I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - Chapter 57

“This man is the Pope…”

Elisa stared blankly at the man in front of her.

She had heard from Olivia and others that Aiden was younger than expected, but seeing him in person made it even harder to believe that he was the Pope.

However, despite this, she instinctively knew that he was the Pope the moment she saw him.

His dazzling blonde hair, eyes as blue as the sky, and handsome appearance all conveyed a sense of otherworldliness. The gentle yet overwhelming presence he exuded made him look like the embodiment of an angel.

“Ah, you’ve arrived, Duchess.”

Olivia’s face lit up as she approached Elisa. She then introduced Elisa to Aiden.

“Duchess, this is His Holiness, the Pope.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Holiness. My name is Elisa Rubellin.”

Elisa bowed her head in respect.

Olivia then introduced Elisa to Aiden as well.

“Your Holiness, this is the Duchess of Rubellin.”

“When the Marchioness of Beltien told me she had made a new friend, I was curious to see who it was. It is an honor to meet you, Duchess.”

“The honor is mine, Your Holiness.”

Elisa smiled faintly at Aiden’s warm reception.

‘The Marchioness of Beltien said that His Holiness was a difficult person to approach.’

Although Olivia had said so, seeing Aiden’s friendly demeanor gave Elisa a good feeling that things would go smoothly.

“Rather than standing here, why don’t we go inside? It wouldn’t do to not offer a cup of tea to such distinguished guests.”

Aiden led Elisa and Olivia into a reception room inside the temple.

After they sat down for a moment, a child of about ten years old brought in the tea.

The child placed a teacup in front of each of them and then stepped back.

Aiden smiled as he thanked the child.

“Thank you, Noah.”

The child, pleased with Aiden’s praise, smiled shyly and left the room.

As Elisa quietly watched the door through which the child had exited, she asked, “Is that child one of the ones taken in by the temple?”

“Yes, they are the servants of God,” Aiden replied.

“Servants of God?”

“We refer to the children taken in by the temple that way. And indeed, they are admirable children who diligently fulfill their roles here.”

“What kind of work do the children do?”

“When they turn five, they start with simple tasks like delivering letters. As they grow older, some of them even go into the mountains to gather firewood—though only those who enjoy a bit of adventure.”

“I see…”

Elisa was inwardly impressed by Aiden’s management of the temple.

Even though they are young, the children are not allowed to idly waste time. That wouldn’t be true love.

The temple lightens its workload by giving the children tasks, and the children gain self-esteem by fulfilling their responsibilities. As they carry out their duties, the children grow into self-reliant and capable individuals who become valuable members of society.

Instead of simply feeding the baby birds, the temple teaches them how to find their own food and survive. That is the kind of “love” practiced in the temple.

“You are doing something truly remarkable. Taking care of so many children with such attention,” Elisa remarked.

“You flatter me. It’s a small effort compared to the duties you manage in your vast duchy,” Aiden responded.

Olivia, who had been listening to their conversation, interjected, “I think you’re both remarkable, so there’s no need for modesty.”

Aiden responded with a smile, clearly pleased by the praise from Elisa and Olivia.

‘If someone who cares so much about the temple and children, surely he will accept my proposal,’ Elisa thought, satisfied with his response, as she lifted her teacup, which had cooled to the perfect temperature. The aroma was pleasant, and the taste was excellent.

As she was about to broach the main topic, Aiden spoke first.

“I was told that you wished to see me, Duchess. What brings you to seek me out?”

“I wanted to discuss making regular donations to the temple.”

“I’m afraid I must decline your generous offer,” Aiden replied.

Aiden rejected Elisa’s proposal without a moment’s hesitation, as if he had anticipated it all along.

Olivia, seemingly expecting this reaction, sighed quietly and took a sip of her tea.

Elisa, who had assumed he would readily accept her offer, looked at him in surprise and cautiously asked, “May I ask why?”

“I cannot give you what you desire,” Aiden replied.

What Elisa desired—he already knew the purpose behind her intended donation.

Though Aiden’s tone remained gentle and his gaze soft, there was a firmness underlying his words that was impossible to ignore.

Elisa found herself momentarily speechless, realizing the true meaning behind his words. It suddenly became clear why Albert, who valued power above all else, had never donated to the temple.

It wasn’t that Albert chose not to donate—he simply couldn’t.

“The power I hold is not mine to give. It never was. It belongs to those who trust and believe in me and the goddess,” Aiden continued.

“…”

“Please do not try to exploit them.”

Though Aiden’s voice was polite and calm, it carried an undeniable authority that left no room for argument.

By maintaining his strict neutrality, he was protecting his followers in the most effective way possible.

Understanding his stance, Elisa quickly shifted her approach.

“Your Holiness is right. I won’t deny that my reasons for wanting to donate weren’t entirely pure,” she admitted.

“…”

“But my desire to help was genuine. The benefits I might gain were simply a side effect of that intention.”

“…”

“As I understand it, there are many orphans who have been taken in by the temple due to the recent war. Don’t those children need more support?” Elisa’s words caused a brief flicker of discomfort to cross Aiden’s face.

Elisa was right—the temple’s finances were far from ample. The imperial family had stopped its donations after an incident twenty years ago, and other nobles, wary of the imperial gaze, had followed suit. As a result, the temple was now primarily sustained by occasional donations from a few devout nobles and personal friends like Olivia. But those funds were insufficient to support the sudden influx of children.

Knowing this, Elisa pressed on, “If you accept Rubellin’s donation, the imperial family will be compelled to contribute as well, for the sake of appearances. This would also encourage other nobles to donate more freely.”

Elisa referred to an incident two decades ago when rumors spread that Aiden’s wife, Julia, had plotted a rebellion. However, it was eventually concluded that Julia had acted alone, driven by personal ambition. At the time, Aiden was stationed in a ravine, protecting the empire’s citizens, which spared him from being implicated in the treason charge. His service and accumulated goodwill continued to earn him the people’s respect.

Because of this, while the imperial family subtly marginalized the temple, they couldn’t openly oppose it. If Rubellin, a powerful name, were to donate to the temple, the imperial family would be forced to follow suit, unable to ignore the temple’s needs. Moreover, they wouldn’t stand idly by while Rubellin gained favor with the people.

Aware of these dynamics, Elisa spoke with determination, “Use me. Use the name of Rubellin.”

She was certain that this time, Aiden would accept her proposal. However, Aiden merely gazed at her with indifferent eyes, offering no response.

At that moment, a knock on the door was followed by the voice of a temple priest. “Your Holiness, it’s time for prayer.”

“I’m sorry, but I must take my leave,” Aiden said, rising from his seat as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Please, feel free to continue your conversation,” he added, leaving the room without giving any answer to Elisa’s proposal.

Elisa stared blankly at the teacup left in Aiden’s place, then sighed deeply.

Olivia, who had been observing Elisa, gently patted her shoulder with an awkward smile. “He’s always been like that—stubborn and hard-headed. Even when we were just friends, he was difficult to deal with.”

Elisa couldn’t help but laugh at Olivia’s attempt to lighten the mood by joking about Aiden.

“I’m fine. It’s true that my offer wasn’t entirely pure, just as His Holiness said.”

“How many people donate with purely selfless intentions? Besides, you had a valid point. I’ll talk to him again.”

“No, you’ve already done more than enough. I’ll handle the rest myself,” Elisa replied, a determined look in her eyes. “I have my own plans as well.”

Elisa smiled brightly, showing no sign of discouragement, and gently stopped Olivia from pursuing the matter further. The two women then chatted casually as they made their way toward the temple entrance.

However, as they approached the entrance, a familiar face caught Elisa’s eye. Amidst the crowd, one man stood out unmistakably with his striking features and a height that surpassed most others by at least half a head—it was Richard, just stepping out of a carriage.

‘Why is he here at this time?’ Elisa wondered, tilting her head in surprise at his unexpected appearance. At that moment, Olivia gently took hold of Elisa’s arm.

“I’ll head out now. My carriage is over there. Take care on your way back,” Olivia said with a playful wink.

Elisa watched, puzzled, as Olivia walked away, not quite understanding the meaning behind the wink. Just then, a familiar voice called from behind her.

“Elisa.”

“I thought you were going to the noble meeting today,” Elisa replied, turning to face Richard.

“It ended early.”

“Ah, I see. Was anything important discussed at the meeting?”

“Not really. Nothing worth mentioning.”

The truth was, Richard had been too anxious to focus during the meeting, even after assigning Thompson and Rubellin’s elite knights to protect Elisa. As a result, he couldn’t recall anything significant from the discussions. But rather than admit this, he simply gave a vague response.

Richard then helped Elisa into the carriage. As he was about to follow her inside, he suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him from somewhere nearby. He paused, his expression turning cold and serious.

Elisa noticed his hesitation and looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Richard replied, quickly masking his unease as he climbed into the carriage.

Soon after, the carriage set off.