Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 30 Part 5

Guillotine.

Eleanor’s body flinched violently, as if struck by lightning.

In an instant, the alcohol in her system seemed to evaporate.

Her eyes widened beyond measure, prompting Ernst to furrow his brow.

“If the dream disturbed you, I apologize. That was not my intention.”

“No, no.”

She struggled to respond as calmly as possible, but her voice trembled slightly.

“I’m fine. I’m not angry. I was just… too caught off guard. It surprised me.”

Worried that her reaction might cause Ernst to withhold further details, Eleanor shook her head vigorously.

Dismissing it as just a dream was impossible—one sentence alone had shaken her to the core.

‘It’s too similar to my past life.’

“If you’re dreaming about something like that, it must mean you really believed Caroline and I had a terrible relationship.”

Whether it was mere coincidence would become clear upon further discussion.

Eleanor fanned herself more vigorously.

The chilly night air brushed against her face.

Fortunately, thanks to her well-maintained composure, Ernst had yet to notice her inner turmoil.

“I thought the same, but the details in the dream were too vivid. And it kept repeating.”

Ernst seemed determined to confess all his thoughts under the influence of alcohol.

After glancing at Eleanor’s reaction, he smoothly continued his story.

“The charges you just mentioned against my mother—those were nearly identical to what I heard in the dream. Except, in the dream, they were your charges instead. Ah, but there were no slaves.”

‘My god.’

Eleanor nearly dropped her fan.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered—could Ernst have known everything about her past life and pretended not to?

‘That’s why he wasn’t surprised by my words earlier.’

If he had dreamed of it repeatedly, he would have grown accustomed to its contents.

Even so, there was still something incomprehensible about Ernst’s attitude.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Right after asking, Eleanor bit the soft flesh inside her cheek.

It was an effort to stay alert, ensuring she wouldn’t succumb to the intoxication.

“I don’t know what this dream means, but the ending is always the same.”

“……?”

“You die.”

And—

“The Emperor holds your lifeless body and weeps.”

Eleanor, struggling to keep her dizziness at bay, straightened her posture.

“I just stood there, watching.”

“……”

“In the dream, I believed you had killed my mother.”

A chill ran down her spine.

It was the same sensation she had felt when Lennoch first told her about the hidden history of Kahm’s bracelet.

Eleanor forced herself to take slow, steady breaths.

If Ernst’s dream was truly a vision, then it described events that occurred after her death.

‘Lennoch.’

“And when I wake up, I always find myself wondering—why do I keep dreaming about this?”

Even if it was just a dream, repeatedly witnessing a beheaded corpse was hardly pleasant.

Especially now, when strange emotions were starting to surface toward Eleanor, it became even more unsettling.

It felt as though he had killed her himself.

In the dream, he had been forced to watch her die, powerless to do anything.

“I don’t believe in superstitions. Talks of sacred relics performing miracles—it all seems like nothing more than a way for priests to profit.”

“That does sound like you.”

Eleanor’s voice, struggling to suppress her overwhelming emotions, came out strained.

“But hearing what you said today has made me certain.”

“Certain?”

“This dream isn’t meaningless.”

With its repeated occurrences, Ernst’s suspicions had gradually solidified into conviction.

His complex emotions reflected in his gaze as he studied the pale face before him, kissed by the cool night breeze.

‘I’ve really lost my mind.’

Otherwise, he would never have such thoughts.

That it would be nice if she would smile at him the way she smiled at the Emperor, lifting her cheeks in a beautiful grin.

That the person who had never once let her guard down around him so easily allowed the Emperor to stand by her side.

Every time he thought about it, it twisted his insides.

“In the dream, the Emperor cherished you dearly. He sobbed over your body, shedding blood-stained tears. But seeing how close you and the Emperor have become in reality, it almost feels like the dream is foretelling the future.”

After a long hesitation, Ernst finally voiced what he had kept buried deep inside.

“I’m afraid the dream will become real.”

“……”

“I’m afraid you’ll truly die.”

His final words were spoken so softly that they might have been meant only for himself.

But on the small terrace, they were loud enough to be heard.

Laughter and chatter from the party spilled into the background, wrapping around them.

For a fleeting moment, Eleanor thought Ernst, who had never once laughed freely among the crowd, seemed pitiful.

“…I won’t die.”

She couldn’t die, and she wouldn’t die.

Because she had promised Lennoch.

“A dream is just a dream. Nightmares are painful while they last, but when you wake up, reality remains. The initial fear fades over time, and one day, you’ll be able to laugh about it, recalling it as just a story. The memories of a dream don’t define the present.”

Though she was speaking to Ernst, she was also speaking to herself.

For her, the past life was nothing more than a dream.

“Don’t like me.”

“……”

“Then it won’t be a nightmare anymore.”

This was her final act of consideration for Ernst.

In her past life, he had contributed to her death through indifference.

Now, he was tormented by nightmares of the death she had already suffered.

The more he cared for her, the more he would suffer, watching her die over and over again in his dreams.

“What you do with Caroline is up to you.”

She hoped he would make a wiser decision this time.

Finishing her words, Eleanor pressed her fingers against her throbbing temple.

Her body had finally reached its limit.

If she had been in her room, she would have collapsed onto the bed without even changing out of her dress.

At that moment, a low voice came from right in front of her.

“I should have forced a child upon you.”

“……?”

“If I had, it wouldn’t have been so easy to separate from you.”

What was he saying?

Eleanor forced her blurred vision into focus.

Beyond the flickering candlelight, Ernst’s figure was cast in shadow.

“His Majesty keeps you by his side for political reasons.”

“Political reasons?”

“By placing you at the forefront, he aims to take control of the noble council and push forward political reforms.”

At those words, Eleanor immediately refuted.

“I was the one who first proposed attending the noble council. His Majesty simply gave me the opportunity, and I made full use of it. If reforms are necessary, I am always ready to assist.”

“The nobles in the council are not all there is to Baden. You don’t know which nobles might try to block your way in the future. Can you handle that? What if something dangerous happens to you?”

“That’s not for you to decide. The responsibility of my choices is mine alone, so don’t speak as if you have the right.”

“No, you can’t do it.”

Ernst declared firmly.

“Because now, I will stop you.”

“…What do you mean?”

A sense of unease gripped her.

Eleanor instinctively stood up but wavered as the alcohol took its toll.

In her dizziness, an ice-cold hand grasped her wrist.

“It no longer matters who you are with.”

“……!”

When had this person started catching my eye?

What was it that made my nerves so sharply on edge?

Seeking a reason no longer held any meaning.

This was a feeling that couldn’t be explained with mere words.

“I will return you to your rightful place.”

Back to being the Duchess of Mecklen.

“We will start over from the beginning.”

If they couldn’t go back, then he would bring her to the same starting point.

Shocked, Eleanor tried to pull her wrist free, but it was not easy.

As her unsteady body tilted toward Ernst, an arm reached from behind and held her waist firmly.

“Let go of her hand.”

“……!”

A familiar voice.

With teary eyes, Eleanor looked down at the arm wrapped around her waist.

Regaining some of her fading consciousness, she barely managed to turn her head.

A sharp and well-defined jawline came into view.

“…Lennoch?”

When had he arrived?

No—had he been listening to her conversation with Ernst all along?

As she looked up, Lennoch’s gaze was ice-cold.

A low, chilling voice slipped through his parted lips.

“I warned you before.”

Not to lay a hand on my woman.

***

Saruka had suddenly disappeared from the farm.

He left without a word about his destination, but none of the villagers searched for him.

It was not unusual for him to vanish like this from time to time.

Because of that, life on the farm became much easier for the child, Lennoch.

After finishing his tasks, the first person he ran to was Vito.

“Brother!”

“……”

Vito, who had been sewing, greeted him warmly.

Despite his large build, he had a fondness for embroidery.

The child eagerly sat beside Vito, who was perched on the bed.

“Wow, it’s so pretty.”

Seeing Vito’s embroidery, the child expressed pure admiration.

A bluebird soaring through the sky was stitched onto the pure white fabric.

Feeling shy from the praise, Vito quietly tucked his needle into the spool of thread.

Since the village chief often scolded him for having such a useless hobby, Vito was not accustomed to showing his work to others.

The child, unable to hide his curiosity, asked, “Who is this for?”

“……”

“Are you just making it for no reason?”

“……”

Having lived together in the commune, the child had become familiar with Vito’s sign language.

Nodding in understanding, the child pointed beyond the window.

“Brother, since Saruka isn’t here, why don’t we go over there?”

The absence of such a terrifying presence gave the child an inexplicable sense of courage.

Perhaps they could even escape unnoticed.

For now, their daily routines kept their movements limited, but without Saruka, the child felt a newfound hope that they might be able to leave the farm for good.

But Vito shook his head.

“No? Why not?”

“……”

“Are you afraid of getting in trouble? Don’t worry, brother. No one here would dare harm you.”

The child reassured the hesitant Vito.

Despite being much older, at times like this, Vito seemed like a child himself.

‘How long has he lived here?’

Vito, who obediently carried out whatever tasks he was assigned, seemed to have no complaints about life in the village.

In fact, he even appeared to be content.

But the child, still haunted by the sight of Saruka taking a life, wanted nothing more than to escape from this village as soon as possible.

A shiver ran down his spine as the terrifying memory resurfaced.

“Then I’ll go alone.”

“……!”

As the child jumped off the bed, Vito widened his eyes in shock.

But he did not move to stop him.

The child purposefully stepped outside, hoping Vito would chase after him.

“He’s really not coming.”

He had expected Vito to follow, but when he turned around, Vito simply sat there, blinking like a docile lamb.

Realizing that his plan had failed, the child wandered around the village alone.

Since dinner had ended, most people were inside their homes resting, leaving the streets empty.

‘Should I try escaping right now?’