The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Oh my God, is that one of the attendees?”

“Maybe so?”

“I guess he was here to deliver the gift he hadn’t delivered on your birthday.”

“I wished he would have revealed his name even though it was late…”

But wouldn’t Mielle know the name of the man who had given this brooch? The mere look of her pale face revealed it. It had such a similar atmosphere to Mielle’s brooch, which she was carrying on her chest every day.

“… It’s pretty.” The bright energy faded from her face when Mielle checked the brooch. Her subsequent meal seemed to be going wrong smoothly. Mielle, who left more than half of her food, got up from her seat first, making an excuse that she was not feeling well.

The countess asked with a worried look, “Do you want me to call a doctor?”

“No, I think I’ll be fine with a little rest. I guess it’s because I’m tired.”

“Emma, I hope you take good care of Mielle just in case.”

“Yes, I see.”

As soon as the count’s permission fell, Mielle, who hurried to her room, said to Emma, who was about to follow her into the room,

“Just leave me alone for a second.”

“… Yes, miss.”

Since that was Mielle’s first order after a long time, Emma hurriedly looked around to see if anyone was present. A moment later, with the sound of something breaking in the room, Mielle’s screams came and Emma closed her eyes.

“Miss…”

Worried about Mielle in such a panicky mood, Emma entered the room with caution as soon as the room became quiet. Then, she hurriedly checked Mielle’s condition. As usual, there was not a scratch on Mielle’s skin and silky hair. So she began to put away the broken pieces first after being reassured.

“Emma…” By the time she was almost done, Mielle, who was quietly sitting on the sofa called Emma’s name.

Emma, who gathered the pieces together, approached Mielle. “Yes, miss.”

“What do I have to do? I’m in a very bad mood.”

It had been obviously an upsetting affair. It would have caused great anger for an ordinary woman, but what was from Mielle’s mouth was that she was in a very bad mood. Mielle was a child who had to hide herself and had to blow off her anger.

Emma consoled her with her painful heart. “You’re about to be the duchess, so let your anger go. I’ll take care of the wicked prostitute’s daughter.”

“Emma…” Despite Emma’s consolation, however, Mielle could not ease her anger. It had been two years since the filthy girl had come into the family of Count Roscent, and Aria still carried her head up.

And somehow, it seemed that Aria had stolen Oscar’s heart. It had been unusual from the first meeting, but as the days and years had passed, something that had been worth worrying about had happened. For example, Oscar had taken the girl’s handkerchief first, or he had visited Aria on her birthday. Most of all, from time to time he had paid his attention to the wicked girl with a dumbfounded look.

‘And the brooch…’

No one would have been able to make such a brooch if it hadn’t been for Oscar. The design and atmosphere resembled that of her brooch. The brooch seemed to fit in much more naturally than the brooch she had.

She got help from Princess Isis, but she couldn’t calm down because she felt Oscar and Aria were getting involved. Born a noble from the beginning of her life, she was not such a violent person who expressed her feelings, but after Aria’s appearance, she had often let out an ugly side of her. She didn’t like it either.

“What happened to the new maid attached to Aria?”

“Ah… she seems to be working hard, but I don’t think that bitch can easily open her heart.”

Berry had been such a clever girl that Emma had believed she would do much better than Annie, who had been charmed by Aria, but it hadn’t been as easy as Emma had thought. Berry had not been able to escape from her chores until the dark night before sunrise.

Berry said that she would have to clean the same place all day long without any time to report. Berry also said that Aria would find fault with her job, even though she had wiped the same spot again and again, and it was not only Aria that she needed to worry about. Annie and Jessie were also harassing her. Emma, who was embarrassed when she recalled Berry, who was crying, blurred her words.

“I need to write a letter to the princess.”

Mielle asked Emma to bring the letter, but Emma stopped her.

“Miss, you’ve been writing to her for a long time about your engagement. Now that you’ve received the promise ring, why don’t you trust Oscar and wait?”

Mielle must have been very important to the princess, but it would not be good to write to the princess every time like this. Moreover, the Crown Prince’s recent movements made the princess look uncomfortable.

Some of the Aristocratic Party had been told that their business had gone bankrupt. Emma had heard that they were even considering leaving the capital, saying that there was no possibility of their business being revived. But they would perish like that because the princess was the person to reach out to those who had already gone bankrupt.

While the bankrupt aristocrats were not the main figures of the Aristocratic Party, an increase in the number of their downfall would surely create anxiety within the Aristocratic Party. No, there was already a bit of talk. If they would go bad so slowly like that, they would explode someday.

Of course, the rumors Emma had heard through her old connections and what she had seen over Mielle’s shoulder were all, but she thought Mielle shouldn’t bother the princess anyway with such a little thing. What was more, it was a matter of relationship between man and woman.

“I believe Mr. Oscar, of course, but I have to get rid of the bad pest that sticks around him.”

“Miss, I’ll do something about the pest. So you only think about being a good duchess.”

Mielle blinked her eyes at Emma’s soothing tone and asked, “… How would you do that?”

“Would I add seasoning to her tea?”

“Seasoning?”

Mielle’s eyes glistened upon hearing the word ‘seasoning’, even though she knew it was not just a condiment to make a drink taste good.

“But who is going to put it in?”

Unless someone was hired from the outside, it was impossible to do so. One person had to sacrifice herself to finish it from the inside. They would not be able to easily get a person to do it because of last year’s wagon incident.

“I’ll get the person, miss. So, miss, just relax and savor your future of being a duchess.”

They were just words to calm Mielle down anyway. Mielle would forgive her even if she wouldn’t finish it properly. Emma was no different from her mother, who had taken care of her since she had been very young.

And if Aria would really interfere with Mielle, Emma would step in herself. It would be meaningful if she sacrificed herself to promote Mielle’s well-being. However, she just didn’t feel the need to do so yet.

“More than that, there was a faction that was created lately. Why don’t you try to get acquainted with them?”

Emma recommended having Mielle contact young aristocrats, recalling the recent creation of a new faction around them. Until now, the new faction had not been an important force, but suddenly they had begun to make a name for themselves at a certain point. They were still young and inexperienced, but even though the reason had not been known to the public, they had made a huge success in every business they had done, and everyone had had a great interest in most of their projects.

They did not have a great man to lead them, but somehow they had clung together as if they had been centered on someone. They were even close enough to hold meetings among themselves often.

Mielle nodded, saying it was a good idea because she had also known them.

“Good idea, Emma. I’m sure the princess would like it, too.”

“Sure. Since our cash cow is in danger, we should attract a new force and build a friendship. They are in the middle ground now, but don’t you think they want to belong to a party?”

“I think so, too.”

“Moreover, our side has you and the princess, and they may be anxious to come in.”

“Why didn’t I think of that? I’m sure the princess will like that. I’ll have a meal with their wives.”

“Yes! I think if you ask them to have lunch together, they’ll welcome you with open arms.”