Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 31 Part 5

“Eleanor?”

Caroline’s eyes snapped open in disbelief.

“Should I send her away?”

“Wait. I’ll go myself.”

Caroline rose from her bed.

Her back had healed considerably compared to before, so moving was no longer a major issue, though a dull pain still lingered.

Pressing her left hand against her waist, she quickly exited the bedroom.

‘Where does she think she is?’

The woman who had always abhorred stepping foot in the Mecklen estate was now coming here of her own accord?

And at such a late hour.

It was no different from asking to be killed on the spot.

Descending the stairs in her nightdress, Caroline suddenly stopped and looked up at the ceiling.

‘It should be fine, right?’

She was suddenly reminded of the person hiding in the attic.

Saruka.

Under normal circumstances, he would have taken care of his pursuers himself, but things were far from ordinary now, and there was always the chance he could be caught.

That was why she had secretly hidden him in the Mecklen mansion.

He wouldn’t come out unless she called for him, so there shouldn’t be an issue.

Caroline narrowed her eyes like a snake.

She called the maid following behind her.

“Wake the guards and have them stand by on the second floor.”

“Yes, Madam.”

At her order, the maid bowed and hurried off.

Caroline, now determined to capture Eleanor, smiled in satisfaction and continued down the stairs.

The grand hall was empty except for one figure, draped in a pure white robe.

As soon as the figure saw Caroline, she pulled back her hood, revealing her face.

“Even after committing so many crimes, you sleep quite well, I see.”

“You’ve got some nerve, daring to speak like that.”

Caroline snapped at Eleanor.

“Showing up unannounced in the middle of the night—is this some new etiquette I wasn’t aware of? Tsk, tsk. It’s always the uneducated ones who lack manners. You really need proper training.”

“Oh? Then I suppose you should learn etiquette all over again too. How unfortunate. At your age, having to be taught noble etiquette from scratch—it must be humiliating.”

“What—what did you say?”

“I assumed there were no formalities between us. After all, you barged into my office uninvited to discuss the Ceylon tea business.”

An unexpected counterattack.

While Caroline flushed with anger, Eleanor continued in an indifferent tone.

“That reminds me. I had a cherished pair of earrings when I lived here, but I left in a hurry and forgot them. I thought I’d check if they were still in my room.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Eleanor, standing there so brazenly, looked completely at ease.

Caroline wanted nothing more than to throw her out immediately, but she clenched her trembling hands into fists.

She had come here of her own volition, practically begging to be killed—Caroline couldn’t waste this opportunity.

“Then go ahead and search.”

“……”

“Where was your room again? Was it on the second floor?”

Despite her attempt to remain composed, the edge in Caroline’s voice wavered slightly.

Snorting, she turned and marched up the stairs, with Eleanor following closely behind.

‘Nothing has changed here.’

The pristine, grand hall remained exactly as it had been the day she left.

The same was true for the second floor.

When Caroline unlocked a door that had been sealed for years, a small, pitiful room came into view.

A poorly arranged vanity covered in dust stood awkwardly in the corner.

Seeing it, Eleanor’s eyes darkened slightly.

She had once sat there, weeping in helplessness.

“Well? Start searching already.”

Caroline’s sharp voice pushed her forward.

Eleanor turned to face her.

“Where is Saruka?”

“……!”

“I know you’re still in contact with him.”

“What…?”

“There have been countless rumors that Saruka was heavily involved in the Balkan Trading Company’s dealings. I don’t know why he’s helping you, but I intend to meet him and expose every single one of his crimes.”

This time, she wouldn’t escape with a simple pardon.

“Besides, I doubt he was only acting as a courier for the trading company.”

Jack Ruby had told her.

In East Harlem, Saruka was notorious for his brutality.

“No one who has seen his unmasked face has lived to tell the tale. He’s that ruthless. Doesn’t it stand to reason he could also be an assassin? Perhaps he even carried out some jobs on your orders.”

“……!”

Caroline’s expression twisted in shock.

Umar.

She suddenly recalled the mayor of Kuhen, Umar, who had been killed by Saruka.

So many incidents were intricately connected like a web.

Her face turned pale.

“…You won’t leave here alive tonight.”

A chill radiated from Caroline’s voice.

“You dare threaten me?”

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Yes.”

Caroline glared at Eleanor with venomous eyes.

“When you first entered this family, I should have killed you then. I should have used poison or anything else at my disposal. Do you have any idea how much suffering I’ve endured because of you?”

“Ah, still blaming others, I see.”

Always the same pattern.

A perpetrator pretending to be the victim.

Eleanor scoffed coldly. “Don’t you ever get tired of recycling the same old excuses? Perhaps it’s time for a change—try coming up with something new. This is getting tedious.”

“Shut up!”

Caroline, unable to contain herself any longer, summoned the waiting guards.

The armed guards who rushed to the door all had menacing eyes.

Eleanor, unfazed by their cold stares, responded smoothly, “So, where is Saruka?”

“Well, if you really want to know, why don’t you get on your knees and beg?”

Caroline scoffed.

“If you beg for forgiveness, I might consider telling you as a last request before you die. What are you waiting for? Seize her immediately.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Though the situation had turned against her in an instant, Eleanor did not take her eyes off the sneering Caroline.

Instead, a faint smile formed on her lips.

Just as the guards were about to grab Eleanor—

A rough voice rang out from the far end of the corridor.

“Who dares to lay a hand on my esteemed employer?”

A large figure emerged from the shadows.

A burly man, with a massive frame and a cigar clenched between his teeth.

Caroline, rushing into the corridor, nearly collapsed in shock at the sight of him.

“H-how did that bastard get in here?”

“This household boasts the best swordsmen in the empire, yet he seems rather incompetent when it comes to security.”

Jack Ruby exhaled a puff of white smoke and grinned.

“The security is so lax that sneaking in almost felt disappointing.”

And Jack Ruby was not alone.

As dozens of men appeared behind him, the estate guards, who had been standing off against them, flinched visibly.

Thanks to Eleanor drawing Caroline’s attention upstairs, Jack Ruby and the mercenaries had managed to infiltrate with ease.

Jack Ruby smirked as he looked at Caroline. “We don’t need anything else. Just tell us everything you know.”

“Not only do you dare trespass into the mansion of a noble family, but you also dare to threaten me? Are you asking to die?”

Unlike the raging Caroline, Jack Ruby remained utterly unfazed. He casually dug his ear with his pinky and taunted her.

“Oh my, how scary. But for a noble lady, your language is rather crude.”

“Y-you filthy lowlife…!”

In Ferret Street, much harsher insults were commonplace, so Caroline’s words were nothing more than meaningless babble to him.

In fact, the mercenaries behind Jack Ruby were the ones who bristled with anger, gritting their teeth, which caused the estate guards to hesitate and step back.

As a result, the grip on Eleanor loosened as well.

Taking advantage of the moment, she shook off the guards and rushed outside, calling out to Jack Ruby.

“Can you do it?”

Though she left out the subject, Jack Ruby understood immediately.

He removed the cigar from his mouth and grinned.

“Leave it to me.”

***

At the very top floor of the Mecklen mansion.

A man hiding in the rarely visited attic could not fall asleep.

Tossing and turning on the bare floor, he finally sat up and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall.

He pulled off the mask covering his face.

The exposed face was horribly scarred with severe burns.

When he brought his hand to his cheek, his skin felt rough, like tree bark.

“You don’t suit being a knight.”

That was what the previous Duke of Mecklen had said.

“Your heart is too soft. I doubt you could even swing a sword at an animal, let alone a person. Have you ever hunted before?”

The late Emperor Heinrich II had also evaluated Saruka in a similar manner.

“……”

How had he ended up like this?

He tried to trace back his memories but soon gave up.

It no longer mattered.

He had survived this long—wasn’t that enough?

At that moment, a low voice echoed from beyond the attic door.

“Where is that bastard’s room?”

“……!”

Saruka, who possessed exceptionally keen hearing, had no difficulty catching the noise.

Someone was approaching his hiding place.

Judging by the footsteps, it wasn’t just one or two people.

At least ten.

‘Who could it be?’

Caroline had ordered that no one in the mansion was to enter the attic.

There was no reason she would have changed her mind now.

Which meant these people had not been granted entry.

Saruka’s first move was to retrieve his mask.

Once his face was concealed again, he pressed himself tightly against the wall beside the door.

“Step aside.”

Bang! Bang!

With a loud crack, the wooden door splintered apart.

The intruders had simply kicked the door down.

Saruka gripped his sword tightly. If an enemy poked their head inside, he planned to slash their throat instantly.

A long shadow stretched into the dim room. Holding his breath, he steadied himself.

“But, my dear employer.”

Just as he was about to step inside, Jack Ruby hesitated.

Stopping just at the threshold, he turned to Eleanor and asked, “Must I be the first to go in?”

“What are you talking about?”

Peering through the broken doorway, Eleanor turned to look at him.

Uncharacteristically, Jack Ruby hesitated and glanced around nervously.

He bent down slightly and whispered so only Eleanor could hear.

“What if I see Saruka’s bare face and end up dying a gruesome death?”

It was hard to believe that the same man who had just mercilessly beaten up the estate guards was now acting so timid.

Eleanor stared at him incredulously, and Jack Ruby let out an awkward grunt.

“Didn’t I tell you before? Many information brokers in Ferret refuse to deal with Saruka because too many people who have seen his face end up dead. I’m still not mentally prepared for this…”

“Five.”

“……!”

“How about ten?”

This time, she held up both hands.

Jack Ruby swallowed hard as he alternated his gaze between Eleanor’s sweet smile and her pale palms.

A tenfold reward.

“I’ll do it without hesitation.”

Jack Ruby unsheathed his falcata with enthusiasm.

Then, in a move unfitting for his burly stature, he rolled forward dramatically and leaped into the room.

At the same time, Saruka’s blade slashed toward his neck.

Startled, Eleanor shouted.

“Dodge!”

Jack Ruby narrowly avoided the strike by rolling away, then thrust his blade toward Saruka’s legs.

Though the force behind his attack was lacking, the falcata aimed directly at Saruka’s groin forced him to retreat hastily.

With the attic being smaller than expected, none of the other mercenaries could intervene effectively.

If they clumsily jumped into the fight, it would only increase the risk of friendly fire.

All they could do was cheer Jack Ruby on from outside.

“Wow, this is insane.”

After exchanging a few blows, Jack Ruby let out an exaggerated groan.

Though he swung his blade with full force, Saruka either dodged with ease or deflected the strikes with short, precise movements.

His counterattacks placed a heavy strain on Jack Ruby’s wrist, yet his stance remained unshaken.

As the fight dragged on through dozens of exchanges, Jack Ruby’s competitive spirit ignited.

“Let’s get serious!”

He quickly put some distance between them, then pulled out something with his free hand and flung it at Saruka’s face.

Sand.

A cheap trick, but a common one in the underworld.

As Saruka reflexively narrowed his eyes, Jack Ruby seized the opening and closed in.

“Jack, don’t kill him!”

Eleanor shouted instinctively in alarm.

***