How To End This Marriage-Chapter 37: Dueling Shadows and Unveiling Intrigue

I once again looked outside the window, embracing the beauty of the moon, but soon I realized the time was coming closer. I cautiously stepped out into the darkness of the room, my eyes struggling to adjust to the lack of light. I called, "Duke?" No one responded. I took hesitant steps forward, guided by my memory of the room’s layout, but I soon bumped into a couch.

"Did it hurt you badly, Duchess?" a voice startled me.

"Who is it?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Ah, you don’t know me. But I can’t let you know who I am either. But as you can feel my existence, I guess you no longer need to see tomorrow’s sunlight?" the voice taunted.

"Oh really? What if I say you won’t be here to see tomorrow’s sunlight?"

"But I’m sure you will be lying here with blood but sunlight falling on you?" the voice countered. I tried to stay composed, a smirk threatening to escape my lips.

As soon as I questioned, I sensed his sword coming toward me to attack, and I swiftly moved to another position.

***

"Bernice, understand my movement properly!!!" Sir Xylon ordered me. But how on earth should I move when he has tied a thick cloth over my eyes? The sun’s rays aren’t even touching my eyes, so how on earth can I see him move and stop him?

"Bernice, it is not time for you to think! Dodge the attack or I won’t mind getting you injured either," he said. As he said that, I gripped onto my sword tightly. Even though I could see nothing, I still tried to move forward while moving my sword here and there.

"Are you planning on killing the air?" he questioned again.

"No, I’m trying to find you," I replied. He laughed, more like he giggled at my answer.

"Oh Bernice, in this case, you will never be able to reach me. Do you think guessing is going to work on the battlefield when it will be filled with enemies all around you? No, you will be killed the second you can’t see anything," he said.

"Then how am I supposed to attack?" I asked.

"Use your senses!"

"That is the only thing going to save you. Feel where I am! Observe the sound of my sword moving! Guess where the sound is coming from! Guess the distance between me and you and move your sword!" he said. Yeah, I could hear his footsteps making sounds, but I couldn’t calculate just how far the sound was from my place.

"Bernice, I told you not to think, right?" he scolded me once again.

"I’m thinking about the distance," I replied.

"So, what do you think? Where am I standing? Where is my voice coming from?" he questioned.

"Not sure, but you are standing on grass. Your shoe is crumbling the grass, making it sound. And if I think of where the sound is coming from, then it is not far. It is not near as well but something in the middle. Maybe a few steps away from me?" I said.

"Good job!"

"Now come forward and attack me!" he ordered.

I took cautious steps toward him, aware that he could see and hear my every move, which made my anxiety grow. However, as I heard him moving further away, I decided to take a chance. I ran towards him, attempting to strike. Yet, when I opened my eyes, I saw my sword was lodged in a tree.

"Nice try!" he remarked.

"But I couldn’t attack you," I said, a tinge of disappointment in my voice.

"But you did get close to me remarkably fast. If I had been a bit more careless, I might have lost an arm by now," he acknowledged. So, had I done well or made a mistake?

"Bernice, I don’t know what’s going through your mind, but you need to control your strength. You’re moving too quickly. This isn’t how we train. Even though you’ve learned a lot in a short time, imagine if someone else had been in my place. They could have been injured or worse. Remember, you’re not wielding a wooden sword but a sharp, real one. Do you understand the gravity of my words?" he cautioned.

Yes, I do.

***

"Ha, didn’t expect the Marquis’s daughter to be so swift!" The assassin taunted me. I clenched my fist but refrained from attacking. As he pursued me, I continued to evade him. Not a single one of his strikes found its mark. Then I heard another set of footsteps. So, there were multiple assassins, not just one? Excellent! Let’s see if I can handle them.

As another assassin approached from behind, my sword clashed with his. The noise could wake the entire mansion, but still, no one came. That meant the mansion was empty.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her! We need to return before sunrise, or we won’t get another chance," the assassin ordered.

They began to attack me one after another. But for some reason, Erios, who usually appeared in my hand, was absent. Was this related to something? Had the god finally managed to keep him away from me? Was this a conspiracy to kill me? Was this a plot to eliminate me once more, even though I wanted to survive?

"I won’t let any of you touch me, let alone kill me. Prepare yourselves because you don’t know me well enough," I declared, and I managed to strike one of the assassins, causing him to scream in pain. I knew it was just an injury. This wasn’t the end, and it wouldn’t be the end, as there were still three or four assassins lurking in the mansion, intent on killing me.

I ran in all directions, trying to locate them. Then another clash of swords filled the air, and I managed to deflect the attack and stab one of them in the chest, spattering blood across my face. It was repulsive.

I continued to run until I found myself face to face with the main assassin.

"Nowhere left to run. Your end is here," he declared, advancing towards me with a dagger aimed at my chest, ready to strike as he had before. But before he could, I dodged, causing him to tumble to the ground.

"How does it feel to be on the ground? Does your back hurt? Should I cut it in half so you won’t feel anything?" I taunted, sitting in front of him.

"Who are you?" he managed to utter.

"Who are you?" he asked again, his voice trembling.

"You’re not the person I was ordered to kill. Who are you?" His words sounded like those of a frightened drunk or someone who had witnessed something terrifying.

"Who am I? Can’t you see? I’m Bernice. I’m Bernice Balliol Alexavier Agnes," I replied, but as the words left my lips, I realized what I had just admitted. Had I unconsciously acknowledged that I was his wife, the Duchess? Had I inadvertently accepted my role as his other half? It felt like my mind was slipping, and I was losing my grip on reality.

"Who sent you? Tell me the name!" I shouted, lifting his head from the ground.

"Tell me, you goddamn bastard!" I demanded.

Suddenly, the lights flicked on, revealing the chaotic aftermath. I wasn’t sure how I had created this mess, but it now looked repulsive. Training had been orderly, but reality was a bloodstained mess. Then my gaze fell on the entrance door. Something dark within me stirred, as if it were itching to mock everyone without hesitation. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Duchess, what is going on?" Grant asked.

What’s going on? Grant, the one responsible for guarding the house, was asking me what was happening? Shouldn’t he be aware of the mansion’s situation? My thoughts clashed with the reality of the situation, leaving me baffled.

"Take him to the basement," I ordered as I descended the stairs.

"But, Duc-"

"Didn’t you hear what I said? Or do I need to repeat myself?" I interrupted. Grant didn’t ask any more questions and dragged the last assassin to the basement, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

"Keep a close eye on him. If there’s a single mistake, you’ll have to extract the information we need. Understood?" I instructed.

"Yes, Duchess," he acknowledged before leaving.

Finally, I turned to face Alex, my husband. Yes, he had arrived at just the right moment.

"So, Duke, are you done with your nocturnal activities?" I inquired.

"What are you talking about?" he replied.

"If it’s not a nightly stroll, then what is it? All I know is that when someone walks at night, it’s called a night walk, and that’s precisely what you were doing. Isn’t that correct?" I questioned.

"I wasn’t on a night walk," he grumbled.

"Then where were you, Duke? Where are all the mansion’s staff? Why isn’t the housekeeper here? Why have the maids vanished? Is it all a coincidence, or did you orchestrate this to eliminate me so I wouldn’t interfere with your plans?" I widened my eyes as I locked my gaze onto his.