How To End This Marriage-Chapter 150: The Siren’s Song

"Duke?" Princess Vixara called out, her voice laced with uncertainty.

The Duke, surprised, turned to her. "What troubles you, Princess? Are you in need of anything, or perhaps feeling unsettled?"

Vixara sighed, her grip tightening on the silken fabric of her dress. "It’s just... strange, isn’t it? Yesterday, I was a simple lady-in-waiting, and today, I’m a princess. Everyone calls me by that title, the Duchess treats me with reverence... It all feels so awkward. And then there’s this revelation – a family, a brother, and even a mother who wants me dead, though I have no proof to speak of."

The Duke’s brow furrowed. "Princess, you must accept your reality. You are the heir to this empire, and with that comes responsibility. You cannot afford to be naive. Even those closest to you, even us, could pose a threat. This is a dangerous game, and you must tread carefully."

Vixara’s eyes welled up. "But Duke, how can I live like this? Whom can I trust if I can’t even trust the people around me?"

The Duke placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You have the entire empire at your disposal, Princess. You will rise above them all, a queen in your own right. Perhaps even find a prince who will cherish you and elevate you further."

Vixara shook her head, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. "No, that’s not what I want."

"What do you mean, Princess?" The Duke’s voice softened, his concern evident.

Vixara turned away, her gaze falling on the vast gardens beyond the window. "You wouldn’t understand."

She retreated to her room, the heavy oak door thudding shut behind her. Tears streamed down her face as she sank onto the plush bed, her reflection staring back at her from the ornate mirror.

"First, I was just a maid, lost and adrift," she whispered to herself. "Then came the marriage, and I accepted my fate, content with the Duchess’s kindness. But when she accused me... I felt a strange thrill, a perverse echo of the life I yearned for."

Vixara shivered, her emotions a tangled mess. "And now, this revelation – the princess, the heir. My desires stir once more, urging me to break free from the shackles of expectation. But can I do this to the Duchess? Can I betray the woman who nurtured me?"

Suddenly, a chilling whisper echoed in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "The Duchess and you – your bond is a mere illusion."

Vixara gasped, spinning around in fear. "Who’s there?"

The voice, cold and detached, resonated from within. "It’s you, Vixara. I am your inner voice, finally emerging to guide you."

Vixara recoiled, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Guide me? To what? I don’t understand!"

The voice, her own voice, but twisted with a newfound sharpness, hissed, "From when did you become so weak, Vixara Jessica Belenus, the sole princess of this empire? You are Vixara, not some timid commoner. You are cunning, you are ambitious, you know what you want. Why hesitate now?"

Vixara stared into the mirror, her reflection shimmering with a newfound intensity. The whispers of her inner voice, urging her to embrace the darkness within, were undeniable. But at what cost?

"What do you want to do to me?" Princess asked her inner self.

"Snatch what is yours!" it said.

"What do you mean?" Princess asked.

"Ha ha! You don’t know what is yours?" the voice spoke.

"This empire, the throne, your right, and lastly your love, Duke Alexavier Agnes," the inner voice spoke.

"No, I can’t do this!!! The empire love me. The throne belongs to my brother Maximus, who I recently met. And the one you’re saying is my love is married to someone else. He is someone else’s husband! He is someone’s love. I can’t let it happen," Princess refused.

"You can’t let it happen? Ha ha! Then suffer how you suffer till now, becoming a maid under lower people. Suffer this way. Keep hidden your feelings while suffering from inside. You can do that, right?" the inner voice asked.

Princess stayed silent, looking away.

"See, you are silent. You are failing to speak! You are not accepting your suffering as well. Then what do you want? You are refusing to choose both sides. You are refusing to accept your fate. Then what is going on in your mind? Are you going to be timid, innocent, weak so that people will abandon you once they have already done it?" the voice said.

"I can’t do this. I’m weak. The Duchess has shown her love towards me when no one did. She is the one who put me first and let me get outside despite the duke’s anger toward her. How could I just snatch her love, her husband just for my satisfaction? No, I can’t do this. This is a crime. This is a hell crime," the princess said.

"Sometimes you have to do crime in order to achieve what you want. You did it once already, then why not do it again?" the inner voice said.

"I did it once? When? I could never do such things. My nanny never taught me all these. She always showed me how to love. She always taught me to take revenge on those who have wronged me, like the emperor and the empress who killed my mother. But I will not do more bad things other than that which will hurt others."

"I want them to smile. I want them to be happy, which I will do," Princess said.

"You will regret it!!!" the inner voice said and vanished, making Princess Vixara burn in anger.

"Yes, I need to take revenge from the emperor and empress. I will not let them die by the law, but I will do it how they killed my mother by strangling her to death. I will kill them more brutal than they could think of," she said, while her eyes turned red in anger. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"I will be the death of you two!" she muttered.