Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 19 Part 3

It was a cryptic remark. Eleanor tilted her head slightly in curiosity. Ernst was paying close attention to her every move, not missing a thing. His previously indifferent eyes now held a sharp intensity.

“Have you always been like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Bold.

And coldly rational.

Perhaps it was the stark contrast with Commander Tatar of Bahama, whom he had just met, but Eleanor’s grasp of the delicate power dynamics between him and Lennoch was both startling and impressive.

‘She’s a born negotiator.’

The realization left him amazed, as if seeing her for the first time.

A partnership after the divorce?

How far was this woman planning to go?

Yet, there was an undeniable logic to her proposal.

Ernst asked again, “What if I refuse this offer?”

“Then it’s war.”

“……”

“No one in the Mecklen family will be able to walk through these halls with their heads held high ever again. And I’m not just saying that to sound tough—I’m serious.”

A twisted breath escaped Ernst’s lips. He hadn’t expected such a direct threat, but there was something so sincere, so confident in Eleanor’s tone that he couldn’t dismiss it as mere posturing.

Could it be that the Emperor had promised her some kind of support for this divorce?

Ernst’s eyes narrowed as he tried to read her mind.

In the midst of the tense standoff, Eleanor threw another comment into the air.

“Surely, you don’t still have any lingering feelings for me, do you?”

“What…?”

“If you did, that would explain why you’re hesitating now.”

Ernst realized that Eleanor was deliberately provoking him. He wanted to respond, but his lips were sealed, as if glued shut. Instead, sharp fragments of memory pierced his mind.

“……”

His heart pounded.

It felt like the time when he had just returned from his extreme training.

‘What’s going on?’

A flash of the dream—Eleanor dead, Lennoch weeping, and himself watching—flooded his mind.

‘It’s just a dream.’

Eleanor waited quietly as Ernst suddenly fell silent, his demeanor shifting.

“You’re better like this,” he finally said.

“……?”

“Being alive is far better.”

His gaze grew heavier, his presence more suffocating. Though he had never been a lighthearted person, this time, the weight of his words made the air between them almost unbearable.

Sensing something ominous, Eleanor’s smile faltered. Without giving her a chance to question him, Ernst suddenly grabbed the divorce papers from the center of the table and signed them without hesitation.

“…Ernst.”

Eleanor, gripped by an odd sense of déjà vu, didn’t even realize that she had called his name properly for the first time.

Ernst, having completed his signature, handed the papers back to her. “I’m officially your ex-husband now.”

With a dry voice, he delivered his final words and rose from his seat. Without a backward glance, he turned and walked away, leaving Eleanor behind. His precise, disciplined footsteps echoed across the chapel, as if this were nothing more than a routine.

Click.

When the door closed fully, Eleanor looked down at the divorce papers in front of her. On the stark white sheet, the name “Ernst Schmidt von Mecklen” stood out clearly.

***

“Your Grace? Where are you going?”

The priest, who had been leisurely admiring the scenery outside the window, turned around in surprise.

Duke Mecklen had just stormed out of the room, his face cold as ice. The priest hurried to approach him, but Ernst ignored him completely, brushing past without a word. Unable to stop the Duke, the priest stood frozen in place.

‘It didn’t go well.’

The negotiations had failed.

The priest’s lips twisted into a wide grin.

“Heh, heh-heh.”

The laughter he had tried to hold back slowly spilled out. The distant figure of the Duke, now a mere dot in the distance, reminded him of a golden goose laying eggs.

How much was all this worth?

If he could carefully nudge the Duke not to proceed with the divorce, while simultaneously encouraging the Duchess to push for it, the mediation process could easily stretch on for months.

‘This is the perfect moneymaker.’

With the mental arithmetic already complete, the priest forced a cough, trying to suppress his glee. After all, he would soon be meeting with the Duchess. It wouldn’t do to appear too eager.

After checking his robes, the priest carefully opened the door to the chapel. He immediately met Eleanor’s gaze as she stood by the window, bathed in sunlight.

“What a shame,” he said dramatically.

“……”

“It’s truly unfortunate for such a young couple.”

The priest’s exaggerated tone made his insincerity obvious. He moved toward the desk to collect the divorce papers.

“…What?”

In disbelief, the priest rubbed his eyes.

But no matter how many times he blinked, the ink on the paper didn’t change.

There it was—Ernst’s signature, clear and bold next to Eleanor’s.

“Please, take it with you.”

Eleanor’s voice drifted into the priest’s ears as he stood trembling, clutching the divorce papers. He slowly raised his head, his face a picture of confusion.

Eleanor was still standing by the window, her back to the bright sunlight, with a smile on her face.

And it was unmistakably a smile of satisfaction.

***

“Eli, this! This!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a toy!”

Hail, his face brimming with excitement, fidgeted with a toy cube in his hands. He hadn’t played with toys much before, but he clearly liked this one.

Since moving into the Emperor’s palace, Hail had noticeably cried less. Though he had been wary at first, once he realized that Eleanor was staying with him, he quickly adjusted.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yeah!”

Watching Hail’s bright smile, Eleanor felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Fortunately, he hadn’t asked about the nanny since she left. It seemed he hadn’t formed much of an attachment to her after all. Reflecting on the nanny’s behavior, Eleanor suspected that Hail had instinctively sensed her unsettling presence, even as a child.

Gently stroking his cheek, Eleanor thought, ‘Who could it be?’

Who was the one who had killed the nanny?

Just the thought that the culprit might still be lurking somewhere in the palace sent a chill down her spine. She pulled Hail into a tight embrace.

“Eli?”

“It’s alright.”

It would be alright.

After all, she would never allow their plans to succeed.

And…

Click.

“Are you both here?”

“Lennoch.”

At the sound of his low voice, Eleanor turned around. Lennoch entered the room, waving off the attendant who had come to help him with his coat.

Seeing Eleanor trying to get up, Lennoch quickly approached to stop her. “I’m just here for a quick visit. Please, stay comfortable. I won’t be long.”

“It’s quite late. Do you still have a lot of work left?”

“With all the things I’ve started, it’s become a bit much… And there’s that other matter.”

Lennoch glanced at Hail.

Eleanor understood immediately what he meant—the investigation into the nanny’s death.

Lennoch gently patted Hail’s head and smiled. “Be good, alright?”

“I am being good!”

Hail, understanding Lennoch’s words, eagerly defended himself, causing Eleanor to chuckle.

“His Highness has become quite talkative.”

“I hope he doesn’t hit adolescence too soon.”

In just a few days, Hail had improved significantly in expressing himself. Lennoch found the change both fascinating and a little guilt-inducing.

After making a comment about finding Hail a good tutor soon, Lennoch stood up. Eleanor followed suit.

“Are you staying here tonight?”

“Yes, I think I will.”

“Then rest well. I have to get back to work.”

He truly seemed busy.

Though relieved that Eleanor was there to watch over Hail, Lennoch’s departure seemed to disappoint the child. Just as Lennoch was about to leave, Eleanor called out softly, “Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?”

“Is there anything I can do to help? I feel bad seeing you work so late…”

Eleanor hesitated, feeling unsure if she had overstepped. She had spoken out of concern for Lennoch but now worried that she might have said too much.

To her surprise, Lennoch’s voice was warm and welcoming.

“Are you trying to keep your promise?”

“Promise?”

“You promised to help me if the opportunity arose, remember?”

What is he talking about?

Eleanor searched her memory and then clapped her hands in realization.

“Oh! That dog hole?”

“Haha… I didn’t expect you to call it a dog hole.”

“Sorry, it left a strong impression on me.”

It was a promise they had made during her first visit to the East Palace, back when Lennoch had been masked. Eleanor, thinking back to the time she had crawled through the tiny hole in her dress, teased him lightly.

“So, do you really have a mountain of paperwork?”

“Of course. You’ll be shocked when you see it.”

He had clearly been swamped with work.

Joking around, Lennoch removed his coat and began loosening his tie. Though he had initially planned to leave after a quick visit, the situation had changed, and now he had some time to spare.

“I’ll have all the paperwork brought here.”

“Oh my!”

As soon as he said it, Lennoch set about putting his words into action, leaving Eleanor no choice but to laugh out loud.

“I guess I’ll really have to help you.”

“Thanks to you, I can finally breathe.”

There was a separate study attached to this room, so handling the work here wouldn’t be a problem. Lennoch also encouraged Eleanor to get Hail to sleep soon.

Reluctantly agreeing, Eleanor turned to Hail. But she noticed something odd about the boy’s expression. His cheeks puffed out slightly, and as Eleanor approached, Hail quickly wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Eli.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to sleep.”

“……”

“I want to stay up and play with you.”

It seemed Hail wasn’t ready to go to bed just yet.

***

By the time Hail finally fell asleep, it was already quite late. More than half of the candles in the study had burned down. The quiet rustling of a quill moving across the paper was the only sound breaking the stillness.

After focusing for a while, Eleanor spoke cautiously, “Lennoch, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Would it be alright if I recommended someone to work with me in the Secretariat?”

She was reviewing the project plans for the newly established Secretariat, which she had been appointed to manage.

Lennoch nodded lightly. “Do you have someone in mind?”

“Only if Her Majesty the Empress Dowager approves, but… I’d like to bring Lady Brianna on board.”

After some thought, Eleanor gave her answer.