第5話 新しい土地
丸々三日半の馬車の旅を続けて、ようやくブールに着いた。
途中で立ち寄った領地では、人々が腫れもののように扱うので、少し辟易した。
別にアンジェリクは傷ついていない。
わけのわからない言いがかりをつけられたのには驚いたけど、嫌な思いをした友だちがいたのに、親身にならなかった自分にも悪いところがあったと思っている。
でも、もう起きてしまったことは仕方ない。
真相解明と、場合によっては真犯人を糾弾しなければならないだろうが、今はその時期ではない。
気持ちを切り替えて、これからのことを考えようと思った。
「見えてきましたよ」
王都から馬車を走らせてくれた御者が話しかけてきた。
アンジェリクは最後の機会だからと、賓客用の一番立派な馬車に乗っていた。ちなみにふだん乗っていた二台の馬車のうち、一台はアンジェリクがもらうことになっていた。
御者の言葉に窓から顔を出すと、荒れ地の向こうに石の城壁が見えた。
ブールに入ると、とたんに道が悪くなった。
下手にしゃべると舌を噛みそうで、アンジェリクは座席に身体を戻して手摺につかまった。
ブールに一番近いモンタン公爵領であるヴィニョアを出たのは朝早くのこと。今は日が天頂にある。
やがて馬車の列は城門の前で止まった。
先頭の馬車に乗っていたモンタン家の執事フレデリクが門番に近づく。二人の門番は目を丸くして四台の馬車を見ていた。
「アンジェリク・モンタン嬢をお連れした」
「承っております。どうぞお通りください」
門が開き、馬車が中に入っていく。
これは......、聞きしに勝る貧乏伯爵に違いない。
門番の一人が城の中に入っていった。
主を呼びに行ったらしい。
アンジェリクの隣で侍女が心配そうに囁いた。
「お嬢様......、旦那様にお話して、誰か寄越しましょうか?」
「誰か? なら、あなたがここに残る気はある?」
「嘘よ。でも、自分が来たくない場所には、ほかの人も来るのは嫌かもしれないわよ」
「すみません。軽率なことを言いました」
侍女がうつむく。少しして、意を決したように言った。
「やっぱり、私、残ります。お嬢様のおそばに......」
アンジェリクは笑ってしまった。
「大丈夫よ。ここにも誰かいるはずだし、いなければ、自分でなんとかするから」
「でも......」
「心配しないで。私が大丈夫って言って、大丈夫じゃなかったことがある?」
ちょうどその時、城の中から一人の男性が現れた。
Chapter 5: New Land|Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
After three and a half days of traveling by carriage, she arrived in Bourg.
She was tired of people treating her like a tumor in the towns they stopped in along the way.
Angelique was not hurt.
I was taken aback by the accusations, but I think it was my fault for not reaching out more to my friends who were in need. If I had listened carefully to what happened and thought about whether I saw or heard anything, and taken the incident seriously, I'm sure none of this would have happened.
She is thinking about it a lot right now. But what has already happened cannot be changed.
I need to find out the truth and possibly charge the real perpetrators, but now is not the time.
She changed her mind and decided to think about the future.
"I can see it now, my lady."
The coachman who had driven her carriage all the way from the royal capital spoke to her.
Actually, Angelique was supposed to ride in her own little carriage, but she let her ride in the most magnificent carriage for distinguished guests, knowing that it was her last chance.
At the coachman's words, she looked out the window and saw the stone walls of the castle beyond the wasteland.
As soon as they approached Bourg, the carriage began to wobble as the road worsened.
Angelique was afraid of biting her tongue if she talked too much, and slumped back in her seat to hold onto the railing.
They left Vignoa, the nearest ducal estate to Bourg, early in the morning. By now, the sun had reached its highest point. It's too late to go back. Even if she wrote a letter, it would take her half a day to go to the stopover in Vignoa and bring it to the capital. And from there to the capital is half a day by a messenger owl.
The carriage finally came to a stop in front of the castle gate.
Frederick, the steward of the Montan family, got out of the first carriage and walked toward the gatekeeper. Meanwhile, the two gatekeepers stared at the four carriages with wide eyes.
"Lady Angelique Montan has arrived."
"Yes. Please follow through."
The carriages drove in as the gate opened. And with the help of her lady-in-waiting, she got out of a carriage parked in the courtyard. And Angelique was stunned to see the castle before her.
This had to be the poorest count she had ever seen.
One of the castle's gatekeepers entered the castle.
He seems to have gone to inform the lord. Apparently, he is both a gatekeeper and a servant.
Angelique's lady-in-waiting whispered anxiously.
"Ojo-sama... Would you like me to write Danna-sama a letter and send someone over?"
"Send someone? Are you willing to stay?"
"If you don't want to be here, others might not be either."
"I apologize. I made a hasty remark."
The lady-in-waiting frowns. After a while, as if she had made her decision.
"I'll stay here with you, Ojo-sama..."
Angelique laughed.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure there's someone here to take care of me, but if not, I'll be fine on my own."
"But..."
"When have I ever claimed to be fine when I wasn't?"
At that moment, a man emerged from the castle.
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