The Villainess Reverses The Hourglass

Chapter 1. The Villainess Turns The Hourglass, Part I

“Lift her head.”

At Cain’s command, Aria, whose hair was strewn about the floor, was grabbed and held up.

Aria’s hair, which was soaked in blood, was raised to midair by a rough hand. Aria’s once beautiful, shiny blonde hair was in a condition worse than the shaggy fur of a pig that had just rolled around in the mud.

“Do you know what your sins are?”

“…”

Cain questioned her, but Aria did not have the energy to reply.

Even if she had some energy left, with her lacerated tongue, it was impossible for her to talk back.

That white, gray, salt-stained tongue was filled with unbearable pain, and it did not even give her the opportunity to repent.

Aria closed her eyes, which was difficult due to the bloating from the countless bruises that had been inflicted upon her. Those eyes had once stirred the hearts of many men, but now, they had become like those of a rotten fish.

Though she felt betrayed and bitter, there was nowhere to go, and Aria simply waited for the Grim Reaper to claim her life.

“Brother, I have one last thing I want to say to Aria.”

The saint, who had been victimized countless times by the evil woman, slowly led her to the execution table.

She smiled, implying that she had already forgiven Aria, and said that she had not been seriously hurt from being pushed down the stairs and that she was okay even after being fed poison. Everyone who had gathered in the parlor thought the same.

Cain shook his head and said, “No.”

“I have to say this. Please…”

How could she be so benevolent to the wicked girl who had tried to hurt and kill her? There was no one who could reject her tearful request.

Eventually, Cain gave his permission, and Mielle, like a poor wildflower, moved her fragile body closer to Aria. It felt as though her shoulders were being crushed by Cain’s sighs.

“These words, which I have contained within me for all this time, are reserved for our sister. Since this might be the last time… I feel like I must tell you… It could be that I’ve been waiting for this day to come.”

Mielle slowly wiped away the transparent tears stuck to her eyelids and knelt down on the floor.

Her sudden action frightened much of the audience, and they rushed forward as if they wanted to intervene. But, Mielle signaled to them that everything was okay and brought her lips to Aria’s ear as if to deliver a final, sacred message.

“You stupid bitch. Playing and fooling around like that with my ladies… Was it fun?”

Aria’s eyes widened as if they would burst out. She slowly turned her stiff, bloated head toward Mielle, who was smiling. Her smile was pure and beautiful, like a flower.

Aria blinked quicikly, unable to understand the nonsense she had just heard. Her mangled tongue prevented her from asking questions.

Mielle read her expression and explained it again, “The ladies who told you to do all those evil acts were all my maids. It was all to portray you as the evil bitch. It was all for this moment.”

“…!”

“I’m telling you this because these are your last moments. I’ve wanted to kill you from the moment you and your naive mother appeared, if possible, in a manner as painful as possible. The shame on our family is such that nobody has even come to see you. How dare you, a bug, crawl here not knowing where you stand? Hoohoo!”

Mielle barely contained the unendurable laughter that nearly erupted from her mouth.

At this moment, she smiled brightly, as if Aria’s tears made her want to sing and dance. Mielle’s joy, which no one else was able to notice, stabbed through Aria’s chest like a blade.

“I had thought of poisoning you like I did to your mother, but I refrained. It’s no fun that way, right? So, I gave my poison to a maid and made her ride in my car. Ah, of course, I didn’t drink it.”

“Ah…! Ahah…!”

Before Mielle could finish, Aria’s body spasmed, and she collapsed to the floor. Aria had used all of the strength she could muster to move, but it had only resulted in a feeble struggle. All the veins in her eyes burst, and blood tears slowly slid down her face.

Mielle finished her speech and stood up. Looking back at the execution table, she slowly returned to her spot with a sad, regretful expression, saying, “It was fun while it lasted… Thinking of how Aria won’t be here is already making me feel empty inside…”

The saint who had forgiven the evil woman buried her face in her holy hands as her shoulders shook. However, she had done that to cover her face filled with joy.

‘Please don’t let the death of the wicked woman cause the saint to suffer. Do not let her feel guilty.’

Everyone who had gathered there was worried about Mielle’s state of mind.

Since there was no one else who had anything to say to Aria, Cain raised his hand. Simultaneously, the knight raised his sword high in the air. The blade shone so brightly that it seemed it could cut through bone with one swing.

And that light grabbed Aria’s attention, and she began to see a strange remnant being created in her view. It was as if an hourglass was one with the light, causing Aria, who was bloodied, to stare at that phenomenon for a long time.

As if it was a rope that could save her life, she reached both of her hands out, spasming violently like a fish out of the water, but her shoulders were stomped upon by the knight.

Soon, Cain lowered his hand, the signal of the evil woman’s execution.

As such, the knight’s sword swung down, cutting through the wind and separating her head from her body in a split moment, her life ending pitifully just like that.

“Kyaak!” a person’s scream echoed as Aria’s head rolled across the ground, but her eyes once more fell upon the afterimage of the hourglass.

‘Why?’ Even though her head was severed, Aria could not feel pain, nor grief, nor sadness. All she could see was the image of the hourglass as the sand fell, whether it was forward or in reverse time and time again.

‘I want to go back. Again… To the old days. I want to turn everything back… like that hourglass.’

Before her brain accepted her death, Aria’s eyes were filled with the movement of the hourglass, and finally, her vision faded completely.

***

“… a! … Aria!”

Crash!

The cup that Aria had been holding fell onto the floor, shattering into many pieces. The maid, who was on standby behind her, hurriedly came over and began cleaning the mess.

Aria awakened from her absentminded state and cast her eyes toward the voice she had heard. There, beyond the long marble table, she saw Mielle’s worried face weeping. Even as her tears fell, she was as elegant and pure as ever.

‘How come she’s become such a small child?!’

From what Aria remembered, Mielle was twenty-three years old. However, the figure she was seeing in front of her was ten years old at the most. Beside her, was Cain, who stared at her with narrowed eyes. He looked as young as seventeen years old.

Unable to comprehend the situation or find a way to cope with that unbelievable circumstance, Aria continued to blink. Then, she heard a cold voice from the very seat next to her.