Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Side Story 16

Even amid perfect happiness, the thought had always lingered.

That this current happiness felt like a fabricated stage.

Every time he woke, he would feel an odd sense of dissonance.

The scenes he saw in his dreams weren’t real, yet they were vividly lifelike.

“So in the end, all the dreams were true.”

“…They aren’t anymore.”

Eleanor feared that what she had worried about might come true.

She rose from her seat and approached Lennoch.

“The present has changed.”

“……”

“We’ve changed. Because you came to me first, I became the Empress, and I’m so happy in the palace. Marquis Delph and Caroline have paid for their crimes. The future is completely different now.”

“……”

“So don’t think such dark thoughts.”

But even her comfort couldn’t reach Lennoch.

Just the thought of it was horrifying.

That in their past life, he had sent her to Mecklen, and that had led to her death.

He clenched his trembling hands tightly.

“Even knowing about the past life… you still married me?”

“Because I grew to love you.”

Eleanor placed her hand over his.

“I’ve let it all go now.”

“I hoped you would enjoy everything as the Empress.”

“……?”

“I wanted to create an environment where you could do whatever your heart desired.”

But the Eleanor of now could not do that.

If she had to choose between being the Empress or herself, she had become someone who would willingly choose her role as Empress.

That was why what she had said in the carriage before had stung him so.

It wasn’t that he resented her for defending Ernst.

What hurt was the position she had taken, suppressing her emotions and preparing to face him as the Empress.

“I’m sorry.”

“Lennoch.”

“I hate myself so much right now, I can’t bear it.”

In the past life, and in this one.

“I keep sinning against you.”

Eleanor, unable to watch any longer, raised both arms.

Lennoch stared blankly as she came closer.

He flinched at the arms that wrapped around his neck, then slowly rested his face on her shoulder.

It was a tiny shoulder, barely a handful.

He could feel the faint pulse under her skin as his forehead touched it.

“But what’s even worse than that.”

Lennoch took a deep breath.

“Is that I know all this… and still don’t want to let go.”

“……!”

At the sudden tight embrace, Eleanor let out a shallow gasp.

Before she knew it, Lennoch’s arms were wrapped around her waist like a rope.

As if he’d heard she might run away, there was urgency in his grip.

“I loathe myself for not being able to give up.”

He couldn’t even imagine going back to the time before she was in his life.

So—

“I absolutely can’t let you go.”

He said it in a slightly trembling voice, as if he might cry.

***

This time, the awkwardness seemed like it would last longer.

After the Founding Festival, the Emperor’s messenger birds that used to come to the Crown Princess’s palace nearly every day had become infrequent.

It was the first time this had happened.

Eger, who knew them well, quickly sensed that something had changed between the two.

Early in the morning, he brought some documents Eleanor needed to review and quietly asked:

“Should I return the bracelet?”

Eger held out Kaham’s bracelet. His face looked quite anxious even as he spoke.

Eleanor gave a small smile and shook her head. “This isn’t something a relic can fix.”

“Still…”

“Eger, this isn’t your fault, so don’t worry. This is between Lennoch and me.”

That seemed to end the conversation.

Just as he was about to leave the room, Eger turned back and asked:

“Was it something His Majesty did wrong?”

“……?”

“I don’t know the details, but I overheard him say it was all his fault.”

“……”

Eleanor knew why Lennoch couldn’t bring himself to come to her.

He simply didn’t have the courage to face her.

Even now, he was probably picking up and putting down his pen again and again, hesitating.

There had to be things he wanted to say to her.

“Your Majesty, aren’t you going to the main palace today?”

Brianna’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Eleanor turned to look at her, just as she was putting a bite of cake in her mouth.

“You always made some excuse around this time.”

“Did I?”

“Sure you did. There was even a list. Oh, and that time you brought juice made from freshly picked apples—you said you just had to give some to His Majesty. Another time, you said you needed a walk for your health and used that to go see him. Let’s see, what else…”

The more Brianna spoke, the more Eleanor’s smiling expression stiffened.

It struck her.

How others had seen her.

And she realized—

I really do love him so much.

As Brianna chattered away, she waved a hand in front of Eleanor’s face.

“Your Majesty? Where are you looking?”

“Ah.”

“You’re really strange today. You seem so down.”

Eleanor’s stiffened eyes shifted awkwardly.

At just the right moment, Joshua came in from the entrance and announced a visitor.

“Your Majesty, Baron Enriche requests an audience.”

As soon as she heard the name, Eleanor remembered.

He was the man she’d met at the recent party.

Joshua glanced toward Brianna, who was seated across from Eleanor.

“He says he has something urgent to tell Your Majesty. He’s requesting a private audience.”

“Tell him to come in.”

“I’ll step out for a moment.”

Brianna put down the cake she hadn’t finished and followed Joshua out.

Before long, Enriche entered, holding a letter and a small box.

‘Did Lennoch send it?’

She barely suppressed the subtle hope rising inside her.

Enriche approached and respectfully held out the letter and box with both hands.

“This is a personal letter from Lord Etetus of Bahama.”

Etetus?

“And this is Hartmann’s national treasure, the Hawk’s Seal Ring.”

“……!”

Enriche opened the palm-sized box to reveal the ring.

The unexpected reappearance of the long-forgotten item caused Eleanor’s expression to turn cold.

***

“It seems Lord Etetus has been rather bored lately.”

Outlaw territory, East Harlem.

The ruler of East Harlem, known as the worst city in the world, was Imard.

Imard gave a crooked smile as he looked at Etetus, a noble of Bahama, seated across from him.

“Why come to me saying you want to play chess, when it doesn’t suit you at all? Do you even know how to play?”

“Hey, come on. I just learned recently. Don’t look down on me.”

“Then what’s this?”

“What is?”

“Why did you put the king there?”

“……?”

“This basically says, ‘Please take me.’ Right?”

Imard lightly flicked his finger. The king struck by his hand rolled across the floor with a loud clatter.

Etetus looked between the fallen king and Imard.

“Are you sure you actually learned the game?”

“Ahem. Well, maybe.”

“Enough nonsense. What’s your real business here?”

“…You really can’t be fooled.”

Etetus slowly set down the piece he was holding. Despite being under scrutiny, his face remained bright.

“I want you to catch someone.”

“Who?”

“Adler of Hartmann.”

“……?”

Imard, who had been arranging the board, paused.

Etetus continued in a calm tone, “I saved that dying prince, and what does he do? Betrays me and sides with Baden. Seems he trusted in his sister, who’s now Empress there, and ran to them. But if he thinks he can betray Bahama and live well, he’s sorely mistaken.”

Bahama hadn’t cared what Adler did.

So long as they could squeeze some money out of him, that was enough.

But once Baden got involved, the story changed.

Etetus furrowed his thick brows. “And if that guy starts tattling on what he saw and heard in Bahama to his sister, it’ll be trouble. Better to kill him before he runs his mouth. He hasn’t gained the Empress’s full trust yet, so he’s still shoveling manure in the stables.”

“Then poison him. Why the need to capture him alive?”

“I’m feeding him to the lions.”

Etetus grinned slyly.

“The lions I’ve been raising are pretty hungry lately.”

“You’ve got a nasty hobby.”

Throwing someone to beasts while still alive.

It was cruel, but not uncommon.

At least, not here in East Harlem.

“So you want me to capture him gently, without a scratch, and bring him in?”

“See? This is why we get along, Imard.”

“I refuse.”

“…What?” Etetus scowled with a threatening glare.

Imard met his gaze calmly. “I don’t touch Baden citizens. I made a promise to the Emperor of Baden. I wouldn’t use his people as slaves in East Harlem.”

“What? So you two know each other?” Etetus looked stunned.

Seeing his widened eyes, Imard chuckled. “What a shame. It’s been a while since I got an offer. Too bad I can’t take it.”

But Etetus’s shocked face quickly twisted. He lowered his voice to a more secretive tone. “How far does that promise apply?”

“……?”

“Surely not the whole continent, right? Does it still count in Bahama?”

This time, Imard’s eyes went wide.

“I recently sent a secret letter to the Empress of Baden.”

“A secret letter?”

“If she hands over Adler, I’ll tell her where Hartmann’s seal ring is.”

Etetus looked full of confidence.

“During Baden’s Founding Festival, did you hear about the fuss in the capital over Hartmann’s seal ring?”

“Yes. I heard knights from Hartmann staged a hostage situation.”

“I ordered that.”

“……”

“Otherwise, the Emperor and Empress of Baden wouldn’t pay attention to the ring.”

And once they knew who had it—

“They’d have no choice but to negotiate with me.”

Etetus was convinced that the Emperor and Empress of Baden didn’t know where the seal ring was.

***

After reading Etetus’s personal letter, Eleanor looked down at the seal ring.

The ring was large and loose on her finger.

It had been a long time since she’d seen that royal emblem.

The hawk and shield that symbolized Hartmann.

“Adler had secretly taken and hidden the ring. Jack Ruby found it.”

The bet with Russell had been partly a game, but Jack Ruby hadn’t treated it lightly.

Tracking Adler with as much precision as Russell, he had also discovered the hidden royal ring.

The ring had been immediately reported to the Emperor, then passed to Eleanor via Enriche.

Enriche explained that Adler hadn’t abandoned his claim to the throne, and elaborated on the ambitions he harbored.

Eleanor slowly opened her mouth. “Who received Lord Etetus’s secret letter?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I received it myself.”

Enriche bowed deeply in apology.

“I can’t disclose all the details, but under His Majesty’s orders, I handle matters that ordinary nobles cannot. Not only among Hartmann’s ranks—nobles in Bahama also trust me with sensitive deliveries.”

“……”

“But I didn’t dare open Your Majesty’s letter. I only brought the seal ring along because His Majesty had instructed me to deliver it to you.”

By coincidence, everything aligned.

In the letter, Etetus had promised to reveal the location of the seal ring if she granted his request.

Clearly, he believed the seal ring would be necessary to pacify Hartmann’s unrest.

The request was to hand over Adler.

But before Eleanor had even considered the offer, the ring was already in her hands.

She fiddled with the ring.

Then Enriche spoke again, “Adler is to be exiled soon.”