Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 20 Part 5

“I was going to rest quietly, but I couldn’t just sit back after hearing all this. Using your status to oppress the other ladies—don’t you think that’s too much?”

“Oppress? Isn’t what you’re doing to me right now oppression?” Brianna scoffed, incredulous.

Vivia, now fully revealed, stood out in a striking manner. Her black hair was braided and adorned with large red roses, showcasing an extravagant look.

As Cordelia and the other young ladies stepped aside, Vivia walked forward, fanning herself elegantly as she approached Brianna.

“Isn’t this what you used to do, Lady Brianna?”

“……!”

“Summoning the young ladies you didn’t like, humiliating them, scaring them, even spreading false rumors to torment them. That’s very much like you, isn’t it?”

“……”

Brianna’s agitated body suddenly went still. She looked around at the group surrounding her, realizing who they were—people she had clashed with in the past. Brianna’s face grew even paler as she recognized her mistake.

“You really are something else. You don’t even know yourself, do you?”

“T-that’s…”

“What’s the excuse? You had a reason?” Vivia curled her red lips into a smirk. “From what I’ve heard, your reasons never made much sense. They were always trivial. What Lady Cordelia just said earlier is exactly the kind of reason you used to bully others.”

“……”

“Everyone seems to have the same opinion of you. If only you had been kinder, today might have turned out differently.”

In her youth, despite Countess Müller’s constant praise of her, Brianna had never amounted to much more than this. Vivia had only nudged the other ladies slightly, and they had eagerly jumped at the opportunity to take part in this. Especially Cordelia, who had been waiting for her chance to take revenge, had shown the greatest enthusiasm.

‘Someone like you could never become Empress.’

Sensing victory, Vivia was filled with satisfaction. She glanced at Cordelia, who was now clutching a large vase, and a smug smile played on her lips.

“So today, we’re going to fix your nasty habits…”

“I’m sorry.”

“……?”

Everyone around them blinked, unsure if they had heard correctly. Did Brianna really just say she was sorry? The young ladies looked at one another, confused.

Unable to believe it, Cordelia interjected, “What did you say?”

“I admit it. I was wrong.”

“……!”

Someone gasped in disbelief. The proud and haughty Brianna had just apologized. Though they all stared at her, expecting it to be a lie, Brianna’s face was completely serious.

“I admit it.”

Admit it?

“I sincerely… apologize.”

“What?”

“I understand now that there’s no excuse for what I did. The things I’ve done in the past were wrong.”

This didn’t sound like the Brianna Cordelia knew. The other ladies were equally stunned. As they stood speechless, Brianna seemed to gather her resolve. She took a deep breath and then knelt down.

“……!”

“I know that simply kneeling won’t make up for the harm I’ve caused. But…”

Perhaps the old me would have lashed out even more in this situation. Maybe I would have slapped someone, claiming I couldn’t stand the insult. Brianna lowered her head slightly.

“But this is the only way I know how to express my sincerity.”

“……”

“I truly am sorry.”

Her pride was deeply wounded. Even though she spoke these words, her insides were boiling with anger. But at the same time, she was forced to confront the consequences of her past actions. She couldn’t deny that she had wronged the young ladies she had tormented. The weight of their resentment now felt overwhelming.

‘So this is how they felt.’

It must have been equally humiliating, frustrating, and unfair for them.

“If you want, I’ll apologize a hundred or even a thousand times. I don’t dare ask for forgiveness. If this doesn’t ease your anger, feel free to criticize me. I won’t avoid it—I’ll listen to it all.”

As Brianna knelt with her head bowed, her vision blurred, and another figure came to mind—Eleanor. She remembered their first encounter, a memory she had almost forgotten.

Just like these women were doing now, Brianna had done the same to Eleanor. She had led the other young ladies in openly mocking and criticizing her.

“I was wrong… about everything.”

Her voice quivered slightly at the end. She couldn’t help but think of how Eleanor must have felt back then. Brianna had even told her to die.

‘Why did she forgive me?’

Even after everything, Eleanor had comforted Brianna and led her to where she was now. She had extended a hand, inviting Brianna to join her in starting a new venture. Brianna had accepted the offer, not because she wanted to help the poor or the refugees, but simply because she liked Eleanor.

“……”

“……”

The ladies surrounding Brianna remained silent. If Brianna had continued to fight back, they might have enjoyed hurling insults at her. But her sudden apology left them at a loss. Unsure of what to do, they exchanged awkward glances as time dragged on.

“Well, Lady Brianna, you’ve changed more than I expected.”

It was Vivia who finally broke the silence. She closed the fan she had been waving and approached Brianna, still kneeling.

“But what should we do?”

Vivia leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing into a cruel smile.

“I still don’t like you.”

“……!”

Vivia lightly tapped Brianna’s head with her fan, and Cordelia, standing nearby, let out a snicker. The other ladies quickly followed suit, filling the room with mocking laughter. Satisfied with the atmosphere she had created, Vivia twisted her lips into a sneer.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you just knew your place and died quietly?”

“……”

“Oh, but you can’t do that, can you? You’re too greedy. That’s a shame.”

Vivia signaled to Cordelia, who understood immediately. Smiling broadly, Cordelia approached Brianna from behind. The vase she held was large enough that it required both hands. She tilted the vase’s opening toward Brianna’s head, ready to pour.

But before she could tip the vase, Cordelia’s hands suddenly froze. Shocked, she turned around.

“Who… who…?”

It was a face she didn’t recognize. The woman, with shoulder-length hair, appeared delicate but stood with strength. Cordelia tried to pull her hand away, but the woman easily took the vase from her grasp.

“…Who are you?”

Vivia let out a soft gasp. She had briefly noticed this woman at the party earlier. She was the newly appointed head of the Rescue Bureau.

“I am Eleanor von Hippias, Lady Vivia.”

“……!”

Vivia’s expression darkened at the mention of her name. She wasn’t pleased that Eleanor already knew who she was. Forcing herself to remain calm, Vivia faced Eleanor.

“You must be from the House of Hippias. I am from Delph—”

“I know.”

Eleanor cut her off sharply. Vivia’s eyes widened in disbelief. What kind of greeting was this? Such rudeness was unthinkable. Vivia clenched the fan in her hand tightly.

‘Who does she think she is?’

Even as she maintained her standoff with Eleanor, Vivia signaled to Cordelia. She wanted her to take the vase back. Realizing what Vivia wanted, Cordelia and the other young ladies rushed toward Eleanor. But Eleanor was faster.

Crash!

“Kyaaa!”

Vivia screamed and collapsed into a chair as the vase flew past her and shattered against the wall. Everyone froze, staring at the broken shards of glass scattered on the floor.

“Th-that’s…”

Sh-she really threw it.

They had thought Eleanor was just trying to scare them. But she had actually thrown the vase. Terrified, Cordelia and the other young ladies began retreating. As they moved back, they naturally clustered around Vivia, leaving a large gap between them and Eleanor.

Eleanor smiled faintly as she looked at Vivia, who was holding her head in her hands.

“Sorry.”

“You…”

“My hand slipped.”

Vivia wanted to shout that this was nonsense, but no one dared say anything. There were still several large vases in the room, and no one wanted to provoke Eleanor any further. Someone muttered something about how rude and uncouth Eleanor was, but the moment her gaze shifted toward another vase, they quickly fell silent.

Eleanor extended a hand to Brianna. “Are you alright, Lady Brianna?”

“……”

Brianna, still dazed, looked up. It was really Eleanor. The air around her felt heavier than before. There was a certain determination in her eyes.

Brianna couldn’t take her eyes off the cold blue gaze staring back at her. At that moment, Eleanor seemed as unshakable as a towering mountain.

***

Henrik fidgeted nervously, glancing at Count Hilda. Eleanor had gone to find Brianna, but she had yet to return. Although he was standing among Count Hilda’s party, greeting the other nobles, Henrik’s attention was focused elsewhere, like a chick searching for its mother.

‘What am I supposed to do on my own?’

Attending the party was meant to improve his family’s image, but Henrik still felt inexperienced. Forget about navigating social politics—he struggled to engage in even the most basic conversations, often finding himself withdrawing awkwardly.

If only Eleanor were here…

‘No, what am I thinking? This isn’t right.’

It had only been a week since they had met. How could he already be relying on her?

People were unpredictable. Even though Eleanor treated him like family now, there was no telling when she might change. For the sake of the Hippias family, Henrik knew he had to become stronger and more independent.

But knowing it was one thing—doing it was another.

“The House of Hippias… I feel like I’ve heard that name before.”

One of the nobles furrowed his brow. It was Captain Huger of the 3rd Knights Division.

“Who is the head of that family?”

“That… would be me.”

“Someone so young? Where are your parents?”

“They’re… not here.”

Still lacking the finesse of a seasoned conversationalist, Henrik forced a smile, hoping to deflect the question. His attempt at evasion only caused Captain Huger’s expression to change slightly.

“Young people these days have no manners.”

“……?”