When Leonard left, Liria said to Olivia, "The duke seems to be quite in love with you."
Upon hearing this, Olivia paused for a moment, wishing it were true; yet Leonard had never expressed his feelings for her, and deep down she was also afraid to ask.
"Well, we better go for a walk," Alexis suggested.
"Yes, that sounds good."
Alexis took them through various parts of the city, all of which amazed Olivia. The city was vast, its buildings magnificent and well crafted, with many people wearing different types of clothing, which Alexis explained represented the places they came from.
They stopped in a park where several people sat on benches, feeding pigeons that flocked there. Chicken chased each other around, and one of them tripped and crashed into Alexis.
The child, upon falling to the ground began to cry inconsolably Olivia approached him, helped him up, gave him some sweets that Alexis had purchased for her earlier, and said, "Here, I'll give you these if you stop crying."
The child, seeing the candies, stopped crying, took the candies, and trotted off happily to show the other children what he had obtained.
Seeing Olivia interact so easily with the child, Alexis and Liria remarked, "It seems the duchess has a way with children; I'm sure she'll be an excellent mother."
"I don't think so; the thing is, I have a puppy, and sometimes it behaves just like a small child, gets upset easily, and doesn't like anyone but me to touch it. But, if you offer it treats, it stops growling and allows people to approach."
"Still, the duchess is so kind that I'm sure she would be a loving mother."
Olivia said nothing in response to Alexis's words, as she didn't know if she would ever have children, considering Leonard had not discussed this with her.
Liria said to Olivia, "I hope to meet your puppy someday."
"I would really love to show you sometime; he's as small and soft as cotton."
"Look like the duchess is very fond of her pet."
"Yes..."
After leaving the park, they visited several clothing and hat shops, but since Olivia did not carry a penny with her, she bought nothing. Normally she never handled money; whenever she needed something, she would ask Alfred, so she never had a reason to ask for money since she didn't know what to spend it on.
Leonard rejoined them as the day began to end, and he said to Alexis, "Thank you for looking after my wife."
"Don't worry; we've had a great time. I hope we can do it again some other day. Well, we're off; we want to get back before it gets dark."
The two siblings said their goodbyes, and Olivia and Leonard were left alone. She said to him, "We better head back soon too. I am tired."
Leonard sensed that Olivia was a bit cross, so he asked her, "Are you upset about something?"
"No, just tired."
Olivia wasn't really upset but rather a little disappointed since she had thought she would be with him all day. However, after their meal, he had disappeared. Leonard took her hand and said, "Before we go home, I want us to visit one place."
"I'm tired; I'd rather go home."
Leonard ignored Olivia's words and led her to a shop at the end of the street. Upon entering, Olivia saw beautiful jewelry and precious stones in a display case and asked, "What are we doing here?"
"I want to buy you a present."
"A present for me?"
"Yes, come on in."
An elderly couple approached them and said, "Welcome, may I assist you with something?"
"Yes, I'd like you to show us your finest jewelry for my wife."
Olivia was taken aback and said, "Leonard, there's no need. I don't need jewelry."
"Still, I want to give you a gift."
The couple hurriedly took out their best jewels and presented them to Olivia, all shimmering and lovely. However, unaccustomed to wearing such ornaments, she tried to choose the simplest and said, "I like this one."
Olivia picked a small necklace with a simple teardrop-shaped diamond, and Leonard asked, "Are you sure you don't want anything else?"
"No, this is more than enough for me."
Leonard had thought that Olivia would choose many jewels and be happy about it. Still, she remained somewhat dispirited and unenthusiastic, so he said to the elderly couple, "I want you to pack everything and send it to my mansion."
Hearing that Leonard was going to buy everything, Olivia said, "Please, you don't have to do this. It seems like a waste to buy so many jewels. I don't need them."
"Nevertheless, this is a gift for you. What will the nobles think if they find out I gave you just a simple necklace?"
"But..."
Leonard approached her, and the couple quickly went to pack everything before the duke could change his mind.
Leonard wrapped his arms around Olivia and said, "You seem a bit upset. Are you angry because I didn't spend the afternoon with you as I promised?"
Olivia lowered her gaze and said, "No."
Leonard lifted Olivia's chin, so she looked into his eyes, and said, "You seem upset."
"It's just that I wanted to see the city with you."
Leonard thought she looked so lovely that he couldn't resist giving her a kiss. Disturbing their moment, the elderly couple, came out with a small wooden box and interjected, "Excuse us."
Leonard pulled away from Olivia and turned to see what they wanted. "What's the matter?" he asked.
The lady spoke up, "I noticed neither of you are wearing wedding bands, so I thought maybe you hadn't purchased then yet and wanted to show you some."
The lady opened the box with two beautiful gold rings inside, and Olivia was more thrilled seeing them than all the other precious stones.
Upon noticing Olivia's change of mood, Leonard took the rings, slipped one onto Olivia's finger, and handed her the other to put on him. Both now wore matching rings, which made Olivia immensely happy, and she said, "I love these, thank you."
The lady gave a kind smile and said, "It's very important for a married couple to wear matching rings, for it's a symbol that one person is bound to another. Would you like us to engrave your names on them?"
"yes, please."
"Would you like to wait for the engraving, or shall we send them later with the other jewels?"
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to wait until they're finished."
"It won't take long. I'll bring you a cup of tea while you wait."
"Thank you."
...
After recording their rings, Leonard and Olivia stepped out of the shop. Olivia wearing was beaming with joy over the new ring on her finger, and Leonard began to consider the crown prince's words, about how every woman dreams of a grand wedding, might had been so modest they hadn't even purchased rings.
As they walked, Olivia, enchanted by her hand, nearly collided with a lamppost. Leonard quickly pulled her aside and cautioned, "You should watch where you're going."
"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy," Olivia apologized.
Noticing Olivia's uplifted spirits, Leonard suggested, "How about we take a stroll before heading back?"
Forgetting her earlier annoyance, Olivia readily agreed, "Yes."
He led her to the town center, where at night musicians and dancers gathered and reveled until midnight.
The sound of the music set Olivia's feet tapping in her shoes. The melody. buoyant and spirited, beckoned everyone to dance. Couples joined in, surrendering to the rhythm.
Olivia, witnessing this lively, festive scene for the first time, found it enchanting. It was as though happiness radiated from the music, a magical elixir that sent worries flying away. She had never heard such music, not event at palace balls where it urged wild, pleasurable dancing.
Ultimately, shy couldn't resist the music's call and joined the dancers, moving with an unbridled passion. Leonard watched as she seemed to taste freedom for the first time.
As she danced, Olivia felt her body lighten. The music enchanted her, here, dance lacked the formal choreography of ballroom dances, instead everyone moved to their own pace-some jumping, some twirling-a dance of pure freedom. Looking for Leonard amidst the crowd, she saw him watching as though she were prey, desiring her with an urgency as if to claim her on the spot.
Her cheeks flushed, but she kept dancing, wishing he would join her and lose themselves in the beat. However, Leonard stood still. Approaching him, she implored, "Dance with me."
Watching her spirited form, Leonard locked eyes with her and realized her pupils were dilated, as if she were intoxicated, yet she'd had nothing to drink. Scanning the area for the cause, he noticed a peculiar smoke at the plaza's center and spotted a man smoking a pipe bear where Olivia had been. The scent of opium was unmistakable.
Leonard moved closer, confirmed his suspicion, and, despite Olivia's reluctance, scooped her up to leave this place; she protested, not wanting the dance to end.
Ignoring her pleas, he carried her to the carriage and instructed the coachman, "Take us to the doctor's house, now."
"Yes, sir," the coachman complied.
Inside the carriage, Olivia clung to Leonard, kissing and touching him ardently, her hands entwined in his hair. "How lucky I am to have such a handsome husband," she murmured.
"Olivia, stop," Leonard protested.
But she persisted, "Today I was so said because you left me alone. Buying the rings made me so happy. It was like we were truly married."
"What do you mean 'truly'?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she voiced her fears of being just another lover he'd dispose of when bored. Jealousy surged through her whenever she saw him with another woman.
With tender assurance, Leonard held her face and promised, "I will never leave you."
"Do you swear?" she asked.
"Yes, I swear."
Her mood lifted instantly, she declared, "I'm hot," beginning to disrobe."
Leonard halted her, "Stop."
Undeterred, Olivia pressed him with a kiss and a tender exploration of his mouth, stoking a desire he fought, knowing it was the opium's influence. He had wanted her to enjoy herself, never imagined dancers would use opium to fuel uninhibited joy.
The coachman's voice broke in, "We have arrived, my lord."
Leonard readjusted Olivia's dress and carried her from the carriage to the doctor's doorstep. The coachman knocked, and the doctor emerged, taken aback to see the duke with a giggling Olivia.
Upon learning of the opium, the doctor prescribed a cold bath, assuring recovery. Leonard requested accommodations for the night, knowing they wouldn't leave Olivia's side.