Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 23 Part 6

Eleanor didn’t answer immediately.

No, to be precise, she couldn’t.

All her senses had rushed to her lips, and her entire body tensed.

‘Should I avoid it?’

Lennoch didn’t seem like he would withdraw his hand until she gave him an answer. His index finger pressed firmly against her lips, causing Eleanor to shrink back a little.

He asked, respecting her intentions, but his trembling eyes, filled with a barely contained emotion, spoke of something else—he wanted her to stay.

“Y-Your Majesty…”

A sigh slipped through her lips, caught between her heated breath and Lennoch’s finger.

She hoped he hadn’t noticed how she felt.

Instinctively, Eleanor used her free hands to grab Lennoch’s hand, which still rested against her lips. It almost seemed as if she was drawing his hand closer, creating a strangely intimate scene.

At that moment, Lennoch’s eyes seemed to ignite.

“Ah…!”

Suddenly, her vision flipped, and Eleanor let out a startled cry.

The next thing she knew, she was no longer on top of him but instead lying on the sofa, her back against the soft cushions. Her eyes widened in shock.

A large, calloused hand touched her flushed cheek.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?”

Answer? What answer?

Eleanor’s blue eyes wavered, unable to focus. Today had been full of strange events, and Lennoch was no exception.

He leaned over her, supporting himself on his arm, his gaze burning with need.

What did he want from her?

“I…”

Her heart pounded uncontrollably, as if about to burst.

Lennoch drew closer, inch by inch. Her breathing hitched, her chest tightening.

There was no escaping it.

Instinctively, Eleanor’s hands found their way to his shoulders, gripping his firm frame. But not to push him away—rather, to steady her trembling hands.

Their faces drew closer, now separated by only a paper-thin distance.

His gaze, so intense, made her close her eyes without thinking.

The world seemed to stop.

Time, space, even her own being seemed to be suspended around him.

“Eli?”

“Haa—!”

Eleanor’s chest heaved as she finally exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Only then did she realize that her anxiety had caused her to forget to breathe for a moment.

Her shoulders shook as she tried to catch her breath. Lennoch, startled, watched her intently, worry evident in his green eyes.

“Are you all right? You weren’t breathing.”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

Lennoch tried to get up, seemingly ready to call for a doctor, but Eleanor quickly pulled him back.

“I was just…”

“Just what?”

“Startled, I guess.”

“…What?”

Lennoch let out a sigh, sounding almost disappointed.

“It was just a bit… overwhelming.”

“……”

“I tend to get anxious easily. But now that I’m breathing, I’m okay, so please, don’t call a doctor.”

Embarrassed, Eleanor tried to gloss over the situation. She couldn’t imagine having to explain what had just happened if a doctor were to come in. She’d likely cringe at the memory every night afterward.

‘How embarrassing.’

She couldn’t admit the truth. She had no real experience with men—not during her marriage with Ernst, nor at Hartmann. Could Lennoch even believe that everything they did together was a first for her?

Overwhelmed by her embarrassment, Eleanor looked away.

“So please, just don’t worry about it…”

“I’m sorry. I went too far.”

“Lennoch?”

Eleanor raised her head at the sudden apology. His tone made him sound like a criminal confessing his guilt.

His reaction was so unexpected that she felt a pang of surprise. Lennoch stood up, his face partly illuminated by the glow of the setting sun streaming through the window.

“It was my fault. I should have been more careful, so as not to startle you.”

“……”

“Truly, I’m sorry.”

‘But that wasn’t what I meant.’

Receiving such a heartfelt apology only made Eleanor more flustered. If this continued, she feared he might misunderstand even further.

She caught a glimpse of remorse in Lennoch’s eyes as he moved away from her. Without thinking, Eleanor reached out to him.

“……!”

Lennoch’s pupils dilated in shock as she suddenly embraced him.

“I’m really fine.”

“…Eleanor.”

“If I didn’t like it, I would have refused first.”

“……”

“I don’t want you to feel guilty over this. Instead, I’m sorry… I didn’t know I would hold my breath like that.”

Earlier, if anything, fear had been more overwhelming than nervousness. The look in his eyes when he tilted his head to gaze at her had felt dangerous.

“But I’m okay.”

Their bodies pressed close, and she could hear a faint, steady heartbeat—whether his or hers, she couldn’t tell.

Moved by her gentle reassurance, Lennoch’s previously uncertain hand began to move. He pulled her into a protective embrace, holding her tightly.

***

As always, the servants of the Hippias household waited at the entrance to greet their master.

The butler was the first to step out upon seeing the expected carriage arrive. It wasn’t just one person who got off when the door of the black-painted carriage opened.

“Welcome back.”

The butler bowed deeply in greeting.

Eleanor stepped down from the carriage with the assistance of a man. The butler widened his eyes upon seeing the familiar face.

‘No mask?’

The emperor, who usually wore a mask, was without it. It seemed quite strange.

Just yesterday, he remembered the emperor concealing his identity. Why, then, had he decided to forgo the mask today?

While the butler hesitated, unsure of how to address the emperor, Eleanor glanced back at Lennoch.

“I’ll be going in now.”

Surprisingly, Eleanor’s demeanor wasn’t much better. Like Lennoch, she seemed awkward. It was as if there were an invisible wall between them. The butler grew even more perplexed, noticing that they avoided each other’s gaze.

“I should be off now as well.”

Hiding his regret, Lennoch spoke while looking into the distance.

“See you tomorrow.”

“…Yes.”

Eleanor also replied without looking at him.

Only after the emperor boarded the carriage and the door closed completely did Eleanor finally straighten her head.

The imperial emblem was engraved on the wall of the carriage. Eleanor remained at the entrance, watching until the emperor’s carriage disappeared completely from sight.

“Madam?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

If she hadn’t been called, she might have stayed there endlessly. The butler looked at his mistress’s flushed cheeks with a peculiar expression.

Receiving the greetings of the household staff, Eleanor headed straight to her bedroom.

Becky, who dashed to the bedroom ahead of her, greeted Eleanor with delight.

“Oh my! Your dress is different from this morning.”

At Becky’s exclamation, Eleanor’s hazy eyes finally focused. Becky fussed over her, helping her change out of her dress.

“Goodness, this fabric is so thin. Did you wear this all day?”

“It’s fine. I had my coat on.”

“Still, it’s not okay. I’ll have this washed and stored away. It would be best to wear it in the coming spring.”

Eleanor added that the dress was a gift from the Empress Dowager herself. Becky, who admired the different texture, chattered on as she marveled.

“I wonder if that masked nobleman from yesterday will visit again.”

“……”

The ‘masked nobleman’ was referring to Lennoch. Eleanor, who was washing her hands in a basin, flinched at Becky’s words.

“He asked me to meet him again yesterday.”

“…Did he?”

“Yes. Maybe he foresaw this happening.”

Becky laughed playfully.

“If you keep wearing thin clothes like this, you’ll catch a cold again. Think of how sad that would make him after all he did to help you.”

Eleanor didn’t answer. Her cheeks, already pink, turned a deeper shade.

Becky dried Eleanor’s hands with a soft towel before tidying up the rest. As she left the room carrying the dress, Eleanor spoke.

“I’ll rest early today.”

“Yes, madam. Call for me if you need anything.”

After Becky left, Eleanor lay down on her bed as if collapsing into it. The soft bedding embraced her gently.

It was cozy, yet it did little to soothe her restless heart. Gazing up at the canopy, Eleanor whispered to herself.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Lennoch must have noticed her change.

He must have sensed her awkwardness.

She felt sorry, but this wasn’t something she could change just because she wanted to. Eleanor covered her face with her hand.

‘How did it come to this?’

The memory of his heartbeat against her body was still vivid. She had never imagined that comforting him would lead to such a shy and awkward emotion.

It was more than simple familiarity. It was a much deeper, more intense feeling.

“…He’s handsome.”

It was something she had never considered before. She had only recently begun to notice his looks.

Was that why her heart pounded like this?

“And kind.”

No one was kinder than him. There wasn’t anyone else in the palace who cared for her as much as he did.

“And his voice…”

It was more than pleasant—it was incredibly alluring.

“Wait. Can’t we stay like this, just for a while longer?”

The fragment of a memory abruptly surfaced, disrupting her thoughts.

Her face grew even hotter.

His low voice echoed in her mind.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?”

What answer had he wanted from her? And what should she have said in return?

Caught in her swirling emotions, Eleanor suddenly felt confused.

One thing was certain. They couldn’t go back to how they used to be—as if everything was simple and comfortable between them.

Like a box tightly packed with odds and ends, barely holding under its internal pressure, something in her heart stirred uneasily.

***

After returning home from work, Marquis Delph didn’t come out of his study for a long time. His servants whispered among themselves, noticing he hadn’t even eaten dinner.

Vivia, who arrived home late, went up to Marquis Delph’s study after hearing the news.

“Father, is something wrong?”

“Vivia.”

Marquis Delph, who had been leaning back, adjusted his posture.

For a brief moment, Vivia felt a chill. There was a peculiar coldness that crossed her father’s face—a face usually warm and familiar.

“It’s nothing,” Marquis Delph quickly corrected himself, smiling gently. “Did you have a good time with your friend?”

“Yes, nothing unusual happened,” Vivia answered awkwardly, nodding. She wasn’t sure of her father’s mood, but she felt it best not to provoke him right now.

As Vivia was about to leave the study, Marquis Delph called her back.

“How has His Majesty been lately?”

“Um…”

Vivia flinched instinctively at the question. She had tried multiple times to arrange another private meeting with the emperor, using her father’s authority as an excuse, but had failed.

The guards had blocked the entrance to his office entirely. The increased security made it impossible to meet the emperor, or even his aide Evan.

If she could have met Evan, she might have found some way to make an opportunity.

But she couldn’t tell her father everything—especially since, after the luncheon with the emperor, she had boasted confidently about being able to seduce him.

“His Majesty is the same as always. We’re still just having tea together, so there’s no real progress.”

Vivia tried to gloss over it, avoiding eye contact.

Marquis Delph observed his daughter carefully.

“I see. Then when do you think it will happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“When you’ll share a bed with His Majesty.”

“……!”

The blunt words caused Viviia’s face to harden slightly.