How To End This Marriage-Chapter 103: The Unfeeling Groom

First life of Bernice Balliol Agnes

"Miss, why do you keep staring out of the window? Are you waiting for someone?" Nanny asked, causing a faint smile to appear on my face.

"No, Nanny! There’s no one I know, no one who comes to meet me. I’m just looking, hoping someone might come and befriend me," I replied, my smile tinged with a touch of sorrow.

"Oh, my dear, why do you always seem so sad? We are here for you. You have us, your little brother, and your father," Nanny reassured me.

"Yes, I do, but Excalibur is always busy with his studies, and Father is occupied with his work. We only manage to meet during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and even those moments can be scarce due to their work," I replied, my voice tinged with melancholy.

"Don’t be sad, Lady!" Nanny said, pulling me into a warm hug.

"Miss, the lord has requested your presence," a maid announced, entering the room.

"Father? Why? Is it urgent?" I inquired.

"I’m not sure, miss, but the North Duchess has arrived to meet with the lord, and I overheard them discussing you. Your father has asked for you," she explained, leaving me bewildered.

"The North Duchess? What brings her here, and what could I possibly have to do with her?" I muttered as Nanny selected a new outfit from the closet for me to wear.

"But, Nanny, why the elaborate dress? I’m not in my pajamas. I’m already dressed well to meet with guests. You needn’t go to so much trouble. They are merely visitors," I protested, trying to stop Nanny’s fuss.

"I understand, Lady, but she is a noblewoman, and you shouldn’t appear unkempt in front of her," Nanny insisted as she helped me into the new attire. Other maids attended to my makeup and hair, leaving me thoroughly baffled.

"Alright, now you are fully prepared," Nanny declared, and the maids led me to the hall where my father and the North Duchess awaited.

As I walked closer, my feet grew sweaty, making me uneasy. But I managed to reach the entrance of the hall, where my father noticed me and signaled for me to approach.

"Here, my daughter, Bernice Balliol," Father introduced me to the Duchess, and I greeted her with a smile, although I couldn’t meet her gaze directly.

"Greetings, North Duchess! I trust you are in good health," I spoke softly.

"Yes, my lady, I am quite well. But seeing your smile makes me feel even better," she remarked, causing my cheeks to flush. This was the first time a woman had evoked such feelings in me. Nanny could say things like that, but beyond Nanny and the maids, all those around me were men with whom I rarely conversed.

"It’s a pleasure, Duchess," I replied, smiling as I sipped from my tea.

"So, Marquis Kael, why don’t you ask your daughter why she has been brought here? I think the sooner she knows, the better. After all, it’s her decision," the Duchess made another puzzling statement.

"Oh, yes, even though I know my daughter will always respect my wishes, if you insist, I shall inquire," Father responded and turned to me.

"What is it, Father? Is there some issue with the family?" I questioned.

"No, my daughter! There’s no issue within the family. The Duchess has come to request your hand in marriage for her son. She wishes to take you into their home as their daughter-in-law, the new Duchess of Ablia," he disclosed, causing a whirlwind of emotions to surge within me. Confusion, sadness, fear, anger, anxiety – I couldn’t discern what I was feeling anymore.

"But, I don’t think I’m fit for the position," I stammered, my anxiety peaking.

"It’s okay, my lady. No one is born perfectly suited for such a role. Everyone begins as a novice and learns along the way," the duchess reassured me.

I glanced at my father, who beamed with happiness, making it nearly impossible for me to decline the proposal. With a shaky voice, I finally agreed. As I left the room, my hands were cold and clammy, my feet trembling. I managed to maintain my composure until I reached my room, with Nanny following closely behind.

"What’s the matter, my lady? Why are you perspiring like this?" Nanny inquired, gently wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Nanny, they want me to become the new North Duchess," I confessed. I observed the profound shift in Nanny’s expression; her face contorted with fear, which in turn filled me with dread.

"No, my lady! This is a grave mistake. You must not marry into that family. They are far from ordinary. The duchess’s son is a monster. Have you not heard the reports about him? He slaughters his foes like a butcher. You cannot be with him. I shall hasten to speak with your father. This marriage must be stopped," she implored, panic evident in her voice, before rushing to my father’s office. I recalled the stories I’d heard about Alexavier Agnes, notorious as the "Monster of the Battlefield."

I couldn’t help but follow Nanny as she entered my father’s office, hiding just out of sight to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Lord, I have something important to discuss," Nanny began, despite her trepidation.

"Proceed," my father granted.

"Lord, you must halt this marriage. That man is entirely unsuitable for our lady," she said, her voice growing somewhat forceful.

"What? Say that again!" My father’s anger flared.

"Lord, I apologize for raising my voice, but I am deeply concerned for our lady. She should not wed that monster. Our lady is delicate and tender, while he is a monster. He has been rumored to kill even enemy women on the battlefield. What’s to stop him from harming his own wife if she makes the slightest mistake?" Nanny passionately argued.

"I have taken this into consideration. But I believe this won’t happen. The duchess has given me her word," my father countered.

"No, Lord, I implore you, please reconsider. It is our lady’s future at stake. If anything were to go wrong, we might never see her again," Nanny pleaded.

"Enough! I have made my decision. I know what is best for her," my father declared firmly, leaving Nanny with no further recourse.

Nanny emerged from the room and found me waiting anxiously outside.

"I’m sorry, my lady. I couldn’t stop it," she confessed, tears welling up in her eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel even worse.

"It’s alright, Nanny. I will find a way to endure this," I assured her, offering a feeble smile as she embraced me.

As the wedding preparations were in full swing, I remained secluded in my room. I was kept in the dark about the proceedings, the progress, and the visitors who came and went. They had no intention of granting my wishes. It wasn’t until the approaching wedding day that the maids came to assist me in donning my wedding attire. Nanny, on the other hand, kept her distance, unable to bear the thought of aiding me on this perilous journey, a sentiment I comprehended all too well.

"Lady, it’s time," a maid announced, guiding me outside, where Father stood in his formal attire, his usual stern countenance casting an intimidating shadow. The maid placed my hand in Father’s, and together, we proceeded to the wedding hall. There, a hushed crowd had gathered, their murmurs indistinct to my ears. It wasn’t until my gaze settled on the groom, my imminent husband, that I felt a wave of disappointment. He didn’t even spare a glance in my direction, leaving me disheartened.

I drew nearer to him, and Father transferred my hand into his. The sensation was strange, unlike any I had ever experienced. I raised my head to meet his gaze, and I found myself lost in his midnight-blue eyes, as if I were drowning in their depths.

"Do you take Bernice Balliol, the daughter of Marquis Kael Balliol, to be your wife?" the officiant inquired.

"Yes, I do," he responded, his voice devoid of warmth, as though he were a mortician.

"Do you take Duke Alexavier Agnes as your husband?" the officiant turned to me.

"I do," I replied.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you legally wedded husband and wife," the officiant proclaimed. With this pronouncement, he lifted my veil and placed his hand on my neck, causing a peculiar sensation to course through me. Confused, I closed my eyes. Then, I felt his lips on mine, and I abruptly opened my eyes wide in embarrassment.

My first kiss had occurred in this unconventional manner.

Applause rang in my ears, but my new husband, Alexavier Agnes, remained expressionless, seemingly untouched by the moment. "I am your wife now, and we have just been married. You kissed me in front of everyone. Can’t you show some emotion?" I silently pondered, but his countenance remained unchanged, validating Nanny’s claims of him being the monstrous duke of the battlefield.