My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 57: The Only Woman

Chapter 57: The Only Woman

Just the same as the night before, Leonor was subjected to maids helping her wash herself and get into clothing. If she wasn’t mistaken, they seemed more preoccupied with her body than the night before.

Would she have to get used to people’s curiosity about whether or not the duke decided to touch her? She felt almost guilty that the pressure of their wedding night seemed to fall on Duke Desmond more than it did to her. They weren’t worried about what she did to him but rather what he did to her.

The show of taking his blood and throwing it on the mattress was starting to make more sense, though it didn’t assuage how horrible she felt for him to do that to himself.

Even if she didn’t feel affectionate towards him, she didn’t want to see anyone hurt themselves.

Leonor clung to the fact that he hadn’t shown aggression towards her. She hoped to find a way to always pacify him enough to take pity on her. If he found her pathetic, he might be sympathetic enough to realize he shouldn’t beat her down further. If he found her strong, perhaps he would believe she didn’t deserve to be beaten.

She walked a path not knowing how he perceived her. It struck her that she may never know if they never had a proper conversation with one another.

When she returned to the main room after she had a pale purple dress that her father provided her with, she found the duke had already left.

It seemed she would have to go to breakfast by herself.

It was easy to tell where the people in the manor were occupying because she heard the noise of dishes and hushed discussions. She walked towards a room different than the dining hall where they had the wedding dinner. It was smaller and more intimate.

Duke Desmond was in the corner talking to his aide and when Leonor entered the room, both men acknowledged her presence immediately.

The aide bowed to her while Desmond went to the table and pulled out the chair where she would eat breakfast.

When she was settled, the aide stepped forward.

"I don’t believe we properly met, your grace," the aide said. "My name is Gideon Fairfax, the butler of Montclair. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me first. I want to make the stay in the west comfortable for you."

Leonor managed to smile and Gideon decided it didn’t seem inauthentic. She remembered him when he delivered the letter to her father requesting her hand.

"Thank you, Gideon," she responded. "I will keep that in mind."

Desmond cast a glance towards the butler as if to say that was enough, but the butler bowed again before he vacated the room.

Without needing to be told, maids came into the room with the duke and duchess’ breakfast. It consisted of cured meat and a quiche. There were various fruits placed on the table and a couple of pastries.

As Leonor ate, she couldn’t help but notice one of the pastries with jelly in the middle and a coating of powdered sugar on the outside.

"I believe this is from Pasteles del Principe in the heart of town," Leonor observed.

The duke paused in his actions of quietly putting food in his stomach and took note of Leonor’s comment.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"One of my favorites," she admitted. "I haven’t had it in ages."

However, admitting that made her feel nervous. She didn’t know why she couldn’t simply sit there silently without having to comment. Yet she found the silence unsettling. Silence alone was comforting but silence while someone else was there felt incredibly heavy.

From that point forward, she tried to hold her tongue. It made for a quiet breakfast where Leonor felt somewhat uncomfortable. Even though she had hundreds of questions rushing through her thoughts at once, she didn’t want to push the duke too far. He was said to be the silent type and didn’t speak unless spoken to.

It caused her to wonder if he found it a bother to be asked frivolous questions. She would only be speaking because she was nervous.

After breakfast, it was time to truly leave Burien.

Leaving her father’s home was her first test, but life on the road was going to be her next and hardest test. There were plenty of men following them who would guard her through the night, yet she was nervous thinking about camping with people she was unfamiliar with.

When they left, the maids at the mansion remained there. She realized she was the only woman on the journey. It was an unsettling feeling.

The duke had opted to ride a horse and she wondered if he found her to be a bother. Did he care for her enough to protect her if one of the other men on the journey gave her trouble?

As she often was, Leonor was grateful for Stephano sponsoring her way into the academy. She felt that in an uncertain situation, she could at least stand up for herself. She hadn’t seen Eve in a while since she was stressed out, but she knew the cat was around if she ever truly needed her.

Without further stalling, the party of soldiers, duke, and duchess were off towards the mountain pass at the northwestern tip of Burien. It was the most direct path to Montclair despite having to go up in elevation. However, there was no getting around having to climb mountains, Montclair was the most mountainous region of Castille.

It boasted white winters and pine trees. The Duke’s home was said to be one of the largest fortresses in all of Castille.

To pass the time, Leonor had brought books with her.

As she flipped through the first, she realized she had pressed one of Valerio’s lilac pieces inside of the front cover. While stroking the dried bloom affectionately, she lightly sighed. How would she explain to the man she loved that she had no choice but to marry someone so powerful just because he asked her father for her hand?

Despite it being a year since the end of the war, there were always stories of soldiers coming home late. She had resolved that the war couldn’t have killed Valerio. Perhaps he was lost. There were a multitude of villages between Letum and Coeurvalle. What if he was injured and sent to one of them to recuperate?

She was married yet she couldn’t erase thoughts of her first love. What would she do if Valerio ever made an appearance in her life?

All she wanted was a quiet existence where Valerio could return to her and no one would take notice.

Unfortunately, being married to the duke had put a wrench in her plans. Knowing the nobility of Castille, she was going to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future.

The only thing that pulled Leonor from her thoughts was the group stopping as they reached the plateau of the mountain they had been climbing for hours.

It was so cold on the mountain, she shivered the moment she stepped out of the wagon.

A quiet gasp escaped her when she felt something heavy on her shoulders.