The Villainess turns the Hourglass
chapter-76

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Oscar?”

Isis called Oscar who bit his lips without an answer and was lost in thought. She looked at him like she didn’t know why he looked like that. Then suddenly, she could recall where she had seen that face. The look on Mielle’s face that she had seen just before…

“Oscar, you… no way…!”

She couldn’t put her own hypothesis out of her mouth.

‘That rumor was real…!’

When she had first heard the rumor through her maid, she had flattered but had not gotten angry. She and her brother were noble-blooded people which a daughter of a prostitute couldn’t even look up at. So she hadn’t even dreamed that her brother would be interested in the prostitute’s daughter.

Isis shook her hand and drank the tea in front of her. She was thirsty enough to keep her thirst going. And she fiercely looked against Oscar. She was so shocked and distressed, but she still resented her brother who was totally bewitched by that bitch.

After all, Isis, who couldn’t stand it, got up from her seat and slapped Oscar on the cheek. After being slapped defenseless, he looked up at Isis, unable to recover his surprised face.

“You’re going to ruin our family!”

“Sister…”

“How could the rumor be true! You’ll still say you’re the heir to the Frederic family!?”

“I’m…”

“You’ll have to watch your sister be humiliated! Uh? How, you!”

As her sister let out her pent-up anger, Oscar was confused.

‘I… what the hell…!’

Then he realized the identity of his emotions he had just felt as he had recalled Aria. ‘Why did I love Aria, not Mielle?’ And he had been thinking about her for so many nights, but he couldn’t realize what it was like to him.

‘Why, why didn’t I notice it when this mind was a little bit smaller?’ At her presence, which had grown so large that it had become a part of his daily life, he was filled with regret.

Isis wrapped her head, looking at it because it was all revealed on his face.

“… you’re a smart kid, so I trust you’ll end it with your heart.”

She didn’t mean to believe it. It was more like a threat to do so. If he didn’t… he realized that she would certainly not let Aria go.

“Do you understand, Oscar?”

Isis hastened.

‘If I don’t answer right away, she will hurt Aria… why can’t I say that I will do that?’

“Oscar…!”

Now Isis’s call was more of a cry. She even clenched her fists, forgetting her prestige.

“If you keep coming out like that, you know what I’m going to do!”

Isis, who could no longer control her anger at his hesitant attitude, turned as if she would hurt Aria at any moment.

It was then. “Sister Isis!”

Oscar called Isis. Isis turned around, hoping that he would make up his mind. He stared at his sister with a distorted face from a distance, and he looked miserable and sad as if he had lost half his soul.

“… I’ll do what you say. So please…”

Oscar wrapped his face, asking her not to hurt the poor girl who was despised by everyone. She was a weak beast who he had to bury as soon as he realized his great heart.

He, who sobbed faintly as if he were about to be broken, put life back into Isis’s face. She approached Oscar slowly. A white, shiny hand stroked his hair.

“Yes, if you are bewitched by a wicked woman, you’ll suffer this much. From now on, be sure to keep your mind tight. This sister believes you.”

Oscar’s sobbing grew. Isis, who touched it as if it were very lovely, continued to speak,

“I’ll send a present to Lady Mielle, with her favorite bouquet of flowers. All you have to do is be ready to succeed our family as always.”

The strength was given on her hand stroking his hair. Oscar’s head was slightly nodded and Isis, satisfied, disappeared into the mansion, leaving only his brother in the garden where everyone had left.

————–

9. Testing and Trial (II)

A few days after Mielle had visited the mansion of the Duke of Frederick, Aria received a letter. It came from Oscar, who had always exchanged letters.

‘It’s weird, Oscar’s letter had just arrived…’

Not even a reply had been made yet. ‘But why did I get another letter?’ When she opened her letter in wonder, there was a surprise inside.

[I won’t be able to exchange letters in the future, as I’m about to graduate. Please take care of yourself.]

‘… why? Haven’t you been so busy as ever? But why don’t you even have time to exchange letters? How many characters do you have to write for a letter, and are you too busy not to even write those?’

She read the letter again and again because she couldn’t believe it. However, reading it again did not change what was written. His letter was all about the last letter.

“You haven’t even replied yet. What’s the matter?”

“He wanted to see you so much and he sent another letter… Mr. Oscar is doing such an unexpected action!”

“Do you want me to get some letter paper?”

“…”

She could not show any reaction with her stiff face. If she wrote back to the person who had said goodbye, she would only hang on to him. If she didn’t write, her relationship with him would end.

‘I thought I bewitched him, but… it’s going to end this easily…’

She didn’t know what to do in such an unexpected situation. She couldn’t think of a way, so she put the letter on the table and lay down on the bed. A sudden rush of tiredness came over her. She didn’t know anything would come to her mind after a short sleep.

“Miss?”

“Are you sick…?”

Feeling unusual, Jessie and Annie glanced at Aria, who was lying in bed, then quietly went out of the room.

Aria thought with her eyes closed. If the hourglass could go back a little further, she’d find out why, but she couldn’t figure out anything by five minutes.

Aria, who closed her eyes in the quiet room, took a short nap. It was because she felt so tired and wanted to put a blind eye to the situation that was wrong with Oscar. Aria, who fell asleep like that, could open her eyes by the time the sun began to set and the room was dyed with scarlet.

Having a deep sleep, a dreamless dream, made her feel better. In addition, she could decide not to stay still but write a letter to Oscar asking him why.

[Why did you suddenly make that decision? By any chance, do you have anything bad? I’m worried. If your reply is late, it’ll be OK. please don’t tell me to stop writing a letter, please.]

The last word ‘please’ hurt her pride because she had never hung on anyone in her life.

‘What else I can do?’ He was the best card that could hurt Mielle. She couldn’t be taken him away from her like this.

‘So please…’

The letter was sealed in hopes that the long-awaited relationship would not end. Then someone knocked on the door when she was about to call one of her maids to deliver the letter to Oscar. It was both Jessie and Annie who came inside when she made a sound.

“Miss! Miss!”

“What’s up?”

Aria scolded Annie because of her loud voice as soon as she came in. Still, she made a cry with making a grimace.

“What shall we do, miss?”

“What’s up?”

It was Annie who couldn’t bother her with anything. Instinctively she felt something was wrong and hastened her.

“No, well… ugh, whew… Mr. Oscar…”

“Mr. Oscar?”

‘What about Oscar?’ He was the one who had said goodbye to Aria to stop writing a letter.

‘What else happened to make Annie cry?’ Aria’s face turned pale little by little.

“He sent a present to Miss Mielle…”

“… then?”

“Well, he mentioned engagement in the letter!”

‘… engagement?’

Aria’s face turned pale when she heard the news. This was because it felt like a permanent farewell with the letter that had arrived today, even though it certainly could happen.

“Now Miss Mielle is bragging about the engagement down there! She’s reciting the contents of the letter like a song. I couldn’t stand it when I opened my eyes!”

As Annie was huffing, Jessie with an embarrassing face was seen behind Annie. Annie’s uproar was embarrassing, and Jessie also seemed offended.