Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 17 Part 3

Eleanor glanced at Lennoch, subtly gauging his mood, as her thoughts lingered on Edea’s diary. For a brief moment, Lennoch stiffened before resuming his actions.

“I see,” he replied, retrieving another dessert from a different box.

As the rich aroma of almond wafted from the financier he handed her, Eleanor absentmindedly accepted it, despite not having finished the eclair she was already holding. Contrary to her intentions, her hand moved on its own, bringing the financier to her lips.

Lennoch smiled as he watched Eleanor eat with evident enjoyment.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something, and I think now is the perfect time,” he began.

“……?”

“An issue has come up that’s more pressing than appointing a governor for Hartmann.”

“More urgent than that?” Eleanor’s voice caught slightly in her throat.

Lennoch suddenly rose from his seat and stepped outside. Though puzzled by his abrupt exit, Eleanor chose to wait patiently, remaining seated.

He returned shortly, carrying a steaming teapot and a set of teacups.

“I could’ve done that myself,” Eleanor remarked, slightly embarrassed by his thoughtful gesture.

“It’s alright,” Lennoch responded, gently refusing her offer to help as he poured the tea.

Eleanor, not used to receiving such treatment, especially from a man, felt a little awkward. Even as the princess of Hartmann, people had mostly been intimidated by her, and she was accustomed to leaving such tasks to the servants.

“You might burn yourself if the teapot is too hot, so let me handle it,” Lennoch insisted, smiling at her as she reached out to assist.

With the tea, he also prepared some milk, offering it to her.

“It’s a strong tea, perhaps a bit heavy for the evening, but it makes an excellent milk tea if you’d like to try it that way,” he suggested.

“You’re quite good at this,” Eleanor remarked in surprise, impressed by his skillful tea preparation.

As the Emperor, Lennoch likely received such services all the time—so where had he learned to do this himself?

“There were times when I had to do it myself while staying at Winston Palace.”

“Yourself?”

“After the former Emperor passed away, I had a hard time adjusting to the main palace. The Empress Dowager sent me here to recover, with only a minimal number of attendants.”

Understanding dawned on Eleanor as she nodded. Lennoch, noticing her thoughtful expression, hesitated slightly before speaking again.

“Well, this is a secret, but…”

“……?”

“There’s a secret passage that has been passed down through the imperial family for generations.”

A secret passage?

“Winston Palace was designed as a residence for imperial heirs. In the event of war, it was built with the worst-case scenario in mind—if the palace were to fall, the safety of the heir had to be ensured at all costs.”

“Ah.”

“The location of that passage…”

“Is it where you sneaked out when you were younger?” Eleanor guessed, cutting him off as she pieced together the mystery of the Emperor’s childhood escapades.

Lennoch’s embarrassed expression confirmed her suspicion, and Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Still, it led to our meeting, so I don’t regret that choice.”

“But I imagine the Empress Dowager wasn’t pleased.”

“…That’s something I’d never mention in front of my mother,” Lennoch replied, grimacing at the memory.

Seeing his emotions so plainly displayed, like that of a mischievous ten-year-old boy, Eleanor couldn’t help but let out a small, amused laugh.

“This is the first time.”

“……?”

“Your Majesty’s expression, I mean.”

Lennoch’s eyes widened slightly, taken aback by her comment.

“Before, most of your expressions felt similar,” Eleanor continued.

“Similar?”

“It was as if I could understand you, but then not really,” she said, placing her teacup down.

Maybe it was because he was being more open with his emotions than usual, but Lennoch appeared a bit different to her now. Eleanor’s eyes curved into a crescent shape as she smiled at him.

“It looks good on you.”

“……!”

“I hope I get to see it often.”

Lennoch had thought he was already expressive in her presence, but it seemed that had been just his imagination. Her clear blue eyes, shining like a crescent moon, held him captive, and without realizing it, he found himself agreeing.

“I will.”

What a resolution. Once again, he had been won over without even noticing it. He had originally planned to ask her to oversee the Secretariat in charge of managing the Hartmann refugees, but that conversation had completely derailed.

‘Would it be inappropriate to bring up work in this atmosphere?’ Lennoch wondered.

But despite his worries, a small smile had already crept onto his face.

***

“Hurry up,” Brianna complained, standing at a distance and grumbling.

Norah, her face full of apology, quickly wrapped up her conversation and bid farewell to her acquaintance.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now. My friend are waiting,” Norah said.

“Alright, Miss Norah. Until next time,” the Count replied, lifting his hat slightly as he returned the gesture.

Norah hurried back to Brianna’s side. “I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”

“Why do you know so many people? At this rate, we won’t even make it to the play—we’ll just spend all our time exchanging greetings!”

The cause of Brianna’s annoyance was simple. Norah had managed to procure tickets for a popular new play to cheer her up. Brianna, eager to see it, had eagerly accepted, but as soon as they arrived at the theater, nobles who recognized Norah swarmed around them like bees. Of course, they acknowledged Brianna as well, but Norah’s popularity was overwhelming.

Norah, noticing Brianna’s sulky expression, linked arms with her and smiled. “It’s just that I know a lot of people. Let’s hurry; we’ll be late.”

“Hmph.”

Norah’s warm personality naturally drew people to her wherever she went. It was one of the reasons the Empress Dowager favored her so much. Brianna, looking at Norah with a sharp gaze, muttered, “You should focus on me today. I’ve been feeling so down lately.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best to make you feel better,” Norah promised, giving Brianna a thumbs-up.

Though she spoke lightly, Norah was well aware of how sensitive Brianna had become, especially when it came to matters involving Eleanor. Brianna was so quick to tear up at the mere mention of her. Finding this side of her endearing, Norah cheerfully pulled Brianna along.

“We have royal seats. This play is so popular that it was really hard to get tickets.”

“Really?”

Brianna’s mood lifted slightly at the thought that Norah had gone through the trouble of getting the tickets for her.

Feeling a bit more cheerful, she and Norah entered the theater, laughing together. It didn’t take long for them to find their seats in the royal box after climbing the stairs. As they settled in, the sound of elegant classical music filled the hall, setting the atmosphere as the audience gathered.

Just then, a woman approached Brianna.

“Vivia?”

Brianna turned her head and widened her eyes in surprise. She had heard that Vivia had recently debuted in society, but she hadn’t expected to see her here. Accompanying Vivia was Evan, the second son of the Duke of Nestor.

“Are you here to watch the play?”

“Ah… yes,” Brianna replied, awkwardly returning Vivia’s polite greeting.

Vivia’s demeanor seemed to suggest that she had completely forgotten their childhood memories. Feeling no desire to act friendly, Brianna opened her fan and half-covered her face.

“I didn’t expect to see you here either, Lord Evan,” Brianna added.

“Good evening,” Evan greeted politely as Vivia took the seat beside Brianna, and Evan sat next to her.

Norah, who had been seated on the other side, greeted the newcomers warmly.

“Hello, Lady Vivia.”

“……”

But Vivia didn’t respond. Instead, she raised her chin haughtily and lazily fanned herself, clearly indicating that she didn’t consider Norah worth her attention.

Vivia’s behavior was obvious—she was deliberately ignoring Norah. While Norah was widely connected, her actual influence in social circles was minimal, as she usually drifted between groups without aligning with any particular faction. To Vivia, there was no need to cultivate a relationship with someone she deemed unimportant.

As Vivia smirked to herself, thinking she had made her point, Brianna spoke up.

“Hey.”

“……?”

“When someone greets you, shouldn’t you at least respond?”

Brianna’s sharp rebuke made Vivia glance sideways at her. Before Vivia could retort, Brianna continued her scathing remarks.

“What was the Marquis of Delph thinking, letting such an uncouth lady loose in society?”

“…Huh?”

“Did spending so much time studying abroad make you forget basic manners? Then again, with your poor memory, I suppose that’s understandable. Do you remember when we took lessons together from Countess Müller? She was always so disappointed in your lack of memorization skills. I still recall it vividly.”

Norah thought to herself that Brianna must have been holding back a lot of these sharp comments.

Despite Brianna’s harsh attack, Vivia merely twisted her lips, refusing to get riled up. With a snap, she closed her fan.

“You’re right. I do remember Countess Müller. She did say something like that.”

“I’m glad you remember. Now that you’re aware of your shortcomings, I hope you’ll act with more decorum.”

Feeling victorious, Brianna smiled slightly behind her fan. But Vivia wasn’t done.

“Have you heard the news?” Vivia asked suddenly.

“……?”

“About Countess Meller.”

“What about her?” Brianna, unaware of recent developments, responded with a sharp tone.

Vivia, her expression cool, glanced at Brianna before delivering her news. “She passed away recently.”

“……!”

“She died of illness, it seems.”

“An illness…?”

“Oh dear. You didn’t know? I’m surprised, given how much she doted on you. It’s a shame that you’ve been so indifferent. Poor Countess Müller. I suppose I should visit her grave soon,” Vivia said with a sweet smile, though there was a dangerous edge to her expression.

It was as if she were a flower perched on the edge of a cliff, looking down at the world below with disdain.

Brianna, as Vivia intended, was left speechless, her mouth hanging open in shock.

“Miss Brianna…” Norah called her name softly, concerned by her silence, but Brianna didn’t respond.

As Brianna sat there, stunned, the play began.

***