oh the irony of Princess Claude's "empowerment"

She was only punched by her brief husband mainly because it was the order of her own mother.

That Duke never had ever hit a woman before and we could easily see that even he was in shock after he had hit her.

Princess Claude was lucky that the Duke was on the "payroll" of Queen Catherine, if not, she could actually be imprison because a wife does not have the right to hit back the husband.

I was shocked and pissed at first when she had hit and it seemed that she might get away with it, but was relieved to find out that it was all part of the plan.

The Duke was just simply to hit her once or twice and it was expected that Princess Claude would simply run back to her brother and force an annulment.

To those that say "GIRL POWER"

Be realistic, at least now, Leith is now becoming a realist and will go further up his "station", maybe even become a Duke himself. Not bad, from a kitchen's staff. It would be more plausible than a Princess or a noble woman marrying a kitchen staff, at least soon, he will "earn his right" to marry a woman that use to be far above his station.