Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 55: Standing too close

Chapter 55: Standing too close

While Belle prepared for her first training session, Mia burst into her room unannounced, causing Belle to let out a startled shriek.

"Belle! I have good and bad news!" Mia exclaimed as she hurried to Belle’s side, her eyes alight with excitement. Belle couldn’t help but be curious. What could have made Mia so joyful? If they were at the Duke’s estate, Belle might have guessed easily, but life at the castle had been different. Mia had changed, too, more polished and composed, though Belle missed the carefree closeness they once shared.

"Good news first," Belle decided, folding her arms as she waited. Mia took a deep breath before smiling broadly.

"The good news is that I have been assigned a trainer, too, so we can train together and carry out our plan to torment Quinn. The bad news..." She paused dramatically, her excitement faltering. "He’s your trainer."

Belle’s eyes widened in dismay. Of all the elite forces in the castle, why did it have to be him? Was it some scheme on his part, or could Mia have misheard the information?

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Belle questioned, her worry etched across her face. But Mia remained unfazed, shrugging off her concern. She understood Belle’s reluctance, she didn’t want to hurt Quinn, she only wanted to be free of him. But how could she achieve that without confronting him fully?

"The King himself summoned me," Mia explained. "He told me to stay with you during training, day and night. He doesn’t trust Quinn not to try anything, though apparently, Quinn has promised to stop chasing you."

Belle scoffed, catching only the last part of Mia’s explanation. "Stop chasing me?" She repeated incredulously, her voice dripping with disbelief. "That man? Give me a break." She shook her head, her disdain apparent. So much for a man who wouldn’t quit, he certainly knew how to play his cards.

Her gaze darkened as she made a sudden decision. "Fine. Let’s carry out our plan. I am in." Her tone was steely, and her eyes glimmered with a calculated determination. If Quinn wanted to play games, she would join in, but on her terms. She wasn’t just going to toy with him, she planned to make him feel every ounce of pain he had caused her.

"That’s the spirit!" Mia cheered, spinning around the room in gleeful celebration. She was more than ready to set their plan in motion.

After a moment of self-preparation, Belle interrupted. "We shouldn’t be late for training, should we?" She said pointedly. Mia nodded and quickly composed herself, standing at Belle’s side. Together, they left the room and made their way to the training grounds.

Upon arrival, the area was eerily quiet. They exchanged glances, puzzled by the absence of activity. Given that they were late, Belle expected to see others already at work, but there was no one in sight.

"Did we come to the wrong place?" Mia asked, pouting slightly.

Belle shook her head firmly. "This is the right spot. I checked it out yesterday." But her confidence only led to more questions. Quinn had still been missing when she scouted the grounds. How, then, had he become her trainer so suddenly? Could it be that he had never been missing at all, returning only for this purpose?

They ventured further in, scanning their surroundings. Still, there was no one in sight, and they were about to turn back when a sharp voice rang out behind them.

"There’s a punishment for lateness."

Startled, they whipped their heads toward the direction of the voice, their hearts pounding.

"Ray?!" Mia exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief as she saw the figure on the training ground. Wait a second, her trainer’s name was Raymond. Ray could be short for Raymond. How had she not realized that earlier?

Clearing her throat and masking her surprise, she squared her shoulders and shot him a bold look. "We were here first. How does that count as late? And where is the Duke?" She retorted, trying to sound tough despite the sinking feeling in her chest.

"We train elsewhere. Follow me," Ray said curtly, ignoring her question entirely. He turned and began walking away without so much as a glance to check if she was following.

"Why can’t we just train here?" Mia yelled after him, exasperated. But Ray was already too far gone, leaving her to fume in frustration. How could their plan work if she wasn’t by Belle’s side? She was certain this was Quinn’s doing. That scheming pervert must have orchestrated this, but she wouldn’t let him win.

"Belle, no matter what, don’t fall for his sweet words," Mia instructed firmly, gripping Belle’s shoulders. Her gaze then dropped to Belle’s waist. Placing her hands there, she added with a devilish smile, "You can always use it if necessary. Not enough to kill him, but enough to make him stop pestering you."

Belle couldn’t help but smile back, amused by Mia’s fierce energy. If Mia were in her place, Belle had no doubt she would never let anyone walk all over her. Mia’s confidence and capability were so impressive that Belle sometimes wondered if she was even a woman.

"Go on now, before you get punished. Ray isn’t exactly a gentleman," Belle urged, giving Mia a gentle push until she finally relented and left.

"Finished chatting?" Quinn’s deep voice emerged from the shadows, startling Belle. She flinched, placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart.

"Can we start already? I don’t have all day, Your Grace," she snapped coldly, her voice sharp as ice.

Quinn stepped into the light, coming to stand before her. His gaze flickered to the dagger clumsily hanging from her belt, and a smile tugged at his lips.

"You would hurt yourself before you get a chance to hurt me," he pointed out dryly. Then, without waiting for her response, he moved toward the table of bows and arrows a few steps away.

Belle, embarrassed, tried to shift the dagger behind her, but the loose belt only made it slide back into view. She bit her lip in frustration. Why did Mia have to give her such a poorly-fitted dagger belt?

"Here, let me help," Quinn offered suddenly, already stepping closer and reaching for her dagger.

Belle gasped, startled by how quickly he had closed the distance. "I... I can handle it," she stammered, dropping her hands over his to stop him but withdrawing them just as quickly.

Quinn’s smile deepened as he leaned in closer, his hands skillfully adjusting the belt. His touch was calm and assured, though his proximity made her pulse quicken.

"You are standing too close," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.