Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 31 Part 1

31. Capture Saruka

The next morning, the palace was thrown into chaos.

An order had been issued for the urgent arrest of high-ranking nobles involved in the operation of an illegal trading company.

Marquis Delph and Count Verdic, who held positions within the palace.

And Caroline, the Duchess Dowager of Mecklen.

Lastly, Duke Nestor had also been summoned in succession.

“What is going on?”

“I know, right? These are all prominent figures, yet they were secretly running an illegal trading company.”

“I’m most shocked about Marquis Delph. I always thought he was an impeccably clean man.”

“That’s right. He had a reputation for integrity even back when Empress Edea was around. How could this have happened?”

Whenever two or three people gathered, the sudden incident became the talk of the palace.

“Look over there. That’s the Mecklen family’s carriage.”

A maid who had stepped outside for a break pointed toward it.

A carriage from the Duchy of Mecklen arriving at the palace at this hour could only mean one thing: Duke Mecklen was not the one inside.

“Is that Lady Caroline?”

“It looks like it. This is my first time seeing her in person.”

“Me too. She hardly ever visits the palace.”

As the noblewoman stepped out of the carriage, palace servants whispered among themselves.

The former Duchess of Mecklen.

Though well-known among the nobility, she was rarely seen by those who worked in the palace.

Feeling the weight of their curious stares, Caroline sharply turned her head.

‘These lowlifes.’

Had they all gathered to gawk?

Caroline nearly shouted out of habit but caught herself just in time.

This was the imperial palace.

This was not her domain, so she had to be careful about her actions.

Clenching her teeth in frustration, she slowly moved forward.

But as she reached the steps leading to the central entrance, she came to an abrupt stop.

“You there.”

“Yes, my lady.”

One of the knights assigned to ensure she did not attempt to flee responded immediately.

“How am I supposed to climb these steps? My back hasn’t healed, and I can’t walk up them.”

Caroline did her best to suppress her irritation as she spoke.

“Go fetch a litter.”

“That will not be possible.”

“What did you say?”

“We have not been given such orders,” replied the knight coldly, his expression unwavering.

Caroline’s face contorted instantly. “Do you even know who my son is? How dare you treat me this way?”

Her son held one of the highest-ranking positions in the imperial knights. Even the knights assigned to guard her were under Duke Mecklen’s command.

As she glared fiercely, one knight hesitated slightly.

“His Grace is not involved in this matter.”

“A mother is being mistreated by her son’s subordinates, and you think he wouldn’t care? Go fetch the litter now.”

“That is not possible.”

The knight was just as stubborn as Caroline.

“We are merely following His Majesty’s orders. There was no imperial decree to accommodate a criminal’s comfort.”

“Hah. A criminal?”

Caroline flinched upon hearing the word she least wanted to hear.

“Which knight order are you from?”

“We cannot disclose that information.”

“The First Order? No, judging by your demeanor, you don’t seem like the First Order. The Second? The Third?”

She was not well-versed in the palace’s internal structure, but from her conversations with Ernst, she had picked up certain details.

As she began speculating about the organization, the knight’s expression hardened.

The atmosphere grew tense.

“What is happening here?”

“…Your Grace.”

At that moment, Duke Mecklen appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down at them.

The knights beside Caroline saluted immediately upon seeing him.

Ernst’s icy gaze shifted from Caroline to the knight.

“She requested a litter, but His Majesty has given no such orders for a criminal’s convenience—”

“Bring one.”

“What?”

The knight hesitated at the unexpectedly clear command.

Ernst frowned slightly. “Did you not hear me? Go bring it. Her back is in pain. We can’t force her to climb.”

The knights exchanged uncertain glances.

Should they obey the Emperor’s decree or follow the direct order of their immediate superior?

They served the Emperor but were also under Ernst’s command.

Disobeying either would mean insubordination.

“…Understood.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, the knight relented.

They understood that Ernst was not someone who would back down easily.

There was no immediate way to avoid the situation.

As the knight left to retrieve the litter, Caroline smirked in satisfaction.

Ernst, watching his mother in silence, remained unreadable.

***

Eger entered the temporary interrogation room.

A lone figure sat at the long table, waiting for him.

It was Marquis Delph.

“Aren’t the others being questioned?”

The marquis’ gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes made him look pitiful. But Eger was not easily swayed by appearances.

In a formal tone, Eger responded, “After each individual’s testimony, His Majesty will summon them separately.”

“This will take quite a long time, then?”

“The matter is quite serious. You should not have engaged in illegal activities.”

The ever-composed smile on Marquis Delph’s face faltered slightly, and he scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression.

“I didn’t know it was illegal.”

“…You didn’t know?”

Eger’s voice, filled with disbelief, nearly cracked.

If he were going to make excuses, he should at least come up with something plausible.

But Marquis Delph maintained his usual gentle expression as he spoke, “Lady Caroline asked me to lend my name and funds, assuring me she would handle everything.”

“……?”

“If I had known that the Balkan Trading Company was making money through illegal dealings, I would have pulled out long ago.”

“Enough nonsense.”

Eger, unable to hold back, spoke firmly.

“Duke Nestor has already testified. He also submitted evidence of transactions made under Evan’s name with you. Do you think such excuses will work now?”

“That wasn’t me. It was all Caroline’s doing.”

“Even though the Delph family seal is on it?”

“That was something I lent to Caroline.”

At this point, claiming a pet cat had stamped the seal would have sounded more believable.

Unable to comprehend Marquis Delph’s persistent denial, Eger pointed his quill at the marquis’s sleeve.

“The family seal can only be used by the family head. Even the emblem engraved on your cuff buttons is exclusively crafted to prevent unauthorized use. Every single piece is meticulously documented—its production, quantity, and distribution. Yet you’re saying you casually lent such an important seal? Does that even make sense?”

“Lady Caroline isn’t someone who would act recklessly.”

Marquis Delph shook his head.

“She is, after all, the mother of Duke Mecklen—His Majesty’s close friend. She belongs to one of the three great ducal families of the empire and has led the Mecklen household for decades. She understands the importance of a family seal better than anyone. Who would have imagined she’d misuse it?”

The excuse was so well-crafted that Eger found himself momentarily speechless.

“That’s why I entrusted her with it. As you know, the Delph family doesn’t operate a trading company. We survive solely on the noble stipend provided by the state. Our only additional income comes from short-term lecturing at the Academy.”

At least, that was the official narrative.

“Delph is a noble family that has produced the most empresses in the empire’s history. When our founding patriarch, Lord Ect, married his daughter into the imperial family, he left a guiding principle for our lineage: ‘Delph must always remain the shadow of the Baden imperial family.’”

Guided by that motto, the Delph family refrained from deeply involving itself in imperial politics, choosing instead to take a step back.

They truly lived in the shadows, operating quietly behind the scenes.

Ironically, this earned them the favor of other noble families, easing any potential tensions.

Later, during the reign of Leopold II, the Delph Remarriage Law emerged as a result of conflicts between the nobility and the emperor. Yet, the underlying goodwill toward Delph among the nobility played a crucial role in shaping that law.

“But as you know, it’s difficult to survive on stipends alone. Lady Caroline took pity on me and offered her help. I merely trusted her words.”

Marquis Delph sighed heavily as if he were truly lamenting his situation.

Eger, seeing through the act, looked exasperated.

“To put it precisely, I was deceived by Lady Caroline.”

Wearing the mask of a victim, Marquis Delph put on an exaggerated expression of sorrow.

***

That day, Eleanor found it unusually difficult to concentrate on work.

She had just received word from a servant that the key figures of the Balkan Trading Company were now under investigation.

The emperor had unexpectedly sent knights to arrest them, leaving them no chance to escape, even capturing Caroline in the process.

‘Why do I feel so uneasy about this?’

She had never felt this anxious before.

There was a strange, nagging sense of discomfort.

Instead of forcing herself to read documents she couldn’t focus on, Eleanor decided to take a short break.

Brianna arrived with freshly brewed tea.

“Even Caroline couldn’t avoid this in the end.”

“Mm.”

“That’s why you should live virtuously. She did all kinds of terrible things, and now look at her. Serves her right.”

Brianna, recalling how she had once smacked Vivia after falling into Caroline’s trap, grinned mischievously.

“Her crimes are severe. She’s bound to end up in prison, don’t you think? How many years will she get? Five? Ten?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Might as well make it thirty years while they’re at it.”

Brianna cheerfully tossed out words, but Eleanor still couldn’t shake her unease.

Seeing Eleanor avoid the topic and remain silent, Brianna tilted her head in curiosity. “What’s wrong? Do you have a hangover?”

“N-no, it’s not that.”

Recalling how she had collapsed onto her bed after drinking too much the previous night, Eleanor’s cheeks flushed slightly.

At that moment, the sound of someone arriving outside reached them.

“Director.”

Duke Nestor hurried inside.

Brianna, who had just been chatting about the Balkan Trading Company incident, widened her eyes at the sudden arrival of one of its key figures.

“Has the investigation already ended? More importantly, how did you get here?”

“Would you mind stepping out for a moment?”

Duke Nestor, recognizing Brianna’s status as a member of the Marquis of Liege, made his request politely.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Brianna wisely chose not to argue and rose from her seat.

“I haven’t touched the tea yet, so you can drink it.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Brianna left and closed the door, Duke Nestor quickly sat in the now-empty chair.

His solemn expression confirmed Eleanor’s lingering unease.

“Something happened during the investigation.”

“The atmosphere feels off.”

Duke Nestor let out a heavy sigh.

“Marquis Delph admitted his wrongdoing.”

But—

“He claims he only did it because Caroline ordered him to. Count Verdic said the same thing—that Caroline gave him the family seal and promised immense profits if he joined the business. Caroline herself confessed, admitting to everything I had reported earlier, from leading the Balkan Trading Company to using Count Verdic’s and Marquis Delph’s seals for various deals.”

And yet—

“The true mastermind behind the trading company is not Caroline. It’s Marquis Delph.”