Leonard has the butler have the maids run his bath in one of the guest rooms since Isla is currently in his room based on Vivian's command and never for once had he ever wished to spend the night with that woman so there is no way his spending the night with her.
In a small, dimly lit bathroom is softly illuminated by the steady glow of a silver candelabra resting elegantly on a marble ledge. The air is warm, faintly misted with the refined scent of lavender and bergamot. The tub, an intricately carved basin of polished marble, is filled with steaming water, faintly tinted a serene blue from an infused bath soak. The surface gleams with a delicate sheen of aromatic oils, catching the light like liquid pearls.
The door opens with a muted creak and Leonard's figure steps inside with composed grace. His posture is straight, though the subtle weight of a demanding day is visible in the faint furrow of their brow. His movements are deliberate, shedding his inner shirt and unfastening cuffs with practiced precision. Each discarded garment, his finely tailored shirt, and polished boots, rests neatly on a nearby chair, as though even exhaustion cannot compromise their sense of order.
Approaching the tub, he pauses, his hands resting lightly on its cool edge as his gaze lingers over the tranquil water. A quiet, controlled exhale slips past his lips, a rare crack in the polished veneer of decorum. With measured steps, he lowers himself into the bath, his every motion poised, even as the first touch of warmth prompts a faint shiver. He eases into the water, shoulders stiff, before finally reclining against the smooth porcelain, his head resting against a folded linen cloth.
A low, reserved sigh escapes, a sound of relief tinged with restraint. His eyes close as the water begins its gentle work, unbinding tension from his form. The heat uncoils the weight of his responsibilities, loosening the strain from his neck and hands. In the stillness of the room, time seems to pause, the flicker of the candle casting soft shadows on the walls as he surrenders, moment by moment, to the quiet solace of the bath."
He believes that he really deserves this moment of peace and quiet to himself, he can't help but wonder how most nobles who cheat on their spouses handle all these problems and their work at the same time considering what he passed through despite the fact that he did not cheat on Vivian and it was just a ploy to get her angry.
Most noblemen cheat on their spouses because they believe that as a man they can't just stick with one woman all their lives and since they are so capable they can finance more than one woman.
And the noblewoman mostly ends up cheating because of the suffering they pass through at the hands of their husband which leads to depression for most of them and in order to dispense the negative feelings they end up meeting with another man to shower them with the love and affection that their husband can't because they can not divorce their husband since divorce is counted as something shameful by the nobles.
Although most nobles especially noble women, look all fabulous and glamorous when you meet them outside but deep down they are actually battling with a lot of things, if some noble women should take off their glamorous clothes and makeup, their bodies all full of scars from years of abuse which is most time not only from their husbands but also their parents.
Not only do they have to handle and cope with their sponses infidelity, but they even have to fight against their husband's mistress scams and assassination attacks against them and their children making their whole life a living hell that they can not escape due to the fact that they don't want to bring dishonor to their family or be called shameless by the friends so they turn to the best solution they can see in order not to turn crazy themselves, they also cheat back on their cheating partners and this does not only serves as a sense of revenge for them but also as a reliever and antidote to their poison called marriage.
During their marriage, he remembered that Vivian received a lot of love letters from different types of noblemen in their empire, both the singles and the married including some wealthy merchants, scholars, neighboring kingdom noblemen, princes, and kings from neighboring kingdoms all of who wished to be her lover even if they can't be her husband especially when they heard that he had not been good to her.
Most noblewoman loses most of their admirers after their marriage but this logic does not apply to Vivian's case, not only did she not lose admirers but rather she gained more admirers after a lot of guests saw how beautiful she was after being dressed up on their wedding day.
Since a lot of nobles counted infidelity as something normal they did not shy to write out their feelings to Vivian who they think will be feeling lonely and sad in his castle and due to all this despite being married Vivian remains the most desirable woman in the whole empire.
He is very sure that the news of their divorce will not only cause commotion in the empire but also be a source of sadness for most ladies and a source of joy for most men who now finally stand a chance of ending up with Vivian as her next husband.
He is very sure that a lot of nobles will have to start preparing to pursue Vivian openly and propose to her, he's sure that the logic of a divorced noblewoman not being able to remarry can never apply to Vivian because if she wants she can get married to any high ranking noble, prince or even king that she wants, who knows it might even be the crown prince because it was rumored that the emperor wants Vivian to be married to the crown prince but it was because of him that she did not end up with him.
"The thought of her being with another man is upsetting" Leonard whispered to himself with a scowl on his face.