How To End This Marriage-Chapter 94: Reckoning of Allegiances

"Why did you stop, Duke? Is this the extent of your strength?" the ruler said, furrowing his brows, but the Duke remained calm. He got up from the bloody battlefield with no weapon in his hand.

"I surrender, ruler of the tribal empire. You can keep me as a prisoner, but let the prince go. I know you want to take revenge on the emperor for making you do things, despite you being one of his subjects. I know. I will help you seek revenge. I will do whatever you want, just let the prince go," the Duke said, looking down at the ground.

"Why? Why would you help me seek revenge against the emperor? Aren’t you one of the emperor’s loyal subjects?" the ruler asked.

"I was, but not anymore. I have realized what I’ve lost during this phase, and I want to reclaim what’s important to me," the Duke stated as he walked forward, approaching the ruler without making any argument.

"I can trust you, even after how you betrayed the princess?" the ruler inquired.

"That was a terrible mistake on my part, and I accept it. I shouldn’t have done that. But please, release the prince. We can work together to achieve our mission," the Duke pleaded.

"Duke Alexavier, although I have no desire to join forces with you, your words sound sincere, and I’m willing to give you a chance. I will allow you to take the prince in the hope that our mission to destroy the Duclea Empire can proceed," the ruler said. He then led the Duke to the prison where the prince was held, hanging and bleeding.

The Duke rushed to the prince’s side, unshackling him and helping him down.

"Alex, what have you done?" Maximus could barely speak, but he managed to utter the words.

"I let her go with you so that you could bring help, but what did you do? You put her in prison instead. Is that the Duke I knew? I can’t recognize you anymore. I don’t remember the man I once knew," Maximus said in a low, sorrowful tone, his Adam’s apple moving with the effort of speaking.

"I apologize for what I’ve done," the Duke said through clenched teeth.

"This apology won’t take you anywhere, Duke. From now on, the respect I had for you has vanished. You are no longer the man, the friend I once knew," Maximus said, pushing the Duke’s hand away, trying to move toward the prison door, though he was trembling on the verge of collapsing.

"Your Highness," the Duke was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Princess Sylvia.

"Your Highness, I’ve got you," Sylvia spoke as she supported Maximus, carrying him out of the prison. However, as she glanced back at the Duke, her expression was filled with anger, her gaze sharp enough to cut through steel.

"Duke, I can safely escort the prince back to the empire. You can come with your subordinates," she said coldly.

She turned away, her voice echoing in his ears. "There will come a day when you’ll no longer be a victim but a traitor, and no one will stand by your side, no matter how much you beg." Her words continued to ring in his ears.

****

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

"The Crown Prince has returned!" everyone shouted as Maximus arrived in the empire.

"Maximus has returned?" the emperor said and rushed to the terrace to see Maximus, who was covered in blood and glaring at the emperor. To the emperor’s surprise, Princess Sylvia was beside Maximus, wearing a similar expression of anger.

"How did this happen?"

"How did he find the girl who was supposed to be dead by now?"

"Who failed to fulfill their task?" the emperor muttered, noticing the empress standing beside him.

"What happened, Your Majesty? Our son has returned. Aren’t you happy?" she asked.

"He has returned, but he hasn’t just returned; he has brought someone who could threaten the rule of this empire," the emperor said, gritting his teeth as he moved to a couch behind him.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty? I don’t understand," she replied.

"What is there that you couldn’t understand? Do you also want to give up this throne that you’ve given away?" the emperor raised his voice, startling the empress.

"He has brought back the woman who was supposed to be executed to ensure that no one would know what happened. But now he has brought the girl back. If he did that, then he knows that I was the one who sent her to kill the knight. He should know that I was the one who tried to prove the Duke wrong. If he brought back the girl, then I’m sure he knows I’m the one behind the disappearance of Duchess Bernice Balliol Agnes," he said angrily.

"Didn’t you say you had kept her in the old prison? But all of this happened in the old prison. Where is she? Why wasn’t she found there?" the empress asked.

"I don’t know, but I know she hasn’t escaped," the Emperor said, as a dark aura swirled around him. "Didn’t I tell you not to let your son interfere in my work? You don’t seem to get it."

"Empress, you should leave now," he said to the empress.

"But, Your Majesty—" Before she could finish her sentence, the Emperor shouted again, "Can’t you hear what I said? Scram!"

The Empress got up from the couch and left the room.

"My Lord, I have tried."

"I’ve tried as much as I could, but that foolish child has still brought the girl back. Please, stop this. Otherwise, all of my plans for years will be ruined. Some deep secrets will come out that should never be revealed," he pleaded.

"You should have thought of that before. If you had tried, you could have kept your son in prison so he couldn’t escape, but he has reached the other empire. That means he already suspected you would try to stop him. Still, you couldn’t do anything to stop him. Is this your power as the Emperor of Duclea?" the shadow said angrily.

"I ask for forgiveness for my incompetence, my lord," the Emperor knelt before the shadow.

"I don’t require your forgiveness. You are simply not fit for the position of Emperor," the shadow said and then vanished.

On the other side, the shadow, who was the almighty god, appeared in a quiet, empty place filled with darkness. He heard someone screaming, "Who’s there? Release me!" The voice sounded like Bernice. As the shadow, also known as the almighty god, walked closer, he saw Bernice suspended in a magical circle with no way to escape.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" she shouted.

"You don’t know me? Then how did you even dare to say you are stronger?" the almighty god mocked.

"Is that you? The voice that always threatened me?" Bernice slowly asked.

"Threaten? What a weird word to explain my well wishes. Did I do something to scare you? Oh yes, I did, because you dared to take the appearance of my beloved," he gritted his teeth.

"Beloved? I don’t know anyone. Just release me, or I will summon my holy sword," Bernice said.

"Summon? Who? Erios? Ha ha ha ha ha. How foolish can you be? How can you threaten me with my own creation?" his laugh suddenly turned into a growl.

"Your creation? That means the master, the creator who Erios always mentions is you?" she asked.

"Yes, it is me. The almighty god Marcus Fulcinius Eumenius," he revealed himself.

"So, you are the one playing a role in my death? Why? What have I done to you? I did no harm. I only want to be with my beloved. Then why are you after my life, as if I don’t exist now, or as if I don’t even need to exist," she said while trying to free herself.

"Your beloved? Don’t speak like her, you insolent human! You are not her. You can never be her," he growled again.

"And you stop deciding what I need to do with my life. You may be the almighty god, but you have no say in making me a pawn in your game," she looked at him angrily, making him flinch and take a step back from the magic circle.

MARCUS, YOU WERE NEVER CHOSEN TO BE THE ALMIGHTY GOD. YOU ARE THE TRAITOR WHO HAS COMMITTED THE GRAVE SIN. YOU COULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN.

THERE WILL BE A DAY WHEN THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THE THRONE WILL RETURN TO CLAIM THE THRONE. THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO DO NOTHING BUT GIVE UP ALL YOUR RIGHTS, WHICH WERE NEVER GIVEN TO YOU.

The oracle’s words rang in his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

"No, this will never happen. She will not return, and I won’t believe this oracle. She is not her. She is nothing like her. If she is somehow her, then the person is here as well. No, I don’t want it to be like that again. I will never let history repeat itself," he said and vanished into the darkness, leaving Bernice in confusion.