Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 1

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! Episode 1. Saintess of Astanya (1/130)

#Episode 1. Saintess of Astanya

2024.03.01.

Inside a dark room where the sun couldn’t penetrate, even in broad daylight.

A small voice echoed between two women sitting face to face.

“Sob… So, that son of a bitch, my husband, is having an affair with the maid again…”

A middle-aged woman wearing a hat with a fancy veil took out a white handkerchief from her bag.

She blew her nose loudly into the handkerchief and looked at the woman in front of her.

“The world doesn’t know his true self. Outside, he’s a kind and respected famous scholar. No one would believe me, would they?”

“…”

“His true self is a hideous pervert…! Everyone’s being deceived… Sob! How many times is this now…”

The middle-aged woman couldn’t hold back her tears.

“How am I supposed to live now…? What about my children who know nothing? Huh?”

“…”

Across from the woman who was constantly shedding tears, Belladona sat still in her chair, like a painting.

Looking down at the floor as if lost in thought, she seemed to be deeply contemplating something, while also appearing to be in a completely different world from the woman in front of her.

“…Saintess?”

The middle-aged woman, having completely wiped away her tears, called out to Belladona once more.

Grasping the white handkerchief tightly, she looked at her with pitiful eyes.

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, Belladona raised her eyes and met her gaze.

She slowly pulled up the corners of her mouth, giving the middle-aged woman a dazzlingly beautiful smile.

“…”

“Ah…”

Soon, a ray of light filled the middle-aged woman’s face as she met Belladona’s radiant smile.

She raised both hands to cover her mouth, gasping like someone who had attained enlightenment.

“…I understand! You’re saying I can do it myself, right? I’m not that weak… I’m not.”

And she opened her mouth, starting to stammer.

“The Saintess is right…! It’s better to live alone than with a husband like that piece of trash. No, I have two children, so I’m not alone!”

“…”

“I’m going back right now to submit the divorce papers! And I’ll shout in front of him! I won’t keep gnawing away at myself anymore!”

Soon, the middle-aged woman, having stopped crying, jumped up from her seat.

“Thank you, Saintess! You always give me enlightenment.”

With a face filled with emotion, she bowed deeply towards the Saintess in front of her.

Belladona simply looked at her, only smiling without saying a word.

The middle-aged woman, with her eyes still moist, looked at Belladona before slowly turning around and leaving the confessional.

“Well, I’ll be going now, Saintess! I’m going to cut ties with that damn bastard who’s too disgusting to even call my husband.”

As she left the room, she had a much more refreshed and relieved expression compared to when she entered.

Opening the thick door of the confessional, she was met with a line of people covering their faces with large hats.

They looked at the middle-aged woman leaving with a refreshed face, somewhat enviously, before quickly managing their expressions and clearing their throats.

The next person in line, a large man, quickly opened the confessional door and entered.

Impatient, he opened his mouth and shouted before even sitting down on the chair across from Belladona.

“Saintess…! Please listen to me! I’m going crazy with frustration…!”

Shortly after, another heavy secret filled the room.

* * *

‘The Last Saintess of Astanya, who exchanged her voice for sacred power.’

‘The Smile of Astanya.’

‘The Living Portrait of Astanya.’

These were all titles referring to her, and devoted expressions from believers who respected and trusted her without a doubt.

However, some of the Elinus Empire citizens who did not believe in God would say this about her.

‘The Pope’s Puppet.’

‘An Unfortunate Daughter Who Lost Her Voice and Got Caught Up in Her Adoptive Father’s Political Maneuvering.’

‘A Trash Can for the Emotions of the Aristocrats.’

Regardless of how she was called, Belladona herself had no interest.

No, it would be more accurate to say that she didn’t care at all.

That is, until just half a year ago.

After finishing her day’s work, Belladona returned to her room, located in the innermost part of the Papal Palace, and threw herself haphazardly onto the wide bed.

She buried her face in the soft pillow, lying face down, and quietly breathed out.

“…”

Today, too, it was a series of heavy and dizzying stories.

The story of a woman whose scholar husband had his fifth affair with a much younger maid.

The story of a businessman whose business boomed after stealing his friend’s idea.

The story of a heartless older brother who secretly pocketed his father’s wealth without his younger sibling knowing.

Even the story of a noblewoman who suddenly became pregnant with her lover’s child…

The people of the Elinus Empire always poured out secrets and hidden truths to her that were difficult to say in front of others.

This was because she was the one and only adopted daughter of the Pope, who wielded power in the Elinus Empire no different from the Emperor, and because she had excellent character and virtue. But a slightly more accurate reason was…

It was because of their unwavering faith in the Saintess chosen by God.

People who were showered with love from God and suddenly gained overwhelming sacred power were unable to do anything that would harm others, perhaps due to the influence of the God who gave them such power.

Randomly divulging the secrets of others was also an act of harming people in a big way, so the Saintess could not tell anyone else the truth that others wanted to hide.

People wanted to blurt out the stories that tormented them to anyone, but conversely, they didn’t want to be caught by anyone. And for those people, Belladona was like an escape.

Even if the Saintess didn’t specifically find answers or directly solve problems, people gained comfort just by confiding their secrets to her, and some even found their own answers and left the confessional feeling refreshed.

Even though she hadn’t done anything.

‘Are the people of the Elinus Empire strange, or is the world originally like this? How can they live with such terrifying secrets?’

Belladona, who had been crouching on the bed, stirred for a moment before abruptly sitting up straight.

She looked around the room, carefully confirming once again that no one was there.

Quietly listening to make sure there were no maids passing by in the hallway, she let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.

“…Ah, I thought my ears were going to bleed.”

Of all days, I got stuck with someone who talks too much.

Stretching her neck from side to side, she frowned with all her might.

“Sitting still and listening to other people’s secrets is also a tiring thing…”

When you listen to people’s stories, there are mostly cases where you can’t relate at all.

Maybe it’s because I’m not interested in others, so their stories aren’t interesting…

Today, too, she was half lost in other thoughts, sitting blankly. Sometimes, when she was too bored, she would quietly count the number of hexagonal patterns on the floor.

Then, before she knew it, the boring story would end, and if she gave them a sly smile out of embarrassment, people would suddenly shout that they had gained enlightenment as if they were possessed by something, and then leave, thanking her.

Even though she hadn’t done anything.

“How long do I have to keep doing this…?”

Belladona lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, blinking her eyes.

She recalled the people who had cried or gotten angry while telling their stories in front of her.

“…”

Perhaps Saintess Belladona would have cared for them all, listened to them sincerely, empathized with them, and shared wise solutions.

If there were sick people, she might have performed miracles by using her sacred power to heal them.

That is, if it were the ‘real’ Saintess Belladona.

She slowly closed her blinking eyes completely and recalled this time half a year ago.

* * *

“…What is this?”

When she opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling and bed.

When she slowly lowered her eyes and looked at her awkwardly moving arms and legs.

And when she finally staggered to a mirror and saw a somewhat familiar face.

Belladona was so surprised that she even forgot to scream.

“S, Saintess…?”

Eyes that shone beautifully like blue jewels, and silver hair that shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Distinct and delicate features that would captivate anyone who saw them once.

Clearly, the figure visible in the mirror was Saintess Belladona. Although she had only seen her a few times from afar, she could not forget such a beautiful face.

She slowly raised both hands and stroked her white, round face.

“Is this not a dream…? My skin is so soft…”

So…
I was born as the daughter of a desperately poor farmer, suffered for about 20 years, and finally died in vain from a fever of unknown cause, a woman with no name…

“…Why did I become the Saintess when I opened my eyes!”

Belladona collapsed onto the wide carpet on the floor, her legs giving way.

She moved her long fingers, tearing at the innocent carpet, and muttered blankly.

“Besides, I can speak…”

The Saintess that Belladona knew, the real Saintess, had suddenly gained sacred power after suffering from an unknown illness in her very young days while growing up in a monastery.

However, in exchange for gaining sacred power, she had lost her voice forever and had not been able to say a single word since then.

Despite having a beautiful and sacred appearance, she was revered as the true Saintess of this era, receiving the trust and love of the people with her mysterious and pitiful appearance of not being able to make a sound, and with her more abundant sacred power than anyone else, wasn’t she?

“…But why is my voice coming out so clearly? Huh? Saintess? What is this right now?”

Belladona muttered.

“Besides, I don’t think I have any sacred power… I don’t feel anything…”

Belladona looked down at her empty hands.

After sitting still for a while, her breathing gradually began to quicken.

Unable to accept the sudden reality, she fell backward and fainted.