How To End This Marriage-Chapter 123: Torn Vows

In a different section of the palace, I found myself for the first time, convinced that this meeting wasn’t convened due to Princess Vixara’s health but rather orchestrated against me. As we proceeded, the Emperor appeared before us.

"Greetings to the sun of the empire!" I offered formal greetings, echoed by the Duke.

"I regret summoning you when the war has just ended, but Vixara’s persistent calls for your name in her sleep left me no choice," the emperor explained, turning his attention to me.

"Duchess, I didn’t anticipate you could make it, leaving the official duties of the Ablia," he remarked with surprise.

"How could I not, Your Majesty, when you called urgently? Besides, there is no pressing matter at the mansion now. After all, I’ve been handling Ablia affairs quite capably in the Duke’s absence," I replied, subtly challenging him.

"I’m pleased I could be of assistance," he responded, slightly taken aback.

He guided us towards Princess Vixara’s room, where her desperate cries for Alex became audible.

"Alex has returned, my daughter! You need not worry about him any longer; he is safe," the emperor reassured her as we entered.

"He did? Where is he? I want to see him!" she demanded excitedly.

"Alex, go to her!" the emperor instructed, causing me to tighten my grip on the Duke’s arm.

"It’s alright, wife! I’ll go and return soon!" the Duke assured, attempting to free himself from my grasp.

"No, you’re a married man; she should be aware of that," I whispered sternly.

"She is unwell now!" he reasoned, walking towards Princess Vixara.

"Sit beside her!" the emperor commanded, making the Duke comply, while I observed them, seething with anger.

"Alex, you’ve returned!" Princess Vixara exclaimed, hugging the Duke tightly.

"Alex, I missed you so much! I thought you’d never come back, but you finally did!" she expressed, clenching her fists on his uniform, infuriating me.

The Duke turned to look at me, and his eyes seemed to convey, "This is not what you think. She’s sick; you should understand." Frustrated, I couldn’t tolerate her clinging any longer.

"Stop this nonsense!" I shouted, "Stop this useless drama because I’m tired of it!"

"Wife?" the Duke called out, but his words only fueled my anger.

"I don’t feel like I’m your wife any longer!" I declared, fixing a stern gaze upon him, while a maid interjected, "Duchess, the emperor is still present here. Behave properly!"

"I don’t think I need advice on behavior from you when the emperor himself remains silent during my outburst," I retorted, glaring at the maid.

"Duchess, she is just sick!" the emperor asserted, fueling my anger.

"Oh, is it? Then let me do one thing!" I retorted.

"What?" he inquired.

"Let me call someone of your age, a man, and send him to the empress’s room. Instruct him to go ahead and hug the empress tightly. What do you say? Then we can excuse it by saying she is sick, and we can’t do anything about it," I suggested, locking eyes with him.

"Duchess, don’t forget I am the emperor!" he raised his voice.

"And you don’t forget he is my husband. But what if my own husband is not hesitating, then I better leave," I declared, walking towards the door. I didn’t care about what anyone thought. I didn’t care if the princess thought she won and I lost. My mood was completely ruined, and even the affection the duke had shown me a while ago faded from my mind, as if he was doing it as a mere substitute.

"See? Didn’t I say he too agreed with this arrangement?" I heard the duchess say something as I exited the room. It seemed like she was having fun watching everything from inside.

"You never go back to being a normal person, right?" I retorted.

"Normal? I am normal, Bernice! But I don’t think you are. If you were normal, seeing your husband like this with someone else who is not his wife, you would have thrown divorce papers right into his face instead of coming to me and arguing," she remarked, further fueling my anger.

"See properly how they are. See how close they are. Can you still deny that something is going on? Can you still say he likes you when he didn’t even bother to follow you when you left the room? Can you still, Bernice? Speak!" she challenged, making me look at them in the same position.

"Just divorce him and forget about him. I will help you find someone more worthy of you," she suggested, making me consider her words.

"Okay, I agree with you," I decided. I had resolved not to remember this moment with him.

"But can you really give me what I want?" I added, making her look at me with confusion.

"What do you want?" she inquired.

"Set me up with Crown Prince Maximus Insteius Belenus!" I declared.

"Crown prince? Are you sure?" she asked, confused but not angry.

"Yes, the crown prince! If your son can marry the princess, then don’t I deserve the crown prince?" I reasoned.

"Yes, yes, you do. But give me some time. I need to discuss something with the emperor," she requested.

"Sure, take as much time as you want," I agreed.

"Maid, show her the prepared guest room!" The maid led me to the guest room as instructed. As soon as I reached the room, I slumped onto the bed. I didn’t feel anger anymore; it was as if the negativity inside me was rising.

"Wife, why did you suddenly leave?" the Duke entered my room, prompting me to rise from the bed and look at him with anger.

"Duke, don’t you know you have to knock before entering someone’s room?" I scolded him.

"Wife, are you angry with me? Is that why you’re behaving like this?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"Dont come closer!!!" I asserted, putting a figurative line between us.

"And answer my question. Don’t you know how to knock!!!" I inquired, without bothering to look at him.

"Y-yes, I do!" he stammered once again, clearly confused.

"Then go back to the door and ask if you can come in," I instructed.

He complied and walked back towards the door, knocking and asking, "Wife, can I come inside?"

"No, Duke, you are not welcomed in this room!!! You can go back to the princess’s room," I firmly stated, rejecting his wish.

"Wife, this is not what you think it is. She is sick," he repeated his explanation.

"She is sick, that she is. I’m tired of hearing this. Can you please not speak like this anymore? It makes me feel disgusted when I imagine you being like this with someone who is not me. It is disgusting, and I’m disgusted by you," I expressed my frustration.

"Wife, please let me in. Let me explain!!!" he pleaded, still standing by the door.

"What will you say? If you have something to say, you would have followed me when I was walking away from the princess’s room, but you didn’t. So, don’t tell me you’re really interested in explaining when you’re not," I retorted.

"When you were not here, I heard so many things about you, but I didn’t believe. I thought it was just a rumor. Even though the marriage didn’t start with love, I believed you would love me eventually. But no, I’m just a substitute for her. She is here now, so why will you need me any longer? So, I have decided. The divorce, which I have decided, will proceed," I declared.

"Wife!!!" he exclaimed, finally entering the room, defying my order.

"You can’t do this, wife!!!" he said, shaking me from head to toe.

"I can do anything I want, Duke. You can do as you wish, so do I. And if you can be unfaithful, so can I," I declared.

"Yes, this reminded me!! Why do I need to give you a divorce? Before giving you a divorce, I can have whoever I want for some time as well," I proclaimed.

"Wife!!!" he shouted.

"Stop raising your voice at me!!!! You have lost the right!!!" I said while pushing him out of the door.

"Don’t you dare come to me unless you want me to do something," I warned and locked the door in his face.

"Bernice, open the door!!! Let me explain!!! Bernice!!!" he kept on calling my name, but I didn’t give it any importance. I thudded onto my bed once more.

"I can have whoever I want, ha!!!!!!" I contemplated. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"So, Crown Prince Maximus, how am I supposed to treat you? As royalty or as my lover?" I pondered and closed my eyes, lying on the bed.

Once again, I started thinking about the dream as I closed my eyes. Will I get to see the ending of the dream? Will the knight and angel meet once again? I’m not sure, but now I’m dying to know about this. I hope my wish comes true.