THE VILLAINESS TURNS THE HOURGLASS

Translator: Khan

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

Each of the servants, who watched Mielle descend from the carriage that arrived at the mansion, spoke a word, and Mielle looked angrily at them.

“You guys have a foul mouth. Is it because your master has changed from an aristocrat to a commoner? How did you endure in the meantime?”

Then, she said a harsh word, and Annie, who got out of the carriage late, replied with a smile,

“Oh my God, do you think you can scold them? Why are you getting angry when they’re telling the truth?”

‘Although I was downgraded to a commoner, how could you insult me openly?’

The surprised servants began to whisper to each other, and Mielle, who had come to Aria, was about to be angry with Annie.

“How dare you talk like that even though you’re just a maid?”

“Annie, you did a good job. Mielle, are you here?”

Aria came out of the mansion as if she had waited. She smiled brightly and greeted Mielle, and Annie reported to Aria with an innocent look as if she hadn’t done such a thing.

“Miss! They said I can leave and take her at any time in the future.”

“Really? That’s great.”

Annie flattered Aria as if she was shaking her tail if she had it, and Aria stroked her head, saying that she did a good job as if to praise her behavior.

‘Is that how she got her favor?’ It was indeed disgusting, but Mielle was about to act like her, so she swallowed her saliva. She cleaned up her messy hair and approached Aria.

“Sister!”

“Mielle, you look sick, are you okay?”

“… I, I’m fine.”

In the sweet voice of Aria, she felt a sense of injustice before she even said what had happened.

‘How could you be so generous?’ It was quite different from the image that she had thought of ‘the daughter of a vulgar prostitute’ in the past. Indeed, Aria was a beautiful woman with a very elegant, loving and warm character. She was an angel who reached out her hand to the ones who were harmed.

‘Aria can certainly deal a hard blow to Annie who uses bad words and actions. Annie became my protector, so I had to change her by scolding and fixing her stupid and foolish behavior.’

Mielle rubbed her glowing eyes once and talked to Aria, “I have something to tell you.”

“To me?”

“Yes! You must listen. It’s about a bad kid who doesn’t know who she is and runs wild. I’m worried that she will be troublesome to you.”

At those words, Aria raised her eyebrows and was surprised. “Is there a child like that? I didn’t know at all… It seems to be a very important issue, so I must listen to you.” Mielle then nodded in agreement as she was greatly disturbed.

“Miss, don’t you think Mielle should wash her body first? I think she should change her clothes, too. I can’t let her talk to you like this. She seems to be smelly too.”

Annie didn’t know that the protagonist of the conversation was her and once again insulted Mielle. Mielle expected that if it was Aria, who was like a fox, she would read her intention and scold Annie, but Aria unexpectedly agreed with Annie’s suggestion as she felt Mielle was pitiful.

“Annie, you are her guardian. She may get sick because of the dust so help her. You are a good woman, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Miss. Do not worry. Trust me and rest assured that I’ll take care of Mielle. You’re very busy. You are not the person who will care about this little thing.”

“Thank you, Annie. Mielle, I’m glad Annie will help you. See you later.”

Then she left, leaving only a soft smile. Mielle was ashamed of her hand which was going to say wait a while since it was colorless. ‘Why…? It was clear that Annie’s tone was insulting and sarcastic. Did Annie ever mentioned if she was worried about me?’ As she was speechless, Annie with a triumphant face approached Mielle.

“Well, Mielle. You have to take a bath. All of them are looking at you, frowning.”

As Annie said, all the servants were watching her. The eyes of curiosity, pity, and ridicule gathered in one place. Aria’s permission had fallen, and there was no hesitation in their eyes.

“Hey guys, tell Mielle where the bathroom of the maids is. We can’t dare let her use the bathrooms our masters use.”

“Okay, Annie.”

“Okay. That suits her.”

A few laughter burst out from some of the maids running out as if they were waiting. They were the maids who were attached to Aria.

* * *

“… How do I do that?”

Though she was pushed into the bathroom by rough hands, Mielle, who should have a bath alone for the first time since she was born, stood in front of a huge bath basin with a small bucket and expressed embarrassing words; she didn’t know what to do.

She thought about how it would be like to wash herself with the water in that big basin and put her hand into it. The cold water temperature that was like ice was creepy.

“Oh my! It’s so cold!” Startled, Mielle hurriedly pulled her hand out and wrapped it.

Though winter had passed and it was already early spring, it was not a temperature one should bathe in without heating the bath first.

‘Do all the maids take a bath using this cold water? Do commoners always do this? How can they take a bath with this cold water and don’t get sick? If I wash my body with this water, I think I’ll catch a cold and fall down right away…’

It was clear that it was obviously not. No, she was sure. And even if the common people bathed in cold water, she did not want to do it herself. Even if she understood she should wash herself, she could not take a bath with such cold water. ‘I think it’s okay to warm it up a bit, and why should I take a cold bath?’

When she threw the basin as she thought it was nonsense and opened the door to get out of the bathroom, the maids were waiting at the door. Somehow the dissatisfied expressions of the maids seemed to be due to Mielle, who had left the bathroom without even bathing properly.

“Miss, why did you just come out? … Oh, no, hmm, why did you get out, Mielle?” A maid, who was still unfamiliar to talking down to Mielle, asked, correcting her words. She was quite awkward with her arms folded. It was because she had to flatter Mielle in the past. Nevertheless, the maid’s eyes were as cold as Annie’s.

Mielle replied with an angry face, “… How can I take a bath with that cold water?”

“Cold? It’s normal water.” Mielle’s resistance did not work at all, and the other maid answered in a natural way.

“Normal? That may be true for you guys, but not for me. I can’t take a bath with that cold water, so bring me hot water.”

“What? Do you think you can warm up the water and wash yourself like a lady? Now figure out who you are and your position.” The face of the maid was colder than the water Mielle had to bathe in.

Mielle lost her words and bit her lips. ‘Why are they harsh to me? At one time they had been her maids who had praised her as the most beautiful and elegant lady. As the maids of the richest family in the empire, they had been always proud of themselves and never lost their pride, but why are they now stupid and stuck to the common people?’

“… I was trying to talk to you because you were the maids of the family of Count Roscent, but I was a fool. I should tell my sister.”

Mielle sighed as if it was not worth it to have a conversation with them. It seemed that she was getting this kind of treatment since she was now just a commoner, but she was not from a lowly background to be treated like this unlike them.

‘I am the daughter of the mansion’s owner and the younger sister of Aria in the first place. If I talk to Aria, this would all be over.’ Aria would be very sad if she knew about this. It was funny that she, who was born as a noble, had a haggling with the maids with these trivial problems.

In addition, Mielle had no energy to argue with them now. Rather than wasting her time in such a trivial thing, she wanted to quickly wash her body, eat a nutritious meal, and lie down in a cozy bed to sleep. Because of that, she tried to get out of the bathroom and go to Aria, but one of the maids grabbed her shoulder and prevented her from doing so.