The Villainess Turns the Hourglass

Chapter 6

“Where did you hear that?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure. Who was it? Wait… I know I heard it somewhere, but I don’t quite remember…” Aria considered mentioning Sarah, but the count could easily ask her directly, so she decided against it. Instead, she smiled apologetically and glossed over the question by saying that she couldn’t recall.

The count asked several more times, but Aria just tilted her head at him in confusion. It didn’t matter what he thought of her at that moment. If he were to take her advice and purchase the furs now, he would end up with a vast profit, but if he didn’t, he would greatly regret not believing her. Either way, she had nothing to lose and would be able to earn his trust. She put on the most innocent face she could muster in hopes that he would regret the way he had treated her and never do it again.

Only then did the count remember the kind of child she had been until just recently—a girl who had thrown tantrums and screamed whenever she disliked something. He felt a little embarrassed about listening so attentively to a young girl who barely came up to his waist. Still, the rumor about the princess had to be investigated, just in case. It wouldn’t take long, and if he did have something to gain from it, he would be hitting the jackpot.

After a short moment of silence, another conversation started up. Aria had nothing to contribute this time, not that she had any intention to do so. Mielle, who had been delighted by Aria’s childlike performance of ignorance, ended up cutting the countess out of the conversation as well by bringing up memories of her childhood. Aria paid the situation no mind as she took the final bite of her neatly cut steak. She knew that she would have the last laugh in the end.

* * *

Although the count had said that he would be staying in the capital for a few more days, he prepared to leave the next day around noon. Aria saw that he was taking quite a few warm clothes with him and had a hunch that he had believed her words.

Just as she predicted, the count had indeed confirmed that the princess had purchased furs. If he had inquired what the princess had bought from the northern region, it would have taken him a while to get a straightforward reply, but it was quickly confirmed when he phrased the question like, “I heard that the fur Her Highness purchased is quite high quality. Is that true?”

The count kissed his wife on the cheek, apologizing for not staying for lunch. He then went down the row, patting his son and daughter on their heads and telling them he would be back soon.

Finally, he got to Aria. His gaze was filled with a mixture of joy, satisfaction, and pride, and was a sight she hadn’t seen before. She took his hand before he could move to pat her on the head, too. The count seemed a little surprised, but put on a kind smile as Aria cheerfully wished him a safe trip. Then, she grabbed the handkerchief she had hidden inside her pocket. As she handed it to him, he asked what it was.

“It’s a handkerchief,” Aria said. “I am still learning embroidery, so it’s not perfect, but I thought you might need it on your long journey. Please stay healthy and be safe.”

Mielle, who was standing across from them, stared at the handkerchief, her eyes as wide as saucers. “You would never accept it, right?” Her expression said it all.

But despite his daughter’s wishes, the count readily accepted the handkerchief. It was clear that he considered Aria an angel now. On top of that, her embroidery was incredibly beautiful, so even if he hadn’t been in a particularly good mood, he still would have accepted it. It was almost hard to believe that a mere girl of fourteen who had just started her studies could make something so beautiful. He showed the handkerchief to his wife.

“Oh my, I got her some nice fabric because she said she wanted to learn embroidery, but I never imagined she would manage something so beautiful,” the countess said. The crafty woman cheerfully showed off Aria’s embroidery to Mielle and Cain as well. Her praise wasn’t biased at all. No one could argue that the lily embroidered on the handkerchief was anything but beautiful.

Mielle couldn’t help but stare down at the silken handkerchief as she held it. The lily looked so lifelike that she could almost imagine its fresh scent. It was more elegant and beautiful than any embroidery she had ever seen. Mielle wondered whether she could ever make something so lovely. She felt close to tears.

Having noticed this, Aria stepped over to her. In the most innocent and cheerful manner, she asked, “Would you like one too, Mielle? What about you, Cain? Please let me know, and I can—”

“No, I don’t need one,” Cain cut in before Aria could even finish her offer.

Aria had expected as much, so she just shrugged, her smile never fading. “I see. Then I guess I’ll just make one for Mielle.”

The other girl seemed to have been struck speechless, as she didn’t respond. She just stood in place, staring after her father’s carriage, not even waving goodbye as he set off on another long business trip. Aria hadn’t expected her to throw a tantrum or anything of the sort, but seeing her so awestruck was quite surprising. She had to admit that it felt great.

* * *

Back in her room, Aria snickered to herself. She planned to give Mielle the most beautiful embroidery the girl had ever seen. She had never specified that she would be the one making it, so she would just give her one of Sarah’s masterpieces. Mielle would undoubtedly look at it every day and wallow in misery, especially since she was still so young. After coming to her senses, she would try her best to compete against Aria with her clumsy little fingers—but once she realized she had no talent whatsoever when it came to embroidery, she would most definitely fall into depression.

She might never bring herself to embroider anything, just like me in the past. In her previous life, Aria had lagged behind Mielle in so many ways that she developed an inferiority complex. She ended up expressing her shame at not being as elegant, logical, social, or beloved as Mielle through all kinds of wicked deeds. She had always thought of the other girl as an obstacle she could never overcome. Instead, she had focused on perfecting her appearance, the one thing she clearly had the upper hand on.

Now that Aria thought about it more deeply, Mielle had been an obstacle, but one she could have overcome with enough time and effort. However, this had never occurred to her back then. She had always been convinced that such a thing would be impossible.

So it’s only fair that things will be the opposite this time around, Aria thought. Her plan was to do everything Mielle attempted before the other girl even had the chance, thereby preventing her from succeeding in anything at all. After continually being thwarted, Mielle would undoubtedly become as much of a failure as Aria had been. Aria found the mere thought so exhilarating that her whole body tingled with excitement.

Mielle didn’t show up for either lunch or dinner, spending the rest of the day cooped up in her room. A few unfamiliar women went in but left soon thereafter with bemused looks on their faces. They were all experts in embroidery, but Mielle judged none of them good enough to teach her.

In the midst of all this, Aria gave Mielle an embroidered piece—one made by Sarah. The girl didn’t react at all to the beautiful lily that looked lifelike enough to attract butterflies. Instead, the visits from unfamiliar visitors to her room only increased.

Aria stifled a laugh as she watched Mielle meeting with dozens of strangers over the next few days. It’s your turn to feel how futile your efforts can be, no matter how hard you try.

* * *

Having mastered the art of walking elegantly, Aria had now reached a level of grace that made her seem like a refined young noblewoman ready to make her debut. Considering her young age, this was quite an achievement. Although she would undoubtedly have to suffer through being compared to her younger sister, she had still managed to mature enough to stand out among her peers.

The person most affected by this change was Aria’s mother, the countess, who only grew prouder. She was elated that her daughter, who had once acted like an absolute brat, had changed overnight and was no longer someone to be ashamed of. She never wondered why this change had occurred. She only wished for Aria to put in even more effort and study a little harder so that she could eventually marry into an even better household, perhaps one day becoming a marchioness or even a duchess.

“What do you think of him?” she asked her daughter one day.

“Marquess Vincent? He already has a match,” Aria replied firmly. My tutor, Sarah.

Aria and her mother were chatting as they sipped on green tea, having just finished a rare lunch outside in the garden. The countess continued to ask her daughter’s opinions on the men who could be husband material. Each time she mentioned a name, Aria thought of the woman that man ended up marrying in her past life.

“There is no such thing as a sure match, dear. Results depend on the effort you put in. Take me, for instance.”

The countess’s success had indeed been a product of hard work. Her beauty alone wouldn’t have been enough to melt the frozen heart of the count after he lost his beloved wife. It was safe to say that no one had put in as much effort as the current countess.

Aria chuckled softly. “I’m still young. I’m only fourteen, you know.”

“And you will be fifteen soon enough. A woman’s youth is fleeting.”

The countess, only thirty-two years old herself, stared into the distance as if reminiscing about her youth. She had been abandoned on the streets as an infant and forced to do all kinds of nasty things to survive. She was taken to a brothel before she even had her first period and had dealt with countless customers there.

The only way out of that hellhole was to capture the heart of a rich and powerful man. There was no other way—she had only been fifteen when she realized this. From that moment on, she had coaxed and flirted with any powerful man she could find, and by the time she was seventeen, she met a man who promised to get her out of the brothel. He was just a baron of a small estate in the countryside, but to her, he was a god.

However, before he could save her, she had become pregnant, and as there was no way to confirm who the father was, she missed her chance to escape. “If only you didn’t exist.” It was something Aria had heard ever since she was born.

“Now that I think about it, perhaps having you worked in my favor,” Aria’s mother said.

“Why do you say that?”

“Being the countess of a great estate and the wife of a successful businessman is much better than being some baroness stuck in the countryside, don’t you think?” There was no dishonesty in her eyes. Indeed, if they hadn’t struck such great fortune when they did, Aria might have ended up working at the brothel herself. That particular thought didn’t seem to occur to her mother at all, however.

Aria smiled a little. Despite her mother’s vulgar behavior, Aria had no qualms against her, since she did raise her instead of abandoning her on the streets. If she had turned her back on Aria early on, she might have been able to snag a good man and escape the brothel right away—but she hadn’t done that. She had given birth to Aria, raised her, and had even brought her along to join the count’s family. It could not have been easy. She was entirely different from the spoiled brat who cared for nothing and no one and failed in the end to save her own mother from being killed.

The countess ordered the servants to refresh their tea, which had gone cold, and then glanced around the garden. Now that no one else was around, she lowered her voice and asked Aria, “It seems as though Mielle is interested in the eldest son of House Frederick.”

“You mean Lord Oscar?”

“Yes. He’s the same age as Cain. I saw her begging her brother to invite him to the manor.”

In Aria’s past life, Oscar did indeed visit the manor with Cain during a semester break after her fifteenth birthday. Mielle, nervous to see Oscar in person, had spilled her tea on him. She had then pulled out and handed him the handkerchief embroidered with his family crest, which she had been keeping on her person for that very moment. It hadn’t been her own work, but she had lied and said that it was. And I witnessed the whole thing, Aria recalled.

Aria could tell very easily what her mother was implying. She would never have brought up a young man Mielle was interested in without a particular reason. The eldest son of Duke Frederick was not yet officially engaged. Mielle was the most likely candidate, considering the goal of combining two powerful and wealthy families. However, Oscar had no great interest in meeting girls, and he had barely ever spent time with Mielle, let alone made her acquaintance in person. Once they were both older and could have proper, interesting conversations, this would most likely change—but for now, there was nothing between them. As lowly as Aria’s background was, as an adopted daughter of House Roscent, she had just as much of a chance as Mielle.

The maid returned with a fresh pot of tea, bowed politely, and took her place a few steps away. The countess took a sip of her fresh tea and said, “I only wish for you to be happy, Aria.”

“Don’t worry about that, Mother.” I may not be able to guarantee a successful future for myself, but I am more than ready to ruin Mielle’s. Don’t worry. One can only be as happy as their enemies are miserable, right?

Aria and her mother smiled happily as they enjoyed the pleasant breeze of early fall.