Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 29 Part 3

Evan didn’t ask where they were going. Anywhere would be better than where he was now.

Taking his brother’s hand, Evan slowly got up from his seat.

The prison guard cleared his throat after seeing Evan’s condition as he left with Pedro.

‘Why does he look so ruined? It makes us look like we’ve done something wrong.’

Evan’s appearance, briefly illuminated by the light, was disheveled beyond words. What on earth did he suffer alone in prison to end up like this?

Grumbling to himself, the guard followed the brothers.

“Take care on your way.”

With the guards seeing them off, the brothers walked side by side out of the dark prison.

When the door opened and bright light suddenly engulfed them, Evan flinched dramatically. His eyes felt twice as painful as they had moments ago.

Pedro patiently stood by, waiting for Evan to adjust to the outside world.

Once Evan finally calmed down after a long while, Pedro led him again toward the main palace.

‘Why did he come?’

As he rubbed his still-stinging eyes, Evan couldn’t help but wonder.

Surely his brother hated him too.

Evan hadn’t been a good younger brother.

Looking back on his life from within the prison, he thought his brother probably found him so detestable that he’d have wanted to kill him at least once.

Though he desperately wanted to ask, Evan held his tongue.

“Isn’t that the second son of House Nestor?”

“Where?”

As palace servants recognized Evan, they exclaimed in surprise.

All of them seemed particularly interested in how wretched he looked.

Ashamed, Evan hung his head low.

Walking a path akin to one of penance, enduring the discomfort of many eyes, they finally arrived at the third reception room of the main palace—a place rarely visited by others.

“You’ve arrived.”

“……!”

Upon hearing the clear voice, Evan’s eyes widened in shock.

The person waiting in the reception room was someone he knew very well.

“My apologies for being late, Lady Eleanor.”

“It’s fine. I haven’t waited long.”

“Evan.”

It was Eleanor and Duke Nestor.

Evan narrowed his eyes in disbelief at the sight of his father with her.

He was already stunned that his brother had taken him out of the prison, but how could his father have arranged to be here waiting for him?

Before Evan could even begin to process his questions, Eleanor spoke first, inviting them to sit.

“Both of you, please sit here.”

Pedro wasn’t his usual boisterous self.

And Duke Nestor, who was heartbroken at the sight of Evan, reacted similarly.

Not wanting to interrupt the long-awaited reunion between father and son, Eleanor took hold of a tray that had been resting against the wall.

She intended to serve the tea herself.

However, Duke Nestor, alarmed, stopped her immediately.

“I’ll do it. Please, Director, have a seat.”

“It’s not difficult. I enjoy brewing tea, so I’ll do it.”

“No, this is something I must do.”

Duke Nestor shook his head so firmly that his face turned pale.

Compared to his formerly imposing demeanor, he now seemed strangely servile.

His behavior stemmed from the clear understanding of his current position—one in which he was indebted to Eleanor.

Unable to argue with the insistent Duke, Eleanor reluctantly returned to her seat.

As she observed Evan sitting across from her, Eleanor cautiously broke the silence.

“Your face has changed a lot.”

“……”

It wasn’t an empty observation.

Due to the lack of proper meals and sleep deprivation in the darkness, Evan’s complexion was pale.

His eyes were bloodshot, his previously neat hair disheveled, and the fox-like glint in his gaze, once accompanied by a sly smile, was replaced with anxiety and urgency.

Most noticeably, his confidence had vanished entirely.

The subdued Evan, now glancing around nervously, was a far cry from his former self.

In the awkward silence, Duke Nestor placed cups of tea steeped in warm water in front of each of them.

“Please, drink the tea first.”

Eleanor was the first to lift her teacup.

As she moved, the eyes of all three men followed her simultaneously.

‘This is overwhelming.’

Although she had agreed to Pedro’s request, Eleanor hadn’t expected Duke Nestor to be this desperate.

She had noticed his impatience when he had been practically expelled by the Emperor, but still…

As Eleanor sipped her tea, she glanced around.

“Unfortunately, the visiting time isn’t long. Please, drink while the tea is warm.”

Despite her encouragement, none of the three men moved to touch their tea.

They lacked the mental space to enjoy it.

Even the usually outgoing Pedro remained silent, a testament to the gravity of their feelings.

Thinking of the hardships Evan had endured in the cold prison, Eleanor offered the tea to him first.

Then, suddenly, she noticed the wounds on the back of Evan’s hand as he gripped his teacup.

“Lord Evan, your hand…?”

From what she had heard, he hadn’t been tortured.

Even though his execution date had been set, it was hard to imagine that the guards would have dared to harm the son of a duke.

Before she could ask how he had been injured, Evan abruptly stood as if making a monumental decision.

His already reddened eyes bulged as if the blood vessels might burst at any moment.

“E-Evan…!”

Startled by his son’s expression, Duke Nestor called out in a low voice.

This wasn’t the time for such behavior—he should be groveling before Eleanor instead.

As the Duke hurriedly rose from his seat, Evan had already approached Eleanor.

Eleanor looked up at him silently as he stood close in front of her.

And then.

Thud.

“……?”

“I’m sorry.”

Without hesitation, Evan knelt on the floor, murmuring softly.

Duke Nestor let out a faint gasp of surprise at his younger son’s apology, but Evan seemed unconcerned.

Tears had begun to well up in his eyes.

“I’m sorry… I was wrong…”

“Lord Evan.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Eleanor… I’ll never do it again.”

The tears that had been trickling down suddenly turned into a torrent.

“If you wish, I’ll come to you every day to beg for forgiveness. I’ll do whatever I can to atone…”

Evan’s voice, choked with sobs, conveyed his sincerity.

In the darkness of the prison, he had been filled with endless regret.

Why had he done such a thing?

Had he been under some wicked spell?

If only he had controlled his anger at that moment.

No, if only he had listened to his father and brother’s words.

“I regret it so much… I was foolish.”

Watching Evan admit his wrongdoings, Duke Nestor’s eyes reddened.

“You were right, Father…”

Though he thought he had shed all his tears in prison before Pedro arrived, more seemed to remain.

With his swollen, raw eyes, Evan wept noisily, hiccupping as he cried.

“I was wrong to think that way and to act so recklessly. I’m sorry to my brother as well. For the harsh words I spoke that day… No, I’m sorry for everything. To Lady Eleanor, to Father, to my brother, and to the people of Hartmann who nearly bore false accusations because of me… I apologize.”

Seeing his younger brother pour out his heart while crying, Pedro’s expression grew even darker.

Unable to hold back any longer, Duke Nestor moved to Evan’s side.

Then, he knelt beside his son in front of Eleanor.

“Lady Eleanor, I have failed as a father. I will do whatever it takes to ensure he never entertains such foolish thoughts again.”

“Father…”

“Be it fines, corporal punishment, or any other penalty, I will bear it. Please, spare his life. In my greed to accumulate wealth, I led my son astray. If you could speak to His Majesty for clemency, I will forever be in your debt. Whatever you wish, I will do it.”

Seeing his father and younger brother kneeling side by side, Pedro could no longer hold back his anguish and let out a pained groan.

When Pedro tried to kneel alongside his family, Eleanor stopped him.

She hadn’t agreed to meet them to receive apologies from Pedro or his family.

Looking at Evan and Duke Nestor, who were both fervently apologizing, Eleanor finally replied softly, “First, I want to hear about what happened.”

Why had they devised the fake posters to make it seem like the Hartmann refugees were responsible?

“Can you explain it in detail?”

Eleanor handed her handkerchief to the still-crying Evan.

***

Having finished his urgent approvals, the Emperor glanced at the clock.

The day’s work was over, and most palace staff had already left.

Normally, he would have gone to see Eleanor, but instead, he sat tapping the table with his fingers, unmoving.

Eger, who was sorting documents across from him, asked while noisily organizing the papers, “Your Majesty, have you had a change of heart?”

“Hm?”

“Allowing Duke Nestor’s son a visit. Didn’t you initially refuse outright?”

“Eli asked me to leave it to her.”

“Eli…?”

Hearing the unfamiliar name, Eger blinked repeatedly.

Then Lennoch chuckled softly.

“My woman.”

“Ah… I see.”

Eger’s response was half-hearted, and his expression soured.

As if a chill ran down his spine, he rubbed his arms vigorously.

“You’ve even given her a nickname already. Things are moving fast.”

“Jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous? Considering how frustrating you’ve been until now, this is far better than before.”

Shaking his head, Eger replied with an exasperated tone.

“So, you granted Duke Nestor and Evan a meeting because of Lady Eleanor’s request. I assume Lord Pedro’s rushed return is related to this as well.”

“Exactly.”

“With this, Duke Nestor is undoubtedly indebted to Lady Eleanor.”

Piecing together the situation from a few clues, Eger adjusted his crooked glasses and asked another question.

“So, will you release Evan?”

“That depends on their actions.”

“Are there conditions?”

“Only one.”

After a brief pause, Lennoch stood and moved to the window.

In his hand was a confidential document that had arrived earlier in the day.

Leaning back comfortably on the plush sofa, Lennoch crossed his long legs.

“They’ll do exactly as Eli demands. If not, the execution proceeds as planned.”

“…That sounds quite ominous.”

Despite the Emperor’s calm tone, a chilling undertone made Eger tense his shoulders.

Even if Evan’s crimes were severe, Duke Nestor was an influential noble with a long-standing legacy.

Concerned about the potential fallout, Eger cautiously suggested, “Wouldn’t it be better to resolve this matter amicably? Duke Nestor is involved in several major ventures and wields considerable influence among the nobility. If pressed too hard, it could backfire. Even a cornered rat can bite.”

Eger’s intentions weren’t to defend Duke Nestor but rather to prevent complications down the line.

Unlike the increasingly serious Eger, Lennoch leisurely flipped through the confidential report’s first page.

“As it happens, there’s another interesting lead.”

“A lead?”

“Some intriguing news has come out of East Harlem.”

East Harlem was the stronghold of Caroline’s confidant Saruka and a hub for illegal trade under the Balkan Trading Company.

Following Eleanor’s advice, Lennoch had planted spies in Bahama and ordered them to investigate East Harlem.

While the investigation had been slow, they eventually made progress thanks to a direct request to the owner of East Harlem.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

Scanning the densely written pages, Lennoch’s gaze fixed on one section.

“It turns out Duke Nestor has been actively utilizing East Harlem. Despite all the wealth he’s amassed, his greed seems boundless.”

“…Was Duke Nestor the owner of the Balkan Trading Company?”

“Yes.”

“Unbelievable.”

Eger was visibly shaken, but Lennoch wasn’t finished.

“To be precise, he’s one of the nobles leveraging the company’s name.”