I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 19
“Episode 19
The main topic of discussion among those attending the banquet this time was undoubtedly the war, and, more specifically, Richard, who had led them to victory in the first battle.
“Even though he’s just fifteen, I wondered if he could really win, inheriting the family’s strength. But it seems Rubellin is Rubellin, regardless of age.”
“Ever since I saw him in the hunting grounds, I thought that his strength would undoubtedly bring victory to the Empire.”
“His Majesty must have recognized that potential and placed him as the successor.”
“Even though he’s still young and might be confident in his own strength, he truly is a brave young man.”
The nobles praised Richard’s courage, which belied his young age.
However, Christian, who appeared on the official stage after a long time, did not become the center of attention, unlike the praising discussions of Richard’s bravery.
Christian, hearing Richard’s name being lauded from all directions, wore an expression of displeasure. Every time he heard that name, it twisted his feelings.
‘If it weren’t for my father, I might have gone to the front.’
Emperor Loam had ordered Christian to lie in bed as if he were ill.
‘The Emperor is the one who gives orders, not the one who fights. Fighting is something the lower ranks should do. So, there’s no need for you to unnecessarily expose yourself to that danger.’
Intentionally, the Emperor had only provided Richard with a portion of the troops. A foolish young boy hoping for Richard’s miserable defeat or, if luck was on his side, death.
However, the results turned out completely different from his expectations.
Richard won, and Christian, lying in the sickbed, in stark contrast, began to build even more fame.
‘Unlucky brat….’
Thinking about Richard’s victorious face, Christian grimaced.
A year ago, when Richard suddenly appeared claiming to be Rubellin’s successor, he had stolen everyone’s attention that once belonged to Christian.
The attention of the girls, the power that leaned towards the imperial faction, everything.
Externally, it was said to be ‘the foresight of the next Emperor to keep competent talents close.’ Still, internally, things had already twisted as much as they could.
‘That guy also seems to think that winning in a war is nothing extraordinary. If I had gone to the front, I might have celebrated victory long ago.’
Initially, Christian was afraid of war, as his father had advised. However, seeing Richard, he began to feel confident that he could do it too.
At that time, while he was having such thoughts, he spotted Elisa standing alone in the middle of the banquet hall.
Thinking of Richard, who wasn’t there, his face twisted with disdain.
Without Richard, he felt like tormenting Elisa instead.
Christian approached Elisa with Rose and other children.
“Who is this? The Lady of Rubellin?”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Elisa slightly lifted her dress when Christian approached her.
“I heard you were quite unwell. Are you fully recovered now?”
At Elisa’s gentle tone and concern, Christian coughed dryly.
“Well, almost.”
“Even so, overexerting yourself for such a long time can’t be good for your health.”
“But it’s His Majesty’s birthday. As his son, I can’t just stay in bed.”
“Indeed, such filial piety. His Majesty must feel like he received a great gift just from you getting up from the sickbed.”
Elisa teased Christian, who had perked up, smiling.
Just as Christian was starting to feel smug, Elisa, still smiling, expressed her concern.
“But continuing to overexert yourself like this can’t be good for your health.”
However, the moment Elisa mentioned Richard, Christian’s face, which had brightened, immediately soured.
“By the way, why do you think such rumors circulated about His Majesty, suggesting that he deliberately pretended to be sick because he feared the battlefield?”
“Rumors?”
“That His Majesty intentionally feigned illness because he was afraid of the battlefield.”
“What?”
The expression on Christian’s face, which had been smiling, instantly froze into astonishment.
Elisa expressed her sadness with a frown, saying, “How could such a rumor spread? It’s about someone attending the celebration of Her Majesty’s birth with an untouched body.”
Pierced by Elisa’s words, Christian became even more furious.
“What insane person would spread such nonsense? It’s not like I want to die or anything.”
“Maybe I misunderstood.”
“Tell those fools who spread such baseless rumors.”
After a moment of hesitation, Christian added as if he had made up his mind, “The Crown Prince will join the expedition this time.”
Richard had also contributed to the victory, so there was nothing I couldn’t do.
“How courageous he is!”
“Indeed, he would make a great ruler.”
Christian, encouraged by the cheers of the noble youths in his group, proudly shrugged his shoulders at his brave appearance.
Elisa glanced at Christian with a slight smile.
Finally, the time had come to present gifts to the emperor.
Elisa stepped forward with Albert. Rubelin’s servants brought a box and politely handed it to the emperor.
The emperor, holding the received box, went up the stairs and opened it.
The eyes of the nobles widened at what was inside the box.
“That is…”
What emerged from the box was a giant glowing stone, only a human head in size.
The luminous stone, unique to Rubelin, absorbed light under the sun and emitted it in the dark. Even a glowing stone the size of a baby’s fist was so valuable that commoners would find it hard to afford, let alone one of this size.
“It is prepared in the hope that Your Majesty’s favor, like this glowing stone, will shine upon Arencia.”
Even Elisa, who didn’t like Albert’s words, and the emperor himself were aware of it.
Nevertheless, the emperor pretended to be satisfied and smiled.
“I feel almost guilty receiving such a gift. Hasn’t the Duke already brought great victory on the battlefield?”
“Your Majesty has bestowed even greater grace. This is just a small token of appreciation.”
To the sudden response from Elisa, both the emperor and Albert looked at Elisa with puzzled eyes.
Elisa looked at Christian standing next to the emperor and spoke.
“This time, during the expedition, His Highness the Crown Prince has decided to personally lead and boost the morale of the knights. What greater grace could there be?”
The faces of the emperor and empress turned pale with surprise.
Only now did the emperor realize that something was wrong and looked at Christian.
However, the nobles, who only heard Elisa’s words, thought that now, with this declaration in front of everyone, Christian would not go on the expedition.
Looking at him like that, Elisa smiled as if she knew nothing.
“As His Highness the Crown Prince is personally leading, we will surely win this war.”
*
Christian’s departure with the reinforcement was approaching in about a fortnight.
Having declared his departure in front of all the nobles in a hasty manner, Christian could no longer avoid going on the expedition.
Elisa, who had achieved the desired result, was very satisfied.
‘Even if he comes back with all sorts of excuses, things will change once he returns.’
For whatever reason he returns, Christian cannot avoid the disgrace of being a loser or a coward.
The more so, the heroic side of Richard, who achieves victories on the battlefield, will be highlighted, and Elisa was not the only one pleased with the results.
Whether it was due to Elisa dealing a significant blow to the emperor and Christian that day, Albert’s attitude had changed a bit since then.
“Nice to meet you, Madam. Starting today, I am Agayle Richster, who will serve as your aide.”
Albert assigned an aide to Elisa.
Agayle, a seventeen-year-old boy this year, was a prodigy who acquired knowledge of the world at a young age from the Tower of Truth.
Albert assigning an aide to Elisa meant that he recognized her as the mistress of Rubelin.
‘Even though he might be a reasonably useful chess piece.’
He was undoubtedly lowering his own value and subjecting himself to mental abuse from Richard and himself.
However, Albert quickly acknowledged his mistakes and was someone who knew how to see new possibilities.
Seeing Albert’s appearance, Elisa couldn’t help but admit that he had the potential to become the most powerful figure in Arencia.
About two weeks passed since then, and Christian’s departure date was approaching in a few days.
“Madam, do you have anything to send to Lord Richard?”
Grayson, the butler who brought warm milk to Elisa, who was studying late into the night, asked.
“I heard that when the imperial reinforcement departs, they will send the families’ belongings to the knights on the battlefield.”
“I don’t… oh.”
“If you have anything, please prepare it by the end of this week. I will receive it and pass it on to the imperial knights departing this time.”
“Thank you, Grayson.”
Grayson left, urging her not to push herself too late.
Elisa closed the book she was reading and took out a piece of paper from the drawer.
In her previous life, she remembered saying that even if her cousins, who enlisted, sent her a letter, she wouldn’t be so happy.
‘I wonder if Richard would like it too?’
She wanted to give some comfort to Richard, who was fighting alone among older adults, enduring loneliness just as she survived in the Duchy of Rubelin.
She considered what to write for a moment and decided to start with the story of the duchy.
She began with a story about Agayle, who had become her aide.
“I’m done!”
After filling the paper with her writing, Elisa put it neatly into the envelope and lay down on the bed with a proud feeling.
After Richard left, it was a rare night that didn’t feel empty.
*
People predicted that the war between Arencia and Phyrria
would end within five years with Phyrria’s surrender.
However, Phyrria proved to be more tenacious than expected and did not surrender in the end.
As the war became prolonged, people predicted that the war would end only when the Kingdom of Phyrria was destroyed, estimating ten years.
But once again, people’s predictions were shattered.
In the seventh year since the outbreak of the war between Arencia and Phyrria, in the early winter approaching the year when Elisa would come of age.
The Kingdom of Phyrria collapsed faster than everyone’s predictions.
In the hands of Richard Rubelin, known as the ‘Storm of Rubelin.’