How To End This Marriage-Chapter 172: Confession

"You! Explain how your memory remains intact when it should be erased with the timeline reset! Speak the truth, young master Marcus!" the Library Guardian boomed, voice heavy with accusation.

Marcus burst into laughter. "What will you do if I confess? Punish me like Aurelia? How? You lack the power now, the heir is absent from the Heavenly Realm. Without the heir, without the Supreme God, how can a mere Superior wield punishment?"

The Library Guardian narrowed his eyes. "So, you admit to transgressions worthy of such punishment?"

"Of course," Marcus spat. "When I pleaded for her freedom, for her forgiveness, no one listened. Why should I adhere to these celestial rules? Why follow their absurdity when neither Supreme God nor heavenly Superior stands in my way?"

"Tell me what you did!" the Guardian demanded.

"You crave the truth so desperately? Very well. I delved into the forbidden art of dark magic. I know it condemns me to death, the loss of immortality, but I care not."

The Guardian gasped. "Dark magic? How could you? Who guided you? How did you master it with the library sealed and the Supreme God fallen?"

Marcus smirked. "Aurelia and I shared our studies, our games, our knowledge. Don’t assume her awareness precludes mine."

"Punishment will be yours," the Guardian declared.

"As I said," Marcus countered, "without the true heir’s presence and recognition, their vital magic lies dormant. No punishment can be wielded until she returns."

With a final mocking laugh, Marcus left the Guardian alone in the chamber. Soon, God Lunar entered the newly revealed passage, blinded by the radiant aura emanating from within.

"What is this place? Such splendor!" he marvelled.

"I’ve never set foot in such a place," God Lunar whispered, his eyes wide with awe as he scanned the secret library room. "Never would I have dreamt of its existence."

God of Fate Moiroi gaped in astonishment, mirroring Lunar’s shock. "Nor I!" he exclaimed.

"Though knowledge of this library slumbers in your memories," the Library Guardian explained, "a veil obscures it. This chamber holds not only great knowledge for gods, disciples, and future heirs, but also forbidden magic – a taboo for all."

He paused, his gaze softening. "It was from this very place that the Heavenly Princess, Aurelia, gained the forbidden art of reviving the dead. An unforgivable act, yet one they forgave. But rules remain inflexible – no one, not even a princess, enjoys immunity. Hence, her exile to the mortal realm, disguised as punishment though it offered her a chance to reunite with her mortal love."

The Guardian’s voice grew somber. "She may not grasp it now, but her survival in that hostile world, fraught with constant danger, was the true crux of her punishment. Twice she faltered, twice she died, fueling young Master Marcus’s anger and fueling his belief in her misguided choice."

"She shouldn’t have risked her life for him," Marcus echoed in their minds, his phantom voice heavy with bitterness.

"What happened then?" God of Fate Moiroi pressed.

"The young master himself confessed to atrocities," the Guardian said, his voice tinged with grim foreboding. "He butchered gods, manipulated lives, and now reigns supreme. Yet, the Princess’s fate remains teetering on the edge. She must learn to trust no one, yet her trusting nature remains her greatest weakness. Should she fail once more, the cycle restarts."

***

Duchess Bernice paced her chamber, her mind in turmoil. "I’m back in my room, but everything’s still buzzing in my head. I can’t process what happened," she muttered, her voice tight with confusion.

"Heavenly princess? It can’t be!" she exclaimed, incredulous. "I was born in the Marquis household, raised and trained for war. I have no claim to the Marquis succession, yet I’ve died twice and somehow come back. It’s all like a bad dream."

Her voice trembled as she questioned, "Am I truly the Heavenly Princess? If so, who was the mortal I loved enough to abandon everyone behind? Where is he now? Or was my punishment to be separated from him?"

Her musings were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Duke Alexavier, who entered without knocking. "Wi-" he began, only to be cut off by Duchess Bernice.

"Didn’t I say we should pretend not to recognize each other?" she snapped, her frustration evident.

The Duke calmly countered, "You only asked for that in public. I didn’t hear ’private’ mentioned."

"Fine," she relented, though her tone remained sharp. "But what do you want? Another confession?"

"Indeed," he replied, his voice earnest. "But this time, let me finish before you jump to conclusions. What’s on your mind isn’t as random as it seems."

Duchess Bernice raised an eyebrow. "Explain yourself."

The Duke took a deep breath. "This marriage," he began, "wasn’t a mere contract or an inconvenience. It was planned, by me."

"Planned?" Duchess Bernice echoed, skeptical. "Why in the world would you plan this? What benefit could you possibly have?"

He reached out, meeting her gaze with surprising intensity. "That visit to the temple wasn’t the first time I saw you. I met you long before you were even aware of my existence."

He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Before I went off to war, I stumbled upon you at the Marquis’s side during a visit after my own parents’ passing. You were a little girl, lost in tears, sniffling inconsolably as if your grief surpassed mine."

He chuckled, a soft sound that held a tinge of sadness. "I might sound crazy, but that little girl was you. Your nose was red and raw from crying, and the Marquis entrusted you to me, the only one your age present. You looked at me with tear-filled eyes and asked, ’Did your father and mother become stars like my mom?’"

He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "My heart stopped. This little girl, barely older than a baby, had already lost her mother. Yet, you spoke with such innocence, and when I answered, you patted my head, offering comfort to me instead of seeking it yourself. A smile bloomed across your face, and all I could think was how it took my breath away."

He swallowed, his cheeks flushed. "My voice seemed to abandon me. Something stirred within me, a feeling I couldn’t name. My heart hammered in my chest, and as you turned to leave, I felt a pang sharper than any wound – it was love at first sight, before I even understood the meaning."

"That only feeling made me survive on the cruel battlefield, thinking I would return to you once again. I would see you once more, I would see your smile once more. But it never happened. Whenever I tried to be with you, whenever I tried to make you tease or smile for me, you always pushed me aside, showing me your hysterical behavior, as if you didn’t want to be with me at all."

"That is why I offered to marry you in front of the marquis, as he is on the verge of bankruptcy. I made no trade with him. I only wanted my delicate treasure, which I want to cherish even though it is just that I could see you in front of me for the rest of my life." Duke Alexavier said, gulping his own saliva.

"I never wanted to be more with you, but now I desire you even more. The more you push me away, the more I find myself consumed by a restless feeling growing inside me. If it isn’t love for you, then what is it? You always think I’m in love with Vixara, but no. You have always been in my mind. Morning, afternoon, night, all I could think of was you. Every time I try to fall asleep, I awake from dreams of you, of you climbing above me like a vicious Serene, pulling me down and bringing my lust to reality. You always cup my face, gently staring at my lips as if you want to kiss them, but before I could go near them, you pulled away, teasing me once again, even in my dreams."

The Duke came closer to the Duchess while she didn’t say anything. Her lips trembled as if his words had made her speechless. As Duke walked forward, she moved backward, making herself hit the wall with no way to escape.

"This is something I never imagined even in my dream, but seeing you like this in front of me now is something my lust monster is telling me to do some monstrous behavior."

"Should I do it, wife? Or are you going to stop me once again?" He said, his eyes on her lips, making her lick those lips of hers.

"Don’t lick them, wife. It is mine to lick. It is mine to bite. It is mine to bite until I don’t think it is enough," he said while rubbing his fingertip on her lips, making her let out a husky gasp.

"Hmm, I want this, wife, even though I love you either way," he said.