Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 21 Part 5

There was a woman who instantly captured the attention of passersby.

Her voluminous, wavy hair perfectly matched the blood-red dress she wore. A lace choker wrapped around her neck and black mesh gloves adorned her hands, making her stand out even without any flashy accessories. The long hem of her dress swept the floor as she walked. This striking figure was none other than Vivia of the House of Delph.

‘Today, I will meet the Emperor.’

She had confirmed through her father that once the morning meeting was over, the Emperor had no further external engagements. Although she had failed to fully deal with the bothersome Brianna, Vivia planned to visit the Emperor regularly to make a lasting impression.

Thinking of Brianna naturally reminded her of yesterday’s humiliation.

‘If that woman, Eleanor, continues to act proud just because the Emperor trusts her, I’ll kill her.’

Vivia glared into the air, her eyes burning with rage.

There was no way Brianna had already scheduled a lunch meeting with the Emperor today, right? If that were the case, no matter what her father said, Vivia had no intention of sitting idly by. She had killed Countess Müller easily; dealing with Brianna wouldn’t be any harder.

It was as she was hatching these schemes that the phrase “one meets their enemy on a narrow bridge” came true. Vivia’s lips twisted as she spotted a woman walking toward her from the opposite direction.

It was Eleanor, the woman from their intense encounter yesterday.

“Are you Eleanor of Hippias?”

Vivia was the first to speak, causing Eleanor to stop in her tracks. Their gazes briefly locked in midair. Vivia covered her mouth with a fan and smiled.

“We met yesterday, didn’t we?”

“……”

Eleanor didn’t respond right away.

Where was the trembling lady from yesterday? The Vivia standing before her now was brimming with arrogance. There was something about the way Vivia’s eyes glinted that reminded Eleanor of Brianna. However, while Brianna was like a fierce cat, Vivia resembled a giant snake from the tropical forests, the kind rumored to devour people whole.

Eleanor smiled faintly. “It seems there are many animals to be caught.”

“Animals?”

“Never mind.”

Eleanor decided to ignore Vivia. She was on her way from the Empress Dowager’s palace. She should have made her formal introduction earlier, but her conversation with the Empress Dowager had gone on for so long that it was now almost lunchtime. Although meeting Vivia outside the Emperor’s office was a bit irksome, it wasn’t enough to bother Eleanor, so she intended to walk past her and head inside.

However, Vivia blocked her path.

“Excuse me.”

“……?”

“When someone greets you, isn’t it polite to respond?”

Considering how Vivia had once ignored Norah, her statement was quite ironic. Eleanor blinked slowly, feigning ignorance.

“But Lady Vivia didn’t greet me either.”

“How absurd. I acknowledged you first, didn’t I? What are you talking about?”

“Ah, do you mean calling my name just now? Was that your idea of a greeting?”

“Exactly.”

It was less of a greeting and more of a condescending remark. It bordered on outright disrespect. Eleanor’s smile grew wider.

“It seems Lady Vivia is unfamiliar with proper etiquette.”

“What?”

“I believe there is a distinct difference in rank between nobles holding official positions and the children of ordinary nobles.”

As the daughter of Marquis Delph, Vivia’s rank was higher among her peers, the young daughters of noble families. However, Eleanor was officially registered as the adopted daughter of the late Count Hippias and held the title of Director within the imperial government. In other words, Vivia had no right to address Eleanor so casually or reprimand her.

Vivia’s face flushed with embarrassment. “What does that have to do with anything? I’m a guest here to meet His Majesty. I’m not here to debate ranks with you.”

“Did you receive permission to enter the Emperor’s office?”

“……!”

Not just anyone could meet the Emperor. In the palace, only undersecretaries and those with higher ranks, or heads of their respective departments, could freely enter the Emperor’s office without requesting an audience.

Eleanor shook her head slightly.

‘It’s so obvious.’

The security around the Baden imperial family was far from lax. During her time serving as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager, Eleanor had realized how stringent the rules were. Anyone entering the Emperor’s palace needed to meet strict conditions, and Vivia hadn’t met them. She should have been stopped at the gate.

‘She must have used her father as an excuse to get in.’

There could have been some sort of deal between the guard at the gate and the House of Delph. Or perhaps, given the Delph family’s history of producing Empresses, the guard was thinking of future favors and allowed her entry.

Eleanor thought, ‘Just as I suspected,’ while watching Vivia fail to come up with a proper retort.

“It seems you still have much to learn, Lady Vivia. You don’t even know the basics of palace etiquette.”

“……!”

“Why don’t you return to the audience chamber and follow the proper procedure?”

Eleanor’s suggestion was sincere, but Vivia took it as a deliberate insult. She believed Eleanor was mocking her to get revenge for what happened yesterday.

“Are you still holding a grudge over what happened yesterday?”

“Yesterday?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you and Brianna are close.”

Vivia had heard from her father that Eleanor and Brianna had worked together as ladies-in-waiting for the Empress Dowager. Vivia assumed Eleanor was now seeking revenge for the way she had treated Brianna.

‘How arrogant.’

Furious, Vivia snapped her fan shut with a loud clack.

‘My plan was completely ruined yesterday because of her.’

If only I hadn’t been so frightened by that ridiculous vase…

“You…!”

Vivia took a step closer to Eleanor. The hard edge of her fan grazed Eleanor’s skin, and Vivia was ready to strike her across the face. But despite her intent, Vivia found herself unable to go through with it.

A low voice suddenly interrupted.

“What are you doing here?”

“Your Majesty?”

Startled, Vivia awkwardly turned her head. The Emperor was standing just outside the office, frowning slightly. Pedro and Evan stood beside him.

***

The head chef preparing the Emperor’s lunch was in a panic due to the unexpected guests. The food he had prepared was nowhere near enough for five people. After a tremendous effort, the staff finally managed to serve the food just as the Emperor and his guests arrived.

“You’re here, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The Emperor was usually either alone or dining one-on-one with high-ranking nobles, so the group accompanying him today was quite unusual. The attendants swiftly pulled out the chairs to help the guests settle comfortably. The Emperor glanced at the people sitting on either side of him.

“Please, help yourselves.”

“We are honored, Your Majesty.”

On the right sat Eleanor and Pedro. On the left were Vivia and Evan. The group had met in front of the Emperor’s office and come to the dining room together.

An awkward atmosphere seemed to hang between the people at the table, but the attendants focused solely on their duties. As everyone sipped the rich soup, Vivia quickly turned to the Emperor.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for graciously inviting me to lunch. I must have inconvenienced you.”

Vivia’s tone was completely different from when she had been speaking to Eleanor. It was so sweet that Evan furrowed his brows, though Vivia paid no attention to him or anyone else.

Evan grumbled internally, ‘How unlucky to run into her here.’

Who could have predicted that the two women—Vivia and Eleanor—would be standing together in front of the Emperor’s office?

Evan had been anxious the entire time, afraid that news about his brother Pedro might reach the Marquis of Delph. Unable to avoid the situation, he had reluctantly agreed to Vivia joining them for lunch.

‘If it weren’t for my brother…’

Pedro, oblivious to his brother’s discomfort, boomed with laughter as he spoke, “My brother seems to be quite fond of Lady Vivia.”

“Pffft!”

Evan, caught off guard, spat out the water he had been drinking. Fortunately, he hadn’t been holding much, so nothing splashed around the table. Vivia looked at him with clear disgust, but Evan was too shocked by Pedro’s words to care.

Pedro continued his outrageous statements, “I’ve never seen him like this before. He even asked His Majesty to invite her for lunch. You’re just like any other man, Evan. Haha!”

“Like her? No, no, it’s a misunderstanding! I absolutely don’t!” Evan shouted in a panic, horrified by what his brother was implying. Pedro’s comment was ruining everything.

Marquis Delph and Vivia were aiming for the position of Empress, while Evan was supporting Brianna of the Liege family, in line with their father’s wishes. And now Pedro was carelessly linking him to Vivia?

As Evan desperately shook his head, the Emperor’s calm voice cut through the tension.

“That’s why I seated you and Lady Vivia together.”

“……!”

“I could sense there was something special between you two.”

Evan almost stood up in shock. The same could be said for Vivia, whose previously smiling face had now turned rigid. Her hands trembled slightly.

‘I thought he had agreed so readily because he was fond of me… but that wasn’t it?’

Her head spun as if she had been struck. She wanted to shout, but instead, Vivia gripped her fork tightly. If she allowed her emotions to get the better of her here, the Emperor would think she was unfit for the role of Empress. She needed to remain calm and graceful.

Forcing a smile, Vivia spoke, “Oh, Your Majesty, you’re too much. I could never be involved with Lord Evan.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Lord Evan is far too… frail for my taste.”

Evan winced at the insult, biting the inside of his cheek.

What’s wrong with me?

But despite his annoyance, Evan couldn’t argue. He was terrified that the Emperor might pair him with Vivia again.

“…My apologies if I don’t meet your tastes, Lady.”

His words came out slurred, as he ground his teeth in frustration. Both Evan and Vivia glared at Pedro, who remained oblivious, happily devouring his meal.

As the tension between the two continued to rise, the dining room grew increasingly awkward. The only sounds were the occasional clinking of cutlery.

When the main course had almost been served, the Emperor’s gaze settled on Eleanor’s plate.