Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 10 Part 6

“I apologize for bringing you here at this hour. But I had to see you,” Milo said, his voice sincere.

He had heard about the development plans for Hadum through Becky and had seriously contemplated it. “There’s no one else I could turn to with this request.”

Milo, who had never been so close to someone of such high status as the Duchess, felt his palms sweating slightly as he clasped them together.

“Hadum is a place with complicated paths and chaotic terrain, as you’ve seen. Many have taken advantage of these geographical challenges to hide themselves,” he explained.

“That’s certainly true,” Eleanor responded, recalling how the area might have once been just a simple hill covered with trees and grass. Over time, however, as more and more people with nowhere else to go gathered, their circumstances intertwined, and the vast slum that now existed was born.

Milo hesitated before continuing, “I was one of those people.”

“……?”

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I did many things in the shadows of the slums that I’m not proud of,” he confessed, causing Becky, who was listening, to gasp in surprise.

Milo looked slightly embarrassed, as if he was ashamed to reveal his past as a former criminal in front of Becky.

“But I’ve since left that life behind, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Please, go on,” Eleanor encouraged him, her voice kind.

Emboldened by her kindness, Milo continued, “El Gino.”

The word, which meant Utopia in an ancient language, referred to a group that Milo had once been a part of.

“I was one of the founding members of El Gino,” he admitted.

Originally, El Gino was formed with the noble goal of transforming the slums of Hadum into a utopia. However, despite the name’s lofty ideals, the reality was quite the opposite.

“We thought that hard work alone couldn’t sustain us, so we turned to other means to make a living. I can see now that those were just excuses,” Milo said with a bitter smile. “We should never have resorted to crime.”

The money they earned through illegal means was enough to cover their living expenses and fund the group’s activities. But as their material wealth grew, so did their greed, and the original purpose of the group was lost, leaving only crime in its wake.

“I became deeply skeptical of the direction the organization had taken.”

The idea of helping the poor with money obtained illegally was absurd. As the crimes grew more severe, Milo realized he was on the wrong path.

“So, I left the group. Though, in truth, I was more or less forced out. But then…”

Milo swallowed hard before continuing, “After I left, El Gino underwent a significant change.”

“……?”

“It became firmly established as a violent gang within the slums.”

A mysterious man, who always wore a mask to hide his face, played a significant role in this transformation. The members of El Gino feared and followed him.

“Recently, they’ve even started engaging in illegal smuggling.”

“Smuggling?”

“Yes, things like marijuana and opium.”

The poor suffered more, and the criminals became increasingly brazen. People who were once Milo’s friends, even like family, were slowly being destroyed by El Gino’s influence—whether through drugs or crime.

“Please, help us,” Milo pleaded.

This wasn’t the Hadum he had envisioned. Milo deeply regretted that his poor choices had allowed El Gino to grow into a criminal organization. Becky, who was silent but watching him with sympathetic eyes, nodded in agreement.

“I want Hadum to return to its former self. No, not just that—I want the residents of Hadum to work, receive fair compensation, and live ordinary lives.”

“……”

Eleanor didn’t respond immediately. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Hadum continue to decline into a slum. However, she was also concerned about how the Imperial Family and the noble council would react to this information. Coldly speaking, it was beyond her capability. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright.

At that moment, Milo, almost to himself, added, “If I could, I’d sell my soul to the devil to turn back time.”

“……!”

Turn back time. That one phrase struck Eleanor like a bolt of lightning.

“Would you really do that—turn back time?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Eleanor looked back and forth between Milo and Becky. Becky seemed tense, as if worried that Eleanor might say no. Milo, despite his large frame, placed his hands awkwardly on his knees, like a child about to be scolded by a teacher.

After a moment of contemplation, Eleanor sighed softly.

“If there’s something worth protecting, then you must protect it—especially if it’s precious to you.”

“Madam…!”

Eleanor wanted to protect her life in this second chance she had been given, and Milo wanted to protect his people. Recognizing the earnestness in his words, Eleanor smiled bitterly.

“It won’t be easy, but let’s discuss a concrete plan soon.”

***

The investigation of the slums continued the following day. Now somewhat familiar with the labyrinthine paths, Eleanor walked through the tangled streets of the slums.

At a fork in the road, she turned left and found herself in front of a dilapidated area with makeshift tents and crumbling mud walls.

The stone steps Eleanor and Raul eventually arrived at were darker and gloomier than those in other parts of the slums, despite it being midday. The path leading up the steps was shrouded in darkness.

‘Is this the place?’

Eleanor realized she had found the entrance to the hideout Milo had mentioned the previous day. The area was difficult to navigate, with most of the surroundings looking the same—if she hadn’t been told about it beforehand, she might have passed by without noticing.

Raul, who had been watching her closely, asked, “Is something wrong?”

“There’s something I’m concerned about,” Eleanor replied.

“Concerned?”

“I wanted to look more into the organization Sir Sergei mentioned yesterday.”

“Ah.”

Remembering the discussion from the previous meeting, Raul understood but shook his head. “In that case, it’s better not to venture into such a secluded place. I might not be able to protect you on my own.”

“If it’s just a simple inspection, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?”

“No, it’s too dangerous. You never know when someone might turn against us.”

Raul was serious in his warning. If they encountered a large group of enemies, it would be difficult to fight while ensuring Eleanor’s safety. His priority was the Duchess’s safety.

Eleanor immediately reconsidered her plan after Raul’s caution. “You’re right.”

At least she knew the location now. As Eleanor was about to turn away, there was a loud thud.

“Excuse me! I’m so sorry…!”

A child had accidentally bumped into her, causing Eleanor to stumble slightly. Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt. Raul instinctively grabbed the child by the shoulder as he tried to run away and quickly asked Eleanor, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Eleanor replied, raising a hand to signal that she was okay.

The child, who Raul had caught, kept apologizing with his head bowed. As Eleanor studied him closely, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Could it be… Lennoch?”

She hadn’t expected to meet him here.

When the boy heard his name, he flinched and finally looked up at Eleanor.

“L-Lady… Eleanor.”

The boy who had spilled soup and cried in the slums looked just as small and frail as before—perhaps even more so. His cheeks were more hollowed out, giving him a skeletal appearance.

“Please let him go. It’s alright,” Eleanor said, stopping Raul from dragging the boy away.

It was odd to see Lennoch after so long, and though she felt a sense of joy, it didn’t quite show on her face. The boy quickly bowed again, his expression difficult to read.

“I-I have to go.”

“Already?”

Before she could say anything more, the boy quickly ran past her and dashed up the stone steps.

Eleanor, her hand lingering awkwardly in the air, sighed softly.

“Ah…”

The place Lennoch had run into was the dangerous area Milo had warned her about. At that moment, Raul cursed under his breath.

“We’ve been had.”

Had?

“That boy was a pickpocket.”

“……!”

The shock left Eleanor speechless. Raul showed her that his coin pouch, which had been tied to his waist, was missing.

Although it only contained a few coins for emergencies, the fact that a trained knight had been so easily pickpocketed was a blow to his pride.

Seeing Raul’s serious expression, Eleanor also became more solemn. She thought back to when she had walked around with Lennoch in search of soup. He hadn’t seemed like the type to change so easily.

Suddenly, Eleanor found it hard to breathe.

“…Let’s go back.”

“Aren’t you going to catch him?”

“He’s probably long gone by now. It would be difficult for just the two of us to catch him.”

“I apologize. I’ll be more vigilant from now on,” Raul said, his voice tinged with regret.

Eleanor nodded absentmindedly, barely listening to him. Her mind was in turmoil.

Lennoch, a pickpocket?

She didn’t know how to process this revelation.

***

The Emperor prepared tea to welcome the Empress Dowager during her visit to the main palace. As usual, their conversation was ordinary and uneventful.

Occasionally, the Empress Dowager would mention the Duchess of Mecklen in passing. Most of her remarks were positive, and the Emperor carefully gauged his mother’s mood, offering the appropriate responses.

As they finished their tea, the Empress Dowager suddenly seemed to remember something and asked the Emperor, “By the way, does anyone else know about the alias Lennoch?”

The Emperor frowned slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“I overheard someone mention it the other day. I wondered if they might have been referring to you.”

“That’s unlikely.”

“Well, it is a fairly common name,” the Empress Dowager conceded, raising her eyebrows slightly.

The Emperor responded calmly, “I haven’t added the name Lennox to the Imperial Family’s records yet.”

“That’s a relief. I wouldn’t want you to get too attached to that unnecessary name.”

“It’s not unnecessary to me.”

The Empress Dowager often struggled to understand her son’s thoughts. One such example was his attachment to the name Lennox. She didn’t see why he had to take it so seriously.

As if to finalize the matter, Lennoch added, “I intend to add it soon, even if only as a middle name.”

That was preferable to changing his name outright, but the Empress Dowager still didn’t like the idea of using it as a middle name.

“I understand the need to conceal your identity at times, but you seem excessively attached to that alias.”

“……”

“Where did you even get that name?”

When Lennoch was much younger, an incident occurred that nearly turned the palace upside down. Since then, the young Emperor had been unusually attached to the name he had chosen.

Without answering, Lennoch drank the rest of his tea.

“It’s been more than ten years since then. This year marks…”

“Twelve years,” Lennoch confirmed.

“Yes, about that long.”

Thinking back on that harrowing time, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but sigh.

As she toyed with her teacup, she suddenly noticed her hands. Despite her elegant face, her hands were covered with rough wrinkles.

After a brief silence, the Empress Dowager spoke again. “As we age, we naturally accumulate experience.”

“……”

“That experience becomes wisdom, which sometimes helps us navigate through life’s challenges.”

The Empress Dowager thought of the many people she had met over the years.

“But it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that experience is all there is to know in the world. We think we know everything, even though we’ve only scratched the surface, and we start to feel superior, like a wizard who has discovered the philosopher’s stone.”

But sometimes, that illusion is shattered.

“Understanding one’s child is like living a new life every day.”

“……”

“You break through my stubbornness, yet at the same time, you remain a mystery I’ll never fully comprehend.”

It was the first time Lennoch had heard his mother speak this way.

Should I say something?

Lennoch hesitated, his lips moving slightly. “I use that name to remember.”

“What do you mean?”

“Specifically… I hope the person who gave me that name will remember me when we meet again.”

“Is there someone who wouldn’t remember you?”

He’s the Emperor.

No one could forget him, with his distinctive silver hair and striking appearance. Even if they tried, they wouldn’t be able to.

Noticing the slight change in Lennoch’s expression, the Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow.

“Some people do forget.”

“What an extraordinary person.”

The person Lennoch had met in his youth.

“The only connection I have with them is through this name.”

“…Is this person really that important to you? Important enough to create such a connection?”

The Empress Dowager’s expression grew serious. She didn’t react positively to her son’s cherished memories. Instead, she was concerned that they might become a weakness.

As always, her instinct was to assess the value of new information, and this time was no different.

Lennoch gave a bitter smile and replied in a low voice, “Yes. They are extremely important to me.”