Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 29 Part 2

Ernst’s words caused Marquis Delph’s eyes to widen in surprise.

But he quickly nodded, agreeing with Ernst.

“You’re absolutely right. The Director has not been in the palace for long. It’s impossible for someone like her to propose such a large-scale project on her own.”

“……”

“It does seem, as you said, that His Majesty is pulling the strings.”

Though it was his own words, hearing them spoken aloud by another left a bitter taste in Ernst’s mouth.

Just then, Vincent entered with tea, and Ernst wordlessly gulped down the hot liquid.

‘So she’s chosen that path after all.’

The words Eleanor had spoken during their divorce came to mind.

She had claimed she would walk a path opposite to his, and now it seemed she truly meant it.

But the timing couldn’t have been worse.

‘Everything aligns too perfectly.’

After Evan’s imprisonment, Duke Nestor found himself groveling before the Emperor, begging for his son’s life.

Jutland, Yavich, Craister—nobles abruptly resigned one after another. In their place, commoners were recruited through public examinations.

Then, the rules for council participation were suddenly altered, and Eleanor was discreetly pushed forward to spearhead the city development plan.

“I must admit, I’m not pleased with the current atmosphere in the palace.”

For the first time, Marquis Delph expressed dissatisfaction with the Emperor’s growing influence.

Until now, the Emperor had maintained a neutral stance, but he was now clearly consolidating power.

Such shifts would inevitably provoke opposition among the nobles, if not immediately, then eventually.

“Actually, I met Count Yavich yesterday.”

“……?”

Seeing Ernst’s subtle reaction, Marquis Delph cautiously continued.

“For some reason, he seemed utterly terrified.”

The Count had been reluctant to answer questions, avoiding eye contact.

“As if he were being pursued.”

Of the three nobles who had recently resigned, Count Yavich was the only one Marquis Delph managed to meet.

Yet the encounter yielded no useful information.

Clearly nervous, the Count had eventually dismissed Marquis Delph, urging him to leave quickly.

“Have you heard anything, Duke?”

Marquis Delph’s voice lowered, betraying his unease.

Since the incident at Count Turin’s party, he had been probing for information related to the abrupt resignations of Jutland, Yavich, and Craister.

Though he suspected a connection to the failed scheme against Eleanor, solid evidence eluded him.

‘Did Caroline tell Duke Mecklen about it?’

The true reason Marquis Delph visited Ernst was his curiosity about what Caroline might have told him.

Marquis Delph suspected that the sudden resignations of Jutland, Yavich, and Craister were connected to the scheme orchestrated by Caroline to crush Eleanor at the time.

Otherwise, how could they all have been ousted from the imperial palace simultaneously?

However, while investigating the matter, he encountered complications.

‘Vivia is utterly useless.’

Vivia, who had attended Count Turin’s party, returned with nothing of value. If she had suffered the same fate as Lady Jutland, Marquis Delph would have immediately noticed.

But without sufficient information, he was left grasping at straws, leading him to visit Ernst in person.

Yet Ernst shook his head firmly.

“I’m unaware of anything beyond that.”

“…Is that so?”

Though disappointed, Marquis Delph maintained a calm expression.

As he suspected, that cunning woman must have kept her secrets from her son until the end.

Finding no indication that Ernst was hiding anything, Marquis Delph resigned himself to yet another dead end.

In a detached tone, he added a passing comment, “In any case, it’s regrettable. I only hope Eleanor doesn’t end up becoming a mere puppet of His Majesty. Speaking of which, Your Grace’s former wife…”

‘Huh?’

Marquis Delph’s eyes sparkled with interest as he trailed off. Ernst’s expression had noticeably darkened.

Normally, Ernst kept his emotions well-hidden, but something from earlier that morning had clearly shaken him.

Lost in deep thought, Ernst momentarily forgot that Marquis Delph was sitting right in front of him.

‘Where had he been since morning?’

The two of them had ridden in the same carriage, and the atmosphere had been strange.

The Emperor had acted as if he were showing off the fact that he was meeting Eleanor to everyone around him.

Beside him, Eleanor had worn a sky-blue dress with a high neckline. She had been smiling happily, a smile Ernst had never seen her wear in his presence.

Watching her from afar, Ernst suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

‘She does everything I hate…’

She was someone who had already left him.

What reason did he have to care?

There was no reason for him to hold onto her in his heart.

‘…So why do I want to take her back from the Emperor?’

It was disgusting and infuriating.

Ernst’s eyes gradually darkened with an unsettling aura.

From his position directly across from Ernst, Marquis Delph observed the Duke’s changing emotions with intrigue.

***

Pedro, upon returning to the country, went straight to the palace.

His aim was to meet his father, Duke Nestor.

As soon as Pedro appeared in the imperial palace, a few nobles recognized him and whispered amongst themselves.

“I heard he went abroad recently, but he seems to be back already?”

“He must be in a hurry because of his younger brother. To think he’d leave his work and rush back.”

“Lord Pedro doesn’t seem like someone who’d be of much help, though.”

Pedro could feel the nobles’ gazes and hear their murmurs, but he paid them no mind.

If the contents of the exchanged letters were correct, Evan’s life was hanging by a thread.

The fact that he arrived just days before the execution was fortunate enough.

Pedro sought out Duke Nestor’s office.

“Pedro!”

Duke Nestor jumped to his feet, welcoming his son warmly.

Consumed by worry for Evan, Duke Nestor’s face was gaunt from lack of proper meals.

After inquiring about his father’s health, Pedro continued the conversation.

“Is it possible to visit Evan?”

“No, not at all. His Majesty has issued such strict orders that even bribes won’t work. There’s absolutely no way.”

The pride of being the wealthiest duke in the empire felt meaningless.

The surrounding nobles had long since turned their backs, valuing their lives above all else.

Rumors were circulating that this rebellion charge was being treated as a treasonous act of the highest order, akin to regicide. No one dared step forward to help Evan.

“It’s infuriating to see everyone withdrawing their support. Those who used to swarm me for crumbs are now treating me with cold indifference. It’s utterly enraging.”

Duke Nestor lamented bitterly, overcome with frustration.

To watch his son await execution while he was powerless to intervene weighed heavily on him, tormenting him mentally.

Was this what it felt like to be an animal pushed to the edge of a cliff?

Understanding the situation, Pedro lightly stroked his father’s thin hand.

Although it seemed impossible to sway the Emperor’s firm will, Pedro was determined to do everything in his power.

“I’ll make a plea.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

Having been turned away countless times, Duke Nestor sounded skeptical.

Pedro shook his head at his father’s words. “Before I go to His Majesty, there is someone else I must see.”

“……?”

“Lady Eleanor might be able to help.”

***

Count Hilda, visiting the Emperor’s palace for the first time in a long while, greeted him politely.

Standing beside him was Eleanor.

It had been their first meeting since the New Year’s celebration, and after exchanging light pleasantries, Count Hilda retrieved a glass bottle from his bag.

Inside the transparent bottle was a purple flower.

“Have there been any developments in the investigation?”

“My apologies, but not yet…”

Despite being a scholar renowned in the empire for his expertise in botany, Count Hilda was embarrassed by the lack of progress.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “It is certain that this flower is rare in the Baden Empire. It seems it may have come from another country. I’m also looking into the possibility that it’s a hybrid species.”

“Did Empress Edea really drink tea made from this flower?”

Eleanor, who had been observing, interjected into the conversation.

Lennoch nodded in response. “This is the flower I mentioned before. Saruka had been secretly cultivating it in Hadum. Though his plans were thwarted due to El Gino’s collapse.”

“I’ve seen this flower before.”

“This flower?”

Eleanor couldn’t take her eyes off the glass bottle as she muttered.

“It’s in my room as well.”

This flower had been given to her by the missing child from Hadum.

She had pressed and dried it, placing it between the pages of a book, which was now stored at Hippias.

Eleanor also remembered seeing a similar blue flower in the Empress Dowager’s garden.

“I also saw this in Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s garden.”

“Goodness.”

“But the color was different. Its shape resembles this flower… no, it’s identical.”

Eleanor, recalling an old memory, murmured to herself.

At that, Count Hilda’s face lit up. “A flower of a different color?”

“Yes. It was blue. I asked Baroness Berenice about it, but she didn’t know either.”

Eleanor had also searched through plant books at Winston Palace but found no information.

Count Hilda quickly asked another question, “Do you remember where it bloomed?”

“I haven’t seen it since. Oh, Baroness Berenice said she’d look into it herself, so perhaps she remembers.”

“That’s more than enough.”

Count Hilda was genuinely delighted.

Examining the roots could yield more clues.

Moreover, the existence of a blue flower meant a direct comparison could determine if these flowers were naturally occurring or artificially engineered as poisons.

Overflowing with enthusiasm, Count Hilda exclaimed, “I’ll find it immediately, Your Majesty.”

“Do so.”

Count Hilda swiftly stood up.

Watching the passionate scholar disappear in an instant, the two remaining individuals chuckled at his hasty exit.

Just then, a knight guarding the entrance entered to deliver a report.

After saluting, the knight spoke concisely, “My apologies for interrupting, Your Majesty. Someone has come seeking the Director.”

“Who is it?”

“It is Lord Pedro of House Nestor.”

According to their knowledge, Pedro had been overseas for some time.

The fact that he had suddenly returned to the country to seek her out…

Realizing the implications, Eleanor turned to look at the Emperor.

Lennoch, meeting her gaze, smiled leisurely, as if to say, ‘Do as you wish.’

***

Sleepless nights continued without end.

Evan stared blankly at the hard piece of bread in his hand.

It was so tough that biting into it was nearly impossible. A thin soup was provided to soak it in, but even that didn’t make him want to eat.

At this rate, he might starve to death before his execution.

‘I wish someone would come, anyone.’

The thought that even his brother, whom he had so despised, would be a welcome sight made him realize just how far gone he was.

A hollow laugh escaped his lips, but contrary to his laughter, his eyes began to well up with tears.

Soon enough, they would spill over again.

Whenever that happened, he would cry until his voice was hoarse.

No matter how much he cried, the guards only came by during mealtimes and never for any other reason.

Evan’s sobs, filled with sorrow, grew louder.

Plop.

The bread fell from his hand as Evan finally gave in to his tears.

Lately, his tears seemed to come at any moment, leaving the skin around his eyes raw and chapped.

It stung and burned, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

A lonely prison where no one came.

The inevitable approach of death.

Hunger and sorrow.

And regret.

As he lay face down, crying his heart out, it happened.

Click. Creeeak.

“……?”

The sudden intrusion of light startled Evan, causing him to hiccup mid-sob.

Having grown accustomed to the darkness, his eyes were now sensitive to the brightness.

Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his face, squinting against the glare.

The stranger who entered hesitated briefly upon seeing Evan’s pitiful state.

The guard accompanying the visitor quickly spoke up.

“This isn’t our doing.”

It was a feeble attempt to save face in front of the nobleman.

Even as the guard explained that their duties were limited to delivering meals on time, the visitor remained silent.

It took some time for Evan’s eyes to adjust to the light, allowing him to make out the figure approaching him.

His disbelief was evident as his trembling eyes focused on the man.

“…Brother?”

A cracked and raspy voice escaped from his lips.

It was so faint and weak that one would have to strain to hear it.

Pedro extended a hand toward his hesitant younger brother.

“Let’s go.”