Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 122: Position

Chapter 122: Position

"They may not be like any normal village, but he is lying," Quinn declared before suddenly hurling the man against the wall, pressing his elbow against his chest.

"W—what ar—are you doing?" The man stammered, struggling to breathe.

"Quinn! What are you doing?! Let him go!" Belle commanded, bewildered by his sudden aggression.

Quinn ignored her, his gaze locked onto the man. "Will you tell her, or shall I?"

The man’s expression shifted and, "I knew you were not ordinary, just didn’t expect you to be this smart." Bursting into laughter that made Belle’s mouth part in shock. So he had been acting all along? No wonder he seemed to be willing to divulge information without even knowing their identities.

Determined, she stepped forward and seized a fistful of his hair, yanking it sharply. "Tell me the truth, or I will make you bald," she threatened, her voice laced with fury.

The man winced but finally confessed, "Everything I said was true... except for one thing, we sell the babies to the witches for money."

Belle’s grip tightened. That was too small a confession. "Then how do these babies actually end up abandoned?" She demanded. "And don’t you dare leave out a single detail." Another tug made the man cry out in pain.

Quinn smirked, impressed. Even with a baby in her arms, Belle showed no hesitation. She looked every bit the fierce protector, a mother, and a wife. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, ’Would she have held our child the same way?’

The man exhaled shakily before revealing, "Whenever a pregnant woman seeks refuge here, we let her give birth... then we kill her. We leave the baby in the alley so the villagers believe she abandoned it and moved on."

Belle’s blood boiled. "You heartless wretch! How much would a baby’s life be worth for you to rip it from its mother?!" She shouted, shaking him in outrage.

The man managed to shove her aside and made a run for it, but Belle wasn’t finished. There was no escaping until he set things right and restored sanity back into the village.

"Hold this baby and do not let him cry," she ordered, shoving the infant into Quinn’s arms before taking off after the man.

Quinn instinctively caught the baby, his protest cut short as Belle disappeared in pursuit. Stiffly, he glanced down at the small bundle staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

If children could read minds, this one would likely despise him. Unsure of what to do, he simply observed the baby, watching as it cooed and grabbed at his fingers.

"No wonder she fell for you," he murmured, studying the child’s tiny features. "But I don’t like sharing—we need to find you some new parents."

As if understanding, the baby giggled and placed a small hand on Quinn’s face.

Quinn frowned. "Why are you laughing? I am a bad guy, you hear me?" But the baby only giggled louder, oblivious to the man holding him.

"What exactly is cute about these dumb things?" Quinn muttered, shaking his head. The baby, oblivious to the insult, burst into laughter, and despite being annoyed, Quinn found a small smile tugging at his lips.

Watching the child so naive and happy stirred something in him—something he hadn’t expected. It reminded him of Belle’s original self, the way she had been before he had broken her. She was just as innocent as this child once, and now he understood why he had taken advantage of that innocence.

Babies were powerless. They couldn’t fend for themselves. Even if they were abandoned, sold, or killed, they would still giggle and smile, unaware of their fate—just as Belle had been, trusting him blindly. But at least now, she was standing up for herself. That much, he was glad for.

A sudden cry of pain rang through the street.

"Ahh!" The sound of a person being beaten.

Quinn smirked. "Your temporary mum seems to be in a bad mood," he quipped, then strolled toward the commotion, the baby still in his arms.

"You will reveal your crimes to the villagers yourself, or I will help you but with your legs missing," Belle threatened, now straddling the man, her fingers flexing in preparation.

"You lunatic! Do you think I will be spared if I confess?!" the man shouted, his voice raw with desperation. "I didn’t start this! My great-grandfathers did, it’s always been this way, why take it out on me?!"

Belle’s jaw tightened. "And you don’t even feel guilty, do you?" Her tone turned cold. "Fine. We will do this the hard way."

She stood up, gripping his right leg, ready to snap it when—

"Alright! Alright!! Don’t break it!!! I will confess!!" The man’s cries turned to sobs, tears spilling from his eyes.

"Good." Belle’s expression remained impassive. "And you will do it now."

The man’s eyes widened in horror. "Now? At least give me time to prepare! I can’t face them like this!"

Belle had no patience for his whining. With a swift strike, she knocked him unconscious, then grabbed his leg and began dragging him toward the square.

"We need to gather the villagers," she said, reaching Quinn’s side.

Without a word, Quinn mindlinked his men. After a few seconds, he turned to her and said, "It’s done. Let’s go to the Market Square."

Belle nodded, but her gaze flickered to the baby still in his arms, and she barely held back a laugh. Quinn was carrying it like it was some kind of infection, holding it away from his body instead of cradling it properly. Anyone who saw him would immediately realize that was his first time holding a child.

"Let’s go," she said, amusement evident in her tone as they made their way toward the square.

Moments later, the baby started crying.

Quinn, utterly lost, frowned down at the tiny creature in his hands. "I think it needs you," he muttered.

"Just pet him. He will stop crying," Belle replied, intentionally leaving the baby with him, just to see him struggle.

Quinn sighed in exasperation. Staring down at the child, he deadpanned, "I will give you a position in my command if you stop crying."

Belle snorted.