Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 31 Part 6

Fortunately, contrary to her concerns, the fight ended rather anticlimactically.

Saruka had been knocked unconscious by a direct hit to the temple from Jack Ruby’s well-aimed strike.

Watching the fallen Saruka, Jack Ruby chuckled and unexpectedly began patting down his body.

“What are you doing?”

Eleanor, who had just entered the attic, halted.

Jack Ruby answered nonchalantly, “People like him always keep poison on hand just in case. Or they hide weapons. If we tie him up carelessly, he might escape or kill himself. We need to be thorough.”

“I see.”

“If you check carefully here…”

Jack Ruby grabbed Saruka’s sleeve and tore it open with force.

A small, black pill hidden in the fabric rolled onto the floor.

Jack Ruby picked it up and handed it to Eleanor. “Even with his hands bound, he could have retrieved it from his sleeve when needed.”

“Impressive.”

“It’s common in our line of work. If you want to survive in this world, you have to know these tricks.”

Shrugging his broad shoulders, Jack Ruby smirked.

As he continued searching Saruka’s body, an assortment of hidden weapons emerged, including an almost invisible needle.

There was even powdered poison.

After thoroughly removing all potential dangers, Jack Ruby checked Saruka’s mouth and gagged him.

Then, he tightly bound Saruka with ropes and hoisted him over his shoulder.

He looked like a victorious general carrying spoils of war, and Eleanor couldn’t help but smile silently.

“Let’s head down.”

“Saruka turned out to be nothing special.”

Following Eleanor, Jack Ruby grinned.

“Why were we so afraid of him all this time? If I had known, I would have killed him right when he hurt my men.”

At that moment, one of his subordinates hesitated before whispering in Jack Ruby’s ear.

“Boss, isn’t this just a stroke of luck? It’s strange that Saruka didn’t use any weapons. Maybe he’s injured…”

“Hey, shut up.”

Jack Ruby quickly lowered his voice so Eleanor wouldn’t overhear.

Whose side was his subordinate even on?

The subordinate insisted he was just stating objective facts, but under Jack Ruby’s glare, he wisely backed down.

“My dear employer.”

Hearing Jack Ruby’s gravelly yet soft voice, Eleanor turned her head.

Jack Ruby grinned slyly, making a circle with his fingers.

“Don’t forget our agreement. The reward is ten times what we originally discussed. I risked my precious life for this, so if you go back on your word, I’ll be really hurt.”

“For something so life-threatening, you won too easily.”

“That’s because I gave it my all. And don’t forget—I’m Jack Ruby. Of course, I’m this skilled.”

Casually boasting about his abilities, Jack Ruby’s subordinates clapped in unison, as if rehearsed.

It was a clear attempt to stay on their boss’s good side.

‘Seeing them like this, they seem kind of endearing.’

Compared to their initial rough impressions, they now felt somewhat familiar.

Eleanor couldn’t help but lift the corners of her lips slightly.

But Jack Ruby wasn’t done talking.

He hesitated, looking as if he had more to say.

When Eleanor stopped walking and looked up at him, he swallowed hard.

“Do you have something to say?”

“…What will you do with Saruka when he’s no longer useful?”

“Hmm. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

For now, she planned to turn him over for trial. He was both a witness to Caroline’s crimes and a criminal himself.

Seeing her shake her head, Jack Ruby tensed up and spoke again, “Then, won’t you let me be the one to end him?”

“……?”

“I want revenge for my men. He’s killed more of my subordinates than I can count.”

Eleanor suddenly recalled what Jack Ruby had mentioned before.

Saruka had slaughtered more than five of his men.

Though it was a belated thought, Jack Ruby’s plea for revenge weighed on her mind.

“I can’t decide that on my own. I’ll let you know later.”

“Please consider it.”

For once, Jack Ruby was completely serious.

Eleanor nodded in response to his earnest gaze.

As they descended to the second floor, they paused momentarily.

The long hallway was lined with bound soldiers, sitting in a row.

At the very front, Caroline sat gagged.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Caroline let out muffled cries at the sight of Saruka slung over Jack Ruby’s shoulder.

She had been terrified of Jack Ruby’s brutality and had ultimately betrayed Saruka, but deep down, she had still placed some hope in him.

She had believed that if anyone could turn the tables, it would be him.

Yet, her last shred of hope crumbled before her eyes.

Eleanor removed the cloth from Caroline’s mouth.

“We’re leaving now, so scream as much as you want.”

“You, you—!”

“Oh, and I’ll be taking Saruka with me. Thank you for taking care of him all this time.”

The sheer audacity of her words made Caroline’s face flush red with rage.

“Do you really think you’ll get away with this? You dared to trespass into the noble house of Mecklen, oppress me, the Duchess, and expect no consequences? I will make sure today’s events are spread far and wide among the nobility. You will be branded as a disgraceful aristocrat who mingles with lowly mercenaries and engages in looting. You won’t even be able to lift your head in society!”

“Go ahead.”

Eleanor remained unshaken.

“And make sure to include Saruka in your story.”

“……!”

“Tell them that House Hippias personally led mercenaries into House Mecklen to capture the murderous Saruka. That would make for an even better headline.”

Caroline’s lips turned deathly pale.

Now that Saruka was in Eleanor’s hands, he had become the perfect weakness against her.

Leaving behind Caroline, who struggled against her restraints, Eleanor passed by leisurely alongside Jack Ruby, smiling.

From behind, a final desperate scream rang out.

“Ernst won’t let you go!”

“……?”

“Did you really think we’d just take this lying down? While you were in the attic, a servant ran to inform the palace of the attack!”

Caroline’s voice, filled with resentment, cut through the night air.

“No matter how much Ernst cares for you, you brought mercenaries and humiliated his family. Do you think he’ll just stand by and let this go?”

***

Ignoring Caroline’s outburst, Eleanor left the Mecklen estate and sent Jack Ruby’s men back to Ferret first.

In the meantime, Saruka regained consciousness and fiercely resisted, only to be struck down by Jack Ruby.

To ensure no further trouble, Jack Ruby agreed to accompany Eleanor to the palace.

Of course, this came with an additional payment.

Eleanor, Jack Ruby, and the restrained Saruka all boarded the Hippias carriage together.

‘It’s a relief we caught him.’

Looking down at Saruka, who lay helplessly under Jack Ruby’s foot, Eleanor swallowed hard.

‘But I never expected him to actually be hiding in Mecklen.’

She hadn’t fully explained her plan to Lennoch.

Eleanor herself had only suspected that Caroline might still be in contact with Saruka, but she had never imagined he was actually being sheltered there.

However, Lennoch did know her destination.

“You’re going to Mecklen alone?”

As expected, Lennoch had objected.

But after Eleanor reassured him that she only planned to have a quiet conversation with Caroline, he reluctantly allowed it.

Though, he had remained skeptical until the end about her claim of retrieving a pair of forgotten earrings.

‘Bringing Jack Ruby along was a great decision.’

He turned out to be far more useful than expected.

Had she taken imperial knights instead, they would have hesitated to attack Mecklen directly.

After all, as Caroline pointed out, few nobles in Baden would dare challenge one of the most prominent houses.

But Jack Ruby? As long as he was paid well, he had no qualms about taking action.

And he had done more than just intimidate Caroline—Eleanor had even braced herself when she thought he might actually gouge out Caroline’s eye.

Not to mention how neatly he had handled Saruka after capturing him, leaving no loose ends.

“Your execution is remarkably precise. I’m impressed.”

“Naturally. I deliver results according to the payment received.”

Pleased by the compliment, Jack Ruby grinned as he pulled a cigar from his pocket.

Eleanor watched curiously as he placed it between his lips.

Among the nobility, cigars were not widely accepted, making those who smoked them quite rare.

“What does it feel like to smoke one?”

“It’s not about the feeling. It’s just a habit.”

Jack Ruby, rummaging for a match, suddenly paused.

He belatedly realized he was inside a carriage.

Caught in a moment of hesitation, he glanced at Eleanor, whose bright eyes were fixed on him.

“…It doesn’t taste as good today.”

Grumbling, he bit down on the end of the cigar before spitting it out.

Smoking inside the carriage would have quickly filled it with white smoke.

Noticing Eleanor’s continued interest in the cigar, he abruptly tossed it out the window.

“It’s not something worth paying attention to.”

“……?”

Eleanor blinked, puzzled by his sudden change in attitude.

Jack Ruby stole a quick glance at her before clearing his throat awkwardly.

“By the way, what exactly is your identity, dear employer? I already knew you were someone from the palace, but…”

At the mention of the palace, Saruka, bound at their feet, flinched slightly.

Jack Ruby didn’t miss the reaction and kept a close eye on him.

“I’ve met plenty of nobles, but I’ve never encountered someone as generous as you… No, I mean someone as financially unrestricted as you.”

Jack Ruby was extremely curious about Eleanor’s financial situation.

Just moments ago, she had agreed to pay him ten times the initial bounty for capturing Saruka.

Where did all this money come from?

Jack Ruby had looked into Eleanor before. He knew she was the exiled princess of Hartmann and the infamous director of the palace bureau.

But where did an exiled princess get such immense wealth?

‘Did she find a secret gold mine somewhere?’

Jack Ruby scratched his scruffy beard in deep thought.

“At the rate you spend, you might as well be the Emperor.”

Muttering sarcastically, he wondered if his words would ever reach the Emperor’s ears.

Eleanor merely smiled instead of answering.

Just then—

“Ack!”

The coachman of the Hippias carriage let out a startled cry.

At the same time, the carriage came to a sudden halt.

Eleanor lurched forward, nearly crashing into the carriage wall, but Jack Ruby swiftly caught her shoulder, preventing her from injury.

Outside, the trembling voice of the coachman could be heard.

“Wh-who are you?”