My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 318: The Truth

Chapter 318: The Truth

"How on Earth did you get close enough to a dragon to use a sword on it?" she asked. "These are even more powerful than the juvenile dragon you faced. I remember that much from my studies."

As Leonor looked up at Desmond, he gently brushed his right hand through her hair. He found the act itself more comforting for him than her. He was in heaven.

"If you recall, the original purpose for going down there was because they were hinting at a magical weapon that could take down Castille," he reminded her. "It was a massive mana stone just under the surface on a cliffside. Quinn did some sort of spell that nearly captured the beast. It still somehow escaped."

"It could have been the ancient mana core of a dragon," Leonor mused. "They are attracted to their own mana which is fire-driven."

She reached out and stroked Desmond’s chin which was growing a beard that only covered half of his jaw and his left cheek. Never before had she seen him in such a scruffy state but she didn’t mind it. However, her preference was to be able to see his handsome face. She was still understanding that the man who was imprisoned couldn’t exactly shave.

"This is something Quinn suspected as well," Desmond admitted. "The mage also brought with him a team of mages from Eirenguard. He’s been teaching them a lot since they spent a few weeks together."

The thought of Quinn attracting mages made Leonor smile faintly, but the smile didn’t seem to reach her all the way as Desmond might expect it would.

"How have you been adjusting to being the mage the students rely on?" he asked carefully, assuming it was that she seemed to be hung up on.

Leonor knew he was taking a stab in the dark based on her behavior. However, all of her complicated feelings about being with child and losing her opportunity to teach the mages in Montclair affected her greatly. Even though Stephano was insistent that she could still do everything she set her mind to as a mother or otherwise, she was still scared for many reasons.

"It’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever been in my life," she commented softly, perhaps sadly, in Desmond’s opinion.

"Then..."

The man trailed off, unsure of where to begin. It felt like he was missing a few pieces of something that happened while he was away.

"The duchy is unscathed?" he asked, worried.

"Mostly," she assured him. "No casualties."

"Is something else bothering you?"

She had to pull herself away from him because he made her want to crumble but there was a wall within her heart and mind that was keeping her from wanting to indulge Desmond in what was truly going on with her. It was a truth she had hardly accepted herself.

Pregnancy was so hard to not think of as a mistake. She knew she was selfish for that considering there were other noble ladies out there who would die to give their husbands a proper heir but couldn’t.

Leonor released a shaky sigh. There was no better time to tell him but she couldn’t get the words out right away.

"Please don’t hate me for ruining your... our plans," she said, casting her eyes away as they started to water.

It was a mistake they made together, she tried to remind herself.

"I could never..."

Desmond was further lost and Leonor’s reaction made him feel on edge. He reached towards her face again but she blocked his hand from going to her face or hair and held onto it in her lap.

"I’m with child," she finally said.

Desmond’s ruby eye widened and all he could do was stare at his wife for a few moments in disbelief.

Certainly, it was impossible because he had been diligent with the contraceptive potion every time they...

"In Burien..." he again trailed off, shocked at the realization.

He had wanted his wife so badly any logic he normally had went out the window. He thought of nothing except for having her and when he got her all he thought of was her. Yet he had been careless.

Any personal qualms he might have about the situation were pushed to the side when he realized his wife had requested he not hate her for ruining their plans before confessing that she was pregnant. How selfish of a man would he be to not realize?

He practically dove onto her, grasping either side of her face as he tackled her into the bed.

"I could never hate you," he assured her. "Especially not for that. Not for something we did together. It isn’t that I never wanted to have children with you I just don’t want you to suffer the way your mother did. I chose the heir we have because it made it possible for me to step into power. Leonor... Duties aside, I’m so thrilled."

By the last sentence, his voice had broken and he let go of her face only to hug her and completely crush her under him as he felt his eye begin to water and a lump form in his throat. He didn’t realize something like that would be so thrilling. Her baby. Their baby.

"We will figure this out," he promised, his voice muffled by the bed. "Our best friend is the King. We both took part in saving the kingdom from a dragon, yet again."

One of her arms wrapped around Desmond but her other remained close to her as her hand covered her mouth. Tears fell freely from her eyes and back into her hair since she was lying on her back while her husband overwhelmed her from above.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Of course I am," he uttered and he kissed her.

It didn’t feel like enough so he kissed her again and again until the sun was rising and he was summoned to the main palace to go to the King and discuss with the men from Eirenguard what the next steps in this war declaration they were going toward.

Meanwhile, Leonor had to find a few hours of sleep somehow before her sister and father’s trial was set to begin.

Such a large weight was lifted off of her shoulders since Desmond expressed nothing but approval of her and the child inside of her. She felt free to focus on what was next rather than worrying about what was no longer in their control.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for von Burien, the courthouse wasn’t destroyed.

However, hours before the trial was set to begin, Leonor received a letter from the judge who was set to oversee their case.

Anna Maria von Burien was buried under the rubble of the palace’s prison due to the dragon. The ceiling of the old building caved in and she died late that night.

Her remains were intact so they knew it was her.

Von Burien was entirely without an heir just as de Montclair found out they had too many heirs to handle.