Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 5 Part 3

Ernst stood there as if he had been there all along, just a few meters away.

The color drained from Sir Huger’s face, realizing that he hadn’t noticed Ernst’s silent approach. As the captain of the imperial guard, it was a clear embarrassment not to have sensed someone approaching from behind.

Ernst glanced briefly at the now red-faced Huger before turning his attention back to Eleanor. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just passing through,” Eleanor replied, her voice steady.

“Surrounded by them?” Ernst’s gaze hardened as he emphasized the word ‘surrounded,’ and there was a hint of displeasure in his tone.

Marquis Neto and Count Nopaltzin exchanged uneasy glances and took a step away from Eleanor.

“Th-this is a misunderstanding. We weren’t doing anything like that…,” Marquis Neto stammered.

“I heard His Majesty has night duties with you regarding the harvest festival today. Did I hear wrong?” Ernst interrupted coldly.

“P-please, Duke,” stuttered Marquis Neto, hurriedly stepping closer to Ernst, a forced smile on his face. It was as if he was about to reach out and massage Ernst’s shoulders.

“I just stepped out for some fresh air. I’ll head back soon. With His Majesty so busy with state affairs, how could I possibly be idle?”

“Y-yes, I was just about to return as well,” Sir Huger chimed in, trying to assist Marquis Neto.

Under Ernst’s icy stare, the three men quickly made their escape.

As they disappeared, neither Eleanor nor Ernst spoke for some time. It was Ernst who finally broke the silence.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m returning to the palace,” Eleanor replied, turning to leave.

Ernst moved to follow her, staying close by her side.

“Why are you following me?” Eleanor asked, puzzled by his actions.

“Our paths just happen to be the same,” he replied curtly.

“This way leads to the Empress Dowager’s palace…”

“I have business there,” Ernst cut her off coldly, making it clear that he had no interest in further conversation. Eleanor glanced at his face, then deliberately slowed her pace.

As her steps grew slower and she began to lag behind, Ernst, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the path ahead, spoke in an irritated tone.

“Keep up.”

“Why?”

“To match the pace,” Ernst replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Pace? What pace? Eleanor’s feet came to a complete halt, and Ernst stopped as well. They stood on a narrow path near the Empress Dowager’s palace.

With a sigh, Ernst turned to face Eleanor. “Just do as I say.”

“No. Why should I listen to a thing like you?”

That word—‘thing’— Ernst recognized it immediately. It was the same word he had used to refer to her before. Realizing this, he muttered quietly, “Childish.”

He reached out and grabbed Eleanor’s shoulder, his grip firm and devoid of any gentleness. Eleanor instinctively swatted his hand away. Her unexpected defiance made Ernst grit his teeth, resisting the urge to shout at her.

“This is the palace. And you are the Duchess of Mecklen. Do you think what happened earlier is a common occurrence?”

They were outside, on one of the more frequented paths in the palace. If anyone passing by were to see them in this state, it would cause quite a troublesome misunderstanding.

‘What a troublesome woman,’ Ernst thought.

When he had heard the rumors about the Princess of Hartmann, there had been no mention of her behaving like a wild filly.

To Ernst, it would have been far easier if she were a vain woman, content to lock herself away in her room, satisfied with the wealth he provided. At least then she would be manageable.

But the real Eleanor was nothing like what he had heard. Stubbornly clinging to the palace under the Empress Dowager’s wing, insisting on acting as her lady-in-waiting, and now, always causing some sort of trouble—she was proving to be a constant headache.

“They were people who stand in complete opposition to our family,” Ernst said, his voice tinged with frustration. “They harbor considerable resentment towards the imperial family. What were you thinking, engaging in conversation with them…”

“I know,” Eleanor interrupted, cutting him off. “They were talking about you, Duke. They said that a greenhorn like you is overstepping his bounds, unaware of his place.”

“Overstepping my bounds, am I?” Ernst repeated her words, his tone carrying a subtle chill that sent a shiver down her spine.

Though it felt like she was tattling to Ernst, Eleanor felt no guilt about the three men she had just encountered.

‘After all, they’re all the same,’ she thought.

The ones who spread malicious rumors about her, those who treated her based solely on those rumors, and even Ernst, who had done nothing to counter the rumors and instead treated her like a mere parrot—none of them were any different.

“They weren’t threatening me,” Eleanor continued, her voice calm. “They were just worried that I might tell you what they were saying behind your back.”

“…Return to the palace. I’ll handle the rest,” Ernst ordered, not seeming to hear anything beyond that.

It was clear that his thoughts were already consumed with how to deal with the three men who had insulted him and his family. As Eleanor watched him, she realized just how much he resembled Caroline.

Seeing that further conversation would be futile, Eleanor turned to walk away. “It wasn’t a dangerous situation, so I’ll go on my own from here.”

“No, that won’t do,” Ernst quickly followed her.

“I told you, it wasn’t dangerous,” Eleanor insisted, turning to face him.

“That’s your perspective, not theirs,” Ernst retorted.

“If I were afraid of something like this, I wouldn’t have entered the palace in the first place,” she shot back.

“……”

“Are you worried that this will bring dishonor to the family again?”

Ernst, who had been following her closely, began to slow his pace. Sensing the opportunity, Eleanor continued.

“Don’t worry. Nothing that you’re concerned about will happen,” she said with finality.

The sound of footsteps behind her gradually faded. The distance between them widened with each step she took. Eleanor had no desire to look back, so she kept her eyes fixed ahead, walking resolutely forward.

Ernst watched her coldly as she walked away, his expression darkening with frustration. Finally, he turned around and walked away in the opposite direction.

***

Eger cautiously called out to the Emperor, who was staring out the window. Lennoch, who had been standing there for some time, remained silent.

Wondering if something unusual had happened, Eger glanced outside to see what might have caught the Emperor’s attention. However, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. The only thing of interest was the sight of Marquis Neto and Sir Huger hurriedly returning to the palace.

“Your Majesty, I should take my leave now,” Eger said, gesturing to the pile of documents awaiting him. But it was in vain. Lennoch, lost in deep thought, didn’t seem to notice Eger’s words.

Eger stepped closer to the Emperor. “Your Majesty?”

“Oh, sorry. What were you saying?” Lennoch finally snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Eger.

Eger adjusted his slipping glasses as he observed the Emperor’s somewhat weary expression. “Is there something outside?”

The Emperor’s office was on a high floor, providing a clear view of the garden below. Occasionally, when bored with his work, Lennoch would glance out the window to watch people moving about the main palace grounds.

He had been doing just that, taking a break from the tedious paperwork. When Eger pressed him, Lennoch shrugged. “I saw Marquis Neto and Sir Huger.”

“I saw that too. Did they plot something? You look like you’ve lost everything.”

“Do I?” Lennoch deflected the question with a nonchalant tone and returned to his desk.

“Go and get back to work.”

“…Your Majesty always has so many secrets.”

“A person with many secrets is more charming. Isn’t that why you’re so interested in me?”

“You’re lucky you can still talk like that. I understand; you want me to leave,” Eger grumbled as he headed out.

Lennoch chuckled quietly as he watched Eger’s retreating figure. It seemed Eger hadn’t noticed Eleanor and Ernst standing together with the other two men.

As Lennoch recalled the image of the two standing closely together, his expression darkened slightly.

***

The Empress Dowager had returned from the hot springs, but the palace staff couldn’t afford to be entirely joyful. The Harvest Festival was just around the corner.

Hosting foreign dignitaries was a responsibility that fell to the West Palace, significantly increasing the workload for the Empress Dowager and those under her command. This included everything from counting the number of visiting delegates, discerning their food preferences, preparing special gifts, and planning the various events.

To ensure everything proceeded smoothly, they meticulously prepared, and Eleanor assisted wherever needed.

“That dress suits you perfectly.”

“You’re too kind.”

“And those earrings match you so well. They brighten your face and make you look even more vibrant.”

The ladies-in-waiting, including the Empress Dowager, were trying on dresses that had been pre-selected, checking the sewing and fit. Along with the dresses, they also chose their hairstyles, makeup, and accessories for the Harvest Festival on this day.

Countess Lorentz and Brianna used their sharp eyes to coach those around them on their appearances.

“Are these really all gifts from Your Majesty?” Norah exclaimed.

“Of course. Do you like them?”

“Absolutely! Your Majesty is the best!” Norah cried out in delight, holding various necklaces up to her neck.

During the Harvest Festival, the ladies-in-waiting’s role was to make the Empress Dowager shine. Therefore, they couldn’t adorn themselves more extravagantly than the Empress Dowager, and even the colors of their dresses had to be carefully vetted.

But this time, the Empress Dowager had decided to gift them with expensive accessories. These included not just earrings and necklaces, but also rings, fans, and hats.

Norah, the most excited of them all, kept trying on and taking off a hat, unable to decide which she liked best. Eleanor, standing beside her, just smiled quietly.

‘I don’t really need any of this,’ she thought.

Eleanor had little desire for such things. Even during her time in Hartmann, she had lived more frugally than the other members of the royal family, to the point where her allocated budget often went unused. She recalled how the late king of Hartmann, her father, had been amazed at the difference in spending habits between her and her brother, Adler. He used to wonder how siblings could be so different.

Thinking about the past made Eleanor’s heart ache, and she quickly pushed the unpleasant memories away.

“Lady Eleanor, what do you think of this?” Norah asked, pulling out a canary-yellow dress from her wardrobe.

The bright, almost neon yellow, adorned with layers of frills to maximize the cute factor, caught Eleanor’s eye as Norah twirled around her, holding the dress up to her body.

“It’s cute,” Eleanor said with a gentle smile.

“Isn’t it? I have another one just like it. Should I give it to you, Lady Eleanor?” Norah’s face lit up with genuine excitement at Eleanor’s response.

Though the dress was indeed cute, it wasn’t to Eleanor’s taste, and she was trying to think of a polite way to decline when Brianna’s sharp voice cut through their conversation.

“What taste you have.”

“Excuse me?”

Brianna’s words were clearly meant to provoke. Norah, usually so gentle with everyone, seemed slightly angered by the interruption. Anyone who knew her would have expected Brianna to soften her words, but she had no intention of doing so.

“If you wear that, you’ll be a laughingstock among the young ladies for the rest of your life.”

“Hmph, it’s just cute. Who would laugh at it?” Norah retorted, her irritation rising.

“I wouldn’t be caught dead in such a tacky dress,” Brianna sneered.

Norah bristled, thinking Brianna’s comment was too harsh, but Brianna merely scoffed. She seemed to want to tease Norah further, so she pulled out a dress from her own box and approached them.

“This is what a real dress should look like.”