Belle awoke to the sound of soft humming and instinctively pressed a hand to her forehead, hoping to soothe the throbbing ache.
"Stop humming," she murmured, though Mia, lost in her task, failed to hear.
"Please, Mia, enough!" She said a bit louder, her voice strained by the pain.
"My lady!" Mia finally noticed, rushing over to help her sit up, concern evident on her face.
"You frightened me," Mia said as she steadied her, her expression so full of worry that it left Belle puzzled.
"Why? What happened…" Belle began, but her words faltered as a vivid memory surfaced. She looked at Mia, her eyes wide with shock, trying to make sense of how she was still alive.
Grasping Mia's hands, she asked urgently, "I fell from the rooftop. How am I still here?"
"The King saved you. He happened to visit to congratulate the Duke on his victory and caught you just in time," Mia replied with a relieved smile, though Belle felt only confusion.
She couldn't recall any rescue, only the sensation of falling. How could she not remember such an event?
"Are you certain it was the King who saved me?" She questioned, her gaze piercing, skepticism lacing her tone. She wanted to believe it was the Duke who saved her from leaving, creating another false hope in her.
"Yes, he carried you here himself, unwilling to trust your care to anyone else," Mia confirmed, hoping it would comfort her, but Belle's expression remained troubled.
"Were you truly planning to end your life over an unworthy man?" Mia asked after a pause, her voice tinged with frustration. She had known Belle since childhood, and it pained her to see her so broken. Not even when her father had almost raped her had Belle shown such despair. Mia silently prayed Belle would reclaim her happiness and abandon a man who held no regard for her.
"Is the King still here?" Belle asked, intending to thank him later.
"You were unconscious for two days. He left yesterday, though he wished to check on you. However, your mate insisted on visiting him only once you recovered, though we all know that was a lie," Mia replied with a frown, irritated by the Duke's interference.
"Did he come to see me while I was unwell?" Belle asked a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"Not for a moment. He was always with his new lover, and they made a spectacle of themselves wherever they pleased. It was suffocating," Mia disclosed with a look of disgust.
"I see," Belle murmured, her voice laced with disappointment, yet a faint smile touched her lips as a new clarity dawned upon her. It was as if reality had finally settled in, and, strangely, she felt more at peace.
"What do you intend to do now?" Mia asked, noticing the purposeful gleam in Belle's eyes. She recognized that smile, it was not one of resignation but of resolve. Belle was surely forming a new plan.
"I intend to put an end to it all," she declared, and Mia felt her heart lurch, already dreading the thought of Belle contemplating such drastic measures once more.
Without a moment's hesitation, Mia rose to her feet and took a step closer to Belle, exclaiming, "Absolutely not! Are you devoid of reason? This man holds no care for you! Why consider surrendering your life on his account? Such a loss would be yours alone, for he would proceed with his life, fathering children and living happily with another. Karma is but an illusion!" She raised her voice, hoping to shake Belle from her delusions. What, indeed, was amiss with her?
"Whoever said I meant to end my life?" Belle replied, chuckling as she rose from the bed, her laughter piquing Mia's curiosity.
"Then, pray tell, what does 'end it all' signify?" Mia asked, lifting her brows, a glimmer of hope beginning to dawn.
"A divorce," Belle announced with an air of finality, and Mia's face lit up with exhilaration.
"At last, you see the reason! We shall soon depart from here, I have countless ideas for ventures," Mia declared, envisioning the brighter future that awaited, and Belle offered her a gentle smile in return.
"Prepare me, if you please, for I must speak with him."
…
Having composed herself, Belle soon found herself proceeding towards the Duke's quarters, her calm demeanor raising the eyebrows of the astonished maids.
"Allow me entry, or I shall see to it myself," she instructed the guards at his door, smiling sweetly. They exchanged wary glances, recalling her last visit and reluctantly stepping aside. She murmured a word of thanks before making her way into the Duke's chamber.
Once inside, she took a deep breath and closed the door behind her, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Now was her moment.
"Duke Quinn, I apologize for the intrusion, but I assure you I shall not consume much of your time," she began, standing a few paces from the bed, already catching a hint of the heavy perfume of intimacy lingering in the air.
To her surprise, the Duke emerged from the bathroom, clad in nothing but a towel about his waist, momentarily distracting her. Two days prior, in her state of distress, she had scarcely registered his form before her. But now, she could clearly behold the physique she had missed in his absence of two months.
"Do come back," a woman's soft voice sounded, abruptly bringing Belle back to the present. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes.
"I apologize for disturbing you both, yet I have a matter of great importance to convey," she said, raising her gaze to meet his, as he regarded her with a vacant expression.
"I seek a divorce."