Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 12 Part 3

Yes, that’s right.

It was natural for him to side with his mother, who shared his blood, against her, who was merely an outsider. He was someone who never trusted her from the beginning to the end. The memory of closing her eyes with regret on the guillotine flashed before Eleanor’s eyes.

I will never repeat that mistake again.

“You probably think what you see is all there is.”

He always thought of himself as the family itself. Lost in such arrogance, he must have believed everything was going smoothly in the Mecklen family, taking Caroline’s words at face value.

“I’ve seen the depths that you’re blind to.”

‘Blind to?’

Ernst’s eyebrows moved significantly. Eleanor’s lips continued to move without pause.

“That’s why we can’t be together.”

Now, I…

“I don’t like you.”

“……!”

Ernst couldn’t hide his astonishment as his mouth slightly opened. Eleanor calmly watched as his expression, which had always been consistent, changed with each passing moment.

A newfound confidence surged through her entire being. She delivered the final blow to Ernst, who couldn’t find the words to respond to this unexpected counterattack.

“We can’t have a normal married life together.”

***

Brianna cautiously observed the situation. Worried that the two people in the room might hear, she whispered softly.

“…Your Majesty.”

Lennoch, who had been leaning against the door, glanced at her. It wasn’t long after Ernst had practically forced her out that the emperor had arrived. Brianna, who had been waiting in the hallway instead of returning to her room, informed Lennoch that the two were in the middle of a conversation.

‘Why did His Majesty have to arrive at such a serious moment?’

The city hall was in turmoil due to Umar’s suicide, making it impossible to rest properly. In a rush to replace Umar, his aide had rented out an entire empty inn, but the soundproofing was far from adequate. Brianna, who was awkwardly listening to the conversation in the room alongside the emperor, felt increasingly uncomfortable.

“Should I inform the Duke that Your Majesty is here…?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Lennoch raised a hand to stop her. With that one command, Brianna fell silent, standing awkwardly as she anxiously waited for Eleanor and Ernst to come out.

‘Is he going to get scolded?’

She worried whether Ernst might get summoned by the emperor for carelessly revealing the secret contract. Brianna stomped her feet anxiously, wondering what would happen if Ernst was dismissed.

‘No, didn’t he say there was a pardon?’

The emperor’s pardon.

Although it was legally documented, she didn’t realize it actually existed. Throughout the history of Baden, fewer than ten nobles had ever received it. Yet Ernst had received it as a condition of his marriage to Eleanor.

“……”

Though her anxiety had settled, Brianna’s expression remained somewhat awkward. It wasn’t annoyance or anger, but rather an ambiguous emotion that colored her face.

What exactly was the relationship between the emperor and the Duchess? Had the interaction between Hartmann and Baden always been this active?

No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t recall any instance where the emperor had met with a princess alone. From what Ernst had mentioned, it seemed the emperor was well-acquainted with the princess. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to push through such a challenging marriage for her sake.

Moreover, the atmosphere between the two earlier had been quite strange. The way the Duchess was shocked by the emperor’s injury, and the emperor’s affectionate gaze toward the Duchess…

‘But then, didn’t His Majesty seem a little angry?’

“Lady Brianna.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At some point, Lennoch had moved away from the door and was looking down at her. The atmosphere was completely different from when she had seen him with her father. Although he had a faint smile on his lips, there was an unprecedented coldness about him.

“May I have a word with you?”

“…Yes?”

It felt as though she was about to be interrogated. Intimidated by his presence, Brianna became slightly nervous. She looked around, hoping to find someone to help her, but the hallway was empty, with no one around except for herself and the emperor.

“A-ah…”

Before she could respond, the emperor turned and started walking. She didn’t want to follow, but what choice did she have? With a slight pout, Brianna followed the emperor.

***

After Ernst gave up on talking to her and left the room, Eleanor lay down on the bed to rest, but sleep wouldn’t come easily.

She had been so tense that she hadn’t realized how much her body was hurting. The pain in her shoulder and the area around her shoulder blade surged, exacerbated by her fatigue. After tossing and turning several times, Eleanor finally got up from the bed.

Brianna had not yet returned. It seemed quite some time had passed since Ernst left. Eleanor quietly opened the door to check the hallway and gasped softly when she saw someone approaching.

“Your Majesty? What are you doing here?”

The emperor’s stiff expression softened as soon as he saw Eleanor.

Eleanor smiled gently as she saw Lennoch’s lips curve into a soft arc. “It’s late. Where have you been?”

“I had a meeting that ran late.”

Lennoch discreetly omitted that he had just had a one-on-one conversation with Brianna. By now, she was likely busy writing down everything that had happened around the Duchess as he had instructed. Though it had unintentionally turned into an interrogation, Lennoch didn’t think it had been particularly coercive—although Brianna might have felt differently.

“But Eleanor, your dress…?”

Lennoch, who found it endearing how she was peeking out from behind the door, suddenly noticed her slightly exposed shoulder. The cut fabric caught his eye.

Only then did Eleanor realize that she was still wearing the dress with the torn back.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Come out a bit more so I can see.”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

Eleanor tried to close the door in embarrassment, but Lennoch was quicker. His large hand pulled her forward, causing her upper body to lean out.

“This is…!”

“Ah, well…”

Lennoch’s eyes trembled as he took in the sight of Eleanor’s back. Reflexively, his arm wrapped around her waist, and Eleanor found herself precariously resting her face against his shoulder. Although it was just a simple bruise, Eleanor’s face flushed slightly at the thought of having her weakness exposed.

“It’s not that serious. I was just trying to find a way to escape…”

“……”

Suddenly, she remembered how Brianna had scolded her for being reckless. Perhaps she should have listened more carefully to her then. Eleanor lowered her head slightly from Lennoch’s shoulder. Admitting that she had rammed herself against the door felt unexpectedly embarrassing. Lennoch’s voice resonated above her head like an echo in a cave.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“But it’s this severe. Has it been like this since we left the mountain?”

I should have been more attentive.

Thinking of how Eleanor had walked alongside him with a back covered in bruises, Lennoch was overwhelmed with guilt. At the same time, a surge of something hot and intense rose within him.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, Your Majesty. There’s no need for you to apologize.”

“No, it’s all my fault.”

Lennoch’s voice grew quieter. Unable to contain his despair, the hand supporting Eleanor began to tremble.

What on earth had he done?

“It’s my fault that you were forced into a marriage you didn’t want. It’s my fault you got hurt. And… it’s my fault you’re still doing things you don’t want to do.”

Listening to the conversation between Ernst and Eleanor, Lennoch realized he had made an irreversible mistake. He had thought it was necessary to protect her. He believed it was far better to send her to the friend he trusted the most than to lose her. He wanted to protect her, even at the cost of his own feelings. He thought it was the safest path in the world.

“This is all the result of my poor choices.”

Eleanor momentarily forgot to breathe. Her heart pounded wildly, and her mind felt hazy. She slowly lifted her trembling head. Lennoch’s sharp green eyes, filled with guilt, gazed down at her.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“If you hate me, that’s fine. If it eases your heart, I’ll accept whatever you say about me.”

“How could I possibly…”

“You have every right to.”

Lennoch’s hand brushed lightly over the bruise on her back. How many more bruises were there in places he couldn’t see?

It wasn’t just the physical injuries. There were likely even deeper wounds in her heart. The thought of her enduring all of this alone, without telling anyone, made his chest ache. No, it wasn’t just an ache. It felt as if someone had struck his heart with a stone, shattering it into pieces. If only he could, he would find his past self and snuff out his life completely.

“…Your Majesty.”

Eleanor, who had been as pale as a ghost, moved her lips several times before finally managing to speak. She had a lot to say, but she didn’t know where to start or how to say it.

Her held breath gradually became labored. Trying to calm her racing heart, Eleanor spoke, “Shall we go inside and talk in more detail?”

***

Eleanor poured water from the jug in the room and placed it in front of herself and Lennoch. There was no tea, but she thought having at least water would make the situation less awkward.

Holding their water glasses, they both remained silent for a moment. More accurately, Lennoch was waiting for Eleanor to speak. His expression showed that he was ready to accept whatever she had to say.

Eleanor, who had been fidgeting with her glass, was the first to speak.

“I don’t know where to begin.”

“……”

“There was a time when you asked me if I hated you.”

She had explained then that she harbored more resentment toward the circumstances than toward him.

“I still feel the same way.”

“…Eleanor.”

“The relationship between the Duke and me is separate from you, Your Majesty. Of course, it’s true that you arranged the marriage. The Duke referred to it as a request.”

It wasn’t forced. Although she hadn’t seen it herself, Eleanor guessed it had been a rather earnest request.

“The marriage itself was inevitable, but how the married life unfolded was up to the Duke and me.”

“……”

“If it didn’t work out, we should have compromised and adjusted, but we didn’t.”

Caroline had likely interfered quite a bit between them. However, if Ernst had opened his heart to her just a little, or if they had spent more time talking,she might have avoided that tragic death. Ernst had forced his will on her without giving her even the smallest chance, and the result was a complete misalignment.

Eleanor suppressed her complex emotions and smiled. “Thank you for sincerely apologizing.”

After a moment of hesitation, Eleanor added her final words.

“—Lennox.”

Lennoch’s eyes widened in surprise.