Chapter 77. Testing And Trial, Part XVIII
Translator: Khan
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
"... what exactly did he say?"
"It's... 'I can't fall asleep thinking about Lady Mielle, who will wear gold roses later on at our engagement ceremony.'...!"
'Is Oscar such a romantic person?' He had never said such a thing to herself. He had just written such a cliche that the dress looked good. 'But did he send that awkward letter to Mielle?'
Aria's expression became mysterious. As she rolled her pupils, she could not believe that. Annie's voice grew louder if she agreed.
"That doesn't make any sense! Why can't that Oscar suddenly be kind to Miss Mielle? In the meantime, a lot of maids have seen Mr. Oscar being blunt to Miss Mielle!"
As she was speaking, Annie kept her face cool with her hands as if she got angry.
"I'm sure she said something to her as she met the princess last time! That's how gifts used to be sent in Oscar's name after she met the princess. Either Oscar was forced by the princess or the princess sent it in Oscar's name. It's either."
'Ah, Annie, the day came when I thought I was lucky to have you by my side.'
Aria felt a little relieved thanks to her chatter. How good would it be if her speculations were true?
That didn't mean the breakup that had arrived from Oscar would disappear, but at least she could find the cause forced by the princess. In addition, this breakup might not be his real intention.
"Annie, you always help me. I've never seen a maid who's as smart as you."
"Tha-thank you, miss."
"It's a very interesting story, thank you. Please let me know next time you have any interesting news."
"Yes! Don't worry!"
Annie's back appearance of leaving for information again with a gallant heart seemed very reliable. 'Is there another maid in the mansion who is as talkative as she is?' Aria handed the letter to Jessie, thinking that it was really lucky to have Annie on the same side.
"Give it to Mr. Oscar."
"Yes, miss. Shall we send it right away?"
"Yes. And..."
As Aria couldn't easily talk, Jessie blinked and waited for the next words.
"And if... if he doesn't accept it, please tell the deliverer to throw it at Oscar's feet."
"... yeah?"
"I want him to do it by all means."
"Oh, ... yeah." Jessie walked out of the room with her head cocking.
A little time later, as dinner time came and Aria went downstairs, she could face Mielle, who was visibly smiling.
'I'd like to twist that little neck right now.'
'Shall I use a sandglass?' Shall I twist her neck and kill her and turn the hourglass right away?'
In imagination, she had already killed thousands of times. However, she stared at Mielle for a while, and turned her eyes away, because she knew she couldn't win her with anything today.
She glanced at Mielle's bright face as she waited for the count who said he would be back at dinner time after a brief business trip. Seeing the pin on her head, the necklace on her neck, and a rose-shaped jewel, she realized that they were Oscar's gifts.
Moreover, Aria was very upset to see Emma's expression behind Mielle. Emma always looked at herself with an arrogant, unlucky look. As if to curse, she did not hesitate to look contemptuously.
'I'll get rid of you, too, '
'I can't help but do it if you stare at me with the look of wanting it like that. I have no choice but to bring you to the same end as your master.' When she imagined that she would cut out the eyes at the end, the count returned from going out. Obviously, he had gone out alone but somehow came back in becoming two.
"I'm sorry I come late at night."
"I went out to see Lane, so I come with him. I thought it would be better to have dinner together."
The count continued to talk, patting Lane on the shoulder.
"Because I've been bothered by the customs office. When I called Lane, he solved the problem at once"
"I was glad my master had a personal network at the customs office."
"I have quite a wide network, but I couldn't handle the officers in the customs office. They were hard-nosed, so they didn't listen to me as I wheedled them. The master of Lane is a great man."
"Haha, I'll deliver your words to my master."
Because of Mielle who was smiling broadly, the countess who was fresh like a flower as usual, the count who was full of excitement because things were going well, and Lane who she couldn't know his real intention, Aria had to smile awkwardly after them, in spite of all the curses in her heart.
"Can I ask you why you went to the customs office?"
"Oh, it was a small matter, but the speed to handle my case was late, and I went there. Now that winter is over, I was about to take the fur out that I had brought in, but the customs office charged an exorbitant tax. Once the fur came in the capital, it was registered in the capital, so they told me to pay a tax when I go out with the fur again."
"Oh, my God... That's too much."
"I thought so too. I applied it because they said that there is a tax reduction on goods that have been brought in less than half a year... but they haven't contacted me for more than a month, saying they have to take care of things in order. It was a luxury of all things, so they charged too much tax on it!"
"Just in time, Mr. Lane helped you!"
"That's right. I was extremely fortunate."
Aria couldn't believe it since he had the customs office under his control... She had thought Lane's master would be great, but she swallowed her admiration because he was greater than she thought.
"I have to host him with great devotion and care... but it's a normal dinner at the mansion at the very least, so I am ashamed."
"No, I'm fully satisfied."
"Why don't we set a day and have a formal dinner party?"
"It's not bad. What do you think, Lane?"
"I'll make sure to attend when the time is right."
The count smiled gladly as he alternately looked at between Lane and Miele. If Oscar was not there, he wanted to tie Lane and Mielle together. In addition, as Mielle offered to set a day and hold a formal dinner party, he had a big smile.
'The count doesn't even know who Lane is yet. What in the world has broken the boundaries of that hard, profit-making count?'
No matter how helpful someone was, he turned around coldly when his business was done. But it was clear that Lane and his master had given the count a great deal of help if the count allowed his free access to the mansion and agreed to hold a dinner party.
Aria didn't like the situation. She was told to part by the man who she had worked hard for several months, but others seemed happy. A hidden nature in the depths of her mind twitched. She wanted to spoil this happy situation that everyone except her was happy.
'At least Mielle.'
Aria wanted to make Mielle's mouth shut and made her frown because that damn necklace kept getting caught in her eyes.
'Oh, come to think of it...'
According to past memories, the count was going to be quite troubled by similar luxuries besides fur. The tax issue had been put on the back burner, since the summer of this year, the top trading companies had gone bankrupt, and the problem had not been solved until the end.
'Is it Cain who solved it then?'
For this, Cain had been greatly appreciated by the count and had had a life as the new count of the Roscent family. But that was very later, so it was only Aria who knew the solution right away.
'I guess today wasn't as wild as it was.'
Now that she thought of it when she needed it like this. She was not satisfied with doing the work, but it was the best way to gain the count's trust, and to show that she was superior to Mielle, and the count no longer needed Lane's help.
'In addition, I can take away the future of Cain, who ordered to cut off my head.' At last, Aria's lips drew a line.