My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 40: Goodbye

Chapter 40: Goodbye

Prince Stephano’s words felt like a slap to the face and Leonor held a hand to her cheek as if he had hit her.

"What do you mean?" she asked in disbelief.

Having him by her side that day made her feel less lonely. Even if the only thing they had in common between them was care for Valerio, it was enough for her. He was the only person who knew what happened those few months ago. Without him, it felt like no one understood her.

Prince Stephano could see that he had hurt her but already concluded what he must do for the foreseeable future. People associated with him would be in danger. Now that she was in Magia, she would be safer than in Burien.

As long as her father believed there was a chance he would come back for her, that was all he needed to assure her safety. Her bastard of a father would be on his toes about anything regarding the Royal Family. He was the type of brown noser he hoped to get rid of when he became a ruler in the future.

One thing at a time, he reminded himself. He had to be patient.

With his father’s corruption growing, Prince Stephano didn’t think his reign would last much longer.

No one knew of his plans. No one except for Valerio.

Since they were in front of her dormitory with the occasional person going in and out, the Prince decided to pull her to a quieter place. They found themselves on the outer edge of the building in an alleyway. No one seemed to be around.

"I can’t tell you specifics but things are going to change soon," he revealed in a hushed tone. "Being so close to me will be dangerous for you."

Leonor wanted to vehemently disagree but she saw by the look in his eyes that he was serious. He was dreading doing whatever he had to do. The look on his face was miserable and, as the breeze picked up that evening, his fiery red hair fell into his forehead.

She never thought the Crown Prince would be one of her dearest friends. The man with gilded clothing and an untouchable attitude was so thoroughly caring. He had so many unfathomable secrets yet he protected her when she needed a savior.

To Prince Stephano’s surprise, Leonor took a few steps forward and hugged him.

Most people didn’t dare touch a royal, but she was different from the others. She had no interest in his title or wealth. That was why he found himself doing whatever he could to ensure she was safe for Valerio’s sake. Along the way, he found a friend.

He was so starved for touch that it took him a moment to respond and return the hug. Something in him told him she hadn’t received a hug in quite a while as well. They were two people who were lonely because of their privilege.

Stephano pulled away, shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"I’m not going to war," he insisted. "The palace is a battleground of wits, not swords. You don’t have to worry about me. Think of Valerio instead."

"I can care about multiple people at a time," Leonor responded in a strained voice. "Don’t diminish how much you mean to me. Just because it’s different from the way I care for Valerio doesn’t mean it’s less valuable."

The Prince gave her a sad smile. At first, she was a mere bump in the road of his plans but she became so much more than that in a few months. He didn’t realize how much he wouldn’t hate the daughter of Count Mikael. She was nothing like her father just like he was nothing like his. Unfortunately for him, however, he got his looks from the King.

"I’ll write when I can," the Prince promised. "Only accept letters from me in the form of my dog or falcon. You’ll recognize them because they’re both red."

"Excuse me, a dog?" Leonor asked.

As if it were normal for someone to have an animal following them around, the Prince stepped to the side and gestured with one of his hands. A large dog, or perhaps a small wolf, came rushing forward. Just like the Prince, it had hazel, golden eyes and red hair. It sat on the ground next to the Prince and looked at Leonor.

"Alara," the Prince said. "My familiar. She’s been here since I was a child."

The dog continued to look between Leonor and the Prince, occasionally wagging her tail as she listened to the conversation.

Leonor’s blue eyes were wide in surprise, but it wasn’t for the reason the Prince was expecting.

"Eve," she whispered. "A small black cat named Eve appeared when my magic was established but I haven’t seen her since."

The sad moment they shared was past and the Prince smiled.

"Then you’re going to have a fun first few days at the Academy," he explained. "Not a lot of people see their familiars before class."

Leonor crouched down until she was at eye level with the dog. She outstretched a hand as if she were nervous to touch the animal first.

"Such a beautiful creature," she said. "I hope Eve isn’t upset with me for neglecting her for so long. When she disappeared I thought she had simply run away."

Alara sniffed Leonor’s hand and her tail wagged more fervently.

"I have a feeling Eve is closer to you than you realize," Prince Stephano continued. "They protect us even when we aren’t asking them to by making sure our mana doesn’t get too critically low." When Leonor stood back up the Prince continued. "But please make sure to only accept letters from Alara. If it’s from me but not delivered by her, it isn’t from me."

For him to repeat it, Leonor knew it was important. She nodded, sure to file it away in her mind for future use if it was ever needed.

"I’ll remember," she said.

The Prince paused and an embarrassed smile pulled at his lips.

"And if you ever feel like responding, she’ll take it back to me as well," he muttered then cleared his throat and straightened out the dark jacket he was wearing. "For now, I must go. I hope our paths cross sooner than later, my lady."

"They will, Your Highness," she responded lightly. "I will make sure that they do so I can properly thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Just as mysteriously as he arrived in her life, the Prince departed. His familiar had already disappeared to wherever they went whenever they weren’t needed in solid form.

As she watched him walk down the street and to a carriage that had been waiting for him for hours, a few tears fell again.

She had to keep going forward, for Valerio, for the Prince, for her mother, and so she could meet Eve again.

Brushing away her tears and heading into the dormitory, Leonor decided to go to sleep so she could get unpacked the next day.

School would start the day after that and nervous energy lived in her heart until she was back on campus.