Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 32 Part 5

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Eleanor did not answer immediately.

A realization struck her a moment too late.

‘Could it be…’

Leaking the wrong wedding announcement date on purpose.

Displaying their affectionate relationship in the Noble Council.

“…Yes, I can remember.”

There was no way she wouldn’t.

The memories of her past life, where she had memorized thousands of faces through portrait painting, still remained vivid in her mind.

As Eleanor answered with ease, Lennoch finally let go of his rigid expression.

He rose from his seat and stepped toward the podium.

“I understand your sentiments well.”

His voice was calm and steady.

Yet, it carried an inexplicable weight, quieting the previously chaotic assembly hall as if pouring cold water over boiling tension.

Nobles who had raised their voices in opposition flinched under his gaze.

Passing through them, the emperor finally approached Marquis Delph.

“There is, however, one strange matter.”

“……?”

“I don’t recall making any wedding announcement.”

Lies.

Marquis Delph thought so immediately.

He had been certain of his information and had no doubt that Fox had published news of the wedding. Naturally, he had only bothered to bring Black Cat with him.

Believing the emperor was merely trying to feign ignorance, Marquis Delph responded smoothly, “Fox reported on the wedding this morning. Your Majesty must not have seen it yet, being as busy as you are. When I read it this morning, I was truly shocked.”

“Is that so?”

With that, the emperor gestured to an attendant, who promptly retrieved a newspaper.

As soon as the attendant handed over Fox, the emperor barely glanced at it before tossing it directly at Marquis Delph’s feet.

The paper landed with a light thud, drawing the marquis’s gaze downward.

“See for yourself.”

“……!”

“To my eyes, this is not a wedding announcement but rather an exposé on your corruption, Marquis Delph.”

What?

Marquis Delph’s pupils dilated.

The bold headline at the top of the article stood out strikingly.

As the nobles, uncertain of the situation, exchanged puzzled glances, Eger strode into the council chamber.

“This is today’s edition of Fox.”

Behind him, dozens of attendants carrying stacks of newspapers followed, distributing them to every noble present.

Meanwhile, Marquis Delph’s hands trembled as he grasped the paper.

“T-this is…”

He had been certain that the Balkan Trading Company scandal had been buried.

After all, Duke Mecklen had used his pardon rights to clear all charges.

Not even the emperor could punish a matter that had already been legally settled.

But how had this journalist uncovered such intricate details about the trading company’s corruption?

While Marquis Delph stood frozen, eyes glued to the paper, the emperor’s voice once again rang in his ears.

“So, when you claimed to have read the wedding article yourself, that was a lie.”

“……!”

“And it seems someone provided you with false information.”

At those words, Count Tiber, who oversaw the imperial press office, instinctively shrank back.

He was terrified that the emperor might discover he had been the one feeding information to Marquis Delph.

Lennoch’s sharp gaze did not miss the count’s reaction.

At the same time, nobles who had started reading the Fox article erupted into murmurs.

“This is…”

Muttering the same phrase over and over, Marquis Delph slowly lifted his head.

“This is all lies.”

His hands shook violently as he crumpled the newspaper in his grip.

“How can you call me the root of all evil? The Balkan Trading Company incident—Duchess Dowager Caroline deceived me into getting involved!”

He was desperate.

If he faltered here, all his future plans would crumble.

The blood drained from his face, but his expression showed his sheer unwillingness to surrender.

Across from him, the emperor’s lips curled slightly at one corner.

As if he found Delph’s defiance amusing.

“Drugs? Murder? What reason would I have to commit such monstrous acts? I can’t even bring myself to kill a mere insect.”

As he desperately tried to justify himself, Duke Nestor’s eyes burned with fury.

He could no longer hold back.

Duke Nestor abruptly rose from his seat and stepped forward.

The emperor did not stop him; instead, he watched with a subtle, knowing smile.

“Your Majesty, if I may speak freely.”

“Go ahead.”

As soon as the emperor granted permission, Duke Nestor pointed directly at Marquis Delph.

“That man is a villain. He pretends to be virtuous, feigns victimhood, but I know his true nature all too well from my time at the Balkan Trading Company. I stake the honor of House Nestor on this claim—Marquis Delph was the mastermind behind the company, and every crime exposed by Fox is the absolute truth.”

“……!”

Swearing upon one’s family honor in front of the entire nobility was the highest form of oath for a nobleman.

Duke Nestor’s explosive declaration sent shockwaves through the assembly, even among nobles like Duke Ezester.

Marquis Delph, visibly tense, swallowed dryly before shouting back, “Duke Nestor, even if you hold a grudge against me, this is far too much! Why not just admit it? You turned against the company because you didn’t receive the dividends you expected. It’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black—isn’t that exactly what’s happening now?”

“The one being dishonest here is you, Marquis Delph.”

The rebuttal did not come from Duke Nestor.

At the unexpected voice, all eyes turned toward its source.

It was Marquis Radsay.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out about the rumors you spread among your attendants about me? Calling me the Empress Dowager’s slave, claiming I have perverse tastes and that I was being blackmailed? You have the audacity to smear my name with baseless gossip while playing innocent? I believe Duke Nestor’s testimony is true. You’re nothing but a hypocrite!”

This was one of the revelations uncovered when the emperor investigated Marquis Delph.

Shortly before attending the assembly, Duke Nestor had relayed this information to Marquis Radse, who had been furious ever since.

And he was not the only noble harboring resentment against Marquis Delph.

“We must reinvestigate all those involved.”

This time, it was Baroness Berenice, standing beside Marquis Radsay, who spoke in a low voice.

She had briefly stepped away from the Empress Dowager’s side to attend the council meeting, and her gaze flickered toward her half-brother, Count Verdik.

Count Verdik had turned deathly pale the moment he read the Fox article.

“If this matter is left unpunished, there will be a second, a third Balkan Trading Company.”

“I share the same sentiment as the baroness.” Countess Hilda raised her hand.

“Furthermore, Marquis Delph has disgraced the nobility by engaging in corruption for personal gain. His actions have tarnished the very honor of the aristocracy. He must be held accountable for that as well.”

“I agree.” Count Coyte declared loudly.

Following him, Pedro also stood up, supporting Countess Hilda’s statement. “Journalist Lambert from Fox has labeled Marquis Delph the epitome of corruption. His name has become synonymous with disgrace. To leave the ‘Delph Remarriage Law’ as it is would be an insult to history. Moreover, this law no longer serves any practical purpose in today’s era. It must be repealed.”

“Isn’t this discussion a bit premature?” Count Davis cautiously interjected.

But Duke Nestor seized the opportunity and pushed forward decisively. “Then let’s settle this now with a vote—shall we abolish this law or not?”

“……!”

“If you agree with my son, raise your hand in support.”

“I support it.”

The moment Duke Nestor finished speaking, hundreds of hands shot up at once.

The overwhelming force of the support left the opposition momentarily stunned.

Marquis Delph only then realized he had fallen into a trap—but it was already too late.

Every noble who had raised their hand had already aligned themselves with Duke Nestor beforehand.

Metron, Britanny, Hument, Mathia, Bardion, Morgen, Aintford, Stice…

One after another, noble houses joined the tide of approval like an unstoppable wave.

“Father, raise your hand quickly.”

From afar, Brianna nudged the Marquis of Liege in the ribs.

However, the marquis looked far from pleased.

He whispered to his daughter, “Brianna, we need to be cautious with this decision. Shouldn’t we support Marquis Delph instead? If he opposes the emperor’s marriage, that might create an opportunity for you to become empress. Rather than pushing for his punishment, why don’t we propose a competition among potential empress candidates?”

The Marquis of Liege still clung to his ambition for the empress’s throne.

Brianna, watching her father, furrowed her brows in displeasure.

“Father, if you keep this up, I’m going to enter a convent.”

“W-what?”

“Choose. Either watch your daughter become a nun or raise your hand.”

“……!”

It was practically a threat.

The Marquis of Liege, his blood pressure rising, clutched the back of his neck, but Brianna was relentless.

Gripping his arm firmly, she forced him to raise his hand.

Behind them, Henrik also joined in support.

With that, the number of nobles backing Duke Nestor’s motion surpassed half the assembly, prompting the emperor, who had been observing quietly, to speak briefly.

“Excellent.”

Marquis Delph remained silent as he watched the overwhelming show of hands.

Yet his trembling shoulders betrayed his shock.

Suddenly, he turned to look at the emperor.

“This is truly unfortunate. The repeal of the Delph Remarriage Law is premature.”

However—

“If this is the will of the nobles.”

Feeling the piercing gaze beside him, the emperor turned his head.

Marquis Delph.

Their eyes met mid-air, crackling with an invisible tension.

Watching the marquis tremble in barely contained rage, the emperor smirked.

“—Then it must be repealed.”

An overwhelming victory.

***

Duchess Dowager Caroline’s Bedroom in the Mecklen Mansion.

Unlike her usual composed demeanor, Caroline’s face was marred with anxiety.

For the past three hours, she had been pacing the room, unable to sit still.

‘Why won’t he respond?’

Ernst had neither rejected nor accepted her proposal.

His silence only heightened her fear.

She needed some kind of reaction to plan her next move.

Whether she had to persuade him or personally go to the palace and negotiate with the emperor—she was considering every possibility.

But even as night passed and morning arrived, Ernst remained shut in his chambers.

He had not even left for the palace.

“He’s not deliberately stalling, is he?”

Muttering under her breath, Caroline bit her thumbnail anxiously.

Her gaze flickered toward the table.

The dagger Ernst had thrown at her last night was still lying there.

Even after their conversation ended, he had not taken it back.

The implication was clear—he was still watching her.

‘If he’s taken the information, he should act on it.’

That was the best move they had left.

Saruka was not someone who would easily break under torture, but there was always a risk.

If he spoke before they could strike a deal, everything would crumble.

They needed to act fast—secure an agreement before he could spill anything. That was their only chance to reorganize the household and buy time.

Then, Caroline suddenly stopped pacing.

“…The slaves.”

She had forgotten.

The slaves were still on the plantation.

Realizing this, she hurriedly reached for a sheet of paper.

She was just about to write an order instructing the plantation overseer to have them all killed when—

The door burst open.

“Where did you hide them?”

“Hik!”

Caroline, startled by the chilling voice behind her, hiccupped loudly as she turned her head with difficulty.

Ernst stood close—too close.

Unlike yesterday, his fury had subsided, but the sheer intensity of his presence felt sharper than a blade.

Caroline struggled to form words. “W-what do you mean, hide?”

“Saruka is enough. Don’t think of deceiving me any further.”

Her breath caught as she carefully placed the quill back onto the table.

At that moment, Ernst snatched the letter from her hands before she could even react.

“Who was this meant for?”

“T-that is…”

“The plantation, isn’t it?”

She needed to divert his attention.

Caroline desperately searched for an excuse.

“About the proposal I made yesterday—if it’s too difficult for you to bring up to the emperor, I could personally…”

“Before negotiating with the emperor.”

Ernst cut her off coldly.

Caroline instinctively took a step back as he advanced.

The sheer weight of his murderous intent was suffocating.

Then, in a voice so low it sent chills through her spine, he continued, “I will personally kill those slaves.”

***