Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Side Story 5

“Sometimes, when I look at you, it amazes me.”

“……”

“It’s as if you already know the future.”

It was a feeling he had had for a long time.

The day they first visited Ferret Street.

Eleanor was the first to suggest using Russell.

Back then, she had known precisely that Caroline and Russell were acquainted.

She seemed reluctant to explain her source, so he had let it go quietly.

“Is it still something you can’t tell me?”

He had no intention of pressing her if she didn’t want to share.

But still, there remained a faint regret.

‘Was I lacking in some way?’

That old anxiety crept in again.

He knew how Eleanor felt about him.

He was deeply grateful for it, and he knew it was a rare kind of happiness in this world.

‘…It’s only a fleeting dream.’

It must be the strange nightmares he had been having lately that stirred such unease.

There was no other reason to feel this tormented.

He knew Eleanor found his nervous behavior odd, but he couldn’t confess the truth.

Because the dream he kept having was of Eleanor being executed on the scaffold, accused of killing Caroline.

Even now, as he looked at her, the memory of the dream haunted him.

If Eleanor were to truly leave his side…

“…I won’t ask anymore.”

Did she know that his obsession was growing?

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

Lennoch’s gaze grew heavy.

Eleanor’s expression was unreadable.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“Actually, I’m from the future.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. And in the future, people don’t walk around like they do now. Everyone uses magic to move. Dragons fly, and there are all kinds of strange monsters.”

“Eli.”

Realizing she was joking, Lennoch looked exasperated.

Eleanor, who had burst out laughing, lifted her head from where it had been resting on his shoulder.

“I think I know what’s worrying you.”

“……”

“But I’m afraid you might be disappointed if you learn the truth. I’m not particularly brilliant, and I don’t know everything.”

“…That’s something I should be saying.”

Lennoch reluctantly replied.

“I want to show you the best version of myself. But sometimes, I hit my limits. I want to do more for you, but I can’t.”

“……”

‘That’s why I can’t tell him.’

Eleanor didn’t want to add to the weight of guilt he already carried.

She didn’t want to push him to the edge.

What she wanted from Lennoch now was not revenge—but love.

“I truly love who you are right now.”

Eleanor reached up to touch Lennoch’s cheek.

He didn’t avoid her touch, silently allowing her fingers to trace his face.

His skin was rough, likely from several sleepless nights of work.

Gently brushing over it, Eleanor saw her reflection in his clear green eyes.

Those jade-colored irises, softly glinting in the light, were utterly enchanting.

“And when I’m with you, I forget all the bad memories.”

“Eli.”

“The hard things, the sad things… Though we’re too busy right now to dwell on them.”

So for now, let’s focus only on our love.

“Miss Norah once told me something—she said the ability to be completely absorbed in someone is a divine blessing that doesn’t come to just anyone.”

“……”

“If that’s true, then I must be enjoying the greatest blessing right now.”

Eleanor’s hand, resting on his cheek, slowly moved.

Her fingers brushed his dry lips, catching his breath.

“I’ll keep loving you forever.”

“……”

“Ah, how about this? A love so intense that we’d be in agony without each other… No, on second thought, that’s a bit too much. I hear passionate love like that ends badly.”

“Saying such things here of all places is cruel.”

At some point, Lennoch’s arms had wrapped around Eleanor’s waist.

Even without looking, she knew who they belonged to.

Her eyes curved gently.

“So you don’t like it?”

Lennoch didn’t answer.

Instead, his face came closer.

The kiss that followed was rough, searing hot, and stung with intensity.

As their breaths deepened, Eleanor’s head tilted back.

His hands moved quickly, easing off the clothes that had embraced her.

“Eli.”

Pausing for a moment, Lennoch released a tense breath.

“In that future you saw… were we happy together?”

“……”

Happy?

Eleanor quietly wrapped her arms around his neck.

He bent slightly to hold her more easily, and she caught the cool scent on him.

Burying her face in his nape, Eleanor whispered, “Yes, we were happy.”

***

“So this is the bracelet from the rumors.”

Eger inspected Kaham’s bracelet with fascination, turning it over in his hands.

“If it were among other accessories, I would’ve overlooked it.”

Compared to its fame, the design was unremarkably simple.

A bracelet you could find anywhere—its only unique feature was the Celtic engraving on the inner side.

Eger tried to slip the bracelet onto his wrist. But his hands were too big for the small ring, and it got stuck at the entrance.

“Looks like this won’t work.”

“How about putting it in your pocket?”

As Eleanor suggested, it wasn’t difficult to tuck the bracelet into the pocket of his vest.

When Eger awkwardly patted the bulge it created, Eleanor spoke again.

“It’ll look more natural if you add a handkerchief.”

Eleanor personally tucked a light green handkerchief, handed over by a maid, into his pocket.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Eger sheepishly pushed up his glasses.

“I will never forget Your Majesty’s grace.”

“Oh, not at all.”

If anything, I should be the one saying that.

She was well aware that Eger had helped bridge the gap between her and Lennoch.

If this were considered a token of gratitude, she would have gladly done even more.

“You look wonderful. The blue fabric suits you well.”

Eger, having tried on his ceremonial uniform for the Founding Festival, gave off a different aura than usual.

The cold, somewhat boyish air he used to have now felt more refined and mature in formal dress.

Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, Eger suddenly murmured, “Will I be able to do well?”

“Of course. Sir Joshua will definitely recognize your effort.”

Though Eleanor reassured him, his worries didn’t vanish so easily.

He still couldn’t think of any good way to win Joshua’s favor.

It wasn’t as if he had done nothing in the meantime.

He had gone out of his way to gather information about Joshua’s interests by leveraging contacts in the White Blossom Knights.

“Sir Joshua’s only interest is the sword.”

“Indeed… she does love it very much.”

Eleanor couldn’t deny it and nodded slowly.

“There’s no shared topic to connect over.”

Learning to wield a sword herself.

Testing the strength of blades forged by famous smiths.

Or perhaps discussing the current training rankings in the knight order, which seemed to be one of her favorite subjects.

“The rankings within the Imperial Knights did shift recently.”

Eleanor had figured out which sparring rankings Joshua paid attention to.

She had heard it a few times before, back when Joshua was still her escort in the East Palace.

After Ernst left the palace, the hierarchy among the knights changed.

Without Ernst, there was ongoing competition to determine who held the top spot, and the effects of that still lingered.

‘When Ernst left, the mood in the knight order was quite unsettled at first.’

Eger suddenly turned to Eleanor. “Does the Count of Mecklen trouble Your Majesty?”

“…No.”

Hearing Eger refer to him as ‘the Count’ made it feel strangely real.

That he truly was no longer in the palace.

“He abandoned everything and left of his own will. You needn’t concern yourself with him any longer.”

“……”

The rumors circulating weren’t entirely accurate.

It wasn’t true that Ernst had been forced out due to pressure.

He had requested to have his title demoted.

“I’ll step down to the provinces.”

That was what Ernst had said the day after Eleanor’s wedding when he came to see her.

“Is it because of the public’s scrutiny? If that’s the issue, I can take care of it to keep people from talking.”

“That’s not the reason.”

“Then…?”

Ernst had never explained his reason.

And his determination to leave had been so firm, there was no stopping him.

Lennoch had guessed that perhaps it was too painful for Ernst to continue seeing Eleanor.

But Eleanor didn’t agree.

‘Something felt off.’

It was as if he were hiding something.

Especially his final words.

Looking utterly exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept at all, Ernst had whispered softly—

“I’m sorry.”

Caught off guard, Eleanor had been too stunned to respond.

By the time she tried to call him back, his carriage was already gone.

‘What did he mean by that apology?’

Ernst’s parting expression still lingered in Eleanor’s mind.

It remained a mystery.

That he had apologized to her.

Why he had done so, she had no idea.

Eleanor pushed away the sinking feeling and lifted her mood.

“Oh, Sir Joshua’s preferences were unexpected. I heard she actually enjoys sweets—things like chocolate, just like you do.”

“Really?”

“She’s been having tea every day lately with Miss Brianna. Apparently, she’s especially fond of milk tea with lots of syrup and dense brownies. Keep that in mind when you’re with her.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

It was information he hadn’t been able to gather even from the knights.

Eger’s expression brightened, the stiffness on his face easing into delight.

Eleanor smiled back at him—until her expression froze slightly.

Eger had tried his best to smile, that much was clear, but…

“…You should also practice smiling a bit more naturally.”

Perhaps it was because he wasn’t used to smiling.

His eyes had followed his lips upward in a way that made him look oddly angry.

Shaking her head, Eleanor led Eger to stand before the mirror.

***

Adler was feeling rather pleased at how smoothly things were going.

First, he had managed to acquire the medicine easily.

The herbal shop on Ferret Street surprisingly carried some rare ingredients.

The frail-looking pharmacist had immediately located the infertility drug Adler sought, allowing him to accelerate his plan.

‘The problem is figuring out how to administer it.’

He needed someone close enough to do it.

Unlike in Bahama, Adler had no connections in Baden—he was utterly alone and had no one to approach.

Rumors had even spread that he had been relegated to working in the stables after offending the Empress, so no one dared seek him out.

“Damn it.”

Adler irritably flung off his gloves.

Once always perfectly maintained, the leather gloves were now ruined from his time in Baden—beyond use.

Staring down at the crumpled gloves, Adler felt his rage surge.

They looked just as pathetic as he felt.

‘I have to deceive someone, no matter what.’

The drug was colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

It wasn’t a lethal poison, so even if suspicions arose, the risk of exposure was low.

If he could just slip it into any food…

“…Do I have to swallow my pride?”