The Villainess turns the Hourglass
chapter-173

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

It was not funny at all, but the man outside the door laughed loudly. It was a very strange man.

“All right, I’ll come back later, just like you said. I can’t get in the room as you are alone.”

Fortunately, the man who said so soon disappeared with a clear sound of footsteps.

Only then did Aria barely take a breath, close her eyes as she buried herself deep in the chair. Rather, she wanted to go back to the empire quickly.

* * *

After going out during the day, Asher returned to his quarters only after sunset. Things didn’t seem to have worked out well, seeing that he had a bad look. Returning, he ordered something with a pretty serious face to Lane, and then went out to dinner with Aria, trying hard not to show it.

“Does it fit your taste?”

“Yes. That’s what Mrs. Asher said.”

“It’s a stopover every time I come to the Kingdom of Croa.”

“I’ll have to, likewise.”

In the empty restaurant with no one, only the words of Asher and Aria sounded. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t afford to think of the taste, but Aria smiled softly without trying to show it.

She was a little bit disappointed to think that this would be the last time she had a leisurely dinner. Because she no longer had to stop by the city to rest, she was going to head straight to the capital after a few big cities. In addition, the carriage that had already departed was heading straight for the capital, taking only a brief break. Unlike when she had left the empire, she would arrive in the capital in no time. Therefore, there would be no more time for her to stay with Asher like this.

She felt it was the same with Asher, so he was doing his best for this moment, too. So Aria spent the evening focusing only on Asher, and somehow a disturber appeared in the whole rented restaurant.

“Asher.”

“… Lohan?”

“Why didn’t you come to see me first?”

Aria gazed at Asher with great embarrassment at the sudden appearance of a stranger. It was to ask for an answer, but as Asher was also embarrassed, there was no reply.

“Roscent Aria said that you would come back in the evening and I went to see you, but you were already out.”

It was only then that Aria recognized Lohan by mentioning her name. It was the man who had come to visit in the morning. He seemed to have an acquaintance with Asher, and he pulled out a chair and complained, and Asher’s face froze in an unexpected situation.

“If Roscent Aria had told you my story, I wouldn’t have bothered you like this…”

Lohan, who had been complaining, turned his gaze to Aria, which had been staying with Asher all the time.

“…” Then he stopped talking with a very familiar response. It was a familiar reaction of those bewildered by Aria’s appearance.

As soon as he realized this, Asher called his name hurriedly, “Lohan.”

“… I thought it would be just an excessive rumor, but it wasn’t. No, it was a rumor that would never reach a reality.”

He plainly looked Aria up and down. Aria, offended by him, furrowed her forehead.

“You didn’t ask me to tell Asher your story.”

“… Ah, yes. It’s my fault.”

“…”

“How clever of you! The fame of such a beautiful young lady crossed the empire and even made the Kingdom of Croa excited. God is so unfair.”

So he got nervous, but it didn’t work at all. On the contrary, it only added a very interesting look. It was Asher who blocked it.

“Stop it, before I throw you into the remote mountain.”

It was pretty rough, unlike Asher. Because of the warning, Asher gave as much as he could, his eyes to dissect Aria one by one fell off. It seemed very regrettable that he took the wine glass of Asher smacking his lips.

“What’s your business? Is it worth interrupting dinner?”

“No, I don’t have it. I just stopped by because you came to Croa.”

“It’s a long way from the capital, and you’re here to see my face?”

“Yes, I wondered what the purpose of coming to Croa in this busy time of year was.”

Asher exhaled a deep breath as he questioned, pretending not to know. He seemed he was not very happy with the situation now. It was partly due to the interruption of his time with Aria, and so was Lohan’s attention to Aria.

“You can ask that to Lane later, and go back.”

“Can’t you tell me now?”

“Yes. Get out of here quickly, for it’s disturbing.”

When he added a warning to drop him into the sea this time, Lohan finally got up, shrugging his shoulders

“All right. We’ve got plenty of chances to meet anyway. Inevitably.”

Lohan, who had said so, bowed his upper body to Aria, saying goodbye. Aria was going to bow her head…

“…!”

“Lohan!”

The man, who had snatched Aria’s hand before she knew it, kissed on the back of her hand and ran away. Then Aria, astonished by him, spilled the glass of water, and Asher, who had been trying to chase him, came up to Aria in embarrassment.

“Are you all right, Lady Aria?”

“… Ah, yes.”

Only one man appeared and disappeared, but she was out of her mind. Somehow, when she was in a bad mood, she wiped off the back of her hand, and Asher, who had furrowed his forehead, took Aria’s hand to stop it.

“And then you get hurt.”

When he said so, he checked Aria’s expression of displeasure and took his lips where Lohan had kissed.

It was nothing but a usual act, and strangely enough, the unpleasantness on the back of her hand had gone away a little.

“… So you’d better get back to rest. I’ll leave him in the mountains, so don’t worry.”

“… I see.”

And the feeling of discomfort was scattered at the face of Asher, who was very concerned about Aria.

“We’d better leave right after breakfast. It’s hard to get to the empire at once with my ability, so you have to ride a wagon in the middle.”

Aria nodded at the explanation of Asher. It was finally time to end the vacation and go to punish the wicked woman.

* * *

“… Uh, where did she disappear?”

After Aria and Asher had vanished like illusions, Mielle, who was left alone, blinked. She had been right in front of her a moment ago. No, where did the Crown Prince suddenly appear?

Feeling embarrassed and confused, she found a broken bracelet as she groped it around with her trembling hands. It was the bracelet Aria had been wearing.

‘I don’t think it’s a dream… Then where did she disappear?’

“What’s the matter, Miss?!”

Without a moment to think, those who heard Mielle’s screams gathered, and they turned deadly pale and shouted at the terrible sight before their eyes.

“Yaaaaaaah!”

“Oh, oh my God!”

“… The Count!”

“Call a doctor quickly!’

Before they found Mielle, they found the Count first, and each of them screamed and announced this terrible situation. Then, Mielle got out of the mystery of the sudden disappearance of Asher and Aria, came to her senses, held the broken bracelet in her hand, and declared the cause of the disaster.

“… My sister! My sister did that! She suddenly pushed my father… and ran away!”

The audience reacted with mixed reactions to Mielle, who cried with a pale face.

“No way! Miss Aria…?”

“I knew it! She couldn’t hide her true nature so easily! She’s been fooling everyone all this time!”

“Where the hell did she run away? How dare her! We have to catch her now!”

Contrary to the servants and maids of the mansion who were embarrassed and hesitant, the guests raised their voices with bloodshot eyes, and Mielle shook her head, thanks to the reaction of the guests.

“… It happened so fast that I don’t know. Sob sob…”

However, there was distrust in the faces of the servants and maids, because she had repeatedly framed Aria.

Some of Mielle’s side also showed signs of uneasiness. However, they couldn’t take it out of their mouths, since they couldn’t say that everything was true when they had seen her in the meantime.

When she noticed this, Mielle began to create witnesses.

“Didn’t Lady Median and Lady Wendy see it? I thought your eyes seemed to have seen it.”

Her face looked very sad, but Mielle, whose eyes were horrendous, pointed to the two ladies. The two young ladies who were pointed out were from the low-class noble families. They were ladies from a powerless family who could not endure it without taking sides.

“… Yes?”

“…!”