The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass

Chapter 33. Revenge, Part III

Translator: Khan

Editor: SootyOwl

'Yeah, you wouldn't. You couldn't have been made unstable by me so easily because you were the one who put me to death. I underestimated you too much. Of course, you did say you wanted to kill me from the first time you saw me.'

No matter how innocent Aria pretended to be, there was a big difference between her and Mielle, who had been their master since birth. It would be a piece of cake for her to dominate the servants and maids in the Roscent mansion.

Perhaps, she might have even shed angelic tears and urged the maids to get revenge on Aria in secret. Aria had enslaved two stupid knights while thinking it to be an opportunity since she hadn't known that.

'How could this happen?'

"Miss, we're here."

When she was shocked to reach that conclusion, the carriage stopped, and Jessie announced that they had arrived at the jewelry shop.

Aria got out of the carriage with the help of one distracted knight. Aria's handkerchief, sweat-soaked and wet, jutted out of the pocket of the stupid driver's pants as he waited in front of the carriage.

'I can't believe I've not thought of anything while carrying these guys around.' Aria showed a self-mocking smile, thinking that she could not deceive her humble birth.

"You go back first. I'll find my own way back."

At that, the driver opened his eyes wide, and his chin trembled, as if he was embarrassed by the sudden order.

Although his status was confirmed, the sudden change in driver was unreliable. It was strange that the former driver had had a stomach ache all of a sudden, and that he hadn't reported it.

And the strangest thing of all was the demeanor of the driver, who had become very agitated by the words "go back."

'Isn't it strange that you're more uncomfortable with being told to go back than when I rebuked your mistakes?'

It was clear that something was up, and the creaking of the carriage made that more evident.

'Don't tell me… I'd rather go back in a rented carriage.'

"Will you get me another carriage?" Aria asked one of her escort knights.

Preparing the carriage was a servant's job, not a knight's, but his master had ordered him to do so, so he couldn't protest.

In addition, there already was some reticence about their capabilities since the knights hadn't noticed the change in driver. Aria was more than qualified to instruct the knight to find a new and safer carriage.

The driver tried to say something, as if he was trying to excuse himself, but soon, he bowed and said goodbye. Aria responded to it with a friendly smile, passing him on the way to the jewelry store.

* * *

Perhaps because it was a jewelry shop favored by the nobles, the interior was colorful, and it was filled with jewels of sizes and sheen that could not be easily found.

The glass of the cabinet was very clean and transparent, without a speck of dust. Even at closer inspection, they could not see one blemish. The jewels on display exemplified their worth.

"Come in, please."

Two staff dressed in neat suits greeted Aria politely as soon as she opened the door, without a single distraction. It was an undisturbed and moderated greeting.

They did not raise their heads until Aria gave them their instruction Their conduct was impeccably perfect since they were accustomed to dealing with mostly high-ranking nobles.

"I'm looking for a brooch."

"Yes, I see."

The employee who guided Aria to a private room on the second floor immediately served her a portion of snacks such as cookies and chocolates with warm tea.

He bowed a step away from Aria, who was sitting on the sofa savoring the tea, to indicate a request for her requirements.

"It's a brooch for a man in his late teens. Show me everything, from flashy designs to neat ones."

Although Aria was still young and dressed in simple garments, the man did not relinquish his politeness. He wasn't unconditional in how polite he was to a customer, but no matter how simply she dressed herself, he could tell the ranking of her family by the maid accompanying her.

Of course, he could also tell a customer's ranking by their family seal, but no such seal adorned either Aria or her attendants currently.

A golden rose pin stood out on her head, but there was no girl in the Frederik family who was in her early teens, so he concluded that the pin was being worn simply for its beautiful shape.

Nobles were originally full of bravado, so even if the store showed them expensive jewelry that they couldn't afford, they would not lose their composure. But the servants and maids were different. If they found their master could not afford something, there were slightly noticeable changes to their demeanor.

Most of the nobles accompanied by servants did not carry money themselves, so the servants took that job. For that reason, they had a good idea of how much money their master had.

Her maid, Jessie, did not move at all when Aria told him to show them all the brooches without specifying the amount. The maid just nodded from behind Aria as if it were quite natural.

He didn't know her face, but she wasn't a normal noblewoman. Even if he brought her the most expensive brooch, she would buy it if she liked it.

The staffer, who took only the most precious and expensive things out of the cabinet and put them side by side on a silk tray, went back to Aria's room without hurrying.

"I've picked only the most expensive and precious things in the store."

Aria glanced over the brooches that were presented to her. As the employee had said, she saw a row of precious things, none of them ordinary.

Thanks to all the fancy jewelry and accessories that she had seen in her days as part of society, she had no difficulty telling their worth.

Since the staffer's suit was black, she picked up the brooches one by one and put them on his clothes. All the brooches looked good, but after comparing various items, she chose the blue diamond, which was set in the middle of a brooch. The deep, dark blue color somehow caught her heart.

Although the design was not fancy, it was obvious even at a glance that the size and shine of the design were not usual.

'Will he like this brooch? I hope he burdened by it.'

The blue diamond was so rare that it was worth the sum of all the dresses and ornaments he had sent so far. She thought that jewel would be good.

"Wrap it up for me. Oh, and I'd like to have some small brooches made too."

"How small would you like them?"

"Hmm… About the size of a thumbnail?"

Because there were some writing instruments on the table, Aria explained her idea in detail. She wanted a golden brooch the size of a thumbnail carved with the seal of the Roscents, where every petal was a small ruby.

Only then, did the staffer realize she was from the Roscent family and gulped. He did so because he knew Mielle's face well, so she could not be her. In fact, he thought she might be the daughter of the rumored prostitute.

He was told that she looked like an evil spirit, but he hadn't received a detailed description of her appearance. Looking at her now, he thought she was a charming girl, far from an evil one.

In addition, unlike the rumors, she did not make any trouble, but was elegant enough to compare her to any other aristocratic lady.

She had a good eye, one that appraised differently from other aristocrats, who would try to find fault while pretending to know about the craft. The staffer treated her even more politely then.

"How many would you like to order?"

"Let's start with five."

"It'll take about a day."

"That's quick. Then, bring them tomorrow with the brooch I bought today."

"Yes."

The jeweler had a close relationship with the craftsmen in the capital, so he was able to respond directly to customers' custom orders.

After the order was finished and payment had been settled, a receipt for a huge amount of money was held in Jessie's hand.

"I'd like to enclose a letter."