The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“I get it, Miss. By the way, what are you going to do to make her a maid? I don’t think it’s very useful, and I’m also wondering why you should make such an arrogant kid as a maid. Don’t tell me I have to take her out, right? Annie said that because Mielle had to stay next to her.

Aria replied with an unexpected smile to the worried Annie. “Don’t worry. That’s not going to happen.”

To be exact, it was highly likely that everything would be sorted out before Annie would marry and leave the mansion. Annie cocked her head at Aria’s vague answer, but she nodded, thinking she might have a deep thought.

“Well, as you said, I’ll be hard on her starting tomorrow! I’m actually having a little fun. I think this is why the nobles are harassing the maids.”

Aria lightly smiled as Annie looked as if she would do what she didn’t ask her to do. She also wondered if Annie, who chose to bully others for fun rather than for a reason, was even worse off.

The proclamation to afflict Miele was not empty talk, and from the next day, Annie harassed Mielle with great severity. No, everything Mielle did as a maid was a pain for her, even if Annie didn’t do anything.

Mielle had to wake up early in the morning, eat breakfast in a hurry, and clean the mansion, but be scolded several times by Annie. Of course, she protested her strongly at first, but she was forced to reduce her malice with the secret weapon Annie had prepared.

“Mielle, are you stupid or do you want to die? If you want to go back to prison, keep rebelling that way.”

“…!”

“Do you really like that prison? No matter how much the weather is getting warmer, the prison would be cold without a thin blanket. It looks like you can’t even eat right there.”

“You, you…”

It was not even her sick father who had made her surrender, but the prison that had made her suffer, not even her brother, who had turned to give up less than a day later. This was because Mielle spent more of her feelings worrying about her own safety than understanding and sympathizing with the pain that others suffered.

“You? I told you to call me Miss Annie. There’s a class among maids. Besides, I’m not like the average maid. I am a maid who can stand next to Lady Aria.”

“…”

“You didn’t forget that the maids put ‘Mrs.’ on Emma when they called her, right? So please watch your mouth, unless you want to be put back in jail.”

To Annie, who turned around again referring to the prison, Mielle could not rebel at all. Instead, she sneaked into Aria’s room to escape the public eye.

She believed that Aria would rebuke that presumptuous Annie! She tried to meet Aria several times, but she couldn’t. Besides, when she barely met her, she was smiling merrily with Annie next to her.

“What’s the matter, Mielle?”

“Uh, sister…”

‘I’ve come to accuse Annie, but why is Annie next to Aria?’

It was quite natural for her to be Aria’s maid, but for Mielle, who had barely met Aria, felt as if the sky had collapsed.

“Sorry. An important letter has arrived. Can you wait for a moment?”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

Mielle, who was so obedient, stood still at the door, waiting only for the end of Aria’s business. Not surprisingly, she was not asked to sit down, and Annie, who was talking to Aria, sometimes glared at her, so she couldn’t even say she’d sit down.

“Is this a formal invitation?”

“Yes, it was originally planned for winter, but now it’s going on.”

“Now that the empire doesn’t have the Duke family, the Marquis of Vincent and Sarah are the highest nobility, so all the nobles will gather, right?”

“It’s very likely.”

“What about His Highness the Crown Prince?” asked Annie, her eyes shining. She asked if Aria would attend with a whim to the place where all the nobles of the empire would gather.

Then Aria took out another letter that had been placed under Sarah’s invitation. “His Highness said he would attend in person.”

“Oh, my God… then this will be your first party together with His Highness!”

They had met at Sarah’s engagement ceremony, but it was the first time she officially accompanied him to the party. They might get more attention than Sarah, the main character of the wedding. Still, Sarah must have been pleased, not caring.

“Then the time is running out, so you’ll have to prepare your dress right away! Should I call in a designer? Something fancy would be better, right?”

Aria shook her head and lifted the letter so that Annie could see it better.

“Read it.”

Annie quickly began to read the letter before her eyes.

‘Would you like to come with me to Marquis Vincent’s wedding? It’s a good opportunity in a long time, and I’ll send you a dress and shoes if you allow me to do.’

“Oh, my God. Does it mean His Highness is sending you the dress himself?”

“Yes, so don’t prepare anything.”

Annie grasped her hands with an ecstatic face as she finished reading the letter.

It seemed that she had already imagined Aria and Asher that would show off their beauty at Sarah’s wedding. It wasn’t her own business but Annie reacted with great joy, and Aria smiled briefly and asked Annie if Annie had been so cute.

“What about you?”

“Yes?”

“Are you not attending with Baron Burboom? I think he also received an invitation.”

Then Annie opened her eyes in a circle and said to Aria in surprise. “I got it, but… I thought I should go with you.”

“If you follow me, I’m sure Mr. Asher will get angry.”

So when Aria asked her to go with Baron Burboom, a big smile came to Annie’s face.

“Can I really do that?”

“Yes. You say it like I never let you go.”

“Thank you so much! Miss!”

“I’m not the one to prepare for the dress, but you’re the one to do it.”

“… In fact, Baron Burboom said he would send someone.”

‘Did you hide it after hearing it?’ Aria looked a little dumbfounded.

Annie scratched her on the cheek and avoided Aria’s eyes.

“It’s… it’s tomorrow, and I haven’t given him a definite answer yet. May I go out?”

“Tomorrow? If I tell you not to go out, I’d be a bitch. Go out and come back safe.”

“Yes, Miss!”

Annie gasped out of the room, and only then Aria beckoned Mielle, who was standing by the door.

“Did you come here because you wanted to say something? You must be having a hard time with your work. Your face has become quite emaciated.”

Then, Mielle slowly approached Aria with her mouth shut and a dark look on her face.

‘I came here to complain, but how can I say that to Aria, who had just talked about the sweet time ahead?’

As she thought of herself, she was so humble. She was in the same position as Aria until recently. No, she was much nobler and more graceful than Aria was.

‘But what about now?’ She was in a position to clean up the floor that was passed by others, being abused by the maids. ‘I’m sure Aria doesn’t care as much about those trivial things.’ Aria, who noticed the will of Mielle, who didn’t open her mouth easily, spoke in a soft tone, handing over the tea that had been poured for Annie’s share.

“If you have a hardship, let me know, Mielle.”

“…”

It was like a friendly word that noticed Mielle’s heart. Mielle slowly opened her mouth and carefully accused Annie of what she had done.

“It’s… it’s hard for Annie to be so mean to me, sister…”

“My God, I see. Oh, poor girl.”

When Aria didn’t listen to Annie, stood on her side, and didn’t hide her sad face, Mielle, who gained confidence, confessed what Annie had been harassing her.

“She even spilled water on the hallway I had already cleaned up. And sometimes she kicked the water that I had brought, and she dusted the windowsill. Even she threatened me that she would send me to prison if I hurt her feelings a little bit…”

“… How could she have done such a wicked thing…?”

Aria clasped Mielle’s trembling hand, admiring the traces of Annie, who had indeed harassed her enough.

“Not only that but other maids…”

“I was told that… they were being naughty to a newcomer, but I didn’t even know they would do this.”

“Sister…”

“I must have been too idle. Don’t worry, I’ll give them a harsh scolding because you’re my sister.”