How To End This Marriage-Chapter 81: The Elusive Truth

Amid the tense atmosphere of the courtyard, Duke Alexavier Agnes continued to scrutinize the knight standing before him. She cowered, her body trembling in fear, but her lips remained sealed, refusing to utter a single word in response to the other knights’ relentless inquiries. The silence in her response only deepened the duke’s suspicion.

"Stand properly! Is this how you are trained in the field?" Alexavier’s voice resonated, prompting the trembling knight to straighten up. However, the telltale signs of her anxiety persisted. Her eyes darted nervously, and her pupils fluctuated, betraying the falsehood of her words.

"I will ask you once again. Did you see the Duchess or not?" Alexavier inquired, closely observing her eyes, which briefly widened before returning to their normal size.

"I- I didn’t," she stammered, continuing to cling to her falsehood. Alexavier, realizing that further pressure wouldn’t yield the truth, made the decision to release her.

The other knights voiced their concern about letting her go, convinced that she possessed vital information. However, Alexavier had a different plan in mind.

"I know she knows something. But do you think that by pressuring her this way, she will reveal the truth? No, she will continue to hide behind excuses. I need to find another approach to uncover the truth. I have a plan," Alexavier explained as he followed the retreating knight. He moved with caution, staying concealed in the shadows, effectively confounding the other knights who were left bewildered by his actions.

The moon cast a ghostly glow over the courtyard, and the pursuit continued until he finally tracked down the knight, who was now alone in a secluded spot. Her nervous demeanor was palpable as she stood there, wrapped in a blanket that concealed her like a beggar.

"What are you doing here? What if someone sees you in this state? It will jeopardize everything," another knight, Lucius, inquired, his voice heavy with concern.

"I don’t know. I want no part in this. I haven’t done anything wrong. Why am I being interrogated? You orchestrated everything, so why involve me when I was only trying to help her?" she replied, her voice quivering with fear.

"She?" Alexavier muttered slowly, his interest piqued.

"You’re involved too. Why did you intervene? Did the lord give you orders? If not, don’t take actions beyond your assigned duties. If you have, you are now a party to this conspiracy. If we fall, you fall as well," Lucius threatened, his gaze fixed on the trembling knight.

"I didn’t do anything wrong. I only wanted to help her," she protested. Finally, Alexavier emerged from the shadows, confronting both of them.

"Tell me where she is?" he demanded without wasting a moment.

"S-she? Who are you talking about?" Lucius stuttered, feigning ignorance. The tension in the air was thick, and all eyes were on the unfolding confrontation.

The courtyard had turned into a battleground of words and tension as Alexavier Agnes, the determined Duke, stood firm, pressing the two knights for answers. His sword remained unsheathed, pointing accusingly at them, as he demanded the truth.

"You clearly know who I’m talking about. Tell me when I’m talking nicely. Where is my wife?" he asked, the urgency in his voice cutting through the night air.

"Duke, you are misunderstanding something. We are talking about a little rabbit who is supposedly a female. Did you hear us mention any name?" Lucius, one of the knights, responded awkwardly, attempting to deflect the inquiry.

Alexavier wasn’t convinced by their evasion. He continued to press them, noting the clandestine nature of their conversation.

"Then I don’t think this secret conversation is going on for no reason. It could be talked about openly in broad daylight. But this lady, no, this knight had to come in the dark, covering herself in a blanket so no one would recognize her just for this? Don’t bluff, and spill it out!" Alex exclaimed, his sword still aimed at them.

As the confrontation intensified, the other knight, realizing the danger of the situation, attempted to flee, making a dash towards the storage area. Boxes and obstacles littered her path, creating chaos as the chase unfolded.

Lucius, in an attempt to obstruct Alexavier’s pursuit, made a desperate move. However, a sword struck Lucius’s shoulder, causing him to bleed and slowing his movements. This unfortunate turn of events favored Alexavier Agnes in his pursuit of the fleeing knight.

"If it’s nothing, why are you stopping the knight? She knows something, right? Is this why you’re trying so hard?" Alex panted heavily, his determination unwavering.

Lucius, with a sinister smile, responded to Alex’s question. "You’re quick to catch on, Duke. But do you think that if you chase her and catch her, you can ensure her life is saved the way you want? No! If you chase her, she dies. If you chase me, I will die, but the truth won’t come out. The duchess will not be found out until my last breath."

With a chilling resolve, Lucius threw his sword towards the fleeing knight. The blade pierced her body, causing her to fall to the ground. The sword had gone from the outer to the inside, delivering a fatal blow that ended her life on the spot.

"You!!!" Alex shouted, his rage boiling over as he grabbed Lucius by the collar, but Lucius only laughed menacingly.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!" Lucius’s laughter echoed through the courtyard, a sinister sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

"Now, no one can assure you of the duchess’s location. In a few more days, she will rest in peace and be erased from the history of the empire," Lucius declared with a twisted smile, his laughter fading into the night. Alex shook him in a desperate attempt to extract answers, but Lucius remained eerily silent. He didn’t even attempt to take his own life, as if he held a terrible secret that made him immune to death. Confusion and chaos reigned, and other knights arrived at the scene, their expressions a mix of disbelief and bewilderment.

"Duke, what are you doing? You are torturing the royal knight. It is clearly unethical in the empire. You don’t have the authority to punish the royal knight as you wish," the head knight said.

"Or what? What do you want me to do? Do you want me to sit and watch and wait for my wife to die? Or are you all mixed up in this conspiracy?" he shouted, looking at all the knights.

"Duke, you can’t behave this way with us. We are not your slaves to be treated this way," the head knight shouted, keeping his composure.

"Then why is your knight involved in my wife’s disappearance? Why is this knight not revealing where he has kept my wife hidden? Ask him why he killed the female knight in front of my eyes, who knew the truth. Ask the bloody truth out of him!" Alex shouted, pointing at the dead body of the female knight, but the body was no longer there. It had vanished into thin air.

"Where is the dead body? We can’t see it!" the head knight said.

"It was there! She fell in front of my eyes. There would be blood as well," Alex said, while showing them the exact place, but the spot was crystal clear. There wasn’t a single drop of blood, nor a body, only a clean surface, leaving him thoroughly confused.

"Where is the body, Duke? We can’t see anything," the knight repeated.

"It was here! It was here, I’m telling you. But I don’t know why it isn’t here anymore," Alex clutched his hair in confusion. He displayed various expressions on his face: sadness, anger, confusion, despair, and more. But he still failed to make his point clear to them.

"Duke, I think you should consult the imperial doctor. Your health doesn’t look well. You appear sick. I think the trauma from war is affecting you right now," the head knight said, attempting to offer support. But he slapped their hands away.

"No! I’m perfectly fine. I’m not confused. I’m not crazy. I’m not hallucinating. Something clearly happened. She died. This knight threw his sword at her, which pierced her skin and killed her on the spot. I’m also a knight. Can’t I recognize how a person dies instantly? She fell from a great height, and the sword pierced her skin, causing fatal injuries," he stated, trying to keep his voice steady but failing.

"Duke, see, the sword is with me. How could I throw it just like that? I’m a knight. My priority is to protect people. My priority is to save people. How could I simply kill someone of my kind? And here, she’s the sword of mine. Does it look like an illusion? No, right? So I’m not lying, but you are. But I’m not blaming you either," Lucius said with his crooked smile, further infuriating Alexavier.

"I will kill you, you motherf***er! Reveal your true intentions. Tell us why you’ve abducted my wife. Speak the truth!" Alex shouted again. However, the knight once again made him release his grip on Lucius, and more guards arrived to ensure he didn’t use his strength. They succeeded, leaving Alexavier in handcuffs as they walked toward the prisoner. However, Lucius stopped.

"I don’t think it’s such a big matter to take such a prominent person to prison for such a minor issue," Lucius smiled awkwardly.

"It is not a small matter. He needs to be in custody for a while until he accepts his fault. The royal rule is the same for everyone, not different for dukes and marquises. Those who punish will also be punished," the head knight said as he walked toward the prisoner. Once again, Lucius interrupted.

"What is it again?" he asked.

"The prisoner has been moved. You’re going in the wrong direction," Lucius said with a smile.