My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 162: Life Changing Decision

Chapter 162: Life Changing Decision

A room made entirely for him. At least that’s what it felt like as Quinn walked through the large doors of the library and was met with the smell of books and old wood.

Bookshelves made of dark wood and finely carved to suit a duke reached for the sky with points at the top similarly to the mountains that towered over the very castle he was inside. There were comfortable, worn couches in front of a fireplace and a few longer tables where one could get work done if they were there for business rather than pleasure.

There was a candelabra on a table and Quinn lit up one of the candles with his offensive magic so he could take it through the bookshelves and see if anything caught his eye.

Wondering what sort of books the duke and duchess liked to read, Quinn was disappointed when he couldn’t find dust that would indicate higher traffic areas on the shelves. The house staff of the estate were well-trained to keep secrets like that from anyone.

Although he had a hunch Leonor likely still perused the shelves containing romance stories. He caught her a few times in the library while they were at the Academy but he never poked fun because one’s book preferences were quite personal.

While he preferred adventure, he sometimes wandered in the romance direction. If he ever had thoughts that leaned romantic towards someone, he searched for answers through books.

Unfortunately, the stories never encapsulated what he experienced. He gave up on romance novels when he gave up on the confusing feelings he thought might be love. His life was better off without it.

As he observed Leonor when he arrived, he saw she was happy again. The sadness his familiar caught when she was first in Montclair was gone. After hearing King Stephano’s side of Leonor’s story, he could understand why.

Perhaps there were some people who needed love while others could do without.

Quinn found himself gravitating towards books regarding the history of mages in Montclair. That would be a good place to start if he were to convince Leonor to join the ranks that he was at the front of next to Stephano. He didn’t want to have to figure it out without her there.

Maids bothered him only once while he read. He was so immersed in the information in the old book he nearly didn’t hear when the duke and duchess arrived.

He stood up quickly to greet them but Leonor shook her head.

Desmond remained quiet. Quinn was Leonor’s guest more than his.

As hard as it was for him to admit it, he knew she had missed him for quite a long time.

"Let’s not go backwards, Quinn," Leonor insisted. "Only the last year I was in Magia you finally stopped treating me like a noble. We’ve seen each other at our lowest points. Such as when I found you asleep underneath a table in a library after studying all night—"

"Please," Quinn pleaded, raising a hand as he put a halt to Leonor’s words. "His grace ought to not have that image stuck in his head."

Leonor smiled guiltily. She had been using the conversation as a way to distract herself from the conversation with Desmond.

"I’ll stop there for now," Leonor teased. She then turned towards her husband and gestured or them to join the mage in the library’s sitting area so they could resume the earlier conversation in a more casual manner.

"Did you come to a decision?" Quinn asked quietly, although he didn’t have high hopes considering everything.

Leonor’s eyes were on the silver-haired mage and they drifted to Desmond before they dropped. She sighed, her normally straight posture faltering slightly.

"No," she responded honestly. "I’m afraid I have more to consider than I could have realized. I hope that His Majesty will be patient with me."

"I understand and so will he," Quinn responded. "Although, that doesn’t mean either of us will stop trying to convince you. If it’s alright with your grace, I would like to resume the previous arrangement we had where we communicated every now and then through letter. I don’t like having to guess how my mana partner at the academy is doing."

Leonor openly laughed at the way he suggested they still be friends. He really was strange when it came to properness and where to apply it.

"Our friendship?" Leonor asked. "We were never not friends, Quinn. And I assure you his grace doesn’t mind me talking to people who mean a lot to me."

Desmond wasn’t silent out of indifference towards the mage. He simply preferred not to speak.

However, when he was brought up, he leaned forward slightly to interject.

"I understand how important you were to my wife in the Academy," Desmond said. "Please don’t hold back on my behalf."

At one point he would have been suspicious of Quinn. He might have even questioned the relationship the two of them had. However, each time he spoke to Leonor, she held onto each of his words. When they touched, each point of contact meant something.

They had something that couldn’t merely shatter at a slight breeze. Their only problems were ones that he himself placed there.

"I appreciate that, your grace," Quinn said. "I will be more reachable soon enough. Particularly this winter when I return from spreading the word to other important mages throughout the kingdom."

"I hope you will travel safely," Leonor said.

"I will," Quinn assured her.

There was a lull in the words shared but Desmond picked back up on the task at hand. Leonor found it quite clear in that moment he was the most business minded one in the room. It was no wonder he sought and secure funding to keep Montclair afloat even after the kingdom was torn apart by a major war.

"Even though Leonor has decided to consider all of her options before taking on such a position, I’m interested in doing what I can to establish a safe place for mages in Montclair," Desmond explained. "I know how important magic is to Stephano and I know how much his father tore apart the trust between the average person and mages."

A new found respect budded the moment Desmond said those words. Quinn saw him in a new light.

While Quinn didn’t have all the details, he did converse for quite a while longer with Leonor only interjecting occasionally considering the topic still very much had to do with her. Even if she wasn’t at the head, she wanted the magic centers to be in Piedmont where she could easily access them.

Quinn left the conversation feeling like Leonor wanted to join but there was something she wouldn’t address stopping her.

Eventually, the duke had to depart and attend to other duties.

Leonor made it seem like she would leave with her husband, but after they said goodbye to the duke, the duchess stopped Quinn when it was only the two of them left over.

"That day in the garden when I first arrived to Montclair," Leonor said, her eyes boring into her friend. "That was you, wasn’t it?"

Quinn’s pale grey eyes widened. For once, he didn’t have a witty comeback.