Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 60: King’s kiss

Chapter 60: King’s kiss

Belle’s eyes widened as her heart pounded furiously, her lips sealed in stunned silence. The moment overwhelmed her, and without thinking, she pushed Hezekiah away, startled by her own reaction.

"I...I am sorry, I...oh no!" She stammered, her words tumbling over themselves in a panic. Unable to face him or explain her abrupt action, she turned and fled, leaving Hezekiah behind.

He watched her retreating figure with an amused smile, his confidence unshaken. He knew she didn’t mean to reject him but had simply been too shocked. At times, he wondered if her past experiences had left her unprepared for even the smallest gestures of affection. For someone who had once carried a child and been married, her innocence when it came to romance was amusing, almost as though she had never truly experienced it.

Did Quinn even love her properly?

"Your Majesty, there is an emergency!" Steve’s voice interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

His expression darkened instantly, his mood souring. With a sneer, he spat, "Bloody vampires!" He didn’t need further explanation, they were the only creatures capable of creating such chaos.

"How bad is it? And where the hell is Quinn?!" He demanded as he began walking, his tone sharp with irritation. Steve followed closely behind, quick to respond.

"The situation isn’t dire yet, but Quinn sent a report. He must have sent a report to warn us in case the vampires try to play smart." Steve relayed.

Hezekiah came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him, his temper flaring. "He reported?" He repeated, his voice thick with annoyance.

Quinn’s arrogance grated on him. The man might be the strongest warrior in the kingdom, but even his strength had limits. Vampires were cunning, and their boldness of late hinted at something far more dangerous lurking behind their actions.

"Listen to me," Hezekiah said coldly, his voice razor-sharp. "I want Quinn back in this castle within the hour. I don’t care how he does it."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Steve replied promptly, vanishing to carry out the command.

---

Back in her chambers, Belle paced restlessly, her thoughts consumed by the kiss. It had been two minutes, but her mind played the scene over and over again, her emotions in turmoil.

For the first time, another man had kissed her, and yet it didn’t feel as she had imagined it would. It wasn’t thrilling or repulsive—it was...normal.

"Ugh!" She groaned, tugging at her hair in frustration. Why did she feel so confused?

"I am supposed to like the kiss, right?" She muttered aloud, trying to convince herself. "I mean, I am going to have his child, so this should feel normal. Right?" Her questions lingered in the air, unanswered.

Sinking onto her bed, she let out a hopeless sigh, staring at the ceiling as if it might offer her some clarity. "When a man kisses you, you are supposed to feel happy, aren’t you? Excited? Joyful?" She murmured, her voice tinged with doubt.

But she hadn’t felt any of those things. Instead, the kiss had left her unsettled, not because she hated it, but because it didn’t ignite any strong emotion in her. It had been an act she hadn’t anticipated, and she realized now that she hadn’t even considered what it might mean to kiss Hezekiah until tonight.

"Belle!" Just then, Mia burst into the room, her voice cheerful as she rushed toward her.

"Mia, you arrived just in time! I need your opinion on something." Belle sat up abruptly, grabbing Mia’s hand and pulling her to sit beside her.

"Oh, of course! I am all ears." Mia’s willingness to help shone through as she settled in, her gaze attentive.

Belle began cautiously, "Great. So, there’s this...friend of mine. Someone I met here in the castle. She got kissed by a man who..."

"The King kissed you?!" Mia blurted out, her shocked exclamation cutting Belle off.

Belle’s eyes widened in panic as she lunged forward to cover Mia’s mouth. The sudden motion sent them both toppling onto the bed, their laughter mingled with exasperation.

"Shh! What are you saying? I said, a friend! Watch your mouth!" Belle hissed, glaring at Mia as she kept her hand firmly in place.

Mia nodded in surrender, her muffled giggles subsiding. Finally, Belle released her, allowing Mia to sit back up and take a deep breath.

"All right, now tell me everything!" Mia demanded, her curiosity brimming.

"Well," Belle began, trying to sound casual, "he took her to this beautiful place, confessed his feelings, and even said he’d remove any obstacle that got in his way."

At this, Mia let out an excited giggle, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She knew full well Belle was talking about herself and the King but decided to humor her. Still, she couldn’t help but be surprised, Hezekiah had finally made a move after all this time. What had taken him so long? If he acted sooner, he wouldn’t be competing with that troublesome Alpha for Belle’s affection.

"Oh, I really hope he does get rid of the obstacle," Mia said with mock seriousness, her tone laced with a hint of mischief.

Belle smacked her shoulder lightly, glaring at her. "Mia! Don’t say such things!"

"What? You know as well as I do that the obstacle will only cause trouble. Better to deal with it now than regret it later," Mia replied matter-of-factly, shrugging as though it were the most obvious truth.

Belle sighed and shook her head, steering the conversation back to the real issue. "The problem is, my...uh, her...feelings. She didn’t feel any sparks or butterflies when he kissed her. It was...normal. And she stopped it before it could really begin. Why do you think that is?"

Mia tapped her chin thoughtfully, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Maybe this *friend* of yours is afraid of getting hurt. She might be so guarded that she’s unwilling to let herself feel anything."

Belle’s eyes darted nervously as she nodded a little too quickly. "Exactly! That must be it. I just...know her so well. It’s nothing personal." She cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Mia giggled, clearly enjoying herself. "Sure, Belle, nothing personal at all," she teased.

Belle frowned but said nothing, so Mia continued with a sly smile. "The truth is, your friend will only feel those sparks if she lets her guard down and gives the man a real chance. Funny, it’s almost identical to the advice I gave you once. What a coincidence!"

Belle coughed, covering her face with her hands as Mia’s laughter echoed through the room.