Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 2 Part 1

2. A New Connection Different from the Previous Life

After Ernst returned to the palace, life resumed as it always had, revolving steadily around Caroline at the heart of the Mecklen estate.

It was a typical afternoon. The heavy iron gates of the Mecklen mansion, usually closed, creaked open for the first time in a while. A black-painted carriage bearing the Mecklen family crest glided out into the street. The coachman expertly guided the four-seater carriage toward the city center.

“Don’t look outside,” Caroline ordered.

“Yes,” Eleanor replied.

“And don’t look at me, either.”

“…Yes.”

Avoiding Caroline’s intense gaze, Eleanor lowered her head. The carriage carried only the two of them. No maid accompanied them, as Caroline had deliberately left them behind.

‘I need to break her spirit a bit more,’ Caroline thought, increasingly displeased with Eleanor’s recent accomplishments.

Not long ago, Caroline had handed Eleanor a pile of documents, filled with complicated details about the Mecklen family, hoping to trip her up. However, to her astonishment, Eleanor swiftly condensed the information into a summary of just a few pages. So, the next day, Caroline made Eleanor attend a morning lecture on the life of Alfred Helle, a composer beloved by Baden, followed by a lesson on the latest waltz trends sweeping through society.

Yet, Eleanor absorbed and understood everything with ease, almost as if she were a native of the Baden Empire. Caroline was left speechless by Eleanor’s competence. Frustrated by her inability to find fault with Eleanor, Caroline took out her anger on another maid, harshly scolding and punishing her.

‘What is going on here?’ Caroline fumed, growing more determined to put Eleanor in her place. She finally thought of a way.

“We’ve arrived,” Caroline said.

Eleanor remained silent.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting out?”

Startled by Caroline’s sharp tone, Eleanor reluctantly stepped out of the carriage first. They had arrived on a street lined with high-end boutiques frequented by the nobility.

Caroline, in her high heels, led the way with a series of sharp clicks on the pavement. Eleanor, still tense, followed closely behind.

‘This is different from before,’ Eleanor thought. She had been trying to keep a low profile, careful not to irritate Caroline while she worked on solidifying her position. However, it seemed that nothing she did could please Caroline, who was now resorting to new tactics.

This was Eleanor’s first time accompanying Caroline to a boutique. They were supposedly there to have clothes made, but Eleanor doubted the purpose was solely that. As she walked, Eleanor quickly surveyed her surroundings. Most of the people passing by were nobles, evident from their attire and demeanor.

Suddenly, she bumped into a man she hadn’t noticed approaching.

“My apologies, my lady,” the man said, his tone polite.

Eleanor looked up at him, startled. ‘A mask?’

Though painted black, the rough texture of the mask suggested it was made of wood. It covered most of his forehead and eyes, making it impossible to see his face clearly. The only visible part was his jawline, which caught Eleanor’s eye with its smooth, chiseled contour.

“Eleanor!” Caroline’s sharp voice called from behind.

Snapping back to reality, Eleanor quickly apologized. “I’m terribly sorry.”

The masked man hurriedly moved away as Caroline approached. Eleanor’s eyes followed him as he walked away.

“Eleanor! What on earth is wrong with you?” Caroline was glaring at her, clearly furious. She had expected Eleanor to follow her closely and had returned in a huff when she realized Eleanor wasn’t there. Caroline’s shoulders heaved with anger.

“I apologize,” Eleanor said simply, her tone calm and concise.

She knew that if she added anything more, it would only fuel Caroline’s anger. Eleanor’s composed demeanor left Caroline momentarily speechless.

“…Let’s go,” Caroline finally said, sensing the stares of nearby nobles. If she made a scene here, rumors would spread in no time. Caroline could not tolerate any scandal associated with her name.

Ignoring Caroline’s piercing gaze, Eleanor stifled a sigh.

‘At least I dodged that crisis.’

But who was that man? Although it was their first meeting, Eleanor could usually guess someone’s identity at a glance, but the masked man was completely unfamiliar.

She had memorized countless portraits along with their distinct features, yet no noble in the Baden Empire wore a mask.

‘There was no such noble before my regression either.’

The man she had collided with had a striking feature: his height, almost equal to that of the Duke of Mecklen. His age was difficult to determine, but judging by his movements and voice, he seemed to be relatively young—perhaps in his twenties or thirties.

Eleanor quickly ran through the list of nobles in that age range.

‘Baron Hamilton? No, he’s quite short. Could it be the second son of Count Avoncon? But he wouldn’t have any reason to hide his face with a mask. Perhaps Sir Adler, the cousin of Count Gordon?’

Her thoughts were interrupted as they reached their destination.

“Welcome, madam,” greeted Adolf, the owner of the boutique, who had been informed in advance of their arrival. He came out to greet them at the entrance.

Adolf’s boutique operated by appointment only, so there were no other customers inside. Caroline handed her fan to a waiting attendant and settled herself comfortably in a plush chair.

“Bring me some tea,” Caroline commanded.

“Yes, madam.”

Adolf, well aware of Caroline’s preferences, directed the staff to bring refreshments and then headed to the fitting room to prepare dresses that would suit Caroline’s taste.

As the attendant who brought the tea tried to guide Eleanor to a seat, Caroline spoke sharply.

“Don’t bother with her.”

“Excuse me?” The attendant, who had naturally assumed Eleanor was a noble lady, widened her eyes in surprise.

Ignoring the attendant’s reaction, Caroline pursed her lips at Eleanor. “You will stand there.”

“…Yes.”

“And do not speak.”

“……”

It was only then that Eleanor understood Caroline’s true intentions.

‘So this is why she didn’t bring any maids.’

“These designs incorporate the latest trends with my own creative touches,” Adolf explained, presenting the first dress.

“This style is unfamiliar,” Caroline remarked.

“I’ve made the sleeves fuller and longer than those on the ready-to-wear garments. The colors are a blend of light brown and gold. Do you see the lace here? I handcrafted each pattern, making each one unique.”

“And this fabric?”

“Ah, that’s a new material from the Kingdom of Mondriol. If you look closely, you’ll notice a subtle sheen.”

“Oh, I see.”

Caroline listened attentively to Adolf’s explanations as she meticulously examined the dresses. She knew that the longer she took to select a dress, the more tiring it would be for Eleanor. It was only after her tea had gone cold and considerable time had passed that Caroline finally rose from her seat.

“I’ll try this one first.”

“Yes, madam.”

Caroline chose the first dress Adolf had shown her. As Caroline moved toward the fitting room, Eleanor, despite her discomfort from standing for so long, had no choice but to follow. Her legs tingled from the lack of circulation.

Once inside the fitting room, Caroline immediately dismissed the attendant who had come in to assist her, leaving only Eleanor in the room.

Caroline turned to Eleanor with a triumphant smile. “You’ll be assisting me.”

Eleanor raised her head slightly.

“What? You don’t want to?”

“……”

“If you can’t do anything else, you should at least be able to serve properly. You’ve lived like a pig, eating and sleeping, so now it’s time to start acting like a human, don’t you think?”

Caroline’s insults came in a relentless barrage.

“A beast doesn’t know it’s a beast until someone points it out. If not for me, who would have taken in someone like you? Tsk, tsk.”

Eleanor felt a chill run through her veins.

‘You must endure,’ she reminded herself. Hadn’t she vowed after returning to the past that she would bend low to rise high?

But despite Eleanor’s efforts to stay calm, Caroline only poured more fuel on the fire.

“It seems your mother is the real problem.”

“……?”

“In the Kingdom of Hartmann, they must not know how to raise children properly. If your mother had done a better job, you wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Eleanor could tolerate the abuse directed at her, but the insults toward her parents and homeland shook her to the core.

“Then again, that’s probably why your country fell, isn’t it? Seeing you, it’s no wonder why.”

The blood drained from Eleanor’s face. Her hands, gripping the voluminous skirt of her dress, trembled slightly. She had to force herself to take deep breaths to maintain her composure, or she would have stormed out of the room right then and there.

Meanwhile, Caroline, completely unfazed, continued to adjust her hair in the mirror, as if nothing had happened.

“Come over here and loosen the laces on this dress. I’m curious to see how the new one will look. By the way, did you wash your hands? You had quite a terrible smell about you last time, and I wouldn’t want that stench to rub off on my—”

“Pathetic.”

“…What?”

Caroline’s chatter abruptly stopped. It was the first time she had ever heard such words. She glanced at the mirror, catching sight of Eleanor’s face behind her.

“…What’s with that look?” Caroline finally noticed that the fallen princess had blue eyes—striking, deep blue eyes now wide open in an intense gaze.

Eleanor spoke, her voice calm and steady. “If I serve you, will that improve your mood, madam?”

“W-what?” Caroline stammered, startled by the unexpected question. As she turned to face Eleanor, she found herself so close that their noses almost touched. It was the first time they had ever been this near to each other, and Caroline instinctively took two steps back.

As Caroline retreated, Eleanor stepped forward.

“Using your status to intimidate and belittle others,” Eleanor continued, “Isn’t that a rather petty and childish way for someone from the prestigious Mecklen family to behave?”

Caroline, now completely baffled, tried to respond. “What do you think you’re—”

But Eleanor didn’t allow her to finish.

“I’m concerned,” Eleanor interrupted.

“……?”

“Concerned that if rumors spread about the Duchess of Mecklen behaving in a manner befitting the lower classes, it would tarnish the dignity of the nobility, and we’d all be worse off for it.”

“What…?” Caroline’s face flushed red with anger and humiliation. Never had anyone dared to speak to her so insolently, let alone a princess she had always looked down upon. The shock of being rebuked so unexpectedly left her speechless.

“Those of the lower classes often exhibit such behavior,” Eleanor continued, her voice even and deliberate. “The lower and more insignificant they are, the more desperate they become to flaunt whatever little they have. Do you know why that is?”

Eleanor’s tone was calm, almost as if she were explaining something irrelevant to her. Yet Caroline could feel the undercurrent of fury in Eleanor’s words—a fury directed squarely at her.

“People with nothing want to convince themselves they are better than those they consider beneath them. They push others down to elevate themselves, falling into the delusion that they are somehow superior. It’s a pathetic illusion.”

Caroline felt a chill run down her spine. Every time Eleanor’s gaze met hers, it was as if she were being plunged into icy waters.

“The actions you’re taking right now,” Eleanor said, “Seem to stem from that very delusion.”

Caroline couldn’t move, frozen by the fear that crept up her back.

“I can’t imagine what could possibly drive the Duchess Dowager of a renowned house like Mecklen to act this way. If you truly possessed the dignity of a noble, there would be no need to drag others down just to make yourself feel superior.”

“……”

“Because a true noble, by their very nature, already has everything they need.”

In other words:

“You don’t need to behave the way you are now.”

“……!”

“I sincerely hope you don’t lose your dignity, madam.”

The words struck like a hammer. Caroline stood there, dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. Her mind was a whirl of confusion, and she was too stunned to react as Eleanor turned and left the room.

The door clicked shut behind her. Outside, Adolf, who had been nervously pacing, jumped to his feet. He had clearly heard the commotion. However, Eleanor walked past him without a word, exiting the boutique.

Her expression was calm, as it had been when she first entered, but her mind was in turmoil. She had just made a colossal mistake—a disastrous one.

***

As Eleanor walked, she couldn’t stop replaying the scene in her mind, regretting her actions more and more with each step. She should have kept her head down and waited for the right moment to strike. Now, it was impossible to predict how Caroline would react. With her temper, she certainly wouldn’t take this lying down.

A headache, something she hadn’t experienced before, began to creep in.

‘Where should I go?’

Returning to the boutique was out of the question. Caroline, by now, had likely realized what happened and was probably in a rage. Should she head back to the mansion on her own? The thought of facing Caroline again at the mansion was dreadful, but Eleanor had nowhere else to go.

The sun was still high in the sky, so she decided to take her time.

Eleanor glanced around at the people surrounding her. Groups of well-dressed, leisurely nobles strolled through the streets, chatting happily with one another. Unlike her, they all seemed content and carefree. A flicker of sadness crossed Eleanor’s eyes.

‘…Just a little.’

As if by some magic, her feet began to move again, heading in the opposite direction from where the carriage had been parked.

‘How did I even manage to endure it before?’

A bitter smile crept onto Eleanor’s face. The desire to flee from the Mecklen family was overwhelming. Sitting quietly and accepting her fate had been her approach in her past life, but that was not who she was now.

Yet, she couldn’t just lash out without any preparation. She had roughly three years left before she would be falsely accused and executed. Within that time, she needed to build something solid, something that wouldn’t be easily shaken by any ordeal.

‘But why did it have to unravel like this…?’

Lost in self-recrimination and confusion, Eleanor’s steps gradually slowed. Eventually, she found herself standing before a fountain. It was small but well-maintained, and the surrounding area was clean and peaceful.

Eleanor sat down on a bench, smoothing out the tangled folds of her dress. She took a deep breath and lifted her head. In the distance, she saw a bird tracing elegant arcs in the sky. The bird soared freely, its path cutting through a sky so bright and blue it was almost painful to look at.

Eleanor stared at the picturesque scene, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them again. A cool breeze brushed past her, but it did little to calm the turmoil inside.

She had been sitting in silence for some time when—

“Huh…?”

There he was.

Eleanor made a small sound as she swept her blonde hair back, carried by the wind. It was the man she had bumped into before visiting the boutique. He had been alone then, but now, she noticed he was accompanied by someone else.