Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 75: Selfish like him

Chapter 75: Selfish like him

"Now that you are awake, we can no longer delay the mating ceremony. Are you fine with it? A new blessed date has been chosen, and luckily, you are awake just in time," Maddie relayed, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Oh..." Belle muttered, the realization dawning on her. She had completely forgotten about the mating ceremony. They were now seated in Maddie’s chambers, having left the dining hall earlier to discuss this matter privately.

"Please go ahead and make the necessary preparations. I am sorry it took so long," Belle said apologetically, gesturing to convey her regret. She couldn’t help but blame herself for the delay. If she hadn’t agreed to sneak out with Mia that day, she wouldn’t have ended up unconscious for days.

"Thank you for understanding," Maddie said with a warm smile. "The King insists that you be in perfect health before the ceremony, so the physician will tend to you daily. You will also have sessions with Aurora’s governor maid to help prepare you."

"I am fine with that," Belle replied, earning a satisfied nod from Maddie. However, beneath Maddie’s calm demeanor, her heart was heavy. She felt terrible bringing this up so soon after Belle had awakened, but how else could she speed things along? The ominous message from the fortune teller weighed on her, and she was determined to prevent it from coming to pass.

After leaving Maddie’s chambers, Belle went to the garden in her quarters. She sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the sky as her mind spiraled with endless thoughts. So much had happened since Quinn’s sudden reappearance in her life, and she hated to admit that her resolve was wavering.

The same man she had surrendered her dignity for in the name of revenge was now trying to correct his mistakes. How could she possibly stay focused on her original goal when he kept chipping away at her determination? If he were still the man he had been a year ago, her path of vengeance would have been straightforward, free from doubt. But now...how could she bring herself to ruin his life when he seemed so intent on fixing hers?

Though she could never forgive him for letting her miscarry, she wasn’t sure she still had it in her to destroy him.

If only she could take Mia’s advice and be selfish. But wouldn’t that make her no different from the very people she despised, the ones who had pushed her this far in the first place? Hezekiah didn’t deserve to be used as a pawn in her revenge, and that was why she hesitated to accept his feelings. She feared she wouldn’t be able to love him the way he deserved to be loved. After all, she had only approached him with revenge in mind and had never envisioned him as a lover or a life partner.

But...what if she tried? Could she learn to love him?

Exhaling deeply, Belle lowered her head, a frown shadowing her features. She hated herself for allowing her convictions to waver. If only Quinn hadn’t resurfaced in her life, none of this would have happened.

"You are here!" Hezekiah’s voice broke through the stillness behind her, but Belle, lost in her thoughts, didn’t react, oblivious to his presence.

Quietly stepping closer, he reached out and gently covered her eyes, startling her. She gasped, sitting up straight as her heart raced, trying to identify the person behind her. The hands weren’t familiar like Mia’s. No... they were larger, rougher. A man’s hands. Could it be...?

"Qui...Quinn?" She called softly, her voice tinged with hesitation.

The smile on Hezekiah’s face instantly vanished, his hands dropping away at the mention of the name he thought...hoped he wouldn’t hear for a while.

"You must be worried about his whereabouts," he said, forcing a smile as he moved to sit beside her. Belle instinctively shifted to make room for him, her expression flickering with guilt when she saw it was him.

"Ah..." she muttered, realizing her mistake. She hated how easily she hurt him, even without meaning to. Why did it always seem to be him on the receiving end of her unintended slights?

"I am sorry," she began, her tone sincere. "You have never sneaked up on me before, so he was the only daring person I could think of." She tried to explain, hoping to soothe the tension, but her words only deepened Hezekiah’s frustration.

He knew he should be patient, that he should try to understand her lingering feelings. But with every passing day, it grew harder to suppress the bitterness building inside him. Why did it always have to be Quinn? Why not him?

"I don’t want to understand, Belle. Can I also be inconsiderate and selfish like him?" His sudden question caught her off guard, his voice carrying an edge she wasn’t used to hearing. Her eyes widened in surprise, sensing a shift in his demeanor. Something about him felt... different.

"I am sorry for making you uncomfortable," she said quickly, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "I won’t mention his name near you again." She hoped her words would ease the tension, but instead, his gaze grew more intense.

"I don’t want an apology, Belle," he replied, his voice firm. "I want you to treat me the way you treat him. It’s unbearable watching you slip through my fingers when I am holding you so close."

His words left her speechless. She swallowed hard, a wave of anxiety washing over her as she struggled to find the right response. The atmosphere had become too heavy, too serious.

"I..." she began, but he interrupted her again.

"But I guess it will always be him and not me," he said bitterly, the pain in his voice making her heart ache.

Belle sighed, rising to her feet in frustration. "I don’t understand why you feel like this is a competition between you and him."

"Isn’t it?" He shot back, cutting her off again.

Her eyes flickered between annoyance and guilt. "No, it’s not," she insisted firmly. "It never was, not since the moment I signed that contract. Would your mind be at ease only after you have had sex with me? Will all of these doubts disappear only when I conceive? This contract’s foundation is revenge, Hezekiah. Why do you keep swaying us from that?"

Her voice trembled with frustration as she vented, her words filling the space between them. But instead of lessening the tension, it only seemed to heighten it, leaving them both standing on unsteady ground.

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