My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 115: Celebrating with a Drink

Chapter 115: Celebrating with a Drink

King Stephano didn’t have much to say as he stood at the edge of the deck once the duke and duchess took their seats in the shade. All he had to do was raise a mug full of sweet, early-season ale and the people cheered so loudly Leonor had to put a hand over her heart.

"To say that the people like drinking is an understatement," Leonor said. "I worry the merchants who brought barrels will run out of supplies before the sun sets."

"If they know Montclair, they’ll know better," Desmond responded quietly.

"And if they don’t, they’ll have to try again next year," Stephano said from the other side of the table.

With the balcony around the deck and the table they sat at being high, the three could watch the action happening below them fairly easily.

That day, the tea house wasn’t serving tea because of the festivities, but they were selling drinks from various regions in Castille. Unlike the merchants in the spaces below, the drinks there were more refined and expensive. Most nobles of Montclair were hiding there because the festivities outside were for the working class more than anyone else.

Leonor let out a light sigh.

"The drinks inside seem too fancy," she admitted. "I was hoping to try cider from last autumn."

Stephano let out an even laugh and observed the colorful drink in a glass cup in front of him. The host, Louis, was trying to get on his good side by giving him pretty alcohol. Unfortunately for him, he was in a phase of his life where he wanted to drink quickly rather than focus on notes of flavors or art.

He wondered, why bother? When the entire purpose was to numb himself down just a bit.

"She certainly is your wife," Stephano said to the duke, causing the pair to roll their eyes. "Preferring street urchin alcohol rather than the crafted type."

Desmond stood up without telling the others what he planned to do. He strode to another edge of the deck and peered down at one of his men.

"Cider," he said. "A few and quickly."

Leonor’s eyes widened when Desmond returned to his seat beside her.

"Louis is going to be offended," she insisted under her breath.

"You realize you can do whatever you want, don’t you?" Stephano asked.

"We’re saving him money," Desmond justified. "He would give us the drinks for free as it is. This way, we’ll pay someone who could truly benefit. The nobles here today will be emptying their pouches for the tea house."

Leonor accepted the logic considering it was what she truly wanted.

Before too long, the guard returned with two corked bottles of cider and handed them through the balcony. Not knowing what else to do, Leonor dumped the water she had been provided into one of the potted plants decorating the deck and offered her empty glass to Desmond.

"Do you mind pouring for me?" she asked.

"My pleasure," he said.

Stephano had to resist mocking the two of them who continued to walk on eggshells around one another. He would certainly do more harm than good to the pair who sat so closely next to one another while they rode in the carriage before. He wondered if Desmond would confess before the end of the week.

The king simply hoped it would be before he left or he may take matters into his own hands. Seeing Leonor so cautious made him feel terrible.

Rather than dwelling on love, something Leonor had been forcing him to think about the entire time he had been there, the young monarch downed the strong drink Louis had given him and decided to focus on the outer world rather than the heart.

Stephano did the same as Leonor and dumped his water in one of the plants so he could get in on the cider the other two were sharing. When his glass was full, he raised it.

"To my last week in Montclair," he said. "Please, visit the capital soon. Don’t be strangers the way you have been. I’m quite bored in a large palace with hardly a soul around."

They all raised their glasses and took polite sips of the golden beverage.

When Leonor’s glass was on the wooden table in front of her, she smiled.

"I would like to explore a lot more but I don’t think that’s in my cards necessarily," she admitted. "I haven’t gotten used to the way things are here or the title I hold."

"What better way to get used to noble life than attending social events in the capital," Stephano said.

"Would either one of you willingly attend events with me?" she asked.

Since they both cast their eyes away from her, Leonor rolled her eyes.

"That’s why," she said. "My only friends are unreliable men. Otherwise, I don’t think anyone would appreciate my familiar attending an event."

"We’ll consider it," Desmond said after thinking over it for a moment.

If Leonor wanted to go places, he shouldn’t stop her. The issue lay with him, and his lack of desire to be in public despite holding a very public title.

He wished there was a way to erase his scars without magic. He had been told in the past that there were spells that could temporarily camouflage what was on his face and body but nothing permanent.

It felt like a pain to keep up with considering he had to see a mage every so often to keep his eye green. Since Stephano did it for him while he was there, he would have to find someone else in a few months.

The more the three of them drank and enjoyed themselves, the easier it became to speak. Their conversations were lighthearted and they occasionally acknowledged something down below. It felt like a peaceful late afternoon to Leonor and she felt happy to have her two favorite people around her for an extended period.

One thing that remained consistent was the alcohol kept flowing, whether it be from Louis or the bottles of cider they had cleared completely.

They were given snacks now and then but their food throughout the day was mostly light.

After so much sweet alcohol, Stephano was the first to decide he better head back to the manor and get some rest. It seemed to be the perfect timing because the sun was setting and it would get cold for him considering how early it was in spring anyway.

Without needing permission, he went to the carriage that brought him there in the first place.

He wondered if anything else would transpire between Leonor and Desmond considering all they had to drink.

Only a short while after Stephano left, Desmond felt Leonor against his arm.