Episode 12

When the duke entered Olivia's room, he found her asleep in the armchair; he lifted her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed, and upon noticing Olivia was awake, he said to her.

"You shouldn't fall asleep just anywhere, or you might catch a cold."

Olivia blushed with embarrassment and replied.

"I was reading and without realizing it, I fell asleep."

"Try not to let it happen again."

"Yes."

The duke was slightly inebriated because the prince had pressured him into drinking, and not in full control of his faculties, he rested his head on Olivia's shoulder and told her.

"You smell really good."

Olivia, feeling the duke so close, sensed her heart racing like a runaway horse and wished that the duke would distance himself a bit, but instead, he caressed Olivia's hair and brought his lips to her neck, leaving a soft kiss and a mark on her white skin. He momentarily lifted his head to look at Olivia's face, which was red to the ears because of what the duke had done.

The duke was accustomed to women who threw themselves at him, but Olivia's reaction seemed novel to him; intending to tease her further, he moved his face closer until she could feel his breath on her lips and laid his own upon Olivia's. Closing her eyes without knowing what else to do, she remained completely still, holding her breath.

When Leonard drew back from her lips, Olivia was panting; he allowed her to breathe and then captured her lips again with an even deeper kiss, causing Olivia to clutch at his shirt. He kissed her repeatedly until Olivia could take no more and began to pat his arm, signaling him to let her go. Upon noticing how she was resisting, he asked her.

"Do you hate it when I do this?"

Olivia, catching her breath shyly, answered.

"It's not that I mind, but it's just that I can't breathe."

Hearing this, the duke laughed at what she was saying, apparently she did not know how to kiss, and when he seized her lips, she held her breath, which made Leonard want to continue kissing her and to teach her the correct way to do it.

"That's because you're doing it wrong; you don't have to hold your breath while I kiss you."

After telling her this, he kissed her again, this time ensuring Olivia was breathing as he did so. Seeing that she was getting it right, his kisses were sweet and gentle, as he did not want to pressure her.

Olivia began to follow the rhythm of his lips, enjoying the warmth of the kisses the duke was giving her. She had never imagined she would be in such a situation with him since the duke had made it clear that he had no interest in her.

Olivia didn't understand why he had changed his mind, but she didn’t mind Leonard’s kisses; on the contrary, she enjoyed them. Olivia knew that this was normal between a married couple, so she offered no resistance and let herself be carried away by the duke.

He began to remove his shirt, exposing his magnificent bare torso, and Olivia, so nervous that she forgot how to breathe again, withdrew sharply, taking in a gulp of air.

The duke stroked her hair with a sweet touch that calmed her frantic heart.

He gently pressed his lips to hers, slowly continuing to cover her mouth with his kisses, gentle and soft as a feather's touch. Olivia's heart fluttered like a bird within her chest attempting to escape.

The duke pulled away from her lips and gazed into her beautiful green eyes, which shone like emeralds; he marveled at the beauty of her gaze for a moment, at the gentle curves of her still youthful face.

His intense gaze made Olivia feel even more embarrassed, and she desperately tried to cover her face with her hands, but the timid reaction only endeared her more to Leonard.

"Stop hiding. I want to continue admiring your beautiful face."

Olivia wasn't used to sweet words or compliments; she turned around and said,

"The light is too much, and I feel embarrassed when you look at me so intently."

"There's no reason to feel embarrassed. You are beautiful, more precious than any gem."

Hearing those words, Olivia thought perhaps the duke had a vision problem or maybe desire was blinding him. She knew she wasn't ugly, but couldn't consider herself a beauty, even so, he insisted on beholding her.

Lowering her hands and meeting his gaze, Olivia realized he wasn't lying; at that moment, he seemed to be looking upon a true work of art. For the first time in her life, she felt beautiful.

She had never properly observed him because her shyness and fear had prevented it, but now she did; the duke, a handsome man, a true work of art that God had taken great care to create.

Olivia didn't feel ready to consummate their marriage; doubts and fear overtook her mind.

"My lord, I am not ready, I..."

Leonard began kissing her face; his kisses were warm and gentle, continuing to caress her hair and planting soft kisses, banishing the fear and negative thoughts from her mind.

When she stopped trembling, she softly said,

"Call me by my name, not my lord. You are my wife, not my servant, my partner, my equal. Do you not know what I am called?"

Hearing that he accepted her as his wife, Olivia's heart leapt with joy, and she said nothing.

Leonard playfully nipped at the tip of her nose, causing Olivia to startle.

The duke brought his lips close to hers, giving them a small kiss.

"If you don’t call me by my name, I will have to punish you until you do."

When Leonard received no response, he tried to tickle her, but failed to make her smile. Olivia's eyes widened; she had heard he was a cruel and bloodthirsty man, not expecting someone so lively and jovial.

As she watched him, she wondered whether all the gossip and talk she had heard about the duke were true or mere lies.

The tension had vanished, not because of his attempts at humor, but because of the sweetness and tenderness with which he treated her.

When Lenardo saw Olivia no longer showed fear and trembled like a fawn, he continued to cover her body with kisses, and when she timidly hid from his gentle touch, he whispered sweetly to her ear.

"My wife, don't hide behind your hands and the sheets. Let me see your figure, let me hear your voice; it's so sweet, your voice, and so beautiful your figure. Let me appreciate them as they deserve, let me delight in you."

Olivia felt intoxicated; the duke's words were like good wine, at least that's what she had heard from her governess—that good wine intoxicated not just the body but the soul, and at that moment she felt that way.

Despite her embarrassment, she no longer hid and allowed him to see her figure, her fevered face, the blush spreading from her face to her neck and shoulders.

Up until this moment, she had seemed simple to her husband, but now, in this moment of intimacy, alone in the bedroom, with her beauty unveiled without any clothes to cover her, he cast aside all such thoughts. She was a young beauty igniting a fire within him, fanning the flames of his passion.

His hands traveled over her defined curves like distant mountains, touching uncharted territories. He would be the first to possess her, the first to savor her love, filling him with satisfaction and pride.

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