Episode 16

The next morning, Olivia woke up in Leonard's arms. Her legs were entwined with his, they were both completely naked, covered only by a thin sheet. Olivia felt happy to be in that state, but also very ashamed. She didn't dare move a single finger for fear of waking him up.

As she admired her husband's handsome face, Amelia knocked on her door asking if she could come in. Out of nervousness, Olivia couldn't respond quickly, and in the end, Amelia barged into her room and saw them both in bed. Realizing the duchess wasn't alone, she quickly turned around and said,

"I'm sorry my lady, I'll come back later. If you need me, please ring the bell on the table."

Olivia felt her face burn with embarrassment. Unconsciously, she buried her face in Leonard's chest and woke him up. Pulling her even closer to him, he asked,

"What's wrong? Do you feel sick? Should I call the doctor or Amelia?"

"No need, I'm fine," Olivia replied.

Leonard caressed Olivia's back and asked again,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Olivia didn't know how to tell him that what she was feeling was embarrassment for being caught in bed by Amelia. It was more than obvious that Amelia had noticed that they had done something more than just sleep that night. Their clothes were scattered across the floor, and the bed was a mess.

While Leonard gently stroked her back, Olivia could feel something hard and warm touching her legs. He pulled her slightly away from him and kissed her. His kiss was soft and sweet, his touches made Olivia's entire body heat up, and a moan escaped from her lips. Then she remembered that Amelia was most likely still behind the door waiting for her to call her and told Leonard,

"Please, stop."

Leonard continued to caress her and looked at her with his beautiful hazel eyes,

"Don't you like it?"

Olivia covered her face with her hands and replied,

"It's not that, it's just that it's daylight."

"And so what?"

"Such things can't be done during the day."

Leonard removed her hands from her face and said,

"Who told you that?"

"My nanny, before coming here. She said such things are only done at night."

Leonard could not help but laugh out loud at what Olivia was saying, her face was beet red, and hearing him making fun of her made her angry, she puffed her cheeks like a squirrel. Every expression of Olivia was something Leonard loved; her genuine reactions to things excited him. He kissed her hand and said,

"I'm sorry, but we can do it when we want, not just at night unless you don't want to."

Olivia was a bit upset about him making fun of her and said,

"I don't want to do it during the day, it's too embarrassing."

Leonard felt somewhat disappointed by what Olivia had told him. He was burning with desire, but he didn't intend to force her. He kissed the palm of her hand and said,

"Alright, if you don't want to during the day then I'll have to wait until the night, right?"

Embarrassed, Olivia nodded affirmatively. Leonard let out a long sigh and said,

"Ah! You're really cruel. I've never been rejected before."

Olivia understood perfectly what the duke meant. Who in their right mind would reject such a man? But she was young and inexperienced, and it was very embarrassing for her to do it during the day. Therefore, she flatly refused.

Leonard kissed her forehead, got out of bed, picked up his clothes, which were scattered all over the room, and got dressed. After dressing, he sat on the bed next to her and said,

"Well, even though I want to stay in bed with you, I have work to do. If you don't want to go to the ball tonight, I won't make you. You can do whatever you like."

Leonard kissed her lips and then left. As he opened the door, he was confronted by Amelia who had been waiting for Olivia to call her. She looked at him accusingly and said,

"I hope you were more gentle with the duchess this time."

Without saying a word, Leonard left. Olivia had completely forgotten about the ball until Leonard mentioned it. Once again, she was anxious. She didn't know whether to go or stay home. But instead of agonizing over it, she rang the bell on the table and Amelia immediately entered.

Upon entering, Amelia picked up Olivia's nightgown, which was lying on the floor, and handed it to her. With her face burning, she took it, put it on. Once she was finished, Amelia asked,

"Do you think you can get up, my lady?"

"Yes, I can."

Olivia got up and sat down at the small table with two chairs that she usually used for breakfast. Amelia handed her a tonic and a few minutes later, Mari came in with her breakfast. After breakfast, Olivia took a long bath. That day, the servants massaged her shoulders, did her nails, and applied facial masks to her.

She still hadn't decided whether to go to the ball or not, but she didn't want to torment herself anymore. Luckily for her, the day had passed without any incident. Her hips hurt a bit, but she felt wonderful overall. Knowing she had the duke's support had calmed her down a lot.

As dusk fell, Amelia and the other maids did her hair and dressed her in the beautiful dress that Madam Margaret had made especially for her.

When they finished with her, Olivia looked at herself in the mirror and was amazed. She looked beautiful. Olivia started to wonder what kind of face the duke would make when he saw her. In the end, she hadn't confirmed whether she was going to the ball or not. Still, he hadn't left yet, which meant he was waiting for her.

When she walked down the stairs, Leonard was waiting for her at the entrance. He was dressed in his general's uniform, blue and black, with several gold decorations on the jacket to match his beautiful eyes. His hair was combed back, revealing his handsome face.

Olivia felt very nervous when she saw him. Her husband was one of the most handsome men in the empire but also the most fearsome. That's why no woman had dared to marry him. But she was anxious thinking that someone might snatch him away.

Noticing her presence, Leonard lifted his head and was amazed by how beautiful she looked.

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