I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 3

Episode 3

 

Outside the sofa where Richard had been lying yesterday, there were familiar legs sticking out.

 

Elisa recalled the conversation she accidentally overheard between Albert and Richard earlier today.

 

“You are the sole heir of our family. You have the obligation to welcome a companion and carry on the lineage of this family.”

 

“…”

 

“All that you enjoy now, your position, it’s all given to you because you are my successor. If you don’t fulfill the duties of a successor, you have no right to be in that position.”

 

It wasn’t an ordinary conversation between a grandfather and his grandson. Even to Elisa, it seemed that Albert regarded Richard merely as a horse to carry on the family’s lineage.

 

And Richard was resisting his intentions. That meant he shared similar thoughts with Elisa.

 

“There is a saying: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'”

 

Elisa decided to muster courage once more.

 

If things went well, she might gain a reliable ally in this unfamiliar duke’s residence.

 

Of course, it was only a temporary alliance before the divorce.

 

“Um, Duke Richard.”

 

Approaching slowly with the intention to greet Richard once more, Elisa reached the sofa where he was lying.

 

When she woke up in the morning, he had already left the room, and during the day, Richard was nowhere to be seen. It was the same during dinner.

 

“Last night, there was no chance to greet you properly, so I thought I’d say hello again. I am…”

 

“…Ugh.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You’re noisy.”

 

His voice from beyond the sofa was filled with irritation.

 

‘Our Black Flame Dragon seems quite uncomfortable.’

 

Elisa pursed her lips and shot a glance at the sofa. Having a conversation today seemed impossible.

 

“Well then… Good night.”

 

Elisa went to the bed and lay down. Richard seemed to have the same idea, as he stayed on the sofa again.

 

As Elisa, gazing at the sofa where Richard lay, contemplated various thoughts, she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

 

*

A few days passed like that.

 

Following Albert’s words, Elisa started attending bride classes the next day.

 

Elisa found the classes boring and tedious, but she liked the fact that she had free time all day once the classes were over.

 

After attending classes in the morning, Elisa had lunch and, as usual, came to the library inside the castle.

 

The library of Rubelin Castle, owned by the family as a hereditary estate, was enormous, and the number of books it held was vast.

 

It was still a helpful place for Elisa, who was unfamiliar with this world.

 

“Hmm, should I read a history book today?”

 

The history books were on the top shelf, just within Elisa’s reach.

 

Elisa tried to reach for the book, but soon gave up and went searching for a ladder.

 

While it would be easy to ask the librarian in charge of the library to retrieve it, they were nowhere to be found since Elisa entered the library, probably out for a late lunch.

 

It was too much trouble to call the maids or servants outside the library.

 

“Found it!”

 

Elisa found a ladder from the back of the shelf, climbed up, and retrieved the book she wanted.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Creak—

 

The sound of the library entrance opening echoed from afar.

 

‘Who could it be?’

 

Rubelin Castle had two libraries.

 

One was a public library accessible to everyone in the castle, and the other was a library only accessible to the lord and his family.

 

Currently, Elisa was in the library exclusive to those with the Rubelin name.

 

Therefore, the only people allowed access to this library were the two librarians who managed it, Albert, Richard, and Elisa herself.

 

Elisa, not wanting to run into Albert or Richard if possible, quietly descended from the ladder.

 

Carrying the book against her chest, she stealthily approached the direction of the entrance. If someone came to the library for a purpose, they would likely go straight to the shelves, allowing Elisa to leave while they were occupied.

 

However, as Elisa walked toward the entrance, she noticed a figure lying face down at a desk nearby.

 

‘Richard?’

 

Richard was lying face down on the desk.

 

Judging by his neatly closed eyes, he seemed to be asleep.

 

‘Maybe he couldn’t sleep well because it was uncomfortable?’

 

Thinking about it, even if the sofa was soft, it was unlikely he could sleep comfortably on such a narrow couch.

 

As she contemplated, she felt belatedly sorry for claiming the bed without reservation.

 

‘It seems cold; should I cover him with a blanket?’

 

After a moment of consideration, Elisa picked up a nearby blanket and approached Richard, raising her heels to avoid waking him up.

 

As she got closer, the defenseless face of the sleeping Richard came into view.

 

Under the finely combed black hair, long eyelashes curled delicately, a straight nose, and red lips that formed a perfect bow—his face, still carrying traces of youth, looked completely harmless.

 

To the point where his face, so different from the demon she saw on the first night, felt more like that of a different person.

 

‘He’s pretty.’

 

Admiring the face that made her think of the word “pretty” before “handsome,” Elisa was frozen when the eyelids, tightly closed until then, slowly opened to reveal crimson irises.

 

‘Oops…’

 

Meeting the gaze of those eyes tinged with coldness, Elisa, with the blanket unfolded in her hands, froze in place.

 

At that moment, Richard’s hand roughly caught Elisa’s arm.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I-I was just trying to cover you with the blanket… It’s cold, and I thought you might… catch a cold…”

 

Stammering, Elisa responded a beat late.

 

Looking at the embarrassed Elisa with cool eyes, Richard released her arm as if throwing it aside.

 

“I don’t catch things like that. It’s the weak and delicate ones like you who do.”

 

“….”

 

“Stop making a fuss and go.”

 

Richard gestured for her to leave and then turned his head away from Elisa.

 

“Ugh, this Black Flame Dragon. Despite trying to get along a bit, he’s so uncooperative.”

 

Elisa made a comical expression, mimicking Richard’s words and pretending to assertively confront him.

 

At that moment, Richard, conveniently, tossed and turned on the desk.

 

Elisa was startled, and fortunately, Richard didn’t turn to look at her.

 

“Well, he’s still a child.”

 

After all, he was at an age where a storm of emotions could be brewing inside.

 

Elisa gently covered Richard’s shoulders with the blanket she was holding.

 

Richard either remained asleep or gave up; there was no sign of movement.

 

With the book she had taken in hand, Elisa quietly left the library.

 

The sound of the library door closing softly echoed in the silent library. Richard’s eyes opened briefly upon hearing the sound but soon closed again.

 

That night, when Richard came to the bedroom, he headed for the sofa. By now, that spot had become his own, though it was still uncomfortable.

 

As he lay on the sofa, he heard a rustling sound from the direction of the bed. Gradually, a faint presence approached.

 

Even though the footsteps were trying to conceal their presence, he could feel them—although there was no attempt to hide this time.

 

Richard, with closed eyes, spoke to the approaching presence beyond the sofa.

 

“…Just go to sleep.”

 

However, Elisa seemed to have no intention of listening to those words. She approached Richard directly.

 

Despite Richardt’s annoyed expression as he reluctantly opened his eyes, Elisa extended her hand as if to say, ‘Don’t be scared, I’ll just hold your hand.’

 

Seeing the much smaller hand than his own being offered, Richard let out a forced laugh.

 

‘Who said anything about being eaten?’

 

Elisa tensed at Richard’s laughter. It wasn’t a laughter born of joy but rather a sound that seemed almost pitiful.

 

Richard, with a stern expression, asked coolly, “Did the Duke order this?”

 

“What?”

 

Elisa, as if encouraging Richard not to be scared, reached out her hand.

 

“I’ll just hold your hand while we sleep.”

 

“…What?”

 

Elisa didn’t seem frightened, holding out her hand to Richard as she said, “Just hold my hand.”

 

Staring at the much smaller hand than his own, Richard burst into a wry smile.

 

‘Who would eat whom?’

 

Elisa felt tense at Richard’s laughter. It wasn’t the laughter of genuine joy; it sounded more like a bitter chuckle.

 

Richard,  with a frozen expression, asked coldly, “Did the Duke order you to seduce me like this?”

 

“What?”

 

“I mean, is the Duke behind this?”

 

Elisa was taken aback.

 

She never thought that Richard’s prickliness was due to the Black Flame Dragon. She couldn’t have thought that it was due to that misunderstanding.

 

‘By the way, referring to the Duke as the “Duke”… Is their relationship not so good?’

 

Regardless, accumulating misunderstandings wouldn’t be good.

 

Elisa urgently explained, “It seems like the Marquis is misunderstanding something. I have nothing to do with the Marquis; he brought me here recently when my parents passed away.”

 

However, even with Elisa’s explanation, Richard’s expression remained indifferent.

 

“I don’t know if you already know, but the first thing those caught in the wrong bring up is often a tragic family story.”

 

‘…He seems to be full of distrust, whether it’s justified or not.’ Elisa explained her situation in more detail.

 

“As a twelve-year-old with nothing, I thought it was better to live here than alone on the streets. So, I agreed to this marriage.”

 

“If the Marquis ordered you to seduce me?”

 

“Even if the Marquis’s suspicions were true, would it change anything?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I can’t overpower the Marquis with strength. So, even if I were to seduce him, as long as he doesn’t yield to me, it should be fine, right?”

 

Elisa’s words were a kind of challenge—a dare.

 

Are you confident enough to endure it, a provocation to his own emotions?

 

This time, Richard didn’t refute her either. It wasn’t a false statement. With Richard’s strength, even if Elisa were to charge at him, he could easily handle it.

 

Seizing the opportunity, Elisa brought up a story she had read in the original work.

 

“I heard that in the imperial court, they are planning to marry Princess Arencia and the Marquis to target Rubelin’s power. That’s why the Marquis brought me here.”

 

In the Arencia Empire, there were four families that had contributed to its founding.

 

These four families, who had suppressed tyranny together and established the empire to create a better country, had discussions about who would become the emperor.

 

After agreeing that the Kairot family would take the throne, the two families made an eternal vow.

 

The Kairot imperial family displayed benevolence toward the imperial subjects, while the Rubelin Marquis family stood on the opposite side, preventing the emperor from becoming a tyrant.

 

Two friends who shared their lives became eternal enemies for the sake of justice.

 

In the history books, their friendship and loyalty were admired, but as time passed, what remained was a mutual restraint.

 

The imperial family aimed to gain Rubelin’s power, and Rubelin tried to grow strong enough not to be consumed by the imperial family.

 

The relationship continued in this manner, even in the original work, so Elisa was well aware of the dynamics between the two families.

 

“If the Marquis doesn’t intend to marry Princess Arencia, someone still has to take the Marquis’s side eventually.”

 

With a fairly sharp story, Richard’s eyes, which had been indifferent, sparked with a hint of interest.

 

‘I thought he was immature, but he’s quite sharp.’

 

Richard didn’t refute Elisa’s explanation. It wasn’t an incorrect statement. With Richard’s strength, Elisa charging at him wouldn’t change much.

 

Sensing Richard’s altered gaze, Elisa delved into the main topic.

 

“What I wish for from the Marquis is not the position of a child or the title of Marquis.”

 

“…”

 

“Just please maintain this marriage until I become an adult. Once I become an adult, I will leave the Marquis’s estate willingly.”

 

By the time she became an adult, Princess Arencia would have likely found her own match.

 

Richard, who had been looking at Elisa with indifferent eyes, rose from his seat.

 

“I accept that proposal. However…”

 

And he said with a firm tone.

 

“I hope you keep the promise to leave when the time comes.”