Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 28 Part 1

“……!”

Lady Jutland resisted, but overcoming two sturdy men was impossible.

The men, who had been waiting inside the carriage, quickly subdued her.

Unable to even scream, no one outside the carriage had any idea what was happening inside.

As the carriage raced on, one of the men grabbed her ankle.

Snap.

“……!”

The excruciating pain of her twisted ankle turned her face beet red.

When she tried to kick her leg, her broken ankle grotesquely dangled.

But the man’s torture didn’t stop there.

“Hold her tight.”

The man who had broken her ankle commanded the other holding her down.

The grip on her neck tightened.

Lady Jutland clawed at the man’s arm, leaving deep scratches in an attempt to escape.

Moments later, her other ankle was broken just as swiftly.

“…―!”

Her eyes rolled back from the shock, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She didn’t care who these people were or why they were doing this to her. Nothing mattered anymore.

She just wanted it to stop.

Silent sobs filled the carriage interior.

“Do you know whom you tried to harm today?”

The man’s voice was rough yet oddly polite, as if it were his natural tone.

Lady Jutland, disoriented, shook her head.

“You tried to lay hands on someone destined to ascend to the most honorable position in this nation. Your crime is immense.”

“…―!”

“What did you say?”

Muffled sounds continued to escape from her gagged mouth.

At a signal from the man who had broken her ankle, the grip restraining her was loosened.

Mixing groans with sobs, Lady Jutland babbled incoherently.

“Ele, Ele… anor…! Eleanor…!”

The man frowned upon hearing her mumbling.

He immediately ordered her gagged again.

Now bound, the man grabbed her wrist.

“―…!!”

The sound of her bone breaking was followed by her body convulsing.

Her trembling body signified the extreme pain she was enduring.

Though she narrowly avoided fainting, Lady Jutland’s ears were filled with the same calm, polite voice.

“That name is not one you can casually utter.”

“……!”

“Will you show proper respect from now on?”

Lady Jutland desperately nodded her head up and down.

Satisfied with her reaction, the man removed the gag from her mouth.

“I-I’m sorry… sorry…!”

She cried out in a trembling voice.

Her resolve to take revenge on Eleanor had completely dissolved.

She realized her mistake too late.

With a pale face, consumed by terror, Lady Jutland screamed like a banshee.

“Please spare me… spare me…!”

“Will you refrain from approaching Lady Eleanor ever again?”

“Yes, yes…! Yes!”

Had she known such merciless individuals stood behind Eleanor, she would never have agreed to Caroline’s request for revenge.

With both ankles broken and one wrist crushed, Lady Jutland sobbed uncontrollably.

Though her appearance was pitiable, the man’s expression remained impassive.

His demeanor suggested he was well-accustomed to such acts.

“Very well. However, His Majesty’s orders are absolute. Let’s ensure the last wrist is broken neatly before we leave.”

“Aaaagh…!”

“The command was to break all her limbs. I have no choice.”

Lady Jutland screamed as her mouth was forcibly gagged again.

Though she had endured enough pain, her struggles only increased the agony from her shattered bones.

The man calmly grabbed her remaining wrist.

“You are not to speak of today’s events to anyone. If even the slightest rumor links this incident to Lady Eleanor…”

Snap.

“…breaking your bones will be the least of your concerns.”

The man delivered his chilling warning as Lady Jutland’s consciousness began to fade.

28. A New Wind Blows Through the Imperial Palace

Nobles employed at the imperial palace were suddenly dismissed en masse.

Count Turin, responsible for the budget of the guards, abruptly resigned, while Count Jutland was imprisoned for embezzlement.

Viscount Yavich and Baron Craister fared no better.

Both were dismissed from their positions as clerks and officials, leaving significant vacancies in the imperial administration.

The shock of these sudden dismissals rippled through the ranks of nobles working at the palace.

“What on earth is this?”

Marquis Neto slammed the table in anger during a meeting.

In his hand was an official decree.

“Filling these vacant positions with commoners? What kind of absurdity is this?”

Aside from servants or attendants, most positions within the imperial palace were traditionally held by nobles.

Yet now, with Turin, Jutland, Yavich, and Craister ousted, their positions were to be given to commoners.

The decree even outlined a public examination schedule, suggesting the Emperor’s decision was final.

Like Marquis Neto, other nobles wore grim expressions.

For the first time, Marquis Mathia, who had previously remained neutral, joined the discussion.

“I heard those dismissed were plagued by issues. Replacing corrupt nobles with competent and honest commoners leaves little room for objection. Besides, there’s no law prohibiting commoners from holding these positions.”

“Even so, this cannot stand. If there are vacancies, nobles should have priority. Are we just to sit by while our rights are taken and given to commoners?”

“Then are you prepared to defy His Majesty’s will?”

“……”

Marquis Neto fell silent, realizing the danger of opposing the Emperor.

Marquis Mathia clicked his tongue and shook his head. “This is more than just about filling vacancies. His Majesty clearly has a greater purpose in mind.”

“What on earth is this?” Marquis Neto asked, his face twisted with frustration.

The other nobles in the meeting sent him silent looks, signaling their shared curiosity.

Under their concentrated gazes, Marquis Mathia sighed and finally spoke, “It means His Majesty will no longer turn a blind eye to us.”

“……!”

“If you don’t want to be ridiculed as nobles who couldn’t even keep their positions, you’d better start working hard.”

“……”

“What could be more humiliating than losing your position to a commoner?”

A chilling silence enveloped the meeting room.

“…It’s frightening,” Marquis Liege muttered quietly, breaking the silence.

Everyone seemed to agree with his sentiment.

Particularly Duke Nestor, whose dark expression made it look as if a storm cloud loomed over him.

His son Evan was still imprisoned.

‘The Emperor has changed.’

Marquis Delph thought to himself.

Until now, they had considered the Emperor to be moderate.

A leader who valued negotiating differences with the nobles had suddenly become resolute.

For the Emperor to draw his sword against them was no good sign.

Sensing the tension, Marquis Delph quickly assessed the atmosphere among the other nobles.

“Should we submit a petition to His Majesty?” Marquis Neto suggested, his spirit dampened. “We can’t just sit here and let this happen.”

But the other nobles didn’t rally to his suggestion. They feared drawing the Emperor’s ire by submitting a petition.

When no one supported his idea, Marquis Neto insisted he would proceed alone.

It was then that the meeting room door swung open.

“Apologies for being late.”

“Your Majesty.”

The Emperor entered the room with long strides, and the gathered nobles rose to their feet in unison to greet him.

The Emperor raised a hand, signaling them to sit, and got straight to the point.

“From today, we will establish clear criteria for attending meetings.”

“Pardon?”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

His abrupt announcement, as shocking as the earlier decree, left the nobles bewildered.

The Emperor gestured toward Eger, who followed him into the room.

Eger distributed documents across the table.

“Let’s start by reviewing these.”

The documents were summaries of legal interpretations.

Adding that they were based on imperial law, the Emperor read the key section aloud in a low voice:

[Regular meetings discussing important matters may also include certain officials with relevant positions and ranks. Specifically, only officials ranked grade four or higher are eligible to attend.]

“This interpretation will now be implemented. Take note.”

“So suddenly?”

Marquis Neto, overwhelmed by the series of shocks, let out a stunned groan.

The Emperor looked around the room calmly, his gaze indifferent to the stunned silence.

“They’re already waiting outside.”

“……!”

“Let them in.”

New faces began to enter the meeting room one by one.

It was only then that the nobles realized the room had more tables and chairs than usual.

The Emperor had planned everything from the beginning.

Struck by their third shock in such a short time, the nobles were left speechless.

Approximately ten new attendees entered.

The last to step in was the only woman among them.

“…Eleanor?”

Ernst, who had been watching the doorway, let out a breathless whisper.

Her hair neatly styled and her smile composed, Eleanor exuded confidence.

She took a seat next to Ernst.

His eyes, which had been anxiously following her graceful movements, wavered with uncertainty.

“Now, this feels like a proper meeting.”

Surveying the room filled with new attendees, Lennoch smirked faintly.

“Let’s begin.”

***

Ernst found it impossible to concentrate on the meeting.

Though he needed to review the materials before him, his gaze kept drifting sideways.

He knew it was uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn’t suppress his emotions.

Eleanor, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent to Ernst’s presence.

“This situation has taught us many lessons.”

Count Coyte, having secured the floor, stood and addressed the attendees.

“We cannot leave the Hartmann refugees as they are. For various reasons, we have postponed addressing this issue, but the recent incident with the false posters has shown us how easily it can be exploited.”

“……”

Duke Nestor kept his head lowered, unable to look up.

Count Coyte continued, “I hope we can make a clear decision about their status today. I believe we should accommodate them.”

“I agree.”

“So do I. Baden and Hartmann are now one. Treating them as outcasts is wrong.”

“I support this as well.”

As soon as Count Coyte finished speaking, a wave of agreement followed.

Most of the support came from the newly attending nobles.

Just as Marquis Neto opened his mouth to voice opposition, a calm, smooth voice interrupted.

“May I elaborate on this matter?”

It was Eleanor.

She fixed her gaze on the nobles seated opposite the Emperor.

Then, her eyes briefly met those of Marquis Delph.

His pale cheeks and faintly mysterious smile gave him an unsettling appearance.

“As you know, Hartmann’s economy collapsed, and it will take a long time to recover. The Hartmann people cross into Baden because their livelihoods are unstable.”

“We understand that. However, most cities refuse to accept refugees.”

“Recently, a fire destroyed more than half of Hadum’s slums.”

“……?

The focus shifted from the Hartmann refugees to Hadum.

Marquis Radsay tilted his head in confusion.

“Why bring up Kuhen now?”

“We plan to rebuild Kuhen.”

“……”

Eleanor’s explanation puzzled the attendees, who couldn’t grasp her intentions.

With a serene smile, she elaborated, “We will expand the city and include the Hartmann refugees in its population.”

“……!”

The meeting room turned cold, as if someone had poured ice water over it.