How To End This Marriage-Chapter 122: A Playful Reunion

"Alex, I want to talk to you regarding an important issue!" the duchess said, attempting to take the duke from my room.

"I know, mother, you have a lot more to say. And I have too. As you know when the duke went to war, I was a newly wedded woman, and I’m still the same, so wouldn’t it be better for me to leave the duke with me for some time?" I said while pulling the duke toward me.

"But-" the duchess got cut off by me again.

"I know, mother. The issues of the family will come and go, but the relationship between husband and wife won’t come and go. Let me please be with my husband. I beg you, mother!" I pleaded, acting to push her out of the room, but nothing worked.

"I know!!!! You have so much to discuss, but I got news from the palace that the princess got sick once again, which is why I want to go there with Alex. I heard the princess is in so much pain and kept on calling Alex in her sleep." The duchess played her card, making me tighten my grip in anger.

"Princess? What happened to her once again? I heard she became well," the duke said.

"I know, I heard the same, but now it doesn’t sound good. You have to come with me. We have to leave for the capital in a hurry," the duchess said, trying to pull the duke out of the room, but I once again pulled him inside.

"I know she is sick if you say so. But I also met the princess the other day, and the princess is the one who called me for a tea party. She was fine. But if you say it like that, mother, then I’m also curious to know her health. I want to go with you as well. Wouldn’t you take me? I don’t want to be away from my husband once again." I said while scratching onto the duke’s shoulder, making him look at me.

"Yes, you can come with us too!!" The duke told me, holding onto my arm.

"But who will manage the mansion?" the duchess mentioned.

"Mother, it is only a day. Nothing will happen in a day," the duke said, making me smirk looking at the duchess.

"Ok, get ready fast. We will leave!" she said, while the duke left to his room to freshen up, leaving me and the duchess alone.

"You really are like a snail, you know!" the duchess said.

"Because I’m clingy?" I asked. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"No, but wherever you walk, you leave a sticky substance under you," the duchess said angrily.

"But you still would have known how beneficial snail mucin is for the skin, right?" I asked.

"You? And beneficial to me? The mansion? No, you can never be beneficial to me or my son. You are nothing but a pain in the head," the duchess said, growling.

"I’m not a pain mother-in-law, but I think the princess is in pain in my eye. She is eyeing a married man which she never supposed to do that. Do you think this is right?" I asked.

"She was destined to marry Alex!!!" The duchess pressed on her words.

"She was destined to, then why didn’t she get married to him? I didn’t come in her way, then why is she coming onto mine? Is this a new capital trend?" I said, making the duchess boil in anger.

"You will get what you deserve," she said and left my room in anger.

"I will get what I deserve. Yeah right!" I said as I saw her walking.

***

"Wife, come forward!" As I got out of the mansion, he extended his hand to escort me to the carriage, despite every eye keenly watching us.

"Duke, isn’t it embarrassing?" I asked, my voice a soft murmur.

"You are my wife. How could it be embarrassing for me?" he replied, causing my face to flush even more.

"Stop saying this! You don’t have a sense of saying things in front of people," I retorted, playfully hitting his stomach.

"What? Are you that shy seeing me express my feelings in public? Then how would you endure when I find those letters I’ve written to you in the last four years?" he teased, making my face flush even deeper.

"There, there, let me hide the face of my wife. It is only for me to see," he said, closing the curtains of the carriage window, casting a dim light as he continued to gaze at me.

"Are you staring at me for those left-over years?" I asked, looking away.

"Of course! You know how much I missed you in the past few years?"

"I always had a thought about why I came here. I always had those feelings: What if you bring up the topic of leaving me once again because I stayed away from you for such a long time? What if I enter the room and find it empty? What if you’ve left the dukedom, and I couldn’t find you? So many scary thoughts were running inside my head," he confessed with furrowed brows.

"I have something to talk about!" I said, becoming all serious.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What will you do if you realize that this marriage between you and me was nothing but a time-limited contract between two families?" I asked bluntly.

"Why do you ask like that?" he responded with a straight face.

"Answer me, Duke!" I pressed the question further.

"I won’t be able to tolerate it!" he declared, looking away, his face darkened.

"Clear your sentence!" I pressed.

As I insisted, he pulled me close to his lap once again. This was the second time I found myself so close to him, my heart thumping loudly. I was sure he could hear my heartbeat too.

"Duke, what are you doing? We are inside the carriage!" I protested, attempting to push him away.

"I know what I’m doing. So don’t even say a word!" he said, using his fingers to open my mouth, making my drool fall on his hand.

"Ummm!!" I moaned as his finger touched the upper part of my lips, making me tremble all over my body.

"How I was dying to see this look on your face, wife!" he said, gently rubbing the upper palate, making me clench into his knight uniform.

"How are you feeling, wife?" he asked, teasing me relentlessly.

"Umm, Duke, stop it!!" I struggled to speak, but the childish words escaping my mouth only made me flush even more.

"You’re embarrassed again? Such an innocent wife I’ve got!" he smirked, teasing me further.

As he removed his finger from my mouth, he began caressing it all over my lips, as if confirming something.

"Duke, what?" I asked, curious.

"Nothing, wife!" he replied, pulling me into another kiss.

His tongue explored every inch of my mouth, and my hand clung to his shoulder, overwhelmed by the sensation. His eyes were fixed on me, observing my expressions and enjoying his playful antics. I couldn’t help but wonder, where was this playful duke all these years?

"Are you having fun with this version of me?" he asked, our lips parting for a moment.

"Umm, no," I pouted.

"What do you think of doing all this to me? What if I get down from the carriage and people notice me like this? Isn’t it going to be embarrassing?" I voiced my concern.

"Just tell them your husband became so irresistible after not seeing his wife for more than four years," he whispered, teasing me again.

"I’m not shameless like you!" I retorted, attempting to leave my seat.

"Where are you going? Sit here, on my lap. I’m not going to eat you here," he said, smirking.

He was clearly enjoying himself. However, witnessing him express his love for me and me alone made my heart race repeatedly.

"Duke, we have reached!!!" the driver informed, prompting me to shift to make myself look more presentable.

"You’re in such a hurry, wife!" he remarked.

"You! Just wait!! I will deal with you once we return to the mansion," I threatened, trying to hastily exit the carriage.

After me, he got out but soon pulled me back by my waist, smiling in front of others.

"We were waiting for you, Duke!" the knights greeted him.

"We just met the other day. There’s no need to greet me so formally!" he coldly replied, a demeanor he had never shown towards me.

"Shall we go inside now, wife?" he then turned to me, smiling.

"Yes!" I replied, returning the smile as we proceeded inside.

"Don’t be so stiff! I’m here; nothing is going to happen with you here!" he reassured, clenching my palm tightly, instilling hope.

"You promise you’ll be with me in any situation?" I asked.

"Yes, I do!" he said. My heart once again felt so overwhelmed by his promise.