Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 4 Part 6

Fortunately, her voice didn’t shake too much. The Empress Dowager, unaware of the turmoil within Eleanor, continued the conversation with the Emperor.

“The Duchess of Mecklen has been quite active lately,” the Empress Dowager remarked.

“Is that so?” the Emperor replied.

“Yesterday, I sent her and Lady Brianna to the Hadum district.”

“The Hadum district? That’s the area with the slums, isn’t it?”

The Emperor was well acquainted with the place, as reports about the challenges faced by the impoverished population there frequently crossed his desk.

The Empress Dowager then provided a detailed account of what Eleanor and Brianna had observed and the proposals they made during their visit.

“It can’t have been easy to assess the situation so quickly,” the Emperor said, his warm, green eyes focusing on Eleanor. “How are you finding life in the palace?”

“…It has been good,” Eleanor replied, though she struggled to smile naturally. Compared to life at the Mecklen estate, her current existence was almost like paradise. “Thanks to Your Majesty’s care.”

Yet, an odd feeling lingered. Every word she spoke, every small movement she made, she could feel the Emperor, or rather, Lennoch, paying close attention. The sensation was unsettling, impossible to ignore no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise.

At that moment, Lady Norah interjected into the conversation with enthusiasm. “Your Majesty, may I suggest something?”

Her lively voice and the hopeful expression on her face contrasted with the usual formal etiquette. The Empress Dowager, however, found Norah’s sincerity endearing rather than inappropriate.

“What if we included a special ball during the harvest festival this year?” Norah proposed.

“A special ball?”

Norah had been eagerly anticipating the harvest festival for some time. During the week-long festival, citizens of all ranks came together to celebrate and offer thanks to God. The festivities were so grand that even visitors from other countries came to witness the spectacle.

Norah elaborated on her idea. “I was thinking it would be wonderful to have a masquerade ball at the palace during the festival.”

“That does sound like fun,” Countess Lorentz chimed in, supporting Norah’s idea.

Although Berenice remained indifferent to such events, the Empress Dowager responded positively. “Watching all of you enjoy yourselves would indeed be entertaining.”

“Oh no, Your Majesty, you must join us! If you’re not there, I won’t dance either,” Norah teased, moving closer to the Empress Dowager and gently holding her arm in a playful manner.

The Empress Dowager, amused by Norah’s affectionate behavior, couldn’t help but smile as she patted Norah’s hand. “This is why I can never be upset with you.”

“Your Majesty, you will join us, won’t you?” Norah pressed, her voice filled with playful insistence.

“Yes, yes, I will,” the Empress Dowager conceded, still smiling.

Amid the lively chatter, the Emperor tapped the table lightly, considering the idea. A masquerade ball, where one could hide their identity behind a mask, was certainly an intriguing prospect. It offered a rare chance to shed the weight of titles and roles, even if just for a night.

“Everything sounds good,” the Emperor murmured to himself, briefly recalling his aide, Eger, who had been overwhelmed by the preparations for the upcoming harvest festival. Adding another event at the last minute could potentially overburden the staff. However, the Emperor quickly brushed the thought aside, his gaze once again settling on Eleanor.

Noticing her subtle discomfort, a mischievous smile spread across his lips. “Let’s go ahead with the plan.”

“Oh my, truly?” Norah exclaimed, delighted by the Emperor’s approval.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” others echoed, their excitement palpable.

‘A few sleepless nights should be manageable,’ the Emperor thought, half-listening to the jubilant reactions around him.

He could almost hear Eger’s impending complaints but dismissed them with a casual shrug. The masquerade ball would indeed be a special event, not just for the others, but for him and Eleanor as well.

Lennoch, or rather the Emperor, had noticed Eleanor’s discomfort since his arrival. He had hesitated to come, worried that his presence might cause her distress. But there were matters he needed to discuss with the Empress Dowager in person, and his curiosity about Eleanor’s life at the palace had also driven him to visit.

Now that the atmosphere was suitably festive, the Emperor decided it was time to address the reason he had come.

“Mother, I have a gift for you,” he said, shifting the focus back to the Empress Dowager.

***

What exactly the Emperor had prepared as a gift for the Empress Dowager remained unknown. As soon as he announced it, he ordered everyone to leave the area. Even the knights were instructed to keep their distance, indicating that the conversation to follow was of a highly confidential nature.

The ladies-in-waiting gathered far from the Emperor and Empress Dowager, forming a small group.

“This is the first time I’ve seen His Majesty so close,” Brianna remarked to Countess Lorentz.

Though she had occasionally attended palace banquets, no woman had ever been allowed to approach the Emperor closely. Few dared to initiate conversation with him, and the Emperor himself maintained a considerable distance from any lady or noblewoman. His time was always in high demand, leaving little opportunity for social interactions.

“It’s hard to believe someone so young hasn’t married yet,” Brianna wondered aloud, her tone reflecting her curiosity.

“It is a mystery, isn’t it? The mourning period for the late Empress ended over a year ago,” Countess Lorentz replied, shaking her head as if to emphasize the enigma.

Their conversation was interrupted by Norah, who eagerly joined in. “You mean the Delph Remarriage Law, right?”

“Exactly,” Countess Lorentz confirmed.

The Delph Remarriage Law stipulated that if an Empress under the age of thirty died due to natural disasters, accidents, illness, or assassination, the Emperor was prohibited from remarrying for a year. The law wasn’t originally part of Baden’s early legal code.

Norah cautiously expressed her opinion. “Personally, I think the law is too restrictive. Isn’t marriage a personal choice? It seems a bit much to regulate it with a law…”

“But what can we do? It’s been in place since the time of Emperor Leopold II,” Countess Lorentz replied, continuing to explain for Norah’s benefit.

Eleanor, who had never heard of this law before, listened intently to the conversation.

Countess Lorentz went on, “For the sake of the imperial family’s reputation, it’s better to leave the remarriage law as it is. The scandal during Emperor Leopold II’s reign when he tried to rush a new marriage after his young Empress died only caused more harm than good.”

The incident had occurred during the reign of Emperor Leopold II. Shortly after the death of his young Empress, who had passed away during childbirth, the Emperor hastily proposed to a foreign princess. Although it was said that he had no choice but to secure an heir, the problem lay in his blatant disregard for the Empress who had died giving birth to his child.

The young Empress had been from the Delph family, and the entire incident caused a significant uproar among the nobility.

Reflecting on this, Berenice nodded. “I agree that the Delph Remarriage Law should be handled carefully. The event was a pivotal moment in our history.”

Historians often viewed the Delph Remarriage Law as a victory for the noble faction. Initially, Emperor Leopold II tried to push through his marriage plans, but eventually, he had to compromise with the nobility and observe a year-long mourning period for the deceased Empress. This marked the beginning of the noble council’s rise as a check on the Emperor’s power.

Norah conceded to the points made. “I suppose you’re right… Politics is so complicated, especially when even something like marriage isn’t entirely within one’s control.”

“But really, none of this applies to the current Emperor, does it? The legally mandated period has long passed.”

“There’s no way His Majesty would choose not to marry. When the time is right, I’m sure he’ll make an announcement,” Brianna said in a lighthearted tone. Historically, no Emperor had ever refused to marry.

Countess Lorentz nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Perhaps he’s still grieving for the late Empress.”

With no other explanation, they began to speculate that the Emperor might have been deeply attached to the late Empress. The conversation gradually concluded with the assumption that the Emperor must have been a devoted husband.

“What do you think, Madam?” Norah suddenly asked Eleanor, breaking her silence. Eleanor had remained quiet throughout the discussion, and Norah seemed to regret putting her on the spot.

“I’m sorry, that was a difficult question, wasn’t it?” Norah added, sensing Eleanor’s hesitation.

“No, it’s fine,” Eleanor replied, though in truth, her silence wasn’t because she found the question difficult. She let Norah’s misunderstanding go uncorrected.

Eleanor couldn’t quite articulate the complicated emotions she was feeling. She was caught in a web of thoughts that were hard to unravel, let alone explain.

***

“Things are still too vague,” the Empress Dowager whispered, her voice barely audible. Although they had dismissed everyone else, she and Lennoch huddled even closer, ensuring that their conversation remained private.

Lennoch spoke cautiously, “But compared to before, we’ve made significant progress. You know that as well.”

“Indeed,” the Empress Dowager nodded slightly.

“Though nothing is clear yet, I believe that if we continue this search, we’ll eventually find a lead,” Lennoch continued.

“Count Hilda has been putting in a lot of effort,” the Empress Dowager acknowledged. “Make sure he has all the support he needs.”

“Of course.”

They had stumbled upon the fact that the late Empress did not die of natural causes, but without concrete evidence, they had been conducting a secret investigation for some time. Lennoch’s visit today was to discuss the new developments in this ongoing inquiry.

‘Who could have predicted that she would be taken so suddenly?’ Lennoch thought, reflecting on the loss of Empress Edea.

She was a daughter of the Delph family, a lineage known for producing many empresses throughout history. Despite the scandal during the reign of Leopold II, subsequent emperors frequently married daughters from the Delph family because they were well-educated and made excellent political allies.

“I still regret it,” the Empress Dowager sighed deeply, thinking of Empress Edea.

She had chosen Edea as a potential match for her son from the moment her husband died and her young son ascended to the throne. As soon as her son reached maturity and assumed full power, she arranged the marriage. But now, all that was left was a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I swear, when we uncover those responsible, they will be obliterated. The crime of insulting the imperial family cannot go unpunished,” she vowed with a steely determination.

The Empress Dowager was convinced that Empress Edea’s death was a casualty of the ongoing power struggle between the imperial family and the nobility, making the loss all the more unforgivable. She had spent years defending the throne, ensuring it was strong enough to withstand the schemes of opposing nobles.

She suddenly turned to Lennoch. “I don’t know when this will all be resolved, but once it is, perhaps you should consider remarrying.”