84. Imprisonment

“My God.”

Psyche collapsed, covering her face with her hands.

The divorce papers were something she had recently reviewed, intending to dispose of them after a quick look. She hadn’t even given much thought to divorce, but seeing them in Clint’s hands shook her to the core.

“You, really!”

Her voice came out high-pitched.

It felt like everything she had been trying to do was being laid bare, and Psyche felt equally exposed and uncomfortable.

Why did he have her contraceptives and divorce papers?

With a despairing look, she raised her eyes slowly to Clint, who was staring at her intensely.

She spoke as if resigned to her fate.

If he had the divorce papers, there was nothing else to think about.

“You were spying on me… You said you trusted me… Was that all a lie?”

She remembered asking him many times if he trusted her. But now, she couldn’t even recall his face when he answered.

Clint let out another bitter laugh.

“I’m more amazed that you thought you could keep this hidden.”

Indeed, if he set his mind to it, it was only a matter of time before he found out everything.

What good would any words do in this situation? Psyche thought bitterly.

Like a beautiful sandcastle on the beach washed away by a single wave, their relationship felt fragile and insubstantial.

Psyche thought their relationship was just like that beautiful sandcastle.

What had seemed like a good relationship was just a façade. She wasn’t unaware of this, but facing it now made her feel sorrowful.

Psyche stopped speaking and looked at him with sad eyes.

How much could they truly understand each other through words? Maybe it was impossible from the beginning.

Clint grew angrier as Psyche fell silent. He felt that it would be better if she screamed and shouted with him.

Seeing her sitting there, it felt as if she had completely given up on their relationship, making Clint’s heartache and anger boil over.

He ended up shouting again.

“Then you should have done it without me knowing! If you wanted to hide it, you should have done it without me knowing!”

He threw the divorce papers in his hand.

“It would have been better if I hadn’t known—”

The weightless papers fluttered down slowly.

“…”

Clint watched the divorce papers fall helplessly, but then he suddenly stopped, as if struck by thunder.

“It would have been better if I didn’t know.”

It was his father’s voice.

His father had said that when confronted with his mother’s affair.

The phrase “It would have been better if I hadn’t known” cut through him like a sharp knife.

“Ha…”

He staggered back a few steps.

He couldn’t believe he had said the same thing as his father, whom he so despised.

His painful childhood memories overlapped with his recent words, suffocating him.

Suddenly, his father’s face, which he hadn’t recalled clearly for a long time, came into sharp focus.

He remembered the lonely and sad look on his father’s face.

Yes, his father, always cold as ice, had looked like he was about to cry when he said that.

“No way.”

Clint wondered if his father had truly loved his mother. He shook his head, unwilling to dwell on the past. There was no need to think deeply about it. What happened between his parents was over and done with.

Right now, there were more important matters than his parents.

Seeing Psyche sitting emotionlessly, Clint swallowed hard. He took a small breath and steadied himself.

He didn’t want to become like his father.

He didn’t want to repeat his father’s mistakes.

Even if his father had loved his mother, it changed nothing. The previous Duke had done unforgivable things.

Clint was determined not to repeat the tragic steps of his parents.

His expression shifted from anger to something cold and unfeeling, a change that Psyche noticed.

Clint walked slowly towards her.

The sound of his steps was dry and deliberate.

Kneeling before Psyche, he met her eyes and spoke in a calm tone, as if nothing had happened.

“Duchess, this act violates our contract.”

“…Contract?”

Psyche repeated his words, confused by the sudden shift.

Ah, the contract. She repeated it dully, without emotion.

“Yes. You are obliged to bear me a child, and contraceptives…”

“….”

His brow furrowed slightly as he said the word ‘contraceptives,’ but his expression soon returned to normal.

“You have broken the most important rule between us.”

Despite his stern tone, Clint gently touched her cheek, even managing a faint smile as he continued.

“You must face the consequences for this, Duchess.”

It wasn’t unexpected.

Taking contraceptives completely invalidated their contract.

“I’ve already ordered all herbs and tea leaves for making contraceptives to be disposed of. Don’t think you can continue such schemes behind my back.”

His voice was soft but carried a strong warning.

After caressing her cheek softly, Clint stood up slowly.

“This is for our contract. Don’t hold it against me.”

Clint snapped his fingers, and the door opened as the butler entered.

Psyche watched silently as Clint gave his orders.

“Increase the number of guards around the Duchess’s bedroom.”

“Excuse me?”

The butler asked, puzzled by the strange command.

“The Duchess’s health is not good, so she must not leave the room for the time being.”

“Clint!”

Psyche shouted, realizing what he intended to do.

He was planning to confine her to her room.

The words ‘increase the guards’ and ‘must not leave’ echoed in her ears. Adding that her health was poor was just a facade; it was clear she was being imprisoned.

He truly intended to lock her up.

Ignoring Psyche’s cry, Clint continued giving orders.

“Assign someone to report everything the Duchess does, what she eats, and where she goes every day.”

“What are you saying, Your Grace…”

The butler asked, still not comprehending, but Clint didn’t wait for him to finish.

“You must report everything about the Duchess to me.”

“Your Grace?”

Despite what Psyche had done, Clint had no intention of letting her go. He was more concerned that she might really leave him because of this incident.

He didn’t want to follow in his parents’ footsteps.

So, this was the best course of action for him.

After giving his commands, Clint walked past the butler and out of the room.

Psyche quickly stood up and grabbed his arm.

“Are you planning to lock me up?”

“….”

Clint looked down at her hand on his arm and coldly removed it.

“Yes. If that’s what it takes.”

“Clint!”

Her face was one of utter disbelief.

“First you run away, and now this…”

Clint couldn’t bring himself to mention contraceptives or divorce papers in front of the butler, so he fell silent.

Running a hand over his face, he looked at her with cold eyes again.

“How can I know what else you might be planning?”

“But this is wrong!”

Ignoring her protests, Clint walked out.

He was terrified she might really leave him this time.

He still didn’t understand the root of his feelings. He was simply obsessed with keeping her by his side.

Psyche stood there, watching the bewildered butler follow Clint out.

“Ha…”

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed on the spot.

As Clint left, Alexa entered and rushed to Psyche.

“Duchess! Are you alright?”

“Ugh…”

Psyche made a retching sound as her stomach turned.

“Ugh…”

She felt suffocated.

The emotions bottled up inside her felt like they were about to explode, causing her immense pain.

“Duchess!”

Alexa tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

“Ugh… Ah…”

Psyche vomited up a mix of sobs and distress.

Meanwhile, Clint’s orders were being carried out meticulously.

The Duke’s knights were lined up in front of Psyche’s bedroom, and besides Alexa, a ‘Madame Rosa’ was assigned to watch over her under the guise of supervision.