Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 7 Part 3

The Baden Empire had no shortage of unofficial gossip magazines circulating among the populace. Among them, Eros was the most influential and widely read by the nobility, though it often published stories mocking the imperial family, something the Empress Dowager despised.

“Who could have reported this?” The Empress Dowager muttered, but Berenice remained silent. With the other ladies-in-waiting dismissed, only the Empress Dowager and Berenice remained in the room.

Eleanor had vehemently denied any relationship with Childe, insisting that there was nothing between them. The Empress Dowager didn’t doubt her, but the comment made by the Countess of Lorentz had sown a seed of confusion.

“Everyone saw the Duchess and Lord Childe meeting in private.”

On the first day of the Harvest Festival, Eleanor had gone out onto the balcony alone with Childe, a fact that now came back to haunt her. Though they had returned to the ballroom soon after, the Countess suggested that they might have arranged a second meeting, which only fueled the rumors.

The gossip magazine detailed their supposed relationship, starting from their first meeting and weaving a story filled with scandalous encounters. True to Eros’s style, the narrative was laced with provocative content, focusing primarily on salacious affairs.

“Gossip is usually based on lies,” Berenice stated.

“Yes, I agree,” the Empress Dowager replied.

“And the Duchess is very cautious. Even if she did speak with Childe, she wouldn’t be someone who easily falls for his lighthearted advances.”

The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement with Berenice’s assessment. From what they had observed, Eleanor was far removed from the character depicted in the gossip.

The Empress Dowager drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. “The issue is that even just being mentioned in such a story will greatly damage the Duchess’s reputation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Just the mention of her in this context will be enough to make her a laughingstock. It’s a deliberate attempt to tarnish her name.”

“Hmm. This debutante isn’t going to be easy,” the Empress Dowager sighed.

The timing of the scandal was impeccable—suspiciously so. It was hard to believe such a major scandal could erupt in just one day. There weren’t many people who would go to such lengths unless they harbored extreme animosity towards Eleanor.

As the Empress Dowager considered the most likely culprits, she suddenly asked, “Have there been any developments regarding Caroline?”

“We’re still investigating. Recently, something occurred at the Mecklen household. Late at night, some of the household staff went out searching for someone.”

“Searching for someone?”

“I’m not certain of the details, but it appears a maid may have escaped.”

“Hmm.” The Empress Dowager fell into deep thought.

“Your Majesty,” Berenice spoke hesitantly.

“Go on.”

“There’s something troubling me about Caroline,” Berenice continued, her throat dry from talking, so she took a sip of tea before continuing. “Though she was pushed aside as the former Duchess, Caroline still holds significant influence among the nobility. While the Duchess’s reputation has suffered because she’s a Hartmann Princess, Caroline’s influence remains acknowledged by those around her.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“But Caroline’s behavior seems to contradict her influence. Her movements are so simple and predictable that anyone could easily follow them. She only associates with a close few, attends only essential gatherings, and is rarely seen at parties. She almost never attends events hosted by the palace.”

“……”

“Doesn’t it seem strange that someone with her influence engages in so few public activities?”

The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement. “Yes, I’ve noticed that as well.”

“This leads me to believe that her activities are more intense in places hidden from view—in other words, in the shadows.”

“No noble has no secrets,” the Empress Dowager mused. There may be nobles in need of money, but there were certainly none who were truly honest. She knew this all too well.

Berenice continued, “As Your Majesty knows, many noble houses keep double books. They simply haven’t been caught yet. Caroline has likely been managing the Mecklen household affairs up until now, but…”

“Eleanor’s discovery of this might have provoked Caroline?” the Empress Dowager speculated.

“That’s what I suspect,” Berenice replied.

The Empress Dowager recalled a letter she had recently received from the Mecklen household, requesting that Eleanor be allowed to visit her family for a holiday. The letter, of course, had been sent by Caroline, and the Empress Dowager had promptly ignored it.

“She’s not the type to cause such a major incident over something so simple,” the Empress Dowager remarked.

“Then…?”

“The matter with the ledgers is something she could easily conceal. And she wouldn’t manage it so carelessly that someone she considers a threat could easily discover it.”

The Empress Dowager took a sip of her now lukewarm tea.

“And even if that child did find out, Caroline could simply take measures to ensure she wouldn’t dare reveal it.”

“……”

“Whether by persuasion, teaching her the consequences of leaking secrets, or even more extreme measures like confinement. Caroline certainly has the means…”

“No way…”

The two women locked eyes as the realization dawned on them simultaneously. The Empress Dowager nodded, confirming the thought that had just occurred to both of them.

“She was confined in the mansion before this, wasn’t she?” the Empress Dowager asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. She’s been in Baden for quite some time, but she hasn’t debuted in society and has remained at the mansion all this while,” Berenice confirmed.

“Eleanor refused to return to the mansion.”

“Yes. The Duchess has been unusually insistent on staying at the palace. She hasn’t responded to a single summons from her family.”

“What do you think will happen to Eleanor now that this incident has occurred?” the Empress Dowager asked, already certain that Berenice was thinking the same thing.

Berenice answered without hesitation. “Given that she’s involved in such a scandal, bringing disgrace to the imperial family, she’ll likely be expelled from her position as a lady-in-waiting.”

“And then?”

“She’ll be sent back to her family, but divorce won’t be an option.”

Only a few people within the imperial family were aware of the contract between the Emperor and the Duke of Mecklen. The contract included terms that guaranteed Eleanor’s noble status. A mere scandal wouldn’t be sufficient grounds for divorce, and breaking the contract would cause significant issues, making it a difficult situation for the Mecklen family.

“If this scandal was orchestrated by Caroline…”

“Divorce isn’t her goal,” Berenice asserted.

“She’s trying to bring Eleanor back to her family.”

The Empress Dowager, realizing this, lightly tapped her forehead. “She plans to reeducate her. Or perhaps even lock her away completely, preventing her from interacting with anyone.”

“This all hinges on the assumption that the Duchess knows something about Caroline’s secrets,” Berenice said firmly. “In other words, it’s clear that the Duchess is aware of something significant about Caroline. It’s likely more than just a matter of double books. Otherwise, there’s no reason for Caroline to go to such lengths to bring her back.”

“Yes, she must know something important.”

“But… if Caroline is willing to risk conflict with the Ezester family, what could she possibly be hiding?”

“That’s the question,” the Empress Dowager said, tilting her head in thought. “We’ll know once we meet with her.”

She set down her teacup and looked at Berenice. “Go and bring Eleanor to me.”

***

The scandal involving the Duchess of Mecklen spread throughout the palace within mere hours. Those who were curious about the gossip turned their attention to the ladies-in-waiting under the Empress Dowager’s service. While servants couldn’t directly inquire, nobles with some standing would discreetly approach and subtly ask about the truth behind the rumors.

Brianna, exhausted from dealing with such inquiries all afternoon, sought refuge in the indoor garden with the Countess of Lorentz.

“It only takes a loach (mudfish) to muddy the entire pond,”[1] the Countess of Lorentz spat, her tongue clicking in annoyance.

[1] Figuratively refers to how one person’s bad behavior can have a bad effect on an entire group.

“All this trouble because of that woman,” she continued, clearly agitated.

“……”

“I should have known from the moment she started hanging around that scoundrel.”

It was evident that the Countess had already accepted the scandal as fact, her emotions flaring as she criticized the pair involved in the rumored affair. However, Brianna didn’t respond with the same enthusiasm.

‘Is this really okay?’

As soon as the scandal broke, her first thoughts went to Caroline.

“Wouldn’t something interesting happen if Eleanor and Childe were to meet?”

At the time, Brianna had refused Caroline’s offer to help, not out of any loyalty to Eleanor, but because Caroline’s demeanor had been terrifyingly cold, unsettling her.

‘I hope I won’t get dragged into this mess,’ she thought briefly, but quickly dismissed her anxiety.

Brianna didn’t actually believe that Eleanor had truly engaged in an affair with Childe. Despite her concerns about Caroline’s earlier offer, Eleanor had always seemed almost indifferent to men.

If it were Brianna, she would do anything to catch Ernst’s eye. But Eleanor had openly talked about wanting a divorce.

‘Wait, could she have tangled with Childe on purpose to push for a divorce?’

Brianna, not fully aware of the details of the imperial contract with the Duke of Mecklen, tilted her head in curiosity. If Eleanor was determined to achieve her goal, maybe sacrificing her reputation wasn’t such a big deal to her.

With that thought, Brianna’s mind wandered back to Ernst. She hadn’t seen him since she embarrassed herself in front of the Emperor, and the memory of making a fool of herself in front of someone she liked still stung. Suddenly, she found herself resenting her father for forcing her into that situation.

“Why did he have to drag me there…”

“Lady Brianna, did you say something?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Brianna quickly deflected, realizing she had spoken her thoughts aloud. “But is it true that Lord Childe gave an interview about this?”

“Yes, it is,” the Countess of Lorentz confirmed.

The reason the Duchess of Mecklen’s scandal was causing such a stir wasn’t just the sensational romance; it was also because Childe von Ezester himself had provided the information.

The Countess of Lorentz spoke with certainty, “They say the Duchess and Lord Childe exchanged tokens of affection.”

“Heavens, even a token of affection?”

“Yes, and it wasn’t just a handkerchief. He supposedly cut a piece of her dress to keep.”

“……!”

Brianna’s eyes widened in shock. A piece of her dress, of all things! Among nobles, a handkerchief was the typical token of affection exchanged in secret romances.

Puzzled, Brianna asked, “Didn’t the Duchess have a handkerchief with her? Why would she give him a piece of her dress?”

“We may never know. But a piece of her dress—that’s irrefutable evidence, isn’t it?” the Countess replied, and Brianna couldn’t help but agree.

In Baden, ready-made dresses were common among the middle class, but nobles of a certain rank would never be caught wearing something mass-produced. It was tradition to have custom-made dresses, even from an unknown designer, as it was a matter of etiquette for any woman stepping into society.

If two people arrived at a ball wearing the same dress, it would be incredibly embarrassing, so it became customary to have a unique dress tailored for such events. Therefore, if Childe had indeed taken a piece of her custom-made dress, it would be impossible to deny the connection. A custom dress was one-of-a-kind.

‘Divorce is inevitable,’ Brianna thought, realizing that Eleanor would have no way to escape the accusations. Pouting slightly, she considered how she might take advantage of the situation.

If she could comfort Ernst, who would be emotionally wounded by the divorce…

Once again, Brianna’s thoughts slipped out as words.

“Why did she have to meet with Childe alone…”

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“Oh, nothing, just talking to myself,” Brianna quickly covered.