The Villainess turns the Hourglass

She was looking forward to seeing how that would change the future. Mielle should’ve looked good to Oscar, but her opportunity had passed, and Aria had already heard that he had been deceived into coming to the count’s mansion. Maybe the bouquet of lilies he had given her had been prepared by Cain.

All the attention Mielle wanted to monopolize had been taken by Aria. Aria had even taken her brother’s gaze.

‘Would he be more fascinated by his step-sister than his lovely sister?’

Aria’s throat was filled with disgust.

“Jessie, give me some water. Very cold.”

“Yes, miss.”

Drinking the ice-cold water that Jessie had prepared, a happy thought crossed her mind, ‘How much has Mielle seethed by now?’

Mielle might be throwing a pillow as she prepared to go out. It was something that Aria had often done in the past.

Nothing would be more interesting than if Oscar were ready to return to his mansion while her step-brother and sister were out. The Frederik mansion was nearby, so he didn’t have to stay at the Roscents’.

There was a possibility that she could quit the outing at the risk of embarrassment.

‘You have barely managed to get this opportunity, so how could you leave a vulgar, wicked woman like me alone in the mansion with him?’

Aria, who gave Jessie the empty cup, ordered her to find out what Mielle was doing.

“Just find out if she’s going out or not.”

Jessie slipped out of the room after receiving that simple order, but Aria didn’t even have to hear the answer from her because the cries of the horses rang out from the window. They were the cries of horses being tied to a carriage. She could hear them stamping their feet noisily as if they were warming themselves up before running in earnest.

A moment later, thanks to Jessie, who was breathing hard and told her that Mielle was going out, Aria’s mouth reshaped itself to one similar to a bewitching figure.

‘You act as expected, Mielle. You wouldn’t risk a bit of shame for your noble birth. It’s easy to counter your moves. In order to achieve your goal, you must throw away your shabby self-esteem and use every means and methods you have.’

She had learned that from the countess, who had already achieved her purpose, and the determination she had gained after returning to life.

“Jessie, leave the room. I need to rest. You can rest properly, too.”

If she carefully read the books she studied with the wives and waited for Mielle to return, she would be able to end her day with the best mood.

After Jessie quietly closed the door and went out, Aria dove into her books for a while. The progress was so slow that she didn’t need to review them, so she read in advance of the lessons she would have.

The culture lesson taught by Mrs. White was so simple and easy that she finished the book quickly, so she grabbed the history book that she needed to memorize.

Aria quietly laughed as she turned the pages of the thick book with the history of the ancestors of those she had met at the banquet hall. That was because those who could only mock and speak ill of others couldn’t be the right ones, yet their ancestors had been recorded in a book.

They had been drawn as great and incredible as the gods of mythology even though it was clear that they had killed and plundered from others to accumulate their wealth. Those actions were praised as a small means of wisely controlling foolish and stupid people.

‘They don’t know how many people have suffered through hunger and cold since then.’

After that, they were busy filling their bellies, neglecting the common people, who crossed the road between life and death every day.

Looking back, the same had been true of Aria in the past. Because of her sudden rise in status, she had had enough money to burn it away and spend it as she liked.

‘I was not different…’

As she faced her rotten past, her mood suddenly deteriorated. She felt so uncomfortable that she decided to get some fresh air to change her mood. She recalled a handmade indoor garden, where the countess had cultivated as a noble hobby. After taking care of it for about a week, she had left it alone, and now, the maids took care of the upkeep.

She remembered that everyone in the mansion had been troubled because the countess had planted only expensive, precious flowers. She had made a big fuss that she would like to have a tea party in the garden, but now, she didn’t even know it existed.

Aria headed for the place right next to the hall on the second floor. The garden had been built on the second floor, not on the first floor, because the guest room was on the second floor, so it was easier to show it off that way.

As soon as she entered the garden, she was hit by a damp and hot air, which made her feel worse. She was there to refresh herself, but the atmosphere only increased her bad mood.

‘There must be a watering can somewhere.’

So, she looked around for some water to diminish the heat by a bit. She thought the garden would cool down if she watered the flowers.

Fortunately, the watering can was near the entrance, and Aria found it easily.

She immediately picked it up and sprinkled water on all kinds of colorful flowers. The water droplets at low temperature, though not cold, managed to break down a little bit of the heat.

Once she had used all of the water in the can, she filled it up again in hopes that she might be able to lower the temperature even more. The flowers on the floor had all been watered once, so only the plants that weaved across the walls or plants that had been hung from the ceiling were left, making it difficult for little Aria to water them.

Still, she did not give up her desire to water the plants. She would feel very awkward and uncomfortable if she were to put the can down again just because the plants were a little high when she had just refilled it and was already holding it.

‘One of the servants must be short.’

When she looked around, she saw a chair near the entrance that was knee high. Aria stepped on it and began to sprinkle water just as the leaves surrounding the entrance brushed against her face.

She knew sprinkling the leaves didn’t help much, but if she didn’t pour all the water out of the watering can, she would feel like she was wearing one sock but not the other, so she tried hard to justify her actions.

‘I’m so lost in futile thought that…’

She had just wasted her time by thinking about something that would end if she had been satisfied with what she had already done and given up. It was then that Aria turned the can upside down, thinking of emptying all the water left and going back to her room.

Squeak.

“…!”

She thought the garden was supposed to be neglected, and that nobody would come to visit it, but entered at just the right time. Because of that, the water drenched the person underneath the plants, and Aria rushed down from the chair.

“Why didn’t you just indicate that…?”

If he was a servant, he should have announced his entrance. If he had knocked on the door, she could have stopped. Aria, who was about to criticize the person who had come in, was appalled when she found out that the person who had been drenched was not a regular of the house.

“… Mr. Oscar!?”

The same Oscar who Mielle fawned over now had water dripping down his black hair.

‘Why are you in this garden? Moreover, you entered right as I sprayed you with water!’

Aria had made a big mistake, so she said, stuttering at the end and hurriedly apologizing, “Oh, are you OK? I didn’t know someone was coming… I’m-I’m sorry!”

She was so embarrassed that she didn’t even notice her clothes were wet as she tried to wipe Oscar’s hair and clothes. That was so soaked that she thought she had to do something about it even though there was nothing she could do.

Oscar, who observed the scene for a moment, stepped back and disengaged from Aria. Suddenly, the wall supporting her disappeared, and she stumbled, but he held her by the wrist to keep her from falling.