Chapter 36. Revenge, Part VI

Translator: Khan

Editor: SootyOwl

Before Aria, startled, took any action, Asterope, on bended knee, reached out for her hand. Aria's face stiffened at the sight of the action she had seen so much elsewhere.

No way!

"May I say goodbye to the back of your hand?"

"... No."

'What nonsense are you saying? You have kept your hood on this entire time, not even showing me yourself.'

Despite her calm and resolute refusal, Asterope laughed lightly. It seemed that he hadn't wanted her to say yes from the beginning. He rose without regret.

"Oh, you are a pretty cold woman."

"You are too hot, aren't you? It's quite different from last time."

She had lived a life longer than her years, but it was her first time seeing a rude person like that man, aside from those who had approached her drunk and without measure.

Last time, she had been scared to death, but today, she felt like he was acting crazy. Even after Aria's sharp words, he maintained a sudden smile about him.

"I apologize for what happened the other day. It was very important to me, which is why I'm giving you this kind of reward."

"Ah… OK. Then, can I go now?"

Aria did not listen to Asterope. She had no words to speak to him nor business with him, so she turned around without regret. He wasn't polite, and she didn't want to talk to him anymore.

He didn't have to, nor need to, but he was about to see Aria off.

Asterope's eyes moved across Aria's body, but his own body did not move a muscle. The deep, blue eyes were full of pure hospitality, without any kind of malice.

'He is foolish.'

Aria, trying to get on the carriage while being gazed at by him, suddenly stumbled and dropped the bouquet at her feet.

Surprised by this, Aria, her eyes widened, stumbled to pick up the bouquet. She didn't even realize her movements were counterproductive, crushing the flowers

"Oh, my goodness!"

"…!"

No, that was exactly what Aria was after. It was also a sign that she would not receive the flowers from Asterope. Tulips, which normally had a good smell, quickly soaked up the nasty waste fluid underneath the carriage due to Aria's very natural movements.

What a coincidence! Because he had only chosen petals, the way she had crushed them made it impossible to recognize the original. Aria, who determined that she could not pick them up, raised her body with a sad look on her face.

On her behalf, one of the knights picked up the pitiful bouquet. The tulips, which had just boasted superlative beauty, had now turned into a messy heap that would sour the mood of those who looked at them.

"What shall I do with this?"

"…"

Asterope stared at Aria with a firm face. She faced his eyes for a while as if to say she was very sorry, and he smiled as if he remained cheerful.

It was obvious that he should be in a bad mood, but he looked very well, like he had been waiting for that.

"I don't think such an ugly bouquet suits you, so I think it's better to throw it away."

Even though he had been offended, he looked very happy. He looked like a beast that had found its prey.

'How dare you?!'

It was Aria who was offended by this. She had expected a contorted face, but like she had imagined, the man's thoughts were a mystery to her.

"Well, can I ask you to do it?"

"Yes."

The ugly bouquet went back to Asterope. The crushed flowers and his beastly eyes somehow strangely matched and made her shudder.

Aria hurried into the carriage. At the urging of her immediate departure, the carriage rushed to her destination, and Asterope's expression turned cold again while he stared at the carriage for a while, still without taking off his hood.

* * *

The carriage the knight had borrowed was luckily as good as the time she had had to wait. Misfortune did not seem to continue, and she was able to get back to the mansion without discomfort in that pleasant and comfortable carriage.

Nevertheless, Aria couldn't afford to appreciate the trip. She was confused by her thoughts on Asterope.

'... What the hell is he doing?'

There was silence in the carriage ride back to the mansion. Aria, looking roughly at the scenery passing through the window, recalled the look that had bothered her.

'I'm sure he has some intention.'

Otherwise, it didn't make sense to suddenly change and pretend to be close to her.

'Why on earth? What made him change? And what did he see in me that makes him want to be close to me?'

The unexpected man kept dominating her mind, so she was confused.

'... Let's stop. It's not this trivial thing that I have to think about now.'

Aria shook her head to shake off her thoughts.

On her way home to the mansion, she immediately caught the driver who had driven the rattling carriage and ordered a servant to bring the driver who had returned first because of a stomach ache to her. She did so to confirm whether the story was true or false. She thought it was probably a lie. Unfortunately, however, the answer was not what she expected.

"He is in the hospital?"

"Yes, he looks very ill. He kept complaining of a stomach ache and nausea."

'Did that happen because he really was sick?'

No, there couldn't be such a coincidence. Even he was really ill, someone must have made him sick. It was not a chance. When she thought of the driver sweating profusely, she did not think it was a coincidence. It was clearly a situation intended by someone.

"Go get his status, whether he really is sick and where he is interned."

"Yes, miss."

At Aria's order, John went straight to check on the driver's condition. Fortunately, he was hospitalized at a nearby hospital, which gave her quick access to the news.

The doctor diagnosed the driver's disease as food poisoning. He had a hasty lunch waiting for Aria, so the doctor guessed that the seafood from that lunch had gone bad.

"By the way, the driver's wife, who ate the same lunch as him, is fine?"

"Yes, she must have eaten first, then the driver arrived at the mansion late and ate what was left of hers."

"Is that so? That's a pity."

There was no way the food would go bad that quickly with the cool autumn wind blowing. Aria's lips twisted when she heard John's report. She concluded that this had been the situation intended by a specific person. The person was a very small, clever, and terrible little girl.

'Is it because of the gift I received from Oscar?'

If that was the real reason, it was very childish and funny. If a lover showed favor to others, she should not afflict others, but instead, try to win his heart. The only thing she gained by bullying someone was a momentary joy. It was what Aria had experienced and realized in the past.

'You're going to go mad, smoothly.'

It was only a matter of time before she would be ruined because Aria's goal was not to do purposeless evil, but to affect her feelings, unlike in the past. Even if she had suffered unpleasantness in the past, Aria's thoughts were not wrong.

'Do I have to get out of here now?' There was only emotional evidence that Mielle would be behind this. Moreover, no matter how much Mielle plotted, Aria could not easily accuse her because the absolute goodwill of all was still directed at Mielle.

'There are many ways.'

Of course, she would punish those who had participated in this matter. It was necessary to make them admit their crimes and drive them away. She was going to kick them out, pretending she didn't notice it as much as she could while looking pitiful.

Aria gave a lot of praise to John, who had learned that the carriage that had rattled badly had been broken. Some parts had been missing, and with that information, she headed to the countess' room. The countess had just returned home.

The count had been absent for a long time, and all the power of the mansion had fallen on her. To ask for help from the countess, who was entirely on Aria's side, was as easy as ordering Jessie to bring her tea.