Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 11 Part 1

11. The Duchess’s Disappearance

Eleanor returned to her quarters feeling uneasy. She declined dinner and simply went into her room, lying down on the bed. She couldn’t help but wonder what had caused the child’s condition.

‘Was it threats? Or perhaps necessity due to his circumstances? Was it the environment?’ she pondered.

Despite considering various possibilities, nothing seemed to be the clear cause. Remembering what Milo had said about El Gino, Eleanor realized that even the children might be involved in the organization. With this realization, she sensed that the investigation into the slums would not be an easy task.

Knock, knock.

“Are you busy?”

“…Lady Brianna.”

Brianna poked her head through the slightly opened door. As Eleanor sat up in bed and looked toward the door, Brianna continued in a somewhat petulant voice, “It’s nothing much. I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the last day, and we have a meeting with the mayor. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Eleanor replied.

Brianna didn’t step into the room and seemed content to deliver her message from the doorway. Eleanor didn’t feel inclined to invite her in either, so she remained quiet. However, after finishing her message, Brianna didn’t close the door or leave, lingering in the doorway instead.

After a brief silence, Eleanor asked, “Is there something else you want to say?”

“How rude. Are you just going to leave a guest standing in the doorway?” Brianna retorted.

“……?”

Though Brianna had acted as if she didn’t want to come in, Eleanor couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so she invited her in. Once Eleanor took a seat on a small wooden chair, Brianna quickly sat down across from her.

“Is there no tea?” Brianna asked.

“Shall I prepare some water?” Eleanor offered.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Brianna replied, her mannerisms as unpredictable as ever. Despite barging in, it was clear that Brianna had something on her mind, as she hesitated to get to the point.

“What is it?” Eleanor inquired.

“It’s about the dress I gave you.”

“……?”

“You’re wearing it, right?”

Eleanor couldn’t hide her bewilderment. “Yes, I’ve been wearing it, thanks to you.”

“Humph. It’s not mine anymore. Actually, it was always yours. That turquoise dress suited you perfectly,” Brianna said, suddenly excited, particularly emphasizing the word ‘yours.’

Eleanor, unsure why Brianna was behaving this way, gave a vague nod, but Brianna’s annoyance was evident.

“Anyway, from now on, don’t tell anyone that I gave it to you. People will laugh if they hear that a Duchess is wearing a dress given by someone else.”

“…Are you concerned about me?”

“Who said I was concerned?” Brianna retorted, horrified at the thought. This was all because of Childe. She only wanted to avoid getting further entangled and was seeking a clear answer. Eleanor, too preoccupied with thoughts of the pickpocketed child, simply nodded along.

“Alright, I’ll do that.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. Not that it matters—just forget it,” Brianna said, feeling somewhat deflated after resolving something she had been worried about for a long time. She seemed a bit embarrassed, trying to hide her discomfort by lightly tapping her cheek with her fingers. Perhaps she had been too worked up.

After calming down a bit, Brianna carefully brought up another topic. “And about that contract we discussed earlier.”

“The contract?”

“The one about divorcing Ernst.”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes.”

“It’s still valid, right?”

“……?”

“You still plan to divorce him, right?”

Eleanor was silent for a moment, causing Brianna’s anxious eyes to quiver slightly. Could it be that she had changed her mind?

“Why… why? Have you changed your mind? You said you didn’t have feelings for Ernst. You have to keep your promise…”

“Did I make a promise?” Eleanor’s words struck like a bolt of lightning, leaving Brianna in disbelief.

“Are you saying you won’t get divorced?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Of course, Eleanor still wanted the divorce. She longed for it. But she was holding back, thinking about the future. However, when it came to her relationship with Brianna, some push and pull was still necessary. Seeing Eleanor’s relaxed demeanor, Brianna bit her lip.

“You’re so infuriating.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? I said you’re infuriating.”

“Hearing that from you makes me feel like I’m living my life correctly.”

“What are you saying?” Brianna’s face turned red as she suddenly stood up. “Really, you should watch your words. Fine, even if you don’t want to, I’ll make sure you’re separated from Ernst, even if I have to do it by force.”

“Alright.”

“When that time comes, don’t come crying back, asking to be the Duchess again. I won’t take you back!”

Brianna looked surprisingly hurt. She had genuinely believed Eleanor’s talk of divorce. Seeing Brianna’s tearful expression, Eleanor wondered if she had gone too far. But it also felt too late to apologize.

Bang!

After Brianna stormed off in a fit of anger, Eleanor decided to just let it go. She was utterly exhausted. She dragged her weary body to bed.

***

Hadum was actually a specific district that included the slums they were investigating. The city that encompassed Hadum was called Kuhen. If you looked at Kuhen on a map, it resembled a banana lying on its side. If you could see the city from above, you’d notice that the northern part, which looked like it had been eaten away by insects, had turned pitch black. This blackened northern area was Hadum, and below it was a cleaner area called Ubeda.

“It’s like a completely different world,” Eleanor murmured to herself as she gazed out of the carriage window. Gran, who had sharp ears, caught her words and initiated a conversation.

“The scenery is very different from the slums, isn’t it? I sometimes feel the same dissonance, wondering if it’s really the same area.”

“It truly is,” Eleanor agreed.

Even compared to the bustling capital, the well-maintained mansions here were impressive. The people passing by seemed to carry an air of leisure. Those they encountered exchanged smiles and greetings. The contrast between extremes in this city was striking.

“We’re here. That’s the place,” Gran announced.

In Baden, each region had its major cities, which was a different concept from the fiefs. After abolishing the old fiefdom system and allowing private property ownership, the buying and selling of land, except for national land, became highly active. This led to fierce competition among the nobles for land ownership, with wealthy merchants also joining in, creating a daily invisible war.

“It’s an impressive building,” Brianna remarked as she dismounted from the carriage.

Eleanor, though she didn’t say it aloud, agreed with a nod. The structure was comparable to the Mecklen family’s main estate. It looked more like a noble’s residence than a city hall.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Karl,” the guide, who had been informed of their visit, greeted them at the entrance.

Following Karl, the group entered the mansion where the mayor was located. As they walked along the marble-paved path, Brianna clicked her tongue, commenting on how well-funded the city seemed to be, given how much they had spent on such a place.

“If you wait here for a moment, the mayor will be with you shortly,” Karl said, leaving the group in a reception room.

Eleanor, Brianna, and Gran sat side by side. Since the only item on the agenda for today was meeting the mayor, the knights had gone to inspect the slums one last time on their behalf.

“That glass bird sculpture is really beautiful,” Brianna said, her eyes flitting around the room, rapidly taking in the various artworks. She pointed to the transparent display case. “Is that a plate from the East? The colors are unique…”

“Yes, you’re correct. As expected, Lady Brianna of House Liege has a keen eye,” came a voice that didn’t belong to anyone in Eleanor’s party.

It was Kuhen’s mayor, Umar. As he walked leisurely into the reception room, Eleanor’s group rose to greet him.

“Eleanor von Mecklen.”

“Umar von Verdik.”

As the name suggested, Umar was a relative of Count Verdik. He was a gentleman who appeared more polished than the bearded and more rugged Count Verdik.

“I’ve heard much about you,” Umar said, clearly addressing Eleanor. “You’re doing good work. I’m very interested in the slum development project myself. As mayor, I’m very grateful for the imperial family’s active support.”

Despite his words of gratitude, Umar’s expression remained rather indifferent, so much so that Gran, standing next to Eleanor, noticed and found it odd.

Mayor Umar offered tea to the group. “This is a recently imported tea. It’s from Mondriol, a specialty of the Ceylon region in Mondriol.”

“It has a lovely aroma,” Brianna said, smiling contentedly as she sipped her tea.

Eleanor agreed, though she didn’t show the same outward cheerfulness. Umar noticed her neutral expression and asked, “Do you like it?”

“Yes. But there’s something I’d like to ask you,” Eleanor replied.

“What is it?”

“I heard you’re interested in the slums. Have there been any policies the city implemented to help the poor?”

It was a sharp question. Umar responded calmly without showing any signs of discomfort. “Of course, there were many. But they weren’t fundamental solutions.”

“Are there records?”

“…Records?”

“Yes, I’d like to see the budget spent on those policies.”

Umar, who had been speaking smoothly, suddenly fell silent. After a moment of consideration, he replied, “Hmm. You’re being quite excessive.”

“Excessive?”

“As far as I know, you don’t have the authority to audit, Madam.”

“……”

“We’re not so lax as to show official documents to just anyone for personal reasons,” he added in a tone that suggested they should consider themselves lucky he was being so polite.

Gran was taken aback by the mayor’s unexpected reaction, while Brianna, sensing Umar’s discomfort, bristled.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying our request is unreasonable?”

“That’s not what I meant. We simply have strict security measures in place for civilians…” Umar started to explain.

“That’s even more insulting. Did we come here as civilians?”

“Lady Brianna,” Eleanor raised her hand to stop Brianna, but Brianna was too riled up to calm down. She detested being dismissed more than anything, and her anger only grew.

“What’s so difficult about showing the budget? And sharing it would help us understand what’s needed for this project, wouldn’t it?”

Understanding the reasons behind past failures was essential for planning a better project. But Eleanor hadn’t expected Umar to draw such a clear line. To soothe the agitated Brianna, Eleanor placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Though Brianna flinched at the unexpected touch, she didn’t pull away.

After calming Brianna, Eleanor spoke in a gentle tone. “I understand, Mayor.”

Seeing Umar’s brazen attitude, Eleanor knew she wouldn’t get anything useful from him. But she wasn’t ready to retreat just yet.

“May I ask you another question then?”