My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 58: The Prince’s Hunting Cabin

Chapter 58: The Prince’s Hunting Cabin

Desmond was quick off of his horse after they made it to a plateau amidst the tall mountains they had been slowly trudging up for most of the day. The path was clear but it was harder to move with a carriage.

However, the carriage’s contents were important enough to go through the trouble.

Every soldier he brought along with him had something to attend to as they dismounted their horses and made themselves busy with feeding and watering the animals as well as themselves. Even the Duke stopped to take a drink out of a waterskin.

His watchful eye was on the carriage, wondering if Leonor would be comfortable with coming out while they took a break.

Considering her curious nature, he wasn’t all that shocked when she saw the door open and one of the soldiers jumped up to help the new duchess out of the carriage.

Desmond was burning with jealousy even though he knew it wasn’t right. The moment he saw Leonor shiver he was moving forward with his gloved hands on his cloak as he removed it. Without thinking of any other implications, he placed it on the lady’s shoulders.

Leonor gripped the heavy material so it wouldn’t slide off of her and cast a surprise glance towards the Duke whose green eye was observing her with interest. It made her feel nervous.

"I didn’t mean to startle you," he assured her, his gravelly voice low as he spoke to her. His tone didn’t carry further than her and she had to listen intently to catch everything he said. "You looked cold."

"I was," she responded. "Thank you."

In the meantime, a soldier appeared with two rolls as well as cured meat. Leonor was starving and took it gratefully while the Duke hesitated.

"I should have warned you that the food on the journey wouldn’t be suitable for a duchess," he realized. "Dinner will be better."

Leonor found his kindness a bit stiff even though it felt genuine. She tried to train her face to remain with a grateful smile so anyone observing wouldn’t think she was being high maintenance.

She offered an olive branch in the form of conversation.

"I’m not a fussy noblewoman," Leonor said. "You may not know anything about me, but I would like to start there."

Desmond wanted to tell her that he knew everything. He knew why she didn’t trust nobles - particularly noblemen. He knew more than she ever thought was possible.

If Leonor wasn’t mistaken, the dim sun was enough that she saw the side of his mouth upturn in a smirk. Perhaps he would find her amusing rather than a bother. The only reason he seemed to need a wife was for appearances.

"I’ll keep that in mind," he said. "If you decide to wander further, let a soldier know so you can be escorted."

"I only wanted to stand and take in the view," she admitted. "Since I’ve been given food, I think I’ll return to the carriage since the wind is a bit too strong here. Please take your cloak or I’ll feel awful that you’re cold."

Her thoughtfulness remained true even after all of those years. He wanted to hug her for remaining the same.

The duke helped her back into the carriage and took back his cloak when it was offered to him. Without the bite of the wind, the carriage was warm.

It made him dream of a life where he could have sat next to her and allowed her to sleep on his shoulder whenever the path was clear enough not to bump around. As he shut the door behind her, he hid his face entirely, not willing to face his thoughts at that moment.

There was no other choice but to continue.

For a few more hours they traveled and they made it to an area of the mountains with dense forests on either side of their path. Visibility became worse but it blocked the wind enough that Leonor could look out the window if she wanted to open it.

Before long, they found what was referred to as a hunting cabin. However, Leonor was entirely shocked to see that what was considered a hunting cabin was a large wooden structure in the forest that would undoubtedly garner unwanted attention.

As they walked to the front door, the duke leaned towards his wife.

"His Majesty’s hunting cabin," Desmond explained. "He has staff remain here during the peak hunting season for quick trips out of Coeurvalle."

He would omit the aspect of that story where when Stephano was the prince he would escape there to hunt the only food he was willing to eat. There were quite a few things Desmond learned when he lived with King Stephano for an extended period.

They were greeted by maids who kept the cabin warm. Knowing Duke Desmond before that moment, he and his new wife were treated with the utmost care.

Leonor was whisked away to a large room where she was able to get out of traveling clothes and more comfortable shoes to give her feet a break. Desmond took that moment to debrief the soldiers and ensure they had places to stay as well.

They met one another in the middle by appearing in the small dining hall at the same time.

While everything was up to standard, the hunting cabin had a rustic feeling with brass fixtures and exposed wood on every wall and ceiling. Leonor had never stayed in a place like that before. Even above the fireplaces were heads of the conquests from that very forest.

Dinner was held over candlelight and a crackling fire that the Duke purposefully sat further away from. It was mostly silent as the two ate their fill.

When they were finished eating, Leonor decided she would try to sleep so that she wouldn’t be a hindrance to the travel party in the morning. However, what she wanted to do was make sure the small flower in her locket was doing okay. It was a non-negotiable part of her routine.

Just as she finished a quiet prayer and assuring the locket was safe, she rolled to her side and closed her eyes. The bed she was given was so comfortable, it was going to be easy to fall asleep.

However, just as she thought she might be pulled into the dream world, someone opened the door to her room and she sat up with a silent gasp.

The room was dark and Desmond didn’t see her right away. He pulled off his hood and put a hand over his bandage as if he was going to remove it.

"Your grace," Leonor called to him breathlessly.

Only at that moment did she find herself dying to see what he kept hidden. Her curiosity about him had only grown since she first met him the day before.

She had an inkling that he could be someone she got along with.

The belief that he might harm her was fading into the background based on his actions that day.