The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Well, maybe you’re not all better yet, so you’d better rest for a while. Make sure you eat well and feel at home. You can’t ignore the trauma.”

“Ah…!”

Aria’s face turned pale as if the doctor’s words reminded her of the time of the incident. Having to live in a mask for a long time, she looked quite plausible.

Jessie, who was waiting by her side, hurriedly handed her the honeyed water. Jessie was black under her eyes as if she had not slept and worried. Aria bit her lips and asked again, recognizing that she was the only one who would remain unchanged from beginning to end.

“Well, what happened to Berry?”

“I’ve called the guards, and I’ve sent people to go after her, so she’ll get caught in no time. Don’t worry.”

Aria’s expression was dark even in the Count’s affirmative answer.

“… Is it true that she did it? The… poison.”

“I’ll have to investigate more to say for certain, but for now I have no choice but to see it.”

The incredible sight also dimmed the complexion of those watching her. They were grieved over the fact that the maid who was attending at her side had done such a terrible thing to her master.

‘I hope she wouldn’t be caught for a long time.’

Aria was so happy in this situation that she wanted to dance. ‘The longer she runs away, the more compassion she will have for herself. If there is any rumor that this is related to Mielle, that will be a bonus.’

“Mielle, are you all right?”

Aria spoke to Mielle, who was secretly checking her condition in the corner after she quietly opened the door and came in, and Mielle nodded in surprise. Yeah, it was like a criminal.

“I-I’m okay…”

“It’s a good thing. I wish it was only for me. If you’re going through this terrible thing, I’m sure I can’t stand it.”

The remark was sincere. If they were harmed together, wouldn’t she be able to pass over the responsibility on to her? Of course, it was what she ordered, so she wouldn’t do the stupid thing to drink poison on her own.

‘Oh, come to think of it, it was the opposite in the past.’

It was Mielle who had pretended to drink poison while she had abetted the crime. It was Aria who had been driven to the culprit. Of course, it was true that she had said it would be better to put poison in Berry’s temptation, but the first indicator of the case was Mielle, like now. That had ended Aria’s life.

Foolish Mielle, it would have been better to pretend to drink poison like then. You didn’t know that the bullied patient was followed by pity and sympathy.

“… You’ll be feeling better soon.”

‘Didn’t you want me to die?’

Mielle’s smile, which did not seem to be pleasant as usual, made Aria smile.

“Thank you very much, Mielle. I’m happy that you’re trying to cheer me up.”

Aria could see Mielle’s eyes shaking at the look of weakness but never likely to die. She seemed to want to run away from this place right now.

“… But I’m relieved to see you wake up like this. I think I’m disturbing you, so I’ll go out.”

And she said she was going to run away. It was quite hard to see the person, who she had been trying to kill, smiling alive. Aria could read her feelings from the way she hurried out of the room without looking back.

“I’ll go, then. Call me whenever you need me.”

“Yes, you’d better take a good rest. I’m going out, too.”

When Mielle suggested that she would go out, the others left, saying, “You’d better take a good rest.” The last ones who left were Annie and Jessie. Annie fell on Aria’s bed and burst into sorrowful tears as if her startled heart still hadn’t calmed down.

“I… I thought you were going to die…!”

Now she was crying, but in the past, if she said that she was also on the side of killing herself, who would believe it? In a complicated mood, Aria’s hand, sweeping Annie’s hair was very rough.

“Jessie, with this, Annie’s eyes would swell out. Can you bring her a cold towel? And the tea I’m going to drink.”

Now that there were no more maids to serve, the share was naturally given to Jessie and Annie. In particular, Jessie left the room quietly answering whether she thought it was her job to do.

“How is the atmosphere outside?”

Annie, who understood Aria’s intentions at once, stopped crying and answered, “Don’t even talk. The mansion went up and down. And you had a visitor that day, right? He’s the one who had many connections in the noble society, so the rumor seems to have already spread.”

“Really? What kind of rumor?”

“The maid tried to poison you…”

There seemed to be no other rumor except the fact that nothing else was going on.

‘Isn’t it time yet?’

It had only been two days since the incident, so it wouldn’t be easy to talk about anything but the fact. Just the fact that she had been nearly poisoned gave her a sweet taste.

“Anyway, the servants and maids of the mansion are all angry! There was a servant who threatened to tear her up and kill her if she comes back”

“Yes, I see.”

That alone was a good harvest. But the seed that had been sown had sprouted and grown as far as the sweet fruit was borne. Usually, rumors from the outside were supposed to spread in from the inside.

“Annie, you’ve got something to do.”

“What is it?”

“Yes. I might get a little busy.”

Aria put on a smile. It was quite unexpected to see her who had a headache until now. Annie felt uneasy and swallowed her saliva.

“Why don’t you correct the rumor? I’m sure many people are also curious about the state of the mansion.”

“Ah…”

That alone allowed Annie to notice what Aria wanted. Annie nodded vigorously.

“Don’t, don’t worry, miss! I’m an expert on that.”

“Yes, I’ll just trust you, Annie. Oh, by the way, I’m sure Baron Burboom will be curious about that, who’s on good terms with you, so please let him know.”

Baron Burboom’s favoritism and loyalty toward her was palpable. He must have been much more gossiping than Annie. Now that the plate was laid, all that was left was to wait.

As she threw a card of Annie and locked herself in the room, saying, “It’s impossible to get a visitor,” there was an unexpected visitor who she couldn’t refuse. It was Sarah and Vincent.

“Aria…!”

“Sarah.”

She burst into tears as soon as she saw Aria’s face, which had become very emaciated. It was because she didn’t eat properly to look more plausible. Behind her, Marquis Vincent greeted her with a regretful face.

“You must be busy, how can you…?”

Even with Aria’s question, Sarah could not easily answer, so the Marquis was the one who answered instead.

“I was told that you had a big incident, so we couldn’t make an appointment, and we came here.”

The Marquis had a painful face, saying she looked very sick. Besides, when she faced Sarah as if she had got the incident, she couldn’t say anything. She just had to look at it quietly together.

“I heard the culprit hasn’t been caught yet.”

“I think she ran away right after I fell down.”

“I sent people to catch her as soon as possible.”

Aria nodded silently with her eyes wide open when he explained that there were people who had been trained to find people. At the very least, one of the maids fled, and she thought it was not necessary to hire such men, but she listened to him because he gave her an explanation quite seriously.

Then Sarah, who suddenly stopped crying, said while holding Aria’s hand. “Don’t worry, Aria. I’m on your side.”

“Sarah?”

“And the Marquis, too, right?”

“That’s right.”

The Marquis nodded in response to Sarah’s question.

‘Are they really going to be on my side even though I act like in the rumors. The wicked woman who people know, unlike now?’

Maybe it would be if it was Sarah. She thought Sarah would believe there was a reason for being such a wicked woman even if she did something evil. It was an infinite amount of trust that she had never received even from her mother.

“… Thank you.”

So when she answered with unwanted tears, Sarah hugged Aria and began to cry again. In the end, Sarah stopped crying only after her eyes were swollen, and she couldn’t go back like that, so she borrowed a hat from Aria and hid her eyes and returned.