Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 18 Part 1

18. Secrets and Truths

“It seems the year has come to an end,” the Empress Dowager remarked suddenly, gazing at the garden, now filled with bare, leafless trees.

Berenice, standing beside her, nodded in agreement. “Time truly flies.”

“Indeed. It feels like summer was just yesterday, and now winter is already upon us,” the Empress Dowager said with a smile, taking a sip of her warm tea. The two women were alone in the office, as the other ladies-in-waiting were busy preparing for the upcoming New Year’s celebration.

As they chatted, the Empress Dowager suddenly tilted her head thoughtfully. “It seems the preparations for this year’s New Year’s celebration are more extravagant than ever.”

The event promised to be much grander than the previous year’s, with even the long-unused Grand Hall being reopened. Invitations had been sent out to foreign royalty and other important figures, but the Empress Dowager, uncertain of the Emperor’s true intentions, clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“He’s becoming more sly by the day. I wonder who’s teaching him such things.”

“……”

Berenice wisely remained silent, pretending not to notice that the person responsible for shaping the Emperor was standing right before her.

“There’s something else happening besides the New Year’s celebration, isn’t there? Something about forming a new organization?”

“I believe His Majesty intends to establish a dedicated secretariat. It’s supposed to be a temporary organization.”

“There’s something strange about all of this,” the Empress Dowager murmured, furrowing her brow. “Moreover, he’s recently appointed Evan as his assistant, out of nowhere.”

Though Evan was a member of the Nestor family, the Empress Dowager wasn’t particularly fond of him. Despite the fact that the Nestor family had an eldest son, Pedro, Evan often acted as if he were the heir apparent, which the Empress Dowager found distasteful.

“Pedro is the eldest son, so why does the Duke of Nestor favor Evan so much? It’s baffling.”

The Duke of Nestor is the Empress Dowager’s own brother, and as she spoke, Berenice voiced a long-held question of her own.

“I’ve wondered the same thing. It’s been a long time since I last saw Lord Pedro at any social gatherings.”

“It seems the Duke is trying to keep him out of sight. I can’t understand why he’s so intent on expanding that company, pushing Pedro further away. And whenever I ask about him, all I hear is that he’s doing well.”

The Duke of Nestor had a significant business venture, one he regarded as highly important: establishing a foothold in the new market across the sea in the Lubraith Empire. It was so crucial that he had entrusted the entire operation to Pedro. However, the way the Duke treated Pedro seemed more like neglect than delegation. For the past two years, there hadn’t even been a pretense of concern for his eldest son’s whereabouts.

The Empress Dowager, deep in thought, clicked her tongue in disapproval once more. “We should invite Pedro to the New Year’s celebration. I want to see for myself how he’s doing.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Berenice responded with her usual dependable tone.

A brief silence settled over them as they resumed drinking their tea. After a moment, the Empress Dowager let out a soft sigh.

“Things are peaceful enough, but…”

“……?”

“There’s something unsettling that I can’t quite shake off.”

“Is there something in particular that’s troubling you?” Berenice asked.

“It’s just a general feeling of unease,” the Empress Dowager replied, placing her teacup down. “There’s the instability at the border.”

“But the Duke of Mecklen is handling it personally. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Berenice reassured her. “Bahama wouldn’t dare provoke the Empire. This conflict is probably just a minor issue.”

However, the Empress Dowager’s concerns didn’t ease so easily. “The atmosphere among the nobles is also tense.”

“Tense? In what way?”

“It’s hard to describe… there’s an invisible tension, as if something is brewing beneath the surface,” the Empress Dowager mused, tapping her knee thoughtfully. She recalled a recent encounter with the Marquis of Neto and the subtle undercurrents she had sensed during their conversation.

“The Emperor seems to know something he’s not telling me, which makes me even more uneasy. And what about Eleanor’s appointment as governor? It’s strange that there hasn’t been any word on that. And I’ve heard that the matter of the Hartmann refugees hasn’t been resolved yet. There seems to be some discontent in the assembly.”

Her thoughts inevitably turned to her son, and the Empress Dowager expressed her frustration at Lennoch’s habit of keeping things to himself.

At times like these, Berenice felt as if she were speaking not to the formidable Empress Dowager but to an ordinary lady, fretting about her family. Though inwardly amused, Berenice maintained her composed exterior as she attempted to comfort the Empress Dowager.

“You know His Majesty would never let such matters slide. I’m sure he has something in mind.”

“I know, but still… I can’t shake the feeling,” the Empress Dowager grumbled, her voice trailing off into a murmur. “If only he would marry, I would worry less. But he shows no interest in that either.”

“Is there a particular young lady you have in mind?”

“If only there were someone who caught my eye… Lately, I’ve been considering Brianna, but…” the Empress Dowager shook her head, dismissing the thought. “Brianna is overly confident at times, to the point where she overlooks those around her. It could be a problem.”

“What about Vivia, the younger daughter of the Marquis of Delph?”

“Vivia?”

“Yes, I hear she recently made her debut in society. It seems she has completed her studies abroad.”

The Empress Dowager, listening quietly to Berenice’s suggestion, clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Vivia won’t do.”

“……?”

“Her older sister passed away so young. What would people say if we brought the second daughter into the imperial family as well?”

The Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively, her face clouded with sadness. “And the truth behind Edea’s death still hasn’t been fully revealed…”

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, it’s Lorentz.”

“Come in.”

The Empress Dowager quickly swallowed her words and exchanged a glance with Berenice, who took a step back as Countess Lorentz entered the room, accompanied by a young girl.

“This is the new maid. Please introduce yourself to the Empress Dowager.”

“My name is May, Your Majesty. I’m honored to serve you,” the girl said, bowing with a bright smile.

“How bold,” the Empress Dowager remarked, surprised by the girl’s lively demeanor.

May had her red hair braided into pigtails, and the freckles on her nose gave her a sprightly appearance. Berenice guessed the girl’s age to be around fifteen or sixteen.

“She seems quite young. Do you think she’ll be able to adapt to palace life?” the Empress Dowager asked, sharing Berenice’s concern.

May, sensing their apprehension, responded energetically, “I’ve admired Your Majesty for so long. I’m thrilled to be here and eager to do my best!”

“Hmm.”

“Please don’t worry, Your Majesty. Despite her young age, she’s known among the maids for being very capable,” Countess Lorentz assured her.

May looked up at the Empress Dowager with bright, eager eyes.

‘She reminds me a bit of Norah when she first arrived.’

The Empress Dowager thought to herself, recalling Norah’s arrival, though Norah had been older than May when she first came to the palace. Despite her initial reservations, the Empress Dowager found herself warming to the girl’s enthusiasm and smiled.

“Very well, May. Do your best.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” May exclaimed, bowing deeply in gratitude.

***

“From today, Your Highness will have to spend some time alone.”

“…Ugh…”

“And you mustn’t drag out your words like that anymore.”

“……”

“You need to respond properly.”

“…Ugh.”

Hail, now looking despondent, was being scrutinized closely by his nanny. Ever since Eleanor had left the palace early that morning, Hail had refused to leave his bed.

The nanny, noticing how forlorn he seemed, allowed a faint smile to cross her lips. “You can come down from the bed whenever you like. I won’t stop you from doing that.”

“……”

“Oh, and there’s that spot you like, isn’t there? Over by the window where the sunlight streams in. It looks so inviting right now.”

Although Hail couldn’t see, the nanny pointed toward the large glass door leading to the garden. In the afternoons, Hail often stood there, gazing out, which had been his only pastime before Eleanor’s arrival.

Hail, who had been sulking, perked up slightly at the mention of the window. His blank eyes began to search for it.

Seeing his small reaction, the nanny beamed.

‘It’s starting again.’

Eleanor had been so protective that the nanny had nearly suffocated to death. Now, a wave of relief washed over her, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

With a slightly excited tone, the nanny spoke, “I’ll be tending to my duties, but call me if you need anything, Your Highness.”

Hail, as usual, didn’t protest when the nanny left him alone. The sound of the door closing was as cold as ever. Left alone in the large bed, Hail fidgeted with his hands.

‘She said she would come if I waited.’

Eleanor had promised him before she left. She told him it was like a game of hide-and-seek, and that she would come secretly, so he shouldn’t tell anyone.

‘But I still feel sad.’

Though he understood it was just a game, Hail couldn’t shake the loneliness. The feeling of being alone crept up on him, something he hadn’t noticed when Eleanor was with him.

Before Eleanor, the nanny had been right—this small room had been Hail’s entire world. Holding his favorite raccoon doll and standing by the window was all he had known. Sometimes, when he stepped on something or his hand brushed against a toy, his world would shrink even further until all that remained was his bed.

“Eli…” Hail murmured sadly.

When Eleanor was with him, every day was filled with new things, leaving no room for loneliness. But now, even though their separation was brief, the emptiness felt immense.

Unable to bear it any longer, Hail began to move. As he grasped the bedspread and tried to lower his short legs from the bed frame, a sudden noise made him freeze.

Click.

“Ah?”

The sound startled Hail, and he trembled. He heard footsteps coming from somewhere, but they weren’t from the door the nanny had just exited. Realizing there was someone else in the room, Hail quickly pulled his legs back onto the bed.

“Shh.”

“Eli…!”

Hail’s head shot up at the familiar whisper right beside him.

Eleanor had returned.

How she managed to enter without him knowing was a mystery, but the joy of having her back made Hail quickly reach for her warmth.

“I missed you…”

“I missed you too.”

Eleanor hugged the little prince tightly as he clung to her. She felt a mix of pride and pity for the child who had managed to hold back his tears and endure his solitude. Hail, overjoyed to see her again, was about to laugh out loud when he suddenly remembered something and clamped his mouth shut.

“Your Highness?”

“Ugh… It’s the hiding game,” he whispered, raising his small hand to cover his mouth, as if to remind himself. “You said we shouldn’t make any noise.”

“Do you still remember that?”

Eleanor stifled her laughter, surprised by Hail’s determination to keep their game a secret. He must have remembered that the game wasn’t over until she said so.

Finding him utterly adorable, Eleanor instinctively brought her lips to his cheek.

Smooch.

“What’s that…?”

“It’s magic.” Gently stroking his hair, Eleanor added softly, “A magic that will keep you happy, Your Highness.”

“Happy?”

The unfamiliar word made Hail tilt his head in confusion. Holding him close, Eleanor glanced around the bed.

“You won’t be in pain anymore.”

Though he didn’t fully understand her words, Hail beamed brightly. But this time, Eleanor couldn’t bring herself to smile. She reached under the bed and picked up one of the objects scattered there.

A tack—made of wood.

Hail had been about to step off the bed, but Eleanor had caught him just in time. Though the tack didn’t have a sharp needle, its rough surface, not smoothed with sandpaper, and its deliberately jagged edges were enough to cause discomfort. The bed was surrounded by these tacks, resembling a cluster of rough beehives.

Seeing them made Eleanor’s hair stand on end.

“…I’ll never forgive this.”

“Eli…?”

Sensing Eleanor’s anger, Hail flinched.

‘What has this child done to deserve this?’

The tacks scattered across the bare room served a clear purpose: to make the blind child step on them and cry. Eleanor realized that, in her absence, the nanny must have been the only one tending to Hail. It now became clear why the nanny had been so opposed to Eleanor growing close to the prince, and where her resentment had begun.

Eleanor clenched her teeth.

***