"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"... Yeah?"
"The cups look heavy."
Obviously, two sets of tea cups could not be heavy. And even if they were heavy, how could they get help from their master? Mielle's maid appeared behind the two bewildered maids.
"Give them to me. I will bring them."
"Eh, Mrs. Emma?"
The maids with the refreshments turned pale because she was not the kind to do such a thing. Nevertheless, they were unable to refuse their master's and Emma's instructions, and the refreshments soon fell into their hands.
"Miss, shall we go in?"
"... Yes."
Mielle, who swallowed hard, entered the lounge with her maid. There was a man sitting there, for whom she longed constantly.
"Mr. Oscar."
"... Lady Mielle?"
He looked quite surprised at Mielle, who showed up with tea tray herself.
'What kind of aristocratic lady does that, foregoing her maids and servants?'
Mielle, who claimed she did chores, seemed to say that she didn't care about such things. In truth, she was just wondering why he had come to see Aria.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Oscar. How have you been?"
"How have you been?"
"I have been busy learning embroidery."
"I see."
His eyes followed Mielle's little hands, which laid the tea cups on the table clumsily. There was a touch of uneasiness to her, so her maid, Emma, set the teacups right and poured the tea.
Mielle smiled like a flower and said, "Can I talk to you until my sister comes?"
Oscar couldn't refuse Mielle's presence, so he nodded silently and said, "Sure."
Mielle sat elegantly opposite of him and drank the tea Emma had prepared, even though the tea had been prepared for Aria's share.
"I think you're a little thin."
"I was busy."
"Oh, you are having exams soon, aren't you? Come to think of it, it's a busy time for the academy."
"Yes."
"But, I guess you've got some important business since you are visiting the Roscent mansion not on a weekend, but on a weekday."
"... I could say so."
There was a small tremor in the cup held by Mielle. After halting her speech for a moment and drinking some tea, Mielle noticed something in the hands of the servant waiting behind him.
It was a bouquet of lilies. They had to be for Aria since he had not handed them over to her.
'Is it a birthday present? Why?'
Pure lilies didn't match such a dirty person. She was the only one who could really receive lilies.
Mielle closed her eyes once and then opened them. Having been taught to be noble since birth, she knew how to keep her elegance under any circumstance. Even if this was a situation where someone she loved had prepared a bouquet for someone else.
"You're very sweet. I guess you're here because it's my sister's birthday. Unfortunately, the party is already over. I was not invited, so I just gave her a present."
YOU ARE READING
The villainess reverses the hourglass
FantasiAria's mother is a prostitute and marries a count, and Aria suddenly rises to fame as the daughter of the Roscent Family. Aria lives a life of luxury, but is killed by a plot by her sister, Mielle. She dies amidst the cold stares and jeers from thos...