Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 31 Part 2

The Noble Council was slightly different from regular meetings.

While high-ranking nobles mainly attended state conferences where a select few with proper qualifications deliberated key policies, the Noble Council was a gathering of 823 nobles with legislative authority, where significant issues such as lawmaking were discussed.

The council members were primarily appointed by the emperor, and since the empire’s founding, each emperor had continuously added members, causing their numbers to grow exponentially, now exceeding eight hundred.

Tomorrow was the day the Noble Council would convene.

‘Attending while holding hands…’

It meant properly revealing their relationship to the nobles.

And that carried a significant meaning.

Holding hands at a ball while dancing was entirely different in weight.

“I have already coordinated with Duke Nestor.”

The thick wrist that had been resting near Eleanor’s ear slowly moved downward.

With his hand supporting the nape of her neck, Lennoch brushed a strand of her fine golden hair with his index finger, causing it to sway gently.

Finding the tickling sensation pleasant, Eleanor quietly leaned into his hand.

“And your younger brother, Henrik, will also be attending. Earlier today, I sent a council badge to the House of Hippias, allowing him to participate.”

“You’ve already made arrangements that far.”

Eleanor guessed that while she had been meeting Jack Ruby and traveling to Mecklen, Lennoch had been swiftly making preparations.

Impressed, she tilted her head to the side and asked, “Is there anything else I need to do?”

If there was anything she could do besides attending the council, she wanted to help.

Her clear eyes shimmered as she gazed up at him.

Seeing her expression, Lennoch’s lips curled into a natural smile.

“It’s fine. Just that alone will be enough to provoke Marquis Delph.”

“Provoke?”

“It’s a little trick.”

Perhaps drawn in by her curious gaze, Lennoch’s other arm wrapped around her waist.

With a slight pull, Eleanor’s upper body naturally leaned toward him.

“Marquis Delph probably believes our marriage announcement will be made tomorrow.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise.

Before she could misunderstand, Lennoch quickly clarified.

“I deliberately leaked the information. We’re tracing back to see who is feeding him intelligence.”

And ideally—

He hoped that Marquis Delph would be too preoccupied with the marriage announcement to focus on anything else.

“At tomorrow’s council, instead of announcing our marriage, we will introduce a motion to abolish the Delph Remarriage Law.”

“—!”

Only then did Eleanor fully grasp Lennoch’s plan.

“We won’t give them any more openings from now on.”

Strictly speaking, the Delph Remarriage Law was not a necessary law.

It had been proposed by the nobles during the reign of Leopold II as a means to check imperial authority.

By abolishing a law that symbolized the balance of power between the emperor and the nobility, the emperor would be making it clear that he no longer intended to accommodate the aristocracy.

Especially the House of Delph.

‘Although there is another objective as well.’

Lennoch kept that thought to himself, leaving it unspoken.

“Tomorrow, Marquis Delph’s expression should be worth seeing.”

Murmuring softly, Eleanor let a small smile cross her lips.

“So that’s why Duke Nestor is working with you.”

“I’ve entrusted him with securing the necessary votes for the repeal. If I acted directly, I’d risk exposure since I haven’t yet identified all the hidden eyes watching me.”

“That was a wise decision. You must have been extremely busy this afternoon.”

Eleanor could clearly imagine the effort Lennoch had put in while she had been dealing with Saruka.

Wanting to express her appreciation, she gently ran her fingers through his hair, stroking it softly.

Lennoch let out a brief chuckle.

Perhaps this was how a dog would feel when petted.

But he didn’t mind it at all and simply smiled.

“You also worked hard handling Saruka. Thanks to you, things will go even smoother from here.”

Saruka alone could provide them with invaluable information.

Not just the secrets of Allium (the purple flower), but perhaps even a clue regarding the former emperor’s carriage accident.

“The key will be whether he confesses willingly.”

“It will work out.”

Eleanor shook her head, as if telling him not to worry.

“If torture isn’t enough, I’ll meet with Saruka myself and persuade him.”

She clutched Lennoch’s collar tightly.

As if to say, ‘Trust me completely.’

Seeing Eleanor speak as though it were the most natural thing in the world, Lennoch found her utterly endearing and lightly cupped her cheek before letting go.

How wonderful it would be to simply embrace her and fall asleep like this.

“If only we had a little more time.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a shame I’m so busy right now.”

A fleeting hint of desire passed through Lennoch’s gaze as he expressed his regret.

Before Eleanor could ask what he meant, his lips found hers.

A feather-light kiss, leaving behind a trace of longing.

“Actually, I was at the main palace just now handling Saruka and Jack Ruby’s situation when I received an urgent audience request.”

“…At this hour?”

Come to think of it—

Only then did Eleanor properly notice Lennoch’s attire.

The crisp black suit that fit snugly over his broad shoulders was the same one he had worn in the morning, unchanged.

Realizing he had been working all this time without even changing clothes, Eleanor narrowed her eyes.

“It’s already dawn, and you haven’t even slept…”

“It’ll be over soon.”

Lennoch reassured Eleanor gently.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

Though he desperately wanted to stay the night, someone was waiting for him in the audience chamber, and he couldn’t afford any more delays.

Instead, he planted a series of soft kisses on Eleanor’s cheek, pulling her into a tender embrace.

Eleanor, unable to resist, let out a quiet, defeated laugh.

***

At the dead of night, the dark palace carried an eerie air.

It felt as if a ghost might appear at any moment.

Lambert glanced around warily.

Then, as his eyes met those of a woman painted in a framed portrait on the wall, he flinched involuntarily.

At least he wasn’t alone.

Lambert stole a glance at the knight standing guard.

“Excuse me… but may I have more cookies?”

He hesitated before finally asking.

With nothing to do but wait, he had resorted to eating the cookies provided.

As he stared wistfully at the now-empty basket, the knight silently refilled it and handed it back to him.

“Thank you.”

‘When will His Majesty arrive?’

He had said he’d return shortly after handling some urgent matters.

Munching on a crispy chocolate cookie, Lambert thought to himself,

‘At least the cookies are delicious.’

Click.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Your Majesty.”

Lambert immediately set down the cookie he had been eating and jumped to his feet at the emperor’s timely arrival.

“We meet quite often today.”

“Haha, indeed we do.”

Having been summoned earlier in the afternoon regarding the marriage announcement report, Lambert was now seeing the emperor for the second time in just a few hours.

As Lambert scratched the back of his head, the emperor instructed the knight to leave the room for a moment.

Taking a seat on the sofa, he gestured for Lambert to sit as well.

“I hear you have something to tell me?”

Ordinarily, commoners were neither permitted to visit the palace nor granted direct audiences with the imperial family.

The laws were stricter for commoners than for nobles.

However, due to Lambert’s involvement in the charity party interview and the marriage announcement report, he had become familiar with the emperor’s confidant, making this late-night audience possible.

Lambert first expressed his apologies for visiting so late.

“I have an urgent matter to report to Your Majesty… but before I proceed, may I receive your assurance that I will not be punished for anything I reveal?”

He had been about to get straight to the point but hesitated.

Though he was coming forward with good intentions,

‘What if I get punished for trespassing into a noble’s mansion?’

A slight worry crept into his mind.

As Lambert fidgeted, the emperor gave him a reassuring answer.

“I give you my word.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

With that assurance, Lambert was ready to speak.

He began by explaining when he first started suspecting Marquis Delph.

“To be honest, Marquis Delph’s behavior at the charity party struck me as highly suspicious. He held secretive conversations with multiple noble lords, including the Duke of Mecklen…”

“Marquis Delph?”

The emperor’s expression changed slightly at the unexpected information.

Lambert tensed but continued speaking after being encouraged to go on.

“At the time, I couldn’t get close enough to hear what they were discussing. Still, his actions felt odd—like watching a thief wearing ill-fitting clothes. Call it a journalist’s intuition, but I was certain he was hiding something.”

“……”

“So today, I secretly sneaked into Marquis Delph’s mansion. I was convinced that if he was up to something suspicious, I would find evidence. And sure enough, I witnessed him engaging in a shady transaction.”

Lambert then detailed everything he had seen and the nature of the dealings.

The emperor listened in silence without showing much reaction.

When the long account ended, the emperor tapped his fingers lightly against the table, deep in thought.

“This is what you witnessed just a few hours ago?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lambert, full of nerves, nodded vigorously.

Then, a faint smirk curled the emperor’s lips.

“How interesting.”

“……?”

“You came at just the right time.”

Caught off guard by the emperor’s striking smile, Lambert momentarily blanked out.

“Do you have paper and a pen?”

“H-huh? Oh, yes, of course!”

Snapping back to reality, Lambert hurriedly rummaged through his worn-out bag.

A journalist’s essential tools were always at hand, so he always carried graphite pencils and paper.

“Here you go, Your Majesty.”

“Graphite? I’ve heard of it but never used it before.”

“M-my apologies. Quill pens break too easily, so I don’t carry them often… If it’s inconvenient, I can put it away.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Graphite was commonly used by commoners as a writing tool.

Unlike quills, it didn’t require ink, making it convenient, though it left smudges on the hands, which was why nobles rarely used it.

However, the emperor showed no hesitation in grasping the graphite and swiftly writing on the paper.

Lambert felt a slight sense of admiration.

‘A true ruler is different, after all.’

Coming here had been the right decision.

A surge of satisfaction washed over Lambert as he reaffirmed his choice.

When the emperor finished writing the last sentence and lifted his head, he asked, “If your newspaper starts printing this right now, will it be ready by morning?”

“E-excuse me? It’s possible, but time is tight. I can’t guarantee we’ll produce the usual circulation.”

“I see. If used well, this could make your paper a sensation.”

“……?”

The emperor handed Lambert the paper, which was densely covered in writing.

Puzzled, Lambert took it and read it over.

Wait—

“Would this work as an article?”

Lambert’s face turned pale as he forgot to blink.

The contents written by the emperor—

“Smuggling… slaves… drugs… H-homicide?!”

It was a record of the corruption within the Balkan Trading Company.