Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 3 Part 2

‘Should I endure it again this time?’

Applying to be the Empress Dowager’s lady-in-waiting was a half-reckless challenge. To not fail in this challenge, she needed to wait a little longer. It wasn’t as if she could always endure everything.

However, the reason she had to endure was because she was always alone in every battle. Fighting alone against the majority always leads to defeat.

Hadn’t that been the case just last week? She had resisted Caroline with bold actions, only to be forcibly captured, have her hair cut, and be locked in the attic because of Caroline’s single command.

‘But.’

Eleanor stood up from her seat.

“Oh my, Madam, where are you going?”

From a distance, Brianna called out to Eleanor. On the tray Eleanor was carrying, there was still an unfinished sandwich.

‘At least she seems to have some shame,’ Brianna thought, waving her fan with a smile.

Surely, she must be running away because she couldn’t bear it any longer.

However, contrary to her expectations, Eleanor’s steps were heading in the exact opposite direction.

“What, what is this?”

Brianna was startled, lifting her head as Eleanor approached her closely.

“Lady Brianna, it seems you still have feelings for His Grace the Duke, given how you’re acting so pitifully.”

“……!”

A moment of silence fell over the room. The noblewomen, who had been chattering away, suddenly fell quiet. Eleanor’s clear voice echoed throughout the hall.

“I understand how you must feel, being rejected by His Grace. It must be quite disheartening.”

My goodness, Lady Brianna was rejected by the Duke of Mecklen? Dozens of eyes widened in surprise.

“But if this is all because you’re jealous of the relationship between His Grace and me… well, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. I don’t want to fight with you, Lady Brianna.”

“Jealous?”

“Oh my, how surprising. That high-and-mighty Lady Brianna?”

Interest and ridicule that had been directed at the Duchess gradually shifted to Brianna, who stood nearby. Brianna, aware of the murmurs around her, suddenly stood up from her seat.

“That’s a lie! What nonsense are you spreading?”

“A lie? I’m merely stating the truth as it is.”

Unlike Brianna’s agitated voice, Eleanor remained calm.

“The truth? Listen here, Madam. This is a clear insult. Do you think the House of Liege will stay silent if you spread such baseless rumors? You’re making a mistake.”

Brianna struck back forcefully. The fact that she had been rejected by Ernst was something that must never become public knowledge. Her pride was at stake, and just the thought of that rejection made her… no, she didn’t even want to think about it.

‘I must not lose.’

Brianna gripped her fan tightly.

“Apologize immediately.”

“Apologize?”

“Yes. If you apologize properly, I won’t inform Madam Caroline about this incident.”

“Well, I have nothing to apologize for. If anyone should apologize, it’s Lady Brianna, don’t you think?”

“What did you say?”

“You tried to drive a wedge between His Grace and me. It was you who spread the malicious rumor that we sleep in separate rooms.”

An issue is best covered by a bigger issue. As Brianna became involved in the supposed discord between Eleanor and the Duke of Mecklen, people’s minds naturally fixated on the love triangle between the three. Observers, sensing the rising tension in the conversation, couldn’t hide their excitement. And this was precisely what Eleanor wanted.

Brianna, realizing that the situation was spiraling out of control, spoke irritably, “But you do sleep in separate rooms, don’t you? I was merely stating the facts. There’s no reason for me to apologize.”

“Is that so?” Eleanor smiled subtly, as if she had been waiting for those words. “Then can I state the facts as well?”

‘What is this?’

Brianna flinched slightly, a strange sense of unease creeping up her spine. But she quickly dismissed it, forcing a scoff as she crossed her arms defensively.

“Do as you please.”

“I know what you did in front of Ernst.”

No way.

“If you’re trying to blackmail me with some ridiculous story…”

“You clung to Ernst so desperately, but in the end, he never saw you as a woman, did he?”

“……!”

Brianna wanted to escape immediately. It was the last thing she wanted to hear, the memory she most wanted to forget. In an instant, the pride Brianna had so carefully built up crumbled. As her face twisted in distress, murmurs erupted from the noblewomen who had been watching in silence.

“What is this? What’s going on?”

“In front of His Grace the Duke?”

“She held onto him? How exactly did she hold onto him?”

Brianna’s body trembled uncontrollably. What on earth did Eleanor know? At that time, in Ernst’s study, there had been no one else but herself and him. No, even before that, Eleanor hadn’t even been in the Baden Empire. It was long before the political marriage with Hartmann had even been discussed.

‘She can’t possibly know.’

But the subtle insinuation in Eleanor’s words hinted at something she couldn’t ignore. Eleanor had somehow come close, her lips whispering near Brianna’s ear. “That night. The study. Alcohol. And…”

Brianna’s pupils dilated in shock.

“I don’t want to spread someone else’s story carelessly, like you do.” Eleanor looked down at the trembling Brianna with a pitying gaze. This kind of confrontation, exploiting someone’s weakness, wasn’t in Eleanor’s nature. But if it was necessary…

Straightening up after her whisper, Eleanor raised her voice. “Because it’s just too vulgar.”

Someone gasped from somewhere in the room. Eleanor then demanded from Brianna, “Apologize.”

“……!”

No, Brianna thought. Apologizing in front of all these people would be the same as admitting that what she had just said was wrong. But now, she was in no position to choose between hot and cold.

‘If even a rumor gets out…’

By now, no one was interested in the rumors about the Princess of Hartmann. A more intriguing event had overshadowed it. How amusing it must be to see the noble Lady of the House of Liege rendered helpless by a mere princess of a fallen kingdom.

At that moment, Eleanor’s lips parted as if to say something more.

‘No…!’

“S…” Brianna struggled to get the words out, biting her lip hard.

“Sor… ry…”

“……”

“I’m sorry.”

The situation had completely turned around.

***

It didn’t take long for the grading to be completed. Since the written exam wasn’t heavily weighted, there were only a few questions. Most of the results were perfect scores on basic knowledge. Finding the results rather unremarkable, the Empress Dowager was looking out the window with a disinterested expression.

“…Something about her is unusual.”

Her gaze became fixed on a spot in the garden. Short, cropped hair. Quite different from the other young ladies who had adorned themselves with long, elaborately styled hair. The Empress Dowager felt a slight curiosity.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, everything is ready.”

Berenice entered the Empress Dowager’s study to report. Hearing that the preparations for the interview were complete, the Empress Dowager stood up. The other ladies-in-waiting were already waiting in the interview room. As Berenice approached, the Empress Dowager suddenly pointed out the window.

“Berenice, do you know who that child is?”

“That’s the princess of Hartmann.”

It was Eleanor who had caught the Empress Dowager’s attention. Berenice’s expression turned unreadable. “I was planning to report separately on the princess—no, the Duchess.”

“Then what do you think of her?” The Empress Dowager asked with a hint of curiosity.

Knowing that it was unreasonable to bring her in as a lady-in-waiting, the Empress Dowager wondered why Caroline would write her a letter of recommendation.

Berenice, sensing that this might be a long conversation, suggested that the Empress Dowager sit down again. The Empress Dowager, deciding to take some time, listened closely to Berenice.

“I couldn’t get a complete understanding in just one day. But one thing is clear,” Berenice began.

“What is it?”

“She does not get along well with Caroline.”

The Empress Dowager’s green eyes narrowed. “They don’t get along?”

“The management of the Mecklen family is very strict, so it was difficult to get detailed information. However, I did find out that, just yesterday, Caroline had the Duchess locked up in the attic.”

“…Locked up?” The word slipped from the Empress Dowager’s lips like a sigh, as if she could hardly believe it. Her gaze turned back out the window, watching Eleanor move towards the palace, likely heading back inside for the interview.

“And yet, she wrote her a letter of recommendation?”

“Whether the Duchess was at fault or if there’s another reason, I can’t say. But recommending a princess she doesn’t get along with could be seen as Caroline underestimating the imperial family,” Berenice cautiously shared her opinion.

“I had a brief conversation with the princess in the carriage,” Berenice continued. “She was very cautious, not willing to share much about herself.”

She added that the princess was careful and guarded in nature.

“Hearing that makes me even more suspicious of Lady Brianna, who was recommended alongside her.”

“Yes, I feel the same.”

“Could it be that Caroline intentionally included the Duchess to favor Lady Brianna?”

“That possibility cannot be ruled out. However, there is an issue.”

“Hmm?”

Though there was no one else around, Berenice lowered her voice even further. “The interview panel consists of Your Majesty, myself, Countess Lorentz, Norah, Secretary Rambeau, Sir Richard, who is in charge of your security, and finally, Marquis Elmond, the treasurer.”

A total of seven people.

“Except for Your Majesty and myself, we cannot trust the others.”

“…We must be suspicious of everyone.”

“All of them have ties to Caroline of the Mecklen family to some extent.”

The speed with which Berenice had grasped the complex web of relationships in just one day was astonishing. But there was no time to be impressed; the Empress Dowager let out a deep sigh.

She had chosen to hold an open recruitment to avoid the bias of recommendations and to pick someone trustworthy, yet things were still moving according to others’ agendas. It was laughable. And she still didn’t know Caroline’s true intentions. Caroline was not a woman who acted with pure motives, so there was a need to be extra cautious.

“I’ve made a complete fool of myself.” The Empress Dowager let out a bitter laugh, feeling it was ridiculous that she had sent a carriage for Eleanor without knowing any of this. But Berenice shook her head.

“That’s why they will be even more wary of Your Majesty.”

“……”

“They probably thought of her as a throwaway pawn, but now that she has received a warm welcome from Your Majesty, they’ll hesitate. You must plan your next move while they pause to decipher your hidden intentions,” Berenice advised.

She continued, “And Your Majesty was right to be wary of Caroline, the Duchess Dowager of Mecklen. She is indeed suspicious. There were many questionable things that came up during this investigation.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, the Empress Dowager smiled faintly as Berenice finished speaking.

***