Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 16 Part 3

Baden’s Second Knights were primarily responsible for maintaining law and order. They patrolled the imperial palace, ensuring that any disturbances were swiftly dealt with and that potential crimes were prevented. In contrast, the Third Knights focused solely on providing protection, only offering support to the Second Knights when requested. The First Knights, however…

“Did you know?” Ernst inquired, his expression unchanging.

“Ha, who wouldn’t know the reputation of the First Knights? I’ve heard plenty about how you personally trained them, and seeing them in person, I’m truly impressed by their valor,” Tatar replied with a hearty laugh, scratching his beard.

“When Your Grace arrived with the knights, it felt like witnessing a scene straight out of the Battle of Issus. For a moment, I thought a war had broken out,” Tatar joked, though the underlying tension was clear.

“……”

“Of course, this is a completely different situation from the Battle of Issus. We’re here to foster a beautiful reconciliation between our two nations, not to engage in war. I suppose I was getting ahead of myself,” he added quickly, realizing the potential implications of his words.

Tatar’s attempt to lighten the mood was an indirect comment on the display of force by the Baden delegation, a subtle hint that their show of strength felt more like a military demonstration than a peace mission. Ernst, aware of Tatar’s intent, wasn’t offended. In fact, this reaction was exactly what he had hoped for from the opposing commander.

“If this makes you uncomfortable, I can send the knights down to the village.”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant at all…” Tatar stammered, waving his hands in denial.

“Raul,” Ernst called out, ignoring Tatar’s flustered reaction.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Raul responded immEdeately.

“Leave a few men here and send the rest to the village,” Ernst ordered.

“Understood,” Raul replied, preparing to carry out the command.

“Your Grace, please, that’s not necessary. There’s no need to go to such lengths,” Tatar protested, sweating nervously. He worried that his clumsy attempts at conversation might jeopardize the peace talks.

‘I’ve been too careless,’ Tatar chastised himself. Now was not the time for conflict; they were still years away from being able to match the strength of the Baden Empire. Realizing the potential consequences of his mistake, Tatar quickly apologized.

“I’m terribly sorry, Your Grace. If I offended you in any way, I sincerely apologize.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“No, I truly crossed a line. I was too eager to praise the knights and ended up speaking out of turn.”

Despite Tatar’s profuse apologies, Ernst remained indifferent, neither fully accepting the apology nor outright rejecting it. Tatar, keenly aware of the Duke’s ambiguous reaction, wracked his brain to find a way to smooth things over.

‘How can I make amends?’ Tatar wondered, mentally sifting through the information he had on the Duke. Then, an idea struck him.

“Ah, I heard you were married a few months ago. Though belated, allow me to offer my congratulations.”

“It’s nothing.”

“You must be enjoying this time greatly. Newlyweds often feel that way—missing each other the moment they part, thinking of one another even while working. It’s almost like experiencing withdrawal symptoms, wouldn’t you say?”

“……”

“H-haha. Or perhaps you feel differently, Your Grace?”

‘Oh, this cursed tongue of mine.’

Tatar silently berated himself once more. It seemed he had misstepped again. The Duke’s face grew increasingly stern, indicating that his words had missed the mark entirely. Where had he gone wrong this time?

‘Why did the Crown Prince entrust me with this task?’ Tatar inwardly cursed his superior. The success of these negotiations hinged on Tatar’s ability to navigate the talks with the Duke of Mecklen, but his poor handling of the situation made him doubt his own competence.

Tatar briefly considered bringing up the fact that the Duchess of Mecklen was related to Count Adler, who had accompanied the Crown Prince on a recent visit. Highlighting their connection might help ease the tension, but Tatar quickly dismissed the idea. The Duke’s cold demeanor suggested that any further attempts at familiarity could end in disaster.

Resigning himself to silence, Tatar anxiously awaited the arrival of the meal.

***

Contrary to her expectations, nothing noteworthy happened after they all left the library together. After putting Prince Hail to sleep and returning to her room, Eleanor immEdeately checked the book. There was something she hadn’t been able to properly examine earlier because she’d been too preoccupied with the nanny.

The portrait tucked into the pages of the book was still there.

An Ecological Study on the Rare Plant Oleander—this was the title of the book containing the portrait. Eleanor’s eyes deepened as she read the title. The author of the book was ‘Jerata von Dumbarton.’ If her memory served correctly, the Dumbarton family hailed from Eberk, a coastal city renowned for its academic pursuits.

‘Viscount Jerata died relatively young,’ she mused. The reason for his death wasn’t documented. The sheer number of nobles in Baden meant that only those holding key positions or belonging to prestigious families had detailed profiles, while the rest were summarized briefly. Eleanor carefully studied the portrait once more. The man in the picture was indeed Viscount Jerata. And the woman facing him was…

“…Empress Edea.”

It was known that the Marquis Delph had two daughters. The elder, Edea, attended the academy in Eberk before ascending to the position of Empress. Viscount Jerata must have lived in Eberk during that time, so it was possible they had crossed paths. The connection between the two in the portrait began to make sense.

‘But why is this portrait here?’

The reemerging question clouded Eleanor’s mind. There were too many books to have examined them all, but it was highly unusual to find a portrait tucked into the pages like this. Hoping for more detailed information about the author, Eleanor carefully inspected the pages.

[To my eternal lily, E.]

Knock, knock.

“Madam, are you there?”

Fortunately, the door hadn’t opened yet. At the sound of the nanny’s voice late in the evening, Eleanor quickly hid the portrait under the book.

“Come in.”

“Were you reading?” The nanny entered with a tray of cookies, smiling warmly. “I thought you might like a snack, and it seems I was right. Please, enjoy them while you read.”

“Thank you.”

The difference in the nanny’s demeanor compared to earlier in the day was striking. Eleanor found it somewhat unsettling how the nanny acted as if nothing had happened. She remained silent until the nanny set the tray on the table.

“Nanny, if you don’t mind, could we chat for a while?”

“With me?”

“I can’t seem to fall asleep.”

Eleanor smiled as she met the nanny’s gaze, noting the curious shade of purple in her eyes. There was something peculiar about them, reminiscent of the eyes of Viscount Jerata in the portrait she had just seen.

“…I’m not much of a conversationalist, so I don’t know how entertaining I’ll be.” Despite her words, the nanny seated herself opposite Eleanor with ease. The naturalness of her movements made Eleanor realize that the nanny had secretly wanted to talk with her.

Eleanor picked up one of the cookies the nanny had brought and took a bite.

“These cookies are delicious.”

“Aren’t they? I adore them as well.”

The conversation flowed smoothly. If not for the events of the day, the atmosphere between them might have felt genuinely warm, as though they were both enjoying each other’s company.

“I’m sorry for earlier. I went to the library without informing you in advance.”

“Please, think nothing of it. If anything, I’ve learned a lot from today’s events. I should have been more attentive. I’m sorry.”

When Eleanor apologized first, the nanny shook her head and responded warmly. However, Eleanor noticed that the nanny’s gaze kept drifting toward the table below. More specifically, toward the book. Although Eleanor had deliberately left the book open to cover the portrait, there was nothing particularly suspicious about it.

After finishing one of the cookies, Eleanor asked the nanny, “It seems you’ve been at the palace for quite some time.”

“How did you know that?”

“You seem very familiar with the palace grounds. And Sven has often praised your capabilities.”

“Oh my, Sven? That’s kind of him,” the nanny said, covering her mouth as she laughed.

For a brief moment, Eleanor felt that the nanny was genuinely pleased.

“Contrary to appearances, I haven’t been here for that long. It’s only been about three years since I entered the palace.”

“Is that so?”

“I was fortunate. The Empress was looking for ladies-in-waiting for the East Palace at the time. I volunteered and was accepted.”

The nanny spoke of her background without hesitation, assuming that, as a foreign princess, Eleanor wouldn’t know much about Baden’s nobility. This assumption worked to Eleanor’s advantage.

Feigning ignorance, Eleanor asked, “Then you must have known the Prince since he was a baby.”

“Of course. The Empress herself asked me to assist with his upbringing. Back then, the Empress relied on me just as much as the Prince does now.”

The nanny emphasized the word “relied,” adding a weight to it.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Prince grows into a fine young man, honoring the Empress’s wishes. His Majesty the Emperor is also aware of these wishes and has assured me of his full support.”

“……”

“So, madam, I hope you will help me as well. I trust that you know what would truly benefit Prince Hail.”

The nanny’s words flowed naturally, revealing thoughts she hadn’t previously shared. Eleanor realized that the nanny harbored considerable resentment toward her. Was this the reason behind the invisible tension between them? However, something still didn’t sit right. For now, Eleanor decided to agree with the nanny’s request and nodded.

“I wasn’t aware that Her Majesty the Empress left such instructions. I’ll be more cautious moving forward.”

“Thank you for saying that. I’ve been quite worried,” the nanny replied, finally smiling in relief.

Eleanor observed the deepening wrinkles around the nanny’s mouth as she smiled, trying to gauge her age. Her gaze then shifted to the nanny’s snow-white hair, prompting Eleanor to ask, “By the way, could you tell me your name? As the Prince’s only nanny, I feel embarrassed that I don’t even know your family’s name.”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry,” the nanny laughed again. She seemed pleased that Eleanor had capitulated more easily than she expected. With a face free of suspicion, the nanny leisurely continued, “You likely wouldn’t recognize it even if I told you. It’s a rather insignificant family—Dumbarton.”

“Dumbarton.”

“You wouldn’t be familiar with it, coming from Hartmann, but the Dumbarton family is based in the city of Eberk.”

Eleanor’s mind quickly connected the dots. The nanny was from the Dumbarton family, the same family to which Baron Jerata von Dumbarton, the man in the portrait, had belonged.

***