How To End This Marriage-Chapter 118: Tea Party Intrigues and Unveiled Agendas

I kept on hearing her voice, but not a single word escaped my lips. Whether it was due to my pain or sheer exhaustion from answering incessant queries, I couldn’t tell.

"Are you getting angry with me? Want to shout? Go ahead! As the duchess, you can do whatever you please. However, can you earn the love of your own people? No! You can’t, and you never will!" she taunted relentlessly. I took a step forward, finding myself in front of my room, and without a second thought, I entered and closed the door. I couldn’t risk saying something in the heat of the moment that would put me at a disadvantage.

Inside my room, I closed my eyes and let myself succumb to sleep.

In my dreams, the angel and the knight conversed once more.

"So, knight, are you returning to the battlefield?" the angel inquired.

"Yes, once I receive word from the emperor, I’ll be compelled to set foot on the battleground," replied the knight.

"As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve extended your lifespan, but if it happens again, I won’t be able to intervene," warned the angel.

"It’s okay. If I die on the battlefield, it will be an honor," said the knight, walking away as the angel watched, left behind.

Time passed, and the angel waited patiently, gazing at the ever-changing sky. However, the knight never returned.

In another part of the dream, a person spoke to an angel.

"Princess, it’s been a week. You’ve been here for seven hours on the heavenly realm. People are searching for you. Please, let us return now," pleaded the concerned angel.

"No! I’ll wait for him! I’ll be here until he returns!" the determined person insisted.

"Princess, don’t make this mistake! You’ve done it once. Once your sin may be forgivable, but not many times. Please, rethink!" the person urged.

Suddenly, I awoke to the urgent presence of maids in my room.

"What’s going on? Why the rush?" I asked, trying to shift my focus.

"Madam, today is the day of the tea party with the princess. We need to get you ready. We must prepare you, or you’ll be late. The faster we move, the earlier you’ll arrive at the palace," explained the maids, hustling me toward the washroom.

As they attended to my wounds, carefully covering them to prevent water from seeping in, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of care and forgetfulness.

"Madam, we’ll make you look better than the princess herself," one of the maids said with a giggle.

"Who bought this dress? I didn’t buy it," I inquired.

"Oh, this! The duke bought it for you. I saw it. Before the marriage, he filled the entire closet with dresses for his bride," chuckled the maid, though I suspected the dress wasn’t meant for me but for some unknown future bride.

With a sparkle in their eyes, the maids declared, "Yes, madam! You’re all ready. You twinkle like a star today!"

Ignoring their compliments, I walked out of the room, instructing them to prepare the carriage. The incident from yesterday lingered in my mind, but I pushed it aside. My wounds were concealed beneath seamless bandages, and I couldn’t let the past haunt my present.

"Madam, the carriage is ready to set out," my maid informed me as I was escorted into the carriage, the traumatic feeling gradually building up inside me.

"Madam, are you alright?" my maid asked, genuine concern in her voice.

I nodded, though the internal turmoil persisted.

As the carriage moved towards the capital, uncertainty loomed. What awaited me there? What actions could win them over? With these questions in my mind, I journeyed towards the unknown, anticipating a tea party with the princess and a myriad of challenges.

"Madam, I don’t have to tell you this, but be cautious at the tea party," my maid advised.

"They may sound pleasant, but their intentions might not be. People with malicious agendas abound when dealing with those higher in status. Defend yourself, or they will tarnish your self-respect and reputation in seconds. They’ll employ various tricks to demean you, but don’t let their words affect you. Stand your ground," she continued. Her words, at times, echoed a motherly concern, a role I had never experienced.

Taking her advice to heart, I pondered on the words during the carriage ride, using the time to mentally prepare for what awaited me. The invitation from the capital was not a genuine gesture of interest. If they were truly interested in me, they would have approached me during my time in the palace. Instead, it seemed like a display of their status, an attempt to assert their superiority.

"Duchess, we have arrived!" The driver’s announcement pulled me out of my contemplation. Stepping out of the carriage, I found myself amidst a flurry of women moving about, their eyes scrutinizing me from head to toe, an unsettling sensation creeping over me once again.

"Who is she?"

"What is she doing here?"

"Is she here for the princess’s tea party?"

"Is she part of this too?"

"But I have never seen her here before."

Murmurs surrounded me as I tried to navigate the unfamiliar surroundings. A maid approached with a gentle demeanor, guiding me toward the tea party’s location in the east side of the garden. She assured me that it was also where I could meet the princess.

The maid’s gentle approach momentarily lowered my guard, but the atmosphere shifted abruptly when we reached the princess.

"Princess, the Duchess of the North has arrived!" the maid announced.

"I greet the First Princess of the empire!" I bowed respectfully. The princess, while undeniably beautiful, held a cigar in her left hand, an ungraceful sight as smoke wafted from her mouth.

"Did I say that was your job?" the princess directed her gaze at the maid.

"Did I make a mistake, princess?" the maid asked innocently.

"You’re fired! When someone isn’t aware of her own place, she shouldn’t be here. I’m not paying you to do things you aren’t assigned to," the princess declared, her attention already shifting away.

"No, princess! Please don’t do this!" the maid pleaded desperately.

"Apologies for interfering, but I don’t believe the maid did anything wrong," I interjected, redirecting everyone’s attention toward me.

"What did you say?" The princess glared at me.

"I said what I meant. If the princess invited me here, then where did the maid go wrong? If she erred, it’s because the princess isn’t pleased to see me at the tea party, I presume," I spoke with a gentle tone, keeping my eyes lowered.

"Of course, I’m happy to see you here, Duchess!" The princess stammered, confirming my suspicions that her invitation harbored motives beyond familial or friendly intentions.

"Please, have a seat! I’m thrilled you decided to join us," the princess said with apparent delight, though her eyes betrayed a different sentiment.

"I’m honored to be here, Princess. Your invitation means a lot to me, considering I haven’t had the chance to participate before," I replied, taking my place at the end of the table.

"Are you the Duchess from the North? I don’t recall ever seeing you before," one of the women inquired, prompting me to look at her.

"No, you haven’t, but I’m glad to finally meet you," I responded with a smile, causing her to fall silent.

"So, Duchess, how’s life at the Duke’s mansion? I heard the Duke still hasn’t returned. It must be quite lonely without your husband at home for such an extended period," she remarked, leading me to clench my fist.

"Yes, it can be challenging, especially when the emperor himself prefers my husband to go to war instead of sending the crown prince and himself. I can’t defy the emperor’s orders, or I wouldn’t be here right now," I replied with a smile.

"He is indeed the most beloved knight!" the others chimed in.

"Absolutely. After all, he’s my..." the princess began but abruptly stopped herself.

"Oh my, what am I saying? I apologize, Duchess. I must have made you feel uncomfortable. It just slipped out unintentionally. I didn’t mean to say that," she added with a smirk.

"I understand, Princess. Even if you had said it, I wouldn’t have minded. He’s your cousin, and you’ve known him for ages. I’ve only been married to him for four years, so why would I take offense? You must know him better than I do," I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Oh, y-yeah, he is my cousin, so..." she stammered awkwardly.

"Yes, if you had attended the marriage between the Duke and me, I would have been thrilled to get to know you, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I missed that chance. Yet, meeting you here feels less like an opportunity and more like a serendipitous encounter," I expressed.

"Oh, indeed. But, you see, my health hasn’t been at its best. If only I were in better shape, I would have attended the event," she responded, her gaze turning away.