Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 23 Part 1

Recently, Evan had managed to insert a financial manager he introduced into the Balkan Trading Company, led by the Marquis of Delph. Naturally, this financial manager was loyal to Nestor.

But with the recent turn of events, the suspicious marquis would soon dismiss that manager.

“If things continue like this, we might achieve nothing and end up being kicked out of the Balkan Trading Company. We’ve invested so much in the marquis already.”

While the eldest son, Pedro, handled the overseas business, the second son, Evan, was responsible for expanding Nestor’s influence domestically.

Countless nobles had passed through Evan’s gaze and ears, and if he were to name some of the most difficult individuals, the Marquis of Delph would undoubtedly be among them.

‘I worked so hard to deal with that suspicious bastard.’

Moreover, the Nestor family was tied to the Empress Dowager’s lineage, making it even more challenging to initially approach the Marquis of Delph.

The thought of having to behave like a desperate dog just to earn his trust still made Evan grind his teeth.

Fortunately, the Duke of Nestor’s political stance was the complete opposite of the Empress Dowager, which somewhat alleviated Delph’s suspicion. Yet, just with the appearance of his brother, his carefully laid plans had been toppled in an instant.

“I’m sorry, brother. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Forget it.”

Even though Pedro sincerely apologized, Evan dismissed him. He had lost a chance to become the next head of the Nestor family, and no kind words could make up for that.

Moreover, even after he complained that everything had gone awry because of his brother, his father’s gaze toward Pedro remained unchanged.

“I’m sorry, Father. I didn’t understand the mood of the palace.”

“It’s all right, Pedro. You didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just your nature, and I can’t fault you for it.”

‘Brother, brother, always about my brother.’

Watching his father affectionately pat Pedro’s shoulder, Evan’s eyes narrowed.

Even though Evan excelled academically, was skilled at navigating social situations, and took charge of all his father’s plans, the Duke of Nestor always showed favor to Pedro, his eldest.

It fueled Evan’s jealousy even more.

“However, Evan isn’t wrong either.”

Thankfully, the Duke of Nestor accepted his second son’s reasonable concerns.

“We can’t let Delph have another empress.”

Initially, the plan had been to attach his son to the Marquis of Delph to expand Nestor’s influence. But as time went on, they learned more about the Delph family’s underground dealings, particularly those conducted under the shadow of successive empresses, and decided they couldn’t let it continue.

“He acts like a saint on the surface, but at his core, he’s no different from a villain.”

“The Marquis of Delph?”

“Yes. Even the emperor is likely deceived by his facade.”

The Duke of Nestor clicked his tongue and continued, “Who would’ve known that the Marquis of Delph was such a major player in underground affairs?”

“……”

“We only recently uncovered the existence of his secret dealings. Even then, we don’t know the full extent, which is frustrating.”

Pedro blinked his eyes, looking like a docile ox. “Shouldn’t we inform His Majesty, then? What he’s done is wrong.”

“Absolutely not.” The Duke of Nestor shook his head.

Pedro was his most beloved son, but sometimes he was frustratingly naive.

Honesty.

For that reason, despite his abilities, Pedro was not suitable to be the next head of the Nestor family.

The duke explained to Pedro, “On the contrary, we should use this to our advantage. This is our chance to swallow up Delph’s underground business. If we hand it over to the emperor, the whole operation will be dismantled.”

“I see.”

“Our goal is to take over the business and then pull out. And we absolutely cannot allow Vivia to become the empress.”

If Vivia became empress, the Marquis of Delph would continue to covertly expand his business, riding on the power of his daughter’s position.

The mere thought of the marquis amassing vast sums of wealth made the Duke of Nestor’s stomach churn.

How much would all that add up to?

The Duke of Nestor was a man who valued money above all else.

Then, Pedro scratched the back of his head. “But Vivia doesn’t seem like she’ll become empress.”

“……?”

“She sure can eat.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I had lunch with His Majesty the other day. Vivia tried to match my eating pace. She was the first person who ever kept up with me.”

“…That’s remarkable in its own way.” The Duke of Nestor, who was well aware of Pedro’s appetite, made a strange expression.

Evan, who was next to him, squinted slightly. “Brother, it’s not about that. Vivia was just trying to impress the emperor.”

“Oh?”

“It was a meal served by the emperor himself. He kept offering food, and she couldn’t refuse, so she kept eating.”

Vivia had probably ended up with a stomachache when she returned home. Hearing Evan’s explanation, the Duke of Nestor chuckled.

“What an odd situation. It was strange enough that the emperor invited you all to lunch. Is he truly interested in Vivia?”

“Not Vivia, but Brianna from the Liege family, Father,” Evan stated firmly. “I told you, I saw Brianna enter the emperor’s private quarters.”

“If that’s the case, it makes sense…”

“We absolutely must secure Brianna. I’ve been keeping a close watch on the Marquis of Liege, so you don’t have to worry.”

The Duke of Nestor nodded, taking Evan’s word as truth.

Pedro tried to voice another opinion, but Evan silenced him before he could interfere, leaving him no choice but to close his mouth.

As their father and brother continued discussing how to handle the Marquis of Delph, Pedro scratched his head again.

‘Strange.’

To me, it seemed like His Majesty was more interested in a woman named Eleanor.

23. Deepening Feelings

The next day, Eleanor woke up feeling refreshed.

Although the butler had informed her that it was all right to delay her return to the palace, she had no intention of neglecting her duties. She arrived at her post at the scheduled time, and Brianna greeted her with surprised eyes.

“Lady Eleanor, I heard you were sick yesterday?”

“How did you know?”

“Sir Eger came by. He said you went home early because of it.”

“Ah.”

It seemed Lennoch had explained things to everyone on her behalf.

Brianna spoke in a sharp tone, “I heard your cold was quite bad. Are you sure it’s okay for you to be here? Why don’t you go and rest?”

“I have work to do.”

“And what if you get really sick? I can’t be responsible for that.”

Brianna spoke with a sullen expression, as if scolding her. Despite her seemingly complaining tone, Eleanor knew her words came from a place of genuine concern.

Eleanor smiled and shook her head. “I’m really fine. The medicine I took yesterday worked wonders.”

Thanks to Lennoch, who had looked after her like it was his own concern, she had recovered quickly.

Eleanor thought back to how Lennoch had stayed by her side until she fell asleep. Even through her drowsiness from the medication, she could remember the unwavering concern in his eyes.

Come to think of it, what was that sensation she felt on her temple back then…?

“Oh? Your face is turning red. Is it because of the cold?”

“…Maybe.”

“See? You’re not completely better yet.”

Suddenly, her face felt hot. Since morning, Eleanor had been experiencing an unusual reaction whenever she thought of Lennoch, and she couldn’t quite explain it to Brianna.

She took her seat but tried to fan her flushed cheeks with her hand.

“Just rest while you’re sitting. I can tell His Majesty—”

“No, you can’t do that.”

Eleanor quickly stopped Brianna, who was about to leave the room.

It might just be her imagination, but she felt like if the emperor heard she was unwell, Lennoch would come running. She didn’t want to inconvenience him further.

“Please keep it a secret from His Majesty.”

“A secret?”

“I don’t want to make him worry. I’ll be fine after a bit more rest.”

Brianna eyed her doubtfully, but Eleanor just smiled to ease her concerns.

She truly felt fine. The bigger problem was her heart, which seemed to be beating irregularly rather than any lingering fever or headache.

Deciding to ignore those confusing thoughts, Eleanor changed the subject.

“Was there anything unusual yesterday?”

“Oh, a report came in.”

Brianna handed her a document she had prepared.

It had arrived the previous afternoon. The main focus of the report was the need to determine specific places for the Hartmann refugees currently housed in temporary shelters to settle.

After listening to Brianna’s explanation, Eleanor sank into thought.

“There’s a lot of debate among the nobility over where to resettle the refugees.”

“The temporary shelters are still located near the border, correct?”

“Yes. The number of refugees has decreased with the colder weather, but the shelters are already at full capacity. The nearby villages can’t take in any more people.”

“……”

Finding land for them to live on had become an urgent issue, just as it had been when she had helped Lennoch with his affairs in his private quarters.

Opposition figures, including Marquis Neto, had consistently insisted on driving them away.

“How much of the land is owned by nobles?”

“I’m not sure. We would need to consult the Land Management Office for those details.”

“It’s a bit of a hassle, but could you mark it out clearly for me? Also, check if there’s any unclaimed land.”

“Got it.” Nodding, Brianna gathered the documents and tapped them on the desk.

As she was about to take some additional paperwork out with her, Brianna suddenly paused, as if remembering something.

“Oh, one more thing.”

“One more thing?”

“It’s about Vivia.”

The mention of that name instantly caught Eleanor’s attention.

When Eleanor looked up, Brianna squinted her eyes in disapproval.

“She came to the palace again yesterday while you were gone.”

Luckily for Vivia, she hadn’t run into Brianna at the time. Brianna added that if they had crossed paths, there might have been quite an argument.

“She tried to enter His Majesty’s office but was immEdeately blocked before she could even get near.”

“Blocked?”

“New guards have been stationed in the area. For security reasons, they’ve made it clear that no civilians are allowed to enter.”

“……”

This hadn’t happened during the luncheon a while back; it must have been implemented recently.

Eleanor remembered Vivia’s futile efforts to catch Lennoch’s interest. Lennoch was not the type to be easily swayed by someone like her.

“It’s amusing, but I doubt Vivia will give up that easily. It makes me uneasy.”

“I agree.”

Just as Brianna said, Eleanor couldn’t imagine Vivia backing down without a fight.

Vivia was incredibly tenacious. Even at the luncheon, she had continued to eat despite being full, just to leave a good impression on the emperor—a feat that required considerable determination.

‘And there’s something else that bothers me.’

Countess Müller.

Though it was just a suspicion for now, Eleanor couldn’t ignore the unsettling feeling it gave her.

Why did it have to be so similar to Edea’s death? It seemed too coincidental that Vivia turned out to be Edea’s sister.

Once Russell was brought in, they could investigate Countess Müllerr’s death further. Perhaps more clues would surface.

Since nothing was confirmed yet, Eleanor decided to discuss the information broker with Brianna later.

“I’ll be off then.”

“Take care.”

Brianna left the office, humming a tune. Despite her complaints, it seemed the work she did with Eleanor suited her well.

As Eleanor was left alone and began to ponder deeply, a knock sounded at the door.

“Good day, I’m here from the West Palace.”

The visitor was the chamberlain serving under the Empress Dowager, someone Eleanor was familiar with.

Eleanor greeted him warmly, but the chamberlain politely declined the tea she offered.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager wishes to see you.”

There was no need to ask why. Considering that she had sent someone, Eleanor assumed it was a matter requiring discretion.

After the chamberlain left, she quickly organized the documents she had been reviewing. Since she might not be back by the time Brianna returned, she left a note on the desk explaining her absence.

After tidying her attire, Eleanor left her office.

The path across the garden leading from the main palace remained as always. She arrived at the West Palace and was walking down the hallway, about to turn a corner, when—

“……!”

“Kyaaah!”

Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out, accompanied by water splashing everywhere.