Thinking back to the reason he had acted that way with Olivia at the party made him realize he was pouring out his revenge on the wrong party. When he was still married, Oscar had slept with his wife. He wanted Oscar to think that he had slept with his fiancé. He didn't think of the consequences she would face.
He was not one to pay attention to rumors, because there was often not too much truth to them. People's jealousy would take over their tongues more often than not. So he purposefully avoided all rumors. He believed evidence. He didn't know that could be a fault until he lost his life.
He didn't know Olivia was already seen by those around her as a bad girl. He didn't know she was an adopted and not the actual daughter of Marquis Praxis. He probably had that in a report somewhere, but who could remember every fact about every noble? Generalized information was enough.
He had picked on her that night for one reason, she was Oscar's girl.
Her being drunk made it easy for him to trip her, and make it look like she was throwing herself at him. Then he held onto her and didn't let her go. She was supple and felt good to hold, and he was drugged with enough aphrodisiac that his inhibitions were released just a bit.
He kissed her, she tasted nice. Then she looked around confused, her eyes were glossy. She looked at Oscar with a momentary hope in her eyes. Was Oscar that good looking that every woman wanted him?
She was in his lap looking hopeful at another man. His previous wives had cheated on him with that same man. Even he started to have doubts about himself. Was he not as good as Oscar in their eyes?
Then she fainted. There was obviously something wrong with her. He lifted her up, covering her face which was beginning to get hives. She was also hot. Did she have a fever? Why was she even at a party if she was in that state?
He took her home, to his room, to sell the fact that he slept with her. But instead of taking advantage of an obviously sick girl, he had his maid take care of her and he called the doctor.
This doctor, he trusted with his life. It was the sam doctor he would later have treat and cur Fredericka Lowenheim. The doctor told the king that Olivia had taken a recreational drug that was used by commoners. Olivia was showing an allergic reaction to the drug. Because most nobles did not use this drug, it was made with inexpensive substances that could be found in various places. She must have been allergic to one of those substances. It would be best if she avoided taking drugs in the future.
During this time, he also investigated what happened at the party. He knew he was drugged, though drugs did not affect him the same way they did everyone else, they still had a slight effect. But he momentarily lost control and kissed Olivia. That told him just how strong this drug must have been. Through his investigation, he found out that Olivia, the woman on his bed, was the one responsible for drugging him. It seemed she was jealous of Lady Lowenheim, and so intended for Lady Lowenheim to be violated.
He knew he couldn't lie to this scheming woman about sleeping with her, no matter how bad she had been. As scheming as she was, she would probably realize the truth right away. He decided to make a play on words and have his words ring true. He needed sleep, so he laid on his bed. His bed was very big, it could fit a whole 3 other people in between them. But now he could tell her with truth in his eyes. They had slept together in the same bed.
In the morning when she awoke, seeing that her body was sore, she asked him Indirectly if they had done the deed. He misdirected his answer for just a bit, making her think that they did. He was originally going to make her think that and have her tell Oscar that she had lost her virginity to him. But he saw her crestfallen face and he couldn't do it.
She could tell Oscar the truth. He never touched her. Besides, Oscar would find out eventually on their wedding night.
Back then he had sent the girl home without a second thought as to the consequences that would befall her.
Olivia married Oscar as she originally should have. And he assumed that the marriage was going well. When he noticed Olivia at events, she looked happy. Only after her death, and reading her diary, did he find out that she was just happy because she was finally out of the house. They couldn't mistreat her out in public.
He never knew what kind of man his cousin truly was. He never knew his cousin was the type of man who could hit a woman who was defenseless.
Olivia had, in fact, told Oscar that she had never had sex, and was still a virgin on their wedding night. But he did not believe her. Oscar was never able to get aroused with Olivia, so he never realized the truth on his own either. The married couple had never had sex as far as he knew.
A few weeks before his death, he had found out that Graciella had fed Oscar a different type of drug that would prevent him from completing the deed with Olivia. She had said she didn't like to share her toys. She would feed him the antidote when she wanted him, and because he was aroused with her, he was none the wiser.
Olivia died never knowing love or kindness, and it was all his fault.
He knew he could never make it up to her, but he also knew that Marquis Praxis would approach him tomorrow to ask him to marry his daughter and set their reputation right. Last time he had agreed because he didn't have anyone he liked, nor did he have any major political need to ally himself with someone through marriage. Graciella's sister was set to marry Oscar, so that part of the crisis his actions placed this family in was no problem. Graciella was now 17, of age to be married, and his actions had ruined the reputation of a noble family. Reputation was very important for noble girls trying to marry. If the king could mess up any noble families reputation and not face the consequences then there would no longer be a reason for the nobility to follow him as king.
Marquis Praxis also played up the sympathy card. If she could not marry the king to rid herself of this bad reputation that her sister had brought upon them, then she would likely not be able to marry another noble in this lifetime. She would have to marry a commoner. He had said how sickly Graciella was as a child, so she was still very delicate. He had said that the life of a commoner would not be good for her, because she was too frail.
Back then he had thought the Marquis planned everything. Getting Olivia to seduce him. Using his terse relationship with his cousin to do so. Drugging him but pretending to try and drug Lady Lowenheim. And finally trapping him in a marriage with Graciella. The Marquis was ambitious.
This played into Graciella's hands too well. He never suspected her at all. He didn't treat her very well at first, He even ignored her. But he grew used to her innocent persona. Then she was placed in danger by Olivia's hands, and Oscar would cover up the evidence. Of course Oscar would cover up for his wife. This had also made him think Oscar's marriage to Olivia had turned out well. He didn't know it was because Graciella had asked him to hide the evidence. The evidence would have lead back to Graciella, and not Olivia if Oscar hadn't done as Graciella said.
He began to get upset at the relationship between Graciella and Oscar. Why was Oscar trying to get close to his wife? He didn't realize he was falling into Graciella's plans for him. A few key people in the castle had slowly been won over to Graciella's side. They had turned against him. But he naively thought they would follow him because he was the king.
He slowly started to warm up to her on the surface. He wanted to see what her and Oscar were really up to. He indulged Graciella in everything she wanted, short of himself for a week. One morning after they had been drinking, he woke up with the two of them intertwined on the bed, neither of them clothed. There was blood on the sheets. She had been a virgin? He thought that she had been with Oscar. Then with her faithfulness proven by evidence, he began to fall for her. Looking back on it now, he still wasn't sure they slept together. He didn't remember any of it.
Then various problems began to happen. He got busy, and had to go away to one of the border's. The country next to his that was having a civil war all of a sudden started causing trouble at the border. He worried about Graciella, and had his personal guards take care of her while he was gone. He was gone for two and a half months.
Then the investigation into Oscar's treason began. Oscar and Olivia were found guilty, and executed. It had been over three months that he had not been able to see his wife. By the time he could retire, she was asleep in her quarters. When he woke, he was busy until nightfall. It was a miracle he could even get a chance to eat during that time. He thought after the investigation was finished and he had ousted all the up-risers that He and Graciella could live together peacefully.
He began to read Olivia's Diary at this time. He started to suspect Graciella's motives for everything she did.
Then Lady Lowenheim's incident happened, and she caused Graciella to miscarry. If he was the one who had gotten her pregnant, she would have shown signs much earlier. The doctor told him that the fetus was about two months old. Two months ago, she was with someone else. He needed to guard against whatever plots Graciella had cooked up.
But he didn't know it was too late. It had been too late when he had married Graciella and made her queen.
...
...
He would not Marry Graciella in this lifetime. He thought there was a much better solution he could offer to the Marquis. It was just a little past midnight. He looked in his desk knowing that Olivia's diary had come back with him. He wanted to verify that this was the day her wedding date with Oscar was decided. He couldn't let that happen. The diary was gone. It wasn't in his desk drawer!
He had to move fast. He called his aides. They hadn't been won over by Graciella yet, so he could trust them for a short moment.