The Villainess turns the Hourglass

‘… What a tearful paternal love.’

It was a love Aria had never felt. Mielle had the only being who loved and cared for her! Aria believed that such a thing could not exist. Even the countess, who was her biological mother, was busy living her life, so she could not afford to take care of Aria.

All the men of the past were so bewitched by Aria’s appearance that they had seemed to give her all their fortunes, but later, they had left in search of their station. In the end, there had been no man who had devoted himself to her and had dedicated everything to her from beginning to end.

‘If their lives are in danger, it’s useless.’

Aria had not believed in love, even in the love between mother and daughter. So, she had made use of it. She had been confident to using it. There had been nothing easier for her than knowing that love had no substance.

* * *

The count had not returned alone. He was with a handsome young man in his early- to mid-twenties. Aria had just reached the first floor when she saw him greeting Mielle. He introduced himself with a cheerful laugh as a common noble from a far-away province.

“I’m Pino Lane. Please, feel free to call me Lane.”

With a surname she had never heard of before, he was paying excessive attention to Mielle. Aria didn’t know if he was looking for a rise in status or background, but he clearly wanted something. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought such a huge gift.

Lane presented a variety of jewels and rare ornaments to Mielle. They looked very expensive to have been prepared by a common noble from a far-away province. When Mielle’s eyes widened by the weight of it all, he said, “Don’t mind them because I didn’t prepare them. They were prepared by my master.”

Nor did the count show any signs of discomfort or stop him as he paid great attention to Mielle. He just patted Lane’s back, saying he had helped his business in many ways. Lane grinned, saying, “They were just my master’s orders.”

Aria felt uncomfortable and reluctant when meeting someone she had never seen before for the first time, even when it was a hyena looking for scraps, unlike in the past.

“You have a daughter as beautiful as the stories.”

“I don’t know about anything else, but the rumors about Mielle are no exaggeration.”

“Those compliments are too much.”

Aria had to watch the scene as they repeatedly praised Mielle, who was in between them.

‘Wait a minute. I’ve seen that dress before…’

Aria was able to realize the origin of Mielle’s dress after taking some time to think.

‘It’s similar to the dress Oscar gave me. Don’t tell me… Did he give similar clothes to a girl, whom he would be marrying later, and her elder sister?’

Aria swallowed a sneer, thinking he was really insensitive.

Meanwhile, Lane, who had been complimenting Mielle to the extent his mouth had gone dry, finally turned to meet Aria. With his attention concentrated on Mielle, he seemed not to have noticed Aria’s arrival, so there was wonder on his face.

When the count introduced Aria to him as his other daughter, a slightly perplexed expression and form of speech came from him, unlike just a moment ago when he had made use of his leech-like mouth.

“Oh, really… You have a beautiful daughter.”

Aria read the truth from the man’s speech and expression. They were different from what he had shown Mielle.

If Mielle was a likely beauty among nobles, Aria was a beauty that had started as a commoner and was not easily found among nobles. She was a real beauty, who would seduce men and women, regardless of their sexes, if she had a mind to do it.

She knew it was useless, but Aria couldn’t resist showing her unique, charming smile. ‘Is it because the count is here? Or is it a gallant spirit?’ At any rate, she smiled at Lane, throwing her erotic scent with a highly competitive spirit that she didn’t know from where it had come.

“…”

Aria saw clearly that his eyes shook, though it was only for a moment. After that instant, Lane gazed back at Mielle.

It was Aria who was embarrassed by him. ‘Why?’ That was totally unexpected. Of course, she had thought he would neglect Mielle after being charmed by her smile, but Lane did not give her a finger of his attention.

Realizing that she could no longer intervene between them, Aria bit her lower lip and decided not to waste any more meaningless time. When she tried to leave, saying that she would go upstairs, the count gave her a present.

It was a jewelry box with tightly packed jewels that the count had only given to Mielle in the past. There were a few cute little ornaments inside.

‘Yes, that’s enough for now.’

It was quite a step forward from the past, when she had received nothing. Wasn’t she simply getting paid for a piece of information? Moreover, the attitude of the count, who had always been cold in the past, had changed, and the occasional warm glare was directed to Aria from time to time. Aria, who left with a graceful smile, unlike the one before, escaped from their world.

She hurried back to the room and changed her clothes. That was because she saw the dress Mielle was wearing before the party started, so it would be very easy to bring her despair since she had waited until that day to wear the dress Oscar had given her.

‘How would you react if I showed up at the party in a similar dress?’

At the very least, it wouldn’t be a good response. Those who would gather to celebrate Mielle would also express wonder. The mere thought of it made her feel good, as if she were flying across the sky.

It wasn’t until about lunchtime that Mielle’s birthday party began. As usual, they used the entire first floor to greet the guests. The count’s business partners and close nobles gathered one after another. Many of the young ladies who had a close friendship with Mielle also attended and filled their seats.

Aria observed it quietly through the window of her room, and it was not until the party was ripe that she appeared. As she went down to the first floor with a bouquet of flowers, which was not readily available, in her arms, the eyes of those who were enjoying the party were naturally

drawn to her.

It was natural to pay attention to a beautiful girl with a bouquet of colorful flowers in her arms, even more so as most had never seen Aria, and the rumors about her were plentiful. The guests watched excitedly as Aria approached Mielle.

“Mielle! Happy birthday!”

“… Sister.”

Mielle looked around, unable to hide her anxiety and awkwardness. She seemed worried that Aria might make an irreverent remark, just as she had done during Aria’s birthday.

Immediately afterwards, her maid, Emma, came to her. Standing behind Mielle, she kept her guard up against Aria, stiff faced.

‘Do you know who you are?’ It was too funny. Aria, of course, had intended to insult Mielle. She wanted to create an event that would bring a lifetime of humiliation at a party that she felt she deserved to celebrate so that she wouldn’t be able to sleep well until her head was chopped off, like it had happened to Aria herself.

“Don’t you like the bouquet? I prepared it with care.”

“No… Thank you, sister.”

Once Mielle said the word sister again and again, the people in the hall realized that the beautiful girl was Aria.

There were those who accepted that she was as enchanting as the daughter of the prostitute who had lured the count, and who were shocked to see such a difference between the rumors about her evilness and the real person.

Aria enjoyed the looks and controlled the situation to indicate that Mielle and she were good sisters. She hoped they’d misunderstand the relationship between Mielle and her as much as they liked. That way, no one would suspect that her own scheme was what humiliated Mielle.

When Mielle accepted the bouquet, Aria’s dress, which had been hidden, was revealed. Mielle, who first saw it, stopped breathing, and the room fell silent around her. Aria smiled softly, like a fluffy snowflake that had just dropped, and set hall ablaze.