Chapter 69: Whispers of Fate
My voice reverberated through the cold, dimly lit dungeon as I demanded answers from Grant. His laughter, however, echoed back at me, as if my question were some twisted joke. His sinister amusement fueled the flames of my anger, casting eerie shadows on the damp stone walls.
"You will never know, Duchess. Even if I were eliminated, someone else would take my place. If I couldn’t kill you, someone else would. If I couldn’t stop you from meddling in Ablia, someone else would. You can’t prevent what’s destined to happen. The Supreme God has written this destiny for you," he proclaimed, his words dripping with a sinister madness. His transformation from a loyal servant to this deranged figure was deeply unsettling, like a nightmare brought to life.
"Madam, what are you doing? I allowed you to bring him to the dungeon, but you cannot treat him this way. He is not a criminal," Alex interrupted, his voice filled with concern, the study’s torchlight casting flickering shadows across his worried face.
"He is a criminal, and you can’t stop me," I retorted, my resolve unyielding, though the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me.
"Lord, save me! The Duchess will kill me. I now believe that what the Emperor said was right. She is not fit to be the Duchess of Ablia. Ablia needs a soft, gentle person to look after it, not a manipulative woman. Please consider my wishes. You will see that the Duchess is unsuitable for Ablia," Grant changed his tune once again, leaving me bewildered. His pleas seemed to shift with the wind, and I struggled to discern his true intentions.
"Duke, I think you should also consider the wishes of the previous Duchess. She had the best intentions for you. Marry her! She will save this duchy," Grant continued, further deepening my confusion. What were the wishes of the previous Duchess? Had she already decided on Alex’s marriage to someone else? If so, why had he married me when he could have easily followed her wishes?
"Duke, what is he saying? Is there something I don’t know but need to know?" I asked, turning to Alex for an explanation, my eyes searching for answers.
"Madam, we can discuss this in the study," he suggested, leading me out of the dungeon and into his study. My mind raced with thoughts and questions. This seemed to be connected to my dream. In that dream, the previous Duchess had said similar things, expressing her displeasure with my presence in Ablia. However, after several years, when I failed to provide an heir, she had pulled her trump card, suggesting that Alex should marry another woman. I had not seen who that woman was in the dream.
"Duke, please tell me what is happening!" I implored repeatedly, but he remained silent until we were inside the study. Once there, he walked toward his desk, seemingly lost in thought, his silhouette cast in the soft glow of candlelight.
"Duke, why are you so quiet? Am I asking something you can’t answer? Is this too difficult for you to discuss?" I inquired, my patience waning, the heavy scent of aged books filling the room.
"What do you want me to say?" he suddenly shouted, his frustration breaking through, the sudden outburst startling me.
"Should I say that I shouldn’t have married you?"
"Should I say that I should marry the person my mother chose for me?"