Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Chapter 35 Part 3

Eleanor grasped the teacup.

As she lifted it as if to drink, May, who had been watching, swallowed nervously.

‘I had no choice.’

Her mother was being held hostage.

Countess Lorentz was chatting warmly with a designer in the distance, but May instinctively sensed it.

That Countess Lorentz was watching her.

“If you want to save your mother, put this in the Director’s teacup tomorrow.”

“B-but if I get caught, what will I do…?”

“If you’re caught, that’s your problem. Do I need to spell it out for you? Either your mother dies, or you do. Make your choice.”

If she didn’t put the poison in the teacup, her mother would die. If she succeeded, then it was her life that would be forfeit.

Countess Lorentz had even threatened that if she revealed what she was doing to the Empress Dowager, she would not only kill her family, but also all her relatives and acquaintances.

So May had no choice.

The only path was to bear all the blame and die alone.

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty.’

May apologized silently.

No one had shown her more kindness than the Empress Dowager.

She had infiltrated the Western Palace under Caroline’s threats, but there were times she forgot her mission.

She had even been plagued by guilt.

Was it really okay to live so happily while deceiving everyone?

And now, she had ended up slipping poison into the teacup of the person most beloved by the Empress Dowager.

Shame, guilt, and an irredeemable sense of sin all swirled within her.

Unable to withstand the burning in her chest, May clutched at her collar.

Clink.

“……!”

The sound of the teacup being set down quietly echoed.

Tense and nervous, May quickly lowered her gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

Berenice leaned toward Eleanor, who had been drinking tea.

“I’m sometimes grateful for their recklessness.”

“……?”

“It helps me not hesitate.”

At her low voice, not only May but even Berenice flinched.

Eleanor, lifting her head, wore a thin smile.

But it was not the smile she usually wore.

Recognizing the chill in her eyes, Berenice involuntarily caught her breath.

Sensing that something was off, the Empress Dowager asked, “What’s going on?”

“Your Majesty, may I see your teacup for a moment?”

At Eleanor’s request, the Empress Dowager readily brought her cup forward.

Berenice also showed the cup she had been using.

When the three teacups were lined up side by side, it became clear—

Only Eleanor’s cup contained purple petals.

Berenice’s face hardened instantly upon discovering the poison in Eleanor’s cup.

“Countess Lorentz.”

“……!”

At the sudden call, Countess Lorentz’s face froze.

“Would you come over here for a moment?”

“M-me? Why…”

Countess Lorentz trailed off, glancing around.

‘Did that May girl already snitch?’

She considered the possibility but quickly dismissed it.

May wouldn’t have had the chance.

Even while serving the refreshments to the designers, she had kept all her attention on Eleanor.

Having noticed nothing suspicious in May’s behavior, she couldn’t yet grasp what had happened.

After swallowing dryly, Countess Lorentz approached Eleanor.

“What is it?”

“Who gave you the poison?”

“……!”

Everyone froze.

The atmosphere turned frigid, like a cold winter wind wrapping tightly around Countess Lorentz.

Unable to respond immediately, she could only watch blankly as Eleanor used an unused fork to extract the purple flower—Allium—from her cup and place it on the saucer.

“You know what this flower is, don’t you?”

“I-I… I’m not sure.”

Her lips wouldn’t move, and she stammered multiple times.

A chill ran down her spine.

‘There’s no way I got caught this easily.’

According to Vivia, most people didn’t even recognize the flower as poisonous.

Even she, with all her years in the palace, had never seen such an unusual toxin.

Mixed with other flowers, it blended in completely, making it nearly impossible to detect in tea.

“Tsk, tsk… you really made a foolish choice.”

Though she didn’t know exactly what the purple flower was, the Empress Dowager clicked her tongue sharply, having picked up on the grave mood.

As the confused designers looked around at one another, the Empress Dowager summoned the guard waiting outside.

“Take the designers to the side room and lock them in.”

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Don’t let them out until this is resolved. Block the doors thoroughly.”

“Your Majesty, we’re innocent! We only brought dresses…”

“I know. This is just a precaution. You’ll be compensated later.”

Having witnesses to an attempted poisoning of the soon-to-be Empress was far from ideal.

Who knew what complications might arise?

Under the Empress Dowager’s icy command, the designers quietly followed the guard out.

Once all necessary measures were taken, the Empress Dowager looked to Eleanor.

“I leave the rest to you.”

It meant she would approve whatever Eleanor chose to do next.

The very words she had been waiting for.

Eleanor smiled with her eyes. “Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

With permission granted by the highest authority in the Western Palace, there was no longer any reason to hesitate.

As Eleanor rose from her seat, Countess Lorentz reflexively took a step back.

Startled, Countess Lorentz pointed at May.

“Sh-shouldn’t that girl be punished first?”

May was trembling, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

“If there’s anyone to suspect, it should be her first! I never even touched the Empress Dowager’s or the Director’s teacups. Ask the other palace attendants who prepared the tea if I did!”

“May was brought in by Caroline.”

“……!”

“And you were the one who helped Caroline falsify her identity and placed her in the Western Palace as a maid.”

The color drained from Countess Lorentz’s face.

“It’s obvious. You must’ve threatened May somehow. Probably used her mother’s life as leverage to make her put the poison in my cup. May must’ve had no choice but to sacrifice herself to save her mother.”

“How did you…”

“How did I know?”

Eleanor turned to Berenice.

Berenice was staring at Countess Lorentz with cold eyes.

“We knew from the beginning. Who May’s parents were. Her father was the journalist who fabricated the false romance scandal between me and Childe in Eros.”

“Th-that’s a lie.”

“We also knew it was you and Caroline who orchestrated that fake scandal. Everything.”

“……!”

“We knew, and we were watching.”

At the truth, Countess Lorentz let out a stunned breath.

Unbelievable.

They had known all along that girl was a spy, yet kept her close?

They had known she was a threat, yet deliberately kept her nearby to observe?

“Lies… It’s all lies…”

Countess Lorentz murmured in a daze, unable to believe it.

Unable to endure it any longer, May collapsed before the Empress Dowager. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault…!”

May, always cheerful, now wept bitterly.

“I was too afraid to confess. I knew it was a crime against Your Majesty, but I was terrified my mother would die, that I would die… I was so scared…”

With a choking voice, May confessed.

As she detailed everything Countess Lorentz had done to her, it sounded like a death sentence to the Countess.

Terrified, Countess Lorentz slowly backed away.

Eleanor, holding the poisoned teacup, began to approach her.

Shaking, Countess Lorentz suddenly shouted, “C-Caroline!”

“……”

“Yes. It was Madam Caroline. She hated you deeply. That’s why she ordered May to poison you. It wasn’t me. I never told May to use the poison. It was all Caroline. She’s trying to frame me!”

Countess Lorentz rambled incoherently.

“I admit I wronged May. But even that was Caroline’s scheme. I only did what she ordered me to do.”

“Do you know where Caroline is right now?”

“……?”

At some point, Eleanor had come so close she was right in front of her.

She wanted to run, but the hard wall behind her stopped her in place.

Stammering, Countess Lorentz replied, “A-at home. At the Mecklen estate. I got a message from her just yesterday.”

“No.”

Eleanor smiled calmly.

“Caroline is currently imprisoned.”

“……!”

“So she couldn’t have contacted you.”

To be precise, she had fallen for Russell’s deception and willingly went into hiding.

Unaware that Russell was one of Eleanor’s people, she must now be dreaming impossible dreams while eating the food he gave her.

With Caroline out of reach, only one person could use May now—

Countess Lorentz.

“L-let go of me!”

Berenice, who had approached unnoticed, seized Countess Lorentz and forced her to her knees.

Though she struggled in panic, she was no match for the strength of a former knight like Berenice.

Eleanor brought the poisoned teacup to Countess Lorentz’s face.

As the liquid shimmered as if about to be poured into her mouth, her eyes widened in terror.

Eleanor tilted the cup ever so slightly and whispered softly, “I cherish my life dearly.”

“……!”

This was a life she had only just regained through regression.

“I barely managed to claim it with the help of another.”

She had come this far step by step.

Getting hurt, fighting—

Sometimes crying, sometimes laughing—

No one recognized it, but she had walked her path with conviction.

People like you try so easily to destroy and steal it.

That infuriated her.

“If I were to die meaninglessly now, there’s someone who would grieve more than anyone.”

“……?”

“Just thinking of that person, I know I can never die.”

So if a choice had to be made—

“Then you’ll be the one who must die.”

“……!”

The teacup Eleanor held tilted to the side.

Scalding tea spilled onto Countess Lorentz’s face, and she screamed.

Before the poison could reach her lips—

“Vi-Vivia—!”

“……”

“Vivia! It was Vivia of House Delph who gave me the poison!!!”

There was no time to feel the pain.

Face red and trembling, Countess Lorentz screamed in a sobbing voice.

“I’ll tell you everything. I’ll confess it all. Just please, spare me, please…!”

***

One week later,

Director Eleanor’s funeral was held.