第2話 エルネスト
急いで城に帰ったアンジェリクは、待ち構えていた執事のフレデリクに連れられて、父、モンタン公爵の私室に向かった。
「お父様、あのお話は何かの間違いです」
「証拠は揃っているそうだ。アンジェリク、言い逃れはやめなさい。みっともない」
「証拠?」
「目撃者がいたらしい。一連の事件の確認をした時も、おまえはろくに質問に答えなかったと言うじゃないか」
「事件の確認......ですか?」
事件と言うのは、靴にどうとか服にどうとかいう、あの騒ぎのことだろうか。
確かにアンジェリクは最低限の対応しかしなかった。あまり興味がなかったからだ。
何か聞かれても「知らない」と答えた。
知らないものは知らない。仕方のないことだ。
けれど、ほかのみんなは違ったようだ。
誰かが「近くにアンジェリクがいた気がする」と言い、ほかの誰かも「私も見た」と言った。ドレスの色が似ていたというだけで、あれもこれもアンジェリクだったに違いないということになったらしい。
思い返せば、最近、みんながこちらを見ながら何かヒソヒソ言っていたような気がする。
あのヒソヒソ話はアンジェリクのことを言っていたのだ。
最初の噂に尾ひれがついて、全部まとめてアンジェリクのせいだということになったのなら、それはだいぶ、アンジェリクもうかつだった。
どこかで誰かに、何を話しているのか聞いていれば、もしかするとここまで大きくなる前になんとかできたかもしれないのに。
しかし、こうなったからには仕方ない。
「弁明の機会をください」
一つひとつ、きちんと思い出して説明すれば、アンジェリクがやっていないことがわかってもらえるはずだ。
なにしろ、本当にやっていないのだから。
しかし、モンタン公爵は重々しく言った。
「処分はもう決まった」
「ええっ?」
興味がなくても、もう少し親身になって人の話を聞くものだと言われることがある。
どうでもいいような話でも聞いているふりをするのが、令嬢たちの大事な社交術なのだ。それがくだらない陰口や噂話でも、とりあえず相手に合わせて頷いておく。
それも仕事だと自分に言い聞かせて、やっと我慢できる。それが最近は、ついおざなりになっていた。
あと何か月かで学園も卒業だと思って、油断していた。油断しすぎだ。
そこだけは潔く認めなくてはなるまい。
けれど、真犯人がほかにいるはずなのだ。
ところで、処分とはなんだろう?
アンジェリク自身は行き遅れるかもしれないが、結婚できなかったとしても別に構わない。どこか田舎の領地にでも行って悠々自適のスローライフでも送ろうと考えた。
「エルネスト様との婚約は取りやめになった」
「はい」
「おまえは、ボルテール伯爵の元へ嫁がせろとのことだ」
「ボルテール伯爵ですか?」
辺境地区ブールを領地とする伯爵だと父は説明した。
「ブール......。ずいぶん遠くですね」
アルカン王国の北の最果て。確か何もない土地ではなかっただろうか。
それはいいとして、学園を卒業したら、父や妹たち、この城ともお別れなのかと思うと感慨深かった。
「出発は明日だ」
「ええーっ!」
感慨にふける暇もない。
「王の命令だ。どうも、エルネスト様が二度とおまえの顔を見たくないと言っているらしい」
エルネスト......。
エルネストは第二王子だから、アンジェリクの夫になったらモンタン公爵家を継ぐ。
エルネストがイマイチでも、アンジェリクが公爵家を運営すれば問題ないと思っていた。悪人だけはごめんだけれど、そうでないなら構わなかった。
そのエルネストに顔も見たくないと言われるとは。
これも誰かの陰謀だろうかと思ったが、明日が出発ではのんびり真相を暴いている暇はない。
いずれ機会があったら調べたいけれど、とりあえず、今はこれ以上父の立場を悪くすることは避けたかった。
王の命令には逆らえない。
「わかりました。マリーヌとフランシーヌにお別れを言ってきます」
Chapter 2: Ernest|Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
Angelique ran back to the castle quickly. Frederick, the butler, was waiting for her and led her to the private rooms of her father, the Duke of Montan.
"Oto-sama, there must be some mistake!"
"Sigh, they claim they have all the evidence. Don't try to talk your way out of this, Angelique. That's shameful."
"Was there any evidence?"
"Yes, it seems there were witnesses. And they say you didn't answer a lot of questions when they asked you to confirm a series of incidents."
"Confirming the incident...?"
Do you mean the incident with the shoes and clothes?
Angelique actually gave only a cursory answer because she was not particularly interested.
When asked, she replied, "I don't know." Because she really doesn't know.
She doesn't know what she doesn't know. That's just the way things are.
Everyone else, however, seemed to have a different interpretation.
Someone said, "I think I saw Angelique nearby." Someone else said, "I saw her, too." They assumed it was Angelique because the color of her dress matched that of the perpetrator.
In retrospect, it looks like everyone had recently been whispering to each other while staring at her.
Apparently, Angelique was the target of the whispering.
If the first rumor was true, then Angelique was very careless.
If she had asked someone what they were talking about, she might have been able to stop it before it got that big.
But now that it has happened, she is powerless to stop it.
"Please give me a chance to explain myself."
They will understand that Angelique didn't do that if she remembers and explains everything properly.
After all, she wasn't the one who did it. But the situation is a bit troublesome.
The Duke of Montan said seriously.
"The decision has been made."
"What?"
Angelique was told to be more polite to people even if she had no interest in them.
Even if the conversation is unimportant, pretending to listen is an important social skill for the ladies. Even if it is insignificant gossip behind their backs, they simply nod in agreement.
She could just about tolerate it, telling herself that it was part of her job. Lately, though, she'd been ignoring it.
I thought I would be done with school in a few months, so I let my guard down. I had been too careless. I failed...
That's the only thing she graciously admits.
However, the real culprit must be someone else. I hope they will look into the matter, but if they don't, I will take care of it myself. What about the breakup of the engagement?
"What's the decision?"
Angelique's next engagement might be postponed, but it didn't matter if she couldn't marry. She would retire to a country estate and live a slow, comfortable life.
"Your engagement to Ernest-sama has been broken off."
"Yes."
"...You are to be married to Count Voltairel."
"Count Voltaire?"
She is not familiar with him. Her father explained to her that he is the Count of Bourg, a border region.
"Bourg... That's quite a distance from here."
That is the northernmost point of the Kingdom of Alkan. As she recalled, there was nothing there.
The thought of having to say goodbye to her father, her sisters, and this castle after graduating from the academy made her cry.
"...You have to leave tomorrow."
"What!"
There was no time to let her feelings get the better of her.
"By the king's orders. Apparently Ernest-sama doesn't want to see you anymore."
Ernest... What have I done to you to deserve this?
Ernest is the second prince, and if he were to marry Angelique, he would inherit the Duchy of Montan.
It did not matter that Ernest was not a good manager as long as Angelique ran the duchy. She didn't want to be a bad person, but even if she was, she didn't care.
I wasn't expecting Ernest to say he didn't want to see me.
She also wondered if someone was plotting against her, but she didn't have time to pursue it because she had to leave the next day.
She would like to look into the matter if she had the chance, but at the moment she didn't want to make her father's situation worse.
You have to follow the king's orders.
"...I will say goodbye to Marlene and Francine.
I’m Going to Marry a Poor Count in the Middle of Nowhere and I’m Going to Work Hard to Reform My Territory
【ノベル3巻発売＆コミカライズ２巻まで発売中】辺境の貧乏伯爵に嫁ぐことになったので領地改革に励みます
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/im-going-to-marry-a-poor-count-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-and-im-going-to-work-hard-to-reform-my-territory/
Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance Shoujo
Adapted to Manga Arranged Marriage Broken Engagement Domestic Affairs Doting Love Interests Doting Older Siblings Dragon Riders Dragons Early Romance European Ambience Female Protagonist Management Nobles Pregnancy Royalty Time Skip Tomboyish Female Lead
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5996gy/
花波薫歩