Chapter 61: Tangled in Lies

It was the same story every night until they reached the outskirts of Montclair.

Duke Desmond would sleep outside of his wife’s carriage but each day they would mostly ignore one another.

Leonor talked to Gideon more than she did Desmond. He was easier to converse with because he put forth effort while the duke seemed to prefer speaking in short sentences. Even when he made announcements to the men, it was Gideon or another high-ranked soldier who spoke loudly to capture everyone’s attention.

Duke Desmond’s reputation of being aloof was true, but it was truly because his throat was irreparably damaged from breathing in such hot air as he faced a dragon. He could no longer project his voice the way he did when he was younger.

Yet, after enduring those injuries for over a year, he no longer felt the need to justify anything he did to other people. It was exhausting telling someone his life story each time he met them. Being quiet was preferred even if it made him seem unsociable.

In their journey, they made it to the outskirts of Montclair.

There was an inn in the small village, but it was more than enough for the duke and all of his men as long as the soldiers slept with more than one in a room at a time. Considering the comradery in the duke’s ranks, it was no issue.

However, it also meant that the married couple would be forced into one room yet again.

Luckily the pressure was lessened when they entered the room and found two beds waiting for them, but the lack of walls and privacy was another hurdle they would have to handle.

Desmond couldn’t busy himself with the soldiers or horses since all of it was taken care of. Leonor, on the other hand, had gotten used to keeping to herself so she didn’t feel the need to fill the space with conversation. Especially if the conversation partner was unwilling.

Leonor was sitting on her bed fussing with books she had brought with her to occupy herself. However, she found the bumping of the carriage too distracting to read most of the time.

Desmond leaned against the window frame and observed his soldiers going through the process of putting away the horses and cleaning up for the night. They were efficient without instruction. Many of them were there with him during the war, though they didn’t know that he was Valerio.

The duke had purposefully placed himself next to a window in the corner so he could observe Leonor subtly while also keeping an eye on the outside. He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable with his gaze but he wanted to be sure there were no signs of discomfort.

However, as Leonor flipped through one of her books, something fell out of the front cover and onto the floor. She scrambled to stand up, but Desmond was faster.

Putting forth the effort to be a gentleman, the duke moved quickly to pick up the item for her. When it was in his grasp, he couldn’t help his curiosity and lifted it to eye level.

His heart raced.

"A dried–"

"Lilac," Leonor snapped and stood up so she could take the fragile pressed flower from the Duke.

Her movements were quick and the expression she wore held guilt. She wouldn’t look at the duke’s face considering he had just been holding an item from years before when Valerio gave her lilacs.

"You must like them enough to preserve them," he quietly observed.

However, her guilt made it obvious to him that the lilacs meant something more than her fondness for the flower. He had a suspicion that it was the very ones he gave her when he was someone else - someone beautiful and worthy of her.

Leonor couldn’t tell him the truth.

"I brought them with me to the Magic Academy so I could have a piece of home with me wherever I went," she lied.

Considering she didn’t know where his interest in her came from, she had to imagine he wouldn’t appreciate the fact that she got the flowers from someone she loved. She was his property. He had every right to get upset.

Perhaps her father traded something for her. The duke would get mad if it weren’t a fair trade. As the count did, he would probably think she wasn’t a virgin because they always overreacted about things regarding that.

How awful was it that she was reduced to whether or not she had been touched by another man?

Desmond backed away, realizing he was getting angry at her blatant lie. He was even more angry at himself, realizing he had pushed her to lie.

Since she had been back in his life, she was much more guarded than before and harder to read. However, it seemed she still wasn’t a gifted liar.

He wanted to be angry that she was lying to him, but she was lying for someone she genuinely loved, and that someone was not him.

"I see" was all he could muster and he returned to his spot at the window.

The silence felt worse than it did before and Leonor placed the books down on a table beside her bed. She stood up and brushed off her skirts.

"Is there someplace I can take a bath?" she asked quietly. "It’s been a few days. I can’t imagine what I must look like right now."

He nodded at her.

"I will retrieve one for you," he said.

Desmond quickly made himself scarce as he went into the hallway.

Based on how quickly he walked, Leonor felt he was trying to escape. She realized it was her fault because she had overreacted to someone asking a question to genuinely get to know her. She felt bad.

The furthest thing from what she wanted was for him to believe she thought he was a monster like the others did. For a woman in her station, she should have been grateful that a powerful duke chose her to be his wife. She would be even more grateful that, in the week they had been married he had kept up with his promise of never touching her.

When it came to anything regarding Valerio, her defensiveness came out.

She realized she should apologize.

The Duke soon returned with a large basin of water being carried by four workers. More came in with buckets to fill the basin with hot water. Towels and soap were brought in for her as well as a pitcher to dump over her head.

When the workers were gone and the noise ceased, the duke and duchess were left staring at the water and then at one another.

"I’ll give you privacy," he said and started to turn.

To his surprise, she shook her head.

She wanted to apologize to him and get rid of the guilt eating away at her.

"The image you’re trying to uphold will be shattered," she uttered. "You should stay in here. Just sit behind the divider."

There was a foldable partition along one side of the wall made of slightly sheer paper decorated with painted flowers. She was grateful for it, knowing she would have to get dressed behind it later.

To her surprise, the Duke was obedient.

He nodded and pulled a chair to where he could no longer see her.

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