Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 10 Part 5

‘Hartmann refugees.’

Ernst repeated the phrase in his mind several times. refugees have made their way up to Hadum… The impact of the famine was significant. The distance between Hartmann’s border and Hadum was considerable, making it a long journey on foot. This suggested how desperate the refugees must have been.

A subtle change appeared on Ernst’s usually indifferent face.

“…Crying?”

The thought of the Hartmann refugees vanished from his mind, leaving only the image of Eleanor’s tears. Ernst reached for the note on his desk again.

[The Duchess was seen crying.]

“She talks a good game,” he muttered, though the comment wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. He hadn’t realized how much he had begun talking to himself lately.

It was an incongruous image, considering the determined woman he had seen at the debutante ball. She had seemed like someone who wouldn’t back down from anything. Since then, his ability to constrain Eleanor had weakened, and he hadn’t been able to strongly oppose the Empress Dowager when she decided to put Eleanor in charge of the slum project.

“……”

Ernst crumpled the note in his hand. It bothered him—much like being forced to watch a play he didn’t enjoy. He stood up and walked over to the fireplace. Just as he was about to toss the note into the flames, he heard a knock, followed by the sound of the door opening behind him.

Ernst ignored it and threw the paper into the fire, watching as it quickly turned to ash.

“You must be really busy.”

“…Evan.”

Ernst finally turned away from the fireplace and saw Evan standing there. Evan looked much the same as he had during their academy days. Without saying much, Ernst sat down in the chair by the fireplace.

“It’s hard to see you even though we’re in the same palace, isn’t it?” Evan remarked, undeterred by Ernst’s brusque manner. He casually sat down in the chair opposite Ernst and glanced at the fireplace, where small flames flickered over the remaining pieces of wood.

“Winter must be on its way, seeing as you’ve already lit the fire,” Evan continued.

“What brings you here?”

“You’re as stony as ever,” Evan replied, narrowing his eyes in a smile. “Nothing much, just thought I’d drop by and check on a friend.”

Ernst’s arms, resting on his lap, didn’t move an inch. Evan continued talking, not expecting a reaction.

“I went to visit Childe.”

Ernst knew that Childe from the House of Ezester had been sentenced to prison. But why did Evan bother to visit him?

Evan noticed Ernst’s expression change slightly and shrugged. “I wanted to see him despair.”

“……”

“But I ended up feeling worse afterward.”

He was still hopeful.

“I felt better when I took back the rapier your aide gifted me.”

It was the decorative sword Evan had sent via his aide, which Ernst had returned the next day. Ernst responded in an indifferent tone.

“I had nothing to do with that.”

“I know,” Evan said with a slight smile. “The Emperor handled everything.”

“……”

“This time, I was a bit surprised.”

Evan’s gaze shifted to the fireplace, where the flames reflected on his face, making him look slightly flushed, as if he were drunk.

“I heard you and your wife aren’t on good terms. Is it true? Given what happened recently, it seems like you don’t know each other very well…”

“Were we ever close enough for you to meddle in my private affairs?” Ernst cut him off coldly before Evan could finish his sentence. If words could cut, Evan would have been sliced in half and lying on the floor by now.

Evan, however, met Ernst’s cold gaze without flinching. “No, I didn’t mean to tease you. I was just a bit concerned.”

“Concerned?”

“Your wife is from Hartmann. Does she know about the recent mass migration across the border?”

“You seem to know too much,” Ernst said, narrowing his eyes further as the conversation naturally turned to Eleanor. The situation Evan referred to was highly classified, known only to top officials because of its potential to cause national unrest.

Evan tried to brush it off with a smile, but Ernst didn’t let it go so easily. The shadowed side of his face darkened, and his demeanor became even sharper.

Evan, realizing Ernst’s persistence, finally gave in. “Alright, I’ll be honest. I overheard Marquis Neto talking about it earlier. He’s adamant that we shouldn’t accept the Hartmann refugees.”

“Marquis Neto?”

“Yes, he seems to be gathering support to take a strong stance at the next meeting. If necessary, he plans to rally public opinion against it.”

Ernst recalled the heated argument between Marquis Neto and Marquis Radsay at the meeting just hours earlier. It was entirely plausible that Marquis Neto would take such a stance, and Ernst nodded in understanding.

Evan continued without needing to be prompted. “It’s hard not to know when Marquis Neto is so vocal about it. There weren’t many supporters tonight because it was late, but within a few days, the opposition might grow significantly.”

“……”

“But if that happens, it could cause problems for you.”

Ernst frowned slightly, unsure of why Evan used the word problems.

“Problems. The issue is whether your wife will just stand by and watch.”

“Regardless of her origins, it’s something she shouldn’t get involved in, given her position. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Well, do you think your wife sees it that way?” Evan’s eyes glinted mischievously. “The Empress Dowager seems to trust her a great deal. And after what happened at the debutante ball, more people are seeing her in a positive light. They say she has a surprising amount of spunk. Plus, she’s recently taken on a new project, hasn’t she?”

“…What exactly are you trying to say?” Ernst knew Evan was deliberately steering the conversation in circles, avoiding getting to the point. It was clear that this discussion would go on forever at this rate.

The fire in the fireplace hadn’t died out yet, but Ernst stood up and grabbed his jacket.

“Are you leaving the palace?”

“I plan to sleep in the guardroom.”

“…You really are something,” Evan said, shaking his head as he stood up to follow. As Ernst turned to leave, Evan raised his voice slightly. “Please support the expulsion of the refugees.”

“……”

“I agree with Marquis Neto. If your wife opposes it, I hope you’ll stop her.”

“So that’s what this is about.” Ernst finally understood why Evan had been circling the issue. He turned back to face him. “And what if I oppose it?”

“What?”

“What if I propose we support them and help those with nowhere else to go?”

This wasn’t the answer Evan had expected. A slight crack appeared in his previously confident smile, but he quickly recovered and continued, “Well, if that’s what you decide, I can’t do much about it.”

But.

“There would be no more talk of our two families being so close.”

There was a longstanding business arrangement between the Nestor and Mecklen families that had been in place since the time of their predecessors. It was a very lucrative venture. Ignoring the opposition from relatives who were related to the Nestor family by blood was also not something Ernst could easily do. Moreover, there were several smaller, yet important, cooperative ventures that required mutual support.

“For the continued beautiful partnership between the Nestor and Mecklen families, can’t you just raise your hand in agreement? It’s not that difficult.”

Evan knew that Ernst wouldn’t easily abandon this relationship. Sensing victory, Evan’s smile widened.

“…I’ll think about it.”

In the end, Ernst took a step back. He decided it wasn’t a matter to be settled hastily based on personal feelings.

“Can I come back later?” Evan asked with a smile, but Ernst didn’t respond.

Suppressing his irritation, Ernst walked out of the room faster than before.

Bang!

After staring at the closed door for a moment, Evan leisurely walked out. He had no intention of staying in an office without its owner. As he left, Evan glanced at the ashes in the fireplace with a mysterious smile.

***

In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, two small figures slipped out of the inn and disappeared into the darkness. Both were wearing black robes, the hems of which were slightly puffed out, hinting that they were women.

“This way, Madam,” Becky said, pointing to a house not far away.

Eleanor, whose view was obstructed by the long hood of her robe, lifted the fabric slightly to see better.

‘It really is an abandoned house?’

As Becky had mentioned, it didn’t look like anyone lived there. It was out of place among the well-maintained buildings surrounding it, but Eleanor entered nonetheless.

The floor was thick with dust from years of neglect.

“Milo!”

Becky called out in a cheerful voice as she headed deeper into the house. Most of the interior doors were broken, so it wasn’t difficult to see inside. A dark figure standing in the innermost room came forward to greet Becky.

“Becky.”

The man’s voice was as dry as a withered tree. Becky, overjoyed to see him after just a day, grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.

“Madam, this is the man I told you about.”

“I’m Milo.”

“…Thank you for helping Becky,” Eleanor said, trying to hide her discomfort. She wasn’t naturally shy, but there was something about Milo’s presence that put her on edge, prompting her instinctive caution.

In the moonlight filtering through the broken windows, Milo’s face looked rugged, like that of a bandit. The long scar running from his left eye to his right cheek made him even more intimidating.

Eleanor tried to maintain a composed expression, despite her unease.

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Please, there’s no need to be so formal. I’m not deserving of such courtesy,” Milo replied.

“It’s alright. I’m comfortable with this.”

“Madam is truly kind, Milo,” Becky whispered beside them, though her voice was loud enough for Eleanor to hear.

Becky’s warm familiarity with Milo helped ease some of Eleanor’s initial wariness.

“There isn’t much to sit on…” Milo began.

“I’ll bring a chair,” he quickly offered, moving with surprising speed for his size.

He returned with a chair and placed it in front of Eleanor.

“Oh, it’s alright. You don’t need to wipe it,” Eleanor said as Milo started to dust off the chair with his sleeve.

The three of them sat facing each other, but the atmosphere quickly grew awkward. Sensing the tension, Eleanor decided to break the silence.

“I understand you have a favor to ask of me.”