How To End This Marriage-Chapter 128: Shattered Allegiances
In front of the audience, the princess was placed in handcuffs and shackles, while Prince Maximus stood behind her, posing as the prime evidence in front of the emperor and the jury to judge the princess’s crime.
"Prince Maximus, what kind of behavior is this? How could you put shackles on the princess and bring her here as a criminal when everyone is aware of her delicate health?" the emperor asked in anger.
"I apologize, your majesty, but this is related to the poison-related case of the duchess. The maid has confessed that the princess provided the food sent to the duchess. Then how could I not put shackles on the princess when she is clearly guilty of her crime?" Prince Maximus said, looking down following the protocols like a proper knight.
"It could be the maid’s scheme, couldn’t it?" the emperor suggested.
"Your majesty, no one could try to kill without any proper reason or unless someone has given them an order. Regarding your question, I don’t think you are behaving like an emperor right now, but rather like a father. Isn’t that going to complicate matters of justice?" Prince Maximus asked.
"I am behaving like an emperor," the emperor corrected himself.
"No, your majesty. If you were behaving like a proper emperor, you would have asked about how the duchess is, not why the princess is in shackles. I think you are trying so hard to fool everyone. So, isn’t it better for the jury to deal with this case?" Prince offered.
"Prince Maximus, how dare you disobey me in front of the people?" the emperor shouted.
"Your majesty, I think it is better for us to deal with this case. It might bring your personal feelings to interfere between the truth and lie, but we wouldn’t have any issue. Let us take over the case," the jury offered, cutting off the emperor’s words.
"I’m glad to hear that," Prince said, looking at the jury.
"As I said, the maid has already confessed about this," Prince Maximus said.
"What did she say? That she only brought food to the duchess by the princess’s order?" the jury asked.
"Yes!"
"Then what is the princess saying?" the jury inquired.
"I have said numerous times that I have not committed any crime. I only sent the food because it looked delicious, and I didn’t want to destroy it by throwing it away due to my special diet. But that doesn’t mean I committed the crime. It could be the cook. Bring him here and interrogate!" the princess repeated her statement.
"If the princess didn’t want to eat something she was given, why did she particularly choose the duchess? It could be others too—maids, knights, or someone else. But why the duchess? Can you provide clarification?" the jury pressed.
"Yes, I can!"
"Our meeting was not so good. She was angry with me, so I wanted to conceal our friendship with this," the princess said.
"Is this all?" the jury asked.
"Yes, this is all!" the princess said.
"No, your majesty, this is not all!" the duchess entered the audience hall.
"This is nothing; it ended here because this is not everything that happened here. The princess and I have no close relationship!" the duchess declared, making the princess look toward her.
"How could you lie like this, princess?" the duchess said, looking at her.
"What? Where did I lie? I invited you to the party to establish friendship between you and me. Then where did I lie? Don’t tell me you are still in doubt about my relationship with the duke—I mean, my cousin Alex—that is why you made up all this?" she said, making the duchess glare at her.
**Chapter Restructured:**
"Is it because you doubt my cousin that he has an illegitimate relationship with me?" the princess tried to provoke the duchess.
"Shut your mouth, princess!" the duchess snapped, gritting her teeth.
"No, this is a matter of proving my innocence. Because of some speculation, I can’t let it slide. You can ask Alex; he was there when the duchess left my room in anger, thinking we might have a different relationship. Then how could I stay silent? I don’t want to die for something I didn’t do," the princess said, forcing the jury to call the duke.
"Call the duke; he can provide the truth behind what the princess is saying!" the jury ordered.
Soon, the duke walked inside, making everyone look at him to know the truth.
"Duke, as you are here now, you must be aware of why you have been called here and why it was so abrupt?" the jury asked.
"Yes, I am aware," he replied.
"Then tell us what your statement is. Is it true that the duchess doubts you and the princess are in an illegitimate relationship? And did she create a scene a while ago?" the jury inquired while the duchess glared at the duke. Eventually, the duke spoke up.
"Yes, your majesty, members of the jury, my wife does have some speculation about me and the princess, but this is not true. Bringing the princess here for something she didn’t commit is unfair. I would like to request you to release the princess," he declared. As he spoke, the duchess broke down, and the princess gave her a triumphant smirk, as if pouring salt on her wounds.
The duchess ran from the hall toward her room, with the duke following her.
"Wife, wait! Listen to me!" he pleaded as the duchess tried to lock the door, but he placed his hand on the door, preventing her from closing it.
"Leave me alone, can’t you hear?" she shouted.
"Wife, listen to me!" he pleaded again.
"No, I can’t listen. And who are you calling? Your wife? But who am I? I’m not your wife. I was never your wife. You have proven it numerous times, so don’t call me your wife; it disgusts me," she said, pushing him back.
"Wife!" he still called.
"Wife? My foot! I didn’t marry you to suffer like this. The moment I got injured in your own mansion when I said your mother tried to kill me, what did you say? It is not like this. Mother can’t do this. Mother can never do this. But if I ever do anything, nothing but your mother comes to you crying, saying I tried to kill him, and you will believe him in the blink of an eye. What does it prove? You have not a single ounce of trust in me, let alone being in a relationship," she said, glaring at him as if she were no longer the Bernice he knew.
"The moment you left the mansion for war, I tried to stop you, but you went. I didn’t try to stop you because you were interested in going. But once you returned, you said you sent me letters. But where are they? I have never received a single letter. Your mother got her letters, but when it comes to mine, they went missing? Wow, such a weird behavior made by the letters, right? Still, you will not even doubt anyone because I’m the one who came from outside, not others," she said, pushing him further.
"As the princess calls, you always run to her. But have you done the same for me? No!"
"As the princess falls sick, you run to her, but when I was struggling to live with poison running inside my body, did you do the same for me? No, you didn’t! Because I don’t hold the same meaning in your life," she pushed once again.
"In front of the audience, you easily said that because of my speculation, but did you ask me what I have gone through? I saw the princess when I was struggling to go outside to call someone to save me. She placed her heel on my hand. See this wound? Do you think I made this myself unless something pointy pressed inside my flesh? But no, you want to side with her? Why don’t you just marry her? I will divorce you too and leave your entire life, as you wish," she pushed him hard to the ground.
"Why don’t you go to her as you want? I’m just a substitute for her anyway!" she said and returned to her room, locking the door inside and burning in anger. The duke kept knocking on the door, but she didn’t respond.
"You want people to know about you and the duke, right? Okay, you have done enough, princess. Now you are really hanging on my neck like a knife that can slice my neck at any moment. But I will not let you be like this always. If I won’t kill you, then I would rather kill myself," the duchess said, hitting her hand on the wall, blood starting to bleed from her hand.
"This has become more than I can bear!" She said looking at her blood.
