A Guide to Raising a Villainess-Chapter 121: An unpleasant encounter
The journey south took us almost two weeks.
It was probably one of the longest trips of my life.
We could have gotten there faster if we hadn’t stopped, but since I was primarily concerned with Ruby’s comfort, we often made stops to rest or spend the night at local hotels.
So, in the end, the trip really did take us two weeks — but I couldn’t say that those days were wasted. Although long, the trip was surprisingly peaceful and even a little calming for both of us.
The landscape gradually changed: dense forests gave way to wide plains where the wind blew gentle waves across the grass, and hills covered with a silvery carpet of olive trees were visible on the horizon.
Ruby looked lively the whole time. She kept looking out of the carriage window, watching with delight as each turn of the road revealed new scenes before us. Sometimes she would point something out to me outside the window and happily share her impressions, like a child on her first trip.
Of course, her interest was quite understandable — after all, it was the first time the girl had been to such places. Everything here was new to her: the smells, the sounds, and the very atmosphere of the southern lands.
I, on the contrary, was silent for most of the way, looking out the window and involuntarily sinking into my own thoughts. The wheels tapped steadily on the rocky road, and I felt a growing sense of unease.
The closer we got to the Trevorne lands, the stronger my sense of caution grew — as if an invisible shadow was following us, preventing me from completely relaxing.
I tried to push these thoughts away, convincing myself that I was worrying for nothing.
Everything should go smoothly. We were just going to discuss the situation with the mine, settle the formalities — and nothing more.
Yes, in the end, I really hoped that everything would go well and that no unpleasant surprises would await us.
When the carriage finally turned onto the long driveway leading to the estate, I was already mentally prepared for the upcoming meeting.
The wheels creaked softly on the gravel, and tall, old lime trees flashed by the windows, their branches intertwining above the road to form a thick green canopy.
But as soon as the stone facades of the mansion appeared ahead, something unpleasant tightened in my chest. This building, with its massive columns and austere architecture, resembled a fortress rather than an estate.
The carriage stopped at the front porch.
"We have arrived, milady," said the coachman, jumping down and hastily opening the door.
I was the first to step onto the stone steps, feeling a light breeze touch the hem of my dress.
Ruby followed, adjusting her cape so that it wouldn’t slip off her shoulders. The girl looked around, as if trying to get a first impression of the place.
We exchanged glances — a slight excitement was visible in her eyes, although she tried to hide it.
At that moment, an elderly man emerged from behind the mansion’s massive doors — tall, with neatly combed gray hair and impeccably straight posture. His steps were measured, and his face showed the dignity and experience of long years of service.
He stopped in front of us and, bowing his head, said respectfully:
"Welcome, Lady Weinstein. We have been expecting you."
His voice was even, but there was a slight wariness in it, as if he already knew the purpose of my visit.
I nodded politely, but inside I felt a slight tension tighten my chest again.
"I want to see Count Trevern," I said. "Tell him I’ve come on business concerning the sapphire mine."
I decided not to waste time on unnecessary formalities and to get straight to the point.
Nevertheless, the servant visibly hesitated. His gaze wavered for a second, and he lowered his head slightly, as if trying to find the right words.
"I’m sorry, milady," he finally said cautiously, "but the master is busy and cannot see you at this time."
"Busy...?" I involuntarily raised an eyebrow.
The old butler nodded, maintaining his usual politeness, but his movements betrayed a slight embarrassment.
"Yes, milady. He has another visitor at the moment. The count has asked me to tell you that he will see you as soon as he is free."
I just exhaled heavily when I heard that.
Two weeks of travel, and we finally made it, only to be told that the count was busy. To be honest, it felt quite depressing, and I could barely contain my irritation.
However, noticing my dissatisfied expression, the servant hastened to add with his usual politeness:
"Milady, if you wish, I will show you to the living room so that you can wait there."
I nodded, trying to hide my inner discontent, and turned to Ruby, who was standing next to me:
"Ruby, what do you think about this?"
The girl shrugged slightly, but then immediately had an idea:
"Auntie, maybe we could go for a little walk?"
"A walk...?" I asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes," Ruby nodded, "I’m tired of sitting in the carriage, and some fresh air would be good for us."
I thought for a moment. On the one hand, staying in the living room and waiting for the count could be boring, but on the other hand, a short walk would really help us relax after the long journey.
"All right," I finally said with a smile, "let’s go for a little walk."
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to agree to Ruby’s suggestion. After all, we had already had a chance to rest at the hotel before arriving here, so there was no particular need for additional rest now.
Perhaps a short walk would indeed be the best way to relax and relieve the tension that had built up before the upcoming meeting with the count.
Ruby and I decided to head to the nearest surroundings. I asked the count’s servant for directions, and he kindly told me where the nearest village was. It was not far away, and I thought we could easily walk there without resorting to a carriage. So we decided to do just that.
We didn’t go far from the count’s estate and headed down the path to the gate, beyond which we could see the village — small but lively.
The air here was filled with the smell of fresh bread and smoke from the ovens. Children were playing by the well, a dog was barking somewhere, and women were laying out fruit and fabrics on their stalls.
The locals bowed to us when they saw us — their clothes spoke of modest wealth, but their eyes betrayed a certain anxiety. It was as if they were warily assessing our intentions.
"They’re wary," Ruby remarked quietly as we passed several houses.
We walked a little further, looking around.
"Yes," I agreed, nodding, "It’s probably because they don’t see aristocrats very often."
Since this was a southern province on the edge of the empire, it was obvious that the main population here consisted of ordinary people. Unlike the capital and the more central lands, there were very few aristocrats here.
Therefore, it was not surprising that the locals reacted to us with noticeable surprise and caution—their eyes carefully studied our clothes, thoroughly noticing every detail that was unfamiliar to their everyday life.
At that moment, I involuntarily felt a slight excitement mixed with anxiety.
I hadn’t thought about it before, but now I realized that I should have asked the count’s servant to assign a few guards to us for protection. After all, this was not the capital, and it could be quite dangerous for aristocrats to walk around unaccompanied.
However, no sooner had this thought crossed my mind than three figures suddenly appeared in front of Ruby and me. We were walking slowly, looking around the village and enjoying the tranquility of the street, when we suddenly found ourselves face to face with strangers blocking our path.
Their appearance immediately alarmed me. Their clothes were dirty and worn, their shoes were falling apart, and their faces were hidden under dark hoods and rags.
Even from a distance, it was clear that these were not just peasants — these people looked like real vagabonds or petty robbers, ready to take advantage of any opportunity for their own gain.
The leader, a large man with a thick beard, smiled unpleasantly as he took a step closer to us. His gaze was sharp as a knife, and there was a dangerous cunning in it.
I immediately frowned, instinctively stepping forward to shield Ruby.
I had a bad feeling in my gut. I knew these people hadn’t come here just for fun.
"Well, well," said the bearded man, rubbing his hands together, "who do we have here? Two lovely ladies all by themselves... Aren’t you afraid you might get into trouble?"
"We’re just out for a walk," I replied calmly, trying to keep my voice steady, "and we’re not looking for any trouble."
"Yeah, right," he smirked, stepping even closer. "But for some reason, I think you just found it."
