Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 11 Part 8

Just moments before Eleanor’s group escaped from the prison…

“Please bear with it a little longer.”

“Thank you.”

Raul, who had tightly wrapped a cloth around his injured leg, thanked Milo. Thankfully, finding the knights in the underground prison hadn’t been difficult. With Milo’s help, Eleanor broke the lock on the door and rescued them.

“You should see a doctor as soon as we get back.”

Raul’s condition was fine except for his leg, but the other knight was in much worse shape. He had been struck hard on the back of the head during the fight and was bleeding profusely. Milo had agreed to carry him since Raul was unable to do so.

If Milo hadn’t come to their rescue, the situation would have been far more dire.

“I’ll make sure you’re rewarded when we return.”

“Haha, just your thanks is enough,” Milo said, dismissing Raul’s words as mere courtesy. But Raul was serious.

“No, I’ll keep my promise.”

“Sir, would you like some help?”

Eleanor, who had been walking beside them, offered her assistance. Raul shook his head, refusing to accept help from someone he was supposed to protect.

Brianna, her voice sharp, chimed in, “If you’re going to be so stubborn, then help me ins—”

“Aaah!”

A sudden, unfamiliar scream halted them all in their tracks. Through the trees, someone was charging toward them, a blade gleaming in the dim light.

“Get out of the way…!”

Milo and Raul shouted in unison. With the injured knight on his back, Milo couldn’t fend off the attacker. Raul, in his attempt to intercept, stumbled due to his injured leg.

“Sir Raul, be careful!” Eleanor leaned back, shouting a warning. The tip of the assailant’s sword narrowly missed Raul’s hand. The sight of blood in the air snapped Brianna, who had been frozen in shock, back to reality.

“Ah, aah—! Screaming, Brianna fled in the opposite direction, not even looking where she was going. Eleanor chased after her, trying to prevent her from running off alone.

‘That idiot…!’

The elder brother cursed silently as he watched from his hiding spot. His younger brother’s mistake had escalated the situation beyond control, and now there was no way to fix it.

He had to flee, even if it meant abandoning his brother. But as he turned to leave, he realized with horror that the food supplies were still in his brother’s backpack.

“Damn it, nothing’s going right…!”

He tightened his grip on the knife in frustration. It was too far to return to the city now. But without food, hiding in the underground prison would mean starving to death. He had no choice. For the first time, he regretted the bond of brotherhood that tied him to this fool. He had liked that his brother, though slow-witted, had been obedient.

“No turning back now.” He tightened his grip on the knife, muttering to himself.

Milo was burdened with the injured knight and was focused on protecting the woman who looked like a pauper. The other man had barely avoided his brother’s attack and didn’t seem like he could hold out much longer.

‘In that case…’

He quickly decided to pursue Brianna and Eleanor, who had run off into the woods. If they reached the village and brought back soldiers, it would be a problem, especially since they now knew the location of the underground prison. With that in mind, he tore through the underbrush, following the direction of Brianna’s scream.

***

“Lady Brianna!”

Eleanor managed to catch up with Brianna, blocking her path just in time. They almost collided, but Eleanor stopped her just in time.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

“Aah, aaah…”

Brianna was visibly shaken, likely traumatized by the sight of blood. It was understandable—after all, they had just escaped captivity and were now being attacked.

Even so, losing control in such a situation would only make things harder for everyone. Eleanor wasn’t about to coddle her.

“Do you really want to die here?”

“……!”

“You said you still have dresses, shoes, and jewelry waiting for you, didn’t you?”

Brianna’s unfocused eyes gradually began to clear. Eleanor encouraged her to take deep breaths. “It’s dangerous to be alone. We’re safer together…”

“Well, well, aren’t you quick?”

“……!”

The harsh voice that interrupted them made Eleanor instinctively turn around. A man in a black cape, looking like a bandit, was approaching them. Eleanor sensed the deadly intent emanating from the sword in his hand and took a step back.

He wasn’t the same man who had attacked Raul earlier.

“You’re the Duchess, aren’t you?”

“What’s it to you?”

The leader of El Gino hesitated at Eleanor’s composed response. He had expected her to panic at the sight of his sword.

The reaction he had anticipated came from the red-haired woman beside her, who screamed again as he lunged forward.

“No need for more words—just die.”

“……!”

Eleanor saw the tip of his sword coming toward her. Time seemed to slow, her vision moving in slow motion as the blade approached. Despite the deliberate pace, dodging wasn’t easy. Instead of trying to move her frozen feet, she pushed Brianna away with all her strength to get her out of harm’s way.

She was about to be cut. Eleanor braced herself, closing her eyes tightly.

“Finally found you.”

“……?”

The voice that cut through the tense air was strangely calm. Startled, Eleanor’s shoulders trembled. The voice was familiar. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

She felt a familiar presence holding her tightly, the same scent she had noticed once before when Hail was between them.

“…Lennoch?”

“Good thing I wasn’t too late.”

How…

When Eleanor looked up, she found herself so close to Lennoch that his chin almost brushed her forehead. Her long eyelashes trembled as she gazed up at him, her dazed eyes trying to process the situation.

“Are you hurt?”

“N-no, I’m fine… Lennoch? Your hand, it’s bleeding!” Eleanor gasped, breaking free from Lennoch’s embrace as she noticed the blood on his hand. He had caught the attacker’s sword with his bare hand.

Eleanor’s strong resolve crumbled in an instant. “Let go of it now…!”

Eleanor cried out, her face pale. This wasn’t protecting her—it was reckless. How could he have thought to grab the blade with his hand?

Not only Eleanor but even the assailant was stunned, missing the opportunity for a follow-up attack. Lennoch seized the moment, gripping the attacker’s wrist with his free hand and twisting it.

“Aaah!”

The sound of bones breaking filled the air. The assailant collapsed, screaming in pain, while Brianna, who had been sitting on the ground in terror, instinctively hugged her own shoulders.

Lennoch calmly picked up the sword the man had dropped and spoke to Eleanor, “Would you please turn your head away for a moment?”

“……?”

“It’s not going to be a pleasant sight.”

His tone was gentle, at odds with the deadly situation. Eleanor noticed that Lennoch’s smile was different from usual. Concerned about getting in his way, she turned her head as he requested, and Lennoch’s smile widened.

“I’ll finish this quickly.”

“Y-you…!”

Despite the pain, the leader of El Gino instinctively realized that things had gone horribly wrong. He didn’t know who this man was, but judging by his strength, he was no ordinary opponent. Acting on quick instincts, he turned and fled.

But Lennoch had no intention of letting him escape.

“Not so fast.”

As if expecting the sudden move, Lennoch easily caught up to the fleeing man and yanked his cape. The man choked as the force pulled his cape tight around his neck, strangling him.

“P-please, mercy… Aaaargh!”

Lennoch’s sword slashed through the man’s arm without hesitation. Unable to bear the pain, the man screamed, but Lennoch wasn’t done. He slashed the man’s leg, immobilizing him, before pulling out a small whistle from his pocket and blowing it. The sound would summon the knights scattered around the area.

“Is it over?” Eleanor, who had kept her head turned away, asked softly.

Brianna, shocked by the unexpectedly ruthless side of the Emperor, remained on the ground, staring blankly at the dirt.

Lennoch confirmed that the man was incapacitated and returned to Eleanor. “You’ve lost weight,” he said.

Unconsciously, Lennoch’s hand brushed Eleanor’s cheek. Her response was instinctive—she caught his hand in hers. Something within her stirred at the touch, something unfamiliar and disconcerting.

Slightly embarrassed, Eleanor bent down to grasp the hem of her dress, avoiding his gaze.

“There’s nothing to use for bandaging, so I’ll have to use this…”

Eleanor tore a strip of fabric from her dress and began wrapping it around Lennoch’s bleeding hand. The back of her neck was flushed with embarrassment, and Lennoch’s eyes lingered on that spot for a moment.

“Please, don’t do something so reckless again.”

Seeing the blood-soaked bandage on Lennoch’s hand made Eleanor’s heart sink. The wound didn’t look minor. She insisted on getting him treated immediately once they returned.

But Lennoch didn’t respond as expected. Instead, he asked, “Were you worried?”

“Worried?”

Eleanor suddenly looked up at him, and at the same time, something fell with a thud in her heart. In his soft green eyes, she saw a flicker of fire, a yearning she had never seen before.

Eleanor’s hands stilled. She had finished wrapping the wound, but neither of them moved.

“Tell me you were worried about me.”

Lennoch’s voice, calm and composed, carried an intensity like a box of gunpowder, ready to ignite at the slightest spark. Eleanor felt as if she were teetering on the edge of a cliff.

The world around her seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them.

Finally, she forced her lips to move.

“Yes, I was worried.”

She didn’t have time to question whether her answer was right or not. The moment the words left her mouth, Lennoch responded instantly.

“I was worried about you too.”

Very much so.