Chapter 90. Asterope Franz, Part VII
Translator: Khan
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
"... what are you talking about, sister? I have Oscar."
"Ah... I forgot about that since Mr. Oscar has visited this mansion a few times. Sorry, Mielle."
"His visit has been rare, but he has sent me presents often. You may not know well."
'Why are you so satisfied with that love that was gained by others' hands? He is a man who has been seduced by your sister and exchanged secret letters with.'
Mielle, who proudly explained her relationship with Oscar, was quite confident. Without Oscar, she couldn't inflict devastating pain on Mielle. She had to get him back at all cost.
"I think you're reluctant to do it, so I'll have to do what never happened."
"Oh, our Aria's still young, so she doesn't know well. Don't think it's totally gone."
He seemed to want to somehow continue his relationship with Lane's master even if he had to sell his stepdaughter to a lower aristocrat.
'It is frustrating to have a life of a pudibund aristocratic lady! It's a life which is swayed by politics and the economy without choice!'
In this regard, Mielle must have been a lucky girl. She had come to like her politically entangled fiancé.
Since then, Lane and the count began to talk about the trivial things of his business, and Aria quietly finished her meal and went up to her room. She was in a bad mood throughout the meal, but she was a little relieved by the good news that Lane's master had stopped paying attention to Mielle. And as she tried to relax and read a book and get ready to go to bed, someone knocked on the door.
"Who might that be? No one comes to visit the mansion at this time..."
Jessie cocked her head in wonder. Then she covered her mouth in surprise at the voice that followed, "It's Lane."
"What brings you here?"
"My master gave me a letter with a bouquet of flowers, but I forgot and didn't give it to you."
'A letter? What letter did the man send, who had had no interest in her in the meantime?'
Aria asked Annie to pick it up, but Lane said he would not go back until she finished reading and gave a reply.
"Reply... here now?"
"Yes. Please read it first. Then you'll understand."
Aria opened the letter because it was a trivial thing. Then she read the first paragraph, which began with a flowing and elegant style, and she dropped it from her hand.
[Dear Aria Roscent,
How have you been? This is Asher. I sent my servant to hear your answer.
Have you made up your mind?]
'... Asher?'
Aria, who rose from her seat, hurried up to Lane, who was waiting beyond the door. Lane's face was calm as if he knew it even when he faced Aria, who was surprised.
"Your master... is Asher?"
"Yes."
"How could...!"
She thought he was an ordinary lower-class aristocrat but he wasn't. Aria couldn't speak because Asher was an important figure that she had never thought of.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Of course..."
She was going to participate. She had tried to participate. But she couldn't answer that because he was more of a big shot than she had thought.
'Is it okay to be entangled with him that easily? Is he really a man who will help me? And what does a man with a large fortune want from me?'
She was afraid of the unknown future that would be associated with Asher.
"Lady Aria, what's worrying you? Is it because my master has put his heart and soul into Lady Mielle in the meantime?"
She had thought he would have noticed it through several conversations, but she didn't know she would be asked if it was because of Mielle, so she closed her mouth tightly even more.
"If so, don't worry. It was just a misunderstanding. My master has no interest in Lady Mielle at all."
"... it's not because of that. I don't care what he thinks of Mielle."
He knew he had misunderstood her in the first place. Lane was perplexed by Aria's emphatic answer. He seemed not to think of any other reason.
"If so, why are you worrying?"
"I don't know who Asher is."
"Ah, um, I see. I understand, but I'm sure you'd soon be willing to." Lane added, "But don't worry. Mr. Asher has no intention of harming you. And he's not dangerous. He's very bright and normal. He's kind to his men, too."
Lane added a strange explanation, but it didn't help Aria's choice.
"It doesn't matter either. All I care about is... I think Mr. Asher is a much greater man than I thought."
In a reply with a sigh, Lane tilted his head to one side and gave an incomprehensible look.
"Why does it matter if he is a much greater man? Is it because the greater he is, the better?"
"... I'm not sure about that. If his purpose or intention is not clear, who would welcome such an important man, who might have approached me with some kind of thought? Especially for a girl who has a bad rumor like me."
Lane asked back with his eyes wide open as if he had just noticed what Aria meant.
"I see what you're thinking. But I think that Mr. Asher was simply interested in your intelligence and had no other intention."
"That's not true. I'm not as intelligent as he thinks. I've just heard a lot from somewhere."
Most of them had been accomplished by the magic of the hourglass. Lane laughed at Aria's humility.
"Ha-ha, you must be mistaken. Just because you have a lot of information, I'm not saying you're intelligent."
"... and what for?"
"You know how to use that information in the right place. I'd like to say that it's your nature. Most people, no matter how much information or knowledge they have, don't know how to use it properly. Of course, the more information they know, the better."
Aria opened her eyes wide. That was because she had never thought about it like that. She had thought everything she had achieved was thanks to the hourglass, but when Lane said, 'You're naturally intelligent,' she felt that she was valued for what she was naturally born with.
"... said, Mr. Asher. That's why he was interested in you," Lane, who found joy in Aria's expression, added.
"... I see."
She was dumbfounded by the rare compliment that she had received from someone other than her appearance. She was praised for her brain, which had always been called stupid and useless. It was difficult to control the overflowing joy with her trembling mouth.
"For the reply... would it be better if I come back some other time?"
He was implying that she could take her time to reply, and he could just visit again, but he asked with a look saying that she should quickly write a reply. Aria shook her head.
"No! I'll write it now. Just a moment, please."
Aria hurried to write a reply to Asher. It was a short letter with only a few words to say 'I'll participate,' but it contained the joy that she would never be able to have again in her life.
"I'll deliver it well."
Lane smiled affectionately and disappeared with a goodbye. Aria's heart throbbed rapidly as she looked at his back disappearing beneath the stairs.
* * *
While waiting for a reply from Asher, Aria heard the news about Sarah, who she had not seen for a long time. It was because Sarah's meeting with Aria was lessened as she had become close to the Marquis of Vincent. She felt a little bit sad, but she was much more delighted than that, so Aria could smile satisfactorily.
"So? How did you get along so quickly?"
"There was a lot of advice from Lady Aria. Among them, it was great to take courage and hold his hand. The Marquis... was quite surprised, but he held my hands together with his cheeks slightly turning red."
"Oh, my God...! The Marquis?"
"Oh my... how lovely he is."
"Lady Aria is amazing. She's the younger, but she's so good at dating."
"How the hell do you know so well? If you have a secret recipe, let me know, Lady Aria."
At the success story of Sarah, who was the quietest and least lustful in the crowd, the young ladies glistened their eyes and urged Aria to speak. With this, Aria replied with an awkward smile.
"There's no particular secret. I'm just used to a love story because I'm from a commoner family. Since the common people lack entertainment, they have no qualms about loving someone and expressing their feelings."