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, he 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 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'II 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 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.
...
The following morning, upon awakening, Olivia experienced a throbbing headache and a sense of the world spinning round her. She had no recollection of the how they had gotten home the day before.
Leonard was fast asleep beside her, bearing multiple bite marks on his neck and shoulder. She attempted to rise in order to clear her head, but Leonard, feeling her slip from his arms, woke up nd encircled her waist, asking.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I just wanted some water."
Getting out of bed, Leonard's upper body was uncovered, revealing bite marks on his chest and arms Olivia had noticed earlier. She also spotted scratch marks on her husband's body, causing a suffocating sadness to weight heavily on her chest.
Her husband was undeniably handsome, and the thought of another woman leaving marks on him, coupled with his indifference towards concealing them, made Olivia want to weep, but she managed to hold back her tears and said nothing.
Leonard handed her a glass of water. She drank it, it placing it on the nightstand, and Leonard inquired.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine, just a bit of headache. I can't remember how we got back home. The last thing I remember is eating and drinking, and after that, it's all a blur."
"You got drunk, and brought you home."
"I'm sorry; I had never drunk before, and I didn't expect to become intoxicated after just a few drinks."
"Don't ever drink again in public."
Olivia lowered her head and responded.
"Yes, I won't do it again."
"I hope so. Would you like me to call a maid, or prefer to sleep a bit more?"
"My head is really throbbing; I'd rather sleep some more."
Leonard climbed back into bed with Olivia, wrapping his arms around her waist. She blushed at the duke's gesture, and the thought that he might have embraced another woman as he did her brought sadness once more.
She eventually fell asleep and didn't wake up until noon, with the sun at its peak. Opening her eyes, she searched for the duke but he was not in the room. She rang the bell on the nightstand, and Rita and Mari quickly came in to assist her with everything she needed.
They prepared a bath for her and lay out a pair of trousers and a tunic. Once ready, she had breakfast in her room and, still with a headache, relined on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon. As the sun began to set, Olivia took a short stroll in the garden and encountered the duke; he was practicing with his sword. On seeing him, she immediately hid behind some bushes, not wanting to confront him at that moment.
From her hiding spot, she overhead another man conversing with the duke and saying."
"Everyone at the ball was quite surprised to see you leave early with the little duchess in your arms, but now seeing you, I understand why."
"I don't know what you're referring to."
"I'm referring to the bite marks sticking out from your shirt collar. The little duchess appears so pure and innocent; I never imagined she's wide wild."
"Last night, she was drunk, started biting and scratching until she fell asleep. Normally, she'd never do anything like that."
Learning that she had inflicted the bites and scratches on her husband, Olivia felt an immense sense of relief knowing that he hadn't cheated on her. Then, fear crept in as she worried he might still be angry at her, even though he had shown nothing but kindness and affection that morning.
Deciding to head back before being discovered, she slipped into her room and lay on the sofa until Mari called to inform her that dinner was ready and the duke was waiting in the dining room.
As she went to meet Leonard, she stumbled on the stairs, tumbling to the floor. Fortunately, she was uninjured and quickly stood up, hoping no one had seen. Entering the dining room, she met the duke and another man who she guessed was the man from the garden conversation.
Olivia felt nervous upon seeing him, hoping her misfortune wouldn't cause further embarrassment. As she approached, she paid attention to her steps, curtsied slightly, and said.
"Good evening, apologize for my delay."
Leonard's friend rose from his seat, approached her, kissed her hand, and remarked.
"Do not fret about it, my lady. Waiting for a beauty such as yourself is a privilege."
Seeing Olivia's cheeks flush from his friend's words, Leonard, who was slightly irked by the young and extremely handsome man's presence, stood up, wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, and introduced.
"I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine; this is Duke Alexis Perrat."
"It's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is all mine, Duchess."
Olivia had heard of the Duke of Perrat, a notorious womanizer, younger than Leonard by a few years, with red hair as striking as an apple an a smattering of freckles on his face. This man reminded her of a girl Leonard had spoken with the ball, causing her some unease, and she wondered if they were related.
"I hope you're feeling much better today, my lady. I didn't have the chance to introduce myself properly yesterday since you left quite promptly."
Leonard drew Olivia closer to him and reassured his friend.
"She's perfectly fine; no need for concern."
As they sat down to dinner, servants filled the table with delicious dishes. Throughout the meal, the Duke of Perrat ceaselessly shared stories of his travels, fascinating Olivia, who was had never journeyed herself. Leonard grew annoyed as Olivia focused intently on Alexie's tales.