My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 282: Suspicious

Chapter 282: Suspicious

While Leonor wasn’t disillusioned enough to believe she would get a grand welcoming when she arrived at her father’s house, she expected there at least be someone there to greet her upon arrival.

The lanterns were lit as always and offering dim guidance on her path forward. The guards felt hesitant to allow her to go into such a quiet place but she assured them that it would be okay.

She assured them while also assuring herself. It was taking a lot more courage than expected to open the door and walk into a place that held mostly bad memories for her.

However, it struck her that she forgot her own station upon arriving at her father’s home.

A guard beat her to the door and opened it for her. It might have been the first time someone had opened that very door for her in over a decade.

How awful it was to already feel weighed down by such a place.

While the coachman and another guard got her luggage, she directed them to her old room.

Once inside the hall that would take her to the heart of the large manor, she found herself frozen in place. There was an ominous feeling and a strange scent. Had a healer been there and tried to heal her father with some sort of potion or incense? Considering his importance to the county, they would likely pull all the stops to ensure his survival.

Something she found particularly haunting was how she was so worried for him when he probably hadn’t spared her more than a hostile thought since she was married off.

The duchess smoothed her skirts and walked forward, deciding she should go to her father immediately and at least look the part of his former heiress. Even if it was no longer hers, action would go a long way to his staff who were still undoubtedly turned against her for whatever reason.

Before she could go towards the stairs that would take her to her father’s wing, a guard rushed down the other end of the hallway.

"Your grace," he said, catching his breath because he had been running. "The room you said to be yours is certainly not ready for you to stay in. Shall we take you to the inn we will be occupying instead?"

Leonor was embarrassed that the reality of her former life was real. Without Francia there to clean up her room, it was no surprise that the space she occupied went to the wayside. A couple of years of dust and cobwebs undoubtedly filled up the room.

"I will summon a maid," Leonor said. "I want to stay in my father’s home so I can be close to him while we figure out the next steps of his healing. As long as my items are in the room, you all can go to the in yourselves. I’ll be sure to summon you if anything changes."

"Yes, your grace," the guard dutifully said and she offered him a polite smile in response.

When she was certain the guards were gone and could no longer bear witness to how ashamed she was about her life in Burien, she picked up a candelabra and started walking to the heart of the house where the maids undoubtedly were.

She was the duchess. She didn’t have anything to be afraid of anymore.

Even if her opinion of herself wasn’t always the brightest because of the self-doubt instilled within her, she couldn’t allow the staff of Burien Manor to insult the wife of Duke Desmond. The thought was enough to carry her onward.

Sure enough, maids were chatting with one another as they finished various tasks. One seemed to be drying silverware from dinner while others prepared food for the next day.

Leonor walked into the dining hall and one of the maids dropped silverware at the sight of her.

There were no words as Leonor stood there, boasting her status with a fine traveling dress and a neck adorned with jewels gifted to her by her husband. She had an irritated expression on her face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wasn’t aware that the maids of Burien Manor were unaware of the proper way to greet a guest of a higher status than their master," Leonor scolded them. "Considering I left the palace in Couervalle this morning, I am tired from traveling, but the Royal Guards who escorted me here to check on my father have pointed out that the room I would like to stay in is not ready for guests."

They gave her such looks of unbridled disdain but it was enough for her that they said nothing except for "Forgive us, your grace" or "We will get on that, your grace".

Knowing that they likely wouldn’t have the nerve to harm any of the items she brought with her considering she was already irritated and had mentioned being that close to the palace, she decided to visit her father’s area of the house.

It was improper that her sister hadn’t come out to greet her considering her status and considering Anna was the head of the house while her father was out, but she tried to push past it. Only when she saw her father and sister would she decide how to respond.

The scent that she smelled upon walking through the front door was stronger the further she walked into the manor and up the stairs to the wing where her father and sister’s rooms were. It was almost nauseating.

Leonor covered her nose, trying to bear it but finding it hard.

As she passed by her sister’s room, she was shocked to see an additional lock placed on the door and her hand unconsciously went to it. Considering her father and sister had a close relationship, she wondered what her sister could need to hide from. The maids and guards always matched her father’s preference towards Anna for as long as she could remember.

It wasn’t her business, she decided.

Her feet moved more slowly as she made it to the end of the hall where her father’s grand oak door stood. Not only was the emotional burden heavy but she could tell that the stench was concentrated in that hallway.

Managing to at least pretend it wasn’t affecting her, she was only steps away from her father’s door when someone rushed out of it.

Her sister stared at her in shock with a large frown on her thin lips. Her darting eyes and upset expression would make someone think she had been caught doing something bad. She had slammed the door and stood in front of it with her arms out.

"Father will not see any other visitors today," Anna said.

"I must check on him when he is in poor health," Leonor insisted. "It is my duty."

"You will ruin the healing placed on him a while before," Anna said. "I am under strict instructions by the healer not to disturb him any longer today. Shouldn’t a good mage like yourself understand the intricacies of healing magic? Why are you being so pushy? He will be there in the morning, asleep as he has been for days."

Leonor felt rigid and wanted to force her sister away so she could see her father, but she had no proof the girl was lying. She only had the feeling in her heart guiding her and no evidence.

"Fine," she uttered. "I will wait until morning."

With that, her sister rushed to her room and Leonor had nothing else she could say. All she had was an instinctual gut feeling that there was something amiss with the situation.