Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Side Story 17

Eleanor lifted her head.

Enriche was grinning brightly. “The exiled Adler will never set foot in Baden again. Not even Hartmann. He’ll spend the rest of his life on the run, begging for his life, living a miserable existence worse than death.”

“Who will be chasing him?”

“There are many Hartmannians who despise him.”

“……!”

“The only reason no one’s touched him so far is because Your Majesty kept him in the palace. We’ve already agreed not to kill Adler.”

But agreeing not to kill him didn’t mean they’d leave him alone.

Enriche looked expectant, as though he had been waiting for this day.

“Now, the only remaining bloodline of Hartmann’s royal family is none other than Your Majesty.”

“…Enriche.”

“Let me speak honestly to Your Majesty now.”

He had lied to Adler on purpose.

He had said his family remained in Hartmann, but in truth—

“My parents joined the rebellion during Hartmann’s initial annexation and lost their lives.”

“……!”

“Ironically, they didn’t die in the war.”

“Then…”

“There was constant infighting even within the rebels. Though they gathered with the goal of restoring Hartmann’s royal family, each followed a different leader. Most insisted that the exiled prince Adler be brought back. A few others argued for making Schett a temporary king. But… my parents.”

They had supported First Princess Eleanor.

“Because of that, they were purged by the faction supporting Adler.”

It had been a senseless death.

Enriche, who had been in Baden at the time, hurried back upon hearing the tragic news.

But the Hartmann he returned to after so long was in ruins.

That day, after seeing countless corpses with his own eyes, Enriche realized the royal restoration that the rebels spoke of was nothing more than meaningless strife.

They had no interest in the people dying between the cracks of war.

It was the soldiers of the Baden Empire who buried the dead in sunny spots and helped the weak and sick.

“That day, I made a decision. To carry on my parents’ will.”

No words could offer comfort.

Eleanor silently listened to Enriche’s story.

Despite the heavy topic, Enriche’s tone and expression remained light throughout.

As if it were someone else’s tale.

“And that choice wasn’t wrong.”

Enriche smiled broadly.

“That seal ring means His Majesty the Emperor has allowed the restoration of Hartmann’s royal family.”

“……!”

“Going forward, Hartmann will no longer be a vassal of Baden, but a new nation in the form of a confederation. Baden and Hartmann will join as two sovereign nations united to walk together forever.”

Unknowingly, Eleanor clutched the hand wearing the seal ring with her other hand.

Her mind went blank.

It felt as if someone had just slapped her hard across the face.

Enriche continued without pause, “May I be so bold as to make a request of Your Majesty?”

“…Go on.”

She barely managed to respond, suppressing the suffocating breath.

At some point, Enriche’s voice began to grow faint, and Lennoch’s whispered words of not wanting to let her go echoed once more.

“His Majesty the Emperor will act as the head of the confederation.”

And Her Majesty the Empress—

“He wishes for you to become the first queen of the United Kingdom of Hartmann.”

“……!”

“This is my dream and deepest wish.”

But there was a condition.

“His Majesty the Emperor added one caveat. That Your Majesty’s will must always come first.”

“……”

“The restoration of Hartmann’s royal family is meant to return the nation to Your Majesty. If you do not desire it, he said he would find another way to preserve the royal family.”

Even without seeing it, she could imagine it.

Grasping Enriche’s shoulders, he must have said it like that.

That if she didn’t want it, he would be ready to withdraw the offer at any time.

Even with the ring in hand, he must have struggled endlessly.

“……”

Eleanor looked down at the royal seal ring she was holding. Her palm bore a faint mark from gripping it too tightly.

“…Enriche.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You said you’d do anything for me, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

Enriche respectfully bowed, raising one hand.

Eleanor fully removed the ring from her hand. Her eyes had grown slightly red.

“Would you deliver this to His Majesty for me?”

***

While Eleanor and Enriche were deep in conversation—

Brianna, who had been waiting aimlessly, struck up a conversation with Joshua.

Since she wasn’t talkative, she mostly listened, which suited her just fine.

“So I gave Lord Pedro a huge flick on the forehead. His forehead turned completely red after the last one. I got hit a lot too, but luckily mine didn’t turn red. What a relief.”

“Lord Pedro went easy on you.”

“Well, that’s true… Wait, he went easy on me?”

“I know him too. He’s not that weak. And when we were young, Lord Pedro even took a few sword lessons from my father. I remember him being praised for his strong swings.”

“……”

“Does your forehead still hurt, Lady Brianna?”

“…No.”

Brianna belatedly rubbed her forehead.

As she listened, she began to wonder if she’d gone a bit overboard.

She had gotten too riled up after losing repeatedly in chess.

Thinking of Pedro’s forehead as they parted made her feel even more sorry.

‘It turned so red.’

No wonder Pedro seemed drained at the end.

Brianna started to feel anxious. “He doesn’t hate me now because of the forehead flick, right?”

“Was it that bad?”

“It was bad… No, it was just a game, that kind of thing happens. …No, it must’ve hurt a lot. …I really went too far.”

Brianna, who had been asking questions, gradually began to mutter to herself. Her pacing, unsure what to do, made her look as though Pedro had actually died.

Joshua, watching her like this for the first time, gave a faint smile. “You’ve been talking about Lord Pedro nonstop.”

“I can’t help it. I should’ve checked if he made it home safely that day.”

“Do you like him that much?”

“Of course! …Ah, wait. What did I just say…?”

Flustered, Brianna turned beet red.

She tried to deny it, but Joshua had long since caught on.

As he turned away from her chatter, his eyes caught sight of the very subject of their conversation.

“There’s Lord Pedro.”

“……!”

“Why don’t you go ask how his forehead is doing?”

Brianna clamped her mouth shut

Pedro truly was nearby.

Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t noticed them.

As Brianna stared at his retreating back, she suddenly dashed forward.

“She really must like him.”

Joshua mumbled quietly as he watched Brianna run after Pedro.

So unlike her usual haughty self.

She looked every bit a girl in love.

Strangely moved, Joshua found the emotion foreign.

‘How does someone come to like another that much?’

It was a feeling she couldn’t fathom, not even in death.

Just as she turned to leave, shaking her head—

She saw someone frozen mid-step, staring directly at her.

“Lord Eger.”

“……!”

Eger held documents in his arms.

It seemed he had come to see the Empress.

Joshua gave a casual nod and moved to pass him, but found she couldn’t step away so easily.

The look on Eger’s face—it resembled someone far too much.

Though Eger quickly dropped his gaze, Joshua’s had already shifted back to Brianna in the distance.

Brianna and Eger.

Two people looking with the same expression.

And the one they were both looking at—

“…Do you… perhaps like me?” Joshua asked, in disbelief.

***

The Emperor lowered the document he had been reading as he listened to Enriche’s report.

Beneath his neatly parted hair, a stunned expression briefly crossed his face.

He asked again in disbelief, “Eli said… what?”

“Her Majesty said she would leave the palace,” Enriche said plainly.

He bowed deeply. “I apologize, Your Majesty. I wanted to stop her, but Her Majesty was so firm in her decision… I couldn’t.”

“……”

“She also asked me to return this ring.”

Lennoch looked down at the seal ring Enriche held out.

The royal seal ring of Hartmann.

By now, Adler must have realized it was missing and begun searching for it.

Lennoch, eyes blank, took the ring from Enriche.

“…Did she say anything else?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“……”

“Shall I go back and ask her again?”

“No. That’s enough.”

Enriche bowed and exited the office.

Even as the door shut behind him, Lennoch’s gaze remained fixed on the ring.

Only one thought consumed him.

Eleanor was leaving the palace.

It was a sudden decision, but Lennoch couldn’t bring himself to blame her.

If she now wished to leave because of her past life’s suffering, he had no right to stop her.

Perhaps seeing the seal ring had only added to her burden.

Had she thought he would keep demanding more?

That hadn’t been his intent.

He had only said what he did for her sake.

Maybe the idea of becoming Queen of Hartmann had overwhelmed her.

Or maybe Adler’s story had shaken her more than expected.

“…Etetus’s secret letter,” Lennoch murmured.

Maybe the problem lay in Etetus’s secret message to Eleanor.

It might have involved diplomatic issues.

He had always tried to resolve foreign matters on his own.

Even domestic affairs were overwhelming enough.

‘Did Etetus demand something?’

Lost in thought, Lennoch wandered toward the window.

He had anticipated her refusing the crown.

But to say she would leave the palace?

The palace they had shared?

‘…No.’

His pacing stopped abruptly.

Though his face remained calm, a fire raged inside him.

“Your Majesty, where are you headed?”

A waiting knight asked, but Lennoch gave no reply.

‘How do I stop her?’

If he had known, he would’ve gone to the East Palace directly.

Even the carrier pigeons he often sent—he hadn’t dared send one, too consumed by guilt.

As his thoughts deepened, Lennoch picked up his pace.

The knights trailing him were caught off guard by his sudden speed, but he climbed the hundreds of stairs in an instant and reached the massive hall.

‘How can I change her mind?’

Urgency now outweighed guilt.

Arriving at the East Palace, he headed straight to the office.

“……!”

She wasn’t there.

Staring blankly at the empty room, he looked around.

Brianna happened to be entering.

“Your Majesty? What brings you here?”

“Where is the Empress?”

“She said she was retiring early and went to the bedchamber…”

Brianna trailed off.

The Emperor’s eyes just now—she could’ve sworn they had turned wild.

Feeling a chill, Brianna stepped back, but Lennoch had already swept past her.

‘The bedchamber.’

Not a carriage?

Before he could process the oddity, Lennoch found himself already at the door.

“Your Majesty.”

Eleanor greeted him with the same gentle smile as that morning.

He stared at her, spellbound.

“You finally came looking for me.”