The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“As I told you before, the handkerchief you have is one of the pair which Lady Aria has. They were handkerchiefs made to celebrate Lady Aria’s birthday.”

“Ah, you mean the handkerchief that connected me to Lady Sarah.”

The eyes of the Marquis of Vincent answering Sarah was very friendly. He really fell in love with Sarah. The eyes of the Marquis of Vincent, who returned to Aria were also filled with kindness. He seemed not to care about Aria’s rumors, which were circulating in the public.

“I really thank you very much,” said the marquis, smiling softly.

Facing the face from the front, Aria stiffened herself.

‘Have I ever been treated so warmly by someone I met for the first time?’ This friendly, tender look was strange to Aria, who had lived in anxiety as she had always walked on thin ice.

She had always imagined and drawn such a response, but when she faced it, she found that a stunned feeling, rather than joy, stormed her. She had vowed to laugh as hard as she could. However, the never-experienced moment confused her.

“Aria…?”

When Aria’s face, which had always smiled brightly, became dark, Sarah, who was embarrassed, asked her, “What’s the matter?” The marquis also alternately looked at Aria and Sarah with a look of concern that he might have made some mistakes.

Aria raised her head and faced two pairs of eyes that sent a worried light toward her. She had just thought of them as a platform to use. The situation was more difficult than she had thought, as the unfamiliar feelings that she had never experienced before rushed into her.

However, she could not continue to cry. Aria, who had straightened her face soon, raised her mouth to create a smiling face. Unlike her usual seductive smile, it was a little awkward today.

“I really want you two to be happy.”

It was awkward, but her smile, which was so pure and clean, was a heartfelt smile that Aria had never been able to express.

* * *

The Marquis of Vincent treated Aria as kindly and affectionately as Sarah as if to share the thoughts and feelings of Sarah. Even if she was close to Sarah, she was the only foreign object of the family of Count Roscent. They tried their best not to let Aria suffer any inconvenience in their mansion, so Aria had to accidentally feel a great deal of emotion, like, feelings of an unnecessary guilty mind.

But those feelings had been forgotten in just a week. Compared to the pain and unhappiness of Aria, and the path she had to walk to survive in the future, the slightest emotion was smaller than the dust that flew in the air. So she could get rid of it.

‘Those little things won’t help me in my life anyway.’

Aria spent her birthday with that kind of heart. After fifteen, she became sixteen before she was aware. It was the second sixteenth birthday that was different from the past. On her birthday, Sarah was so busy that she just showed her face and returned. Therefore, Aria spent her birthday with the young ladies, who she couldn’t even remember their names. Just in case, she had sent a letter to Oscar, but naturally, he didn’t show up. It was heartless to say that there was no reply.

And an anonymous and colorful gift arrived before Aria, and the contents contained a tulip flower that did not wither well so that it could be easily measured that who sent it.

Especially, unlike last year’s birthday when there had been a band, it was so simple that Mielle, who had shown up with a bouquet of flowers and ruined the atmosphere, didn’t care. Aria was behind the scenes when the princess revealed her intention to attend the birthday party of Mielle, which would be just after Aria’s birthday.

Of course, it was simple but full of passion because Aria had got favors from the servants and maids. Although the size of the visitors and the party was so simple that it was not up to anyone’s mouth.

Aria, however, did not think much, because it was still time to stay quiet. She was just a wicked woman, who could not reveal her true identity on the surface, although she might have the enthusiastic support of young aristocrats and businessmen behind her. It was an animal hiding in the grass with its sharp teeth hidden.

“Are you sure you want to go down, miss?” Annie asked with a worried look. She was asking if Aria would really like to attend Mielle’s birthday party, which was about to begin.

Aria nodded. “I’ve received a formal invitation, so I’ll have to attend.”

“Even so… I don’t think you should go, miss.”

“No, I can’t.”

Aria had a premonition that something very bad was about to happen, but she couldn’t avoid it. It was better to know than not to know. That way, she could prepare for it. And… Oscar might attend. Since he had participated last time and even the princess had said that she would attend this event, it was highly likely. Aria wanted to meet him face to face once again and have a conversation. She wanted to ask why he had broken up with her so simply.

In order to keep up with Mielle, she even used cosmetics that she had never used before. The addition of color to her lips and bringing life to her cheeks reminded her of the past, the day she had always tried to make herself gorgeous and to get some attention. But the end had been the evil woman of misfortune all along. Even the only pretty face, which had been better than Mielle, had been poison to her. There had been countless curses for a pretty woman of humble origin.

“Oh, my God. The prostitute’s daughter is attending now?”

Yeah, the prostitute’s daughter had been a nickname that had been called more than a name.

“Come to think of it, she attended last year, didn’t she?”

“She is stupid and even had no keen sense to read the situation.”

“Oh, poor Lady Mielle.”

“Sometimes there is such a foolish girl. It’s something that’s not worth being born.”

Those who gathered in the hall were ready to curse Aria for Mielle. No, they were already spewing curses at Aria in a plausible manner.

Annie, who was at the back, whispered to Aria in a very low voice. “Oh, my God… their mouths are no different than a trash can. Miss, don’t mind.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t care at all.” Aria snorted and took a sip of her drink. The alcohol-free champagne tickled down the roof of her mouth and throat.

The eyes of everyone in the hall swept through her body. There was a mixture of complex and subtle feelings in those eyes.

However, her absolute beauty attracted people’s attention. Aria kept her chin up even though she heard voices that were insulting her. However, there was no need to shout or use an arrogant figure like in the past to give them any chance to blame her. Aria, who drew everyone’s attention in the hall where the main character was away, took the place of Mielle.

And she certainly thought so. Until Mielle appeared with Oscar. The moment Aria saw Mielle’s bright smile that she had never seen before, Aria’s blood became cold.

It was a very bright smile, unlike her last birthday. No matter how pleasant Oscar’s visit was, it was strange to laugh so gladly. It was as if she had everything in the world. Unfortunately, Aria’s anxiety was right. As Oscar and Mielle arrived at the center of the hall, the count and the countess moved to the center. In addition, there was Princess Isis whom Aria had not seen in a long time. And with them was a woman that Aria was seeing for the first time.

‘Who…?’

It was a young lady that had just laughed at her but cleared Aria’s curiosity. She put the woman’s identity in her mouth with a very surprised look. “Oh, my God, she’s the duchess. What is she doing here?”

The woman with a flamboyant fan seemed to be the Duchess of Frederick. It was only too a big shot to attend the birthday of the daughter of the family of Count Roscent at best. This added to Aria’s anxiety. That was why Oscar and Mielle stood together in the center of the hall, and the representatives of each family gathered. They would not do so for no reason.

Soon, on behalf of everyone, Isis opened her mouth. “It’s a little early, but I’d like to let all of you know first, who are here.”