The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“… Did he take over the casino?”

“Yes, the Crown Prince has sold the casino. It’s going to be announced.”

‘Why? Wasn’t the casino still managed by the Crown Prince?’ She couldn’t understand why it was suddenly sold off.

“Why? His Highness would not have intended to sell the casino…”

She tried to ask him if the Crown Prince had no intention to sell the casino, but she hurriedly closed her mouth. Then eyes poured on her, who did not keep her speech. In particular, the eyes of Asher were persistent. She was horrified that his blue eyes would pierce her heart. He glared his eyes as if to hasten the following words of Aria.

“… I thought so.”

So she hurriedly changed her words as if she had been thinking. Fortunately, it continued naturally. But the content wasn’t.

Asher, who had been watching the debate all along, asked, “Why did you think so?”

‘That’s because he didn’t sell it in the past.’ The Crown Prince had run the casino until a big accident had happened. Everyone had accused him of being incapable and had cursed him for ruining the Empire. Aria also remembered that she had helped with the voice.

“That’s… it’s not long since he started managing it on behalf of Viscount Lupre. If he were going to dispose of it so quickly, wouldn’t it be normal not to take it in the first place?”

On a plausible excuse, most seemed convinced that she had thought so. But it wasn’t Asher.

He asked tenaciously again as if to interrogate her, “There is a possibility that he managed the casino for a while to investigate it in detail. Since then, isn’t it natural to say that he’s sold it to the right person?”

“It can’t be. Viscount Vigue is a core person among the Aristocratic Party, but how could he be the right man for the Crown Prince?”

“Well…”

Instead of answering Aria’s question, he put his mouth up and laughed. At the smile, Aria realized that she was thinking something wrong.

‘What the hell did I miss?’ After a moment of thought, she found the answer in the words used by Asher.

“… the meaning of the words ‘the right person’ was a trap!”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that he is not suitable for good management for the casino. Perhaps… it can be interpreted that he is the right person for the Crown Prince to play on.”

The one who didn’t know the truth seemed to be Aria alone. The attention and interest poured on her, who grasped the meaning faster than they thought and more accurately.

“… because the financial crisis for the Aristocratic Party is at stake, Viscount Vigue who took over the casino has to put himself on steam. If he makes a contribution this time, he’ll be in a different position.”

She grasped the flow, but there was one strange thing. In the past, Viscount Vigue had not been included in the casino case, but why did he enter this time?

Unlike in the past, who persuaded the Crown Prince? Had it been done after the last meeting she had insisted on doing so? An outcome would change if there was a cause, but no matter how many times she thought, the only reason that came to her mind was the remarks she had made in this meeting.

‘… that can’t be.’

At the very least, what the fifteen-year-old girl’s suggestion could not have been in the ear of the Crown Prince. It was strange that the Crown Prince had suddenly changed his mind, but the same thing had happened before, so she thought it might be just a butterfly effect.

Besides, it was a gathering attended by Vika, the leader of the Aristocratic Party. If this meeting was related to the Crown Prince, it would change into a very complicated and dangerous one.

And there was a big reason to lower that possibility very much. In the past, the Crown Prince had succumbed to the Aristocratic Party. If Vika had really been a member of the Crown Prince’s Party who had infiltrated as a spy to the Aristocratic Party, he would have somehow tried to dig up information and helped the Crown Prince.

“You are very intelligent.” There was admiration on Asher’s face. He seemed genuinely surprised at Aria’s reasoning here alone. Therefore, after the meeting was over, and after everyone had gone back, the praise for Aria was not over. The face of Aria, who had the impudence, was so full of embarrassment.

“You don’t have to exaggerate and praise me. I was the only one who didn’t know the fact.”

“We didn’t share the information with you, so it was natural that you didn’t know. But you inferred a conclusion by yourself. I don’t think anyone can do it easily.”

“Anyone can do it if they have a little time.”

“… No, it was possible because you were special. So I keep coming up with your face.”

Aria’s hands, which were packing the hourglass, stiffened by the casual remark. Looking at him in surprise, his blue, dark, serious eyes were staring at her.

“What, what did you say…?”

When Aria stopped and asked, Asher, who realized what he had said, clicked his tongue briefly and said, “It’s true, so I won’t give you any other excuses.”

Thud! She was shocked as if someone had hit her heart. She had heard this so many times in the past, but she couldn’t answer or act. All she could do was try to calm her heart which was pumping fast enough.

“I didn’t mean to approach you with that thought, but… you keep shaking me.”

Shaking produced no difference between them. ‘Why do you keep putting me in trouble when I was reborn with revenge?’ Aria’s hand, which had stretched out to take the box, moved again. This useless feeling was unnecessary for her now.

“… I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

It had no more voice for Aria, who turned around coldly, whether it had been the same for Asher, either.

* * *

The confusion was brought about earlier than expected. In the past, it had been not until midsummer that they had started feeling a little uncomfortable, but this time it started earlier in the summer.

Of course, the sugar Aria had bought was the first. The loss of inventory, which should have been in stock, caused great pains earlier than in the past. The missing sugar definitely changed the taste of the food. Even Mielle, who did not eat only what she wanted, hesitated to eat. It was because she had already gotten used to the sweet taste.

“… I wish the customs would handle it quickly.” The count’s low voice rang out at the dining hall, where they had not even heard of any sound of a dish. It was a very angry voice.

‘So who told you to monopolize sugar?’

After the sugar trade route had been blocked, the aristocrat who had monopolized it might have rushed to import sugar in search of another client, but it had been too late. It seemed that he had found another supplier, but the customs office had not given him permission.

“I think that the customs office has a hard and fast rule without flexibility. No matter how important the order and procedures are, there are a lot of people who are suffering from this kind of inconvenience…” Mielle complained.

Aria was sick and tired of the dual personality of Mielle who was pretending to be the kindest and most benevolent person in the world, but only when it came to her own business, she felt uncomfortable and distressed.

Then the count helped Mielle, adding his opinion, “The customs says it’s been a long time since all its work was transferred to his jurisdiction of the Crown Prince, but I’m suspicious of his abilities. I’m worried about how he’ll succeed His Majesty because he doesn’t grasp what the priority is.”

Although he seemed concerned about the future of the Empire, the count’s concern was the future of the Empire in which they would be happy. There were more people who did not belong to it than those who did.

At the words of the count, Aria was convinced that this had been led by the Crown Prince. ‘Then, was he a man of the Crown Prince who was arrested as the main culprit in the past?’ If there was no mention of any other character, he seemed to have escaped well.

It took a little longer to wait for the price of sugar to soar. At first, they tried to put up with their anger without expressing it. It took a little time to realize that it was all useless. That was the right time.

So Aria enjoyed reading while waiting for the right time. Books that had been difficult to turn a page at first became easy to turn now. It seemed to be, thanks to a steady reading. It might be due to the fact that she had participated in Asher’s meeting and broadened her knowledge. Their conversation level had been pretty high.