Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 30 Part 2

The darkness was so thick that it was difficult to make out anything ahead.

A shadow darted forward through the silent night.

It was Saruka, who had waited until late at night to avoid drawing attention.

Summoned immediately, he moved without hesitation, knowing exactly where to meet Caroline even though she had not specified a location.

Reaching the four-way intersection marked by an X, Saruka looked toward the western corner.

On the side of a pitch-black carriage, nearly indistinguishable from the night, a small emblem of House Mecklen was affixed.

Saruka approached the carriage without hesitation.

The small window suddenly burst open, and Caroline’s sharp voice rang out.

“Why are you so late?”

Still suffering from lingering back pain, she was extremely irritable.

Saruka had arrived at his usual time, yet he was met with an unexpected rebuke. Without offering an excuse, he got straight to the point.

“What is the reason for my summons?”

His voice was as dry as ever. Caroline, eyeing him with displeasure, reluctantly responded.

“Kill Eleanor of House Hippias.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. No—while you’re at it, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to wipe out House Hippias completely. Kill that young head of the family as well.”

Saruka simply nodded in response.

For them, orders to kill were no different from routine conversation.

While it might seem impossible to assassinate someone based on a name alone, that was Saruka’s job—one he excelled at.

“Does the timeframe matter?”

“The sooner, the better. I’d love to hear news of their deaths as early as tomorrow.”

Caroline smirked coldly at the thought.

‘It would be satisfying if she struggled in agony like Rachel did.’

The only regret was that she wouldn’t get to witness it herself.

“Understood.”

For Saruka, Caroline provided the necessary funds, so as long as he was paid, he had no issues carrying out the task.

After giving his answer, he pulled away from the carriage window.

At that moment—

“……!”

Saruka instinctively spun around.

His sharpened senses sent an immediate warning.

Danger.

With a trace of frustration, he murmured under his breath.

“We’re being followed.”

“Followed?”

Caroline, startled, made a sudden movement to stand, but the pain in her back forced her to recoil.

Without time for further explanation, Saruka barked an urgent order to the coachman.

As the Mecklen carriage sped away in a hurried retreat, Saruka fixed his gaze on the pitch-black void where their pursuers lurked.

‘Who is it?’

Not ordinary people.

Having lived a life of constant pursuit—both chasing and being chased—Saruka was particularly skilled at detecting surveillance.

And yet, he had failed to notice their presence until they had gotten this close.

From the shadows cast by the moonlit alley, figures began to emerge, one by one.

Saruka slid his left hand into the wide sleeve of his robe before swiftly withdrawing it.

Five figures in total.

“……”

As soon as Saruka showed signs of resistance, the one who appeared to be their leader stepped forward.

“If you come quietly, you won’t be harmed.”

His tone was calm yet formal.

From those words, Saruka realized that their target had never been Caroline—but himself.

Yet he had no intention of complying with their demand.

Rather than answering, he drew the sword from his waist with his right hand.

“…It can’t be helped.”

The leader of the group sighed regretfully.

At the same time, all five men unsheathed identical swords.

Seeing their natural combat stances, Saruka frowned beneath his mask.

‘Imperial knights?’

Each sword style bore unique characteristics.

And nowhere was this distinction clearer than in the initial combat stance.

The formation they took—standing in a straight line with their swords raised—was exclusive to imperial knights.

Saruka had once crossed swords with an imperial knight long ago.

‘It’s too dangerous to fight them.’

This wasn’t a matter of skill level—it was a fight best avoided.

Saruka tilted his sword diagonally, shifting into a defensive posture.

Sensing his wariness, two knights at the front lunged at him.

Pretending to block their attacks, Saruka suddenly swung his left hand wide.

From between his fingers, sharp scales he had secretly concealed shot through the air.

“Ugh!”

Focused solely on his sword, the knights had failed to anticipate the unexpected attack and staggered back.

Seizing the opening, Saruka leaped backward with swift agility.

“Catch him!”

A sharp order rang out behind him.

Even without looking back, Saruka could tell from the sounds of footsteps that they were in pursuit.

Ducking into a narrow alley away from the main street, he quickly spotted crates and scattered debris.

Without hesitation, he lunged toward them.

‘Why are imperial knights tailing me?’

Still sprinting through the darkness, Saruka’s face twisted in frustration.

***

“Eli, Eli! I did it!”

“Already?”

“Give me another one! Don’t you have more?”

Hail, sitting on Eleanor’s lap, burst into laughter.

On the table before them was a completed puzzle.

It wasn’t an ordinary puzzle.

Designed for Hail, who couldn’t see, the puzzle pieces had raised, textured edges so he could identify them by touch.

Having already completed two, Hail beamed with pride.

Eleanor gently patted his head.

It was good that he enjoyed it so much.

“Your Highness, it’s too late at night. How about going to bed now?”

“No! Just one more time, and then I’ll sleep. Okay?”

Hail, now filled with even more affection, eagerly grabbed Eleanor’s hand resting on his head.

His tiny hands clutched at her fingers, pleading with all his might, making it difficult to refuse.

When Eleanor glanced forward, she met Lennoch’s gaze just as he lifted his eyes from his documents.

“Should I scold him a little?”

Lennoch put on a mock stern expression and gently pinched Hail’s cheek.

However, since Hail couldn’t see, he had no idea what kind of expression Lennoch was making and felt no fear whatsoever.

Instead, he puffed out his cheeks in displeasure at having his cheek grabbed, sulking immediately. Seeing this, Eleanor let out a small sigh.

“Then this will really be the last time. You promise, Your Highness?”

“Yes! I promise! I love Eli so much!”

The moment she gave permission, Hail excitedly swung his legs.

Lennoch, however, grew slightly serious. “I feel like you’re spending too much time with Hail.”

Since Eleanor had begun staying in the palace more often, Hail had clung to her more frequently.

Realizing that his affectionate behavior worked, he boldly used his cuteness as a weapon, successfully pulling her in.

Lennoch poured another puzzle in front of Hail and spoke firmly, “From now on, playtime with Hail should be reduced to once a week. And I will find a separate bedtime nanny.”

“No, Lennoch. Please don’t do that. I don’t mind.”

Surprised, Eleanor waved her hands.

“What’s wrong with staying up late for one night? I enjoy spending time with His Highness, so don’t worry too much.”

“……”

“Besides, it’s nighttime anyway. There isn’t much else to do.”

At those words, Lennoch’s brow twitched slightly.

‘I’d planned to take a peaceful evening stroll with her for the first time in a while.’

Spring had arrived, and the weather had warmed considerably.

Without the night breeze, it was no longer cold, making it the perfect temperature for a walk in the garden.

But Hail had shattered that plan.

Because of that, Lennoch had resorted to handling tomorrow’s paperwork in advance—if Eger had seen it, he would have applauded the prince for making the Emperor work.

Feeling somewhat sullen, Lennoch placed the documents on the table.

“I’m already burning with impatience.”

“Pardon?”

“If it weren’t for Hail, I’d kiss you right now—”

“Lennoch!”

Unbelievable.

Flustered, Eleanor reached out in a hurry to cover his mouth.

Fortunately, Hail was too focused on solving the puzzle to care about their conversation.

Eleanor sighed in relief as she observed him playing, but the situation wasn’t over yet.

Peck.

“……!”

A kiss landed audibly on her palm.

Heat rushed to Eleanor’s face in an instant.

At the same time, Hail’s ears perked up.

“Did you just kiss?”

“No, no!”

Hearing the innocent child’s voice, Eleanor instinctively shook her head wildly.

Though Hail couldn’t see them, she still felt as if she had been caught doing something mischievous.

But worse than that was—

‘You must not give in to temptation.’

Lennoch’s gaze, curved mischievously, made Eleanor’s heart pound wildly.

She couldn’t afford to fall for that expression.

Steeling herself, Eleanor firmly shook her head.

As if responding to her resistance, Lennoch pressed another kiss onto her palm, making sure it was loud and clear.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, my apologies for the late hour.”

A knight suddenly appeared, making both Lennoch and Eleanor swiftly turn their heads.

Eleanor quickly withdrew her hand when she noticed the knight’s gaze land on Lennoch’s lips and her palm.

“There is an urgent report from Dane.”

“Come closer.”

Annoyed at being interrupted, Lennoch frowned slightly, but at the mention of Dane’s name, his expression smoothed out.

As the Emperor gestured, the knight moved closer.

Covering his mouth, he whispered his report discreetly into Lennoch’s ear. Eleanor, watching, felt a sense of unease.

‘Is it something serious?’

Lennoch’s face darkened briefly before returning to an unreadable expression.

“Tell him I understand.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The knight straightened up and quickly left after completing his report.

Eleanor studied Lennoch, noticing his demeanor had shifted entirely.

Though his lips still curved into an easy smile, his calm and steady gaze suggested he was done joking around.

“Is it something serious?” Eleanor asked with concern.

Lennoch let out a soft chuckle. “Rather than serious… I’d call it disappointing.”

“Disappointing?”

“We’ve found traces of Saruka.”

“……!”

Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise.

Resting his chin on one hand, Lennoch continued, “We had placed surveillance on Caroline in anticipation of her attempting to contact Saruka, but he seems to be quite clever. He slipped away easily.”

If Saruka had been captured, it would have been convenient to link him not only to the Balkan Trading Company but also to Caroline’s other crimes.

When the Balkan Trading Company’s corruption was exposed, Caroline’s name had surfaced immediately, making it seem like the perfect opportunity.

Lennoch clicked his tongue in disappointment. “We don’t know how long it will take to capture Saruka, so we’ll have to handle the Balkan Trading Company first.”

That was the plan anyway, once the charity party concluded.

Eleanor hesitated for a moment after hearing this.

“Then… will Duke Nestor also be investigated?”

“Yes. Since he was the first to provide information, it would be best to start the investigation from there.”