My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 84: Reminders at Every Turn

Chapter 84: Reminders at Every Turn

Desmond couldn’t change who he was at his core.

The dream he always held of opening an orphanage entirely funded by his wealth was something he always desired to do. Even if it was similar to what Valerio told Leonor all those years ago, he was unwilling to bend.

He felt he could help a lot of children displaced by the war. He wanted them to have comfort and education. If they so choose, they could pay back his generosity by joining the soldiers of Montclair in case the duchy ever needed protection from the monsters north of the mountains in Letum.

However, Desmond wasn’t expecting Leonor to find an orphan while wandering into the township. Although he realized he should have been prepared for anything. Leonor was smart and, if people found out she was the duchess, visiting orphanages would be a strategic choice. It would help her achieve a charitable appearance to the common people.

As nervous as he was to see her go somewhere so closely linked to Valerio, Desmond couldn’t help being proud.

Unfortunately, it also meant he couldn’t follow her around any longer. Instead, he went near the carriage that dropped the trio off. The orphanage was safe considering the headmaster, Armand, was someone who served alongside Valerio in the northern war. He was a man missing a hand. Luckily it was his nondominant hand so he could still teach the children swordsmanship.

While they were on the front lines together, Valerio taught him the Eirenguardian way of wielding a sword. He hoped Leonor’s lack of knowledge in sword fighting would help her not notice the similarities.

He settled in an alleyway, sitting heavily on a crate with a sigh. All he could do was wait.

Meanwhile, the maid and Gideon followed Leonor to where the group of orphans went towards a hill on the southern end of Piedmont.

Sure enough, a building newer than many in the area stood in all its glory. It was three stories high and made of sturdy wood. It was well-kept and bustling with life from the moment Leonor walked through the door.

The teenager, William led Leonor down a long hallway until they went to what seemed to be a study at the far end. However, the door was shut.

William knocked a few times.

"Armand, sir!" William called. "We have a guest!"

Leonor watched the teen grow visibly frustrated at the lack of response and she cracked a smile.

"The headmaster, I assume?" she asked. "Don’t fret. I can always meet him another time. I just wanted to see the orphanage. My purpose to visit the township today was to get to know the people better. Looking around will be enough."

"If you’re sure–" William began.

The boy was cut off when someone called and rounded the corner.

A man with black hair and almost equally dark eyes rounded the corner. His left hand was missing. He had a twinkle in his eyes and an amused smile. He had an unkempt appearance, but the sword on his hip looked like it was well-kept and made of expensive metal.

"Someone said you were callin’ for me, boy?" the man asked as he strode forward and unlocked the study. "Who’s this?"

William seemed horrified at the man’s behavior, but it only amused Leonor more.

"The duchess!" William cried through clenched teeth.

Armand’s brown eyes widened and he immediately bowed in half.

"Forgive me, your grace!" he said. "I thought someone of your station would give me a warning before coming here."

"Please don’t worry," she assured him. "It wasn’t in my plans to come here this afternoon."

"That’s right," William said. "We only met by chance in the street because Jensen nearly hit her with a ball if it weren’t for her using a magic shield to defend herself."

Armand ran a hand through his unkempt hair and sighed.

"That damned–!"

Leonor quickly shook her hands.

"Please!" she cried. "It wasn’t on purpose."

Even if he certainly did throw the ball on purpose, she didn’t want him to get into trouble. She wasn’t there to cause any more problems and would let it slide as long as he decided to be more careful around her in the future.

"I simply wanted to look around," she said. "Then I will be on my way. You two are the only ones who know I’m the duchess here. I intend to keep it that way."

Armand seemed confused at a woman of her status wanting to keep a low profile. His understanding as a commoner was limited, but he had never expected a duchess wearing average clothing and not expecting an extravagant greeting to appear before him.

While he knew that Duke Desmond was cut out of different cloth than most other nobles, he didn’t know how the duke found a duchess so much like himself.

"If you want to look around, I suppose I ought to accompany you if you can excuse my humble appearance," he said. "I was practicing in the yard with some kids. Trying to clean up their sword skills has proven harder than fighting in the war."

Leonor didn’t often hear people talk about the war in such a lighthearted manner. Her sapphire eyes snapped up to the taller man and she was met with a grin. He seemed to cope with his thoughts about war with humor. She couldn’t judge him for something like that.

The man brought her through the main areas of the orphanage and she was pleasantly surprised by the facilities. Every child was dressed in well-fitting clothing. None of them seemed particularly skinny and there wasn’t a speck of dirt in the place.

There were even a few maids wandering the area and cleaning up a few messes here and there.

"This place is wonderfully kept," Leonor observed quietly as they moved towards double doors that led to a practice yard for the children.

It was large enough for the children to play so she wasn’t entirely sure why the younger ones felt the need to go to the streets to play with a ball.

However, she soon found out the true reason as she stepped foot on the brick pathway and Armand went towards a group of older teenagers with wooden practice swords in front of them.

"These are our oldest orphans," Armand explained. "I was chosen to guide these kids because one of the sergeants in charge of training foot soldiers taught me all he knew about sword instruction before he went missing after the dragon attacked our encampment. Wherever Valerio went, I hope he’s finally enjoying himself."

Armand’s smile seemed to become sad and a focused expression appeared on his face as his eyebrows lowered.

Before she could even hear the rest of his sentence, hearing the name "Valerio" caused Leonor to stumble backward. She would have fallen completely if it weren’t for Armand catching her just in time.

Valerio, Valerio.

Just when she thought she was settling into her life, there were always reminders of him at every turn. She knew it wasn’t fair to the man she married who had been nothing but fair to her.

She wanted to cling to Armand and learn more but she was terrified of how she would respond. Considering that only hearing his name was enough to make her feel dizzy, she decided it was best to leave for the day.