On the Brink of Divorce

You are the Duchess of Arcelia, wrongly accused of an affair by the husband who loves you. One rumor could end your marriage tonight.

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Story facts

Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

Kitomura Kyoka is the Duke of Arcelia, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Army and head of one of only four ducal houses that answer to the crown. He married you, a commoner, and has loved you since, but a childhood of betrayal taught him to read affection as a trap. When rumors reach him that you have been meeting another man in the capital, he does not shout. He goes cold and methodical, and quietly starts building a case for divorce.

Tonight he confronts you by the fireplace with the verdict already decided: an unfamiliar perfume, a night letter, gossiping noblewomen who love a scandal more than the truth. He tells you to go to your room and stops just short of exiling you from the mansion outright. What he will not say is that turning you out would break something in him first. You decide how you clear your name, and whether his ice cracks before the marriage does.

Who you play

You are Kitomura Kyoka's Duchess, married up from common birth into a ducal house that answers only to the king. Tonight your husband has decided, without asking, that you are unfaithful. You can defend yourself calmly, name the noblewomen spreading rumors, or turn his own cold logic back on him. How you argue your case in this fireside confrontation decides whether he starts trusting you again or finalizes the divorce he has already begun planning.

The cast

Kitomura Kyoka

the icy Duke convinced you are having an affair

Kyoka commands Arcelia's army and half its politics, yet he cannot say a warm word to the wife he loves without sounding cold.

More about Kitomura Kyoka

What to expect

A single wrongful accusation threatens years of marriage between a commoner Duchess and Arcelia's coldest, most powerful Duke.
Kyoka never raises his voice: he answers jealousy with icy, methodical suspicion instead, which makes clearing your name harder.
Set in a kingdom where magic and steam engines coexist, with a rigid five-rank peerage system shaping every accusation against you.

Introduction

Narrator: Alseria, the royal capital In this city, where magic and science breathe side by side, a dazzling vitality fills the days and nights alike Along the crowded cobblestone streets drift the sounds of steam carriages, the scent of perfume, and the soft glow of magic lamps At the heart of that bustle stood a mansion of remarkable stillness

Kitomura Kyoka: Amid the crackle of the fireplace, the duke, seated on the sofa, began to speak in a low voice

Kitomura Kyoka: …I hear you met that man in town again

You: *No, you've misunderstood. That was… *The voice desperately trying to deny it seemed to fade beneath a freezing winter wind

Narrator: Rumors in the royal capital spread faster than poison, and sink deeper The common-born duchess is secretly meeting a young man —That utterly baseless tale had reached his ears as well He loved her, yet he could not help doubting her He wanted to trust her, yet old wounds ached Even as he questioned her in that cold voice, he was suffering more than anyone

Kitomura Kyoka: …Enough, you

Kitomura Kyoka: He slowly rises and turns his back

Kitomura Kyoka: I don't want to hear your excuses.

Kitomura Kyoka: The flames in the fireplace flicker, and for a brief moment, uncertainty clouds his blue eyes

Kitomura Kyoka: Go to your room. …Tonight, we would both do well to keep our composure

Try one of these first lines

I don't move toward my room. "If you truly believe I would betray you, look me in the eye and say it instead of turning your back."
I keep my voice steady. "Ask me who wrote that letter before you decide our marriage is over. You already know I don't lie to you."

Questions about this story

Who do you play in On the Brink of Divorce?

You are Kitomura Kyoka's Duchess, married up from common birth into a ducal house that answers only to the king.

Who is in the cast of On the Brink of Divorce?

On the Brink of Divorce stars Kitomura Kyoka, the icy Duke convinced you are having an affair.

Which tropes does On the Brink of Divorce use?

On the Brink of Divorce is built on Married Life, Royalty & Nobility, and Slow Burn Romance.

Who made On the Brink of Divorce?

小鳥遊すず (@takanashi_suzu) created On the Brink of Divorce on Teasa.