Episode 18

As they danced, Olivia accidentally stepped on him countless times, yet Leonard didn’t seem to mind. There was a moment where she almost toppled to the floor, but with Leonard firmly holding her waist, she remained upright.

After the dance ended, Olivia felt incredibly fatigued and ravenous. She made her way to the food area and fortunately for her, no one was paying much attention to it; she grabbed a plate and loaded it with food. Leonard had stayed behind, conversing with the crown prince and a striking redhead with a lovely figure, who appeared doll-like to Olivia. Seeing Leonard talking with her made Olivia feel slightly uneasy, yet he kept his eyes on Olivia as she devoured a plate stacked with snacks and cakes.

While Olivia ate, a server offered her a glass of wine. Choking slightly on her food, she took it and downed it in one gulp. The wine was sweet with a fruity fragrance, and Olivia liked it so much that she indulged in several glasses. When reaching for her fifth glass, Leonard approached and commented:

"You might want to reconsider having any more to drink."

Olivia ignored him, and reached for another glass, but he snatched it from her hand. Clinging to Leonard's arm, she protested:

"I want to keep drinking—give me back my cup."

With flushed cheeks, Olivia behaved childishly, seemingly tipsy on her first encounter with alcohol.

Insistent on having more wine, she tried to wrestle the glass from Leonard's grip. He drank it instead and placed it back on the table. In response, Olivia rose on her tiptoes, latching onto his jacket collar, drawing him in, and planted a kiss on him.

The kiss took Leonard by surprise given Olivia's boldness, though he returned the affection. Their tongues intertwined, and when they parted, Olivia, heavily breathing, leaned against his chest, her large, beautiful green eyes looking up at him as she uttered:

"I want more..."

Leonard, not wanting any man to see his wife's pleading face in that state, wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from view. Despite her struggle to break free, his hold remained firm. He called to a servant nearby:

"Prepare my carriage immediately."

"Yes, sir, right away," the servant obliged.

Leonard carried Olivia, who initially startled, then rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. The ducal pair exiting caught the attention of the entire room.

Exiting the hall, the prince followed, curious about the little duchess's condition, but Leonard, fast on his feet, got into his carriage and departed without uttering a word.

Throughout the night, nobles buzzed about the ducal couple's abrupt departure, presuming the duchess's health issues were to blame.

Only the crown prince knew of Leonard's wife's absence of health concerns, which piqued his curiosity about their sudden leave.

During the journey back, Olivia remained asleep. Upon arrival, Alfred, seeing the duke return prematurely with the duchess in arms, hurried to address him:

"My lord, shall I summon the doctor?"

"No need, Alfred, she's merely intoxicated, not ill. You can retire for the night."

"My lord, are you sure about not calling the doctor?"

"It's unnecessary. I will take care of her."

"If that's your wish, my lord. I shall take my leave."

Leonard brought Olivia to their room and laid her on the bed. As soon as he turned, she awoke, jumped onto his back, startling him, and pleaded:

"Don't leave me alone."

"I won't—now get down."

"I don't want to, you’ll leave if I do."

"I've told you, I won't."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Relieved, Olivia descended from his back and sat on the bed:

"Sit here with me."

Sighing, Leonard obliged. As soon as he sat, she nestled onto his lap and began undoing his coat buttons, vexed by her inability to remove them, she said tearfully:

"I can't get it off..."

Resolved never to let Olivia drink again, Leonard removed his coat to calm her tears. Once off, she began unbuttoning his shirt and caressing his chest. She took a playful bite on his shoulder, looked at the mark left, and declared:

"Now, everyone will know you're mine."

Amazed at how alcohol could change a person's demeanor, Leonard watched as the normally shy and gentle Olivia transformed completely in her inebriated state. She wrapped her arms around his neck:

"Kiss me."

Leonard didn’t want to take advantage of her inebriation but found it difficult to resist her advances. He planted a kiss on her forehead and suggested:

"We should wait until tomorrow."

"No! I want it now, kiss me!"

Leonard yielded to her request and kissed her passionately, leaving her breathless. Struggling for air, an upset Olivia bit down on Leonard’s lips until they bled, and pummeled his chest while sobbing:

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you? You must have found someone prettier at the ball, and now you want to get rid of me."

"Ah!"

Leonard was bewildered, unable to fathom how she concluded he wanted to harm her.

"Olivia, calm down. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You were smothering me, trying to choke me."

"What?"

It seemed Olivia had been holding her breath each time Leonard kissed her, leading her to believe his intentions were malevolent. Not sure how to console her, Leonard endured her cries, kicks, and bites until she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep.

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