Chapter 7
Then, she turned to the Duke's estate guards.
"Help the Duke and Alana back to the estate," she ordered.
With that, she turned and walked away, not sparing me a single glance.
Her haughty demeanor made it seem like I was some charity case.
Alistair gave me a long, hard look.
There wasn't a shred of regret in his eyes.
Only hatred and a clear warning.
He held Alana close, and with the guards surrounding them, they turned and left in embarrassment.
A confrontation that could've rocked the world.
Yet it ended in the most anticlimactic way, fading out with barely a whisper.
Jayden was still seething, ready to charge after them.
I caught his arm, stopping him.
"Jayden, don't chase a desperate foe," I said quietly.
He turned to me, puzzled.
"We're really just letting them go?" he asked.
"What else could we do?" I replied coolly. "Do you really want to force the Duke into a corner and risk bringing the whole Williamson family down with him?"
Honestly, I never expected to make Alistair beg today.
What I wanted was to strip him of his dignity.
I wanted everyone in Regalville to see just how crazy and foolish Alistair was, all for the sake of a dancer.
I wanted this fire to burn even brighter.
I wanted the fire to rage so fiercely that even the powers in the palace would be forced to get involved.
I'd already gotten exactly what I wanted.
"Return to the estate," I said.
I turned and walked up the steps.
"Close the gates!" My father's voice sounded from behind me, authoritative and steady.
The two red-lacquered gates slammed shut once more.
With the gates slammed shut, all the storm and strife of Regalville were left outside.
I knew deep down.
This was just the beginning.
The real show was still ahead.
When we returned to the Chancellor's Estate, the tension in the air hadn't eased one bit.
My father, mother, and Jayden were all seated in the main hall, each showing their own emotions.
My mother was nothing but worried.
Jayden was still simmering with unresolved anger.
And my father's gaze was thoughtful and deep, lost in contemplation.
"Elsie, come here," my father called, waving me over.
I walked over and sat down beside him.
"You handled things well today," my father said, his voice full of approval.
I was a little surprised.
I thought he'd scold me for being too impulsive and not thinking about the bigger picture.
My father caught the look in my eyes and continued, "My daughter will never suffer such humiliation.
"If Alistair dares to throw the first punch, he'd better be ready for us to hit back even harder.
"Sure, the royal family's reputation matters, but our family's pride is something we'll never compromise on!"
My father's words filled me with warmth and reassurance.
Having their unwavering support behind me, across two lifetimes, was the greatest luck I could ever hope for.
"But," my father said, his tone shifting, "you need to really think about your next move. Now that Maliyah has personally gotten involved, things are about to get complicated.
"And the powers in the palace won't just stand by and let this slide, either."
I nodded.
"Father, I already know what to do," I replied.
"Oh?" My father arched an eyebrow. "Let's hear it then."
"Ending this marriage is absolutely necessary," I said, my voice steady and resolute.
I went on, "Alistair is narrow-minded, holds grudges, and always seeks revenge. After what happened today, he won't let me go, and he definitely won't spare the Williamson family either.
"Instead of letting things linger and giving him a chance to retaliate in the future, it's better to make a clean break and sever all ties now.
"Once we're no longer connected by family, this won't just be a family affair anymore. We'll be rivals on the political stage.
"Once we bring things out into the open, he won't be able to threaten us anymore."
My words left both Jayden and my father deep in thought, pondering what I'd said.
My mother looked confused, worry written all over her face as she watched me.
"But after you break things off, what will people say about you—" my mother asked.
"Mother," I interrupted softly, "my reputation was already the talk of Regalville the moment I kicked over that brazier yesterday and stood up to Alistair today.
"By now, everyone probably sees me as some shameless, jealous, and wild villainess. So why bother caring if they call me a 'cast-off wife' too?"
"Honestly," I said with a faint smile, "being known as 'bold' sounds pretty good to me."
Instead of being some sheltered girl everyone thought they could push around, I'd rather be a thorny rose someone people were actually wary of.
At least then, nobody would dare try anything with me.
My father looked at me, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He clearly hadn't expected me to mature so much, all in just one night.
"You're right," my father said, then nodded slowly.
"Better to take the initiative than sit back and wait," he added. "Tomorrow morning, I'll go before the King myself and ask for permission to end this marriage!
"In this matter, the Williamson family will make sure we stand on the side of righteousness!"
And just like that, it was settled.