Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 18 Part 3

The nanny, pushed back by Eleanor’s imposing presence, gradually retreated further. Her back pressed tightly against the door as if preparing for an escape. However, Eleanor had no intention of letting her go so easily.

She gripped the dagger, gifted by the Emperor, tightly in her hand. If she wished, the knights hiding outside, ready to move at a moment’s notice, would come running.

“I-I told you, I don’t really know much about this,” the nanny stammered with a defeated look, unaware of the gravity of the situation.

‘I can’t admit to this now,’ she thought.

Her revenge was still incomplete, far from achieving the perfection she desired. She couldn’t allow herself to be captured just yet, not when there was still so much to do for the unjust death of her son.

“There’s no proof… no evidence.”

“Your own words are the evidence.”

“No… no, I didn’t…”

Despite her determination, her legs trembled uncontrollably. It felt as though she were standing naked in the middle of a barren field, completely exposed.

Forcing her creaking head to move, she muttered, “I didn’t realize the prince would suffer so much…”

“……”

“The incident with the toy, it was… yes, a mistake. Anyone could make a mistake like that, right?” the nanny rambled, her voice filled with desperation.

“I’ll explain everything to His Majesty. I never intended to harm the prince. If I had, I would’ve done something long ago. But there weren’t any injuries on the prince’s body, were there? It was just… an innocent mistake. The tacks around the bed, I simply dropped them while I was working…”

Her lies continued relentlessly, to the point of making Eleanor feel sick.

Eleanor decided she had had enough of talking to her. She raised the book she was holding abruptly.

“You already knew that Viscount Jerata von Dumbarton and Empress Edea were lovers, didn’t you?”

“……!”

The nanny flinched violently, as if struck by an electric shock. Too stunned to respond, she collapsed to the floor in a heap, while Eleanor gazed down at her with cold eyes.

“And Jerata was your son.”

“A… Ah…”

The nanny’s reaction confirmed that she was not entirely uninvolved. If she knew, it also explained why she had hidden Edea’s diary. No one stood to gain from the affair between the two being exposed. Any infidelity involving the Empress would result in severe punishment for all those involved. The Dumbarton family, Jerata’s house, would be disgraced, and the Delph family, Edea’s house, would also face consequences.

“If you deny it, there’s nothing more to say. But whether you admit it or not doesn’t matter; I have solid proof.”

The nanny’s stiff gaze finally fell on the book Eleanor was holding: An Ecological Study on the Rare Plant Oleander. The sight of the title written on the cover drained the color from the nanny’s face.

“I will personally deliver this diary to His Majesty.”

“……!”

“And I will request that Viscount Jerata, who dared to conspire with the Empress, be thoroughly investigated and punished.”

“L-Lady Eleanor… please…”

The nanny’s hands, trembling uncontrollably, came together in a pleading gesture. Eleanor continued speaking with no hint of sympathy.

“The Dumbarton family has committed an unforgivable crime.”

“No… it can’t be…”

“They tormented the sole heir of the Baden Empire. They dishonored the imperial family by maintaining an affair with the Empress behind His Majesty’s back. They will pay for their sins.”

At that moment, the nanny realized Eleanor had known everything from the beginning. She had only been testing her, dropping hints one by one. Understanding this, the nanny lifted her head in a panic. Her shameless facade had crumbled, leaving behind nothing but sheer desperation.

“Lady Eleanor, please, just this once, show mercy. I’ll accept any punishment for tormenting the prince, but please, don’t reveal the affair between Jerata and the Empress to His Majesty.”

If the Emperor learned of Jerata’s involvement, it wouldn’t end with just the ruin of the family. Everything her son had worked for would be erased in an instant.

“Jerata was a brilliant scholar. His papers are highly regarded in academic circles. If his research is discredited due to this scandal, the loss will be immense for the empire.”

“…You…”

“My son loved his work more than anything. Even now, his peers continue his research in honor of his accomplishments. I don’t want his achievements to be tarnished by a royal scandal.”

My son.

Eleanor couldn’t contain her anger any longer.

“If your son was so precious to you, don’t you think other people’s children are just as important?”

“……!”

“You want to protect what your son cherished? Do you still not understand what you’ve done to Hail? Just like your son, no, even more than him, Hail has suffered…”

“He deserved it! Hail was that woman’s child!”

The nanny’s voice shook with rage at Eleanor’s sharp rebuke.

“That woman abandoned Jerata. And she did it cruelly.”

“……”

“She claimed to love my son, but when the time came, she chose to become the Empress and entered the palace. My kindhearted son respected her wishes and let her go.”

At that time, the nanny hadn’t known much about Edea. She only knew that Edea came from a noble family in the capital. Jerata had never introduced her. It was only after Edea left to become Empress that Jerata became withdrawn, and the nanny eventually learned that Edea was the daughter of the Marquis of Delph.

“I told Jerata to cut off all contact with her. I warned him that if their relationship became known, our insignificant family would be wiped out. The imperial family wouldn’t let us live.”

“……”

“I thought he had given up on her, but I was wrong. Edea kept seducing my son, tempting him over and over again.”

The nanny’s voice rose, filled with fury.

“She’s a cruel, selfish woman. She toyed with everyone, playing both the Emperor and Jerata. The diary? It’s laughable. She wanted both power as Empress and her love. What a despicable woman!”

***

“Where is His Majesty?”

“He retired early for the night,” came the indifferent reply from Eger, who glanced lazily at Evan, who had just returned to the office.

Evan found himself dumbfounded.

Standing there with both hands full of desserts, he suddenly felt foolish. Sighing, he placed the box of confections on the Emperor’s desk and muttered to himself, “Isn’t this something the head chef could have made?”

Though Evan clearly meant for Eger to hear, his cousin ignored him, his focus elsewhere. Eger’s half-lidded eyes scanned the dessert box quickly.

“No chocolate?”

“No, none.”

Evan had absolutely no intention of sharing any treats with his cousin, a fellow Nestor and academy alumnus, with whom he didn’t get along. Besides, the sweets were meant for the Emperor, so he couldn’t offer them as gifts anyway.

Returning to his desk, Evan noisily sorted through the paperwork, causing Eger to scowl at the disruption.

“Could you at least have some courtesy for those sharing the same space?”

“I’m leaving now.”

Ignoring his cousin’s remark, Evan gathered his belongings and stood up. Most of the major tasks were already handled by Eger, so there wasn’t much for him to do anyway.

Storming out of the Emperor’s office, Evan’s displeasure was written all over his face.

‘What is His Majesty thinking?’

He had been tasked with trivial errands, completely unrelated to his original duties.

Recently, he had been asked to compile a list of dessert shops, and today, to buy the best items from the list. He was stuck riding around the capital in a carriage, doing nothing of importance. It was maddening.

‘Could he be doing this on purpose?’

The tasks were so insignificant that it seemed absurd to consider them as tests. It also seemed like the Emperor was actively avoiding him. Every time Evan returned to the palace, His Majesty was conveniently “resting” or “away.” Today, the moment Evan arrived at the palace, the Emperor had already retired early. It was enough to make Evan wonder if the Emperor was deliberately trying to avoid him.

‘Could he have figured it out?’

“Lord Evan.”

“Marquis, you haven’t left yet?”

At that moment, Evan ran into Marquis Delph, who smiled warmly at him.

“I had some work to finish up. It’s fortunate I ran into you, as I have something to discuss.”

Glancing around to ensure no one was listening, the marquis gestured toward the garden. “This might take a while. How about a walk?”

Evan agreed without hesitation, following the marquis to a secluded area rarely visited by others. Once they found a quiet spot, they began their conversation under the cover of shade.

“Something has been off with Caroline lately,” the marquis began once he felt more at ease.

Evan lowered his voice in response. “Yes, she seems to be in quite a rush. It seems she’s been busy cleaning up the mess she made before Duke Mecklen returns from the border.”

“There’s more to it than that. Recently, I’ve heard that she sent someone to East Harlem.”

“Sent someone? Who?”

“Saruka.”

Saruka, from East Harlem, was Caroline’s most trusted aide. Always masked, Saruka moved so discreetly that none of the members of the group knew his true identity.

Whispering now, Marquis Delph added, “If Saruka is on the move, it’s not something trivial.”

“Is it because of the smuggled goods? I heard rumors that a counterfeit from Jigor had already reached East Harlem. Caroline was furious when she found out the secret had been exposed.”

In East Harlem, anything could be obtained—if it existed. From counterfeit goods to rare animals, illegal weapons banned by the empire, foreign currency, forbidden food, drugs—whatever one desired, it could be found there. East Harlem was also the primary base of operations for the Balkan Trading Company, which Evan, Marquis Delph, Count Verdik, and Caroline had established together.

But then, the marquis spoke again, a trace of unease in his voice. “It’s not just that. Did you know Caroline secretly brought in slaves from the Kingdom of Bahama?”

“Caroline bought slaves from Bahama?”

Evan, like the marquis, hadn’t been aware of this.

In the Baden Empire, owning slaves was illegal. Moreover, the public strongly rejected the practice, making it difficult to hide such things. Rumors occasionally surfaced about nobles secretly purchasing slaves from East Harlem, but nothing had ever been confirmed.

“Are you certain? When did this happen?”