The duchess's Princess does not yield to an ugly Nobleman

 Chapter 2

"Go back!"

The first thing I was told was a directive to return with quite a strong tone. The audacity of the remark momentarily halted my thoughts. As my brain resumed its activity and I comprehended the meaning behind the words unleashed towards me, a fierce anger surged within me. Is this the courtesy one would anticipate for the young lady who invested several days in traveling to reach to the Bartfault territory? 

Indeed, if she was a timid young lady, she might weep and retreat. 

If she were a proud young lady, she might angrily turn on her heel and leave.

 But I refuse to be lumped together with such polar personalities .I am Angelica Rapha Redgrave, the esteemed daughter of the illustrious Redgrave family. Such treatment does not fall within the realm of mere harassment for someone of my stature. With brute force, I wedged my foot into the gap of the closing door. It was a wise choice to wear boots capable of enduring travel and adventure rather than delicate heels befitting a young lady. Furthermore, I forcefully gripped the edge of the door with both hands, exerting all the muscles in my body to open it. While maintaining the demeanor of a noble young lady with a gentle smile on my face, my body worked tirelessly to pry open the door. Startled, Lord Bartfault desperately attempted to grasp the doorknob and shut it, but to no avail.

[T/N- it will be confusing down the line so let me clarify LORD/VISCOUNT BARTFAULT is Leon and BARON BARTFAULT is Balcus]

"I have come all the way from the capital to the Bartfault territory. Could you at least spare me a moment to talk?"

"I said no, and besides, it's dangerous, so let go of the handle."

"If you would give up trying to close the door, I would gladly do so."

"Tch!"

Ah, he clicked his tongue. Well, if it's come to this, I won't let go until he gives in. He'd better realize his mistake in underestimating my resolve. After several minutes of intense back-and-forth in front of the door, Lord Bartfault was the first to wave the white flag.

"Huff... huff. And who the hell are you anyway?"

Finally, after catching his breath, he seemed to question my presence.

With a swift motion, I wiped the sweat from my forehead, regained my breath, and straightened my disheveled clothing before executing a poised, composed, and respectful bow.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Angelica Rapha Redgrave."

With a courteous declaration, I declared war on the breathless Lord Bartfalt.

"I have come from the capital as Lord Bartfault's fiancée."

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Leon Fou Bartfault.

Born as the second son of Baron Balcas Fou Bartfault of the Haulfalt Kingdom. From a young age, he displayed keen instincts and intelligence in the face of danger, showcasing remarkable talent. Upon reaching the enlistment age for the Haulfalt Kingdom's military, he left home on his birthday and immediately underwent recruitment tests, passing with flying colors. After six months of training, he was formally assigned to the border patrol as a full-fledged member. He subsequently excelled in combating air pirates and skirmishes near the border. In the war with the Fanous Duchy, he further demonstrated his talent . He led his unit as its de facto commander, and during the final stages of the conflict, despite sustaining severe injuries and being surrounded by a large enemy force, he successfully assaulted one of the the enemy headquarters, striking down the Duchy's commander as well as successfully leading his troops to retreat. Recognized for his achievements after the war, he was granted an undeveloped floating island and promoted to a Viscount. This was the detailed resume handed to me.

After finishing reading the resume, I sighed in admiration. Indeed, both my father and brother must have recognized his talent to an extent. The question remained as to why the engagement of such a formidable individual was set up with such a bad reputated as mine, had been proposed. The answer lay in the following document. 

Following the war, Lord Bartfault retired due to war injuries and began to stay in his own territory for estate management and recuperation purposes. However, other nobles did not leave him alone, and numerous marriage proposals came pouring in. However, all of these proposals ended in failure. 

They said, "Lord Bartfault has an unsightly appearance that can't be seen twice, and his heart is even more hideously twisted." 

They said, "Lord Bartfault is a combat maniac who doesn't even know the manners of how treat a noble young lady." 

They said, "Lord Bartfault is a monster that sucks the lifeblood of his subjects." 

It's astounding how someone could spew such insults at a hero who protected the country. However, upon closer examination, my reputation is no better. It seems that a monster is best suited for a wicked woman. I chuckled bitterly at the thought. At the same time, I understood why my father and brother said it was okay for this engagement to fail. Lord Bartfault's previous engagements had all ended in failure. Therefore, if I were to fail, it wouldn't be a problem at all; in fact, I would be sympathized by those around me. The real purpose is to ascertain Lord Bartfault's future intentions. So far, engagements proposal went to him without distinguishing between central aristocrats and local Nobles and he refused both of them. If Lord Bartfault belongs to any faction, his influence will be a significant threat to other factions. If he were to marry a lady from another country, it would be the worst-case scenario for the kingdom. As Other local lords would also follow him and seek marriage proposals with other countries, undoubtedly causing the haulfault Kingdom to collapse from within and become nothing more than a name erased from maps and be relegated to the pages of history books. My mission is to be the eyes of the Redgrave family and assess the character of Leon Fou Bartfault. If he poses a threat, I must inform home and deal with it before anything happens. When I realized my father's and brother's intentions, I felt a surge of excitement in my mind and body.

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A few days after my father proposed the engagement, I prepared myself and headed towards the Bartfault territory. Although the Redgrave family's airship was offered for use, I declined. Arriving at the Bartfault territory in a huge airship might arouse unnecessary vigilance from the locality. Moreover, I was weary of the suffocating journey surrounded by numerous guards and handmaids. I arranged to have only trusted guards accompany me, and we moved to a local city near the Bartfault territory. From there, arrangements were made for transportation to the Bartfault family's estate. It took two days to travel from the capital to the local city and a few hours from the local city to the Bartfault territory. At the port, Baron Balcas Fou Bartfault and his wife personally welcomed me. It made me feel apologetic to see the baron, who seemed more suited to be a a farmer than bearing the title a nobleman, and his gentle and kind wife excessively humble towards me. Enduring the rugged, unpaved roads in the previously arranged carriage was indeed jarring, and though discomfort pervaded my senses, it was deemed appropriate to refrain from voicing any grievances. The Bartfault territory, visible from the window, was a vast grassland where swaying flowers eased my mind. It was an unexpected stroke of luck to be able to learn so much about Lord Bartfault's life until we arrived at the mansion. 

To begin with, Lord Bartfault is not the legitimate son of the baroness. The baroness, a typical debauched aristocrat living in the capital, had always mistreated the children of the current baroness, who was then a mistress.

Lord Bartfault escaped rather than joined the army because he was offered a politically motivated marriage to some old hag by the previous baroness. During the war, the previous baroness and her children were stripped of their noble status and exiled for attempting to flee, and the baron, who had received battle honors, tearfully welcomed his beloved mistress as his wife. While the whole family shed tears of joy over the fact that the second son was awarded a higher title than his father due to his war achievements, but the returning son had transformed into a different person. Scarred on the left side of his face due to the battle, he spoke much less from his often-smiling mouth, and his gentle personality turned aggressive. The Bartfault family lamented his condition, in the mean time numerous central aristocrats and local Nobles proposed marriage, mainly to ascertain his faction. The hope of the family that "marrying a daughter of a noble family might somewhat restore him to his previous self " turned out to be a complete failure. The daughters despised Viscount Bartfault's appearance harshly and rejected the engagement. Whatever the motivation, such treatment of a hero who had sacrificed himself to protect the country was cruel. Viscount Bartfault sank even deeper into despair and now spends his time in a separate residence rather than the mansion in his territory. Leaving the ruling of the villagers to his father and brothers, the current situation is in the Bartfault territory was that Viscount Bartfault was exploring estate management and setting policies at the separate residence. The fact that the estate management has not collapsed under these circumstances is a testament to Viscount Bartfault's sharp intellect. The baron and his wife, unsure of how to treat their son, shed tears in front of me, a stranger they had just met. They even said, "Even if the engagement fails, we will never hold a grudge. We cannot thank you enough for coming to our territory." Apart from my father the Duke's intentions, I personally became curious about Viscount Bartfault, and I resolved to visit his separate residence.

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A few dozen minutes' walk from the newly built Bartfault family mansion, cultivated lands* comes into view. In the center stands the separate residence where Viscount Bartfault resides.

[T/N- Genaraly reffered as corps fields]

 As the time approached sunset, the baron and his wife suggested resting at the mansion, but as taking immediate actions are my motoo and above all, I am endlessly intrigued by the character of the hero who protected the country I left towards the viscount residence However, as I approach the separate residence, an unusual sight blocks my path. Along the road are signs that say "Danger," "Caution," "Do Not Approach," "No Guarantee of Life," and so on. And the boundary of the cultivated land is marked by a moat and wooden fences with barbed wire, rejecting the entry of others. The serene settlement suddenly resembles a battlefield, evoking a sense of eeriness akin to a bizarre piece of art. 

"It's like wartime..."

I inadvertently mull over the words that escaped my lips and come to understand. Perhaps Viscount Bartfault is still continuing the war. If his opponent is the world that destroyed his mind and body, it could even become a spark that destroys the Haulfart Kingdom. Despite the fear running through my body, I restrain myself and take one step forward, then another, towards the separate residence. Despite feeling bewildered by the sense of time dragging on, I stand before the door. The surrounding silence only makes it more terrifying, with my heartbeat sounding too loud. Fear overtakes curiosity as I summon the courage to knock once, twice, three times. After waiting for a few minutes with no response, I wonder if he's not home. At that moment, the door moves slightly. Upon seeing the eyes peering at me through the gap in the door, I desperately suppress the scream that almost escapes my throat. Eventually, a man emerges from the door, which has opened wide enough for a person to pass through. Though there are some differences from the photo I saw on his resume, there is no mistaking the man standing before me: Leon Fou Bartfault, the viscount. For a few seconds, we both gaze at each other, and the air grows heavy. Confused about what to say, I desperately try to think, when suddenly...

"Go back"

he says....

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Authors Note

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Don't you find it cute when the two people with the worst first impressions fall in love? (laughs loudly) So, I wrote from the first meeting scene of these two. This Leon is the existence of "an ugly country nobleman whom the villainess Angelica marries" in the setting of an otome game. So, he's trained, but his strength is just at the level of an ordinary person. His appearance is almost the same, but there is a large scar on the left side of his face. I thought gore might not be good, so it's more like the recognition of a game character who is an "attractive guy with a scar on his face but for some reason treated as ugly."

⁠║Raw ->Link⁠║

~~~End~~~