Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 2 Part 3

Even though Eleanor was not the heir to the throne of Hartmann, her basic education as a princess had included the genealogies of other royal families. As she strained her memory, Eleanor subtly furrowed her brow. She quickly reviewed the list of possible royal family members, but no one by the name “Lennoch” came to mind.

Aside from the imperial family, only the three dukes of the empire would have easy access to the late Empress’s palace. Yet, no noble of similar standing came to mind either.

“Madam?” Eger called out, his voice tinged with curiosity when Eleanor remained silent.

Eleanor quickly masked her confusion with a composed smile. “It’s nothing. I’ll be careful.”

“Thank you, Madam,” Eger replied, offering a formal bow before crossing his arms—a gesture that might have seemed dismissive or disrespectful to an outsider.

Despite the potentially off-putting posture, Eleanor didn’t mind. Compared to the open hostility she often faced from Caroline or the cold indifference of Ernst, Eger’s behavior seemed almost endearing.

Lennoch, noticing the brief exchange, gave an awkward smile. “I apologize. Eger is actually quite shy, despite how he might come across.”

Eger’s normally stern expression cracked slightly at the unexpected defense. Ignoring the bewildered glance from Eger, Lennoch shrugged playfully. “Baron Eger tends to act a bit prickly around unfamiliar faces.”

“That’s not true…!” Eger began to protest, but Lennoch continued with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“If his behavior bothers you, Madam, please let me know. I’ll intervene.”

If she could see behind Lennoch’s mask, Eleanor imagined his eyes would be sparkling with mischief. He seemed to be someone with a playful streak, despite his serious demeanor.

Sensing the situation slipping out of control, Eger quickly interjected to clear the air. “It’s a misunderstanding. I assure you, I’m not so lacking in manners as to be rude to someone I’ve just met. I would never dare to be difficult with you, Madam. In fact, I hold you in high regard…”

“Oh? Then shall I relay this directly to ‘her’? I’m curious to see how she would react,” Lennoch teased.

“Lennoch!” Eger’s expression twisted into a mix of irritation and embarrassment.

“You promised not to mention Lady Joshua!”

“Did I? I never said the name ‘Lady Joshua.’ Who might that be?”

“…Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Eger muttered, realizing he couldn’t win this battle.

As Eleanor watched Eger’s ears turn red behind his pale complexion, she had to suppress a laugh. Lennoch patted Eger’s shoulder lightly, as if to console him.

“He’s a friend who’s fun to tease,” Lennoch said.

“…Two more times of this and we might end up dueling,” Eger grumbled, clearly exasperated. This wasn’t the first time they had exchanged such banter.

Unlike the relaxed Lennoch, Eger ground his teeth in frustration, clearly anticipating more of the same.

‘Are they rivals, friends, or perhaps something else entirely?’ Eleanor wondered, finding it hard to pin down their relationship. One thing was clear: these two had known each other for quite some time.

Eleanor felt the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. The lighthearted exchange between Lennoch and Eger had a calming effect on her. Still, she couldn’t shake the doubt in her mind about whether following them had been the right decision.

She stole a quick glance at Lennoch, who sat opposite her. If he was a young imperial family unknown to the public, he could potentially be an illegitimate child of the late Emperor. That would explain his reluctance to remove his mask. If Lennoch were at odds with the imperial family, he might one day become an ally when the time came for her to leave Mecklen behind.

As she pondered this, Lennoch spoke, startling her with a question that seemed to pierce her thoughts. “Have you found it difficult to adjust to Baden?”

Fortunately, her feelings didn’t show on her face. Eleanor clasped her hands on her lap and lowered her head slightly.

“It’s only been a month since I arrived in Baden, so I’m not sure what to say yet. If it’s about the food, there’s not much difference from Hartmann.”

“While the food may be similar, the people you share your meals with have changed. The maids you brought from Hartmann don’t dine with you anymore, do they?”

“They were sent back,” Eleanor replied. More accurately, Caroline had found an excuse to send them back to Hartmann. Those maids, whose names she could barely remember, had eagerly returned home, having been fed lies by Caroline.

Eleanor hadn’t objected, finding it easier not to deal with the maids, who had done nothing but blame her for separating them from their families in Hartmann.

“That must be lonely,” Lennoch remarked, his words hitting their mark and causing Eleanor’s cheek to twitch slightly.

“If I were in your position, I would find it hard to part with the servants who came with me from Hartmann.”

Eger muttered under his breath, almost as if to himself, “Lennoch, this is unnecessary. Surely the Duke of Mecklen has taken care of such matters. After all, the Duchess must have her own attendants.”

Yes, that was what most people thought.

Any faint hope Eleanor had felt slowly dissipated in her chest. In Baden, people made assumptions based on the name Mecklen alone—believing that the Duchess would have everything she needed and live in comfort. It was a common misconception.

As Eleanor turned her gaze back to the window, Lennoch spoke again.

“Have you made your debut in society yet?”

“You seem to have a lot of questions about me,” Eleanor responded, intending to cut the conversation short. But to her surprise, Lennoch replied candidly.

“Yes, I do.”

“……?”

Eleanor turned her head back toward him, puzzled. By this time, the carriage had already come to a stop.

Without waiting for a servant, Lennoch opened the carriage door himself and stepped out first. Standing against the backdrop of a lush, verdant garden, he turned back to Eleanor with a mysterious smile and extended his hand to her.

“Do you like flowers?” he asked.

***

“Where has His Majesty gone?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know,” stammered Sir Valstein, one of the Emperor’s personal guards, bowing his head in discomfort.

Ernst surveyed the empty Emperor’s office with a click of his tongue. “If you don’t know, then who does?”

“My apologies, but His Majesty has been moving very discreetly…”

“For what reason?”

“I’m not sure. I apologize.”

Swallowing nervously, Valstein could feel the dryness in his mouth. As a guard, he had no excuse for not knowing the Emperor’s whereabouts. Seeing the knight flustered, Ernst clicked his tongue again.

Under normal circumstances, such negligence would have warranted dismissal. However, the problem was that the Emperor had a habit of occasionally disappearing like this.

“Let’s wait,” Ernst said, knowing that pushing the matter further wouldn’t yield any results. He figured the Emperor would return by evening at the latest, so he returned to his office.

The documents he had been reading earlier were still on his desk. Ernst picked up the notice about the Empress Dowager’s plan to recruit a new lady-in-waiting and read it again, clicking his tongue in frustration.

He couldn’t understand the Empress Dowager’s motives.

‘She could easily fill the position through recommendations,’ he thought. Why go through the trouble and expense of an open recruitment?

The notice might have been just a piece of paper, but its implications were significant. It was likely distributed to all departments within the palace.

‘There were quite a few young ladies who applied, I heard,’ he recalled, remembering something his aide had mentioned in passing. His mother, Caroline, had also subtly brought up the topic of the Empress Dowager’s new lady-in-waiting.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Sir, are you busy?”

“No, come in.”

Ernst’s expression softened as a familiar face entered his office. The man’s once-vibrant red hair had faded to brown with age, but his steady gait belied the years.

Ernst stood up to greet him. “It’s been a while, godfather.”

It was the Marquis of Liege, Ernst’s godfather. The two men exchanged light conversation as they sat down across from each other.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your work,” the Marquis said.

“Not at all. What brings you here?”

“I had some business at the palace, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to visit my godson,” the Marquis replied with a warm smile. “How is the Duchess Dowager?”

“She’s well, thank you,” Ernst replied.

“It’s such a shame. I wish the late Duke were still with us…”

Ernst responded politely, though he kept glancing at the clock.

‘He wouldn’t come without a reason,’ Ernst thought. Although they weren’t particularly close, Ernst knew the Marquis of Liege wasn’t the type to visit without a purpose.

As expected, after some preliminary conversation, the Marquis casually brought up what he had come to discuss.

“Have you heard that the Empress Dowager is recruiting a new lady-in-waiting?”

‘As expected,’ Ernst thought, his expression cooling.

“A notice has been sent to all departments. The process starts next week.”

“Yes, that’s right. My daughter Brianna mentioned it to me. Have you been in touch with her lately?”

“We met briefly not long ago. She visited the palace, and we had tea.”

Ernst was well aware that Brianna had liked him since childhood. However, he had never reciprocated her feelings, pretending not to notice her affection.

The Marquis, unaware of Ernst’s lack of interest, nodded. “My daughter has decided to apply for the position as the Empress Dowager’s lady-in-waiting.”

“…I see.”

“As you know, life in the palace isn’t easy. One mistake can lead to scandal or, worse, being cast out of the palace. It’s a harsh and sometimes humiliating environment. Oh, but I’ve misspoken, considering you’re also a palace official.”

“No need to apologize. I share the same sentiments,” Ernst replied, shaking his head lightly as the Marquis cleared his throat and continued.

“That’s why I’m asking… Could you keep an eye on her?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d like you to help Brianna adjust to palace life.”

Given that Ernst was the Emperor’s close friend and the head of the palace guard, his support would undoubtedly ease Brianna’s entry into the palace.

“Or,” the Marquis continued, his voice taking on a more suggestive tone, “You could put in a good word with His Majesty. After all, you’re his close friend. He’s more likely to listen to you.”

The request was clear: the Marquis wanted Ernst to ensure that Brianna became the Empress Dowager’s lady-in-waiting. Understanding his godfather’s intentions, Ernst felt a slight unease. He hadn’t expected the Marquis to directly approach him with such a request. It also explained why his mother, Caroline, had been bringing up Brianna more frequently lately.

“Is it too difficult?” the Marquis asked, noticing Ernst’s hesitation.

Ernst couldn’t find a compelling reason to refuse. The Marquis of Liege had been close to his father, the late Duke of Mecklen, and Ernst knew that the Marquis’s wife had been kind to his mother.

After some consideration, Ernst nodded slightly. “Alright.”

He could at least mention it in passing.

“I’ll speak with His Majesty,” Ernst agreed.

***