The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

After the conversation, Carin and Aria looked at Violet. They came to the conclusion that there was no need to do so, so it meant that she should call her by name.

However, Violet, who received the attention, was frozen in a nervous state, not knowing how to answer. There was a question on her face that she didn’t know if she really should call her by name.

“… If you really want to call me Lady, I can’t help it.”

As Aria tried to change her dress by speaking carelessly as if it were her last chance, Violet, who was startled, stammered by the end, calling her name,

“A… Aria!”

“Yes… grandmother.”

And Aria also called her “Grandmother” instead of “Mrs. Violet.” It was an unbecoming title for Violet, who looked pretty and young for her age, but Violet began to cry as if she liked it very much. If she left her alone, she would cry out, so Carin broke in between the two as soon as possible and changed the subject.

“Now that you’re done with the title, why don’t you take a look at the mansion? This is the most beautiful house, not to be compared in the empire. I had put much effort and money to decorate it and it was a pretty good place to leave it like this.”

“You’d better do that, grandma. The indoor garden my mother carefully decorated is also quite worth seeing.”

However, despite changing the subject, Aria failed to stop her tears by calling Violet grandmother again. Still, Violet replied with a very bright and sweet smile, so Carin and Aria responded with a gentle smile.

* * *

The ornaments tailored to the dress did not arrive, even though there were only a few days left for the national marriage. It was because of the late completion of the dress due to the excessive demands of Asher.

If he had set the sufficient days to the national marriage in the first place, it would not have been so tight, but the minimum date to the national marriage had been set due to the strong demand and insistence of Asher that the royal family should receive the Crown Princess as soon as possible and find stability.

In the meantime, Aria put off all her schedules and had a good time with her family, who had visited the empire in a long time. She didn’t do anything special. She was just taking a walk, drinking tea and having dinner together, as much as she had been in the mansion of the Marquis of Piast.

Nevertheless, it was about time that she felt sorry that this simple joy would come to an end soon.

“Miss! You have a visitor! They’re from the jewelry store!” Annie came running up and announced the visitor in a voice of exhilaration.

“The jewelry store?”

“Yes! They brought along several large boxes!”

“Really?”

‘Are the ornaments finished?’ Aria, who had been worried that the ceremony should be held without jewelry because it was such a short schedule, hurried a little bit, feeling it was fortunate.

“I was worried about the time, but I’m glad they have arrived. I led them to the lobby.” Carin said as if she might have come down first.

Violet also appeared, following her. This was because she promised to drink tea while enjoying flowers in the garden in the midst of spring. Violet might have heard a visit from the jewelry store, and she urged Aria to go to check with a twinkle in her eyes.

“How many large boxes did you bring? It’s going to be fun choosing.”

“Should I choose the ornaments, wearing the dress?”

“I love you would do that, but I’m afraid it’s going to be broken. It was a very delicate dress.”

When Aria asked if she would choose the ornaments, wearing her dress, Violet replied with a very worried tone. Nevertheless, her expression was so bright that she looked really strange.

And Carin agreed with Aria. “It’s a pure white dress, so you don’t have to wear it. White will match any color.”

“That’s true.”

Though it was a short distance, Aria, Violet, and Carin talked about what ornaments would suit her best, while they moved to the lobby. Then they soon came to the conclusion that Aria would be able to digest anything elegantly and beautifully, and it was a very fast conclusion.

“Please come in, he’s waiting inside.”

When they reached the lobby, a man who seemed to be a servant from the jewelry store bowed deeply and greeted the three. Though it was a bit strange to say that his dress and speech tone was from the jewelry store; the three were distracted by the ornaments they were about to meet soon, entered the parlor with great excitement, not feeling strange about them.

“Lady Aria.”

“…!”

And the unexpected figure in the lobby made Aria stiff as a stone.

“Why, why is Your Highness here…? So on behalf of Aria, Carin asked why Asher had visited the mansion.

“I came to see you.”

“… Oh, my God. You have a short temper even though the wedding is just around the corner, and you should see the bride dressed up on the day.” When Violet smiled softly and gave a rather complaint, because his answer was so impassive, Asher made an excuse, “Among the ornaments, there are some which were made by my instruction, and I’ve come to check on them, so please don’t be so angry. The time was urgent, and I couldn’t help it.”

“Did you instruct the ornaments after the dress? What if there was a rumor?”

“That’s what I wanted. I hope no one doesn’t dare to look at you because of the rumor.”

As he answered with a certain impudence as if he would make a rumor, Violet laughed in the end. The laughter included a relief to confirm that Asher was a good person to really care for Aria. It was the same for Carin, and she smiled softly and urged him to check the ornaments.

“It’ll take a while to check all these ornaments, and I think it’ll be done until the day of the ceremony.”

“Well, you’re right. There are so many of them.”

While Carin and Violet were hurrying to check the ornaments, Aria, who had been watching quietly until then, approached Asher and asked him in a very low voice how he had come here, leaving his job behind.

“You were busy, weren’t you?”

“I’ve done all the urgent work and came here.”

‘Does it meant that other people are handling the rest of his work that is not urgent?’ Aria, who had interpreted the hidden meaning of Asher’s words, sighed inside, saying that many people were suffering because of her.

“Oh, look at this, Madame Marquise. Do you think this emerald would look good on Aria?”

“That’s true. The sapphire earrings tailored to the ring will look good matched.”

“It wouldn’t be too bad to wear a red diamond to attract people’s eyes, would it?”

“It would be good to be a point!”

“It’s not bad to dress up all in pure white, and I can’t say what the best thing is, because all of them are going to look good for her.”

“I agree.”

As if they were wearing it, Carin and Violet carefully checked each ornament, and Aria who had watched it for a moment said that there was no need for that.

“Why?”

“Come and check on them, Aria.”

“No, I have an ornament and I’ve already decided.”

“Without looking?” Violet and Carin stared at her and asked for more details.

Aria answered, glancing at Asher once. “I’m going to decide the ornament Mr. Asher instructed.”

“… Did you see it in advance?”

“No, not really, but I thought the jewelry might be the right design for the dress he ordered himself.”

It didn’t matter if it was a design that didn’t fit the dress, but there is a further significance that Asher had prepared himself even though he had been busy.

Besides, it was a wedding that might be once in a lifetime, and she thought it would not be too bad to wear a dress and ornaments decorated by her lover. Of course, all of these decisions were possible because she was confident that she would digest anything beautifully and elegantly.

“… I thought His Highness is the only one, but Aria, you also…”

‘A stupid donkey!’ Carin didn’t mention it, but everyone in the lobby could expect the omitted words.

‘How are they madly in love with each other?’ He hadn’t been afraid to show her off as if he hadn’t been shy, and Aria hadn’t also expressed her feelings, but she had seemed to enjoy it.

This was the case when Asher had been riding in the most splendid carriage in the empire to advertise meeting Aria in the first place, and he hadn’t said anything, but he had been eager to talk about it all the way around the neighborhood.