Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 9 Part 7

“Pardon me,” Eleanor said as she entered the room.

“Who are you?” the nanny asked.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent me. I’m Eleanor von Mecklen.” Eleanor formally introduced herself to the nanny she had briefly seen earlier.

Hearing Eleanor’s voice, Prince Hail turned toward the door. “Eli…?”

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Eleanor approached Prince Hail. She had expected him to forget her quickly, but it seemed he still remembered. To meet him at eye level, Eleanor knelt in front of the young prince.

“Eli…!” Hail’s gray eyes lit up as he opened his arms wide toward Eleanor. The raccoon doll he had been clinging to was hastily discarded as it got in the way of hugging her. Eleanor naturally lifted the young prince into her arms.

“Waaaah, Eli…!”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Eleanor soothed. Although it wasn’t her usual role, she took over the nanny’s duties without any hint of displeasure and comforted the prince. The nanny watched quietly as Prince Hail began to calm down in Eleanor’s arms. She then started to clean up the scattered toys.

“Shall I help you?” Eleanor offered.

“No, that’s alright. Please take care of the prince,” the nanny replied with a gentle smile.

Eleanor noticed that the nanny had unusually colored eyes—a dull purple. After putting all the toys into a wooden box, the nanny lit the candles. Only then did Eleanor realize how dark Prince Hail’s room had been before she arrived.

“I’ll step out now. If you need anything, just ring the bell,” the nanny said as she exited the room, leaving Eleanor to care for the prince.

Once the door closed, Eleanor carried Prince Hail over to his bed. “What could have made such a sweet prince so sad?”

“Sniff, sniff…” Hail’s sobs grew quieter as Eleanor softly patted his back, comforting the trembling child.

“Did you know, Your Highness? I used to cry a lot when I was young too.”

“Cry…?”

“Yes, I cried over everything. I didn’t have toys, I couldn’t eat what I wanted, or I fought with my brother… There were so many reasons.”

“Sniff.”

“But after crying for a while, I felt much better. It was strange—those sad and upset feelings just disappeared.”

Despite his young age, Prince Hail seemed to understand Eleanor’s words. The little head that had been hanging low began to lift slowly. After a few hesitant movements, Hail finally looked up at Eleanor with his tear-streaked face.

Meeting his wet eyes, Eleanor spoke gently, “Your Highness, shall we have something delicious to eat?”

Hail nodded slightly. The child, who had been clutching her dress tightly, seemed much calmer than before. Eleanor, pleased to see his breathing becoming more even as she patted him, began to wonder why the prince had been crying so frequently. Just as she was about to call for the nanny to bring some snacks, the door burst open.

Eleanor, holding the prince, jumped up in surprise. The man who entered was someone she knew well. Their eyes met in the air.

“Your Majesty…?”

***

The two of them sat awkwardly on the child’s bed, glancing at each other. Even Lennoch, who was usually unfazed, looked slightly embarrassed.

“Since when… did the two of you become so close?” Lennoch asked.

Seeing Prince Hail clinging tightly to Eleanor was an unusual sight for Lennoch. ‘He’s never done this before,’ Lennoch thought. The child, apart from his nanny and the Empress Dowager, rarely approached people.

“Are you uncomfortable?” Lennoch asked.

“No, I’m fine,” Eleanor replied.

Every time Lennoch spoke, Prince Hail flinched in response. His unfocused eyes searched for the Emperor, but his blurry vision couldn’t make out much. Reaching into the air, the young prince tried to find Lennoch.

“Everyone was worried about you,” Lennoch said, playfully touching the small fist. “Were you crying because you didn’t want to sleep?”

“No…”

“What do you mean, no?” Lennoch teased, tickling Hail’s side. The child, who had been babbling, suddenly burst into laughter. Unable to endure the tickling, Hail burrowed deeper into Eleanor’s arms.

“Waaaah!”

“Hail, you’re good at dodging.”

“Your Majesty, please stop,” Eleanor said, watching Lennoch playfully torment the prince.

It seemed Lennoch had no intention of stopping the tickling anytime soon. Perhaps he was trying to break the awkward tension between them. He twisted his body to tickle Hail more vigorously. As the tickling intensified, Hail struggled to escape, clinging even more tightly to Eleanor. The sudden shift caused Eleanor to lose her balance and tip toward the bed.

“Wait…!”

Thud.

Eleanor, still holding the prince, found herself lying down with her eyes wide open. Lennoch, startled by the sudden tilt, quickly braced himself on the bed, his arm supporting his weight. They were so close that their noses were almost touching.

“……”

“……”

“Father…?” Hail blinked in confusion, caught between them.

“Oh, haha. Hail, come here,” Lennoch said, hastily lifting the prince out of Eleanor’s arms. The boy, hoisted up like a doll, flailed in the air, unaware of what had just happened. With Lennoch taking the child, Eleanor finally managed to get up, though her hair was slightly disheveled, and her expression was a bit flustered.

“Are you… alright?” Lennoch asked awkwardly.

“…Yes,” Eleanor replied, equally flustered.

The atmosphere became even more awkward. For the first time, Lennoch understood the urge to flee from a situation.

***

“Your Majesty, the Duke of Mecklen requests an audience,” a maid informed the Empress Dowager.

“At this hour…?” The Empress Dowager, who had just been preparing for bed, rose from her seat. The head maid, who had been attending to her, whispered with a troubled expression.

“I told him Your Majesty was about to rest, but he insists he has something important to discuss…”

“Something important?”

“He says the Duchess is not in her room and, after searching the nearby areas, he grew worried and decided to inform Your Majesty.”

“Ah.”

The Empress Dowager smiled as she recalled the report she had received earlier about Eleanor’s whereabouts.

“I see. It’s understandable that the Duke would be concerned since she hasn’t returned yet.”

“Shall I inform him?”

“It’s alright. It would be better if I reassured him personally. Take me to the reception room.”

The Empress Dowager reached for her outer robe. It was a more comfortable garment compared to her usual formal attire, but since the Duke had come at such a late hour without notice, this attire was appropriate enough.

When she entered the reception room, she saw Ernst standing, waiting for her. He greeted her with a slight bow.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“It’s alright. Please, have a seat.”

“I’ll remain standing,” Ernst replied firmly.

The Empress Dowager, accustomed to Ernst’s stern demeanor, didn’t push further.

“Eleanor is at Winston Palace at my personal request,” the Empress Dowager explained.

“Winston Palace?”

“I apologize. If I had known you were coming, I would have sent a servant to inform her to return.”

“Is there something the Duchess needs to attend to at Winston Palace?”

Ernst was aware that Eleanor was in charge of the poverty relief project, but he couldn’t see how that was related to Winston Palace, where the prince resided. Though the Empress Dowager wasn’t particularly fond of Ernst, she felt a bit guilty this time and softened her tone as she apologized.

“I’m sorry. I asked Eleanor to stay with the prince for a while because I couldn’t go myself.”

“……”

“I’ve sent guards with her, so there’s no danger tonight. I take full responsibility for her safety,” the Empress Dowager assured him.

It wasn’t a task Eleanor needed to handle personally. However, Ernst felt a slight resentment toward the Empress Dowager for assigning it to her after hours. Still, he managed to keep his emotions in check as he asked, “Will she be returning tonight?”

“Hmm. I suppose she will… after Prince Hail falls asleep.”

***

“He’s finally asleep,” Eleanor said with a satisfied smile, looking at the peacefully slumbering Hail. The young prince’s blond hair was damp with sweat.

As Eleanor gently wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, Lennoch watched her silently.

“I’m sorry,” he said eventually.

Apologizing seemed to be becoming a habit for him. Eleanor, raising a finger to her lips, whispered, “It’s alright. Let’s step out quietly.”

They both carefully got up and tiptoed toward the door. After quietly leaving the room, they walked down the corridor and entered the reception room together.

“You’re here?”

“……!”

The nanny, who was standing in the middle of the reception room, turned to face them. Lennoch looked at her curiously, surprised to find her still there.

“Why are you here instead of resting?”

“I was waiting just in case I was needed.”

It seemed she had been waiting for them to come out. Lennoch and Eleanor exchanged surprised glances as the nanny asked, “Shall I bring you some tea?”

“Yes, please,” Lennoch agreed.

It was slightly unsettling that she had waited without being asked, but it wasn’t enough to be bothersome. Lennoch and Eleanor sat across from each other on the reception room sofa. The nanny brought them warm tea and some remaining cookies.

“If you need anything else, just call for me. I’ll be nearby,” the nanny said before bowing and leaving the room.

Once she was gone, an abrupt silence filled the room. Remembering the awkwardness from earlier, Eleanor quickly grabbed a cookie to ease her embarrassment.

Crunch.

“These are really delicious,” she said, genuinely impressed as she took a bite. Though part of it was due to her slight hunger, the Earl Grey cookies were the best she had ever tasted.

Lennoch watched her eat with a contented expression. “I’m glad they suit your taste.”

“Saying they suit my taste doesn’t do them justice. They’re truly exceptional. I’d love to know how they’re made.”

Just like Countess Lorentz before her, Eleanor was full of praise for the cookies. She quickly focused on enjoying them.

Crunch.

“You eat well,” Lennoch commented.

“Ah…”

Only then did Eleanor become aware of her surroundings. Though eating wasn’t something to be embarrassed about, she felt a twinge of self-consciousness at the thought that Lennoch had been watching her eat with unusual enthusiasm. Moreover, she had been so focused on eating that she had ignored her company.

Feeling as though she had been subtly chastised, Eleanor began to lower the cookie, but Lennoch quickly intervened.

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s nice to see you enjoying them so much.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, please, eat as much as you like. I really do enjoy watching you,” Lennoch reassured her.

Eleanor finally relaxed. Still, she felt a bit too self-conscious to eat as eagerly as before, so she took a slow sip of tea instead. As he observed her, Lennoch spoke cautiously.

“Eleanor.”

“Yes?”

“I know it’s late, but…”

Is this alright? A brief flicker of concern crossed his mind. Lennoch hoped his words wouldn’t be misunderstood this time as he continued, “If you’re not too busy, how about taking a break before heading back?”

“……?”

“I don’t want to impose. You’ve had a tiring day looking after Hail, but if you’re willing, perhaps a night stroll would be nice…”

The more reasons he gave, the more awkward it sounded. Lennoch grew frustrated with himself as the words came out less smoothly than he intended. Why was it suddenly so difficult to speak?

He swallowed nervously. It had been a long time since he had felt so out of sorts. After gathering his thoughts, he added, “There’s a hill behind Winston Palace that’s close to the sky. It’s the best place in the palace to see the stars. If you’d like, we could go there together?”

What if she refused? Anxiety crept into his voice.

Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected invitation. She hesitated, lowering her gaze as if she were about to decline. Lennoch’s heart sank as he watched her lips move.

“That sounds nice.”

At that moment, it felt like he had journeyed from hell to heaven. Lennoch’s face lit up with a radiant smile.