The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 25

THE WISH OF A CURSED MAN

THERE ONCE WAS A MAN, BORN TO RICHES, BUT DOOMED TO LIVE A TRAGIC LIFE.

ALTHOUGH HE HAD SO MUCH, HE APPRECIATED NOTHING...

...BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT NOTHING HE HAD COULD EVER BRING HIM HAPPINESS.

I'M SORRY, FATHER!

YOU WOULDN'T BE SPILLING SUCH PATHETIC TEARS...

IF YOU TRULY UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU DID WRONG, EDWIN.

FATHER, PLEASE...! LET ME OUT!

AND BECAUSE NO ONE HAD EVER WISHED HIM ANY HAPPINESS...

...HE NEVER THOUGHT TO WISH IT FOR HIMSELF.

INSTEAD, HE DEVOTED HIMSELF TO AN INTENSE, BURNING DESIRE.

HE ALLOWED HIS GOOD NAME TO FALL FROM GRACE, SWALLOWING HIS PRIDE TO WALLOW IN FILTH AND BLOOD...

HE CHASES AFTER THE QUEEN LIKE A DOG!

HE’S NOT EVEN FIT TO BE HER LOVER!

HE'S A DISGRACE TO THE GOOD HOUSE OF BRISTON.

...AND HIS MOTHER'S DEATH BURNED AWAY WHAT REMAINED OF HIS HEART.

DUKE MOOR IS THE ONE WHO SENT THOSE ASSASSINS, NOT ME!

PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!

EVENTUALLY...

LET'S NEVER FIGHT AGAIN, EDWIN.

TAKE THIS WINE, AND LET US TOAST TO OUR REUNION.

...HE REALIZED THAT WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS LOVE...

HAD BEEN NOTHING BUT DESPAIR, ALL ALONG.

LIAR.

ABANDONED BY THE WORLD, HE DRANK FROM THE POISONED CHALICE...

JOIN ME IN HELL, ELIZE.

...KISSED THE LIPS OF DESPAIR...

...AND WILLINGLY PLUMMETED DOWN TO HELL.

WHERE IS THIS PLACE?

IT'S NOTHING BUT PITCH BLACK, ALL AROUND.

BUT I'M DEAD, AREN'T I?

THEN, COULD THIS BE HELL?

"WHAT A GREAT STORY."

"BUT I FEEL A LITTLE BAD FOR THE MALE LEAD."

"HOW COULD YOU FEEL BAD FOR HIM?"

WHAT'S GOING ON?

WHOSE VOICES ARE THESE?

"HE ABANDONED HIS FAMILY AND EVEN BECAME A MURDERER, ALL FOR JUST SOME WOMAN."

"HE DOESN'T DESERVE A HAPPY ENDING."

"BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A MAN WHO'S WILLING TO DESTROY HIMSELF FOR LOVE."

"WHAT A STORY!"

"WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT THIS STORY?"

"IT'S EXCITING."

"I WOULD HAVE JUST GIVEN UP ON ELIZE, IF I WERE EDWIN."

"WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS BORING.

STOP IT! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!!!

IT WAS AS IF MY SOUL WAS BEING SLASHED INTO PIECES BY A MYRIAD OF INVISIBLE BLADES.

ONLY MUCH LATER, AFTER I HAD COMPLETELY LOST MYSELF...

DID I REALIZE THAT WHAT I WAS HEARING WERE THE SOUNDS OF A BOOK BEING OPEN AND SHUT.

WHILE LISTENING TO THE UNFAMILIAR VOICES THAT JUDGED EVERY ASPECT OF ME AND MY LIFE...

I CAME TO REALIZE SOMETHING.

ALL OF MY LIFE'S CHOICES, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT OR AGONIZING THEY FELT AT THE TIME...

...HAD BEEN NOTHING BUT A PART OF A PREDETERMINED ROUTE TO SELF DESTRUCTION.

I WAS DENIED EVEN THE PEACE OF DEATH...

THIS IS MY "CURSE"...

...DOOMED TO AN EVERLASTING EXISTENCE AS A DEVICE CREATED SOLELY FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF OTHERS.

MY LIFE WAS NOT MY OWN. IT BELONGED TO A NAMELESS AUTHOR AND HER FACELESS READERS.

POOR EDWIN.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO WASTE MY LOVE ON SOMEONE LIKE YOU?

WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN SPARE ANY LOVE FOR YOURSELF?

WHAT YOU FELT TOWARD ME WASN'T LOVE.

YOU WERE JUST A CHILD THROWING A TANTRUM...

BECAUSE TO YOU, I WAS JUST A TOY YOU COULDN'T HAVE.

NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU, EDWIN.

THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!

HE ONLY WANTED YOU AS A TOY?

BUT YOU NEVER EVEN GAVE HIM A CHANCE, ELIZE!

HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT WAY ABOUT EDWIN...

WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS...

SOMEONE DOES LOVE YOU, EDWIN.

OR, AT LEAST I DO. I LOVE YOU, EDWIN.

AND I PROMISE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.

WHO, ME? BUT I'M JUST A CHARACTER IN A BOOK.

WHO'D GO SO FAR TO DEFEND ME?

AND WHY...?

AND WHEN I OPENED MY EYES AGAIN...

...IT WAS JULY 7TH, AND I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD.

EDDIE...?

EDDIE? EDWIN?

WHAT'S WRONG? ARE YOU FEELING SICK?

HOW BEAUTIFUL...

EDDIE! WHAT'D WRONG?

AND THIS WAS THE UNFORGETTABLE DAY THAT I GOT MY SECOND CHANCE.

I KNEW THIS WORLD WAS MADE UP OF NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF WORDS IN A BOOK, BUT IT STILL FELT SO WARM AND BRIGHT.

I'M FINE, MOTHER...

AND SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK...

...I'VE BEEN TRYING MY BEST TO AVOID MY PAST MISTAKES.

I CHOSE TO LIVE AS THE PROPER HEIR OF A DUKE.

BRILLIANT!

I'M PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS MY SON AND HEIR, EDWIN!

IT WASN'T DIFFICULT...

...TO STEP INTO ANOTHER LIFE AS A DUKE.

NOR WAS IT DIFFICULT TO LIVE AS A DECENT SON.

THE LADY...

I MEAN, THE DUCHESS IS READY AS WELL.

I WEEDED OUT ALL THE CORRUPT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE AND COLLECTED THOSE ONLY LOYAL TO ME.

AND ALTHOUGH IT SEEMED THAT I HAD SETTLED INTO A STABLE LIFE...

...THERE WAS ONE DREAM THAT REMAINED FOREVER BEYOND MY REACH.

MEETING THE VOICE WHO HAD BROKEN MY CURSE.

BUT OF COURSE THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

THE VOICE BELONGS TO A READER, WHO EXISTS IN ANOTHER WORLD.

AND SO, THE ONLY THING I CAN DO TO REPAY MY SAVIOR FOR HER KINDNESS...

...IS TO TRY AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.

ANRI IS SOMEONE I NEVER WOULD HAVE CROSSED PATHS WITH DURING MY FIRST LIFE.

AND THAT'S WHAT DREW ME TO HER.

YOU'RE...

...LIVING PROOF THAT I'VE MANAGED TO ESCAPE MY PAST FAILURES.

AND THAT'S WHY, ALL THAT I WANT FROM YOU...

...IS TO ALWAYS STAY BY MY SIDE, AND WITHIN MY SIGHT.

I BEG YOU, DON'T EVER LEAVE MY SIDE.

I CAN'T BEAR TO LOSE SIGHT OF YOU.