The Fake Saint Decided to be Real

Gray snowflakes fell one by one in the sky.

If I was a pure child, I would’ve been happily playing with snowflakes like a puppy. But now, I was screaming at the red blood that was spreading through the snowflakes.

“No! Astein!”

A knight that dared a fake saint.

Only for me who had hidden a fake identity.

An arrow was stuck on Astein’s abdomen.

But still, he didn’t step out in front of me. He didn’t even collapse.

After Astein pulled out the arrow silently, he fought against the holy knights of the temple, who were going after me.

Still for me.

“She is a sinner who deceived God and made a false representation of a Saint! Step aside, Astein!”

“For me, she’s the real saint!”

I felt a sense of guilt by Astein’s words that believed me to the end.

I was a fake saint….

An object to maintain the power and honor of my family. Now, I’d become a swindler who was abandoned even by my family.

The real saint had appeared.

The family’s knights were intermingled in the temple knights. Everyone tried to kill me.

And because of me, Astein had thrown away the solid future he had in mind.

“Astein, you’re still fighting now. Everyone was deceived by the witch. You can be forgiven!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Who’s the witch?!”

Astein again struck the arrow that flew at me with a large sword. It was a sword I gave him with my heart. Without knew what kind of gift it was, he held it up and kept fighting for me.

But it was obviously a reckless fight.

As I looked at his back and bit my lips, I barely decided. Immediately, I told my will to Astein.

“Do as they say. Everything will be fine if I die.”

I didn’t think I could survive and escape. I just wanted to save the person I loved.

If only I died, he would survive.

“That’s impossible. Lady Freya is the real saint.”

I heard something that I didn’t even hear from my family. Why on earth was he… (I’m unsure with this)

Gradually, Astein’s movement became sluggish. As they rushed to the edge of the snowy valley, the number of knights increased.

I looked back at the cliff. A valley of dizzying heights. It seemed enough to save Astein.

The amount of blood flowing over the white snowflake increased. I couldn’t delay any more time.

“Ha ha ha…. Too bad. I have to deceive and corrupt more people.”

“Lady Freya?”

“You have a kind heart that’s easy to be deceived, it was sad I didn’t make it (to deceive him) to the end. After I die, I’ll pray hard for you, you are really a faithful knight.”

I smiled brightly at Astein, who looked at me as if he was fascinated by my voice.

I reached out and touched his face for the first and last time. Then I jumped into the valley behind.

It should’ve been like this.

When the people of the family said they had found the real saint and completed the admission process, I should had followed their demands then.

“Goodbye… I love you, Astein.”

That was when Astein’s shadow cast over me. His arms seized me at once. A large hand wrapped my head and pulled it into his chest.

He hugged me tight like he wouldn’t let me go.

It was me who jumped first, but it was Astein who hit the ground first.2

I was trying to die, but it was he who died.

“Haah…..”

I was passed out in Astein’s arms and it wasn’t until the night that I regained my senses. I felt a great deal of pain like I was broken somewhere. But it was nothing compared to the pain of my heart.

“No!”

If I had divine power, if I was a real saint, he wouldn’t have died. Everything was my fault.

I wished I hadn’t been born.

“There, there’s the witch!”

“Don’t miss her this time!”

There was no time to grieve. The knights who came to me pulled their swords again.

I stood up with difficulty and looked at them. Then, I shouted like crazy.

“Yeah, kill me! Kill me quickly!”

So that I could go by his side.

The sword of the knights stabbed me in the stomach. I stepped back. I had a heat feeling on my body that had already been fractured and become completely inebriated.

“She survived when she fell off the cliff. Don’t be careless and attack her to the end!”

“For nothing, that wicked witch killed the innocent Astein!”1

I felt the blackness of those who hated me for taking their colleague away. But I could understand their anger.

I was a twisted witch without being loved. A fake, cursed saint who killed even the man I loved.

I didn’t blame God.

“Please, to … As…tein’s… side….”1

At that time, bright blue light spread out before my eyes. Then the painful memory of my past came into my head one by one. It was a phenomenon experienced by people who went to the side of the God Thea.

The warm energy spread at the end of that memory.

Why did it appear late? After I lost everything now.

“What? Divine power?”

“Don’t be fooled! It’s a witch’s illusion.”

I wasn’t already trusted by anyone, I couldn’t even save my loved one.

My body couldn’t stand still now.

The moment I fell down, I covered the body of my most precious person. I gathered all the divine power that came late in his cold arms.

And I gave my command to the divine power.

“Save Astein, and make him happy.”

Was it a difficult wish? All the divine power in my body had been scattered.

Perhaps,because of my lack of strength, Astein’s life didn’t return. The last time Iheld Astein’s face, I got cold too.

༻✿༺

“Lady Freya, wake up quickly. Or you’re going to get into trouble with the Marquis again.”

Familiar smell and voice.

I raised my body upright.

Why was I lying here?

“Quickly. You don’t want to be scolded again, do you? Then you may have to pray all day long in the attic again.”

“Selemion? Why are you…?”

She was a maid who had been with me until I went to the temple. Why was that kid here?

“My mother’s funeral was over. Although you’ve been considerate of me to take more time off, I have to work. I have a lot of brothers to feed.”

I looked at Selemion, who smiled with folded eyes, with a little bit of excitement. The only maid in this mansion who stood by me.

Selemuin’s mother’s death.

So it meant I was twenty-two years old, it’s spring now, six months before I became a saint and entered the temple.

“What are you doing? You have to get ready.”

And before the coronation of a saint, it was the time when I was most abused.

“It’s a dream,…right?”

It was a very vivid dream. My past as a child that I had forgotten. In my dream, I could remember all about it. The process when I came to the Marquis, the discrimination, and the pain I suffered from the Marquis.

Suddenly, a little power held my soft hands.

“What did you say?”

“…”

“You don’t have time, so you should get ready now.”

Selemion washed my face and undressed my nightgown without noticing my expression. At that time, I could see something wrapped around my left wrist.

A silk bracelet with white, shiny silver thread. It was from Astein who said he made it for me.

Just before he died, on my birthday.

“My Lady? What’s this? It’s dirty and has blood on it. I’ll throw it away.”

“Don’t touch it!”

I wrapped my wrists and shouted sharply. Selemion’s eyes were rounded by my behavior because I had never shouted to anyone before.

What did I do? A saint should always be gentle and graceful in public. I came in to hear that word.

But what was so good about that?

I wasn’t the real saint.

Selemion took a step back and bowed.

“I’m sorry. I deserve to be punished.”

“No, I overreacted. This is a wish bracelet, so…”

“Ah, I see. It has blood, so I’ll wash it off.”

Despite my urgent excuse, Selemion understood and moved on. I hid my guilt and asked her.

“I’ll wash it later. And I’m going out right away. Help me get ready.”

“Yes? But, breakfast with the Marquis…”

“Tell him I got God’s call last night to go to the temple.”

I could’ve gone to the temple in the future. But I couldn’t afford to wait here.

I wanted to see Astein again. I wanted to know if he was someone who only existed in my dream, whether it was all a dream, whether he was alive, or not.

I climbed into the prepared horse-drawn carriage and looked out with anxiety.

“It’s already spring.”

The harsh winter trail disappeared and the streets were filled with light green buds. However, the harsh time for me wasn’t disappearing like the melting snow.

The temple, decorated with pure white marble, came closer to me gradually. As I approached, my heart trembled.

“Astein. Tell me you are alive. Please.”

A long-running carriage stood in front of the temple. I took a deep breath and step down. It seemed that my legs were a little shaky.

It was even more so when I saw the paladins guarded the main gate of the temple. It was hard to breathe. Especially those who had cut my back with a sword. (paladin is the same as the holy knight)

I instinctively stepped back. This was due to the remorse of my conscience that I would soon be a fake saint.

“My Lady? Are you okay?”

Because of the question of the horseman, the gaze of the paladins turned to me.

“Lady Futor, what have you been up to in the morning?”

I was hardened by the paladins’ looks and greetings around me. Was I the only one who dreamed?

Fortunately, seemed like there was no ‘fake saint’ in their memories.

“I’m here to pray. I was called by God in my dream.”

“Is that so? Please enter. Shall I inform the saint?”

“No. Today I’ll go for a walk while praying alone.”

I felt like throwing up when I saw him bowing kindly to me. That kindness would disappear as soon as my identity was revealed.

I refused to be guided by the saint and went to the prayer room alone.

I looked around carefully while I was walking. Inside the temple, there were many paladins, but Astein wasn’t seen. However, I didn’t even know when he became a paladin. Before entrusting me, he might have been in another temple.

“Maybe, you’re someone who lives only in my dream.”

I was talking to myself in the prayer room. I carefully stroked the bracelet that Astein made. The silver thread that resembled his hair glistened despite bloodstains.

Beautiful, resembled the creator.

This clearly showed that he existed. It must be true, not only my dream. Then I had to come to the temple to see him again.

Became a fake saint.

“I hate that.”

I couldn’t let the tragedy be repeated again. Either I didn’t become a fake saint, or Astein didn’t become a paladin.

“How can I do it?”

First, the easiest way was to run away. If it’s not, brought the real saint.

Wasn’t the latter a little more likely?

I pretended to pray while thought about it for a long time, I stayed in the prayer room and went out to the garden in the temple.

I walked and walked again, perhaps he was there. But I still didn’t find him.

“I miss you…”

Where was his favorite place? As soon as I thought about it, there was the only thing that came to my mind.

A tree that Astein always looked up at, a lilac tree in the middle of the garden.

I ran to it. Please, let him be there.

“Astein.”

He was really there.

A silver-headed knight with a backload bent his head and looked up at a tree full of purple.

I was suddenly frightened. What if Astein still had the memory? What if he despised me for what he trusted and believed in me?

I couldn’t look at him. Because my courage was gone.

Then, the silver hair shook carefully. His gaze slowly turned. Astein’s mysterious purple eyes, which discovered me, were pretty curved.

And a friendly voice heard.

“Saint, you’re here?”

His words brought me a heart attack. Did he remember me?

I remembered Astein, who always called me tenderly. I put my hands on my chest, watched him, and wandered with my eyes on what to do.

“Oh, have you already come to the temple?”

Then the voice of a middle-aged woman was heard from behind. Disappointingly, the gaze I thought was looking at me actually it wasn’t. Before he and the Saint found me, I turned around and slipped out of the place.

Perhaps it was because he was surrounded by countless people wandered around the garden. Fortunately, the two didn’t find me. Stood on another tree, I dozed my heart like a thief and overheard the conversation between the two.

“Yes.”

“Is it all done? What about some people’s objections?”

“Not yet. I’m his brother. It’s better if I go, so I agree.”

“It must be a difficult decision. Won’t you regret it?”

At the voice of the Saint, I could hear Astein’s low laughter. Sometimes, I could hear the laughter of the spring wind, which made me had to hide my face because my heart was beating so fast.

“If Iwould regret it, I wouldn’t have asked the Saint to help me become a paladin.”