I’m Going to Marry a Poor Count in the Middle of Nowhere and I’m Going to Work Hard to Reform My Territory - Chapter 5

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.

That’s a longer trip than I expected; even with a fast horse, it would probably take two days.

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.

The glass in the windows was cracked and reinforced with paper in some places. Boards had also been placed in some places. The walls were covered with moss and grass, and the roof on one side had collapsed, revealing the inside of the building.

This is…

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?”

The lady-in-waiting gasps.

“If you don’t want to be here, others might not be either.”

“I apologize. I made a hasty remark.”

“That’s all right. I completely understand how you feel. I appreciate your concern.”

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.