The Villainess turns the Hourglass
chapter-177

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

Her bracelet was a unique design that didn’t suit the aristocratic ladies, so other ladies soon recognized it.

“Oh, come to think of it, I saw the bracelet, too! I talked about the bracelet when Lady Aria went into the mansion. It was a strange shape, so it was noticeable.”

“I was there, too! She said it was a bracelet from the Crown Prince. I saw her wearing it.”

They were the young ladies who had been sarcastic about Aria’s bracelet when she had arrived at the mansion.

‘Why is the bracelet in Mielle’s hand if it was in Aria’s wrist until she entered the mansion? She said she went out right away, but when did she drop it? Moreover, didn’t she know how she dropped the precious bracelet given by the Crown Prince? Did something happen for her to have to leave the mansion in a hurry?’

Everyone waited for her answer because the more they thought about it, the more likely it was that Aria would be at a disadvantage.

“Lady Aria, did you lose the bracelet I had given you?” asked Asher with a face of regret.

‘Who would dare to regard him as the Crown Prince, who performed as plausible as Aria did?’

Aria replied with a face that she didn’t know what was going on.

“It can’t be! Mielle… I don’t know what you’re talking about… That’s not my bracelet.”

“This type of bracelet can’t be common, but it’s not your bracelet? A lot of people have seen it. I’m sure you dropped it in the hallway! You didn’t even go straight out! It’s no use lying!” Because this time it was true, not false, Mielle raised her voice.

So Aria raised her arm with a look that seemed quite unfair.

“What are you talking about, Mielle? The bracelet His Highness gave me is on my wrist like this…!”

Then Aria’s slender wrist, which was raised to the fullest, was fastened with a bracelet like the bracelet in Mielle’s hand. It was another bracelet from Asher.

‘How come that bracelet is back on Aria’s wrist…?’ Mielle’s eyes grew big as if what she was seeing was unbelievable.

“I don’t know where you got that bracelet, but I never took it off my body for a second.”

At Aria’s lying, Asher helped her, saying a word side-by-side.

“… You did that as expected. Even if she wants Lady Aria to be the real culprit, how dare she present the bracelet as evidence? The bracelet was specially made for you, so there is only one in the world. I’m curious about the origin of the bracelet that Lady Mielle has.”

Mielle’s face froze because of his tone as if she had made a fake to make Aria into a criminal.

‘It’s really that shallow woman’s bracelet!’

It was clear that the bracelet was dropped before she had run away with the Crown Prince that suddenly appeared. So Mielle wanted to pursue her claim, but Frey was also on the side of Aria, so sadly, Mielle’s claim was denounced as false.

“I see. About the bracelet Lady Mielle claims… it seems that Lady Aria did not lose it and kept it, but… okay… now. I will check the two bracelets and make a fair judgment based on your claim.”

Frey’s words to judge fairly was very cold. Mielle’s strength drained out from her legs, and she collapsed onto her seat. Finally, Isis, who had seen her disgraceful behavior, rose up from her seat and left the courtroom. Cain also gritted his teeth as he saw his sister who talked nonsense.

The audience remained silent at Mielle, who had tried to condemn Aria with false evidence. In the meantime, Mielle began to doubt rationally, shaking his eyelashes.

‘Don’t tell me she had two…!’

She thought maybe there was another bracelet. If they were lovers, they might usually have shared the ornaments together.

‘No, it’s a unique shape of bracelet, but it doesn’t look very expensive, and the quality doesn’t look good, so they could say that it has been specially made, for words only, and it might have been bought again because it’s sold in bulk somewhere outside of the country!’

Miele, whose heart was in a hurry, dared to tell the Crown Prince if he was lying. It was impossible for a sane person to do that, but Mielle was currently out of her mind.

“Your, Your Highness, didn’t you give my sister a new bracelet…? Or didn’t you give my sister the extra bracelet you had…?”

“… You are such an impertinent woman!”

‘No matter how hostile they are, how can she make remarks questioning the Crown Prince in his face?’

Asher, who furrowed his forehead, replied that she was unpleasant, and the ladies, who found out that Mielle had gone too far, looked carefully at him. They began to regret little by little, saying that it was wrong to defend her with just a word of Mielle even though it was already late.

“Are you saying that I fabricated evidence to save my lover? Without any evidence? Even if I really gave Aria another bracelet, how would you confirm that? Can you take responsibility for what you say?”

“Well, that’s…!”

This time, Mielle was speechless with the mockery of Asher. It was a sneer as if she had done it. She thought it was easy because she had the witnesses and enough evidence, but what the hell was going on with this? She thought this was perfect!

It was apparently because of the irrefutable evidence that Aria was in the mansion at the time she pushed the Count down the stairs had been given. In fact, even though Aria didn’t push him, she was in the mansion when the Count really fell.

Tears seemed to come out of the injustice. All those who had believed her words had turned their backs, and she felt like she was being choked as they avoided her eyes.

“My sister really pushed my father…! You’ve all seen… my sister who pushed my father at the edge of the stairs as hard as she could…!”

Everyone had already doubted if Mielle was lying, but she insisted repeatedly that Aria had pushed the Count. Her voice was half-locked, and her lips were trembling, but she didn’t give up in condemning Aria.

However, it was a futile argument that was no longer worth hearing. So when no one was listening anymore, Mielle’s face turned white like a sheet of white paper, and it looked as if she would soon fall. On the contrary, only sympathy for Aria had risen.

‘Why… why does everyone see me like that?’

Mielle’s voice grew blurred with resentment. Indeed, Aria and Mielle seemed to have reversed each other. It was a moment that Aria, who had returned to the past, hoped for so much.

“Mielle… Why should I push my father down the stairs? I don’t think I’ll get anything from doing that…”

Aria said while squeezing tears to drive a wedge in, and the Countess that was sitting next to her began to sob a little. Unlike Aria, which was made out of falsehood, it was a genuine tear. It was also the tears of a fragile woman who had been suffering alone.

The audience watched Asher comforting the poor mother and daughter, and Mielle, who consistently made claims that were only considered false, the stigma of being a wicked woman had moved away from Aria to a new person, and the sentence was almost obvious.

“Is this it?”

Frey asked, writing something down on the document. No, it was a questioning tone, but it was more of an affirmative. Now it was an affirmation that it really wasn’t worth hearing about her argument.

Mielle swallowed her breath when she felt the piercing gazes at her.

She wouldn’t let things end like this. It was the end of severe punishment and the stigma of being a wicked woman! This ending was only right for Aria, the real wicked woman—a lowly, dirty bitch!

‘Someone, somebody, please, help me!’

When Mielle looked at her brother that was sitting next to her and asked him for help, he realized that he had no chance to save her, so he had his eyes on the floor.

After the Count had fallen into a coma and gained the power of the acting count, he thought that his sister would be punished rather than Aria, who had stolen his heart.

The agent was only wiping the sweat out of his forehead because he had no plea for her, who was constantly babbling. Maybe he was regretting taking on this job. So it seemed as if he would no longer be on Mielle’s side. In addition, the young ladies, who had used to make all kinds of sweet talks for her, turned away from Mielle. The witnesses, Median and Wendy, also avoided her eyes.