Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 11 Part 2

“You seem determined to get an answer out of me, so let’s get to the point. What is it that you want to ask?” Umar was beginning to get irritated by Brianna’s attitude, and his response carried a hint of sarcasm. However, Eleanor lightly ignored it.

“Have you noticed any unusual activity in the slum areas recently?”

“Unusual activity?”

“Criminal organizations are starting to increase their activities. They even have a name—El Gino.”

Umar looked genuinely puzzled, as if hearing the name for the first time.

“This isn’t just an ordinary slum like you’d find in other areas. It’s a haven for criminals. If left unchecked, the organization will grow beyond control.”

“Can’t it be dealt with before that happens?”

“What do you mean?”

Umar chuckled softly with a hint of disdain. “The Imperial Family could send knights to handle it.”

“……”

“Our city doesn’t have the manpower to deal with it. We’re barely managing to maintain public order as it is.”

Brianna’s face twisted with disgust at his nonchalant attitude. How could someone be so shameless?

Eleanor realized that continuing the conversation with him was pointless. It would only lead to a tedious back-and-forth.

She picked up her teacup and swirled it around thoughtfully. “Then, we’ll handle it ourselves.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Umar replied with a smile, but Eleanor wasn’t finished.

“The organization will be completely eradicated.”

“……”

“And I’ll take it that you won’t interfere, Mayor.”

If she dug deep enough, she might uncover something. Eleanor glanced at Umar over her teacup. He seemed uneasy about her last statement. She could sense a flash of anxiety in his expression.

A small smile formed on Eleanor’s lips. First, she would start by cracking down on the smuggling operation Becky had mentioned.

***

“Lady Eleanor.”

“Yes, Father Gran?”

“What in the world is going on here?”

Father Gran looked at her with shocked eyes. They were standing in the distribution center for the poor. Gran, who had taken pride in helping the less fortunate, was appalled to find Eleanor leading the knights to raid the place.

But what shocked him even more were the people the knights had captured. They had been taking money from the poor in exchange for food. It was unthinkable that they would hijack relief supplies like this.

Gran’s face turned red with rage as he finally understood what had been happening.

Eleanor pushed the arm of the man she had caught, forcing him back.

“As you can see, this is nothing but a vile smuggling operation.”

“How could this happen?”

“You… you all…” The man stumbled backward in shock, more out of instinct than from Eleanor’s strength.

Eleanor glanced at the bag he had been holding. “Do you even know what you’ve taken?”

“W-what are you talking about?” The man, now pale with fear, tried to flee, but it was no use. Two knights swiftly moved in and restrained him.

The man, his arms held fast, looked to his accomplices for help, but they were already captured and unable to move.

“Damn it…!” He struggled one last time, unable to understand how things had escalated so quickly. He had just been collecting money from the ration line, as usual.

“What’s going on?” The people in the vicinity began to murmur, watching as the man was led away. Among them were a few who hesitated, trying to quietly slip away, but Eleanor noticed.

“You’re in a desperate situation, without a home or food, clinging to this place as your last hope,” she began, her voice carrying through the crowd.

The long line of people grew uneasy as some tried to retreat unnoticed. Brianna, standing beside her, whispered that they should arrest everyone, but Eleanor shook her head.

The knights sent from the palace were all they had at the moment. Being overly ambitious could result in losing the key culprits they had already captured.

Eleanor looked around at the frightened people. They were too scared to run and watched the knights anxiously.

“I want to protect the last bit of hope you have,” she continued. “And from this last chance, I hope you can dream of a new beginning.”

She wasn’t sure where the strength in her voice came from, but it reached every corner of the crowd. A mother and child, whom she had seen before, made eye contact with Eleanor. They were the family from Hartmann.

A fierce determination flashed in Eleanor’s eyes. “That’s why I cannot forgive what has happened here.”

Some of those who had been trying to leave froze.

“This is your warning.”

If anything like this happened again…

“Next time, it won’t just be a warning. Those who betray the kindness of the Imperial Family and profit from unfair trade will face the consequences.”

Her voice was as cold as ice. The poor, along with those trying to escape, paled in fear. Silence fell over the crowd, stifled by her presence.

Brianna, who had been silently observing Eleanor, was taken aback.

‘What kind of look is that…’

The coldness in Eleanor’s eyes was incomparable to when they had first met in the dining hall. It was as if the more anger she felt, the colder she became. Unnerved, Brianna took a step back.

At that moment, Gran, who had been watching from the sidelines, spoke up. “I apologize, Lady Eleanor.”

He was still reeling from the shock of discovering such corruption. He wasn’t sure how he would face the Empress Dowager after this investigation.

Covering his face with his hands, Gran said in a distressed voice, “I must go to the palace and personally apologize to Her Majesty.”

***

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Please spare me! I was only following orders!”

The men who had been captured by the knights didn’t stop pleading. They continued to insist they were innocent.

Brianna, irritated by the noise, pretended to cover her ears with her hands. “They were caught red-handed, and they’re still lying.”

Raul nodded in agreement with her scoff. They were already busy packing up to return to the capital, and listening to the men’s complaints was a waste of time.

“Just the thought of bringing them to the palace is exhausting,” Brianna sighed.

“It can’t be helped,” Raul said with an awkward smile. “It’s difficult to find multiple carriages on short notice, so I ask for your understanding.”

“I’d rather ride a horse.”

“Have you learned to ride? The road is rough; it will be challenging.”

“I don’t care. My ears are about to burst from the noise.”

“Understood.” Raul nodded. “I’ll ride in the carriage, so please take the horse.”

“Thank you.” Brianna didn’t hesitate to take the reins.

While she mounted the horse, Eleanor checked their surroundings. All the luggage had been loaded onto the carriage, and the documents they had gathered were packed in a bag she carried herself. The captured men were tightly bound with ropes and secured in the carriage. Raul sat with them to ensure they didn’t cause any trouble.

Eleanor’s gaze lingered on the alley between the inns for a moment.

“Madam, I will stay here.”

She recalled the conversation she had with Becky last night.

“I can’t go to the palace with you, and who knows if Madam Caroline is still searching for me.”

“Yes. But I hope we can stay in touch…”

“I can help with that,” Milo chimed in. “I can leave a note for you at any place you choose.”

“Even the palace?”

“Even the palace.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise.

Milo, slightly embarrassed, looked away. “I’m not a spy or anything like that. Someone I helped once now works at the palace.”

“He knows a lot of people,” Becky said, holding onto Milo’s arm. It was clear that the two had grown much closer in Eleanor’s absence. Sensing the subtle shift between them, Eleanor slightly lowered her guard toward Milo.

“Madam, we’re ready to leave.”

“Ah, yes.”

Eleanor responded, snapping back to the present. Like Brianna, she could have ridden a horse, but she chose to ride in the carriage instead.

As she climbed in, one of the men with a bushy beard glared at her. “We’re really innocent. Isn’t it excessive to take us to the palace just for cutting in line? Why not just call the mayor? We’ll willingly go to the city prison.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not? Does it make sense to drag us all the way to the palace for something like this?”

Eleanor didn’t respond. Instead, she set her bag beside her and pulled out a fan, waving it leisurely. Raul sat next to her. Though the captured men were in close proximity, they couldn’t cause trouble. Their feet were tied to hooks on the floor of the carriage, ensuring they couldn’t move.

“We should arrive by sunset.”

Eleanor nodded at Raul’s words. She knew the men they had captured were just small fry. But she was taking them to the palace because she didn’t trust Mayor Umar. There was something suspicious about his behavior.

‘I must keep all possibilities open.’

Eleanor had a feeling that Umar’s actions and the behavior of the captured smugglers were somehow connected. She didn’t have concrete evidence yet, but she might uncover a link between them.

She decided to report everything to the Empress Dowager as soon as she returned to the palace.

The carriage quickly left the city. It had only been a week, but the road felt unfamiliar to Eleanor.

Was it just her imagination?

From outside, Brianna called out to the knight riding beside her. “Are we on the right path?”

“It does seem strange,” the knight agreed.

None of them were familiar with the route, so they relied on the coachman for directions.

“Shouldn’t we have turned right back there?” Brianna asked again, but the knight couldn’t answer. The road had suddenly become narrower. The horses pulling the carriage slowed down, and the carriage itself came to a stop.

“What’s happening?” Brianna shouted sharply.

The road was disappearing. When the carriage finally stopped, the knight dismounted quickly.

“Stay behind me!”

They were surrounded by dense trees, perfect for an ambush. Sensing danger, Brianna stood behind the knight. Another knight positioned himself behind Brianna, watching the surroundings warily.

Raul jumped down from the carriage and pointed his sword at the coachman.

“I’m sorry! I had no choice…!” The coachman stammered, then fled.

Raul wanted to chase after him, but he knew he couldn’t. His priority was to protect the people in the carriage.

From the direction the coachman had fled, several men emerged from hiding. All were dressed in black, their faces covered with masks, making them look suspicious.

Brianna screamed as she saw the approaching men.

***

“This is strange,” the Empress Dowager said, tapping the table.

Berenice, who had been reading a book across from her, set it down.

“They should have arrived by now.”

“Shall I look into it?”

“Yes, go and check.”

Although it might seem superstitious, the Empress Dowager sometimes trusted her instincts. They had saved her from danger a few times before. Today, she felt an unusual sense of unease, a dryness in her throat.

“…Could it be?”

Was the area more dangerous than she thought? Shaking her head, the Empress Dowager dismissed the idea. Every quarter, she received reports from Gran. The slum area had always been relatively stable.

She considered having some tea while she waited, but even that felt unappealing.

“Your Majesty!”

“Berenice.”

Berenice returned in a hurry, out of breath. It was too soon for her to have reached the palace gate, so she must have received news from someone along the way.

The Empress Dowager saw Berenice’s pale lips and felt her ominous premonition becoming a reality.

“The Duchess and her party have gone missing. His Majesty and the Duke of Mecklen have just left to investigate.”

***