I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - Chapter 54

“…We’ll go ahead first.”

Richard turned away, holding an elated Elisa, unaware of what she had done wrong.

Christian watched Richard and Elisa as they walked away, staring blankly before finally scrunching up his face in frustration.

Elisa glanced back at Christian, smirking with satisfaction.

“Hmph, people who lack strength always flaunt such things.”

“You say things like that so nonchalantly…!”

In the end, Richard, his ears turning red, shouted in response to Elisa’s words.

Elisa pouted her lips in rebuttal.

“That guy disrespected my husband right in front of me.”

“….”

“And besides… it’s not like I was lying….”

Elisa, suddenly recalling Richard’s demeanor that night, blushed and trailed off.

Richard stared at Elisa blankly. In her current expression, he saw a glimpse of her childhood self.

The image of her as a child, standing up for him and defending him in front of others despite her small stature.

Yes, that’s what made me fall for you.

One of the many aspects of you that I fell in love with.

A precious, shining memory among the many faded ones.

‘You are still strong and still so lovable.’

With a pang in his heart,

Richard smiled warmly at the unchanged Elisa and gently patted her head.

“Yeah, you did well.”

Huh?

Elisa tilted her head, puzzled by Richard’s sudden change in demeanor, but soon followed his lead and smiled. Regardless, she felt happy to receive his praise.

The shadows of the two affectionate figures stretched long beneath their feet.

*

The hunting festival schedule must have been exhausting because Elisa fell asleep as soon as she got into the carriage back to the duchy.

Richard made sure Elisa’s head rested comfortably on his shoulder so she could sleep peacefully. He gently wrapped his arm around her waist and took off his coat to cover her.

His strong arm, wedged between the carriage wall and Elisa’s back, acted as a cushion, preventing her from waking even as the carriage traveled over gravel.

In the quiet carriage, only Elisa’s steady breathing could be heard.

Richard quietly watched Elisa sleeping in his arms. Seeing her sleep in his embrace always stirred a strange feeling within him. It meant she trusted and relied on him enough to sleep so soundly in his presence.

He found everything about her endearing—the defenseless look on her sleeping face, her soft breaths, and even the way her breath tickled his neck.

Richard gently stroked her slender fingers and brushed a soft kiss on her forehead, careful not to wake her or make her uncomfortable.

The time when Elisa slept was a secret, treasured moment for him, like a gift at the end of the day.

However, that sweet, gift-like time soon came to an end.

“Your Grace, we have arrived.”

Richard reluctantly moved to wake Elisa but hesitated. She remained sound asleep, undisturbed by the coachman’s announcement.

Suddenly, an idea to extend this precious time came to him. Carefully, he lifted Elisa in his arms.

When he stepped out of the carriage with Elisa still asleep in his arms, the waiting servants began to bow and greet him. Richard silenced them with a firm, lowered voice.

“Quiet.”

Seeing Elisa asleep in Richard’s arms, the servants obediently closed their mouths.

Richard carried Elisa up to their bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed, ensuring she wouldn’t wake, and then stood up to remove his cravat when he noticed a letter on the table.

The maid, who was about to leave, noticed Richard’s gaze and spoke softly.

“It’s a letter from Count Arden, delivered just a little while ago.”

At the mention of “Count Arden,” Richard’s brows furrowed.

His plan to change into comfortable clothes and lie beside Elisa to watch her sleep was immediately overshadowed by the name.

The maid bowed to Richard and left the room.

Richard approached the table and picked up the letter. As he expected, the recipient was Elisa.

Richard’s eyes grew intense as he read the sender’s name.

[Ancel Arden.]

After Elisa’s divorce, the man who arranged a place for her to stay and took care of her departure preparations. It was no wonder Richard viewed him with disdain.

‘Ancel is just a friend.’

Elisa had insisted that Ancel was merely a friend, but that was only her perspective. Whether Ancel saw Elisa as a friend or harbored secret feelings for her after the divorce was unknown.

Even though a strong bond in the form of a child now connected Elisa and Richard, he still felt uneasy. 

What if Ancel loved Elisa despite her carrying another man’s child?

The very thought made Richard’s blood run cold. His mood soured. 

He needed to be the only man Elisa could trust and rely on completely.

Richard barely restrained himself from crumpling the letter in his hands. Elisa would be deeply disappointed if she knew he tampered with a letter addressed to her.

Yet, his curiosity was almost unbearable.

‘What does it say?’

Richard glared at the letter with such intensity it seemed he might burn it with his eyes. His hands, removing his cravat, moved roughly.

‘Should I just read it and then destroy it?’

He seriously debated between his curiosity and Elisa’s trust when—

“Mm, Richard…?”

Elisa, waking from her sleep, called out to him.

Richard saw a legitimate way to satisfy his curiosity.

He approached Elisa with the letter in hand.

“Elisa, you have a letter.”

Still groggy, Elisa rubbed her eyes and took the letter. Her eyes widened when she saw the sender’s name.

“Ancel? He must have arrived in the capital today.”

“I’ll open it for you.”

Eagerly, Richard took a letter opener and cut the corner of the envelope.

Elisa unfolded the letter. Richard, pretending to be uninterested, got up from the bed, but his eyes remained fixed on the letter in her hand.

In neat handwriting, the letter contained a brief message.

[Elisa, I have something important to discuss. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?]

Elisa tilted her head in puzzlement.

She felt guilty for returning to the capital without properly explaining to Ancel, who would be waiting for her in Soranetti. However, it was strange for him to describe it as “something important to discuss.”

His tone suggested he had something specific to tell her rather than demanding an apology.

‘What could it be?’

Regardless, since she intended to apologize in person, there was no reason to decline the meeting.

Elisa got up from the bed to write a reply to Ancel. Behind her, Richard’s expression hardened as he watched her compose the letter.

*

The next afternoon.

As usual, Agyle was assisting Richard in his office.

“Recently discovered luminous stone mines are attracting interest from the Count of Hallos, who wishes to integrate them into a processing business and has proposed a collaboration.”

However, Richard showed no reaction. He was tapping his fingers on the desk with a displeased expression, clearly distracted.

Agyle cleared his throat, trying to get Richard’s attention.

“Your Grace, did you hear what I said?”

“… The Count of Hallos wants to explore integrating luminous stones into a processing business.”

It appeared Richard had heard, despite his apparent distraction. Agyle, somewhat embarrassed, fell silent, recognizing that Richard was clearly preoccupied with something else.

“How should we respond to the Count of Hallos?”

Richard did not answer this time either, continuing to tap on the desk with his finger.

Agyle, waiting briefly, urged Richard for a response.

“Your Grace?”

At that moment, Richard stopped tapping and abruptly stood up. Surprised by Richard’s sudden movement, Agyle stepped back, but Richard walked past him without a word.

“Think about it some more.”

Richard left the office and headed to Elisa’s room. The time for Elisa and Ancel’s meeting was approaching.

“Elisa.”

After knocking and waiting briefly, the door opened.

Elisa, nearly finished with her preparations, was sitting in her vanity. As Richard approached, the busy servants naturally stepped back.

Elisa was wearing the light pink dress she had purchased before the hunting festival. Richard’s expression hardened upon seeing her.

Elisa, unaware of Richard’s reaction, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong, Richard?”

Richard, having forgotten the excuse he had planned, spoke directly.

“Elisa, how about wearing something other than that dress?”

“Huh?”

Elisa blinked in confusion, taken aback by the unexpected suggestion to change her dress during a busy time.

“Why? Does it not suit me?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“It’s just… not good. How about something else?”

Richard firmly dismissed the idea of the pink dress, intending to dissuade Elisa from wearing it. 

However, Elisa’s response was entirely different from what he expected. Her pale green eyes began to fill with tears, and soon large tears welled up in her eyes.

The added distress from her morning sickness and not being able to eat properly led her to a breaking point, making her feel even more upset when Richard criticized her choice of clothing.

Elisa, crying, glared at Richard.

“Why do you have to say it like that? Can’t you just say it looks nice and that I look pretty?”

“Elisa, wait—”

“It’s a dress I won’t be able to wear once my stomach grows! I want to wear it now!”

“Actually, the truth is…”

Richard wanted to be honest about his feelings, that he didn’t want Ancel to see how beautiful she looked in that dress. But Elisa was already crying too much to hear him.

“… Forget it. I don’t want to hear it. Leave.”

Ultimately, Richard was expelled from Elisa’s bedroom.