Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 21 Part 2

“I know that! That’s why I used the other ladies to try to corner Brianna today.” Vivia, feeling a bit slighted by her father’s condescending tone, pouted slightly.

The marquis responded with a warm smile. “Still, you have much to learn.”

“……”

“At least now you know who your real opponent is. Brianna is just a small fry. The real threat is that princess standing beside her.”

“Could His Majesty possibly be interested in the princess?” Vivia asked, her voice betraying her unease.

Marquis Delph tilted his head. “Who knows? If he truly had feelings for her, would he have sent her to Mecklen? He would have fought to make her Empress by any means necessary. That’s why I didn’t pay much attention to her before, but perhaps it’s time to reconsider.”

“……”

Deep in thought, Vivia ground her teeth together audibly. Just then, the servant returned with the tea. Vivia absentmindedly watched the steam rise from the delicate teacup, lost in thought, until an idea popped into her mind.

“Perhaps it would be better to kill her.”

“Vivia.”

“You allowed the Countess Müller to be killed, didn’t you? Why not just use poison to eliminate Brianna and Eleanor, too…”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Vivia shot her father a displeased look. The marquis sighed and slowly rose from his seat, crossing the room to sit in the chair across from his daughter.

“Do you know how our family has survived for so long, hiding all of our dirty secrets from the world?”

“……”

“Complete elimination of evidence.”

If you couldn’t guarantee the removal of all evidence, you shouldn’t get involved at all.

“If you try to kill more women right after the death of Countess Müller, it will undoubtedly raise suspicions.”

Besides, there was still the matter of the prince’s nanny. The decision to kill her had been unavoidable at the time.

Marquis Delph recalled the note the wet nurse had likely received just before her death.

[Jerata’s child is Hail. Act with caution. We’ll arrange an escape soon. Further instructions to follow.]

The nanny probably had no idea that the note had been sent by him. How could she have guessed that it was her own father who had tried to force Edea into an abortion?

He even received regular reports on Hail’s suffering, checking whether the Emperor had caught on to the secret about Hail. The nanny had been useful in that regard.

“Father, this child isn’t really the Emperor’s.”

On the day of the pregnancy celebration, Edea secretly confided in Marquis Delph.

“But I want my child to become the sole legitimate heir to the throne of Baden. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

Marquis Delph agreed, but the answer had already been decided.

The current Emperor wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. If it were later revealed that Edea had deceived him and the child was not of imperial blood, it would be the ruin of their family.

So, he killed Jerata, the living proof.

Edea descended into madness. “You… killed Jerry, didn’t you, Father?”

“Of course not.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who could have done it? How could you betray me like this? I’ll never forgive you! Do you think I’ll stay silent? I’ll expose everything!”

“Calm down, Edea. I’m not the only one who knows about Jerata’s child.”

“……?”

“The Emperor knows, too.”

Marquis Delph had expected Edea to give up then, but when she continued to protect the child, he tried to force her to miscarry by using the nanny. However, the plan failed, and Hail was born blind.

From that point on, Edea walked a path from which there was no return.

“Father, I need more medicine.”

Without a word, Marquis Delph handed her a purple flower.

His first daughter had been a failure.

Edea eventually took her own life, her death carefully staged to appear as a peaceful passing from illness.

Marquis Delph, recalling his daughter’s last moments, suppressed a sigh.

‘Raising daughters is a waste.’

But there was no need to reveal such thoughts to Vivia.

As always, Marquis Delph smiled warmly and spoke in a gentle tone, “I will meet the princess myself, very soon.”

***

On the way back in the carriage, Henrik rubbed his tired eyes.

It was dawn.

The Emperor had suggested they stay at the palace since it was late, but Eleanor declined.

“I want to start my first day at Hippias.”

The Emperor smiled at her words, but his expression darkened slightly. Henrik worried that the Emperor might have been displeased, but Eleanor quickly left the scene. She found herself increasingly aware of the Emperor’s every word.

We’ll be seeing each other every day anyway…

‘Seeing each other every day?’ Eleanor flinched at her own thoughts. The words felt strange, but she brushed off the feeling and turned to Henrik.

“You look really tired. Let’s get inside and rest.”

“Yes, sister.”

Henrik nodded. His body was utterly exhausted after the long party.

They were heading to a mansion not far from the Imperial Palace, situated in a wealthy residential area. Traveling back and forth from the city of Ripolli to the palace had been difficult, so they had agreed to use this mansion. The mansion was practically brand new, unlike the Hippias family estate, so no repairs were necessary.

As the carriage passed through the front gate and stopped at the entrance of the mansion, the tightly closed brown door opened automatically.

“Welcome back, madam, young master.”

A bright light poured out from beyond the open door, causing Eleanor to squint slightly. Inside the spacious hall, the servants were lined up on both sides, bowing respectfully. They were all attendants sent by the Emperor in advance.

While Henrik marveled secretly at their orderly stance, the butler approached Eleanor.

“Did you enjoy the party, madam?”

“Of course. Thank you, Carl.”

The butler, Carl, was a man in his fifties. As Eleanor headed toward the staircase to her bedroom, he added, “By the way, madam, you have a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

It was too late for visitors. Eleanor tilted her head, puzzled, and asked, “Who is it?”

The butler shook his head. “They brought your telegram, and I intended to lead them to the guest room, but they insisted on waiting in the drawing room until they could meet you.”

“……!”

Eleanor’s face brightened as she quickly realized who it was.

“Is it someone you know?” Henrik asked.

“Of course. I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

Eleanor’s voice bubbled with excitement as she hurried toward the drawing room. As soon as she opened the door, she spotted the familiar figure inside.

“Becky…!”

“Little madam!”

Becky, who had been sitting down, leapt up and ran to Eleanor. Her face and clothes were covered in dust, but Eleanor didn’t mind. The two embraced warmly, overjoyed to see each other again.

Standing beside them, a tall man bowed slightly. “Thank you for calling us, madam.”

“Milo. It’s been a long time.”

Milo’s face had grown gaunt since she had last seen him. Just by looking at him, Eleanor could tell how much hardship the two had endured.

She asked the butler to prepare some refreshments.

“You must have had a tough journey.”

“Madam…”

Becky’s eyes welled up with tears as she held Eleanor’s hands, feeling the warmth in them. It felt like all of their hard work had finally been rewarded.

Becky wasn’t the only one overwhelmed with emotion. Milo, too, struggled to suppress his feelings. After a few coughs to clear his choked-up voice, he continued with his report.

“As you ordered, madam, I’ve carried out all the tasks faithfully. I can also connect you with the information brokers whenever you wish.”

“That’s good news.”

“However, I must advise you not to trust their information completely. Many of them are crafty and will try to pass off D-level information as A-level.”

This was something Caroline had once handled in her previous life. Eleanor had asked Milo to check on it just in case, and it seemed that his connections in the underworld had come through easily.

She commended Milo, “You’ve done excellent work. I know it must have been tough, especially with the Hadum issue. Thank you for your help.”

“It was nothing, madam.” Milo shook his head.

“Without you, the Hadum slum residents would still be starving to death or freezing in the cold. Your efforts have saved many lives, even though the fire caused significant damage. It will take time to fully restore the area, so many are still living in temporary shelters.”

“Ah.”

Eleanor recalled seeing additional budget requests for Kuhen City in the documents she had reviewed with Lennoch. No doubt, those funds were allocated to help the Hadum slum residents. Eleanor blushed slightly, touched by the Emperor’s thoughtfulness.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“That’s not true. We are all deeply grateful.”

Milo had been taking care of the children in the slums with Becky after the fall of El Gino, exchanging brief messages with Eleanor. Later, Eleanor learned that the noble connection Milo had mentioned was none other than Marquis Radsay.

Marquis Radsay had been visiting Kuhen for rest and had nearly fallen victim to a robbery when Milo happened to save him. The marquis, being a close ally of the Empress Dowager, became a reliable contact for Eleanor.

As they chatted, the butler arrived with a tray of warm milk and biscuits. Becky’s eyes widened with surprise as she hesitated, unsure if she deserved such treatment. Eleanor, noticing this, pushed the plate toward Becky and Milo.

“Please, help yourselves.”

“Th-thank you.”

Bowing deeply, Becky and Milo took the biscuits and began eating them with the milk. Henrik, who had been watching the scene, finally spoke up.

“Who are these people?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce you. This is Becky, and this is Milo. They’re both highly capable people who have been helping me.”

“We’re not that capable, madam.”

Becky, with milk foam on her lips, shook her head in denial. Milo, noticing this, wiped her mouth with his sleeve. Becky didn’t seem to mind his casual touch, suggesting that they had grown much closer.

Seeing Becky blush, Eleanor couldn’t help but smile warmly. She was pleased that bringing them together had been worth the effort.

Suddenly, something crossed Eleanor’s mind. “Actually, I need to ask a favor of you, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, madam. Anything you need.” Milo nodded.

“I’m planning to start a new business venture under the Hippias Trading Company.”

“……!”

“I’ll need your help with it, Milo.”

Eleanor hadn’t summoned them just to offer a stable life. She also needed someone to assist Henrik while she was occupied at the palace. Milo had once been the leader of a group and had experience managing people. Eleanor trusted his potential to support her new endeavors.

“Do you know the Kingdom of Mondriol?”

“Yes, I’m familiar with it.” Milo nodded.

Becky, unfamiliar with the name, looked confused. Eleanor clapped her hands in excitement.

“I’m planning to import tea from the Ceylon region of Mondriol.”

Though Umar was gone, Caroline hadn’t yet started the venture. With Ernst’s restrictions in place, she would likely be delayed in executing her plans. So, Eleanor decided to launch the business before Caroline could.

“I’m quite confident with Ceylon,” Milo said, after downing his milk in one gulp. “My father was born there.”

***