The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Really? That’s very interesting. I’m going out for business.”

Mielle took a breath and left the mansion, looking totally uninteresting. As soon as the detestable figure disappeared, Annie, who was following the Countess, gritted her teeth.

“Then she’ll find out later and drop a fork or a cup of tea!”

Because she had witnessed it several times while serving Aria, even the modest Jessie hurriedly covered her mouth and held back her laughter. The Countess, who grasped Annie’s character with her sharp eyes, patted her hair.

“I think it’s time to make use of your specialty.”

“… My specialty?”

“Yes, I’m sure they’re all curious about what happened today.”

“Ahah!

Only then did Annie’s eyes shined when she realized what the Countess meant. It was time to make the proud appearance of her master, who had been hidden.

Already, it would have been told through the mouths of thousands of people outside. So why not let the mansion know that? In order to give the right treatment to Aria who would return soon… The excited Annie hurried around the mansion.

“Everyone! Something great happened! Don’t regret it later, let’s get together quickly!”

‘What’s the big deal?’ She was always the one who had brought new and interesting news, so the servants and maids, who were working all over the mansion, held out their heads, asking, “What’s that?”

‘Where will the Count, Cain, and Mielle, who went out, hear the news for Aria?’

Wherever it was, it must be a very interesting and enjoyable reaction that she had never seen before. The Countess disappeared into her room, humming and thinking that she might be called the mother of the Crown Princess, who had risen from a prostitute to a Countess.

* * *

Mielle’s carriage, heading for the mansion of the Duke, stopped in front of a famous bakery. It was to find a cake that she had reserved in advance. In order to take a freshly baked cake, she had to make a reservation ahead of time. While her maid went looking for it, she removed the curtains covering the window and looked outside.

‘There’s a lot of people today.’

Nearby, the academy’s completion ceremony had been held, and the ceremony seemed to have ended, and the attendees were out. This was the only way down because it was the Imperial Castle if they went up.

‘So why did the Countess, who went out with Aria, come back alone?’

At that time, while she was questioning what was happening, they were surprised and stopped in front of the carriage of Mielle.

“…?”

Normally, if they found a noble’s carriage, they should avoid it a little or bend their heads. Strangely enough, more and more people stared at the wagon or approached and snooped.

“What’s going on?”

At Mielle’s question, the knight, who had been waiting, went out of the carriage to check. When she glanced out of the window, Mielle opened her eyes wide to see people who had been rude and could not hide their happy faces, let alone avoid the appearance of the knight. People said something eagerly to the knight with their full excited faces, and the knight cocked his head and talked to them for a long time.

‘What the hell is that?’

She was curious about the strange situation. It was a matter that would end when he gave attention and make them scatter, but why was he taking so long? The conversation, which continued until her maid with the cake appeared, ended when the joy gradually faded from the faces of the common people who had gathered there, and only after they had dispersed. To the knight, who returned with a look of embarrassment, Mielle asked what the reason was.

“That’s…”

But the knight could not easily answer Mielle’s question. The maid, who noticed from his side, intercepted the answer. As the conversation between the knight and the common people did not end until the cake was brought out, she had grasped the content. Her face was lit up as if she had received a birthday present. She was in a state of great excitement.

“I’ll tell you. You know the famous investor in public, right? The investor has continued to invest in young and capable businessmen, regardless of their status!”

“… Investor A?”

“Yes, yes! Well, Investor A, showed up at the academy’s completion ceremony today!”

The hair of the maid, who nodded and answered brightly, sparkled the hairpin she had received from Aria.

“Oh, I’m sure they’re the ones who were there. So what does this have to do with it now?”

The important part was not told, so Mielle cocked her head and asked. The face of the knight darkened and the maid swallowed and raised her voice. “Surprisingly, I heard that Investor A was Miss Aria! That’s why people gathered around the wagon with the family seal on it! They wondered if Miss Aria was riding it!”

“… What?”

Mielle was as hard as stone when the maid answered with pride. Mielle stared at her maid without moving as if she had forgotten how to breathe. She looked as if she was saying such nonsense.

‘… Is the daughter of that vulgar prostitute the rumored Investor A? She is the one who the princess wanted to take on her side.’

‘Does this make sense? What the hell am I hearing?’ It was unbelievable, but it was a shock, so Mielle’s eyes opened a little bit wider, and she gave strength to her hands that were neatly placed on her legs.

She was a dumb woman with nothing but her face. But she was a great investor. She had not known who it was, but she mentioned that Investor A was a very discerning and intelligent person in front of the princess in the past, and she recalled it. Her inquiring voice trembled weakly.

“… Is that true? Is that really what they said? Didn’t they make a mistake?”

“That’s what they said. They mentioned Roscent Aria, who was rumored to be a wicked woman.”

“It’s true,” said the maid, but Mielle could not believe her maid’s repeated answer and stared at the knight and urged him to answer.

‘Please say no. I wish you would call it a foolish maid’s delusion.’ Contrary to Mielle’s expectations, however, the knight threw an answer to Mielle’s question by avoiding her gaze quietly.

How could that be so ridiculous…! The pale-faced Mielle was lost in her thoughts for a moment. She then ran out of the carriage. It was a rough move that no noblewoman could ever think of. The knight called her from behind and hurried after her.

In case someone, who had not yet left, ran around the carriage, mistaking her as Aria. There was an urgent document in his hand to show Aria.

“… Oh, I’m sorry!”

Soon, however, he realized that all but her hair and eyes were different and hurried to bow down to the noblewoman. Unlike Aria, who invested generously in the common people, ordinary aristocrats considered them insignificant.

“The investor… is a Roscent family? Is that why you’re waiting?”

When the pale-faced Mielle asked like that, the man with his head down answered carefully,

“Yes? Oh, yes… she said her name was Roscent Aria.”

“What was the color of her hair? What was the color of her eyes? How tall was she? How was her skin color? How was her tone? How old was she?”

The man, embarrassed for a moment by the incessant flood of questions, soon began to answer the questions one after the other; a brilliantly shiny blonde, beautiful appearance, and green eyes that seemed to contain jewels. They were all just like Aria’s appearance, and when Mielle lost her balance, the knight hurriedly supported her.

“… Uh, let’s go quickly to the mansion of the Duke!”

As the knight assisted her to stand up and helped her walk back to the carriage, the people gathered around her to check what was going on, but there was no sound in Mielle’s ear, perhaps because of the shock.

‘Does the princess know this? What if she knows? Isn’t it going to spark me? … don’t tell me she’s thinking of joining hands with the daughter of that vulgar prostitute…?’

Mielle, who grasped her heart in order to stop it from beating so fast, raised her voice by asking the driver to go to the mansion of the Duke as soon as possible, and the wagon that ran as fast as it could rattled and headed to its destination.

The princess, who was talking to a guest, greeted the visiting Mielle with pleasure as if she had not yet heard the public gossip.

“Oh my God, you don’t look good, Lady Mielle. What’s going on?”

“That’s…!”

Mielle could not answer, looking at Vika, who was following after Isis out of the lounge. Vika, who knew he was a hindrance, said goodbye with an unexpected smile.