23 The Unforeseen Bond

"What if I don't?"

A smirk formed on my lips. My conscious mind was telling me that I had heard something wrong, but it was the correct sentence. Why? Why was he asking something he wasn't going to uphold? Did he truly view me as a game?

"Madam?" I snapped out of my thoughts.

"What if you don't? Is that what you want to know?" I asked again.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then before I answer your question, you should answer mine as well," I said while crossing my legs in front of me.

I leaned onto the couch.

"Why won't you divorce me? I don't think I'm beneficial to you, do you?"

"Even my brother Excalibur has the power which I don't have."

"In the Duclea Empire, women don't have much authority; they're expected to maintain the household. So, why would you want to keep someone who is of zero use to you?"

"We don't have the so-called love bond either, so why?"

"Why is the young Duke, who has achieved so much at such a young age, acting so persistently?"

I felt like I was pushing it too far, as he could simply say it was his wish to keep me or discard me, but I couldn't stop myself from asking questions that made me feel even more pathetic and useless than before.

"Madam, I think you are misunderstanding," he said in a calm voice.

It was as if he wasn't feeling pressured to answer my questions, as he already had the answers, unlike me.

"As you know, I promised the Marquis I would take care of you. I will take responsibility for you as long as I can. So, I may not be able to fulfill the conditions you wrote."

He said this and stood up.

Was he going to refuse like this?

"Wait a minute!" I stopped him.

"If you are going to ask the same thing, then I would like to apologize once more," he said.

"Yes, it is about this, but I would also like to say one more thing that you can't ignore but accept," I said.

I still wasn't aware of what I was going to say, but I needed to.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was chosen to be the Holy Knight." Damn, did I just seek the help of the god? Did I really?

"Holy Knight?" he asked.

"Yes, I had a dream of the God Lunar, who assigned me the task. So, I don't think I should be away from the temple as long as I have the Holy Sword with me," I spoke.

I knew I didn't have the Holy Sword with me right now. What if he asked me to show the Holy Sword? What should I do? Should I make excuses, like saying it is inside the temple and that's why I need to return there?

"Is this why your luggage was giving off a shining aura all along?" he said.

Shining aura? When? No, not when, but why? I was sure I didn't take it with me, but I had dropped into the god's world.

"Excuse me!"

I ran downstairs to find my luggage. I wasn't sure where it was, but I searched for it frantically.

"Madam, are you searching for something?" Grant asked.

"Yeah, where are the things I bought?" I kept looking around while answering.

"We have sent them to your room," he answered.

"Which room?" I asked.

"The maids will show you the way," he said, but I didn't care and shouted, "I asked where the room is, not for the maids."

I sounded annoyed, but this felt more important to me than oxygen.

"Go straight, then it's the third room on the right," he didn't even finish the sentence, but I ran. My dress kept getting in my way, but I kept holding it up near my knees.

"Damn the dress!!!!!" I cursed and tore the wedding dress again.

"Duchess," I could hear many voices screaming at the way I was acting, but this didn't stop me. I finally reached my room and began opening all the stuff I had bought until I saw the shining sword, which was emitting a silver aura and blinding my eyes.

It had a shining stone embedded in the handle, indicating that it could be none other than the Holy Knight's sword.

"Is this the Holy Sword?" I heard his voice.

"Yes, it is," I said while touching the sharp edges.

I cut my finger while touching it.

"Madam, be careful!" he shouted, panicked, just like before.

"You don't need to act this much," I said, turning toward him. But as I turned back to the sword, it observed my blood and placed the moon mark on my neck.

"What is it? Did it just mark me as its owner?" I took a step back from the sword.

"Yes, Bernice Balliol Agnes, from now on you are my master. Every wish you have should be followed by me without any questions asked," the sword spoke?

Yeah, the sword spoke!

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm the Holy Sword, Erios," it said.

"Erios?"

"Yes, that's my name, and only my master can call me by that name," it said.

"I'm not your master," I spoke.

"You are my master. I have come all the way to guard you," it said, making me massage my head.

Just what on earth is going on?

Did God do all this?

If he did, I swear. I fucking swear I'm going to kill the Lunar god, even if it means killing myself once more.

"It is not God's doing."

"It is you who called me here, Bernice Balliol Agnes."

I did this? When? I refused to be the Holy knight, right? Then why is the holy sword with me when it should be with the god? Why is it calling me its master when its master is the almighty god? Or did I unconsciously accept something I shouldn't have done?