How To End This Marriage-Chapter 157: The Game for the Heavenly Throne

"Your Majesty! I apologize for being late, but Maximus wouldn’t let me in." The Empress cried out in worry, her eyes fixed on the Emperor. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Don’t you see how I am?" the Emperor growled, his voice thick with anger. "If I’d known our son would make me see this day, I would have ripped you from the ground so he could never be born."

"It’s not like that, Your Highness," the Empress pleaded. "Maximus has been misled by the Duke and that... so-called princess. He won’t even acknowledge me anymore. I’m sure they’ve done something to him."

"I don’t know anything about that. Just let me get out of here. That girl needs to be gone! If she dies, I’m free. And that Duchess! How did she even escape?" the Emperor shouted, his rage palpable.

"I’m trying, Your Highness. I’ve planned everything I could to expose the girl as a fraud. She’s no princess, no daughter of yours. As for the Duchess, she somehow materialized. I don’t know how or why, but I won’t question your actions. I’ll fulfill any task you give me."

A guard entered abruptly. "Your Highness, the Empress must leave."

"A mere guard doesn’t dictate my actions," the Empress snapped.

Just then, Crown Prince Maximus appeared. "Mother, I believe the Crown Prince has more authority in this palace and this empire after the Emperor. And after what you’ve done, you should be grateful you’re not locked away with him."

The Empress’s eyes narrowed. "You will learn your lesson, Maximus," she spat before storming out.

Maximus approached the Emperor. "Your Highness, what happened to you? Who did this?"

"Who?" the Emperor roared. "Can’t you see who’s behind it all? The Duchess! Capture her! Imprison her! Execute her!"

"But how could the Duchess be here when she was seen in her chambers at the same time?" Maximus questioned. "How can someone be in two places at once?"

The Emperor’s face contorted with anger. "So, you call me a liar?"

"Father, you’ve lied about many things. This could be another tactic to escape."

"Ungrateful son!" the Emperor bellowed. "Is this why I made you Crown Prince? To one day throw me into a dungeon and watch me suffer?"

Maximus shook his head. "Your own actions landed you here. I have no hand in this." He turned and left the room, leaving the Emperor alone with his guards.

Alone, Maximus pondered. "Could the Duchess be innocent? Or is someone else framing her to benefit from the chaos?"

Lost in thought, "But how? Who could be benefiting from this chaos?" pondered Crown Prince Maximus as he strode towards the meeting hall where the judicial team awaited.

"We were expecting you, Your Highness," they greeted him upon his arrival.

"My apologies for the delay, but pressing matters demanded my attention," the Crown Prince explained.

"We understand, Your Highness. The Emperor’s workload has shifted onto you, placing you in a difficult situation."

"Indeed, you’ve come seeking answers. I reiterate, I had no part in this. Why the knights implicated me is a mystery. Even the Emperor’s attackers in the prison remain unknown. Someone else is orchestrating this."

"Who do you suspect? Any doubts?" the jury pressed.

"The palace teems with suspicion. Listing them all would be endless." The Crown Prince paused, then named a few. "Duchess Bernice Balliol Agnes, Duke Alexavier Agnes, Princess Vixara Jessica Belenus, and perhaps even the Tribal Princess Sylvia, though I know little of her."

"However," the jury warned, "if this continues, the law may hold you accountable. Your name has surfaced."

"Rest assured, I’m actively seeking the culprit."

With that, the jury took their leave. Moments later, Tribal Princess Sylvia entered.

"Your Highness, may I come in?" she requested.

"Of course, Princess! No need for formalities," the Crown Prince warmly invited her in.

"Though I just arrived, I believe I can assist in identifying the perpetrator. My previous work for the Emperor involved covert operations, and I’m willing to offer my skills again."

Intrigued, the Prince asked, "What kind of help do you have in mind?"

"My expertise lies in surveillance, and I can use it to track down those responsible," she explained.

"Very well, proceed as you see fit. However, remember, you’re a guest, not a servant. No need to overexert yourself."

As the Crown Prince left the room, Sylvia muttered to herself, "How can I reveal the truth when I know Duchess Bernice is the mastermind?"

But for now, silence was her weapon. "To gain power," she mused, "I must earn the Prince’s trust. The tribal celebrations announcement will soon reach the tribal empire, but I remain unseated. I need a champion. If the tribal throne eludes me, the Prince’s empire offers another crown."

Suddenly, a voice startled her, "Ambitious aspirations, Tribal Princess."

"Enough games," she retorted. "I’m no pawn. Accuse me of manipulating the Prince, and I’ll expose you as the fallen god, worshipped no more."

Undeterred, the voice chuckled, "Defiance from a child? I admire your audacity. It’s why I chose you."

"I need no help from you. I’m perfectly capable, and if I require anything, I can handle it myself," Princess Sylvia declared decisively as she strode towards the Duchess’s chamber. The Duchess had already been expecting her visit.

"Come in, Princess! I knew you’d be eager to meet me," Duchess Bernice purred, her voice dripping with an unsettling sweetness.

"I have no idea how you knew I was coming, but I urge you to stop this game. It won’t benefit you. It will lead to your execution." Sylvia spoke with conviction.

"I know," the Duchess conceded, her smile fading for a moment. "But before I face that, I want those who wronged me to suffer. And since you’re the one interrogating me, you must already know my name. Why not say it?"

"I won’t reveal your name, Duchess. I want you to live. I want you to find happiness." Sylvia’s voice held a strange sincerity, surprising even herself.

"Why? I’ve shown you no kindness. Why help me when you could also face trouble?" Duchess Bernice questioned, her gaze searching Sylvia’s face for any hidden motive.

"I don’t know, Duchess," Sylvia chuckled, a touch nervously. "Perhaps it’s some connection we share, something I can’t even explain. A past life bond, maybe?"

"It may sound whimsical, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep your name buried." With that, Sylvia took her leave, leaving the Duchess in a swirling sea of conflicting emotions.

Alone, Duchess Bernice summoned her holy sword, Erios, once more.

"Erios," she said, her voice regaining its usual composure, "what do you think of the Tribal Princess? Can we trust her?"

"I’m unsure, Mistress," Erios replied. "If she wished, she could have already revealed your name, but she chose silence. Moreover, I sensed the faintest echo of our Creator around her, as if they’ve been in contact."

"So the false god has found another pawn to play with?" the Duchess mused, a smirk playing on her lips. "Let’s see how long his amusement lasts."

Meanwhile, the God of Fate, Moiroi, delved into the tapestry of Princess Sylvia’s destiny, a task bestowed upon him by the very god she believed a usurper.

"Her fate is... curious," he muttered, brow furrowed. "It’s almost as if I didn’t weave it myself."

The confusion gnawed at him. "If not me, then who? Why is her tapestry so tangled, its threads defying my grasp?"

A thought struck him. "Could this be the true purpose behind the supreme god’s task for me?"

His musings were interrupted by a flash of shimmering light as the God of Mood, Lunar, materialized before him.

"Moiroi! Where have you been? I didn’t see you at the assembly," Lunar’s voice was laced with concern.

"Fulfilling a task," Moiroi replied vaguely.

"What task? And why would you follow the orders of that... impostor?" Lunar’s tone sharpened, the word "impostor" dripping with disdain.

"Impostor?" Moiroi echoed, genuine confusion painting his face. "Who are you referring to?"

"Have you forgotten so quickly?" Lunar’s voice was tinged with disbelief. "You yourself declared the Supremus a fraud, usurper to the true heavenly throne. How can you not remember?"

Moiroi’s mind reeled. "But... I don’t remember. I only recall the Supremus, the one who gave me this task."

A heavy silence descended upon them, the very fabric of reality seeming to tremble under the weight of Moiroi’s forgotten past.

"You remember nothing before this?" God Lunar pressed, his voice laced with concern.

"No, not a single thing," God Moiroi repeated, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It’s like a vast chasm in my memory."

"Did you sense anything... dark... around you before this?" God Lunar probed further.

Moiroi hesitated. "Dark? We always feel a shadow clinging to the Supremus, wouldn’t you agree? He’s never truly stepped out of it."

"That’s true," Lunar conceded. "How could I forget such a prominent feature?" He shook his head, a faint tremor running through his ethereal form.

"But listen carefully, Moiroi," Lunar’s voice hardened. "Do not, under any circumstance, complete any tasks for the Supremus. Doing so may further cloud your memory, making it impossible to reclaim your past. Stay away from him, for now."