The Cursed King

Chapter 271  The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

For the past two months, Loriel was truly doing his best to be a good husband around her and Elise failed to see it because she was overcome with her own emotions and struggles. Marriage between the two of them wasn't easy at all.

Elise now understood that it took a lot of work for both parties. It wasn't enough for only one side to be doing all the work.

When she married Loriel and he was distant from her, she thought that it was through her efforts alone that could create their relationship and make the man fall in love with her so the two of them could be happy.

However, it was only through both of them making a choice to be a couple that made it all possible.

The queen let out a sad sigh. She decided to wait for Loriel to return. She was sad because her husband was not around when she wanted to share the good news with him, but Elise convinced herself that Loriel just needed time. She should give him space.

***

Meanwhile, in one of the taverns in Castilse, a man was seen getting wasted and throwing away so much money that the entire tavern could have been bought several times over.

It was no other than the king of Summeria himself.

Loriel found it shocking that he would go through great lengths for the past months in order to keep Elise happy. When things were easy and great, Loriel understood it really well that it was easy and even fun to make Elise happy.

Being in a relationship with such a beautiful and sexy woman like Elise was incredibly rewarding. Even a simple stray like Brick made her so incredibly happy that as a man, Loriel felt a mix of both guilt and pride because Elise loved him so much.

It only took a little effort for him to make her overjoyed.

The two of them had such great chemistry in bed too that even if the two of them couldn't have a child, Loriel could imagine spending his life with such a wonderful woman and he wouldn't have minded it at all.

In fact, he started to think that he might be slowly falling for her. He could be content with what they had. The heartbreak he once went through after being rejected by Emmelyn now no longer hurt that much either.

While it chained him before into this marriage with Elise, Loriel was prepared to have a good life with his wife and slowly learn to love her.

feel depressed. Loriel could only take so much before he became broken too.

10:40

"Maybe I am only fooling myself," Loriel hiccuped as he took out another bottle. "Because I had no "And yet what good does it bring me?" Loriel grumbled and threw the wine bottle into the floor and watched it shatter. "She hates me now. She has changed. Nothing I do is ever good enough for her."

Now things were hard for him and Elise was no longer that sweet and kind woman he married. It now felt terrible and he was deeply hurt when Elise pushed him away. Loriel was a man with pride and now that he was at the other end of the stick, he was struggling to cope with this.

It was easy to learn to love a sweet woman, but now that the sweetness and kindness were gone, replaced by insecurities and bitterness, things became so hard. It's not like he didn't try. He did. For the past two months, he had tolerated her and soothe her feelings during her meltdowns.

However, the thought that this would set the dynamic of their life together, going forward, made him feel depressed. Loriel could only take so much before he became broken too.

"Maybe I am only fooling myself," Loriel hiccuped as he took out another bottle. "Because I had no other choice, I was forced to learn how to get along with Elise. But if I had a say in this matter..."

The bottle rolled across the table and shattered on the floor again.

"Your Majesty!"

A couple of the royal guards finally discovered where Loriel was. They brought him back into the palace after seeing him and yet the man refused to be stilled and once he actually came back to the palace and woke up again, he continued drinking.

It was at that moment that the door to his office opened again and a very familiar woman came by. Loriel who had a mouthful of wine in his mouth gulped it down when he saw Elise. The woman looked appalled and stopped in her tracks when she saw him.

"Loriel?"

What was she doing here?

A bitter smile crossed Loriel's lips. Now that Elise was seeing him as a terrible husband, she'd yell at him again wouldn't she?

Not only did Loriel appear as a no-good womanizer to her, but he was also a drunkard and a terrible king who couldn't even run a kingdom properly.

That was why Elise was always trying to give him 'advice' on how to run the kingdom, didn't she?

Well, Loriel couldn't take it any longer now.

He now had enough of their charades and was ready to give it up. He slammed his hand on the table. "I want a divorce, Elise."

"What?" Elise was stunned and couldn't find any other words to say at that moment. She knew that Loriel was incredibly drunk right now, but was that how he truly felt about their relationship?

Loriel stood up and swayed over to his father's old safe and took out another bottle of alcohol and swallowed it all down and then narrowed his gaze on her. "I'm done being chained in this marriage to you. I didn't even want this in the first place."

Elise stared at him and felt her blood get cold. She knew that... She knew how much Loriel hated being in this marriage because he loved someone else. Tears stung her eyes and she cried at him.

"If you hated it so much, then why didn't you fight back and refuse it?!"

Perhaps if Loriel refused and the marriage didn't happen, Elise would have found it in her heart to accept that it was impossible and move on.

In another life, Elise would have also been free and could open her heart to someone else. Their marriage filled Elise's heart with hope that someday Loriel would love her even if she didn't say it aloud.

Loriel looked at her face and barked out a pained laugh.

"Do you think I did not fight? I left Summeria so I could rebel against my parents and cancel the betrothal. But where did that take me? Emmelyn suffered as a result of my refusal. I'm only supposed to love you and you alone."

Elise didn't understand what he was saying and she clenched her hands. "Even after the two of us got married… you still don't love me, Loriel. I understand that much."

It pained her so much to say it aloud, but Elise would have never judged him for his love. It was difficult to hold one's feelings for someone else. Elise knew that from experience after all. Unrequited love was a painful thing.

"I have sacrificed too much by being here with you, Elise." Loriel spat. "You can't point your fingers at me and say I'm to blame when I've suffered so much because of you and your family. I can't do this anymore."

"Don't drag my family into this," Elise glared at him despite her heart aching. "It wasn't their fault that you and I are together like this."

Loriel shook his head and finished another bottle. He threw it across the room and looked at her.

"Your mother is a wicked witch. She took my heart and chained me with a protection spell. That's why I have to marry you."

Elise thought she was dreaming… This was the worst nightmare she had ever been in.

Loriel said he was chained by a spell?

"I know you don't love me and you feel forced to be in this marriage because you want to please your mother…." Elise said with a hoarse voice. "But please don't lie and blame my mother. I have accepted the fact that you love Emmelyn, not me."

She wiped tears that started streaming down hard on her face. "Do you know how hard that is??? I hate her! I hate her with all my life because she has your heart. I can only have your body, but even after we get married for three years, she is all your ever wanted."

She cried despondently between her tears. "I hate her so much!! Do you know how painful it is to hate someone so badly and never show it?"

"So, all this time, you were only pretending to be kind and understanding. I see…" Loriel scoffed. "You have no right to hate Emmelyn. She is innocent. In fact, you should be thankful to Emmelyn, not hate her. She was the reason I married you in the first place."

"..." Elise pressed her lips in shock.

Loriel poured more wine into his cup and downed it one go. "I was telling the truth. Your wicked mother took my heart and put a protection spell on it so I can only love you. If I loved another woman, the woman would be cursed with bad luck… And that's what happened to Emmelyn. Her life was destroyed because of your mother's spell. She lost her entire family, her home, and everyone dear to her… all because I was in love with her."

Loriel continued bitterly. "We came to Myreen to ask your family to free her from your mother's curse… but not even your father or your grandmother can do anything. Do you remember your grandmother's crystal ball was broken? It was because Emmelyn was devastated and she wanted to die. She had suffered greatly because of your mother."

"I can't stand seeing Emmelyn suffer so much. Finally, I decided to marry you… so she could be free." Loriel looked at Elise deeply. "And that's the truth."