I’m half the reason Arien betrayed her.

“I should’ve made her keep her mouth shut earlier.”

I knew that Lillian would awaken as a saintess someday.

But in the complacency of daily life, I let my guard down, and that was my big mistake.

Of course, given how the original plot has been completely derailed, I can’t help but feel a bit wronged.

The war ended five years earlier than it should have, and Lillian’s personality has changed bizarrely.

But since it’s already happened, I guess I need to find a way to deal with it.

Looking into Lillian’s eyes earlier, it didn’t seem like she would just let me be.

“…Should I kill her?”

The thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Even if she’s awakened as a saintess, she’s not invincible.

If I use an extremely lethal poison, even Lillian wouldn’t be able to avoid death.

In fact, in one of the game’s bad endings, Lillian died after drinking poisoned wine handed to her by Mardian.

‘But it’s too risky.’

If I succeed in poisoning her, I wouldn’t have to worry about Lillian anymore. But if I fail, the consequences would be irreversible.

If the saintess, adored by the entire empire, were to die, even the imperial family would spare no effort to find the culprit.

I might end up on the execution block like Mardian in the game.

“…Let’s just wait and see for now.”

Maybe I’m just overly anxious, and my rationality is clouded.

Perhaps Lillian has no intention of revenge, and I’m just being paranoid.

But if things really go south…

I can always run away, so for now, I won’t worry too much.

‘For the time being, avoiding Lillian is the best plan.’

※

“Hoho! You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to get close to Lady Lillian!”

“Oh my, really?”

Under the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, laughter filled the upper floor of the ballroom, and the sweet scent of pastries spread among the golden decorations.

In the Banquet Hall, soft music played.

Amidst the lively conversations of the cheerful young ladies, one woman smiled brightly.

Her aura was mysterious, and her noble beauty was flawless.

Her dazzling pink hair matched her pristine white dress, which looked so luxurious that its value couldn’t be estimated.

The savior, Lillian Eldoria.

With just one smile, she captivated everyone around her.

‘…Why.’

I swallowed the curse that almost slipped out and forced a smile to maintain my composure.

As a woman who rose to the rank of viscountess on her own, her fame had soared to the skies. I expected Lillian to re-enter the social circle.

So I anticipated that we would meet at a banquet someday…

But why, of all people…

Why did she have to join the gathering I was at, laughing so casually?

“What was the battlefield like? Was there really no place to wash up?”

At a young lady’s question, Lillian smiled faintly and tucked her pink hair behind her ear.

“There were places to wash, but… no warm water. The facilities weren’t as good as in the Empire.”

“My goodness, so you washed with cold water? How could you bear it?”

“Haha, you get used to it quickly.”

“And the meals? Was it really just a piece of bread and a glass of water like the rumors say?”

“Not entirely wrong.”

“Oh my… Eating like commoners…”

The young ladies surrounding Lillian all looked shocked.

It seemed they were all curious about the unfamiliar battlefield.

Even Bersha, who was stroking my head on the sofa, had her gaze fixed on Lillian.

“Truly… you’ve been through so much, Saintess. Thank you for returning safely from such a place.”

One young lady spoke with feigned sincerity, hiding her true thoughts.

Three years ago, these same people would have scorned Lillian, but now they were all praising and adoring her.

‘Disgusting.’

Their sudden change in attitude made me laugh bitterly.

But Lillian didn’t seem to mind at all and accepted them with grace.

She smiled kindly at those who once belittled her, even showing tolerance to those who had insulted her.

Up to this point, she wasn’t much different from the Lillian in the game…

But why do I feel so uneasy?

“I’ve always wanted to get close to such lovely young ladies. I’m glad I have the chance now.”

Lillian spoke with a bright smile.

Bersha, who had been quietly watching from behind, took a sip of tea and spoke.

“We’re also delighted to have this connection with the Saintess. Let’s forget the past and build a good relationship from now on.”

“Connection? What happened in the past?”

Lillian responded with a playful smile.

Her witty humor made the young ladies widen their eyes, and soon they burst into laughter.

In the midst of such a warm atmosphere, I clenched my fist secretly.

‘That fox-like woman…!’

I cursed Lillian inwardly.

So naturally, Lillian had seamlessly infiltrated Bersha’s faction.

She was stealing all the attention that should have been directed at me.

If she’s a saintess, she should be praying somewhere, not stealing the attention of my patrons.

Is it not enough to have looks, authority, and power? Does she need connections too?

How utterly greedy.

I had to flatter several young ladies to get here, but she captured their attention with just a faint smile.

“Lady Blanchard, are you okay?”

A voice filled with genuine concern.

I looked up to see Lillian, who had been laughing brightly with the young ladies, now looking at me.

“You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“…Ah.”

I touched my lips to see if my smile had faded, but thankfully, my lips were still curved.

“I was just lost in thought. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

“No, we were just talking about the abilities I manifested during the recent war.”

“Abilities?”

Abilities.

Now that I think about it, there was such a story.

Lillian’s abilities are based on divine power. Think of them as various skills the protagonist gains as they grow.

In the beginning, it’s just the ability to heal people, but by the end, she can use divine power as an offensive tool.

“Yes, let me show you a simple example.”

Lillian drew a small circle in the air with her finger. A pure white light spread out, forming a transparent barrier.

The young ladies nearby reached out with curious eyes to examine the shimmering wall.

“Wow, the light is so beautiful, Saintess. Is it dangerous?”

“It won’t harm you. It’s just a simple barrier.”

…A barrier?

I blinked in surprise at the unexpected word.

Barriers are supposed to be an ability obtainable only in the late game, but she can already use them?

“…What kind of ability is this?”

My voice came out lower and heavier than usual. Since the barrier was erected, I felt uncomfortable, as if my whole body was wrapped in an inexplicable tension.

Whether it was indigestion or something else, one thing was clear: staying here too long wouldn’t end well.

“It’s a barrier that greatly contributed to ending the recent war.”

Lillian neatly tucked her hair behind her ear and continued her explanation.

“Simply put, within this barrier, designated people cannot lie.”

One young lady’s eyes sparkled as she asked.

“Really? What happens if someone tries to lie?”

“If you try to lie, you’ll feel pain as if your heart is bursting. If you avoid answering or hesitate, the pain will gradually intensify, like your whole body is burning.”

Lillian’s calm yet cruel explanation only made the young ladies more curious.

“Of course, I’ve adjusted the power so it won’t cause much pain now.”

Lillian stepped closer to the barrier and smiled softly.

“Would you like to try it? As long as you don’t lie, nothing will happen. Even if you feel something, it won’t be too painful, so don’t worry.”

“Me! I’ll try!”

Encouraged by Lillian’s gentle invitation, a young lady who had been looking around nervously stepped into the barrier.

Her expression showed a bit of tension, but no fear.

“Hmm, what question should I ask?”

Lillian tapped her chin thoughtfully, then smiled brightly and asked.

“Ah, is there someone you’ve been interested in recently?”

“Huh? Ah, no! No, that’s impossible!—Eek?!”

The moment she firmly denied it, the young lady’s face twisted.

As if pressed by an irresistible force, her face gradually filled with tension. Sweat formed on her forehead, and her body began to tremble slightly.

Finally, the truth burst out.

“A-actually… there is!”

As she confessed, the transparent light of the barrier shimmered faintly, illuminating the space as if welcoming the truth.

Lillian sighed lightly and carefully supported the young lady, smiling gently.

“That’s how it works. Are you okay? Did you feel any discomfort?”

“Yes… it was a bit suffocating, but bearable.”

“Haha, it’s actually much more painful. The more you lie, the worse the pain gets.”

“That’s so fascinating!”

From then on, the young ladies became captivated by Lillian’s mysterious ability.

One by one, they stepped into Lillian’s barrier, and Lillian demonstrated its effects with light, everyday questions.

The young ladies’ faces were filled with the excitement and thrill of children seeing magic for the first time.

Meanwhile, I was still staring blankly at the barrier.

‘…Is this really okay?’

The war ended years earlier than in the original, Lillian awakened as a saintess too early, and even the barrier ability that should appear in the late game…

Everything was beyond my expectations.

“Lady Tina, would you like to try?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by Lillian’s sudden suggestion, I flinched.

Lillian’s smile was fully directed at me.

“There won’t be any severe pain inside the barrier, so don’t worry.”

Normally, I would have accepted her offer without hesitation, but strangely, today I couldn’t bring myself to step forward.

Was it because of the strange distance I felt earlier?

“Ah, no. I’m not really interested.”

“Really? That’s a shame… I prepared this ability specifically to get closer to Lady Blanchard…”

As Lillian smiled sadly and lowered her gaze, the young ladies around her began to look at her with concern.

“Try it once, Tina. It’s not like you can lie anyway, so there’s no problem.”

Bersha smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder.

Normally, I would have gladly complied with her request, but stepping into that barrier just didn’t sit right with me.

The questions Lillian asked the other young ladies were trivial, like what they had for dinner yesterday or if they’d gained a little weight…

But the mere fact that lying was impossible inside the barrier felt ominously foreboding.

“A-actually, I’m feeling a bit unwell…”

“Ah, then don’t worry! I’ll add healing power to the barrier. Once you step in, you’ll feel better soon.”

Taking advantage of my momentary hesitation, Lillian approached with a bright smile and grabbed my hand.

“Huh? W-wait.”

“It’s okay.”

She replied in a soft voice and gently pulled my arm.

I tried to resist, but perhaps because of her experience on the battlefield, her strength far exceeded my expectations.

“What are you doing? Let go!”

I shouted loudly, but Lillian just smiled faintly and pulled me into the barrier.

“L-let go of me!”

Flustered by the forced situation, I couldn’t maintain my usual smile and raised my voice.

For a moment, silence fell around us.

The young ladies, who had never seen me raise my voice like this, looked at me in shock, and even Bersha was wide-eyed.

“Ah, no, I mean… I was just surprised…”

“Tina, you shouldn’t shout at the Saintess like that.”

At Bersha’s sharp rebuke, I immediately shut my mouth.

I know.

Unlike before, the most prestigious person here is Lillian.

Even the influential Bersha paled in comparison to Lillian’s undeniable influence.

Normally, I would have been more discerning, but Lillian suddenly grabbing me like that…!

“I-I’m sorry…”

But there was nothing I could do.

Lillian smiled faintly and patted my back lightly.

“It’s okay, I just want to get closer to you, Lady.”

Her expression, devoid of any malice, left me bewildered.

Is she really just trying to be friends?

Given Lillian’s personality, that makes sense.

With her lively and sociable nature, she’s like a capybara who wants to be friends with everyone.

“Now, Lady! I have a question for you.”

Lillian clapped her hands together, making a cheerful sound.

With a bright smile, she leaned in close and opened her red lips.

“How much do you like the other young ladies, Lady Blanchard?”

The question was unexpectedly mundane.

How many times have I been asked this question?

Like an owner checking their pet’s affection, the young ladies asked this almost daily.

And every time, I gave the same answer.

This time was no different.

With a harmless mask on my face.

With a beaming smile.

As always, I said the same thing I always did.

With an unchanging beaming smile, I said the words I always said.

“Of course, I like them a lot… Ah, uh…?”

Thud—

“I like… I mean… I like-.”

Thud- Thud-

With an intense, heart-wrenching pain.

My body froze.

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