Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 339 - Three Hundred And Thirty Eight

Her lips and body were completely drained of color. Her usually warm, glowing skin was now a stark, terrifying white. The lively spark that always danced in her dark eyes was gone forever. It was painfully obvious the person is dead. There was no gentle rise and fall of her chest. There was no warmth radiating from her skin. The silence coming from her was deafening.

Derek felt his strong legs suddenly grow weak. He could not stand and look at her empty shell anymore.

He slowly slid down the side of the coffin. He sat on the freezing stone floor, his injured back resting heavily against the cold stone side of the coffin. He stretched his long legs out in front of him, leaning his head back against the hard surface.

He opened the wine bottle with a soft pop. He poured himself a drink, filling the crystal glass to the very top. He did not care about neatness. He took a slow, deep sip. The dark red liquid burned his dry throat and warmed his stomach, but it did nothing to melt the ice in his heart.

He closed his eyes. The smell of the wine brought a sudden, vivid memory rushing into his mind.

He remembered the very first day after their wedding. He remembered sitting in his study, expecting a quiet morning. Then, the door had swung open. Marissa had marched right into his study, looking fierce, beautiful, and incredibly proud. She had walked straight up to his desk to give him the divorce papers she had drafted herself. She had wanted to secure her freedom.

He took another sip of the wine. He remembered how she had casually picked up his wine cup from the desk. She had tasted it, swished it in her mouth, and immediately frowned in disgust.

He remembered the exact way she insulted his taste in wines when she had a sip. She had told him that a Grand Duke should drink better quality, and that his wine tasted like cheap, sour vinegar.

Derek opened his eyes. He looked up at the dark stone ceiling.

He chuckled softly. It was a broken, terribly sad sound that echoed weakly in the freezing room.

"You were so cruel with your words," he said, his voice low and raspy from the cold and the grief.

He was having a conversation with her. He pretended she was just resting above him, listening quietly to his stories like they used to do late at night.

"You marched right into my study," Derek whispered, looking at the crystal glass in his hand. "You handed me divorce papers on our first day as husband and wife. You insulted my wine. You drove me completely crazy. And I loved every single second of it."

He turned his head slightly to look at the edge of the stone coffin above his shoulder.

"I am in my uniform today, Mari," Derek said, his voice shaking. He looked down at his dark blue military jacket, the silver buttons, and the polished medals on his chest.

"I wish you could see it," Derek whispered, his throat tightening painfully. "You told me... you told me that you love seeing me in it. You said I looked handsome."

He took another sip of wine. His hand was trembling so much that a few dark red drops spilled over the edge of the glass and fell onto his pristine white gloves, looking exactly like drops of fresh blood.

"The King stepped down today," Derek told her, sharing the news of the kingdom just as he always did when he returned from the royal court. "He gave up the crown. He has given me the throne. I will be crowned King in a month’s time. We won, Mari. We finally beat Liam. We got justice for my brother."

His voice came down to a very low octave. The brief moment of pride and victory vanished completely, crushed by the heavy reality of the cold stone room.

"But Ryan will be home in two days," Derek said.

His broad chest began to heave up and down. His breathing turned ragged and uneven. The strong, untouchable Grand Duke was breaking apart. The tears he had held back all day in the Great Hall finally broke free.

"What do I tell him, Mari?" Derek asked, his voice cracking with pure, helpless desperation. He looked up at the unmoving white fabric of her dress visible over the edge of the coffin.

"He loves you so much," Derek cried softly. "He calls you Mother. You are the only mother he has ever truly known. How do I lie to a child? How do I look into his sweet, innocent eyes and tell him that his mother is not coming back?"

Derek felt hot tears streaming down his face. They fell fast and heavy, dropping from his chin and soaking into the dark fabric of his uniform jacket.

"How do I rule this kingdom without you by my side?" Derek cried out, the pain tearing his heart into a million pieces. "You were my anchor. You were my mind. You were my strategy. I am just a soldier and you were my sword. I am not a King without my Queen."

He wiped his face, but the tears kept coming.

"I’m so lost, Mari," Derek whispered into the freezing air. "I am completely lost."

He could not hold the glass anymore. His hands were shaking too violently. He carefully set the glass of wine down on the freezing stone floor next to his boot.

Derek pulled his knees up tightly against his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around his legs. He bowed his head and buried his face deep in his knees. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

His broad shoulders shook violently as he sobbed. He cried like a broken, helpless child in the freezing, dark room. The tears poured freely, soaking the dark fabric of his clothes, staining his trousers with his tears, as he sat alone beside the frozen, lifeless body of his only true love.