Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 32 Part 4

[The Emperor Stole My Wife.]

[The Secret Affair Between My Best Friend of 20 Years and My Wife. How Did It End?]

“…What kind of headline is this?”

Laura barely held herself back from flinging the newspaper away as she gritted her teeth.

“This is exactly why Black Cat is always considered third-rate.”

Though it was the second most popular paper after Fox, its sensationalized headlines always divided public opinion.

Laura, in particular, disliked this aspect of Black Cat.

Shuddering at the content, she continued reading with a pained expression.

The article detailed an alleged love triangle between the emperor, Duke Mecklen, and the former Duchess of Mecklen.

[……(omitted)…… Tonight, I think of the cosmos flowers you loved. The pillow beneath my head is soaked with tears, and as the night darkens, I spend yet another sleepless night longing for you, who will never return. …(omitted)]

After reading what was supposedly a letter written by Duke Mecklen himself, Laura clicked her tongue loudly.

“I never imagined His Majesty to be this kind of person. To steal a friend’s wife… And to think he pressured them to divorce—what a shocking revelation.”

“That’s why things were so chaotic this morning. But that’s barely a scratch compared to what’s coming next. Something even bigger has surfaced.”

“Something bigger?”

“Fox just broke a major scandal. The newspaper arrived later than usual today, and within an hour of hitting the stands, every single copy sold out. Everyone who comes in is talking about —it’s pure madness.”

“You mean there’s an even bigger story than this?”

Laura’s eyes widened in shock.

Brad, the baker, handed her a copy of Fox while muttering that the world was going to ruin.

“This time, the corruption of House Mecklen and House Delph has been completely exposed. Well, to be precise, the real issue is House Delph. It turns out they struck a deal with the Duchess Dowager of Mecklen to escape punishment. Can you believe it? They even bought illegal drugs.”

“Good heavens. Drugs?”

Laura, horrified, immediately discarded Black Cat and grabbed Fox.

Her eyes moved rapidly across the page, far faster than when she had read Black Cat.

[Not the Empress’s Noble Lineage, but a House of Corruption? Marquis Delph’s Perfect Double Life.]

[Murder, Fraud, Drugs, Smuggling, and Even Slavery.]

[……(omitted)… How did he manage to smuggle goods in and out of East Harlem for so long without being caught? One must look at his ties to House Mecklen. The Duchess Dowager of Mecklen, Caroline, …(omitted)]

After finishing the entire article, Laura shook her head in disbelief.

Setting aside the fact that after reading Black Cat first, Fox’s writing seemed noticeably superior in comparison.

“I know nobles can be corrupt, but this is just beyond reason. Wasn’t the Empress from House Delph? Back then, they were praised as an upright and virtuous family, but to think they were secretly committing such heinous crimes behind closed doors… It feels like a betrayal.”

“I feel the same way. The saying ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ has never been more fitting.”

“Did you see the last remark made by Lambert, the journalist? It’s unsettling.”

[……Perhaps right now, House Delph is already searching—for a new scapegoat to take the fall before their own disgrace is fully revealed. —Journalist Lambert—]

“Could Black Cat have deliberately released this article to cover up the real scandal? The earlier article mentioned that the Duchess Dowager of Mecklen helped House Delph avoid punishment. Even today’s supposed ‘love letter’ from Duke Mecklen feels oddly convenient.”

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, it does seem suspicious.”

Brad stroked his thick beard thoughtfully. “Besides, His Majesty isn’t the type to just steal another man’s wife. Among all the emperors in history, he’s regarded as the one who brought the empire to its greatest prosperity. Not just for commoners like us, but even for the poor, he’s introduced policies that have genuinely helped.”

“That’s true.” Laura nodded in agreement.

Just then, the bell at the shop’s entrance rang.

“Are there any newspapers left?”

“You’re just a little too late.” Brad shook his head.

The newcomer glanced at the empty newspaper basket and sighed in disappointment. “Was there any interesting news today?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started.”

As before, Brad handed him a copy of the newspaper he had been reading.

After finishing both Black Cat and Fox, the man reacted much like Laura had.

Though they were complete strangers, the three quickly bonded over ’s explosive article, engaging in an animated discussion.

Then, suddenly, the man’s voice took on a sharper edge.

“Nobles are already born with far more privileges than us, so how can they commit such immoral acts? And yet, even after committing crimes, they still go unpunished. It’s infuriating.”

“That’s exactly it. They’ve done things worse than common thugs. Do these nobles, who supposedly care so much about dignity, feel no shame at all? Tsk, tsk.”

“This is practically an act of defiance against His Majesty. They even smuggled in slaves, despite it being strictly forbidden by law.”

“Right, right. That’s no different from treason.”

“I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I’ll go throw some tomatoes at them.”

“Tomatoes?”

The baker, Brad, stared at the man in shock.

Laura, standing nearby, also widened her eyes.

But the man, unfazed by their reactions, clenched his fist with determination. “When I say I’ll do something, I do it. If you see a report tomorrow about tomatoes being thrown at the front gates of House Delph, know that it was me.”

“W-wait a moment. You can’t just—going after a noble’s mansion…”

“So what? Are we supposed to just sit back and watch Marquis Delph walk around freely, unpunished, after committing such a terrible crime? Even His Majesty must be outraged after being attacked by such a slanderous article.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Then should I throw eggs instead?”

Brad hesitated, while Laura seemed somewhat tempted by the idea.

The man nodded firmly. “I’m heading there now. I’ll throw first. If any of you feel the urge, come join me. I’ll be waiting at the front.”

“Wait…!”

Before Brad could stop him, the man had already rushed out.

His excitement had clearly reached its peak.

Brad, unable to chase after him, stopped Laura, who had looked like she might follow.

Meanwhile, the man continued down the main road toward House Delph.

However, as he walked, his behavior began to shift.

He glanced around suspiciously, then quietly veered into a side alley.

Unlike the main street, this alley was dark and narrow.

Beyond a stack of wooden crates, wisps of white smoke curled into the air, catching the man’s attention.

“Boss.”

“Oh, you’re here?”

Jack Ruby, a cigar in his mouth, lifted his head slightly.

Despite his rough, menacing appearance, he held an unexpectedly delicate basket in one hand.

The man’s gaze naturally fell to the tomatoes inside.

“Are we really doing this?”

“Of course.”

“……”

Jack Ruby’s unwavering answer seemed to shake the man’s earlier confidence.

“What if House Delph’s guards arrest me for insulting a noble?”

“If the guy leading the charge is this scared, how do you expect others to follow? Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? If things go south, I’ll fight them off myself.”

Jack Ruby patted his subordinate’s shoulder reassuringly.

Even though he had been up all night and working since dawn, he showed no signs of fatigue. If anything, he looked more energized than ever.

That was because of the conversation he had with the emperor just before being released from prison that morning.

“As an information broker, can you also stir up public sentiment?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I practically control all the information networks in the capital. Thanks to a generous employer who spared no expense, I’ve taken over most of the informants in Ferret. Just give the order, and my men will handle it.”

“Good. Then, while you’re out, I have another job for you.”

And so, the new assignment had begun.

The task was to ensure public resentment toward Marquis Delph was fully solidified.

Jack Ruby’s men had been dispatched across the capital’s bakeries, spreading the word and riling up the masses.

One of those men, now visibly uneasy, let out a deep sigh. “Are you sure this will work, boss?”

“Come on. Have you learned nothing from watching me take over Ferret? Just trust me. A golden path is opening up for us. Heh.”

Unlike his subordinate, Jack Ruby was supremely confident.

And why wouldn’t he be? This job wasn’t just commissioned by Eleanor—it came from none other than the emperor himself.

Jack Ruby exhaled a puff of smoke from his cigar. “Hurry it up. Do you think we have all day? We need to wrap this up before tomorrow’s big announcement. Public opinion must be completely cemented by then.”

Unable to argue, the man finally reached out his hand. “Give me the tomatoes.”

“Make sure you throw them properly. Aim for the spots where they’ll be most visible.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

Muttering his response, the man trudged back out of the alley, now carrying the basket of ripe tomatoes under his arm.

Jack Ruby smirked as he watched his subordinate head toward the Delph mansion.

***

Marquis Delph openly revealed to the assembly the tragic tale of Duke Mecklen, the emperor’s closest friend and a devoted servant of the imperial family.

The nobles’ reactions were varied.

Some claimed it was the first time they had heard such a story.

Others, having read the morning newspaper, nodded in deep agreement.

Some nobles outright refused to believe the article’s credibility, but those who supported Marquis Delph fiercely opposed them, plunging the assembly into chaos.

“I have heard of His Majesty’s impending marriage announcement today. However, I cannot approve of a marriage that disregards Duke Mecklen’s honor and is carried out solely for the emotions of the two individuals involved. This will go down in history as a disgrace to the imperial family.”

“That is correct.”

“I, too, support the marquis’s stance.”

As soon as Marquis Delph finished speaking, voices of agreement echoed from various corners of the room.

All of them were nobles aligned with him.

‘All that matters is setting the right momentum.’

Not every noble in attendance was on his side, but the numbers were sufficient.

In the tangled web of social and political connections, quality was often more important than quantity.

As long as he had key figures in his grasp, the others connected to them would naturally follow.

The nobles supporting Marquis Delph today were all individuals with whom he had carefully built long-standing relationships.

Roughly a hundred of them.

‘If I push forward like this, others will be swept along by the tide. Once I gather enough, I can secure more than half of the votes and block the emperor’s marriage.’

With confidence, Marquis Delph’s gaze landed on Eleanor.

His eyes gleamed as though he was moments away from tearing her down from her seat.

As Eleanor met his cunningly narrowed eyes, she instinctively tensed.

‘So he planned this in advance.’

Yesterday, she had been too focused on the marriage announcement to anticipate this.

Using the newspapers to spread exaggerated rumors like this—

Black Cat had framed the story as if Duke Mecklen had been in love with Eleanor, forced into divorce due to imperial pressure, and now left longing for her.

But in reality—

It was all an obvious lie.

Every time Marquis Delph mentioned Ernst’s supposed tears for her, she had to stifle the urge to laugh.

However, while Duke Nestor, Henrik, Pedro, and those who knew the truth remained composed, the rest of the nobles showed significant unease.

“Lennoch.”

Eleanor called softly, masking her growing anxiety, as she turned to the emperor beside her.

Lennoch had planned to propose the repeal of the Delph Remarriage Law today, but if this continued, the situation could spiral out of control.

“I will explain this myself. I’ll clarify that there was never any emotional involvement between Duke Mecklen and me, and that our divorce had nothing to do with Your Majesty’s influence. If I explain properly—”

“No.”

Just as she was about to stand, Eleanor was startled by the firm grip holding her in place.

Unexpectedly, Lennoch was unyielding.

Before she could fully process it, he pulled her toward him, and she tumbled into his embrace.

Flustered, she looked up at him.

“Let them continue.”

“……?”

“Not just Marquis Delph—I want to hear the opinions of the other nobles as well. Let them freely raise their hands if they oppose my marriage.”

“Are you serious, Your Majesty?”

Someone cried out in disbelief.

As Eleanor realized that all eyes were now fixed on her, she instinctively tried to pull away. However, the more she resisted, the tighter Lennoch’s arms held her in place.

Half resigned, she leaned in and whispered close to his ear, “Your Majesty, what are you planning?”

“Shh.”

Below his sharp nose, a smooth smile curved across his lips.

“Just stay like this for a moment. The real show is about to begin.”

“……?”

Lennoch gave no further explanation.

But his eyes were locked on something within the council chamber.

Eleanor followed his gaze.

“I object.”

At that moment, Count Davis raised his hand, becoming the first noble to speak up in support of Marquis Delph.

“I share Count Davis’s sentiments.”

“Your Majesty, this undermines the trust between ruler and vassal.”

“I believe the director, who is of Hartmann royal descent, should be excluded. The empress should come from among our own people.”

“I propose that Lady Vivia, the marquis’s second daughter, be considered as empress instead.”

“I agree.”

A flood of objections filled the air, one after another.

What had begun with just a hundred nobles rapidly grew until over four hundred had openly opposed the emperor’s marriage.

After observing in silence, Lennoch finally spoke, his voice calm yet unwavering.

“Eli.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Do you think you can remember all their names?”