The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“Really? Then, why are you doing this alone? Annie left for the Imperial Castle with Baron Burboom, saying she was going to show off in the dress I gave her from the morning… well, didn’t you like it?”

“No! I love it so much! It’s not the reason…”

“Then?”

‘If not, why?’ Aria asked, blinking her eyelashes which had become longer and richer with makeup.

But Jessie did not answer, and one of the maids who had been aware of it said carefully on her behalf. “Well—Your Highness the Crown Princess, if you don’t mind, may I answer for her?”

With the full support of Aria, and with his excellent competence, he became a famous person, even though he was a commoner, and the maid of the Imperial Castle seemed to know his whereabouts.

“Do you know Hans?”

“Yes… I’m really sorry to hear that, but I didn’t dare ask for permission and opened my mouth first to do anything to help you.”

Aria stared into the eyes of the maid, who were really sorry for her answer because they looked like Annie, who was looking for a chance every time. The maid seemed to want to take this opportunity to impress Aria with this because she had heard that all her close maids had been well-fed and had a good favor of Aria.

“… Really? Jessie won’t answer, so will you let me know?”

And Aria didn’t hate such people, because it was easy to get the relationship as someone wanted to receive some price, rather than kindness without paying.

As soon as Aria’s permission was given, the maid’s eyes shone and she answered with a quick, unscrupulous expression. “Yes, I believe he works in the Imperial Castle, and I heard he’s organizing gifts to be given to the national marriage.”

“… Is he organizing the gifts?”

“Yes, I believe that too many gifts have been brought in and all the remaining personnel has been mobilized.”

“Oh, my God…”

‘He’s working now.’ She was surprised to hear that as if she could not imagine that he was working until today, even though she had heard that he was so competent that he was asked for help here and there.

“… What’s your name?”

“I’m Seg Ruby.”

Seg Ruby. She seems to be a lady of the Viscount family of Seg. Since she was the maid serving the Crown Prince in the Imperial Castle, it was no wonder that the noblewoman would fill the position.

Ruby, who had so much desired attention from Aria, waited for her next words, with her eyes shining. “Okay, Ruby, go tell Hans I’m looking for him.”

“I see, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

In addition, she got an order separately, and she went out of the mansion in a hurry with a happy face.

“What are you going to do, Miss?”

Jessie, watching it, asked Aria, embarrassed and not knowing what to do, though she knew that if she called Hans, who was busy, to the mansion, there was only one thing left.

“Hurry up to be dressed up and get a makeup. Don’t tell me, you’re going to attend my one-time wedding in a maid’s uniform. There are so many maids to replace you.”

“…”

“And Hans is an old acquaintance and I don’t have a mind to retrieve my order, so if you don’t want him to attend alone, get ready now. Even if you’re going to be there like that, I won’t stop you.”

It was half-threatening, but the meaning was so sweet, and none of the people who heard Aria’s words felt it.

“Miss…”

“But if you go there in that uniform, the dress that I bought for you will probably be crying in your closet. The dress was maid elaborately… How sad will the designer be? Poor thing.”

With Aria’s encouragement to go on and get ready for the wedding, Jessie, who was at a loss and didn’t know what to do, nodded slowly.

“… Thank you, Miss.”

“Stop thanking me, but just go and get ready.”

Then Jessie ran to her room. After Jessie disappeared, the maids who were helping Aria’s dress up smiled inwardly and praised her good heart.

A few moments later, Hans came to the mansion as he heard Aria was looking for him, but he looked serious, worried that something was wrong. Now that he could not dare to go inside and face Aria, he stood before the door and asked her, in a very urgent voice,

“I heard you found me!”

“Yes, I did, you left Jessie alone.”

“… Yes?”

“You have been working on a day like this…Do you need to organize the gifts so quickly? They’re not going anywhere.”

They didn’t run, but the amount was too much and they had to be dealt with urgently. That was what Hans had done. But as he seemed concerned that he was not able to attend the ceremony with Jessie, in the corner of his mind, his face became brightened as Aria blamed him.

“Then, the reason you called me…”

“I’m sure she’s ready by now, so take Jessie with you, and if you don’t have a carriage, you can borrow it from the mansion, the prettiest carriage.”

“…!”

When Hans was unable to speak to Aria’s consideration and did not go away, Aria rebuked him again, asking him what he was doing without going.

“Jesse is my favorite maid, and I hope you will treat her without any shortage.”

As Hans’s ability was outstanding and he was an acquaintance of the past, she cared for in many ways, but the bigger reason was that Hans was Jessie’s lover.

Aria hoped Hans would be successful and make Jessie happy. For Aria, his success was not a priority but Jessie’s happiness. Therefore, it would be troublesome if he would just concentrate on his work and leave Jessie alone.

“Oh, I see!”

When she heard Hans walking away with his answer, Aria saw herself in the mirror with a sigh of relief.

From the past to the present, the face that had fascinated countless people was truly beautiful. It was so beautiful that it was incomparable to anyone, but as it was carefully decorated for the ceremony, it was like a picture.

‘I hope Asher likes it.’

Even if she hadn’t dressed up, he had loved her as he had secretly reddened his ears, but as she decorated herself like this, she hoped he would openly express his mind in public once.

“How pretty in the world…”

“There’s no such thing as an angel from heaven. I gave birth to you, but the admiration comes out naturally.”

In the meantime, Carin and Violet came to Aria’s room, after they finished their preparation. It was time to get ready to leave. The Crown Princess’s tiara would be raised by the Crown Prince, during the ceremony, and only the jewel pins that would fix her hair were waiting for their turn.

This was usually done by the bride’s mother, and Carin tried to get the pins in her hand as if she had thought she deserved it, but then…

“I’m sorry, mother. I have someone else to put in the pins.”

“… Eh?”

‘Violet?’ Carin’s eyes turned to Violet and Violet opened her eyes incredulously, but neither of them could not put the pins on her hair.

“Then who…?”

‘Who on earth is putting pins in Aria’s hair, beating Carin and Violet?’ As if the maids were also curious, they all held their breath and waited for Aria’s answer.

“My dear friend.”

‘So, who is it?’ In exchange for an answer, Aria’s long-awaited “dear friend” arrived at the mansion shortly after. She was known by the servants of the mansion, Carin, and by the maids of the Imperial Castle except Violet.

“Sarah!”

It was Sarah who had become the Marquise of Vincent.

“Aria! Oh, my God, how can you be so beautiful? You’re so pretty that I don’t even dare be jealous!”

She wanted to keep Aria’s beauty somewhere in secret if she could. Carin was a bit despondent but laughed helplessly at the fact that Sarah was the one who would put the hairpins on her.

“She’s my grandmother. You haven’t seen her before, right? This is Sarah, my best friend, Marquise Vincent.”

“I see. You are Aria’s dear friend… Nice to meet you, I’m Aria’s grandmother.”

“It’s an honor, ma’am.”

Sarah greeted Violet with an immaculate, respectful gesture. She was a prominent figure among the nobles. Violet smiled as softly as she did when she was dealing with Aria, whether she liked the noble and elegant Sarah very much. It was also thanks to that she was the most precious friend of Aria.

“Sarah, I want you to fix my hairpin.”

“… It’s an honor, Aria.”

Aria had replaced the role of Sarah’s wedding.