Duchess Mecklen’s Elegant Revolt - Side Story 9

The black-bearded man who had provoked Lennoch was full of confidence.

His daily training alone was three times that of an average person.

He had often climbed stairs carrying buckets of water in both hands, and his actual job was related to such labor.

“Hey, buddy. Just don’t come crying when you bust your wrist trying too hard.”

The man sneered at Lennoch.

One of the reasons he looked down on Lennoch was his appearance.

A delicate face and tall, lanky build.

His shoulders were broad enough to pass, but compared to the man’s own bulky muscles, Lennoch’s figure looked slim and unimpressive.

The man loudly bragged about his background, but Lennoch showed little interest.

“Hey, are you even listening to me?”

The man’s face turned red with anger.

Lennoch’s indifferent attitude, not even sparing him a glance, got under his skin.

He was about to lunge at him, but just then, a whistle signaled the start of the contest.

“All right, everyone, pick up your axes.”

The merchant who had organized the event handed out tools to the participants.

No one knew, but the axes used for the contest were deliberately dull.

They had been chosen specifically to make it difficult to split the wood.

Wearing a smug smile, the merchant shouted to the gathered contestants.

“Ready—start!”

The bearded man shouted and swung his axe.

At the same time—

“Ugh!”

He nearly dropped the axe without realizing it.

Clutching his stinging wrist, the man grimaced.

‘The axe blade is a mess!’

Only then did he realize the contest was rigged. His face flushed with rage.

“Hey, you!”

“Yes?”

“How the hell do you expect us to chop wood with this crap? This is a total scam!”

“S-scam, sir?”

Flustered by the contestant’s outburst, the merchant raised his hands.

“You deliberately gave us dull axes! How is this not a scam?”

“Absolutely not. They’re all brand new from the forge.”

Of course, it was a scam.

But the merchant had no intention of admitting the truth.

The bearded man, incensed, pointed at the other participants. “It’s not just me—look at the others. No one’s chopping properly. How is this a new axe?”

“O-one of the gentlemen is doing quite well, actually.”

“What?”

Just as the merchant said, someone was performing well despite the dull blade.

While they were arguing, the pile of wood at Lennoch’s station was steadily shrinking.

Watching the logs split cleanly, the bearded man could only stammer in disbelief.

“W-what the hell…”

“Isn’t that proof enough it’s not a scam?”

‘I don’t know how he’s doing it, but I’ll just go along with it.’

Better that than have the whole contest fall apart.

The merchant subtly redirected attention to Lennoch.

“Wow, silver-haired gentleman! What a display of skill. He’s already chopped through his twentieth log. I’ve seen many participants before, but never at this speed. He might set a new record—oh! That makes twenty-three!”

“This is nonsense!”

The bearded man exploded.

“This whole thing’s rigged! They obviously gave him the best axe!”

He couldn’t believe it.

There was no way anyone could perform like that with such a tool unless it was rigged.

Snorting angrily, the man stormed over to Lennoch.

He made a threatening noise as he reached to snatch the axe, but Lennoch ignored him completely.

“Hey!”

Thwack.

“Come on, let me see your axe!”

Thwack.

Six more logs split cleanly in succession.

Only one log remained.

Panicked, the man snatched up the last piece of wood.

At this rate, the silver-haired man would take first place.

But his attempt to interfere was met with a sharp retaliation.

“Argh!”

The man dropped the log, clutching his hand in pain.

Lennoch had struck his hand with the handle of the axe before he realized it.

Leaving the man writhing in pain behind him, Lennoch calmly split the final log.

The merchant raised both hands and shouted, “Victory goes to the silver-haired gentleman!”

“Wow!”

“That was amazing!”

“How is he that fast?!”

The astonished onlookers erupted in cheers.

Some even whistled.

Only after everything was over did Lennoch toss his axe in front of the man.

“They say a true craftsman never blames his tools.”

“……!”

“If you’re that curious, check it yourself.”

“How… how is this possible…”

The axe Lennoch had used had chips and nicks all along the blade.

Compared to it, the bearded man’s axe was in much better condition.

Mouth agape, the man stared in stunned silence.

He slumped to the ground, completely defeated.

Amid the crowd’s cheers, Lennoch walked up to the merchant and silently held out his hand.

“Here you are, sir.”

Quick on the uptake, the merchant respectfully handed over a gold coin.

It was the very coin Lennoch had paid as the entry fee.

With his winnings in hand, Lennoch made his way through the parting crowd back to Eleanor.

“Let’s go.”

Eleanor, who had been holding back laughter, nodded.

Before they knew it, the gazes around them had changed.

Curiosity, admiration—

And faint envy.

Some even looked on with eyes tinged with longing.

A few whispered to each other, wondering if they recognized the couple from somewhere.

Before anyone could figure it out, Eleanor linked her arm through Lennoch’s and quickly left the scene.

***

“It’s a relief we weren’t discovered.”

Eleanor spoke as she bit into the fluffy cotton candy.

“Thanks to Jack Ruby selling so many portraits of us, our faces must be quite well-known.”

“No one would imagine the imperial couple would be strolling the streets during the Founding Festival.”

Lennoch let out a small laugh.

“Especially without an escort.”

Most nobles were still at the palace.

And since the young men and women in charge of the Flame Ritual had separate routes, it was rare for their paths to cross in the streets.

They had deliberately chosen plain clothes made of inexpensive material.

Even if someone noticed a resemblance to the Emperor and Empress, they would likely dismiss it as a coincidence.

“Thanks to that, it’s nice to feel a bit of freedom. Even if we’ll be heading back soon.”

Eleanor looked off toward the distant red clock tower.

‘It’s a bit of a shame.’

This was a different kind of enjoyment than in the palace.

Time spent sharing elegant tea with Lennoch was pleasant, but the atmosphere here offered a new kind of thrill.

Eleanor found herself wishing time would stop for a while.

“……?”

Then a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

“Lennoch, who manages that clock tower?”

“That one?”

Turning his gaze toward it, Lennoch searched his memory.

“I believe it’s managed by a separate city patrol unit. The capital guard lacks the manpower to handle it, so they assign specially trained personnel. There haven’t been any major problems so far.”

“…Could we go take a look?”

“Of course,” Lennoch answered without hesitation.

As she followed him, Eleanor still wore a smile, but her expression had shifted slightly.

A faint unease.

‘Has the future changed?’

In her past life, on the first day of the Founding Festival, there had been a brief incident.

A rebel faction from Hartmann had snuck into Baden and planted explosives around the clock tower.

It had been Ernst who stopped what could have become a serious act of terror.

Around this time, he had reorganized the capital’s security system.

His stricter and more rigorous measures had earned complaints from merchants, but it had been thanks to those that the explosives were discovered early and neutralized.

But now, Ernst was no longer here.

‘I heard the rebels have been dealt with this time, but…’

With Eleanor becoming Baden’s Empress in this life, the situation in Hartmann had changed rapidly.

Over the past year, fed-up citizens had turned their backs on the rebels entirely.

Moreover, news of Empress Eleanor rescuing the poor who had been driven to the slums of Hadum had further increased her popularity.

Thanks to the cooperation of Hartmann’s people, the rebels had been almost completely wiped out.

So it shouldn’t be easy for the same terrorists from her past life to infiltrate Baden now.

Still, there was always the what if.

Reaching the clock tower, Eleanor scanned the surroundings.

‘So far, everything looks fine.’

There were no suspicious signs.

In the past, the entrance to the tower had been blocked with crates of explosives, trapping people inside. Now, the area was clean.

No one nearby seemed to be acting oddly either.

A young couple passed by, giggling with excitement.

“Shall we go up the tower?”

The tallest structure in the capital, the clock tower was also famous for its view.

Just as Eleanor nodded and took a step with Lennoch—

“Aagh—!”

A sharp scream pierced the air from somewhere.

Startled, the crowd turned their heads toward the source.

As people dispersed like receding waves, two figures stood out, holding a middle-aged woman hostage.

They were the same couple who had passed by earlier, laughing happily.

“Don’t come any closer!”

The man pressed a dagger to the hostage’s neck, while the woman pointed a blade at the crowd.

They weren’t acting at random.

While the panicked people stumbled in confusion, the man clearly voiced his demand.

“Notify the Emperor of Baden immediately!”

His voice was rough and deep.

“We want only one thing.”

The national treasure stolen by the Emperor of Baden—

“Return the Hawk’s Seal Ring.”

***

“Where is he going?” Joshua muttered quietly as she followed behind Ernst.

Eger, trailing after her, lowered his voice. “It seems he has a specific destination.”

“And how do you know that?”

“He hasn’t looked around even once. Clearly, sightseeing isn’t his goal.”

There were many sights along Ernst’s route.

Yet he didn’t glance at any of them.

His unshaken pace made it clear—he was heading somewhere with purpose.

‘That makes him even more suspicious.’

He was the one who had supposedly given up everything and left for the provinces.

It didn’t make sense that he had returned to the capital out of lingering attachment.

Even in the bustling crowd, Ernst walked quickly.

To keep up, Joshua picked up her pace.

“Sir Joshua.”

Eger, who was struggling to match her, called out urgently.

The fact that he was slower than Joshua in a dress was partly due to his sedentary lifestyle until now.

Noticing his exhaustion, Joshua looked apologetic. “I was too hasty. Are you all right?”

“I should’ve trained more beforehand.”

Eger’s ears turned red from embarrassment. He wanted to impress her, but now he was just slowing her down.

Watching Eger struggle to catch his breath, Joshua’s expression shifted.

“Excuse me.”

“……!”

Eger looked down in surprise.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Joshua had reached out and taken his hand first.

Behind his glasses, Eger’s eyes widened slightly.