How To End This Marriage-Chapter 144: Shattered Chains

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!"

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

"Who are you? Why are you showing me this? What ill intention do you have behind displaying this?" Bernice Balliol Agnes shouted, trapped within the Centurian Enigma Circle, a creation of the supreme god.

"Ha ha ha! You still have the audacity to ask?" the unknown voice echoed.

"See it clearly, Bernice. Who was the person executed in the vision?"

"Doesn’t it look familiar?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Can’t you see who it is?" The voice chuckled.

"I-Is it me?" Bernice trembled.

"Yes, Bernice, it is you! These people were your executioners."

"They made you suffer until your very last breath!"

"They brought you back to this state!" The voice boomed as the circle shattered with a deafening roar. Walls crumbled,and light flooded the room, revealing Princess Sylvia of the Tribal Kingdom standing before her.

"Duchess, you’re free? How did you escape the perilous, yet formidable, circle on your own?" Princess Sylvia exclaimed,her worry evident.

"I’m fine. You needn’t delve deeper."

"I’m grateful I encountered the princess here. No one else ever found me. I’m truly blessed. And once again, I stand with you," Bernice offered a small, strained smile after a long absence.

"Are you alright, Duchess?" Sylvia pressed.

"Of course I am. How could I not be, after emerging from months of darkness? This is what I desired!" Bernice declared,heading towards the palace entrance.

"I’ll accompany you!" she announced, following Bernice towards the palace. As they approached, guards intercepted them, blocking their entry.

"You cannot enter!" the guards declared.

"Who gave you the authority?" the Duchess countered. "I heard the emperor was imprisoned for his crimes. So, who gave you the order to stop me when the empire has no ruler?"

"I..." the guards stammered.

"I don’t believe such guards are necessary in the empire. I’ll be sure to inform the Prince about this." The Duchess smiled again and marched forward, leaving Sylvia staring after her, sensing an unsettling change.

"Duchess, are you sure you’re okay?" Sylvia asked.

"Absolutely!" Bernice repeated, her voice unwavering as they walked on. As they proceeded, the people around the palace turned their heads, their eyes fixed on the Duchess.

"Duchess! Where have you been? It’s been months since you vanished. Everyone has been worried sick." A minister spotted them and rushed to inquire.

"Really? But I see everything as usual. No chaos. No distress. But I do sense hatred in their eyes as I return." Bernice smiled, her words laced with a subtle edge.

"It’s not like that, Duchess," the minister insisted.

"Oh, is it? Maybe I’m the one overthinking!" Bernice flashed a smile that again made the minister squirm.

"So, where can I find Duke and the Crown Prince? They must be with the Princess, right? The one who was recently found?" Bernice’s voice bubbled with excitement.

"Indeed, both are helping the Princess with her... uh... princely habits," the minister stammered, unsure how to phrase it.

"Would you mind guiding me inside and helping me find her room?" Bernice requested politely.

"Absolutely, Duchess! It would be my honor to assist you in any way I can." The minister bowed low, and Bernice offered her hand, accepting his escort.

As they walked, Princess Sylvia’s gaze remained fixed on the Duchess. She scrutinized her every move, her mind swirling with questions. "Is this truly the Duchess? The same one who begged for freedom, sounding so meek and timid? Yet, this one exudes an air of confidence I’ve never seen. What game is she playing?" Sylvia pondered, her steps falling in sync with theirs.

"The North Duchess, Bernice Balliol Agnes, has arrived!" the guards announced, their voices echoing through the halls, alerting everyone of the Duchess’s presence.

Bernice and Princess Sylvia entered the Princess’s room, where she was engrossed in conversation with both the Crown Prince Maximus and Duke Alexavier.

"Duchess, you’ve finally come! You have no idea how much I’ve longed for your company," Princess Vixara exclaimed, pushing past the Prince and Duke in her eagerness to embrace Bernice.

"Greetings, Your Highness, the first heir to the throne, Princess Vixara," Duchess responded with a formal bow,acknowledging her status.

"Duchess, why do you...?" Vixara’s voice trailed off in confusion.

"Duchess, you don’t deserve that title! You stole my place! You’re just a substitute!" Bernice’s mind flashed back to her first life, the cruel words of Princess Vixara echoing in her ears.

"Princess, our situations differ greatly. And I rejoice that you have rightfully claimed your place." The Duchess’s voice held a hint of steel, laced with a lifetime of endured injustice.

"But Duchess, I never meant to hurt you! I always saw you as an elder sister, someone whose wisdom I cherished. Your guidance was a beacon in my life." Vixara’s voice trembled with genuine remorse.

"The past is a closed Chapter, Princess. I dwell in the future, and this is the future I choose."

Bernice’s smile held a hint of defiance, a testament to her newfound strength.

"A future where I am no longer trapped in darkness."

"A future where the Emperor is finally behind bars."

"A future where I hold no resentment, only hope for what is best." The Duchess’s voice resonated with conviction,her eyes shining with newfound purpose.

"Duchess, what are you saying? You don’t sound like yourself." Vixara’s voice was laced with concern.

Maximus stepped forward, his voice calming and protective. "She has just returned from near death, duchess. Perhaps some grace is warranted." He paused.

"He is the only one who believed me when no one else did."

Bernice’s eyes welled up with tears at the Crown Prince’s previous words. He, too, had been ostracized, misunderstood. His words were a balm to her soul.

"Crown Prince Maximus, or should I say, the sun of the Empire?" Bernice offered a playful bow, her spirit finally finding its light.

"Please, call me Maximus. The sun is far too bright for me," he chuckled, dispelling the tension in the room.

"I’m sure you can be a good Emperor, Prince," Bernice said, her voice laced with respect. She refrained from using his name, maintaining a formal distance.

Duke stood across the room, his lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. Finally, he managed a choked,"Duchess?"

"Yes, Duke? I heard about your efforts," Bernice replied, her gaze drifting over him. His face, usually pale and gaunt,was surprisingly clean-shaven and healthy. He seemed to have aged overnight, the worry etched into his features.

"Duchess, come with me!" He blurted, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards another room.

"Where are we going?" Bernice asked, but his silence prompted her to follow without further question.

He stopped abruptly before a closed door. "Duchess," he started again, his voice thick with emotion. "Where were you all these months? I searched everywhere, sent people far and wide, but found nothing. Where were you? Tell me!"

"Why are you making such a fuss?" Bernice countered, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "I’m back, isn’t that enough?"

"Enough? No, it’s not!" His voice cracked. "I need answers. I need to know where you were, how you survived. I deserve to know."

"And why?" Bernice raised an eyebrow. "So you can ensure I don’t survive the next time?"

He took a step back, aghast. "Duchess, you think I had anything to do with it?"

"Ha, just a joke, Duke!" Bernice chuckled, her eyes twinkling.

"Joke? Duchess, what’s gotten into you? You sound... different. Why are you speaking like this?"

"Different? I’m just answering your questions honestly," Bernice replied, her smile fading. "Did I raise my voice? Did I overstep our boundaries? Or have you forgotten the circumstances of our marriage?"

"If you’ve forgotten," she continued, her voice steely, "I’ll remind you. It was a marriage of convenience, born from your father’s bankruptcy. We even signed a contract, remember? So don’t talk to me about rights and obligations."

"And the time for that contract is over, Duke." Her voice softened. "I want to break free. From this marriage, from this life. I want to be truly free."

Duke stammered, "W-what?"

"You heard me," Bernice said firmly. "This isn’t up for debate. The year has passed, and now I choose my own path. You’ve learned to manage the duchy in my absence; you can handle it on your own."

"So, I believe our marriage ends here, now, at this very moment," Bernice declared, her voice firm but laced with a hint of sadness. Duke’s face paled, his jaw clenched, betraying the shock that reverberated through him.

"Just returned? Duchess, surely a decision of this magnitude deserves more than a fleeting moment’s consideration," he pleaded. "Rest, find your footing. The duchy needs your strength."

Bernice offered a wry smile, the bitterness of past accusations clinging to its edges. "Need me, they say? After all I’ve endured, called a witch, blamed for every misfortune? Yet, their dependence seems to only bind me further."

Duke’s eyes flickered, a glimpse of that fear she’d witnessed before flashing through them. "What are you implying, Bernice?"

"Nothing," she said, her tone softening, "but my mind is set. This marriage, born of circumstance, cannot define my future. Let it dissolve, like morning mist, and allow us both to find our own paths."

With a final, unwavering gaze, Bernice repeated, "Let this marriage end here, now, and at this moment." The words hung in the air, heavy with finality, a line drawn between the past and the uncertain but liberating future.