Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Side Story 6

If he could just get Eleanor to take the infertility drug he’d obtained, Adler felt he could do anything.

But he quickly brushed the thought aside.

He couldn’t imagine himself kneeling to anyone.

‘Back in Hartmann, I was the one who mattered most.’

He had been the heir apparent, preparing to inherit the throne.

Meanwhile, Eleanor had been a mere princess—blood-related, yes, but with no power, no influence.

Yet now, the one who had once stood ahead had fallen to ruin, while the sister who had lagged behind lived a life of luxury in the splendid palace of an empire.

‘I must take back Hartmann.’

Only then would things be as they should.

If it couldn’t be done, he would make it happen.

Unable to bear his anxiety, Adler gnawed at the tip of his fingernail.

Just then, a knock sounded from somewhere.

“Is anyone in?”

The voice beyond the worn-down inn door belonged to someone unfamiliar.

Startled, Adler cautiously unlocked and opened the door.

A face he didn’t recognize.

Adler instinctively scanned the man up and down, then frowned.

Though neat, the man’s clothing was of the coarse material worn by commoners—Adler wanted no part of him.

As Adler moved to shut the door, the visitor hastily called out,

“Your Highness.”

“……!”

Adler’s eyes widened.

The man, holding the door with one hand, gave a courteous bow.

“I am Enriche, second son of the House of Ohrid. I apologize for not contacting you sooner.”

‘Ohrid?’

Had there been such a house?

Adler rummaged through his memory, finally grasping a vague association.

“Ah. Related to Count Lekista, aren’t you? I heard his aunt was from House Ohrid.”

“It is an honor that you remember, Your Highness.”

No wonder.

Even his clothes were shabby—an insignificant rural noble from Hartmann.

‘It would’ve been better if someone from a more impressive house had reached out.’

Clucking his tongue inwardly, Adler still opened the door to receive him.

He was the one in need right now.

Wearing a calm smile to mask his thoughts, Adler sat down across from the man.

“So you came over to Baden after the annexation?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Enriche treated Adler, though it was their first private meeting, as if he were a loyal retainer who had served him for years.

“Fortunately, a cousin of mine had settled in Baden early and introduced me for a position as a ninth-class clerk. I hadn’t heard any news in ages… Imagine my surprise when I learned Your Highness was in the palace.”

“In the palace, you say?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Adler’s once-dismissive gaze shifted.

‘This is exactly the kind of person I need most right now.’

A palace connection.

Adler probed further, trying to determine what kind of man Enriche was.

“What department are you in?”

“I currently serve as an inspector in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

That department was led by the Childe of House Ezester.

At the mention, Adler’s face lit up.

“Then you must see Her Majesty often.”

‘This one might be useful.’

“How is she these days? Though I’ve been cast aside like this… I am still her only blood kin, her brother. I pray for Her Majesty’s well-being every day.”

It wasn’t hard to transform into the doting brother who missed his sister dearly.

Without even moistening his lips, Adler spun his lies with ease.

After a dramatic recounting of how close the two had been in Hartmann, Adler lowered his head sorrowfully.

“I have no other wish. Just once… I’d like to see Her Majesty again. If she is well, that’s all I could ask for.”

“Ah… You must miss Her Majesty very much.”

Enriche was quickly taken in by Adler’s charm.

Seeing Enriche fluster over him so sincerely, Adler grinned inwardly.

“I’ve wronged her deeply. I lacked the courage… I couldn’t even apologize. If it’s not too late, I’d like to see her once and offer my remorse.”

“I fully understand Your Highness’s feelings. I feel the same.”

“You too?”

“Yes. In order to come to Baden, I had to leave my family behind in Hartmann. Because of it, they still resent me.”

“Good heavens, how unfortunate.”

“Truthfully, I became a Baden citizen for their sake… But leaving our homeland made me a traitor in their eyes.”

Enriche was someone without a shred of suspicion.

Hearing him speak so sincerely about his family, Adler felt certain.

‘He’s too soft.’

Too sentimental.

Adler could now guess why Enriche had come to him despite knowing his circumstances.

‘If I just stroke the right spots, getting him on my side will be no trouble.’

He would use this man to pave his way into the palace.

Scheming silently, Adler put on a pained smile and made a quiet suggestion.

“Our talk may go on for a while—how about a beer outside?”

***

In a quiet room—

A bald head poked out from beneath a shabby bed.

It emerged from the narrow gap between floor and frame, gleaming smooth without a single hair.

It was Russell.

“That Adler guy is mighty suspicious.”

Russell muttered as he stared up at the mold-covered ceiling.

It had been two days since he started tailing Adler to win his bet with Jack Ruby.

He had even gone so far as to sneak into the palace.

Of course, part of that had been thanks to some pull from Baroness Berenice, a figure in the imperial court.

“I wonder if Jack Ruby knows about this.”

Just in case, he looked around, but nothing seemed suspicious.

Well, considering Jack Ruby’s massive build, there was no way he could hide in such a cramped space.

Once Russell confirmed that Jack Ruby wasn’t around, he clenched his fist.

‘This is mine.’

A top-secret piece of information only he knew.

‘Adler, was it? What a scheming bastard.’

Russell had already uncovered that Adler was the infamous prince of Hartmann.

And also that he was the current Empress Eleanor’s biological brother.

From listening to Adler’s conversation with Enriche, Russell quickly realized that the man was lying.

Based on all the information he had gathered about Adler from Hartmann, he had never been a good brother to Eleanor.

If anything, he was perfectly positioned to spark internal strife.

“He’s got something up his sleeve. No doubt.”

Crawling fully out from under the bed, Russell began rummaging through Adler’s room.

Maybe he’d find more information.

Just as expected, he discovered a leather pouch hidden discreetly beneath the bed and let out a small cheer.

‘Looks expensive.’

It was a gold ring.

Unlike ordinary rings adorned with jewels, this one had a large crest etched into the center.

A soaring hawk with a large shield.

Studying the mark carefully, Russell realized it resembled one used by Hartmann’s royal family.

‘Was this supposed to be an emergency stash?’

Considering Adler’s fall from grace to a mere stable hand, it wasn’t a bad choice.

Better to have something than nothing when everything else was gone.

Still, the conversation he’d overheard with Enriche left a lingering unease.

“…I’d better report this, right?”

To Baroness Berenice, or the Emperor himself.

But Russell couldn’t bring himself to act so easily.

‘I have to beat that bastard Jack.’

What if…

If someone in the imperial family handed over the information he found to Jack Ruby?

‘That would ruin my odds.’

Jack Ruby was always bragging about his deep ties to the imperial court.

If this top-secret intel leaked to him through someone else’s mouth, there’d be no predicting the outcome.

Russell hated that idea.

No matter what, he wanted to win against Jack Ruby.

He had claimed it was a duel for the pride of an information broker—but that wasn’t the whole truth.

‘I can’t let him take everything.’

Sure, life was more comfortable now.

But his pride had taken countless blows to get there.

Even his subordinates had changed.

They used to curse Jack Ruby like he did, but now they followed him sincerely.

His pride, his men—now even his wife.

“Everyone’s taking Jack Ruby’s side.”

Emotions he had kept tightly bottled up suddenly spilled forth.

Consumed by boiling jealousy, Russell bit his lip.

It was all so infuriating.

He may have been beaten by force, but he was still a top-tier mercenary and a proud broker.

‘I’ll keep quiet until the duel.’

Until then, it stays a secret.

Russell decided to keep everything to himself.

Side Story 2

Founding Festival Day.

Fireworks exploded under a clear sky.

The thundering echoes across the empire signaled the grand opening of the festival.

Compared to the quiet celebrations of the previous year, this 700th Founding Anniversary made clear how significant the event was to the Baden imperial family.

Having completed preparations early in the morning, the Emperor and Empress finally made their appearance in the Grand Hall.

The once-bustling hall fell silent, as if doused in cold water.

“Your Majesty.”

Eleanor smiled softly upon seeing Hail, who had been clinging to her like a child, now standing upright with composure.

To accommodate the blind child, the Empress Dowager whispered updates about the ongoing situation directly into his ear.

As Lennoch and Eleanor ascended the grand platform, Duke Ezester stepped forward to speak on behalf of all the nobility.

“On the day of the Empire’s founding, may eternal divine glory be with His Majesty, whom we honor and respect.”

The grand congratulatory address he began with went on for a full hour.

Had there not been a choir performance and a procession in the middle, some attendees might have dozed off from sheer boredom.

Only after the tribute presentations from various regions and the congratulations from foreign envoys did the real party begin.

As the imperial couple split up to personally greet the nobles, the atmosphere gradually warmed.

“It is an honor to greet Your Majesty. I am Enriche of House Ohrid.”

Someone approached Eleanor with a polite bow while she was attending to a group of nearby nobles.

The name struck a familiar chord in her ears.

“Did you say… Ohrid?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

‘Hartmann.’

Though not a high-ranking noble house, she recalled that the family had once served the Hartmann royal court as minor officials.

‘Lord Ohrid was part of my father’s palace staff.’

Eleanor dismissed the surrounding nobles and faced Enriche directly. “I didn’t expect to meet someone from Hartmann here.”

“You know of the Ohrid family, Your Majesty? I’m deeply honored.”

Enriche wore his emotions openly.

Moved by his sincerity, Eleanor found her own mood lightening.

As they exchanged champagne and pleasant conversation, Eleanor suddenly asked, “Have you managed to adjust to life in Baden?”

“Yes, it’s bearable. And lately, a number of nobles from Hartmann have entered the palace, so I no longer feel so alone.”

Nobles from Hartmann?

Just as she was about to take a sip of champagne, Eleanor froze mid-motion.