Daphne followed Olivia to the table where the food was, and she was very surprised to see Olivia fill her plate as if they were going to eat for two people. Upon noticing that Daphne seemed a little astonished by the amount of food she had put on her plate, Olivia said to her.
"I've been eating more than usual lately because I'm pregnant."
"Congratulations on your pregnancy, Duchess."
"Thank you very much."
They sat down at one of the unoccupied tables, and Olivia asked her,
"Tell me, who did you come with tonight."
Daphne put a sad expression on her face and said, "I came with my aunt and uncle."
"Your parents couldn't come?"
"They passed away some time ago, and now my aunt and uncle take care of me."
When Daphne said that, Olivia thought that maybe she was going through a tough time and said, "I'm sorry for reminding you of something painful."
Daphne was very grateful for the words the Duchess gave her, as no one had cared for her since her parents died. Her uncle and aunt were very strict, and whenever they saw her crying or sad, they scolded her all the time. She missed her parents a lot, but she could never express it.
Olivia took her hand and said, "I suppose it must not be easy for you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."
"Thank you very much, Duchess. You're very kind."
"You have nothing to thank me for. I feel like I can relate to you deep down, even though my parents are alive. My mother used to spend all her time locked in her room, and my father worked all day, so I could hardly see him. Not having your parents around is very sad."
"Yes."
While they ate and talked, Daphne's uncle saw them and approached them, saying.
"Duchess, I hope my niece isn't bothering you."
Upon hearing her uncle's voice, Daphne lowered her head, and her hands trembled. Seeing Daphne so terrified, Olivia said, "Not at all, sir. It was me who asked her to keep me company since I was a little bored."
"I hope my niece behaves well with you."
"She is a very good girl, and I like her a lot."
"Well then, I'll leave you alone to continue talking."
"Thank you very much."
When Daphne's uncle left, she felt more relaxed, and her hands stopped trembling. Olivia said to her, "It seems like you're afraid of your uncle."
"It's not that, It's just that he is very strict."
"If you ever need my help, don't hesitate to come find me."
"Thank you, Duchess."
Olivia felt that Daphne was being intimidated by her uncle, but she insisted that everything was fine and that her uncle was a kind but very strict man. As she didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, she didn't continue insisting on that topic.
Olivia and Daphne talked for a while. Olivia invited her to visit her during her stay in Montrier, as she had liked Daphne very much.
Daphne promised that she would visit since Olivia mentioned that she had a puppy, and she said she would love to see it, although Olivia didn't mention that it was a wolf pup.
Leonard came to fetch Olivia after a while so that she could rest, as they had had a very hectic day, which was not good for the baby.
Olivia said goodbye to Daphne and her in-laws, as she didn't know anyone else. As they walked down the hallway, Leonard picked her up, and she resisted, saying, "Please put me down =, I can walk."
"It's been a very long day. I'll carry you until we get to the room."
In the end, Olivia had to give in since he didn't plan on giving up. She rested her head on his shoulder as she felt very tired.
When they reached the room, he set her down on the floor and helped her out of her dress. Upon seeing Olivia undressed, he wanted to possess her in that moment. However, the doctor and his mother had strictly forbidden him. So, he handed her a nightgown for her to put on and went to the bathroom to cool down a bit from the desire her had to possess her.
When he left, Olivia was already asleep, sprawled on the bed in a disorderly manner. He climbed into bed, covered her with the blanket, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "Sleep well."
The next morning, Olivia and Leonard both woke up late. After breakfast, they went down to the garden and took a walk with Vandalo. The puppy had grown much bigger, but Leonard still didn't like him. However, he couldn't do anything about it because Olivia would get angry if he suggested returning him to the woods.
...
Daphne was in her room embroidering when one of the maids knocked on her door and said, "Miss Daphne, the Marquis has sent for you. He's waiting for you in his study."
"Thank you, I'll go right away."
Daphne left her embroidery on the table and went to her uncle's study. She knocked on the door and her uncle told her to come in. Her uncle was meeting with a short, older man with a comical mustache. When her uncle saw her, he stood up and said to his friend, "This is my niece Daphne. Don't you think she's a beautiful young woman?"
The man stood up and kissed Daphne's hand, which disgusted her as it left her hand covered in spit. She withdrew her hand and discreetly wiped it on her dress. She then said to her uncle, "Uncle, if you're busy, I'll come back later."
"I'm not busy. I called you here because I wanted you to meet my good friend, Count Doriel. He saw you at the wedding yesterday and has come to ask for your hand in marriage."
Daphne was very surprised and said, "What?"
Her uncle looked at her disapprovingly and said, "You know I don't like to repeat myself. He has come to ask for your hand in marriage, and I have accepted. Do you have a problem with that?"
Daphne, seeing how angry her uncle was at her reaction, shrugged her shoulders, lowered her head, and said, "No, uncle."
Daphne clenched her hands in her dress, and tears threatened to roll down her cheeks, but she did her best to hold them back as her uncle hated seeing her cry, and whenever she did he punished her.
She couldn't hear anything else her uncle and the count said; she felt as if she were underwater and couldn't breathe. She only wished to run away from that place and distance herself from everyone, but her uncle was her guardian, and he made the decisions for her. Although she despised the idea of marrying that old and ugly man, she had no other choice but to comply with her uncle's demands.
After a while. her uncle told her she could leave. Daphne rushed out of the room, closed the door, and collapsed on the floor, crying. She was desperate and wanted to escape, but she had nowhere to go. She had no other family besides her uncle, and she didn't have money or jewelry to sell.
Daphne cried inconsolably for a while. Her eyes swelled up ad turned red from crying. One of the maids came to call her for dinner, but because her eyes were still swollen and red, she told the maid to inform her uncle that she was ill.
She knew that her uncle would most likely be furious that she didn't come down for dinner, but she had no desire to look him in the eye.
...
Several days passed after the wedding and Olivia waited for Daphne to come and visit her, but she didn't. Olivia started to worry about her and wished to see her again.
The hunting day was approaching, and Olivia thought maybe she could see her that day. After the wedding, since Leonard had nothing else to do, he trained with the sword for a while and then spent the rest of his time harassing Olivia, which made her feel exhausted.
In the evening, after dinner, she lied down on the bed, and Leonard wrapped his arms around her. While he caressed her hair, she asked him, "How is the Marquis Norfolk?"
___ Why are you asking me about him?
___ It's just that I met his niece, Daphne. She seemed afraid when she approached us.
___ Hmm... I don't really know. I haven't interacted much with him.
___ Perhaps it's just your imagination.
___ Maybe you're right, but I would still like to see Daphne before we leave.
___ The hunting day is just a few days away. Maybe you can see her then. All the noblewomen will be there.
___ By the way, what is it about? Normally, nobles go hunting in the forest and offer what they have hunted to their wives or fiancees as a symbol of their love, or at least that's what I understand.
___ And who did you dedicate your offerings to before?
___ I always gave them to my mother because giving them to a woman was bothersome.
___ Are you serious?
___ Yes, but this year will be different. You are here with me, so I will give you whatever I hunt.
Leonard kissed Olivia and said, "___ Now I must offer my gifts to my beloved wife."
___ I will eagerly wait to see what you will give me that day.
___ On that day, you must also give me an embroidered handkerchief to tie to the weapon I will use.
___ Wait, do I have to embroider a handkerchief for you?
___ Yes, that's right.
___ But I can't embroider. I'm terrible at it.
___ Well, even if it's horrible, I won't complain and I'll carry it with me.
The next morning, Olivia spent the whole day trying to embroider a handkerchief for Leonard. However, all she managed to do was tangle the threads, creating strange shapes on her handkerchief.
In the end, as nothing she embroidered turned out well, she asked her mother-in-law for help. Her mother-in-law was very excited when Olivia asked for her assistance, but when she saw Olivia's embroidery, she was horrified. She didn't understand how Olivia managed to turn a flower drawing into something twisted and eerie that she couldn't even recognize.
Leonard's mother dedicated herself to teaching Olivia how to embroider every moment they had. After several days of great effort, Olivia was able to embroider autumn leaves on a handkerchief. The embroidery was not perfect, as tangled threads could be seen in several parts. However, Olivia was tired of embroidering and said it was fine.
On the day of the hunting event, they went in carriages to the depths of the forest where a mansion awaited for the noble participants. When they got off the carriage, Olivia searched for Daphne with her gaze but couldn't find her anywhere. However, she did spot Vanessa, dressed in a beautiful red gown that highlighted her fair skin and perfectly matched the autumn landscape.
Olivia had chosen to wear loose black pants, a burgundy shirt, and a black jacket. She disliked wearing uncomfortable dresses, especially now that she was pregnant, as they hugged her belly and made her uncomfortable.
Vanessa approached them with the grace and elegance of a swan and said, "Hello, it's been a long time since we last saw each other."
"We've been very busy," Olivia answered.
Olivia knew that Vanessa was trying to reproach her for not inviting her to the wedding. However, it was her special day, and she didn't want any troublemaker to ruin it, which is why she had told Leonard that she didn't want Vanessa at their wedding.
Vandalo emerged from behind Olivia and growled at Vanessa. She stepped back and said, "Duchess, why have you brought this beast with you."
Olivia crouched down, petted Vandalo, and said, "I felt sad at the idea of leaving him alone at home, so I brought him with me."
"That beast is dangerous; you shouldn't have brought it."
"Don't worry, Vandalo is harmless. He wouldn't hurt anyone."
When Vandalo growled at Vanessa again, she turned around and left.
Leonard's mother approached Olivia and said, "Darling, it's best if you rest for a while. Come with me."
Olivia followed her mother-in-law while Leonard went with his father to prepare for the hunt.