The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Mr. Oscar… is confined.”

“Confined? Where is it?”

The knights frowned at the words of the servants and told them where it was.

“I’ll guide you.”

The knights followed a servant in a hurry, who said that he would guide them. And after they arrived at a room, they cleared the furniture that piled up and opened the door, and he was really inside. A knight asked as he checked his emaciated face.

“Are you Frederik Oscar?”

“… Yes.”

Oscar said. He was not agitated as if what he had expected came. The Crown Prince had ordered them to arrest him right away, and they had come to him with a lot of tension, but he showed the casual response, and the knights watched Oscar, trying to hide their wonders.

“If it’s not too late, I’ll tell you everything.” Oscar, who had received the gaze of the knights for a moment, said something unexpected.

“What do you mean everything?”

“The whole story about this. You’ve been investigating, and you know that I didn’t have anything to do with it. But I know what happened through my sister and father… I’ll cooperate.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Oscar nodded and answered, and the knight, who realized he was sincere, said that he understood in a softer tone.

“Okay, then come with us, and I won’t tie you because you said you would accept the investigation.”

The knight’s attitude was polite to Oscar, who was not resisting.

“Mr. Oscar…”

Oscar followed the knight quietly, and the worried butler’s voice followed, and Oscar paused to ask the butler.

“… Please take care of the mansion.”

‘I see… please be careful and come back in a good shape.’

Like the other noblemen who had been taken, Oscar spent the night in a temporary prison set up for investigation, but he was unexpectedly moved to another place the next day.

“I was surprised that you would cooperate.”

“I see Your Highness.”

Oscar was surprised he moved to the Imperial Castle, but he didn’t know that he would meet the Crown Prince quickly like this. The surprised Oscar lowered his head and gave his courtesy.

Asher, who had been dissatisfied with the appearance, talked to him to straighten up.

“Will you cooperate?”

“… Yes.”

“I see… but I hope that you would not.”

Oscar flinched. He was surprised by what the Crown Prince said, but soon he could understand why the Crown Prince had thought so.

It must be because of Aria, who was now officially in a relationship with the Crown Prince, but in the past, she had been known to be in a scandal with him. Though the rumor had disappeared due to Oscar’s early engagement with Mielle, it had been gossiped about for quite a while.

Oscar thought that the Crown Prince, who was in a relationship with Aria, might know the truth that he still had a heart for her. So the Crown Prince might have sent the knights to get him right away even though he was not the prime mover. No, that would be true. Now Aria was too big to reach out, but the Crown Prince still didn’t like him.

So, he came to the idea that the Crown Prince might have wanted him to be executed for the same sin without cooperating and taking sides with his sister and father. And as if that were the right answer, Asher seemed to be uncomfortable with the obedient Oscar.

“I hope you’re willing to cooperate with me, and it came from patriotism.”

“…!”

As he spoke, as if he knew that this cooperation had been originated not from patriotism but from impure intentions, the agitated Oscar swallowed his saliva, avoiding his gaze.

From the time he had known that Aria was the star of the empire and that she was on the side of the Crown Prince, Oscar had wanted the Aristocratic Party including the Duke family to stop confronting the Crown Prince. He had hoped they wouldn’t block her way.

She had made a great achievement now and had become a woman who he dared not defy, but at least he did not want to be an enemy. So he had tried to stop his sister and father several times to stop this reckless thing, but what he got was this misery.

As he had voluntarily cooperated for Aria rather than for the empire, he delayed his answer, pretending that it was not, Asher laughed and spoke coldly after staring at him for a while,

“Okay, whatever it is, I don’t need to be wary of you anymore, so I’ll pass it on because she isn’t interested in anyone anymore, except for me.”

“…”

If he was not wary of him, he wouldn’t have to say that, but the reason he had brought up Aria seemed to be for some kind of warning and threat. It was a threat that Aria had no heart, and he should not dream or imagine because he was beside her.

He could nod to reduce the hostility of the Crown Prince as he already knew it, but he didn’t. The reason he failed to do so was because of his pride. Asher, who won the victory in this childish emotional battle that could not be seen to be between the Crown Prince and the successor of the Duke family, turned to Oscar and questioned him as a sinner.

“So what are you cooperating with?”

“… I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“What do you want to get by selling your family and colleagues?”

“… Nothing. I just hope there are no more people who disturb the empire.”

He was sincere because as the empire was in peace, Aria’s mind would be comfortable, but Asher tried to find an impure intention that did not exist for Oscar.

“You are truly an opportunist. Unlike the Duke and Princess Isis, you have been an outcast who has had no record on any document, but you deserve the same punishment as the heir to the rebellious family… but you are trying to avoid punishment by taking the initiative and exposing the sins of others.”

Though his expression clearly explained that his manner was not intended, Asher scolded him, because he could avoid execution by revealing the traitors and cooperating with them.

After he had spent a lot of time attacking Oscar with useless words because he had much hostility against Oscar, Asher brought out the main point as if he was satisfied.

“We’re still at the beginning of the interrogation so stay in the Imperial Castle and cooperate. I’ll send you the papers soon. You better get the room here.”

“… Yes.”

“I’ve got enough data, but it’d be better if I add the testimony of the successor of the Duke family of Frederick even though the last name disappears.”

Asher turned away with his last scornful words saying his disapproval of Oscar and in a moment, he was left alone in the quiet room. He let out a deep sigh and waited in patience.

**

With the help of Asher, who had a tight trap that no one could escape, and Oscar’s active help, the investigation to the Aristocratic Party was conducted every day. At first, of course, they all claimed their innocence but because of the expense statements they had submitted, they could not escape, and that was why those who had changed their positions began to emerge.

“I had no choice but to live… I just pretended to! Whatever. As the Duke and Lady Isis asked for it together, I couldn’t have refused! I was going to betray them at the end! Please think about me in common sense. How would I dare rebel on the empire where I grew up?” cried Viscount Merriart, and his voice was loud unlike a noble’s as he insisted that it was unfair. Ten nobles insisted on the same claim as if they had prepared together.

The reason for this, though the investigator was not persuaded at all, was that there was no other way except for doing it. They hoped that if they delayed things somehow, they might find a way out of it.

“Hmm, I see. I’ll have to check the facts.”

The investigator, who had found a solution, left the investigation room for a moment as they had been the same for three days. ‘How can he verify that no exact evidence was found?’ Therefore, Viscount Merriart was caught in doubt and waited for the investigator to come again, but the investigator who appeared again was not alone but with someone.

“Viscount Vika…!”

It was Vika, who knew everything about this. No, he knew everything about the Aristocratic Party as well as this because the nobles of the Aristocratic Party had always been advised by Vika.

He had always given them proper and informative advice, and everyone had relied on Vika, and he had known what was going on, so he knew everything about the Aristocratic Party.