I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 46

Episode 46

“Richard… Did you know?”

Elisa’s eyes shook uncontrollably at Richard’s words.

She hadn’t expected him to chase after the ship. And he knew about the pregnancy as well.

Her mind went blank at the unexpected situation, unable to think of what to say.

Richard asserted coldly with a threatening tone, “As long as you carry my child, you can’t go anywhere, Elisa.”

“…”

“If you want to run away again, go ahead. I will chase you to the ends of the earth.”

A chilling wind accompanied his ominous voice. Elisa reflexively closed her eyes and trembled.

Richard’s expression softened as he looked at Elisa, then he removed his robe and wrapped her in it.

“Let’s go inside and talk for now.”

Elisa looked at him with bewildered eyes.

His long robe, emanating his scent, felt like it was enveloping her, just like his unrelenting gaze.

*

“Ugh…”

Anne, who had been deeply asleep, suddenly woke up. It was still pitch dark outside.

She was about to go back to sleep when she noticed the empty bed next to her.

“Madam?”

Anne got up from the bed and searched the room. Naturally, Elisa wasn’t in the dark bathroom.

“Where could she have gone at this late hour?”

There was nowhere to go on the ship.

Worried about Elisa who had suddenly disappeared late at night, Anne put on her robe, preparing to go and find her.

Then, the door opened, and Elisa walked in.

“Madam, where have you been at this hour…”

Approaching Elisa, Anne stopped in surprise when she saw Richard following behind her.

“Your Highness?”

“I went for a short walk.”

Elisa replied briefly to Anne.

Richard embraced Elisa and led her to the bed, then he touched her forehead. Thankfully, she didn’t have a fever.

Finally feeling relieved, Richard got up.

“I’ll be back after a short while.”

Richard left the room and headed to the captain’s cabin.

The captain’s cabin was located at the top of the ship, offering the best view of the river and the sea.

When Richard knocked and waited for a moment, a young man who seemed to be a junior captain came out.

“What’s the matter?”

“I want to have a word with the head officer for a moment.”

Seeing Richard’s cold gaze, the junior captain felt like his neck might be on the line if he said no.

Hastily, he woke up the captain.

“Ca-Captain.”

“What time is it? Shouldn’t you have waited until morning to wake me up?”

Having been forcefully awakened from his deep slumber, the captain approached the door, scolding the junior captain. However, upon seeing Richard, he blinked.

With his cold gaze and clothes that seemed extravagant even at first glance, Richard seemed like someone you shouldn’t refuse, even at such an early hour.

“W-What can I do for you, sir? Is something uncomfortable bothering you?”

“I would like to dock the ship at the nearest pier.”

Although they could have flown across the river with Elisa, there was nothing but vast plains and mountains on the other side of the river. They didn’t even know where the nearest village was, and the wind was too strong.

The dock would provide a place to stay until they could hire a carriage or until Roubelin’s carriage arrived.

“Excuse me?”

The captain replied with a stunned expression to Richard’s absurd request.

This ship was not only for passengers but also for transporting goods. Among those goods were items that needed to be delivered urgently. Therefore, the ship usually didn’t stop at the dock but headed straight to the Arden Territory.

But to dock the ship…

“Ah, I apologize, but we have goods that need to be delivered urgently, so we can’t dock midway.”

“…”

“If we delay, we might incur significant losses… I’m sorry, but docking seems difficult.”

Richard, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke up in a strange voice.

“Roubelin will compensate for those losses twice over.”

Both the captain and the junior captain behind him were taken aback by Richard’s words.

Doubling the compensation was surprising enough, but what was even more surprising was the name ‘Roubelin’ that came out of his mouth.

Roubelin was the wealthiest domain in the continent, holding the most mines. So Richard’s statement about doubling the compensation was likely not a lie.

Moreover, wasn’t Roubelin a war hero and a family that could rival the imperial family in terms of power?

His intentions were as clear and absolute as his name.

“So, please dock.”

The captain and the junior captain couldn’t say anything as they watched Richard walk away calmly.

After Richard left the room, Elisa sat there lost in thought.

Anne, who had been observing Elisa’s behavior, quietly knelt in front of her.

“I’m sorry, madam. I… sent a letter to His Highness.”

When Elisa was bedridden with a high fever, Anne was afraid that something might happen to her.

Unable to stand idly by, she sent a letter to Richard. If he came, everything would be resolved.

After all, wasn’t Richard the only family Elisa had now, regardless of what happened?

“I’m truly sorry for breaking the promise with you, madam…”

Tears streamed down Anne’s cheeks as she begged for forgiveness from Elisa.

Elisa silently looked at Anne.

In the end, all the plans had fallen apart. Trying to distance herself from him, trying to hide the existence of the child.

But why did she feel relieved, rather than angry? It was strange.

“Perhaps that was the best choice for you at that time.”

“…”.

“Still, this is the only time. Next time, discuss with me first before taking action.”

“Yes…”

When Anne managed to stop her tears, Richard returned to the cabin.

Anne noticed the atmosphere between them and quietly left the room.

Approaching Elisa, Richard knelt down in front of her and looked at her.

When he found out that she had fled with his child, he was so angry that he couldn’t control himself.

Fleeing even with my child, does she want to divorce me?

Do I disgust her that much?

But when he faced Elisa with frightened eyes, the overwhelming anger seemed to subside.

Instead, a greater emotion surged within him.

A sense of relief that he had regained her and a fierce emotion towards her.

A miserable love that despite her fleeing from him, he could only head towards her in the end.

Richard, who had been silently staring at Elisa for a moment, wrapped his hand around hers and asked in a softer voice.

“Why did you run away?”

“…”

“With my child.”

Elisa hesitated for a moment.

She couldn’t tell him that this was all a story and that she was trying to avoid her destined death.

Elisa covered her stomach with her other hand, as if protecting the child from danger.

Richard’s gaze wavered at Elisa’s action.

“I know you dislike the child.”

“…”

“This child will be well taken care of in a place where no one knows. So-“

“…I don’t dislike it.”

Elisa looked at Richard with a puzzled expression, different from his previous response.

In his eyes, there was a strange sense of relief and at the same time, a hint of apology.

He felt relieved that she didn’t dislike the child, and yet he blamed himself for providing the reason for her to flee.

Lowering his gaze, Richard, who was groaning in pain, spoke again.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong, Elisa.”

Richard looked at Elisa with a dazed expression, then he stood up and hugged her.

His gaze as he embraced her was tinged with obsession.

“So, don’t run away again.”

It was a pleading, earnest voice.

Elisa blinked blankly as she was held in his arms.

‘He didn’t dislike the child?’

Contrary to his previous response, he didn’t seem to particularly avoid the child. The original Richard had extreme aversion towards the child’s existence.

‘Has he changed from the original?’

Then, does that mean we won’t face that tragic ending if we’re together?

Can we hope for that possibility?

‘still have a few years until the point where we die…’

As long as I don’t love Richard, and as long as I don’t become obsessed with him, it should be fine, right?

‘If I see any signs of resembling the original, I can still flee then.’

With that thought, the firm resolve I had loosened, and tears welled up.

In truth, while I promised to raise the child well on my own, I was also afraid and terrified.

But the relief flooded me when I realized I didn’t have to face that fear alone.

“I’m sorry.”

Richard comforted the crying Elisa quietly in his arms.

During the time he held her, the dark energy that had been emanating from his body slowly dissipated and disappeared.