My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 303: Confirmation Ceremony

Chapter 303: Confirmation Ceremony

One thing Leonor always liked about Braulio was that he wasn’t forcing her to be part of his family. He expressed that he wanted to get to know her and at least offer himself as someone who could support her even though she had friends like the King, a husband like the kingdom’s war hero, and a father like Count Mikael.

Since Leonor couldn’t bring herself to bad mouth the people she grew up with, she simply accepted what he was trying to do. While she waited for her father and sister’s trial to begin, she would entertain the thought of having a functional and supportive family outside of her husband.

Perhaps she would catch a glimpse of the childhood she never had.

The four were seated around a table in the sitting room after King Stephano excused himself, saying he would catch up with the count’s family later. It was quiet at first but at least the maids situating their tea gave a bit of relief to the otherwise tense situation.

Leonor noticed the others were waiting for her to drink her tea first since she held the highest title in the room. Her throat was dry anyway and she managed to swallow down some of the warm liquid.

She was relieved when the others did as well.

However, there was a slip of etiquette when Jose reached for one of the desserts situated on a stand in the middle of the table. The count uttered a stern "Jose" which caused the younger man to drop the dessert.

"Forgive us," the countess said. "The capital is a bit more structured than what he’s used to. He doesn’t mean anything by not allowing you to eat first."

Leonor’s blue eyes brushed over the three before returning to her cup. A small smile graced her lips. Even though she was well-trained, it wasn’t because she wanted to be.

"I would prefer we have a more casual environment," she admitted. "That’s why I asked you for tea rather than a meal. Despite my title please don’t feel that it is something I hang over people’s heads. I am probably more new to this than you are."

"That is very generous of you," Braulio responded.

Leonor wouldn’t let the silence settle again.

"Jose, from my understanding, you were supposed to be guarding the northern border near Dacoria," she observed.

Braulio had said as much, as did Stephano. Could Jose really have given up his post just because his father called him to meet her? She felt a little bit burdened by that.

"I’m certainly a soldier for de Marro," he admitted. "But the count said that I am his heir as well. I have to learn what the capital is like if I want to be as efficient as he is here. In father’s words, I won’t be able to fight every battle with a sword."

Leonor’s smile was small. She was feeling tired but the tea would certainly wake her up.

"He isn’t wrong about that," she uttered. "Conversation is half the battle in a place like this."

Leonor offered him a small smile.

"You and Jose have the same eyes," Micheline observed. "I really can’t believe it."

Her comment made Leonor feel small but she tried to brush past it as best as she could.

"Ah, forgive me, I seemed to have forgotten that this is probably uncomfortable for everyone else–"

To her shock, the countess put a hand over Leonor’s.

"Please don’t say that," she said. "There is no ill will where I’m concerned. Braulio was open with the fact that he had been married before. Even though we have grown fond of one another now, our union was one of politics to begin with. I was never in the dark. He openly speaks fondly of Jara who is a very real part of his life–just like you are now."

Leonor was taken aback at the frankness of the woman. She played her cards openly and didn’t leave any room to have to guess what she was thinking or feeling.

Micheline’s ability not to punish Braulio over the situation was what led to more candid conversations and a more trustworthy situation that all of them found easy to be subjected to.

Eventually, Jose had to return to the border to continue his military duties to the kingdom, but Braulio and his wife remained in the capital.

As often as she was able to see them, there was still lingering doubt hanging over her head that she couldn’t explain. It was almost like her heart didn’t want the truth to be her life was far different than she always thought. It would be safe to continue being the tragic product of an abusive father, dead mother, and conniving sister.

The Marros tried to treat her whenever they could even though she was only able to stay inside of the palace under the duke’s order, but she realized Braulio was starting to be able to read her. At least he had a sense of when someone wasn’t allowing themselves to be open fully.

One day, the count asked her if she wanted to perform a confirmation ceremony. There was a church on the palace grounds which was the usual place to do such a ceremony.

However, for more official ceremonies, the throne room wasn’t an uncommon place for something like that to happen. When Stephano caught wind of it, he decided to open up his throne room to it and allow the ceremony to be done there.

Since returning to the capital, Leonor hadn’t once reached out to Count Mikael to see how he was faring. She felt somewhat guilty that she hadn’t once checked to see if his health had been restored or if he was suffering.

Yet the logical side of her knew that it wasn’t her business. Even before he had been under black magic, he was awful to her. He didn’t deserve to know about her life just as she didn’t necessarily need to know anything about his.

Despite her trying to assure herself, she was put in a dress and adorned with the care of her loyal maids until she was ready to stand in the throne room with a few witnesses as she donated her blood to be tested by a mage.

The confirmation ceremony would confirm whether or not she and Count Braulio were truly of blood relation. It could tell a few other things as well, but that was the only thing she was concerned about at that moment.

Surprisingly, Gideon came down from Montclair to bear witness. Beth was there and King Stephano was as well. Countess Micheline steadfastly supported everything her husband did. Leonor wished there were more witnesses than that but it was something that they didn’t need to make public until the dust settled regarding what had happened in Burien only a month before.

At first, their blood was tested with magic individually and, when the mage was finished, he let out a light "hmm" that caused Leonor to grow curious. However, when Leonor and Braulio’s blood was mixed and a spell was done so that the mage in charge of such a ceremony was able to read what could be done, the two stood to the side anxiously waiting for the results that they were both certain they knew the answer to.

The mage working with them had beautiful reddish mana and, as the magic circle rose, there were a few markers that went off.

"Before His Majesty, King Stephano the Third, and the Castillan Kingdom, I declare confirmation that Duchess Leonor de Montclair and Count Braulio de Marro are of blood relation," the mage announced. "However, I also noticed–"

Before he could finish, a guard ran into the throne room from a side entrance.

"Your Majesty!" he shouted. "A dragon has been spotted in the skies north of the capital!"