Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 35 Part 1

“Sit.”

The emperor placed the bloodstained handkerchief on the table and gestured for Ernst to take a seat.

However, Ernst declined.

Without extending the offer a second time, the emperor got straight to the point.

“What do you have to say to me?”

He kept his emotions in check as he spoke.

Anything beyond that, and he could not guarantee what would come next.

Ernst, too, noticed the discomfort laced in the emperor’s quiet voice.

He carefully broached a heavy subject.

“I lied to Your Majesty.”

An unexpected confession.

The emperor did not respond immediately.

“I was aware of the discord between her and my mother, yet I told you that Eleanor was content in her marriage.”

Only then did the emperor realize what Ernst was referring to.

It was a fragment of their last conversation before he had approved their divorce.

“Not to be overly concerned, but I hope you’re not just saying that because you’re worried about my reaction. Do you truly believe that your wife is happy?”

At the time, Ernst had responded:

“She is the Duchess of Mecklen. Even if she does not understand now, one day she will take pride in the family, just as my mother did, and she will live happily, enjoying what she has.”

“…And if that is not what she wants?”

“That would be impossible. No, she must not even think of such a thing. To live in Baden, she needs the support of our family. And for the family, a certain level of sacrifice is necessary at times.”

Recalling that moment, Ernst’s expression darkened.

“I should have corrected myself then.”

“……”

“It was my attempt to cover up the situation with a lie.”

And that had led to the current outcome.

“I should have been honest with Your Majesty.”

The usually stoic Ernst now revealed deep regret on his face.

If only he had spoken with her more.

If only he had asked the emperor to intervene and mediate.

Would things have turned out differently?

At first, he had been furious, feeling as if she had been stolen from him.

He had been consumed with jealousy, convinced he had to take back what was his.

But now, he understood.

She had never truly been his to begin with.

The weight on his chest was unbearable, and his voice weakened as he continued.

“I apologize.”

“……”

It was the first apology he had ever offered.

Ernst took a deep breath.

He had struggled with his thoughts for a long time, hesitating countless times before coming here.

But one thing was clear—

He never wanted to experience such bitter regret again.

With Eleanor’s face flashing through his mind, Ernst finally lifted his head.

“Saruka was an assassin hired by my father.”

“……!”

The emperor’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and Ernst exhaled a tense breath.

“And his mission was to carry out the orders of Heinrich II, the former emperor.”

To restore the political balance that had tilted in favor of the nobility—

He was meant to be used as a tool to eliminate political opponents, Ernst explained.

The emperor listened quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

‘Strange.’

According to records, Saruka had been an archivist managing the imperial library.

So how had he ended up as an assassin under the former Duke of Mecklen?

Sensing the emperor’s doubt, Ernst promptly added, “Saruka was originally my father’s squire.”

“A squire?”

“My mother told me he was a fallen noble who became a knight in an effort to restore his family. He had exceptional talent, but his gentle nature made him an outcast within the order.”

And then—

“The former emperor, recognizing his potential, appointed him as an administrator.”

“……”

“But even that did not last long. He left his position and disappeared from Baden for some time.”

The truths Ernst had uncovered were finally piecing together a long-muddled puzzle.

Most likely, Saruka had crossed into East Harlem during his period of disappearance from Baden.

That would explain how someone with such a meek personality had suddenly chosen such an ill-fitting profession.

“After vanishing for a time, he suddenly reappeared—as an assassin hired by my father.”

The moment Ernst heard Caroline’s story, he began searching for records left behind by his father.

Given his father’s meticulous nature, Ernst was certain he would have encrypted everything and hidden it somewhere within the estate.

His assumption was correct.

Had it not been for the sudden carriage accident that claimed their lives, many of the plans outlined in those documents might have already been set in motion.

But fate had put an end to them before they could come to fruition.

Ernst handed over the classified documents he had found to the emperor.

The cover bore the seal of the former Duke of Mecklen, alongside the signature and official stamp of Emperor Heinrich II.

“I have already decrypted everything.”

Taking the documents, the emperor flipped to the first page.

As his eyes landed on the first name listed, his expression shifted in surprise.

Ernst, watching his reaction, continued, “The noble the former emperor sought to eliminate first—was Marquis Delph.”

***

Choosing a wedding dress was far more exhausting than expected.

When Norah returned from her errand and joined in, the discussion became even more heated.

Eleanor had to sift through several more catalogs after that.

By the time she finished selecting a shortlist of dresses by designer, the afternoon sun had nearly set.

“I will summon the designers early tomorrow morning. Try on the dresses yourself and choose the one you like best.”

The Empress Dowager spoke with a bright smile.

There were more than twenty dresses in total.

Slightly drained, Eleanor responded with a helpless smile and agreed.

Among those who saw her off as she left the palace, only Countess Lorentz was absent.

She had looked anxious throughout the entire discussion but eventually slipped away midway and never returned.

The Empress Dowager did not even consider sending someone to retrieve her.

“She’ll come crawling back on her own. Pay her no mind.”

For someone who had once valued Countess Lorentz, the Empress Dowager’s response was strikingly cold.

However, since it was entirely Countess Lorentz’s own doing, no one objected.

On her way back, Eleanor briefly stopped by the director’s office, but Brianna was out handling other matters.

‘I wanted to tell her myself.’

She regretted not being able to share the news of her engagement personally but turned away without lingering.

The only person left was Eger.

Without a doubt, he would still be waiting for her, claiming there were reports to discuss.

As Eleanor hurried toward the emperor’s office, she saw a familiar figure approaching from the opposite direction.

‘Ernst.’

“……”

Just as he exited the emperor’s office, Ernst stopped upon seeing Eleanor.

His face was as emotionless as ever, but unlike before, his gaze wavered.

A brief but awkward silence stretched between them.

“Congratulations on your engagement.”

It was Ernst who spoke first.

Following his gesture of raising his right hand in greeting, Eleanor’s lips parted slightly.

“Thank you.”

There was no better response she could give.

Eleanor had expected Ernst to simply walk past her after that.

But he did not move.

Detecting hesitation in his stance, she looked at him with a hint of curiosity.

Ernst could not easily take his eyes off her.

“Your family, I will protect.”

Before leaving the office, Ernst recalled the emperor’s words.

“This is not a promise made on impulse.”

The emperor still did not fully trust Ernst.

Especially after witnessing his actions at the plantation, he remained wary.

Thus, it was difficult to believe that Ernst had suddenly changed his mind.

However, two reasons influenced the emperor’s decision.

The first was Eleanor’s own reluctance to seek retribution against him.

The second—

“Out of respect for the late Duke of Mecklen, your father.”

“……”

“In honor of the man who perished alongside my father in an unfortunate accident, I vow that as long as I live, you and your family shall receive the dignity and treatment befitting your status.”

“One last thing.”

“……?”

“May I take your hand?”

It was the first time he had made such a formal request.

And he even addressed her with honorifics.

Eleanor, sensing the emotions behind his words and the weight of his decision to return to the palace, extended her hand in response instead of answering.

Ernst, interpreting her gesture as permission, slowly lowered his head.

A fleeting touch landed on the back of her hand before vanishing.

It was as light as the wind, barely lingering.

Eleanor withdrew her hand as Ernst straightened himself.

“As the Sword of Baden… I will protect the imperial family, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Though she had not yet officially ascended, he had deliberately chosen his words.

Recognizing the intent behind them, Eleanor blinked a couple of times before responding.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Duke Mecklen.

A faint smile graced her lips, softening her gaze.

For a fleeting moment, Ernst’s eyes wavered before returning to their usual steadiness.

It was—

A smile that looked as if it could crumble into tears at any moment.

35. The Villain’s End

Caroline left the estate and never returned.

She had wanted to avoid any possibility of encountering danger from the beginning.

Outside, the atmosphere was as lively as a festival, but Caroline’s mood only worsened.

“What’s so great about that woman that they’re making such a fuss?” Caroline muttered irritably.

Russell, who sat across from her, flinched.

“A fallen princess becoming an empress—what a joke. It’ll be a miracle if she doesn’t ruin the country.”

“……”

Russell scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond to Caroline’s relentless criticism.

‘If Jack Ruby heard this, he’d throw a fit.’

Jack Ruby, now the true leader of the Ferit family, had been passionately supporting Eleanor.

One could say that Eleanor’s rising popularity was largely due to the relentless efforts of Jack Ruby’s subordinates.

Russell had watched firsthand as Jack Ruby worked tirelessly to influence public opinion.

Lately, for some reason, he was even coming up with special merchandise.

Mass-producing miniature portraits of Eleanor to distribute across Baden—such was Jack Ruby’s latest idea.

But Russell refrained from mentioning this to Caroline.

After all, he could already see where her fate was heading.

Instead, he whispered to her like a devil on her shoulder.

“Lady Caroline, why not consider exile?”

“Exile?”

Caroline frowned at the unexpected suggestion.

“Flee to Bahama. I have connections there—I can introduce you to some noble families.”

“Why should I go all the way to Bahama? I could just find a secluded villa in Baden.”

“I’m saying this because things are turning dire.”

Caroline stiffened slightly at those words. She knew all too well that the situation was not in her favor.

“Furthermore, according to the latest information I received, a large-scale purge is imminent.”

“A purge…?”

“There are whispers that the Mecklen family might be included in it.”

“That’s nonsense.”

Caroline protested vehemently.

She had handed over critical information to Ernst.

Even if he resented her, there was no way he would allow the downfall of his own family.

Surely, he would make a deal with the emperor or find some other means to prevent disaster.

But Russell shook his head firmly. “It seems the Duke of Mecklen has killed someone.”

“Killed… someone?”

“A slave named Vito, or something like that. I don’t know the details, but the incident was exposed, and he’s now imprisoned. Rumors say that slave was actually of noble blood.”

Caroline’s face went blank with shock.

‘So he actually did it.’

She should have felt relieved that Vito was dead.

Yet, knowing that Ernst had been arrested because of it left her deeply unsettled.

‘And he already used his pardon on me.’

Ernst had severed ties with the emperor, so there was little hope of receiving any clemency.

Caroline unconsciously bit her lip.

Vito was dead, and if Ernst fell as well…

“…Is the purge real?” She glared at Russell with suspicion.

Russell simply smirked and continued, “Do you remember when I came to you months ago, begging for funds after that information dealer swindled me?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“The man who attacked me back then was Jack Ruby.”

“Jack Ruby?”

“Yes. That arrogant mercenary who dared to storm House Mecklen? That was Jack Ruby.”

“……!”

“And I confirmed that the purge rumor came from him—it was information he overheard from the Minister.”

Caroline’s expression changed instantly. She recalled the day Eleanor had barged into her estate under the pretense of searching for lost jewelry.

The large man who had accompanied Eleanor had boldly tied her up without hesitation, disregarding her noble status.

The humiliation of that moment remained fresh in her mind.

Now, connecting the dots, Caroline clenched her fists tightly.

‘Jack Ruby is on Eleanor’s side. That means Eleanor is scheming something within the imperial palace… To devour House Mecklen and me!’

It was a plausible suspicion.

Seeing Caroline burning with fury, Russell added fuel to the fire.

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave rather than risk being captured by soldiers?”

“…I could just hide in a villa.”

“That’s true, but you won’t be able to live there alone. You’ll need servants, maids… And what if one of them betrays you?”

It was a valid point.

Caroline’s expression darkened even further.

Russell whispered in a honeyed voice, “You need to be somewhere beyond Baden’s reach.”

“……”

“That’s the only way you’ll survive.”

“……”

“Stay here for now. Don’t go outside. I’ll arrange for a carriage to take you to Bahama in secret when the time is right.”

“…Fine.”

Seeing no other way out, Caroline gritted her teeth in frustration.

***