My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 114: The Festivities Begin

Chapter 114: The Festivities Begin

The duke felt his heart might stop the moment Leonor appeared before him. The color of her dress suited her olive skin. She showed herself more than normal and his heartbeat quickened so much he wanted to sit down.

As usual, she was modest. There wasn’t anything inappropriate about the clothing she wore. However, she was showing enough to remind him what he thought he would one day see more of when he was merely 18 years old.

The thoughts of having her as a prize on the other side of the war when he was still Valerio carried him through the bad moments. It was his reality until a dragon appeared before him and ruined his life’s plans.

He had been hotheaded since King Stephano arrived. Her angelic appearance made him want to lock her indoors.

He didn’t want anyone else to set their eyes on Leonor. If he could hardly look at her, much less touch her, why should anyone else have that privilege?

After helping her into the carriage, Desmond settled in next to her. He silently wished that the next few hours would be easy. The thought of something going wrong was always looming over him.

Never in his life did he think he would hold such a public title. He wanted attention less than he ever had before in his life.

With thoughts storming away in his mind, it felt like a slap when he felt Leonor lean closer to him and ask how the township would want to see her behave towards him.

It was a fair question. She was easing herself into a position she was untrained for.

"They would like to see us undivided," he admitted. "Although you don’t need to act in a way that doesn’t suit your feelings. You are never disrespectful or unkind."

Desmond’s response felt a bit cruel to Leonor. He didn’t know how she felt nor did he ask. She tried not to conclude that it was because he felt nothing for her in the first place.

Swallowing down what little pride she had, Leonor offered a tight-lipped smile.

"Then I will act in a way that suits how I feel," she said.

Soon Stephano climbed into his own uncovered carriage with greenery and flowers decorating the outside. Purple flags representing the Castillian Royal Family adorned it as well. They were ready to head off on the slow journey down the hill and into the heart of Piedmont.

The festivities would finally begin the moment the parade was over.

On the outskirts of town, people were already waiting for the king and ducal family to grace the town with their presence. From the moment they entered the walled city, there was cheering and flower petals tossed in the air.

Based on people’s clothing, there were many there from the far reaches of the kingdom. From what Leonor learned from merchants, there were visitors from other kingdoms as well.

Since curious eyes were reaching the duke and duchess, Leonor began to act in a way that suited her feelings just as the duke requested.

Desmond was taken aback when she slid her hand underneath his arm and around his forearm. That way, she could remain in contact with him while waving at people and accepting their flowers if they came close enough to offer them.

To the people’s surprise, they were met with a unified ducal household. The duchess touched the duke’s scarred side without a second thought and she sat close to him with an effortless smile.

Curiosities only grew.

They didn’t know that Desmond chose to sit with his scarred side towards her because he wanted to keep watch of the outside of the carriage to protect them in case something happened. He could trust Leonor to cover the other half with her shield in an emergency.

By the time they reached the center of Piedmont, Leonor had quite a few cut flowers on her lap or the seat next to her. A young girl even handed her a flower crown and she placed it on her head without a second thought.

As attention towards them calmed, Leonor leaned into the duke, making herself comfortable against his arm.

She hoped that he understood she was stubborn. If he told her to behave how she felt, he would have to figure out how to deal with it if he didn’t like it.

Little did she know, his calm appearance and occasional waving to the people was a facade to cover his heart racing at the contact of Leonor holding his arm and her left leg against his right.

He felt pathetic forgetting how to handle himself from the mere touch of the woman he pined for. He was supposed to be a dignified duke and war hero with lifetimes of experience in a few short years. Yet he was reduced to a pile of nerves because of beautiful Leonor - the woman of his dreams and nightmares.

Considering the king of an entire nation couldn’t simply mingle with the people and expect it would go over smoothly, the tea house at the heart of Piedmont volunteered its balcony for the monarch, duke, and duchess. It made it so they could participate in the environment while remaining a bit safer with guards around in case anything happened.

It was also Leonor’s way of assuring the tea house that there was no ill will towards them after what happened with the red-headed woman who spoke disrespectfully towards her husband. For weeks after the incident, the tea house’s popularity plummeted and Leonor knew she had to do something to rectify the situation.

Before the three could sit down and enjoy the afternoon and evening from under the parasols on the raised deck, the ducal family was to make an announcement. Of course, Desmond couldn’t do it in a way that would hit anyone’s ears.

Having prepared for that moment for a long time, Leonor stood in front of him. He put his hands on her shoulders when it was time to speak.

She knew he would tell her what to say but she wasn’t expecting him to touch her. Perhaps it was payback for the way she unashamedly touched him after he bothered her by acting like she didn’t care for him.

There was a herald in the crowd, quieting the people and saying there was an announcement.

Each word was whispered in Leonor’s ear before she said it to the crowd of expectant faces.

"I am pleased to appear before you as Duchess Leonor de Montclair while we celebrate the Spring Equinox and pray for a fertile summer," she said, her voice carrying an appropriate distance as people filled the space to catch at least one word from the mysterious duchess from the south. She spoke slowly so she could focus on Desmond’s words. "The prosperity of this duchy and the kingdom as a whole is because of those willing to do their share of work. Please take this week as your permission to rest. We will work again next week. May God bless every one of you!"

She gave a pleased smile and a nod to the people. To many people’s surprise, she also placed her right hand over the gloved one on her shoulder.

Again, she touched Desmond’s scarred side only. If she was to show the people how she felt, she wanted them to know she didn’t care how he looked. He burrowed his way into her life and her heart through kindness alone.