Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 19 Part 5

“What do you mean?” Vivia’s eyebrows shot up as Evan smiled slyly, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

“I just saw Lady Brianna entering His Majesty’s private palace.”

“……!”

“It seems the two of them are quite close.”

“That’s impossible!” Vivia gasped in shock.

That Brianna was close to the emperor? It couldn’t be!

Brianna, a woman as prickly as a rose with thorns, had no charm to speak of. Vivia had heard more than a few stories of men who had tried to approach Brianna only to give up and flee in frustration.

“Are you sure? You didn’t hear this from someone else?”

“I saw it with my own two eyes,” Evan said, pointing to his own eyes to emphasize the word “directly,” leaving Vivia with no room for doubt.

Her jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. “Brianna… and His Majesty…”

“I’ve been supporting you, Lady Vivia, but even I didn’t expect this. I have no idea what we should do now.”

With a sigh, Evan shook his head as if he were truly at a loss.

Marquis Delph had arranged for Evan to assist Vivia not only to help her adapt to court life, but also because Evan held an influential position by the emperor’s side.

Yet, before Vivia had even made her move, Brianna seemed to be getting closer to the position of empress.

Vivia’s hand, clutching her dress, began to tremble. “I won’t let her get away with this.”

There was a fiery determination in Vivia’s eyes as she stared into space. She had finally prepared herself to surpass Edea, and now, without having done anything yet, she was about to lose her chance.

“It’s time I showed her.”

“What do you mean?” Evan asked, but Vivia didn’t respond. Instead, she turned on her heel, heading away from the audience chamber.

“Lady Vivia, where are you going?” Evan called after her, but Vivia ignored him, striding out of the palace.

The coachman from Marquis Delph’s household, who had been waiting nearby, hurriedly prepared the carriage upon seeing her approach earlier than expected.

As the carriage pulled up, Vivia bit her lip in frustration.

“Shall I take you home?”

“No. Take me to the Kazek mansion.”

The chill in her voice left no room for argument, and the coachman urged the horses forward without hesitation.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep up that superiority, Brianna.’

Vivia knew many noblewomen who disliked Brianna. Her abrasive personality had earned her no shortage of enemies, even though they had to act respectful in front of her due to her status. But Vivia was well aware of what they said behind her back.

‘Besides, Countess Müller is dead now.’

There were few left in society who would protect Brianna. Imagining the conversation she would have with Cordelia of the Kazek family, Vivia allowed herself a dangerous smile.

***

After her private conversation with Brianna in the evening, Eleanor emerged from a light bath, and the maids brought her nightdress and helped her put it on.

Due to the many rooms, there were two or three attendants assigned to each space, so Eleanor could encounter them everywhere. At first, she worried that the attendants might gossip, but they were diligent with their duties and said nothing else. When there was no work, they stood in place like statues.

Later, Eleanor learned that the people serving in the Emperor’s private palace were different from regular palace servants in both their background and the training they received.

‘I should rest.’

Tonight, with Hail falling asleep early, Eleanor had time to herself. Enjoying the rare freedom, she sat at her desk. Her ankle had recovered significantly, and she could walk without discomfort.

“It’s frustrating not being able to take a walk.”

“Shall I accompany you?”

“…Ah, no.”

Startled by the voice from behind, Eleanor realized she had forgotten the attendant was still in the room. Their presence was so silent it was easy to overlook.

“You may go rest now.”

“Understood. Call me if you need anything.” With a dry voice, the woman silently withdrew.

Left alone in the spacious room, Eleanor awkwardly glanced around. Even compared to Hail’s room in Winston Palace, this bedroom was several times larger. It was astonishing to think that such grand rooms were common in Zaire. The grandeur of the Baden Imperial Palace was undeniable.

Knock, knock.

“May I have a moment of your time?”

“Yes, come in.”

Startled by the Emperor’s voice beyond the door, Eleanor found herself answering automatically.

“There are no documents today, I see,” she noted.

“Are you disappointed by the lack of work?”

“Hmm, maybe a little?”

“Here I thought there was no one more of a workaholic than myself.”

Lennoch, joking in response to Eleanor’s teasing, stopped in his tracks as he approached. Only then did he notice her attire.

“Ah, it seems you were preparing for bed early.”

“Ah…”

Eleanor quickly checked her clothes, embarrassed. Though unintentional, her silk nightdress was cut low in a U-shape from her shoulders to just above her chest. Seeing her discomfort, Lennoch quickly averted his gaze.

“If it’s inconvenient, I can come back later.”

“No, no, please sit.”

If she sent Lennoch away now, it would only be more awkward when they met again later. Hurriedly, Eleanor grabbed a shawl and wrapped it loosely over her shoulders.

“It’s just sleepwear. Really, it’s fine.”

“I… see.”

Despite her explanation, the atmosphere only grew stranger. Lennoch tried to look away, but his gaze naturally returned to Eleanor. Fresh from her bath, her golden hair was still damp, and as his eyes traveled from her rosy cheeks to her petal-like lips, Lennoch coughed awkwardly several times.

“There was something I was curious about.”

“And what might that be?”

“Do you remember Umar, the mayor of Kuhen?”

Of course, she remembered.

“Was your last conversation with him really everything?”

“Yes. He was so stubborn that there wasn’t much to gain from it.”

Naturally, Eleanor had reported everything to the Emperor, including how Umar had been uncooperative with their demands.

“It seems that matter still hasn’t been resolved.”

“Hmm, we’ve recently uncovered a clue.”

“A clue?”

Lennoch raised a hand unconsciously, rubbing his chin. “There appears to have been some sort of transaction between Umar and Caroline.”

“……!”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know the specifics. Umar died before the final deal could be completed, and no documentation was left.”

“I see.”

Eleanor sifted through her hazy memories. Most well-known noble families had their own companies. Prestige alone couldn’t make up for a lack of wealth. Without money, one couldn’t afford designer clothes or command servants. Maintaining basic dignity required making money.

‘The Mecklen Trading Company was pushing several key businesses, I recall.’

Before her regression, Eleanor remembered numerous ventures Caroline had pursued. Piecing together her conversation with Umar, Eleanor suddenly let out a small exclamation.

“Tea.”

“Tea?”

“We talked about tea back then.”

Though circumstances had changed since before the regression, Eleanor remembered Caroline later creating a luxury tea brand. One of Caroline’s most successful products had been a specialty from the Mondriol region. She even recalled that Caroline had secretly smuggled seedlings to cultivate on her farm.

“Umar served us tea. He said it was from the Ceylon region of Mondriol.”

“It’s a product I’ve never encountered in any of our trade with Mondriol.”

“Yes. It hasn’t been distributed yet. Even Lady Brianna, who has a deep knowledge of tea, didn’t recognize it.”

At that time, Caroline’s business hadn’t started yet.

“Although it hadn’t hit the market, Umar served us that tea. Caroline knows about it, but she hasn’t launched the business yet. The intersection of their business interests lies in tea, so investigating that might reveal something.”

“Impressive.”

Lennoch admired Eleanor’s insight as she continued, “Not just Umar and Caroline, but you should also look into Count Verdik.”

The relationship between Caroline and Count Verdik was more unusual than expected when comparing before and after the regression.

As Eleanor pondered, she suddenly asked Lennoch, “What about Dumbarton?”

“Nothing significant. It turns out that the nanny’s status in the family was even lower than expected.”

Lennoch added that the nanny, despite her name, was essentially discarded by her family and offered little information.

“Finding a connection to the nanny won’t be easy.”

“We’re still investigating consistently, just in case. There might be a surprising link between her, Caroline, or Count Verdik.”

Though the two incidents didn’t seem related, Lennoch kept all possibilities open. The people involved were deeply and secretly connected, far beyond what Lennoch had imagined. Evan, Caroline, Count Verdik, Umar—they all formed a chain of connections. Dismissing the nanny too soon seemed premature.

Hearing his explanation, Eleanor suddenly stood. “Come to think of it, this might help you.”

She walked to her desk, retrieved a note she had prepared, and handed it to Lennoch. After receiving it, he quickly scanned the contents.

“This is…”

“It’s an outline of the businesses Caroline has been running in secret, without the Duke of Mecklen’s knowledge. It’s different from the official products of the Mecklen Trading Company. Think of it as an underground business.”

Smuggled goods secretly brought in through the East Harlem district. The illegal trade of slaves, which was banned by the nation. And a farm with an unknown purpose.

As Lennoch reviewed the memo, he tapped his fingers on the table. “Do you have any guesses as to the location of the farm?”

“It was hidden so well that I couldn’t pinpoint it. I only know it’s in the southern region…”

“Hmm.”

With the current clues, it would take a long time. Searching the entire southern region could take months. He needed to select a trustworthy person to send, but currently, there was no one around the Emperor who could leave for an extended period.

As Lennoch pondered, he slowly set the paper down. “I do have someone in mind.”

“……?”

“And I’ve just thought of a good excuse.”

Eleanor tilted her head slightly, not understanding what Lennoch meant. Instead of explaining, Lennoch offered only a vague smile in response.

***

“There’s a special pardon today, isn’t there?”

“Who will the lucky one be this time?”

At the end of every year, the imperial family granted special pardons just before the New Year. Since one had to be chosen by the Emperor, competition was fierce. At most, one or two prisoners might be pardoned this time. Especially this year, with a prisoner suddenly dying in their cell, there was even doubt whether a pardon would be issued at all.

As the guards huddled around the fire, chatting to escape the cold, they heard footsteps descending from above.

“Who is…?”

“It’s Berenice von Verdik.”

With a low voice, Berenice announced that she had come with the Emperor’s pardon.

“Long live His Majesty!”

The guards bowed respectfully to the document bearing the Emperor’s seal. After receiving the key from them, Berenice descended into the dungeon. One of the guards offered to escort her, but she declined. She had been there before.

Her confident steps led her to the second door from the end of the corridor.

Clank.

“……?”

Inside the cell, Childe responded to the sound. His unkempt beard stuck out in all directions, giving him a disheveled appearance. Without hesitation, Berenice approached and unlocked his shackles.

“…Ha.”

Childe stared at his wrists for a moment, disbelief etched across his face. But the surprise didn’t last long. Stretching his stiff knees and turning his sore wrists, Childe grinned.

“So, what do I need to do now?”

He smiled as though he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.