Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 17 Part 2

Count Verdik knew this, but he still looked uneasy. After all, Caroline’s plan could easily turn Marquis Delph into an enemy.

‘Stealing from the Marquis of Delph’s estate…’

The purple flower they were trying to cultivate was originally a new commercial venture hidden away by the Marquis of Delph. Caroline and Count Verdik had only recently discovered its existence. It was still a rare plant under study, but it had some unusual traits that made it stand out.

“Of course, it’s valuable, but…”

Count Verdik fidgeted with his hands, clearly nervous. The Marquis of Delph had recently succeeded in cultivating the flower and was preparing to introduce it to the market. As the sole supplier, he stood to make a substantial profit.

‘If we go through with this, it will be a real betrayal.’

The group’s initial meetings were about sharing market information. Together, they could more easily manage their illicit operations in the East Harlem region’s black market. Each of the four members had a similar stake in the enterprise. However, Marquis Delph had recently started to distance himself from the group.

“He’s probably trying to clean up his affairs before his second daughter becomes Empress. The rumors about his involvement in East Harlem wouldn’t do him any favors,” Caroline speculated.

“I agree,” Count Verdik nodded.

Caroline continued, “I’ve created an environment similar to the Marquis of Delph’s estate.”

“Ah.”

“And recently, Saruka brought in a boy who seems to know a lot about plants. He didn’t even know the name of the flower, yet somehow managed to make it bloom in purple.”

She was referring to Lennoch. The boy had once grown that flower and given it to Eleanor as a gift, but neither Caroline nor Count Verdik was aware of this. They only knew that the boy had a knack for growing plants.

“Even so…”

“Look, once we start selling this in the market, Marquis Delph will find out. He’s greedy enough that he won’t just sit back and watch when he realizes a product he thought he had monopolized is being sold elsewhere.”

“True,” Count Verdik agreed, though his face remained tense. He knew the Marquis of Delph well enough to understand that he wouldn’t let such a challenge go unanswered.

Their current relationship, though cooperative in name, was fraught with underlying tension. Any of them could stab the others in the back at any moment.

“But even if we steal and grow the flower, won’t it be too late? The cold weather will soon prevent it from blooming.”

The Marquis of Delph was rushing to bring the flower to market precisely because the changing season meant the flowers would soon wither. He wanted to sell them quickly and make a fortune. According to Count Verdik’s research, Marquis Delph had already established a separate sales route to the Kingdom of Bahama. Being the first to market would make his monopoly even easier to maintain.

Caroline, however, was undeterred.

“It’s fine.”

“……?”

“Creating an opportunity to turn things around isn’t difficult.”

That was what she excelled at—turning the tables. No matter how low she started, she was always ready to dethrone the top predator. Compared to the challenges she had overcome, from being an adopted daughter of a rural noble to becoming the Duchess of Mecklen, this was nothing.

“Do you know what the problem with a monopoly is?”

“Um, no.”

“It means you’re the only one holding something.”

“……?”

“Which makes it easy to identify. No matter how well you hide it, if you keep selling it, people will eventually trace it back to you.”

Count Verdik tilted his head, still not fully understanding Caroline’s point. Why was that important?

“Poisonous flowers tend to find their way into the palace.”

“……!”

Count Verdik’s eyes widened in realization. Caroline smiled triumphantly.

“Let’s imagine the Empress Dowager suddenly dies.”

“Surely not…”

“And when they investigate her death, they find poison. A very unusual poison that mimics natural causes.”

The discovery of the poison could easily be staged.

“And it just so happens that someone in a high-ranking position in the palace, a noble, possesses this rare poison.”

“…Ha.”

“The next steps are obvious, aren’t they?”

Count Verdik slapped his forehead, astonished by the audacity of Caroline’s plot. How could such a scheme even come to mind? He looked at Caroline with newfound respect.

“You’re incredible.”

“So, steal the seeds. It might take some trial and error, but eventually, we’ll succeed in improving them. Then we’ll dethrone the Marquis of Delph and take over his sales network.”

“That’s like killing two birds with one stone,” Count Verdik whispered in excitement. Just imagining it sent a thrill through him. If it worked, they’d be swimming in gold.

With a resolute expression, Count Verdik nodded. “I’ll steal them soon.”

***

Late at night, a carriage arrived at Winston Palace. The guard at the entrance saluted as the man stepped out of the carriage.

“Your Majesty, I can carry that for you.”

“No, it’s fine.”

The Emperor was carrying a pile of boxes so high it nearly blocked his view. The guard, unsure how to respond, hesitated, but Lennoch softly commanded him to remain at his post. The boxes weren’t heavy—they were filled with desserts—and Lennoch was eager to deliver them to Eleanor himself.

As he walked down the narrow, quiet path, the central gate soon came into view. His escort, Valstein, stepped ahead to open the door.

“You may return now,” Lennoch instructed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Valstein had intended to accompany him further but reluctantly stepped back.

Alone, Lennoch continued down the silent corridor. Apart from a few rooms with lights on, the palace was shrouded in darkness, the quiet so intense it felt tangible.

Lennoch repeated the mantra he had been reciting to himself the entire journey: ‘Don’t make any mistakes.’

Every time he faced Eleanor, he found himself rushing ahead, overstepping boundaries. This time, he forced himself to stay composed, determined to keep his emotions in check. He had already caused her enough pain. Even if Eleanor forgave him, he didn’t delude himself into thinking he could heal her wounds. All he could do was help her in any way she desired—his sole form of atonement.

‘That will have to be enough.’

As he steeled himself, a familiar voice called out, “Your Majesty?”

Startled, Lennoch lowered his arms, revealing the familiar face of Eleanor standing just ahead, her eyes wide with surprise. He had expected her to be in her room, not here.

“Oh…”

A faint blush spread across Lennoch’s ears.

***

“This is too much for one person.”

“Perhaps I overdid it.”

Lennoch finally snapped out of his daze and laughed awkwardly. When he received Eleanor’s note through the guard, he had been so excited that he impulsively bought all the best-selling items from the shop. Had he had more time, he would have bought even more.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought a variety.”

“Well, thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”

Eleanor smiled awkwardly at the mountain of boxes on the table. It seemed she would be eating desserts for days. She felt a twinge of guilt toward Sven, who made desserts for her daily, but she had no other way to contact Lennoch. She had to use the nanny to pass on the message, so she needed an excuse to meet him.

After much deliberation, she had remembered the cookies they had shared. Eleanor knew that Lennoch didn’t like sweets, but she had hoped that requesting to share some cookies with him would bring him to her. She never imagined it would result in such an abundance of desserts.

Smiling awkwardly, she opened the pink box first.

“Eclairs.”

“Do you like them?”

“Of course.”

Though surprised, Eleanor wasn’t displeased. It had been a while since she had seen an eclair. She set aside her guilt toward Sven and took a bite, savoring the sweetness that spread across her palate, making her smile.

“It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

Seeing her enjoy the eclair, Lennoch smiled as well. He had been nervous, but it seemed the dessert suited her taste. When he noticed a bit of chocolate on her lips, he handed her a handkerchief.

“Oh, thank you.”

Eleanor accepted the handkerchief without hesitation but then paused.

‘What should I do?’

She couldn’t find the right moment to speak. The eclair was delicious, but seeing Lennoch so happy watching her eat made it hard to bring up Empress Edea. She worried that the topic would dredge up painful memories for him.

“Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

“No, no.”

Eleanor’s hesitation worried Lennoch. She quickly swallowed the remaining half of the eclair and shook her head. “I just got lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Oh, just… various things.”

Without realizing it, Eleanor reached for another eclair. The first had been chocolate, but this one was topped with strawberry cream. As the taste of strawberries filled her mouth, she cautiously continued, “I was just thinking that the day of my assignment to Hartmann is approaching.”

At her words, Lennoch, who had been opening another dessert box, froze. The assignment to Hartmann had been her suggestion. With the recent incident regarding the misuse of funds, she knew it wouldn’t be easy to retain her title. Moreover, with her connection to Caroline unresolved and her relationship with the Duke still unclear, it would be difficult for her to live independently without a title.

Although Lennoch had offered to help her start a business or a company, Eleanor had different plans. If she was going to start anew, she wanted to pursue something she was truly passionate about and could do on her own.

“Once I go to Hartmann, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return.”