Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 15 Part 1

15. A New Residence

“Is there something you wish to say to me?”

“No, nothing at all.”

Had she been staring too intently?

As the carriage made its way back to the palace, Eleanor was seated alongside Eger. He scratched his cheek with his forefinger, turning his head to the side.

With the cancellation of the Duke of Mecklen’s birthday party, there was no reason for Eger to remain at the Mecklen mansion. Noticing the unusual atmosphere among the people in the mansion, Eger quickly suggested to Eleanor that she accompany him as he was leaving. Though Ernst had tried to hold her back as she boarded the carriage, she had coldly refused.

After that,

“I appreciate your kindness, but I can’t return to the palace.”

“Then where are you going? It’s late at night.”

“…I have a residence prepared in advance.”

The place Eleanor mentioned was quite a distance from the Mecklen estate, even by carriage. There was no way she could reach it tonight, especially without a carriage. Eger, glancing at Eleanor’s expression again, cleared his throat.

“I received the news a bit late. I didn’t expect the party to be canceled.”

As soon as I return, I’ll…

Inwardly, Eger cursed the Emperor. There must have been a servant who came to inform him about the cancellation of the banquet. They must have hidden it while he wasn’t there. It had felt strange to hold a party while the entire palace was abuzz with talk about the Duchess of Mecklen’s forgery. The more he thought about it, the more it vexed him.

“You don’t need to apologize to me.” Eleanor shook her head with a smile in response to Eger’s words. Though it had been a mistake, thanks to Eger, she had been able to leave the Mecklen estate easily. The Duke couldn’t forcibly detain her in front of Eger, so he had no choice but to let her go.

Eleanor remembered Caroline’s last face as she was forced back inside by Ernst’s command.

Caroline’s eyes had seemed to say, “Just you wait.”

“Are you really leaving your position as lady-in-waiting?” Eger suddenly asked.

Without taking her gaze away from the window, Eleanor replied, “Yes.”

The timing of her request to Lady Brianna had been spot on, with a bit of luck playing a part. She had expected Caroline to use the recommendation letter she had secretly written to attack her at some point, but she hadn’t anticipated it would happen so soon. As Ernst’s dazed expression suddenly came to mind, Eleanor’s expression turned subtle.

“So, where will you go now?”

“Well…”

It would take some time before she could be dispatched to Hartmann as a governor. The fallout from today’s incident had been enormous. Although it had caused her plans to be delayed, she didn’t feel particularly rushed. First of all, she needed to learn how to live alone. With Berenice’s help, she had secured a temporary residence, but it would be difficult to rely on anyone else beyond that. For a while, she would be so busy settling in that she wouldn’t have a moment to breathe.

Watching Eleanor smile, Eger spoke up. “Isn’t it dangerous to go to your residence at this hour? You might run into robbers targeting a woman living alone… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.”

Eger’s mind was working quickly. Judging by the atmosphere earlier, it seemed that Eleanor’s decision to leave the Mecklen family had been made hastily. Did she have time to prepare the necessary tools for living?

Eger offered once more. “How about staying at the palace tonight and leaving tomorrow morning?”

“……”

“There are plenty of rooms in the palace, so you can use one if you wish. If you’re worried about what others might think, you can leave early in the morning.”

As he continued speaking, Eger suddenly remembered the Emperor and frowned. “Of course, you’ll need His Majesty’s permission, but he’s not unreasonable, even if he’s a bit of a pain. It should be fine.”

Eger was probably the only one who would dare to speak ill of the Emperor in such a manner. Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh.

“Thank you.”

Eger, who had initially appeared strict, was surprisingly kind. Grateful for his consideration, Eleanor decided to accept his offer. Besides, she also thought it might be better to move in the morning.

As they chatted, the carriage quickly arrived at the Imperial Palace. It had been dark for quite some time, and the surroundings were enveloped in shadows. The carriage stopped in front of the stairs leading to the main palace, and Eger got out first, opening the door for Eleanor.

“…Your Majesty?”

Why is he here?

Eleanor, who was about to step down, froze at the sound of the booming voice. Fortunately, Lennoch was focused on Eger and hadn’t noticed Eleanor in the carriage.

“So, did you enjoy the party?”

“Are you teasing me again, Your Majesty?”

Momentarily distracted by his conversation with Eleanor, Eger had forgotten the real culprit behind all this. Eger’s eyes grew fierce, but Lennoch brushed it off with his usual playful grin.

“Let’s talk inside. Did you make sure Eleanor arrived safely?”

At that, Eger quickly realized why the Emperor had gone to the trouble of sending him to the Mecklen estate. Astonished that the Emperor had used his keen foresight in such a way, Eger shook his head in disbelief.

“Truly, Your Majesty…”

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Eger stepped aside, revealing Eleanor, who had been sitting in the carriage. She flinched in surprise at being exposed so suddenly.

“……”

“……”

Caught off guard, Eleanor found herself meeting the Emperor’s gaze. Embarrassment surged through her, and she quickly looked down.

In a dry tone, Eger added, “The Duchess of Mecklen has nowhere to go. Why don’t you help her out, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary,” Eleanor protested, waving her hand, but Eger pretended not to hear her. Folding his arms, he left the situation to the Emperor, whose awkward sigh and the way he rubbed his face showed just how uncomfortable he was.

***

“Uunngh…”

“Oh dear, it looks like he’s awake.”

Lennoch smiled awkwardly as Hail rubbed his eyes and sat up. He had tried to enter the room quietly, but Hail’s sharp ears had picked up on the sound.

“Father…?”

“Your Highness.”

“Eli?”

At the familiar voice, Hail’s ears perked up. Eleanor had approached the bedside and lifted the flailing child into her arms.

“Eli, I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

In the time she hadn’t seen him, Hail’s speech had improved considerably. Eleanor responded to the little one’s joyful embrace with a gentle pat on his back. The distinct baby scent emanated from Hail as he squirmed in her arms.

Watching the two of them, Lennoch spoke, “If you wish, you’re welcome to stay here.”

“Oh, no, there’s no need to trouble yourself,” Eleanor replied, turning slightly with Hail still in her arms. “I’ll leave the palace first thing in the morning.”

“You’re leaving, Eli?”

“No, Your Highness, I’m staying here tonight.”

The mention of leaving made Hail react sensitively. Eleanor reassured the child, who was on the verge of tears, with a tender voice. Lennoch suggested that Eleanor sit comfortably on the bed.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, just stay here until your new home is fully prepared.”

“…Did you know?”

Only a few people were aware of the hastily arranged house. Lennoch cleared his throat, trying to mask his embarrassment.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it, but the Empress Dowager mentioned it to me separately…”

“Oh.”

That made sense. To discuss her divorce from the Duke of Mecklen, such matters must have come up in conversation. Noticing Lennoch’s hesitation, Eleanor nodded to indicate that she understood.

“I’ll make sure the residence has the necessary supplies and that you have servants to assist you,” Lennoch added, reassuring her that it was all arranged at the Empress Dowager’s request.

“Most of the staff at Winston Palace have no connections outside and are very discreet. You can move around freely here.”

“…Lennoch.”

“It would be best to limit any unnecessary visitors. I’ll station guards at the palace entrance for your protection.”

“No, if I’m careful, that won’t be necessary. You don’t have to worry…”

“It’s necessary for your safety.”

During his conversation with the Empress Dowager, Lennoch realized once again how little he knew about Eleanor’s relationship with the Mecklen family.

“I’ll send over some clothes for you to wear tomorrow morning. Oh, and I’ll need to arrange a wardrobe for your dresses.”

“…Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” Lennoch whispered kindly as he shook his head. “I’m just grateful that you’re safe.”

“……”

“I’d like to talk more, but I have a lot of work to do, so I must take my leave now.”

Having finished his detailed care for Eleanor, Lennoch smiled warmly. He mentioned that if she needed anything urgent, she could ask the nanny to relay the message.

As he stood to leave, Eleanor reached out to stop him.

“Um, Lennoch.”

Should she say it? Eleanor hesitated for a moment. The mess with her divorce had already ruined the party, but there was another issue that had yet to surface.

Before her regression, Ernst had suddenly rushed back to the capital in just one day. The conflict near the eastern region was likely to escalate into a military issue between the two countries.

“This is just… my opinion. You can take it or leave it.”

“……?”

“Don’t trust the Kingdom of Bahama too much.”

Because Lennoch had helped her, she felt she should repay him with this information. Even though the event hadn’t happened yet, and he might dismiss it, Eleanor felt she needed to clear her conscience by warning him.

“The recent growth of the Kingdom of Bahama has been extraordinary. They’ve invested heavily in technology and are focusing on large industries, putting them on the brink of significant economic growth. But their goal isn’t peace. They aim to become a powerful nation.”

“…Hmm.”

“They will measure whether their military strength can match that of the Baden Empire.”

The initial conflict had been minor, so much so that Ernst had returned after just a week. But it was a test, of sorts. A year later, Ernst was deployed for an extended period to the border region adjacent to the Kingdom of Bahama. When he returned after signing a peace treaty, he had mentioned how surprisingly strong Bahama’s military had become and how it needed to be monitored closely.

At that time, Eleanor had realized that Bahama was carefully and systematically building its military.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. If this is unpleasant to hear…”

“I’ll take it to heart.” Lennoch smiled softly as he listened. “It’s not unpleasant at all. In fact, it’s a very important matter.”

“Thank you for listening.”

He believed her. Eleanor unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. Though she had tried not to think too much about it, her body had tensed up instinctively. Seeing her finally relax, Lennoch looked down at her gently.

“Good night.”

“…Yes.”

Eleanor felt a strange sensation. Before, as now, Lennoch had always been kind to her. But this time, there was an odd barrier she hadn’t noticed before.

Before she could fully grasp what it was, Hail, who had been nestled between them, suddenly interrupted.

“Eli, you’re not leaving?”

There was a hint of excitement in the child’s voice. At night, everyone usually left. But Eleanor wasn’t leaving this time, and Hail’s excitement grew from that realization.

Sensing his anticipation, Eleanor rubbed her cheek against Hail’s. The soft, warm touch of his skin was incredibly comforting.

“Yes, I’ll stay with you.”

“Really…?”

Blushing shyly, Hail buried his face into Eleanor’s shoulder. Amused by his adorable reaction, Eleanor laughed aloud.

“It seems I’ll be indebted to the young prince for a while.”

***