I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 1

Episode 1

 

#The Young Duchess

 

A few days ago, 20-year-old Seo Yuna, who had died in an unfortunate accident, opened her eyes in the body of 12-year-old Elisa.

 

“Miss Elisa, His Highness the Duke wants to see you.”

 

The maid, who had been summoned by Duke Rubelin, led Elisa to the Duke’s office.

 

Elisa followed her, staring at her unfamiliar reflection in the window.

 

A cute girl of twelve, with dazzling blonde hair and pale green eyes.

 

The dark-haired, dark-eyed twenty-year-old Seo Yuna was nowhere to be seen.

 

‘I’m Elisa Rubelin………..’

 

It was only a few days ago that I was possessed by this body.

 

At the time, Elisa was dying in a carriage accident, and it was the Duke of Rubelin who saved her life.

 

But her mother died on the spot, and her father, Viscount Lohengrin, had died three years earlier, leaving Elisa an orphan.

 

Sadly, no relatives were willing to take her in.

 

Viscount Lohengrin had lost his fortune in business during his lifetime, so there was nothing left for her to inherit.

 

As far as her relatives were concerned, she was a worthless military brat.

 

Duke Rubelin brought her to the duchy residence.

 

He promised Elisa’s grandfather that he would marry their grandson and granddaughter, as agreed.

 

But when she heard the name of her husband-to-be, Duke Rubelin, she felt uneasy..

 

Richard Rubelin.

 

He was the father of the villain sub-main character, Hanes, from the R-rated decadent romance novel The Bird Cage, which Elisa had read in her previous life!

 

In other words, Elisa was going to become Hanes’ mother.

 

The novel, starting from its title, was an unusual one for Elisa, who had enjoyed reading it in her past life. However, as they say, life is a comedy from a distance, but a tragedy up close.

 

“It’s different from what I’m possessing!”

 

And to think, she was already dead by the time the original story began!

 

In the original, Elisa grows up with her cold adoptive parents in a barren ducal estate. In the process, due to a lack of affection, she ends up showing abnormal obsession towards her husband, Richard, and ultimately plays a role meeting a miserable end at his hands.

 

“I don’t want to die like that.”

 

Elisa tightly gripped the edge of her skirt.

 

She didn’t want to end her second life so pathetically.

 

The good news was that Elisa still had 10 years before she died. Ten years was enough time to change her fate.

 

Elisa and the maid arrived at the Duke’s office.

 

Upon entering, they saw a handsome old man with a fierce look sitting at a desk.

 

Albert Rubelin.

 

Undoubtedly, the most powerful figure in the empire, a powerful aristocrat known as the ‘Stormy Rubelin’, and the head of Rubelin Duchy. 

 

However, a year ago, he had become a tragic man who lost his only child, a son and daughter-in-law.

 

Duke Rubellin looked at Elisa with a blank stare, then bluntly brought up the main topic. 

 

“Marry her.”

 

“……”

 

“That’s the reason for taking someone insignificant like you into our family.”

 

Upon hearing his words, Elisa immediately harbored doubts.

 

Indeed, compared to Duke Rubellin, the Rubellin family was insignificant in her eyes.

 

“Well, why would the only aristocratic Duke in the empire want to take in an orphaned girl from a small, remote artist family as his granddaughter-in-law? Noble families seeking to become in-laws would have plenty of options.”

 

Though the reason for choosing her as a granddaughter-in-law was unclear, one thing was certain.

 

“Even if he says I’m insignificant, he chose me over numerous noble young ladies, so I must be needed.”

 

Quickly grasping her position, Elisa calmly faced the old man across from her, who was puffing on a pipe.

 

Albert, without a hint of hesitation, gazed with his hazel eyes and began speaking.

 

“Women have an easy life. They can enjoy everything their husbands have built in the comfort of their homes just by giving birth to children.”

 

It seemed like he wanted to diminish Elisa’s worth and make her behave modestly.

 

“Now, tell a girl who has just entered puberty to have a child.”

 

If she were a girl raised in a world dominated by patriarchal values, she might have agreed with his words. However, Elisa, with memories from her previous life, did not.

 

Ignoring Albert’s nonsense, Elisa sighed internally.

 

“Life for men is quite convenient. They can wander around doing trivial things all day, and when they come home, they can enjoy the harmonious family their wife has set up.”

 

But she forcibly swallowed the retort that had risen to her lips. Her second chance at life was precious.

 

“Your Excellency.”

 

At that moment, someone knocked and entered. It was Albert’s aide.

 

Behind him was a man in priestly attire, who had been called as a witness for the marriage vow.

 

The maide approached Albert with the news.

 

“Sir, the Duke ran into a band of thieves on his way here, so he’ll be delayed.”

 

Upon hearing this, Albert put down his cigarette.

 

“Thieves? Weren’t they supposed to arrive in the vicinity yesterday evening?”

 

“Yes, that was the plan, but…”

 

“There shouldn’t be thieves on the main road. Unless they want to die.”

 

“Well, it looks like the Duke is taking the mountain pass.”

 

“Why take a mountain path when there’s a main road?”

 

“He’s putting effort into the security of the territory…”

 

Albert’s brow furrowed.

 

It seemed that Rihard was quite displeased with this marriage. He had been doing things he usually wouldn’t, just to pass the time.

 

“Nonsense.”

 

Albert clicked his tongue in irritation.

 

Elisa, who overheard the conversation, hoped that the marriage could be postponed for a few days, or even just a day, due to Richard’s tardiness. It would give her some time to gather her thoughts.

 

However, the patience of the man who would become her step-grandfather wasn’t great.

 

“Well, he should arrive by evening.”

 

He casually signed the marriage vow placed in front of him and handed the documents to Elisa.

 

“Go ahead, sign here.”

 

The maide next to him received a quill from the Duke and handed it to Elisa.

 

Richard’s signature was already filled in by Albert. Now, if Elisa signed, the two would be officially married.

 

Elisa weighed the poor life outside the Duke’s mansion against the prosperous life within.

 

“In the original story, there are still over ten years until Elisa dies. If I don’t have a child and don’t obsess over Richard, it should be fine, right?”

 

That way, she could live comfortably in the opulent mansion and, when the time came for a divorce, she could secure a hefty settlement.

 

The dilemma was short-lived. Elisa awkwardly wrote her name in the signature box.

 

The priest, who had been called as a witness for the marriage, observed silently before speaking.

 

“With this, Rihard Rubellin and Elisa Laurent have become a couple under the watchful eyes of the goddess Arene. May the goddess bless their future together.”

 

Elisa took a deep breath as she listened to the priest’s testimony.

 

“I just have to endure this mansion for eight years and then reap the rewards when I divorce.”

 

And so, the marriage vow ceremony without the groom came to an end.

 

*

 

That night, the maids who carried Elisa’s bath supplies guided her to her room and disappeared.

 

The room she was led to, compared to the guest room she had stayed in for the past ten days after arriving at the Duke’s mansion, was incredibly luxurious.

 

Although the room she had stayed in for ten days was lavish in line with the mansion’s reputation, it was small and modest compared to this one.

 

“I guess the room of the future mistress is different.”

 

Elisa explored the bedroom.

 

The wall connecting the bedroom and the reception room was adorned with expensive-looking swords that seemed to be worth a considerable sum. Although these items seemed somewhat exotic for a lady’s room, Elisa disregarded them and headed for the bed.

 

The bed was as spacious as the one Elisa used in her past life, if not more so.

 

Elisa lay down on the bed. Despite its luxurious feel and comfort, she found herself restless, her mind buzzing rather than being able to fall asleep.

 

“Considering how quiet it is outside, maybe we haven’t arrived at the mansion yet?”

 

Elisa thought about her husband, who still hadn’t arrived at this hour.

 

“I hope he doesn’t come today.”

 

While she was curious about the boy who would become her husband, fear outweighed curiosity.

 

In the original story, Richard was the head of an antagonistic noble family opposing the male protagonist.

 

Although it was impossible to know his exact personality since he had already died long before the start of the original story, the Richard mentioned in Hanes’s recollections wasn’t a good person.

 

Once they were married, avoiding him completely might not be possible, but Elisa wanted to postpone their meeting as much as possible.

 

“…Can’t sleep.”

 

As Elisa tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to various thoughts, midnight arrived unnoticed. However, there was still no sign of the boy who would be her husband.

 

“Maybe he won’t come today…”

 

Feeling relieved at that thought, Elisa finally began to relax, and her mind gradually succumbed to sleep.

 

How much time had passed?

 

Creak!

 

Elisa was abruptly awakened by the sound of the door opening roughly.

 

In the dimly lit room, illuminated by a few faint lights on this cloudy night with the moon concealed, the darkness enveloped everything. The sound of the wind shaking the window added to Elisa’s anxious heart.

 

“Who…?”

 

At that moment, a shadow with a faint light behind it approached Elisa.

 

Slightly disheveled jet-black hair, skin so pale it felt chilly, and eerie crimson eyes visible beneath.

 

“Yikes! A devil?”

 

To the just-awakened Elisa, that’s how it appeared.

 

As Elisa met the gaze of those eerie eyes, she felt a fear so profound that it seemed to paralyze her, and at the same time, her breath caught in her throat.