I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 45

Chapter 45

“What, what is this all of a sudden…!”

The person in the carriage was not Elisa, but a middle-aged man with half of his head shaved.

His eyes, as if drowsy, were open, and traces of yellowish saliva were drawn around his mouth.

Richard briefly showed a bewildered expression, then quickly hardened his expression and ignored it.

The man who had been shouting suddenly froze when faced with Richard’s stern, red eyes.

“W-who are you… exactly!”

Under the intimidating presence, he started whimpering.

Richard, with a firm expression, chewed on his lips and closed the door.

“I apologize for the intrusion.”

Thomson and Agyle approaches Richard.

“Your Excellency, the lady -“

“She hasn’t met her.”

Unlike Thomson, Agyle understood the situation immediately.

Richard also understood their words and grasped the situation.

Elisa hadn’t come through this gate.

Thomson, who had been pondering for a moment, asked,

“To go from that village to Soranetti, you must pass through this route, so where did she go? Did she change her destination midway?”

“In that case, we must quickly send knights in another direction…”

“…No.”

A completely different possibility crossed Richard’s mind as he listened to their conversation.

Thomson and Agyle’s puzzled looks turned toward Richard.

“There’s another way to Soranetti.”

“Another way? Then we must go through the mountains.”

Richard turned away from the two and added,

“There’s also a way through the water, not just land.”

With that, he immediately took off into the wind, heading towards the northern dock.

A black aura was slowly rising from him.

At that moment, the carriage Elisa was in was heading from the mansion towards the northern dock.

Elisa fidgeted with the boarding pass she held in her hand.

Last night, the steward who had come to the mansion upon hearing that Elisa hadn’t left yet had given it to her.

If you go to the Tovb River Dock, there’s a ship operated by us at the top.

“A ship?”

“Yes. The schedule has been delayed from the original plan, and I believe traveling for a long time with a weakened body might be burdensome for you.”

There is a big river called the Tov River running through the area. This river flows towards the eastern sea.

It was a long distance that took about two weeks by carriage to get to Soranetti, but traveling by boat through the Tov River allowed for a faster arrival.

Some of the upper-class guests and dignitaries also occasionally travel by boat, so luxurious cabins are available. As long as you don’t suffer from seasickness, it will be much more comfortable than traveling by carriage.

Elisa promptly accepted the boarding pass handed to her.

It was nice to have a comfortable and fast option, but it was also the first time for her to take a boat in this world, so curiosity arose.

The journey to the pier wasn’t far.

At the pier, there were huge ships docked. They were made on a massive scale to accommodate both cargo and passengers.

Elisa wandered around out of curiosity for a while, but it didn’t last long.

“I’m sleepy….”

Despite wanting to explore more, her body, as always since becoming pregnant, succumbed to drowsiness.

There was still an hour before the boat would depart, but Elisa wanted to board and rest her body as soon as possible.

But Anne stopped her.

“Madam, may I wait for a moment? I want to buy some snacks.”

“Sure. I’ll wait here then.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Anne walked briskly towards a nearby stall.

At the stall, fruits from other regions and some snacks easily consumable for sailors were being sold.

Elisa sat on a nearby chair and watched Anne.

Anne looked around the stall and then said something to the stall owner. In response, the owner started making pancakes on the spot.

While waiting, Anne looked around.

Her expression seemed somehow anxious. Instead of showing genuine interest in her surroundings, she seemed to be searching for something.

“Why is she acting like that?”

Elisa briefly questioned Anne’s behavior but forgot about it when Anne approached with the pancakes.

“Are you going to board the ship now?”

“Yeah. I’m a bit tired. I want to rest in the cabin.”

“I-I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s okay. Let’s go.”

Elisa held her boarding pass and led the way.

But Anne didn’t follow right away. She kept looking back, following Elisa’s footsteps.

“Anne?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Elisa smiled.

“Is she disappointed about leaving her hometown and going to a distant place?”

She’s a child going to a strange land with only me to rely on. I have to take better care of her.

Elisa thought so and boarded the ship.

An hour after both of them boarded the ship, the ship finally set sail.

*Hmm….*

Elisa, who had fallen asleep before the ship even departed, woke up only when it was night.

She wasn’t sure what time it was exactly, but judging by the bright moonlight seeping through the window, it seemed like a considerable amount of time had passed since evening.

Rubbing her eyes, Elisa looked around.

The cabin she was assigned to was luxurious, as expected of a first-class cabin. There was a large bed, a small bookshelf filled with books about various regions, and even a chessboard and a table.

In addition, there were windows with a view of the sea and a private bathroom.

Anne was curled up on the adjacent bed, sound asleep.

“She must have been tired.”

After properly covering Anne with the blanket, Elisa put on her shawl and left the room.

The mercenary who had been sitting next to the door, guarding the room, recognized Elisa and stood up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

“Just going out for some fresh air. I won’t go far, so just stay here.”

“The river is calm for now, but please don’t get too close to the railing just in case.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Elisa smiled gratefully at the man who was worried about her and turned away.

She walked through the dimly lit corridor and emerged onto the deck. As she did, a strong gust of wind hit her.

Elisa swept her fluttering hair to one side and looked around.

The view was quite different from what she had seen when leaving the island in the afternoon.

Between the high and low mountains on either side, a wide river stretched endlessly.

Amidst the serene river, the huge ship that carried Elisa stood out.

The bright moonlight illuminated the ship.

“I should have tried to remember the last scene, even if I was tired.”

Elisa regretted falling asleep without seeing the final view of the island, but it was already in the past.

“Now, when will I be able to return?”

Suddenly, memories flashed through her mind.

Among many memories, strangely enough, Richard’s memory was the most vivid, despite spending less than a year together.

Elisa took out a brooch from her pocket. It was something she had taken from Richard’s room before leaving.

The brooch, illuminated by the moonlight, sparkled brightly, exuding its presence.

Elisa touched the brooch, recalling memories.

Then, a different kind of wind blew, unlike the river wind.

“A wind…?”

At that strange sensation, the moonlight shining on the brooch was obscured.

Elisa looked up in confusion. At the same time, she froze in place.

“…Richard?”

Richard, silhouetted against the moonlight, was looking down at her.

With eyes colder than ever.

“I will definitely come to find you.”

Why that phrase came to mind at this moment, she didn’t know.

Elisa could only stare blankly at Richard, unable to say anything.

She couldn’t move.

Or rather, would it make any difference if she tried to leave this place?

Wherever she went, that man who came with the wind would find her.

Thud –

Richard lightly stepped on the railing and descended to the deck.

With that heavy sound, Elisa’s heart sank.

“…If you ran away like that, did you think I wouldn’t find you?”

Saying so, his approaching red eyes were menacing.

Only then did Elisa falter and step back.

Of course, it was a meaningless retreat.

In an instant, before she could even take a step back, he closed the distance with swift strides and pulled Elisa’s waist.

Her slender waist was pulled unhesitatingly into his broad embrace.

His strong arms wrapped around her waist, preventing her from escaping.

And his other hand wrapped around her cheek, lifting her gaze. The large hand around her cheek was warm, but the eyes it met were endlessly cold.

Richard looked down at Elisa, trapped in his arms, and asked.

“Where are you trying to go with my child?”

With a voice reminiscent of a growling beast,