Leonard felt very guilty for not believing Olivia. He thought she was just lying, but now that she lay motionless in his arms, he felt terribly bad.
He went to the bathroom, cleaned her body with a damp towel, put a nightgown on her, covered her in bed, and then went to find the butler to fetch a doctor since Olivia had fainted.
Upon hearing this, his mother left Vanessa alone and went to Leonard's room to see how Olivia was doing. She was still lying in bed without waking up, and when Leonard returned waking side, his mother asked him.
"What the hell have you done to her?"
"I haven't done anything to her."
Leonard couldn't tell his mother that they had made passionate love and that maybe that's why she had fainted.
His, mother sighed and said, "I told you not to do anything more than kisses. Maybe Olivia is pregnant, and sleeping with you doesn't do her any good."
"Wait, what did you say?"
"She has been eating a lot and seems to be eating for two, so I thought maybe she's pregnant. I had called the family doctor, but he's out of the city and won't come until tomorrow. Maybe I should have called another doctor to come."
"Are you sure she's pregnant?"
"Not entirely. Until we are sure, don't touch her again."
Leonard caressed his wife's sleeping face and felt very happy at the thought of becoming a father.
The doctor arrived a while later after being called. He examined Olivia and confirmed his mother's suspicions that she was pregnant.
He told Leonard that she was okay, just needed rest, and advised them not to engage in physical exertion for a while, as the baby was still small and at risk of being lost. After that, the doctor left them alone.
Leonard's mother rushed to see her husband to tell him they were going to be grandparents. Vanessa, who was still around, became furious upon hearing that Leonard was going to be a father. She deeply hated Olivia and went home furious, cursing Olivia for being pregnant.
When Sarine entered her husband's be grandparents, he was very happy. He had always though that with his son's temper, he might never be able to see his grandchildren. He was so happy that a small tear escaped from his eyes and rolled down his cheek.
Leonard still couldn't believe he was going to be a father. Having children was something he had never dreamed of. He didn't really like children that much, but upon learning they were going to be parents, he felt so happy that his happiness was oozing out of him.
When Olivia woke up, Leonard was sitting by her side, holding her hand and with a great expression of happiness. Upon seeing him, she caressed his face asked him.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm admiring the two most important people in my life."
Olivia looked around the room and saw no one else, so she said, "Are you drunk and seeing double?"
"Of course not, I'm perfectly fine."
"Are you sure? You seem strange to me."
"I'm fine. The doctor had come to see you since you fainted."
"And what did he say?"
Leonard kissed Olivia on the cheek and said, "He said you're pregnant."
"WHAT?!"
"We're going to be parents. Isn't this news making you happy?"
"Wait, how can I be pregnant? I drank tonics to avoid pregnancy."
"You drank them after we went to the city."
Olivia tried to remember and said, "That day, you and didn't do anything."
"That day, we made love repeatedly but the next morning, you didn't remember anything."
"Oh... And here I though my back and legs hurt from dancing so wildly."
Olivia turned to face Leonard and asked, "Are you happy with the news?"
"Of course I am," he kissed her and said, "I couldn't believe it when the doctor told me. The fact that you're carrying my child makes me very happy."
Olivia felt overjoyed knowing that her child would be loved and anticipated by his father. Leonard stayed with Olivia for a while, showering her with affection. Then he remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since morning and asked her, "Would you like something to eat?"
"Hm... yes, I'm hungry," she replied.
Leonard got up and went to the kitchen to tell the cook to prepare something delicious and nutritious for his pregnant wife.
The servants, seeing Leonard in the kitchen, couldn't believe their eyes. The young duke had never visited the kitchen before, and they were even surprised that he knew where it was. The chef nodded and got to work, preparing a chicken stew with potatoes and carrots. He also made pudding and fruit juice for the duchess. The maids brought the food to Olivia, and when they knocked on the door, the duke opened it and took the tray from them, telling them they could leave.
Leonard fed Olivia with his own hands until she finished everything. Though she had told him she could eat on her own, he didn't listen and fed her himself.
When Olivia finished eating, she became drowsy again and fell asleep. Leonard stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and said, "I love you, my little duchess."
After finding out that Leonard's wife was pregnant, Vanessa went home, as everyone made a big fuss about it and completely ignored her.
Upon arriving home, her father summoned her to his office. When she entered, she found her father talking to a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark skin. He had a brutal scar on the right side of his face, which made him seem arrived, the man bid farewell to her father and left.
Once they were alone, she asked her father, "Who was that man?"
"Someone who will help us in the future. And tell me, how did your visit to the Forests' house go?"
"I was completely ignored. When I arrived, I tried to give the duke an embroidered handkerchief, but then the duchess and Leonard's young wife appeared. In the end, she claimed to feel unwell, and he carried her in his arms to her room. I had tea with the duchess, and a while later, Leonard caused a scene because his wife fainted. When the doctor arrived and examined her, he delivered the news that she was pregnant."
"It seems like the rumors about the young duke being deeply in love with his wife are true."
"Yes, indeed. You should have seen how everyone went crazy with the news."
"I suppose the plan for you to become the duchess of Forest won't work.
"Father, let me try a bit more."
"Don't be foolish. Leonard won't even look at you now that he knows his wife is pregnant."
"It seems like I'll have to rely on my friend's help sooner than expected. You can go now; I need to be alone to think about what I'll do."
Vanessa went to her room and pondered what she could do to make Leonard fall in love with her and leave Olivia. As she looked at herself, she wondered how someone with such a plain and dull appearance could have captivated Leonard. Her father seemed to have given up on her marrying him, thanks to the man who had visited them that day.
She didn't know what her father's plans were, but it seemed that they were not good, as that man didn't seem like a thought that if she continued going to the Forest mansion, she could make Leonard fall in love with her and leave Olivia.
Her family had been going through several problems ever since Leonard had imprisoned Vanessa's father's business partner, Baron Norris. Upon learning that he was in Montrier, her father had told Vanessa to visit the duchess, who was a distant relative.
On the first day she had gone, she thought it would be easy to make Leonard fall for her charms. That's why she had brought him an embroidered handkerchief that day. However, Leonard's wife, upon seeing them together, had pretended to be sick and clung to him to show that he belonged to her.
Vanessa looked for something to wear for the next day, to seduce Leonard. She would go to the mansion under the pretext of congratulating the duchess on her pregnancy and then take the opportunity to talk to Leonard.
...
Leonard stayed with Olivia all day and wouldn't let her get out of bed. He insisted on feeding her and kept his arms around her all the time.
Olivia enjoyed how attentive and sweet he was with her, but being in bed all day bored her. She dozed off at times, as Leonard wouldn't let her do anything else.
Olivia thanked God when Leonard's mother practically dragged him out of the room because he was suffocating her. When both women were alone, Sarine said, "He's just as overbearing as his father."
"Thank you for getting him out," Olivia replied.
"Don't worry, I understand how it feels. I always had poor health, so when I became pregnant with Leonard, his father never let me get out of bed. They're so foolish. Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to stay in bed all day."
Olivia touched her belly and said, "I still can't believe I'm pregnant."
Sarine sat on the bed, took his hand, and said, "It's a great blessing that you have a little life in your womb. I assure you than this child will be very loved by everyone."
"At first, I was afraid of getting pregnant. I thought that Leonard wouldn't like it."
"He is really happy that you're pregnant."
"It makes me happy to see that my child is loved by his father."
"I'm glad that the brute of a son I have married someone as good as you."
Sarine placed a hand on his cheek and said, "I had started to think that maybe he didn't like women since he's over thirty and hadn't gotten married."
Olivia thought that perhaps her mother didn't know that he son had a reputation as a womanizer throughout the kingdom and that the only reason he hadn't gotten married before was because he found it annoying.
Olivia, upon remembering that, wondered what Leonard thought of her now that they were married. Normally, she used to cause a lot of trouble, so maybe he thought she was annoying.
She started feeling uneasy about that and told herself that she would ask Leonard what he thought of their marriage when he returned.
While Olivia was eating the sweets that Sarine had brought her, one of the maids entered and told them that Vanessa had arrived and requested to see Olivia.
Olivia looked at her mother-in-law and said, "What does she want with me?"