My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 31: Love Letter

Chapter 31: Love Letter

[TW for some of the content ahead]

Leonor didn’t get to thank Valerio.

Her feelings got in the way of her gratitude. She could only pray that he felt her thanks through their kiss.

When she heard a voice, Leonor turned around, horrified. She recognized who it was immediately.

Appearing from behind a manicured bush was her father followed by her younger sister who undoubtedly wore a smug expression. They both were finely dressed and adorned with gems and gold. It was obvious to everyone who her father favored.

Leonor was trembling but she stood protectively in front of Valerio.

He would lose everything. It was all her fault for not being more careful.

Simply by associating with her, she had ruined his life.

"Father, I can explain," Leonor sobbed desperately.

"Don’t call me father," the Count snapped. "All I have ever asked of you is that you retain your worth. Yet your sister has told me all that you and the stable rat get up to when you think no one is paying attention. I am disgusted with you."

Leonor didn’t have a response, all she could do was bow her head in shame as she was belittled. Her biggest fear was Valerio seeing her worth - or lack of worth. She had tried to keep that from him all along.

"My lord, we haven’t–"

Valerio tried to defend Leonor. He felt anger rise in his chest while she took all the heat from him.

"Get out of my sight or I’ll have a guard take your head," Count Mikael ordered. "I must deal with my disgraceful daughter."

Valerio tried to step in front of Leonor but she pushed his arm.

"Please, Valerio," she begged, seeing guards entering the garden on the other side. "It’s alright. I’ll be alright. You can still get away."

"No, Leonor," he said through grit teeth. "What will he do to you?"

Tears fell down her face and she shook her head, in denial that anything more than usual would happen.

"Please don’t worry about me," she continued begging. "Valerio please–"

However, he was taken by guards and any bit of struggle was subdued. He wasn’t armed with a sword or he would be a better match against the people apprehending him.

The last he saw of Leonor was her hugging herself as tears streamed down her face. He didn’t know what happened to her after that point and he didn’t know when he would see her again.

All Valerio knew was that he had left his heart with her and he hoped she would treat it well until they reunited. He believed that they would. She was his one certainty in that life.

Meanwhile, the Count refused to touch his daughter but he had a guard take her away as if she were some sort of criminal.

It was the first time Count Mikael went through drastic measures to discipline Leonor. He had beaten her before, but that time was different and lacked control. Once he released his anger on her in the physical form, he didn’t hold back from that point forward. He truly believed it was the only way to right her wrongs.

For two days, Leonor spent her time in near darkness and slept on a cot. The storage room she was locked in was at the heart of Burien Manor.

There was a pail of water she would occasionally drink from but she spent most of her time lying down. Her body was sore from what her father had done to her.

Count Mikael had told her repeatedly he wouldn’t hit her face considering the Crown Prince seemed to like it. She might still have a chance to be a bargaining chip after all.

For the first day, she begged and cried but, when she was never met with anything except more discipline, she went quiet. There wasn’t much energy to spend since she hadn’t eaten anything since the tea party.

However, it wasn’t herself she was worried about at all.

As usual, her head was filled with Valerio. Unfortunately, the usual daydreams were nightmare scenarios. What would her father’s guards do with someone who was caught kissing his daughter? Based on the way he had treated her, she imagined Valerio was likely treated a lot worse.

Her father only threatened death but it didn’t seem like he had gone through with it. It was a technicality she was clinging to but it was the only hope she had.

On the second day of her imprisonment, Leonor was allowed to leave late in the evening. The door was simply unlocked and she was told to go to her room by a guard.

Leonor hugged herself as she walked, timidly turning around each corner and going upstairs cautiously. At each turn, she was worried her father would be there. The last time she saw him he was red with anger. She hoped she didn’t have to face him for a long while.

As Leonor timidly walked through the threshold of her door, she was struck by the scent of lilacs. Normally it wasn’t so strong.

She swiftly shut the door leading to the hallway when she saw a jar of wilted lilacs sitting on her desk. She had a feeling she knew who it was from.

Valerio.

The stablehand was the only one who would do that. He was the only person who cared for her in such a way.

At the thought of him, Leonor’s shaky hands raised and her blue mana escaped. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she wanted to try anything to preserve the happiness Valerio brought to her.

As it met the multicolor bouquet, the once wilted flower petals and leaves slowly stood up straight as her mana seeped into them. Her eyes started to water and her hands continued to hover, though they started to shake.

She strangely wanted to hug the flowers but she didn’t want to crush them considering they were already in such a fragile state.

Since she used her mana more forcefully, she started to feel exhausted but she knew she needed to sit down. The combination of no food and using her mana had completely depleted her.

The lady hobbled her way to bed, her legs feeling like noodles underneath her. She nearly fell if it weren’t for catching her bed and finally laying down. It was so much more comfortable than the cot she had dealt with for the past two days.

However, as her head hit the pillow, she felt the crinkle of paper and slid her hand underneath.

Her fingers were met with folded-up paper. Eagerly, she pulled the paper out and unfolded hastily with shaking hands. Luckily, a candle had been lit in her room, but it meant she would have to sit up again.

Leonor took a deep breath, though it didn’t calm her anxiety. She was equally eager and terrified to read what might be in the paper.

"My love" the letter began and a lump already formed in her throat.

"I came here hoping I would find you but instead I am met with an empty room that looks like it has not been used in a while. The second I was free, I looked everywhere for you. Unfortunately, I came up with nothing. There are more guards. I am terrified of what that means for you.

I do not know when I will be able to see you again but I hope that you remain safe in the meantime. I have promises to keep and someone to wait for. There is not a day that goes by when I stop thinking of the future in store for both of us. A future together where I can love you as shamelessly and proudly as I have always wanted to.

Now it is my turn to ask you to wait for me. The Count has sent me to the frontlines of a brewing battle. I am not sure when I will return but I will climb the ranks until I am someone worthy enough to stand beside the future Countess von Burien. I will prove myself to the Count and the world.

I was told to gather my things and leave the next day. By the time you read this, I may very well be gone.

I leave my heart with you

Valerio"

Tears fell on the page by the time Leonor made it to the second paragraph and a sob escaped her lips when he said he was being sent to battle.

The latest she had heard of war was the suicide mission King Stephano II was participating in. There were riches beyond the northern wall leading into Letum. It was a place devoid of human life but full of monsters. Once the barrier is disturbed between Letum and the rest of the kingdom, it puts everyone at risk for monsters. Yet the King was blinded by his military victories in the past.

With tears on her face, Leonor was so depleted she fell asleep with the letter in her hands.