Leonard cradled Olivia's chin between his hands and gently pressed his warm lips to hers, bestowing a tender and sweet kiss. Olivia felt so at ease that she reciprocated the gesture, and the intensity of their entwined lips gradually escalated.
Their tongues met and dueled, Olivia experiencing an all-consuming warmth throughout her body. As they momentarily parted to catch a breath, Olivia's gaze fell upon Mari, who shielded her eyes with her hands to avoid witnessing their embrace.
Completely forgetting Mari's presence, Olivia, as the duke leaned in for another kiss, deftly turned her head, rose abruptly, and said, "Thank you for letting me keep it."
Never before had a woman rebuffed Leonard, yet Olivia seemed perpetually evasive, which only fueled his desire for her. With work awaiting him, Leonard stood from his seat, approached Olivia, kissed her forehead, and said, "I'll see you later, I have much to get back."
Olivia watched her husband's retreating back until out of sight, then resettled on the bench, stroking the puppy's ears, musing, "What name might suit you now?"
The puppy was as white as snow, its fur as soft as cotton, yet also a wolf-deserving of a name befitting its splendor. Olivia remained deep in thought, unable to decide upon a name that felt just right.
While Olivia was in the garden, a royal palace servant arrived with an invitation for her. Alfred received it and immediately went to inform the duke, unsure of the propriety of directly presenting it to duchess.
Leonard had just returned to his study when Alfred burst in, visibly flustered and announced, "My lord, a palace servant has brought an invitation for the duchess."
The crown prince's wife had mentioned to Olivia about sending an invitation to an upcoming tea party, yet Leonard hadn't anticipated it so soon. He was uncertain if Olivia was ready to attend such an event-exclusive to woman, it meant she would be on her own.
Observing Olivia from his window, tenderly caressing the puppy in her lap, Leonard pondered that perhaps it was time for to step out from the mansion and mingle with other nobility. Thus, he instructed Alfred, "Take the invitation to Olivia, and let her decide whether to attend or not."
"As you wish, my lord," Alfred acquiesced, withdrew, and made his way to the garden. As he approached, the little furball growled but settled back down after Olivia's reassuring strokes. "What is it, Alfred? Do you need something?" she inquired.
Seizing the calm moment, Alfred handed Olivia the invitation and stepped back, informing her, "My lady, an invitation from the palace has arrived for you."
Olivia examined the ornate red envelope, sealed with gold, and unfurled it-her invitation to a tea party hosted by the crown prince's wife in the coming days. Favorably impressed by the princess, Olivia found the idea appealing and told Alfred, "Please confirm my attendance."
"Immediately, my lady." Alfred said, departing to dispatch a confirmation. After much deliberation over a suitable name for her puppy and coming up short, Olivia relented and returned inside the mansion. She instructed the maids to assist her in finding a dress for the upcoming tea party.
The news sent the maids into a flurry, rummaging through wardrobes, though most gowns were outdated or too simplistic. Ultimately, Olivia summoned Madame Margaret to deliver a selection of few dresses.
...
When dinner time arrived, it was a pleasant evening, so Olivia asked Alfred to prepare the terrace for dining there with Leonard and enjoy the nighttime views.
When Leonard finally emerged from his office, he felt extremely tired and all he wanted was to lie down and rest, since the next day he had to wake up very early to meet with his men at the headquarters to train with them, as he had lately been so busy with overdue paperwork that he had not been able to train with them.
Leonard was heading to the dining room for dinner when Alfred intercepted him and said, "My lord tonight's dinner will be served on the terrace at the duchess's request, she is waiting for you there."
Leonard felt tired and was not in the mood to dine on the terrace, but he also didn't want to leave Olivia to dine alone, especially since she rarely did such things, so he decided to please her and dine with her on the terrace.
When Leonard arrived at the terrace, a gentle and cool breeze tousled his hair, which turned out to be quite refreshing. The servant had decorated the table with candles and flowers, Olivia was standing, leaning on the railing, watching the garden bathed by the moonlight. Leonard approached her and encircled her waist with his arms. Olivia turned her head and seeing him, said.
"Don't you think it's a wonderful night? I thought maybe you'd like to dine while we watch the moon."
"Yes, you're right, I love it."
Olivia was very was happy to hear that Leonard also liked her idea, she leaned back against his chest and said.
"I'm glad you liked it."
The servants were inside waiting for the ducal couple to sit down so they could serve dinner; they had become accustomed to the couple's displays of affection, so when they saw them embracing or kissing, they simply looked away or left without causing any interruption.
Olivia turned around and faced the duke, and to be able to look at his face, she had to tilt her head back as she was very tall and said "Today I received an invitation to a tea party at the Palace."
"i know, are you planning to attend?"
"Yes, I've already sent a confirmation, is it okay with you if I go?"
"You can do as you wish."
"Thank you, we better start eating before the food gets cold."
Olivia slipped out of Leonard's arms and took her place at the table, he followed her and sat beside her, and the servants immediately entered with exquisite dishes and then retired. After they finished dinner, Leonard said.
"Would you like to take a walk in the garden?"
"I would love to take a walk in the garden?"
"I would love to, but you must be tired, you've been working in your office all day, so we better go to rest."
"All right, I'll make it up to you another day."
Leonard had suggested the walk because Olivia seemed delighted with the evening, as the moon looked really beautiful that day, but actually, he was very relieved that she had declined his invitation as he was very tired.
When they arrived at Olivia's room, the maids, seeing the duke, hurried to find a nightgown for the duchess, helped her dress, and quickly left. When the two were alone, Leonard took off his clothes and got into bed. Olivia was still standing by the bathroom door, and seeing that she was not moving, he said.
"Do you plan to spend the whole night there?"
"Of course not, I just thought that tonight you would stay in your room."
"You are my wife, does it seem wrong for me to stay here with you?"
"Of course not."
Olivia hurried into bed, Leonard closed in on her, encircled her with his arms, and said.
"Good night."
Olivia nestled against his chest and timidly returned the embrace, whispering, "Good night, Leonard."
Both fell asleep that night listening to the other's breathing. The next day, Leonard woke up very early tp go to the headquarters. Olivia was deeply asleep, her legs over his and her nightgown disheveled, even her undergarments were exposed. Her hair was unkempt, and drool dripped from her chin.
Leonard couldn't believe he found her awkward way to sleeping charming to some extent, and wondered if it was just her or if all woman slept like this, as although he'd had many lovers, he never stayed the night with any of them.
Olivia had been the first woman he had slept with and also the only who had seen him sleep. Leonard adjusted Olivia's position on the bed, covered her with the sheet, and kissed her forehead.
Then he got up, changed, and headed to the stables, where a servant had already saddled his horse. He mounted it and rode to the headquarters. Upon arrival, he went to the training field where Darius and the other soldiers were waiting. Leonard spent some time observing his soldiers' skills, then sparred with those he considered really good.
After training all morning, he went to his office and took a shower in the adjoining room, changed his sweaty clothes for clean ones, and caught up with the paperwork that had piled up.
Darius had taken care of a large part of the documents, but there were others that needed to be checked by him. That day, he sent a messenger to his mansion to inform them that he would stay and sleep at the headquarters because he had a lot of work pending.