Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 18 Part 4

“Well, I’m not sure,” the Marquis of Delph said, shaking his head. “I only found out recently myself. All I know is that there were two slaves brought in.”

It was information he had managed to gather from a servant at House Mecklen, someone he had secretly worked with for a while, just in case.

He was already surprised that Caroline had been ordered to confinement by Ernst, but now it turned out that the documents she had secretly handled also included slave records. Since the servant couldn’t read, he had only been able to remember the shape of the seal stamped on the slave certificates and then secretly informed a spy.

The Marquis of Delph clicked his tongue. “Slaves weren’t part of our plan. If the imperial family catches wind of this, it’ll make things difficult for us going forward.”

Evan agreed with the Marquis. “That’s right. In the worst case, we’d have to kill the slaves we bought at such a high price. And if we leave any traces…”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Caroline was suspicious.

Feeling more confident thanks to Evan’s agreement, the Marquis of Delph continued quickly, “Not only did she buy slaves without telling us, but Saruka has also been coming and going from East Harlem frequently. And… has Caroline been embezzling money from the company recently?”

“……”

Money.

Evan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but the movement was hidden by his bangs, so the Marquis of Delph didn’t notice. After a brief moment of thought, Evan shook his head. “There’s been no sign of it.”

“…Is that so.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything.”

The Marquis of Delph seemed somewhat suspicious of Evan’s firm answer. The Balkan Trading Company, which the four of them had created, was managed financially by Count Verdik. Since most of the information necessary for running the company came from the count, it seemed logical to leave the books in his hands. Besides, Evan had recently been put in charge of part of the finances, so if there had been any changes, he would have noticed right away.

Marquis Delph’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at Evan.

Then Evan spoke again, “Wouldn’t it be better to appoint a separate financial manager?”

“You mean to hire someone new?”

“Yes. Caroline and Count Verdik—they’re both difficult to trust. Handing over money to them is like giving fish to a cat.”

“Hmm.”

“We should appoint a separate manager to oversee the finances and conduct audits whenever necessary. It’ll be a lot of work to review the books quarterly, but since we’re seeing more and more suspicious activity, it’s the safest option.”

Evan didn’t mention anything about the 500 gold coins Caroline had secretly used for business expenses.

The Marquis of Delph looked at him with a thoughtful smile. “It’s not a bad idea. But I’m hesitant about opening up the company’s affairs to an outsider.”

Given how secretive the Balkan Trading Company was, its true ownership remained hidden from the public.

Evan, aware of this, nodded. “I have someone trustworthy in mind.”

Evan smiled at the Marquis of Delph, who had taken the bait.

***

Hail’s nanny, Rosie von Dumbarton, had confronted her dead son after Edea’s pregnancy was publicly announced. She had begged Jerata to forget Edea, but it was no use. The realization brought her overwhelming despair.

After her son’s funeral, Rosie’s world had stopped. For a month, she had been wandering in the void, trapped in grief.

It wasn’t long before she felt an urge to take revenge on Edea.

“I couldn’t forgive her for what she did to my son. I vowed to make her pay,” she spat bitterly. Like a dam bursting under pressure, once she started talking, Rosie couldn’t stop.

“So I entered the palace, gained her favor, and stuck by her side. Just mentioning Jerata a little was enough to win her over easily.”

Edea didn’t know that she was Jerata’s mother. This was understandable, as she was legally registered in the family records as a distant cousin of Jerata’s aunt.

The fact that Jerata couldn’t introduce her birth mother to Edea, and that Edea had hidden her story from the family, were both tragic consequences of their complicated family history.

“Edea deserved to die.”

“Deserved to die?”

“My son died because of her, and yet she dared to live?”

Though they were both from the Dumbarton family, Rosie had been allowed to see her son only once a week for a short, supervised time. To her, that precious son had been manipulated, discarded like an old shoe, and ultimately lost his life because of Edea. The rage of a grieving mother was unmatched.

Eleanor’s eyes widened as she listened to Rosie’s explanation. “So you tormented Hail because of this so-called revenge?”

“That’s right,” Rosie said shamelessly.

Edea had died, but Rosie still felt empty inside. She hadn’t fully quenched her thirst for revenge. In her mind, Jerata was crying out from the grave, demanding retribution for what had been done to him.

It was then that baby Prince Hail caught her attention.

“My son died in misery, and yet Edea gave birth to the Emperor’s son, hoping to make him the Crown Prince. It was obvious what her ambitions were. How could I sit back and let her bloodline thrive? No matter what, I couldn’t allow her child to succeed.”

“You…”

It was nothing more than misplaced hatred, a cruel grudge targeted at Hail simply because he resembled his mother. After Edea’s death, Rosie needed someone to direct her blame toward, and Hail became the victim of her wrath.

“As my son was miserable, everyone else must be miserable too. That includes Edea’s son. He must live his life under a curse, suffering just like my son did…”

Slap!

In an instant, Rosie’s left cheek burned as though she had been scalded with fire. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what had just happened. Eleanor had slapped her, and hard.

“I can’t stand listening to your disgusting excuses anymore.”

“W-What…?”

“From start to finish, you’re nothing but selfish, only caring about yourself.”

Eleanor’s blue eyes glowed with cold fury. At some point, she had dropped both the dagger and the book she had been holding.

“Your so-called reasons for what you’ve done? They don’t move me. I don’t even feel a shred of pity for you. Revenge for your son? No, you just needed an excuse to spew your toxic emotions.”

“……!”

“Don’t try to justify your actions with pathetic excuses.”

At Eleanor’s scathing words, Rosie pressed her lips together tightly, unable to respond.

Eleanor continued, her voice unwavering, “Do you realize what your actions have caused? Hail has suffered severe emotional damage, and Lennoch—no, His Majesty—was unjustly blamed and had to bear Edea’s resentment. His Majesty was falsely accused of killing Jerata…”

“His Majesty? His Majesty killed my son?”

Rosie’s eyes widened again, this time in disbelief. She stared at Eleanor in shock, completely taken aback by her words.

Eleanor frowned, unsure what to make of Rosie’s reaction. “Didn’t you spread that rumor yourself?”

“A rumor? …Well, yes, I suppose you could say that,” Rosie admitted, glancing down at the book Eleanor had dropped on the floor. “Ever since Edea’s madness began, I whispered to her every day. I told her that if she just died, she could follow Jerata to the afterlife. I even obtained poison to kill her, but I never got the chance to use it. It’s my greatest regret.”

She looked genuinely aggrieved as she confessed her failure. After all, Edea had been the Empress of the Baden Empire, not an easy person for a mere nanny to kill. Her assassination attempt had ended before it even started.

“Jerata threw himself into the lake. He left behind a note filled with despair, mourning the love he could never have with Edea. But now you’re telling me that His Majesty had something to do with my son’s death?”

The conversation had taken a strange turn. Eleanor couldn’t shake the suspicion that something didn’t add up. She decided to press further.

“Haven’t you read Edea’s diary?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s written in the diary.”

Something was wrong. Eleanor’s thoughts raced as she mentally reviewed the contents of the diary. Edea had written extensively about wanting to die, but there was no clear account of how she had actually died. Yet Edea had believed that Lennoch was responsible for Jerata’s death, and now Rosie seemed unaware of the full story as well.

A chill ran down Eleanor’s spine.

‘There’s something more…’

She reached down to retrieve the fallen diary. At that moment, Rosie’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as she lunged at Eleanor.

Thud!

It wasn’t easy to dodge someone who was determined to attack. Eleanor staggered from the surprise assault. Instinctively, she tried to steady herself, but in doing so, she twisted her ankle. Rosie took advantage of the moment, snatching up the book and dashing toward the door. For her age, her speed was remarkable.

Despite the knights stationed outside, Rosie was intimately familiar with the layout of the palace. She might still find a way to escape.

Just as Eleanor limped toward the door, it swung open.

“I see I’ve arrived just in time.”

“…Your Majesty.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight before her. There, standing at the front of a group of knights, was none other than Lennoch. She hadn’t called for him. How had he known to come here?

The Emperor smiled leisurely as Rosie, standing beside him, trembled in fear.

“Y-Your Majesty…” Rosie stammered, her face paling. She hadn’t expected the Emperor himself to show up. Her eyes darted around frantically, looking for a way out.

And then, with a sudden thud, she dropped to her knees.

“Your Majesty, I am innocent.”

“……?”

Everyone turned their attention to Rosie as she cried out. Her tearful eyes looked up at the Emperor as she continued, her voice trembling.

“I’ve been framed.”

“Framed?”

“Yes, the Duchess has falsely accused me of harming the prince. But it was the Duchess who tormented him.”

Her words sent a wave of murmurs through the gathered knights. Eleanor let out a deep, silent sigh. Even now, Rosie showed no sign of remorse.

The Emperor’s gaze flickered toward Eleanor for a moment.

“For all the years I’ve served the prince with unwavering loyalty, this is the first time anyone has slandered me in such a way. I was already planning to bring this matter to Your Majesty’s attention, but now that you’re here in person, I am deeply grateful,” Rosie continued, tears streaming down her face. She portrayed the same kind, gentle demeanor she always showed to those who knew her.

The Emperor’s expression softened as he looked down at her. “How unfortunate.”

His voice was gentle, his gaze warm. Rosie, certain that her tears had swayed him, allowed herself a brief sigh of relief.

But before she could fully relax, the Emperor spoke again.

“Take her away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“……?”

Rosie froze in shock, her relief shattered by the coldness of his command.