Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 11 Part 5

“Isn’t it possible that the door is thick and soundproof?”

“No,” Eleanor replied, knocking lightly on the wooden door. A faint, hollow sound echoed back.

“You can hear everything clearly,” she explained.

“How do you know that?”

“This door is on the thinner side. If someone were standing just outside, you’d be able to hear their conversation clearly,” Eleanor said, drawing from her experience.

“This place feels like a subterranean prison,” she continued.

“A subterranean prison?”

“There are no windows anywhere, and the only exit is through this door. Most underground prisons are like this, designed to keep prisoners isolated.”

“……”

“It’s difficult to build a structure like this above ground.”

Eleanor’s thoughts drifted back to the time she was imprisoned, falsely accused of murdering Caroline. She had been shackled in a solitary cell, waiting for the day of her execution. The sound of another prisoner, who was scheduled to be executed before her, crying all day and night had kept Eleanor awake.

“There’s no way the silence could be this complete. I don’t think anyone is guarding us,” Eleanor concluded.

“Wow…” Brianna genuinely admired her. She had noticed during their conversations that Eleanor’s knowledge far exceeded her own.

“So, what should we do now?” Brianna asked.

Eleanor didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she stood up from where she had been leaning against the door. She tried pushing and pulling the door handle again, but the door wouldn’t budge. After several attempts to shake the door, Eleanor noticed that the lock was old and creaky. She released the handle and took a few steps back.

“What… what are you doing…?”

Bang!

***

The city of Kuhen was gripped by tension that was almost tangible. Since dawn, armored knights had been searching the city thoroughly, turning everything upside down. Rumors about the noble kidnapping spread like wildfire.

“Who in their right mind would kidnap nobles?” one person whispered.

“I heard it was some group from the slum area where all the beggars live. El Gino, I think it’s called? They’re a criminal organization,” another replied.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I saw knights from the palace asking around about that organization.”

The merchants’ conversation was loud enough for those nearby to overhear. A woman who had been looking at the fruit on display curiously joined in.

“So it’s true?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“I couldn’t believe it. But why would such high-ranking nobles come to this place?”

The missing persons included the Duchess of Mecklen, Lady Liege, and knights from other noble houses. The merchant responded to the woman’s question.

“There were rumors that they were here to redevelop Hadum. Apparently, they were the ones in charge of the project.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But to think they were kidnapped while trying to do something good… It’s truly despicable.”

The fruit seller clicked his tongue in disapproval. Meanwhile, another passerby who had been eavesdropping on the conversation shuddered slightly. The movement was subtle and went unnoticed by the others. The woman standing next to him, who had a cloth wrapped around her head, grabbed his hand.

“Milo.”

“I’m fine.” Milo nodded slightly to reassure Becky, who looked worried. “Let’s go.”

The two quietly left the area.

The knights’ investigation extended across all of Kuhen, and it was unusual for anyone to be unaware of the situation. Milo, who had ventured out to observe the city’s reaction, grew increasingly troubled as he heard people talk about El Gino.

“Should we take a break?” Becky asked, pointing to a bench as they reached the square. Both were exhausted from spending the entire morning without eating anything. Just as they were about to sit down, a loud shout echoed through the square.

“Move aside!”

The noise in the square suddenly vanished. The shout came from a group of people walking toward the square. Among them were the knights who had been the main topic of conversation just moments earlier. Becky instinctively ducked behind Milo in fear.

‘Is that… the Duke?’

It was Duke Mecklen.

Becky hadn’t expected to see him here. She paled at the sight of the Duke. If they made eye contact, there would be no escape. She was certain that news of her escape from the Mecklen estate had reached the Duke by now. Being caught was only a matter of time.

“Becky…?”

“Shh. Milo. Please, hide me,” Becky urgently pleaded.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Milo spread his shoulders wider to shield her from view. Completely unaware that one of his former maids was in the crowd, Duke Mecklen climbed onto the platform prepared in advance.

“The Duchess has been kidnapped.”

“……!”

His words were brief but impactful.

“The perpetrators did not act on impulse. They meticulously planned this, carried out the attack in an organized manner, and even injured the knights.”

As the Duke’s speech continued, the people exchanged uneasy glances. It was far too serious a matter to dismiss lightly.

“I believe this incident is the work of a group seeking to challenge the authority of the nobility. The Imperial Family is outraged and deeply disturbed by this heinous rebellion.”

“……”

“As such, the entire city will be held accountable.”

“W-What does that mean…?”

Becky, hidden behind Milo, couldn’t see his expression, but she could tell that the atmosphere had grown tense.

“Not only will the mayor be held responsible, but every person in this city will face the consequences.”

“That’s absurd…!” Someone shouted. “We know nothing about this! Why should innocent people be punished?”

“If you want to avoid punishment, report everything you know about El Gino.”

“……!”

“If you see anyone suspicious coming and going from Hadum, report them. If anyone leaks information about El Gino, bring them to the knights immediately. Even if you see three or more suspicious individuals gathered together, report it to the knights at once.”

This was not an order from the Emperor. It was a strategy devised by Duke Mecklen alone. Ernst knew that there was nothing more effective than putting pressure on the surrounding area. Even if they only gathered scraps of information, it was worth it. In a situation where the kidnappers’ intentions were unpredictable, it was essential to push forward aggressively to find any clues.

“From this moment on, knights will be stationed in this square. Report everything you know to them immediately.”

“……”

“You have exactly two days.”

“My God.”

They had only two days to uncover everything about El Gino? Murmurs of discontent rippled through the crowd. But Ernst remained unshaken.

“If the Duchess is not found within two days, someone will be executed as an example.”

“……!”

“Whether it’s a member of El Gino or one of you.”

With those final words, the Duke descended from the platform. No one dared to move until he left the square. It felt as if invisible ropes were binding them, holding them in place.

It was fear.

At that moment, Milo, who had been standing still, slowly turned to face Becky. He whispered quietly so that only she could hear.

“What if we rescue the Duchess ourselves?”

***

“Damn it!!!”

Mayor Umar, uncharacteristically furious, slammed his hand on the table. In just one day, the situation had completely flipped. He had underestimated his opponents, thinking it was only about stopping the Duchess. But there were two much larger forces protecting her from behind.

“The Emperor came personally…? And Duke Mecklen too?”

Had the two men lost their minds? He had heard rumors that the Duke wasn’t on good terms with his wife.

Clearly, those rumors couldn’t be trusted. Grinding his teeth, Umar thought to himself, ‘I should have just killed those members outright.’

Initially, he had only wanted to prevent the members from being taken to the palace. If they provided any information linking him to El Gino, it would be disastrous. Since the Duchess had taken them into her carriage herself, there was no doubt they would be subjected to intense interrogation upon arrival.

“Saruka, how did you handle this?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Do you think ‘sorry’ will fix this?”

Umar glared at the man sitting across from him. Saruka always wore a black mask, so Umar couldn’t see his expression. But judging by his dry, indifferent tone, the apology was anything but sincere. Knowing this only fueled Umar’s anger, causing him to drop the polite, noble facade he usually maintained.

“You miserable bastard. I tolerated you because of Madam Caroline, but I’ve despised you from the start.”

“……”

“Do you really think no one knows who you are just because you wear that mask? Everyone knows that your face is rotting beneath it. It’s disgusting enough to make me sick.”

Crack.

The sound of beads clashing together in Saruka’s hand grew louder.

“What? Are you suddenly ashamed of your inhuman face?”

“……”

“If you don’t want to hear more insults, go and clean up this mess. Make sure the Emperor can’t uncover anything about El Gino. Clean up the evidence, you bastard.”

Saruka didn’t move, nor did he respond to Umar’s string of curses. He simply continued to roll the beads in his hand. However, the increasingly loud sound of the beads conveyed a clear message.

Crack.

“Enough. If you don’t leave my office right now―”

“Have you seen my face?”

“What?” Umar frowned. “What difference does that make?”

“When did you see it?”

“Why does that matter? What, are you just using your head as decoration? Is it really so important whether I’ve seen your face?”

“It is to me.”

“Shut up and go fix this mess. I’m sending a letter to Madam Caroline right now.”

Umar stood up, signaling that he was done with the conversation. He walked over to the desk by the window to write the letter, indicating he had no desire to hear more.

Saruka, who had been silently observing Umar, finally stopped rolling the beads. Instead, he grasped one bead and pulled it tightly, causing the string connecting the beads to stretch tautly.

Muttering to himself about how poorly things had been handled, Umar rummaged through the desk drawer for fine parchment to draft a letter of complaint to Caroline, demanding Saruka’s dismissal.

As Umar dipped his quill in ink, Saruka moved closer, standing directly behind him. The long string of beads came perilously close to Umar’s neck, almost brushing against it.

***