Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 6 Part 1

6. The Harvest Festival

The fireworks that signaled the beginning of the Harvest Festival burst into the sky with a loud bang. This year’s festival, which prioritized substance over spectacle, was split between two locations: the Empress Dowager’s palace and the main palace. The Empress Dowager made a grand entrance, adorned with the largest jewels and most extravagant decorations, drawing admiration from those around her.

Tonight, she wore a dress as vivid red as Brianna’s hair. It seemed she had chosen this color, a symbol of youth and passion, to demonstrate that she was still in her prime.

“Your Majesty, you seem to grow younger with each passing year. What is your secret?” one of the visiting princes asked.

“Hoho, Prince, you’re teasing me,” the Empress Dowager replied with a chuckle.

“I’m serious, Your Majesty. At this rate, I’m worried you might soon look younger than me,” the prince continued with a playful smile.

“Oh, you flatterer,” she responded with a good-natured laugh.

The prince was none other than the third prince of the Lubrate Empire, a powerful nation that, along with Baden, was one of the only two empires spanning both the Eastern and Western continents. The two empires maintained a friendly relationship, fostered through consistent diplomacy and intermarriage.

The Empress Dowager herself had familial ties to Lubrate, as her family, the Nestor ducal house, had arranged a marriage between one of its daughters and the second prince of Lubrate. The prince currently standing before her was the third prince of the Lubrate Empire.

“By the way, I heard you’re getting married next year. Who is the lucky bride?” the Empress Dowager inquired.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I’m engaged to the youngest princess of the Bahama Kingdom. We’re the same age, I believe,” the prince replied.

“Oh my, it seems I’m quite late in hearing the news. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It would be an honor if you could attend the wedding.”

“Hoho, of course, I’ll be there.”

Their conversation, filled with warmth and laughter, caught the attention of the surrounding ladies-in-waiting, including Eleanor.

As the Lubrate prince lifted his teacup, he happened to catch Eleanor’s eye. “Aren’t you the princess of Hartmann?” he asked with a friendly smile.

“…It’s been a while, Your Highness,” Eleanor replied, her tone polite but reserved.

“To meet you here, of all places. What a small world,” the prince said, clearly pleased.

He had already known before coming to Baden that Eleanor was serving as one of the Empress Dowager’s ladies-in-waiting. Despite his relaxed demeanor, as a member of the imperial family, he always made sure to gather essential information before any diplomatic visit.

The prince’s gaze lingered on Eleanor’s hair, filled with curiosity. “How long has it been since we last met? You’ve cut your hair, I see.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Eleanor confirmed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with short hair before. It’s a new look,” the prince observed, studying her closely.

He had always pictured her with long blonde hair and a neatly kept white dress, so this change made her seem slightly unfamiliar to him. Not that it didn’t suit her—just different.

After exchanging these formal pleasantries, the prince smiled. “I’d like to invite you to my wedding as well. May I send you an invitation?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Eleanor replied, her tone still courteous but firm. “I’m currently serving under Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and… I’m no longer a princess.”

“…Oh,” the prince murmured, realizing his mistake too late. He glanced nervously at the Empress Dowager.

Despite having been briefed on the current relationship between Hartmann and Baden, he had made a blunder. Lubrate, like many other nations, had its eyes on Hartmann’s lands—small, but highly valuable.

‘It seems she has truly abandoned her title as princess,’ the prince thought, remembering the last time they had met, five years ago, during the bicentennial celebration of Hartmann’s founding when her father, the king, was still alive.

“Eleanor,” the Empress Dowager called out.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The prince of Lubrate has graciously invited us to a wonderful occasion. It would be a shame not to attend together, wouldn’t it?”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your generosity knows no bounds,” the prince said, grateful for the Empress Dowager’s intervention that smoothed over the potentially awkward situation.

With the decision made to attend the wedding together, the Empress Dowager rose from her seat.

“It’s about time we moved on, don’t you think?” she suggested.

“Indeed, the time has come,” the prince agreed.

By now, most of the distinguished guests would have gathered in the main palace for the festivities. The prince had only visited the Empress Dowager’s palace first out of respect for their personal connection, but his place was at the main event.

The prince stood up and, with a courteous gesture, offered his arm to the Empress Dowager.

“Your Majesty, would you grant me the honor of escorting you?” the Lubrate prince asked with a charming smile.

“Hoho, you’re quite the smooth talker. I must say, your wit is impossible to resist,” the Empress Dowager chuckled.

“I learned it all from my brother Wenth,” the prince said, referring to Emperor Lennoch of Baden.

Eleanor, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, couldn’t help but perk up at the mention of Lennoch’s name.

‘That’s different from the name he told me,’ she thought, feeling a pang of unease. Though the third prince of Lubrate had interactions with Lennoch, Lennoch never mentioned the name “Lennoch” to him.

As thoughts of the Emperor crossed her mind, the calm she had maintained all evening began to waver, and she felt a growing sense of discomfort.

The Empress Dowager, clearly delighted, accepted the prince’s offer to escort her, and together they exited the room.

***

The banquet hall was packed to the brim with people, leaving hardly any room to move. Most of the attendees were nobles from Baden, but there was also a significant presence of foreign nobles and royalty. The brief attention drawn by the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Lubraith quickly dissipated, as the sheer number of attendees meant the focus constantly shifted from one notable figure to another. Among these was Eleanor, the princess of a fallen kingdom.

‘It’s almost as if this is my debut in high society,’ Eleanor thought to herself as she stood beside the Empress Dowager.

Even before and after her regression, she had never attended a banquet this crowded. Though it was a national event, it was still, in a way, her debut in the social circles of Baden, even if unofficially.

Without realizing it, Eleanor found herself scanning the crowd, looking for someone.

‘Caroline.’

With so many people present, it was strange not to see her. Given Caroline’s love for flaunting herself and belittling others, she would surely relish attending an event like this.

Eleanor found it odd that Caroline, who wasn’t one to hide simply because Eleanor was attending as a lady-in-waiting, was nowhere to be seen.

“Lady Eleanor,” a voice whispered in her ear. It was Norah, who had been standing next to her. “Do you know that man over there?”

“Who… Oh,” Eleanor started, but her words trailed off as she recognized the person Norah was pointing out.

“He’s been staring at you for a while now. Has he fallen for you at first sight?” Norah mused innocently, clearly unaware of who the man was. But Eleanor recognized him immediately and couldn’t believe her eyes.

‘Adler.’

Her brother, the last remaining royal of Hartmann—her only living relative. Seeing him here, in this banquet hall, was both shocking and infuriating.

‘What nerve he has to show his face here…’

As their eyes met, Adler quickly turned and slipped away into the crowd, as if he was either too ashamed to face her or startled by the sudden eye contact. Whatever the reason, it was clear that he had arrived in Baden with the Bahama Kingdom’s delegation.

Considering the strict protocol of the palace, which only allowed those of verified status to attend such events, it was evident that Adler had been officially granted entry.

Caught off guard, Eleanor didn’t even manage to respond properly to Norah’s inquiry. It felt as though someone had struck her on the back of the head.

At that moment, the sound of trumpets echoed through the hall, announcing the arrival of the Emperor. Lennoch’s opening speech was brief and to the point. Aside from one young noble who, in a moment of enthusiasm, gave the young emperor a thumbs up, only to receive disapproving glares from the surrounding aristocrats, the event proceeded smoothly.

The monotonous background music shifted to a lively waltz, and people began moving to find dance partners. Norah and Brianna, who had been standing next to Eleanor, were already spinning around the center of the hall with their partners, enjoying the dance.

“Aren’t you going to dance, Duchess?”

“No, thank you.”

It wasn’t just that she had no one to dance with; she simply didn’t feel like dancing. Her mind was too preoccupied with the image of Adler fleeing from her. What had driven him to come to Baden? Does he know that she is now a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager?

“Then let’s rest together. You don’t look well.”

“You’re not dancing either, Baroness?” Eleanor asked, turning to see Berenice, who had come to stand beside her.

“I’m not fond of these events,” Berenice admitted.

If there was one thing Berenice struggled with, it was dancing. Though she wouldn’t say it outright, she was hopelessly tone-deaf when it came to keeping time with the music. Despite her agility, matching the rhythm was something she found nearly impossible. After realizing this was something she couldn’t change, Berenice had taken to becoming a wallflower at such dances, preferring to stay out of the spotlight.

Unaware of Berenice’s discomfort, Eleanor accepted the glass of wine offered to her, and they toasted together.

“Who will His Majesty choose to dance with?” Berenice mused aloud.

Eleanor followed her gaze to the center of the ballroom, where Lennoch still sat on the golden throne. It seemed he had not yet chosen a dance partner, as he was still deep in conversation with his aides. An older nobleman discreetly pointed out a few young ladies standing nearby, likely suggesting them as potential partners, but Lennoch shook his head gently, declining the suggestion.

“Turning them down like that…” Berenice commented, watching him with a hint of disapproval.

Eleanor wasn’t the only one observing the Emperor closely. The Empress Dowager, seated nearby, clicked her tongue softly. She had long been frustrated with her son’s reluctance to engage in courtship or consider marriage. While Lennoch seemed intent on delaying any thoughts of marriage, the Empress Dowager was not ready to give up on finding him a suitable match.

Suddenly, Lennoch’s gaze shifted towards the Empress Dowager. His green eyes, striking even from a distance, passed over her and settled on Eleanor. The moment their eyes met, Eleanor quickly looked away, her heart racing. Her palms grew sweaty, and she felt a prickling heat rise to her face.

After a moment of hesitation, Eleanor turned to Berenice. “Would it be rude to leave early?”

“Since His Majesty is still here, it might be best to stay a little longer. Is something the matter?” Berenice asked, noting Eleanor’s unease.

“No… nothing,” Eleanor replied, falling silent. Berenice, sensing her reluctance to continue the conversation, did not press further.

As Eleanor half-heartedly watched the dancers twirl across the floor, her gaze eventually dropped to the floor. That’s when she noticed a pair of shoes standing right in front of her flowing dress.

She slowly raised her head to see who they belonged to.

“Childe von Ezester,” the man introduced himself with a slight bow.

“……?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, may I ask you for a dance?”