How To End This Marriage-Chapter 82: Mysteries and Manipulations

In the dimly lit cell, Duke Alexavier Agnes continued to grapple with the recent turn of events. His incarceration, a stark contrast to his noble status, weighed heavily on him. The events in the courtyard had left him in a state of perplexity and frustration, as he was determined to find his missing wife, the Duchess. News of his imprisonment had quickly spread among the palace guards and servants, leading a knight to approach the cell in a state of panic.

"Duke, what happened to you? How on earth did you end up behind bars?" a knight ran to the scene in a panic as news spread about Alex’s incarceration.

"I don’t know, but I’ve caught that bastard Lucius. He knows something. He knows where the duchess is. Once we capture him, he’ll reveal everything," Alex continued to contemplate the situation.

"Duke, I think we should stop this. It’s been a week since the duchess went missing. I don’t believe she was abducted by someone else, but—"

"But what? What are you trying to say?" Alex inquired, gripping the bars with his hands.

"I think the duchess left on her own, seeing this situation. If not, why would she come all the way to the palace alone when she could have had your assistance?" the knight suggested.

"I think it’s all a part of the duchess’s plan. Perhaps it’s a ruse she created, like the night she spoke of a monster but there was no monster to be found. Maybe she concocted all of this to escape the duchy because she couldn’t handle it," the knight proposed, which triggered an angry outburst from Alex.

"Don’t forget who you’re talking about! We’re discussing the duchess, my wife and your mistress. Is this how you speak to your lord? Is this how you address me?" Alex shouted, pulling the knight’s collar and making him hit the railing in frustration.

"But, my lord, you are chasing after an illusion," the knight persisted, but nothing seemed to sway Alex. A guard intervened, stating, "His Majesty has ordered your release. You don’t have to stay in the cells, Duke Alexavier. You’ll be free of all the charges, and you’ll return to your title."

The Duke vehemently rejected the idea that his wife would resort to such schemes, defending her honor and integrity. However, the knight persisted in his belief, leading to a heated exchange between them. In the midst of their argument, a guard intervened, announcing that the emperor had ordered Alex’s release and wished to meet him.

"His Majesty?" Duke Alexavier turned in surprise.

"Yes, he’s waiting for you in his chambers, and he wishes to meet you as his nephew, not as a duke," the guard informed.

Surprised by this development, Alexavier Agnes was escorted from his cell to the emperor’s chamber. As he stood outside the chamber, he requested permission to enter, displaying a mixture of emotions – frustration, concern, and skepticism.

"May I come in, Your Majesty?" Alex asked as he stood outside the chamber.

"Yes, Alex, come inside. I’ve been waiting for you for quite a while," the emperor said, allowing him to enter.

Inside, he found the emperor, his uncle, and the Crown Prince Maximus. The emperor welcomed him with a desire for a more familiar, less formal interaction.

"Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty," Alex said as he took a seat, attempting to maintain a level of decorum.

The emperor, however, urged him to be less formal and reminisced about their earlier, less complicated relationship. But Alexavier couldn’t disregard the stark differences between the past and the present, his tone reflecting the weight of his experiences.

"Alex, I’ve already informed you that I’ve invited you here as your uncle, not the emperor. So don’t be so formal. Be at ease, just as you used to be in the past," the emperor suggested.

"It won’t be possible, Your Majesty. The situation now is entirely different from the past. Back then, you were only a prince, and now you’re the emperor. Back then, I was young, and now I’m the duke, serving Ablia. Back then, my mother was alive, but now she’s not. Everything is different," Alex stated.

"Alex, let bygones be bygones. It’s been many years," the emperor urged.

"Yes, it has been years, and you’ve still shown incompetence in finding my parents, and now, my wife," Alex remarked, causing Crown Prince Maximus to rise from his throne, shouting at him.

"Alex, you’re insulting Father this way. Do you think he’s not trying? Do you think being the emperor is easy?" the crown prince yelled.

"Yes, he’s not trying, or else a mere carriage driver wouldn’t vanish into thin air. It’s not possible unless someone is trying to conceal it. And now, about my wife. It’s been a week. Where is she? Did the emperor find any clues? No. When I did, he failed to cooperate with me. I told you that a knight knew something, but no one caught the knight. He’s a murderer. He killed another knight, but I’m the one who got stripped of his position, not him. Why? Why such a difference in justice? Is this how the emperor should be?" Alex shouted, expressing his frustration.

"Alexavier Agnes!" a dark voice interrupted, causing a chill to run down the duke’s spine.

"Who just called me?" Alex inquired.

"What? No one called you. You must be hallucinating," the crown prince replied.

"Y-yes, you must be hallucinating," the emperor stammered.

"No, I distinctly heard something. It wasn’t a hallucination. It was a cold voice calling my name," Alex insisted.

"Guards, provide the duke with a room. Ensure that there are no disturbances, and allow him to rest," the crown prince ordered. As the guard led him to his room, Alex couldn’t shake off a feeling of foreboding. He sensed an ominous presence, as if someone’s hand was tightening around his neck while their eyes remained fixed on him.

"Something feels ominous," he muttered, but the door closed on its own.

As the door locked, the crown prince’s attention turned back to the emperor. "Father, what was that? Alex has never behaved this way. Is he genuinely in love with the duchess to the point of going mad? What does she look like? Is she that beautiful to captivate the Duke’s heart?" he inquired repeatedly, frustrating the emperor.

The emperor and the crown prince engaged in a tense conversation. The locking of the door after Duke Alexavier’s departure had left an eerie feeling in the room. The crown prince, Maximus, couldn’t contain his curiosity about the Duke’s unusual behavior and obsession with the missing Duchess.

"Maximus, why are you so fixated on the duchess? Haven’t you seen the chaos she’s caused recently? The last time she disrespected me in front of an audience that reveres me, and now she’s gone missing, making the whole situation appear like a farce. Why are you so interested in her? Do you not appreciate the respect your father receives, or do you relish seeing me disrespected?" the emperor attempted to manipulate the crown prince’s thoughts.

"No, Father, it was never my intention to hurt you. But I believe many things are amiss in the empire. As Duke Alex says, why haven’t we found the murderer of the former Duke and Duchess, even though I was too young to understand back then, I know it hurt the Duke deeply. This time, too, I don’t know who is trying to harm the dukedom," the crown prince explained, massaging his forehead.

"Haha, your young son is very caring. I didn’t know that," a black smoke-like voice spoke.

"Lord, please refrain from speaking like this in public," the emperor said softly.

"Father, did you say something?" the crown prince asked.

"No, my son, I didn’t. You should retire for the night as well. It’s getting late," the emperor suggested, but as the crown prince left and reached the door, he turned back.

"I’ll try to find out on behalf of the Duke. While he’s resting, I’ll take over his work," he announced, leaving before the emperor could respond.

"Now your son is in my way," the voice reappeared in a human form, revealing himself as the Supreme God, Marcus.

"My lord, he’s still very naive. Please spare him. He’s one of my heirs to the throne and the last living bloodline I have. If something happens to him, I couldn’t contain my grief, nor could I manage the affairs of the empire any longer," the emperor pleaded.

"Then make him stop! Prevent him from delving deeper into those mysteries that are better left buried," the Supreme God spoke as he looked down on the emperor.

"Yes, yes, I will make it happen. Please spare him. I will ensure he stops at any cost, but do not harm him. I will do whatever you want," the emperor pleaded even more, causing Marcus to laugh maniacally.

"Good job, Zadicus! I admire your loyalty, even though it’s not to me but to my blessings," Marcus said, making the emperor flinch.

"I would never dare to do otherwise, my lord," the emperor assured.