How To End This Marriage-Chapter 115: Web of Deceit: Duchess’s Dilemma

After Three Years

"Madam, you have to come to see the situation urgently!" the maid shouted, pulling me to witness something.

"What happened? At least let me know so that I could figure it out!" I exclaimed, but no one listened as I followed her outside. I saw protesters rallying against the Duke’s family.

"What is this? Who gave you permission to do this?" I asked angrily.

"Who will give permission unless it is us who decide to do this? Are you calling yourself a duchess? You sent our duke to war, and it’s been three years since we’ve gotten no news regarding this!" they shouted.

"I sent the Duke to war?" I questioned.

"Or what? You’ve been chilling here while the duke has been suffering there. We don’t even know if he’s alive or not," they accused, making me shout.

"Shut your mouths, or I will rip that tongue of yours!" I threatened.

"Yeah, you will make us shut our mouths, but how many people are you going to shut? One, two, three, ten, hundred, thousand, or how many? How many are you going to say you haven’t done this? From the moment you came to this mansion, our lives turned upside down. We were living happily before you. We never once had a shortage of food, but once you arrived, we did. Duke has never once gone to the battlefield for so long, but after you, he hasn’t even sent his well-being to the state," they accused, fueling my anger.

"Oh, okay. I sent the Duke to the battlefield. Then what about you? What did you all do?" I asked, anger escalating.

"W-what do you mean?" they stuttered.

"You don’t know? When the Duke was leaving for the battlefield, you all were cheering for him. Didn’t you get the idea to stop him? Or they don’t listen to you? No, no, it can’t be when you said everything changed after my arrival. So," I mocked them.

"Yeah, they listen to us," one of them said.

"Then why the heck didn’t you stop him? Who stopped you? Me? No, right? I wasn’t even there. How is it possible for me to stop you? So why didn’t you stop him back then? Did the cat get your tongue at that time?" I glared at them, making them take a step back.

"You are not good for the state!" they said, still stuttering.

"I know, but first fix that stuttering of yours," I said, walking inside, realizing it’s all part of the duchess’s plan. I could see her staring at me from the upper floor, clenching her teeth in anger.

"Mother-in-law, I would like to talk to you. Can you please give me some of your time?" I said, looking at her and smiling. She didn’t say anything, but soon I noticed her walking toward the garden area, where everything was prepared for her to rest.

"I’m glad you have come, mother," I said, smiling while sipping my cup of coffee.

"How could I even decline the order of the Duchess?" she said, making me chuckle.

"Duchess? I thought you never once left your title of duchess. Then how could I? When I’m merely a lower person," I mocked her.

"You’ve learned to mock now?" she asked, raising her cup and looking up at me at the same time.

"How could I? I’m still a beginner, my dear mother-in-law. If you won’t teach me, how would I even learn such a talent that is growing inside you?" I smiled. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Don’t circle around everything! Speak what is inside your mind!" she said calmly.

"Oh yes, you have seen those people, right?" I said, making her halt her work.

"They must have told you why they are here. They want to know why I sent their dear duke to the war when he could have stayed behind to look after his state, which is not going well like before," they explained.

"But how could I say it isn’t me, but it is their previous duchess who did this to push her son to the war? Or should I say, how many coins did mother give them to come protest and blame the current duchess? Which one is right, mother?" I said, wearing a questionable expression.

"How do you know it’s me?" she asked.

"How could I not know? You are the mother of my husband, and you are the person who hates me the most as well. If you won’t do such things, then who will?" I chuckled.

"Take things slowly, Bernice, unless you don’t want to burn your hand in a never-ending fire," she warned me.

"I have already burned my hand from the moment I arrived here in Ablia as the new duchess of the north. So why should I even be cautious anymore when I’m already at the verge of turning myself into ashes?" I said, sipping my coffee, but the meaning behind those words made my throat tremble.

"Bernice, I have already told you so many times to stop this. You just need to follow my orders for the time being, then your role here would end. Then why are you not listening to me? What are you worrying about? Getting married again? If that is the case, I can guarantee I will let you get married to whomever you want for the rest of your life as your godmother," she seemed desperate.

"Or don’t tell me you have fallen for Alex?" Her words made my hand shake, causing the coffee to spill on my dress.

"Bernice, take those feelings back! They are not for you!" she rose in anger.

"Those feelings will never be reciprocated by you. Because they do not belong to you but someone who will return once Alex comes back from the War," she said angrily.

"And I also know you and Alex have never consummated the marriage, so you are still a virgin as you were before coming here. Stop where you can," she said, making me tighten my grip on the dress tightly in anger.

"Yes, they are not for me. But how and why should I believe you unless my husband tells me to do so? Or are you scared the duke might be in love with me, and once I reciprocate my feelings, he will come back to me? Are you scared of that?" I said despite being angry.

"Bernice, Alex will never love you," she shouted, slamming the table and shaking all the cups on it.

"How are you so sure, mother-in-law?" I asked.

"He has given me a promise that he will never break," she said, making me clench my fist once again.

"The moment the marriage was decided, he gave his opinion. He doesn’t care how long this marriage goes. He doesn’t care who the woman he was going to marry is. He doesn’t care how the woman looks. He cares about nothing," she said, making me imagine what the duke had told me, which doesn’t match. Who in the world is lying to me then? Is it the duke or his mother? Or both? I wondered.

"Stop where you are or you will suffer," she said and left the place fuming in anger.

"Suffer? What am I doing now? I’m suffering even now. The moment I entered here, I have been suffering. It has been so many years since the war broke out, but neither the duke nor anyone else came. I have no idea what happened to the duke, but I have been hearing news of people dying drastically in the war. Still, the war is not taking a stop, as if both teams will be happy if one is completely erased from the map," I said while pondering my thoughts. But then I thought once again, who could replace me in this place? Who would be worthy of the duke if it isn’t me? Who?

"The princess wants you to attend the tea session with her."

I remembered the princess’s maid’s request.

"Is it the princess?" I’m not sure. It is only speculation, which is hard for me to agree with as well as hard for me to decline. What on earth is going on? Who is the substitute, and who is the real? Is this marriage going to be long, or is it going to end just like this?

"Madam, the attorney has arrived," the maid told me.

"Attorney? Why? I didn’t call him, though," I said.

"I’m not sure, madam, but he wishes to see you for some reason. He mentioned it is very urgent," she said, making me ponder my thoughts once again.

"Ok, I will be there. Inform him!" I said while walking inside, finding the attorney in my study. He has been constantly sweating, looking around.

"What is the issue, Mr. Attorney? Is there anything you want to discuss with me?" I asked.

"Gr-greetings! Duchess!" he stuttered.

"Greetings! Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked.

"Ah no, but I’m here to tell you something," he said.