How To End This Marriage-Chapter 102: Three Lives, One Fate

Bernice’s POV

I couldn’t gauge how much time had passed since I had been confined in this place. I hadn’t had a morsel of food or a drop of water, yet somehow, I clung to life. It was a perplexing predicament. A strange voice had been speaking to me, sharing countless tales and revelations, but I had grown weary of it. More recently, another woman had been brought into this confinement, sharing the same confinement as me, but I no longer heard her voice.

She mentioned an enchanted circle called Centuria Enigma, something entirely foreign to me. Despite my skepticism, I had to admit that she was speaking the truth. It was undeniable because even the Lunar god, who used to visit me at will, had been conspicuously absent for an extended period.

"Bernice, want to witness something intriguing?" the voice piped up again, evidently intending to exasperate me further. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"No, I’m not interested in your foolish antics. Just release me!" I cried out, my voice echoing in the confines.

"No, you must watch, that’s why I’m here. You fought so fiercely to survive for the love of your life. You yearned to survive to reveal to him the truth about his parents’ demise. Well, let me enlighten you about his current situation. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed," the voice taunted, and a blinding screen materialized before me. It had been a considerable while since I had been exposed to such intense light.

I cautiously attempted to open my eyes, and to my astonishment, I saw Alex, clearly agitated, pacing back and forth, leaving me bewildered about what was unfolding.

"What’s going on? What did you do?" I asked, my voice laden with panic.

"See for yourself, Bernice. You’ll realize I’m not the one responsible," the voice responded with a sinister smile, and my gaze once again fixed on the screen. It displayed Alex conversing with a knight in a fit of rage.

"Have you procured the doctor?" he bellowed, gripping a knight’s collar, and the knight replied in hushed tones, "NO."

"Then what are you good for?" he roared and stormed into a room. It appeared to be a palace of some sort. I couldn’t fathom precisely what had occurred with the crown prince of the emperor, but it was evident that something had gone awry. As he entered the room, I saw Vix, peacefully asleep in a bed, and my eyes widened. I bit my trembling lips, a profound sense of despair washing over me. I had been incessantly declaring since the moment I was brought here that Alex would come for me, my husband would find me, and yet now, it appeared as if I had been trapped in a delusion, one that was shattering before my eyes.

"Princess, the doctor will be here soon. Don’t worry," he reassured her, caressing her palm against his cheek. My heart constricted so painfully that I nearly crumpled to my knees.

"So, is this the reason I’ve been kept imprisoned for so long? Because no one even notices that I’m missing? So, my suspicions were always accurate," I mumbled, my voice laced with betrayal and sorrow.

"That is not where it ends, Bernice. There is more to see," the voice continued while the screen displayed the heart-wrenching scenes. It unfolded, showing how tenderly the Duke cared for Vix. He fed her medicine and held her hair back as she drank water.

"Duke, you shouldn’t trouble yourself so much for me. You have many other responsibilities," I heard Vix saying.

"No, Princess! It has always been my duty. I am appointed to care for you for the rest of my life, and I intend to fulfill that," he replied with a small, affectionate smile. My fists clenched tightly, and my nails dug into my skin, yet I felt no pain except for the agony of witnessing these scenes.

"You are the princess I must protect," he declared, and I picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the screen. To my shock, the stone passed right through the screen, and the strange voice laughed mockingly at my futile attempt.

"Ha ha ha ha!!!!!! It’s quite amusing to see you like this, Bernice," he taunted.

"I never thought I’d witness this side of you," he added.

"Stop laughing at me!!!!" I growled in frustration, my anger escalating.

My fury grew with every passing moment.

"Why? Didn’t you want to survive for the Duke? Yet, see how he has betrayed you. Such a pitiful Duchess, Bernice!" the voice jeered, making me feel utterly desolate.

"Now let me reveal to you what a monster he is," he said, and the screen played another harrowing scene.

It depicted the Duke wielding his sword and mercilessly attacking innocent children and women, turning the surroundings into nothing but a pool of blood. He truly was a monster. I had failed to see the truth.

"Did you see? Did you see, Bernice? How ruthless he is. He spared not even the children," the voice taunted, and the screen disappeared. I was plunged into a traumatic state, the likes of which I had never experienced, not even when I had faced death and returned.

Now, I no longer wished to leave this place. I didn’t want to confront him. I simply wanted to be alone and find happiness. I had endured enough sorrow and suffering. I just wanted to live.

Tears streamed down my face, and I erupted into tears. My sobs seemed unending. My heart ached. I wasn’t certain if my cries reached the outside world or if the other woman could hear me, but I couldn’t stop. Everything had become overwhelmingly difficult. The world appeared cruel and selfish, making me feel like a mockery.

Ahhh, my head throbbed, and unfamiliar memories flooded my mind, like those I had seen in dreams.

"How could you do this to me, Duke? How? How could you be so heartless? I am your legally wedded wife. We are still married, and we haven’t divorced. How could you betray me like this?" I heard the other me cry out in my memory, and our scenes began to intertwine, merging both past and present into a tumultuous mix of emotions.

"How could you do this, Duke, when I’m still trying to come to terms with your marriage to the princess? Didn’t you say, ’How could I just casually agree to let you marry for the second time?’ Then what will you say this time? How could you just casually sleep with the princess when we haven’t once shared a bed?" Her heart broke, and so did mine. The last sentence sounded painfully accurate. We hadn’t shared a bed once. We hadn’t touched each other once. But now, everything was different for me.

"Didn’t your mother, the great Duchess, claim that I couldn’t give her an heir? That’s why you needed to marry for the second time. Have you ever once informed your mother that we haven’t been together, that we haven’t embraced each other in our entire ten-year marriage?" My heart ached for my other self.

"Stop this!!!!! I can’t bear this!!!!" I screamed loudly, feeling as if my head might explode.

"So unfortunate that you chose to be with him," the voice said with a hint of sadness.

I was left all alone. My only hope had vanished now. I didn’t want anyone to find me here. I had no desire for anyone to come and search for me because I felt like I had disappeared. I had no desire to leave this place.

I mumbled again.

"Duchess, how does it feel to live your life one after another?" a different voice whispered to me. I was getting used to these voices, although I didn’t understand their origin or purpose.

"One after another? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Duchess Bernice Balliol Agnes, this is the third life you are living in this mortal world. This is your third life here," the voice stated, and I couldn’t help but be shocked.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"Yes, you are living the third life in this place. And I’m deeply sorry, but in not a single life have you found happiness," the voice told me with sincerity, not mockery.

"Third life? No, it can’t be possible. I have only lived two lives, and this is my second life. My previous life ended prematurely, so this one will be the same. You must be mistaken in your calculations," I argued.

"No, Duchess, I’m telling you the truth. The dreams are nothing but your first life with the Duke."

"Try to connect the dots. These are your lives. And you have not succeeded once in this mortal realm. Do you think this is how you will reclaim your heavenly realm throne? Get up, Bernice!!!! Reclaim your throne," the voice declared before vanishing, leaving me even more bewildered.

What did she mean by my third life?

What did she mean by needing to succeed in this mortal realm to return to the heavenly realm?

Throne?