How To End This Marriage-Chapter 70: Whispers in the Dark

As the carriage journeyed towards the palace, Erios’ plea echoed in my mind like an ominous warning. His worry was palpable as he accompanied me to the carriage, his concerned eyes watching me closely. I could sense his fear for my safety, and it only added to the unease festering within me.

"Erios, I will be fine. You don’t need to worry. I’ll return safely," I reassured him, though my words felt feeble against the backdrop of uncertainty that clouded my mission. Alex remained conspicuously absent, as if avoiding me in the aftermath of the previous day’s tumultuous events.

"Take care while I’m away," I said, my voice carrying a blend of determination and trepidation as I closed the carriage door. The carriage rumbled to life, setting off toward the palace, leaving Erios and his concerns behind.

The journey progressed, but it wasn’t long before the knight approached from the side, bearing news that brought our expedition to an unexpected halt. "Duchess, we may need to find shelter nearby," he informed me.

"Shelter? Why? Is there an issue with the carriage or something else?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued as I peered out of the carriage window.

"No, there’s no issue with the carriage, but the road ahead has been damaged for some reason. We won’t be able to proceed until morning. Repairs are already underway," he explained, his words punctuated by the clatter of tools being readied for work.

"Are there accommodations available nearby for the night?" I questioned further.

"Yes, I’ve dispatched one of my subordinates to check nearby resting places, and he’s informed me that there’s a small establishment not far from here. We can stay there until morning," he replied.

"Very well, make preparations to stop there. We’ll rest for the night and continue our journey tomorrow," I instructed. My thoughts raced ahead, contemplating the possible implications of these delays. Were they orchestrated by Erios, or was someone else pulling the strings?

"Duchess, we have arrived," the driver announced when we reached our destination.

Stepping out of the carriage, I found myself facing an aging mansion. Its grandeur spoke of a bygone era, though noticeably smaller in scale compared to the palace that awaited me.

"Who are you all? Are you planning to stay here for the night?" inquired an elderly woman, her presence a contrast to the mansion’s fading splendor. Her eyes held a warmth that put me at ease.

"Yes, we intend to rest here for the night. Do you have rooms available for our stay?" I inquired, my voice carrying a sense of anticipation.

"Oh, certainly! All the rooms are vacant at the moment. No one is staying here currently, so feel free to make yourselves comfortable," she replied with a kind smile that seemed to light up the grand hallway.

Having settled into my room, I realized that the promised meal had not yet arrived. Curiosity piqued, I ventured out into the corridor, which seemed to stretch endlessly, making it challenging to discern the location of my room.

"Lady, can you hear me?" I called out, wondering if perhaps the elderly woman was in an adjacent room.

"I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, but no one came, so I decided to find you myself. Can you hear me?" I called again, my voice echoing through the empty corridor, the flickering candlelight casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"Can anyone hear me?" I repeated, growing increasingly anxious as the oppressive silence enveloped me. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the night of the assassination attempt, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of impending danger.

"Guard! Knight! Where are all of you?" I shouted, my voice reverberating through the vacant corridor, yet there was no response. Panic gripped me, its tendrils tightening with each passing moment.

"Hello! Erios, can anyone hear me?" I implored once more, my desperation evident as I called out into the unsettling void.

"The holy sword won’t save you," a chilling, disembodied voice suddenly pierced the silence.

"He was never meant to protect you. Know your place, foolish human!" the voice continued, its ominous tone resonating through the empty mansion.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered, terror coursing through me. "Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to you?"

"What am I doing to you? You don’t know, Bernice Balliol Agnes? You don’t know what I’m doing to you and why all of this is happening? Don’t deceive yourself!" the voice growled with a malevolent intensity, its words like daggers in the darkness.

"I don’t understand. Who are you? I have no enmity with you. Please, stop playing with my life!" I pleaded, my voice quivering.

"Ha ha ha! You’re not my enemy? How can you say that when you’ve been my arch-nemesis from the moment you came into existence? You’re the one who stole my rightful place because you were born with blessings and prophecies that I never received. Yet, you claim to have done nothing? You don’t understand what you’ve taken from me?" the voice seethed with venomous hatred, its words dripping with malice.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" I shouted, my fear and confusion reaching a crescendo.

"Of course, because the real you wouldn’t cower in fear," the voice declared, leaving me utterly bewildered, my surroundings shrouded in mystery and danger.

"Desperation and frustration welled up within me as I grappled with the disembodied voice that taunted me relentlessly. The echoes of my own shouts reverberated through the dimly lit corridor, but there was no sign of any physical presence.

"This isn’t the real me? Then who am I? Am I not a human? What are you talking about? Show yourself!" I shouted, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger, confusion, and mounting panic. Each question I posed seemed to unravel my sense of self further, leaving me more bewildered than before.

"The real you wouldn’t even bother asking questions. Her actions are enough to reveal herself to all. But look at you!!! You’re shivering in fear. Could you ever be her? I doubt it!" the voice continued its cruel mockery, its words like barbs that pierced my very core. It left me speechless, unable to formulate a response to its cryptic claims.

"If I’m not her, then why are you here? I’m no longer a threat to you, so why don’t you leave me alone!" I pleaded desperately, my voice quivering with fear and uncertainty.

"Leave you alone? Didn’t you hear what I said? I told you that your very existence is the threat," the voice retorted ominously, its words hanging heavy in the air like an impending storm.

I stood there, trapped in a nightmarish encounter with an unseen adversary, the mansion’s eerie silence amplifying the sense of dread that consumed me. The dim candlelight cast long, wavering shadows on the ornate wallpaper, as if the very walls of the mansion held secrets they were unwilling to divulge.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" I finally managed to utter, my voice quivering but determined.

"Ah, the questions continue. You still don’t get it, do you? Very well, since you insist on knowing, let me enlighten you," the voice responded, its tone dripping with malevolence.

As the voice continued its enigmatic discourse, I couldn’t help but feel a deepening sense of foreboding. The mansion, which had initially offered respite, had transformed into a nightmarish labyrinth of uncertainty and fear, and I was caught in its web, desperately seeking answers in the darkness.