How To End This Marriage-Chapter 146: A Past Unremembered

"What do you mean?" the Emperor stammered, his eyes wide with confusion.

"You haven’t figured it out yet?" Bernice chuckled, a cold glint in her eyes. "I’m here to show you the truth about your so-called god."

She rubbed the metal object against the ground, sparks flying. "You cower behind your hollow faith, believing yourself invincible in this gilded cage. But where is your god now? Can he hear your pleas? Can he save you from the reckoning you deserve?"

His bravado crumbled, replaced by a tremor of fear. "My god is with me. He will not abandon me."

Bernice raised the object, its sharp edge inches from his throat. "Then let’s see your faith in action," she said, her voice a low growl.

His breaths grew shallow, his eyes pleading. But before she could press further, a voice echoed from behind her, chilling the air.

"Everything is going perfectly, Bernice. This is what he deserves! Finish him off!"

The voice felt like a serpent slithering into her ear, urging her on. But as she leaned in, another voice pierced through the darkness.

"Duchess! Did you complete your task?"

The Crown Prince’s voice snapped Bernice back to reality. She instantly withdrew the object, hiding it beneath her skirt.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady. "But there’s one more thing I need to do."

She turned to the Crown Prince, ignoring the Duke’s wary gaze. "I request to stay within the palace for a few days."

"There’s no need to ask permission, Duchess," he assured her. "As long as you feel safe here, you are welcome to stay."

A flicker of triumph crossed Bernice’s face. "Thank you, Your Highness. Now, if you’ll excuse me."

She turned to leave, her eyes lingering on the key hanging on the heavy prison door. In a swift, practiced motion, she noticed a patch of dried wheat paste left untouched by the Emperor. With a smirk, she pressed the key into the paste, creating a crude mold.

"This will ensure my return," she whispered to herself. "He won’t escape my justice so easily. The fear I endured, the pain I suffered... he will taste them all in time."

Leaving the Emperor trembling in his cell, Bernice walked away, a predator calculating her next move.

As she exited the cell, Princess Vixara stood at the entrance of the underground. Bernice averted her gaze and headed towards her room.

"What are you doing, Duchess? Why are you acting like this?" Princess Vixara called after her. "Ever since your return, you haven’t spoken to me warmly and keep avoiding my eyes. What’s wrong? Did I do something?"

Bernice paused, still not turning around. "Princess, why would I avoid you? I simply don’t know you. You’re not the person I remember. You can be yourself here, or people will think you’re my maid. After all, you were the princess I tortured, making me appear the villain once more."

"What do you mean, once again?" Vixara pressed.

"Nothing!" Bernice snapped, resuming her walk.

Suddenly, someone blocked their path. "Greetings, Your Highness the Empress!" Bernice declared, though Vixara remained silent, looking away.

"Greetings to you too, Duchess," the Empress responded with a sharp smile. "I wasn’t informed of your return."

Bernice turned to her with a tight, unsettling smile. "No need for such formalities, Your Highness. I’m just a humble servant. Here at your pleasure, absent at your whim. Isn’t that how it’s always been?"

"How can you call yourself a servant, Duchess?" the Empress spat.

"Why shouldn’t I? The Emperor discarded me like trash, and when he fell, I freed myself from the cells. Your power, Empress, is fickle. What I truly wish to know is... how much of it remains?"

The Empress clenched her fists. "You accuse me, Duchess?"

"Not at all, Your Highness. And you are no longer Empress. I show you respect, but that doesn’t mean the title has been reinstated. Until proven innocent, you are simply you. And you have no right to raise your voice to me."

"Who says my title is gone?" the Empress roared.

Bernice met her glare with icy determination. "When the Emperor is accused, the Empress’s account comes under scrutiny until cleared. You’ve yet to achieve that, haven’t you? So, you will remain."

With that, Bernice turned and continued towards her room, leaving the Empress fuming. Vixara watched the exchange, bewildered.

"Duchess, why did you provoke the Empress like that?" she finally asked.

Bernice stopped and fixed Vixara with a cold stare. "Princess, did I ask you why you didn’t bow to her?"

"No," Vixara stammered.

"Then why would I explain myself to you?" Bernice’s voice was a low growl.

Vixara flinched back. "Duchess, please, come to your senses! You look terrifying!"

A hand landed on Bernice’s shoulder. It was the Duke. She reacted instantly, shoving his hand away and stepping back.

"Duke," she hissed, her voice laced with venom, "Did I give you permission to touch me? If I didn’t touch you, why did you touch me when a simple call would suffice?"

The Duke stammered, "But Duchess, it was just—"

"It was a transgression!" Bernice’s voice rose, echoing through the corridor. "And it will not be tolerated."

"Duchess, remember, we’re in public," the Duke gently reminded her.

Bernice nodded curtly. "I’m aware, and I won’t cause you any trouble." With that, she entered her room, leaving the Duke standing alone.

He sighed, concerned. "Duchess, something’s changed. Why are you acting differently since your return? Did I do something? Are you upset I couldn’t find you?"

Bernice paused, her voice firm. "Duke, as I said, I hold no grudges. Whether you found me or not was your choice. We had a contract, and whether you fulfilled it or not was up to you. I can’t force you to do anything, nor will I treat you like a servant. We were partners, bound by an agreement."

The Duke looked away, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "I remember," he mumbled. "You don’t have to remind me."

Bernice nodded, her voice softer now. "Now, I need to rest. Please send some food and a maid to my room."

Before the Duke could reply, she lay down on the bed, exhaustion evident in her features. He noticed her gaze dart around the room, then linger on a small, hidden pocket in her skirt. He knew better than to pry.

"How long has it been since you last ate?" he asked gently.

Bernice’s answer was a curt shake of her head. "It’s not your concern," she muttered, her voice betraying a hint of vulnerability.

The Duke hesitated, then bowed and left. As he walked away, Bernice let out a sigh of relief. She pulled out the key mold from her pocket, its shape crude but promising.

"This is it," she whispered, a spark of determination in her eyes. "My way back to the prison."

But her plans were soon met with a setback. She searched frantically for wax and metal, her movements becoming increasingly erratic. As she attempted to melt the metal onto the key mold, the heat destroyed the fragile wheat paste, scattering everything to the floor.

Frustration boiled over. "Gone? Just like that?" she cried, her voice raw with anger. "No! I won’t let it be! I need that key! I need to see the Emperor... to make him suffer for what he did!"

Her words echoed in the room, laced with a terrifying intensity. Just then, Erios materialized before her.

"Master, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Bernice’s anger flared. "Who gave you permission to enter?"

Erios faltered. "Master, I... I always come and go as I please."

Bernice scoffed. "The past is the past, Erios. Things are different now."

"I know, Master, but I want to know... where were you? How were you?" he pleaded.

Bernice met his gaze, her voice filled with icy defiance. "What difference would it make? Can you bring back the months I lost? Or are you just trying to prove your loyalty, your obedience? Don’t bother. I was never your master, and your claims of service are hollow."

Erios’s eyes widened in shock. "But... you always-"

"Always what?" Bernice cut him off, her voice rising. "Always followed your commands? Always appeared at your beck and call? Always saved you? No, Erios. Those are lies. Now, tell me the truth. Why am I your master? Why are you bound to me? What secrets lie behind your sudden appearance in my life?"

Erios took a step back, his usual composure shattered. Bernice’s questions hung heavy in the air, demanding an answer.

"Tell me, Erios," she pressed, her voice steely. "Why is it me?"

"When you were never present in my previous life, why are you here now? Are there secrets hidden behind your arrival? Is my survival a concern to someone, sending you to protect me yet failing to do so even once? Tell me, why must it be this way?" Bernice pressed, her voice heavy with suspicion and a hint of desperation.