Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 77: Love my foot

Chapter 77: Love my foot

"Oh, poor Belle. Is that why you read the letter again?" Mia asked, her expression softening with concern as she pulled Belle into a warm hug.

"I am fine now," Belle replied, hugging her back and exhaling in relief. "With you here, I never have to worry."

"Ah! I have some very exciting news!" Mia suddenly exclaimed, sitting on the desk, her excitement bubbling over.

"Alright, tell me," Belle said with a small laugh, amused by Mia’s quick change in mood. She carefully packed the letter and ring back into the box, pushing it to the corner of the desk.

"You remember how everyone thought it was strange that the Duke stopped taking Sofia, the Duchess, with him everywhere? Well, it turns out we were right! He sent her packing the very night after you saw him again, after all this time."

Belle’s mouth fell open in shock. "What? Why?" She asked, leaning forward with sudden intrigue. Mia smirked, satisfied by Belle’s reaction. She had anticipated her interest and made sure to gather as much information as possible before coming to share the gossip.

"They say they argued about him frequenting brothels, and he got so angry that he sent her away. They signed the divorce papers two days ago, and the Duchess’s father even injured the Duke for mistreating his daughter!" Mia relayed, her tone gleeful despite the somber details.

Belle’s brows furrowed as her eyes wandered away, her thoughts swirling. Something about this didn’t sit right with her. She knew Quinn far too well. He would never visit brothels, not because of propriety, but because he loathed the very idea of them. For reasons she never understood, he despised women who sold their bodies, no matter the circumstance.

No, there was something amiss here. A lie hidden in the so-called truth.

"How I wish your father had been like that," Mia muttered, clenching her fists. "The Duke would have paid with his life for what he did."

"How badly is he injured? And did anyone actually see him visiting a brothel?" Belle asked, her tone suddenly laced with concern, which only made Mia frown.

"They say the Duchess’s father-in-law stabbed him in the side, but no one knows how deep the wound was. The Duke’s estate has been on lockdown since the incident. Oh, and apparently, he’s in the castle right now, and..."

Before Mia could finish her sentence, Belle had already bolted out of the room, leaving Mia wide-eyed in disbelief.

Shaking her head, Mia clicked her tongue and muttered under her breath, "Just go back to him already. It’s obvious you still love him." With that, she sighed and left the room as well.

Belle ran through the castle halls, paying no attention to the servants as she searched every corner for Quinn. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of worry and urgency driving her forward.

Minutes passed, and still, there was no sign of him. Frustrated, she decided to check the King’s study. Turning toward the path leading to the King’s quarters, she abruptly halted.

There he was, the one man she had been desperately searching for. Just as she had guessed, he was coming from the direction of the King’s chambers.

Both of them stood staring at each other, Belle, gasping for breath after running, and Quinn, standing still, his expression blank and unreadable.

As Belle began to walk toward him, his voice cut through the air. "Don’t take a step closer," he warned, freezing her in her tracks.

Startled, she asked, "Did you really go to a brothel? Why aren’t you denying the rumors? And that..." Her voice faltered as she gestured toward his side. "Are you okay?"

"You shouldn’t concern yourself with my affairs. It’s all settled now," he replied flatly and turned to leave. But Belle quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"I am not concerned," she said, her voice sharp with bitterness. "I am only worried about Sofia. You betrayed her, just like you betrayed me. Why do you keep doing this?"

"Maybe because it’s fun taking advantage of weak women like you," he sneered, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Her hand flew across his face before she could stop herself, the slap resounding in the quiet hallway. Her eyes burned with anger. "You are shameless! You deserve every bit of misfortune that comes your way. Your father-in-law should have stabbed you deeper," she spat, her judgment clouded by rage.

Quinn remained unfazed, his smirk deepening. "You still have the chance to finish the job," he said mockingly. "But of course, you are still hopelessly in love with me. You can’t let go of me, can you?"

"You have always been the delusional one," she retorted, her voice shaking. "In love with you? Love my foot!"

Turning on her heels, she made to leave, but his voice stopped her once again.

"You don’t have to worry about me anymore. A new trainer will be assigned to you, and I will be relocating back to my estate. You won’t have to be ’swayed’ again," he said, his tone cold and final.

She turned back to face him, her expression a mixture of surprise and something she couldn’t quite name. "So you have finally decided to quit pestering me? That’s... relieving to hear," she said, though her voice didn’t carry the conviction her words implied.

"Kia deserves you. He will treat you well," Quinn said before walking away, leaving her stranded in the hallway.

Belle stood still for a moment before letting out a sharp, bitter laugh, tears stinging her eyes. She blinked them away, refusing to cry.

"This is what I have always wanted, anyway," she muttered to herself, as if trying to convince her heart to believe her words. "It’s better now that he’s gone."

But her thoughts betrayed her. ’What could have happened to him? Were the rumors true, or were they just lies? Why is he trying so hard to hurt me? What did he discuss with the king?’

Dropping her hands to her head, she raked her fingers through her hair, desperately trying to find answers to the endless questions swirling in her mind. Quinn was not the type to give up, not on anything he set his mind to. Seeing him back off now, after all the promises he made, left her feeling uneasy. Did he fight with the king?

"I see you have gotten your heart broken," Mia’s voice rang out, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Belle turned to see Mia leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed as if she had been waiting for her arrival.

"Mia, something feels wrong. He’s leaving the castle, and I have been assigned a new trainer. Why do you think that is?" Belle asked hurriedly, rushing toward Mia, hoping for answers from her wiser friend.

Mia sighed, crossing her arms. "Probably because you were unconscious, but everyone knows the story by now. To save you, the Duke had to suck the venom out of your body. When you weren’t improving, he even put both of you half-naked...into a cold bathtub to counteract the venom’s effects," she revealed, her tone tinged with both gratitude and disapproval at the extremes Quinn had gone to.

Belle’s eyes widened in shock. "He sucked the venom?" She repeated, her voice trembling. "That must have affected him, too! What happened afterward?" She gripped Mia’s shoulders in a panic, the weight of Quinn’s actions sinking in. Suddenly, her own quick recovery made sense, he must have gone beyond his limits to ensure she was safe.

Mia rolled her eyes. "I don’t care if he dies. Why do you care?"

"He saved my life, Mia! Tell me what happened next!" Belle demanded, her voice raised, startling Mia with its urgency.

Realizing Belle was genuinely concerned, Mia’s expression grew serious. "The King imprisoned him for a few days to protect your dignity, but he was released soon after. They had some sort of private conversation, but no one knows what it was about," she explained.

Belle’s hands fell to her sides as the pieces began to fit together. Of course. That must have been when Quinn made a deal with the King, to stay away from her. It explained why the castle was so silent about her unconscious state. The King must have gone to great lengths to suppress any rumors.

Taking a determined step toward the castle entrance, Belle stopped when Mia grabbed her arm.

"What do you think you are doing?" Mia snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. "This is the same man who let you miscarry, who was sleeping with his mistress while you were on the verge of suicide. And now, you are moved by one act? One act that anyone who truly cared about you would have done?"

"No, I am not moved by it, Mia. I am just being human," Belle countered, her voice firm. "Who wouldn’t worry about someone who nearly died for them?"

Mia scoffed, shaking her head. "Would you have said the same thing a year ago? Get a grip, Belle. See through his tactics. This is just one fleeting action, and if you let him back into your life, he will hurt you all over again," she pleaded, her tone softening as she tried to reason with her friend.

"I am not giving him another chance," Belle replied, her voice resolute. "I am just... being human." Without waiting for Mia’s response, she pulled free from her grip and ran toward the castle gates, her heart pounding as her thoughts swirled.

By the time she reached the gates, she spotted Quinn in the distance, mounted on his horse. Before she could call out to him, the palace gates creaked open, and he rode away.

"Quinn..." she whispered softly, clutching her gown tightly as the sight of him disappeared beyond the horizon.