Chapter 190: Another Path Ahead

Leonor wondered if all visits resulted in feeling like there wasn’t enough time. People she had only just met and started feeling like she was close to had to be left behind as they pushed forward with their schedule.

Even though there was always the promise of returning in the future, it still didn’t feel like enough. Once a year to make lasting connections felt unbelievable. Yet there Leonor was, moving forward without being able to look back.

The evening after telling Gerard that he would be the baron of Montville, the environment was electrifying as people easily conversed. The alcohol ran dry, and much food was eaten.

Leonor was in disbelief that the time could end so abruptly until she was being helped into the carriage and the beautiful mountain township was a mere memory, slowly getting smaller as they went on.

Leaving Montville, Desmond decided to ride by himself so that he would be able to scout with the men. The monsters from before unsettled him. He felt there was too much of a close call upon arrival and it was best to ensure Leonor was safe.

Luckily, They were headed southeast. The pass was finally going lower as they climbed towards Oues, the central and most western township in all of Montclair. There they had beautiful vineyards and provided much of the white wine in all of Castille.

During the journey forward, the mountains seemed to soften and turn into hills as they got lower. Even though they wouldn’t arrive immediately, it already felt warmer and more enjoyable to be out of the mountains for a short time.

Eventually, Desmond did go back into the carriage with his wife who sat there with rushing thoughts. Before he sat down, he kissed her forehead, catching her by surprise.

The thoughts of leaving Montville behind too quickly became the forefront of her brain. She wanted to know Desmond’s secrets of being seemingly closed off yet so very much personable with the people who served his duchy.

It could very well be due to his voice and not wanting to speak up in person, but she was piecing together that he must be a wordsmith of sorts. At least he was eloquent enough to maintain friendships.

Leonor felt embarrassed, but her curiosity was eating at her.

Desmond had been quiet as always and she wanted to pick his brain regarding the place they had just left.

"A year goes between each visit between the two of you, but it seems as if you’re so close," she observed, not a hint of judgment and only curiosity.

"It would be wrong of me to have resources at the tips of my fingers and not take advantage of them," Desmond responded thoughtfully. "If you want to meet someone and remain close even with distance, the best thing to do is to write to them when you can. We’re all busy with our own tribulations, but people inherently like to be acknowledged."

Leonor found his sudden willingness to speak up so endearing.

As the lands passed them and they began their descent downward to a slightly lower elevation, Leonor became thoughtful as her eyes wandered and darted with each new thing out the window.

"And what about you?" Leonor finally asked. "Do you inherently like being acknowledged?"

She was teasing him, and he responded with a small smile at first. His words always seemed to come back to bite him, even if she was speaking out of curiosity.

"It depends on the person acknowledging me," he responded. "Don’t you?"

Leonor genuinely thought about it for a moment. Did she like being acknowledged? Being the daughter of a count who hid her away because of the things he was doing to her, she had a secretive and mistrustful nature.

"I do want my efforts to be acknowledged," she admitted. "But I’m not sure I appreciate it all that much when someone is too inquisitive in return. Then acknowledgment feels more like a prison as you try to craft your image."

Desmond allowed her words to sink in.

"I was inquisitive from the get-go," he reminded her. "Were you alarmed by that?"

"Don’t you remember how nervous I was?" Leonor asked. "Each time I would lie to you, I would be figured out quickly. I wanted to be so impressive but I was in a neverending cycle of my father reminding me I was anything but that."

The conversation ignited something unexpected but she knew that she could trust Desmond with her heart. What became a simple and teasing question carried their trip forward until they would take a break that day.

"I wanted to make you feel like the most impressive person alive," Desmond admitted. "I just didn’t know how to go about doing that."

Words like that made Leonor have to stand up and get closer to her caring husband.

Every time they rode in the carriage together, they ended up on the same side, hoping that the weight distribution wasn’t burdensome for the horses that carried them forward.

When Leonor was finally settled in next to her husband, she simply admired him for a few moments. He was as impressive as the day he met her.

"You created a monster in me to show me that sort of love and disappear shortly after," she admitted. "I think I was arrogant at times when I first made it to the Academy because a certain someone had uplifted me to such a degree."

Demond’s smile remained on his face. He brought his hand against Leonor’s back since she was close to him. She had a way of making him feel warm from the inside out.

"Can you imagine?" Desmond asked. "When I became duke, they had a whole list of women who might be suitable for me before I remembered who I was. They wanted to subject me to court life and make me find a quiet and mouldable noblewoman. It’s why you’re the correct fit for someone like me." He kissed her cheek and then her shoulder as he leaned towards her. "The woman you have become is so lovable. We never would have made it this far if it weren’t for you speaking up first."

His voice was quiet, just loud enough to speak over the sound of the horse hooves against the ground and the constant noise of the wagon as it went over a dirt pathway while they went forward on their adventure.

The feelings inside of the carriage were as warm as the light being cast through the windows as they broke through treeline and stuck a straightaway of grass for a while. The golden hues of the setting sun filtered through the window, casting a soft, amber light over their faces.

The duchess’s eyes lit up with surprise and pleasure at the unexpected compliment. She leaned slightly forward, her hands resting on her lap.

"Is that so?" Leonor asked. "I had no idea my outspoken nature was something you found appealing. I always thought it might be a source of trouble rather than admiration. Each time I returned to my father’s after spending a lot of time at school, he despised how I spoke and how many of my proper traits had been chased away to learn magic."

Desmond’s smile became sad. Her father was such a stifling presence in her life. If he hadn’t intervened when he did, he imagined that the confidence Leonor had created would somehow be beaten back down and caged just as the count wanted. It was a horrible realization.

He held her a bit tighter.

"You were meant to be exactly as you are now," he said quietly. "The only woman who can catch me off guard without having to speak."

"Don’t worry, though," Leonor reminded him softly. "You are still the only person who can unnerve me so effortlessly. The confidence is chased away so easily making me wonder if it’s authentic in the first place."

Leonor grinned in embarrassment, but she still brought his hand to her lips. The way he held her made her nervous. Since her mind was out of control, she was always on the verge of being bold in other ways. To steal a true kiss would be inappropriate knowing there were so many men on either side of the carriage who could look inside at any time.

As the carriage continued its journey through the picturesque autumn landscape, the duke and duchess settled into a comfortable silence, their hands still clasped together. The beautiful warm color palette that the straightaway they ended up on looked like continued to mirror the warmth and contentment they shared.

The Duchess looked out the window, her gaze softening as she took in the beauty of the season. "It’s moments like these that make me appreciate how far we’ve come. I never imagined such a comfortable relationship with you.

The Duke squeezed her hand gently. "I couldn’t have imagined it either. You were so terrified of me from the start," he recalled. "I wouldn’t trade a single moment of this closeness for anything."

The sweet conversation carried them for a while longer. Even though the stones from that morning underneath the seat had grown cold, being next to Desmond was enough to keep her content.

Their trip towards Oues felt tranquil. Leonor fell asleep against Desmond’s shoulder as usual and all he could do was smile. They were working towards a life he had always wanted.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read