The villainess reverses the hourglass

Chapter 13. A New Meeting, Part V

After choosing a few clothes that were at least acceptable, she requested that all of them be wrapped. Before she entered into the family of the count, even if she had starved for three months and saved all the money in the meantime, she wouldn't have been able to buy the cheapest item in that place...

'Everyday, walked across the storefront, admiring the clothes on the display window

But now, even if she bought that whole boutique, she would still have some pocket money left Although it felt like a distant past, that all had happened only a year ago if she considered her real age. Her mother's life had turned upside-down after her wedding. Of course, although that had come at a great price, Aria still felt somewhat bitter for some reason.

On the table in the corner of the boutique, there was a tray with a steaming tea pot and cheap snacks prepared. The owner guided her to that spot and cautiously asked, "There are more high-quality clothes upstairs. Will it be alright if you don't look there?"

"It's fine. Let me just pay for what have chosen."

"Yes, yes. It'll be ready right away. Then, please enjoy the refreshments and wait a moment."

Seeing the owner's back quickly disappear, Aria took a snack and bit it. Tasting that cheap, buttery taste, rather than hating it, she missed it. She thought it might have been better when she had been hungry, but she didn't know anything about that now, when she was being extravagant and doing whatever she wanted to do. Still, it caused her to reminisce about her past self.

The owner of the boutique did everything in his power not to make Aria wait too long, and he soon appeared with all ten items wrapped up. A knight received the packages, and Jessie paid for them.

The next stop was the general store where the hourglass was The day's work would be done once she retrieved the completed hourglass from there and returned to the

mansion.

'For some reason, feel a bit sad'

Looking back, she had no memory of a time when she had gone out like this in the past All she could remember was that she had been lost in the thought of buying things. Before getting up on the carriage with a knight's help, she began to look at the people passing in front of the boutique

Since the shop was located in a place frequently visited by ordinary people, she could see children shouting, running around in shabby, tacky outfits, and merchant stands loaded with goods from where merchants were shouting to be noticed, and several onlookers, who showed interest, were peering at the merchandise

In the past, she used to also run and play there. She had been told not to go too far by herself, so she played in the vicinity. She had many memories of fighting with the other children, who would insult her ********** mother, but even then, there were also fond memories of playing there.

'But how am I now?

She was in the middle of a constant battle with those who pretended to be gracious and elegant on the outside, and who took their lives as collateral to hide their ugly selves on the battlefield. The battlefield was so horrible and painful that she wondered if there was ever a time when she felt happy.

When Aria didn't move, watching the people for a long time, one of the knights escorting her carefully asked, "Do you have another place you want to visit?"

"No, it's not that."

It was useless to look back on her old past when she could never return to it.

As she turned her head and attempted to get back on the carriage, she heard a very familiar voice, "Newspaper rent! Five shillings for ten minutes! It contains very important information, so be sure to check it out! Only five shillings!"

Aria stopped in her place and looked in the direction of the voice. There, she saw a

boy holding a newspaper in his hand, shouting for customers in the streets. It was a

child whom Aria knew very well; a child with whom she sometimes hung out

Hans was the one renting the newspaper. The boy was able to feed his family with that single newspaper. He would purchase a newspaper on the first day of the month and rent it out from dawn until midnight every day after to earn a small sum of money

Busy walking around, he always had blisters on his feet, and she later heard rumors that he ended up being run over by a carriage while working in spite of his illness

A newspaper' Come to think of it, she needed some information.

Although newspapers were delivered count's household daily, the information was aimed toward the nobility, which was different from the information in newspapers targeted at commoners.