I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - Chapter 60

Chapter 60

“So, what exactly is this story you want to tell?”

Richard, who had come to Arden Count’s residence with Ancel, asked directly as soon as the butler who brought the tea left.

He didn’t want to engage in any meaningless conversation with Ancel.

Had Ancel not mentioned that it was a story about Elisa, Richard wouldn’t have even come to the count’s residence.

Ancel, however, was undeterred by his attitude and began to speak.

“It might seem like a very unpleasant and rude question, but nevertheless, I would like to ask.”

Richard looked at Ancel while bringing the slightly cooled teacup to his lips.

“How much do you love Elisa?”

The unexpected question from Ancel caused Richard’s action of drinking tea to freeze. At the same time, his brow furrowed.

“I don’t understand why you would ask such a question knowing it’s unpleasant and rude.”

Instead of answering Richard’s words, Ancel began to explain the reason for his actions.

“The reason I followed you was to judge whether you are someone who knows the truth.”

“…Truth?”

“You know that the old Roengreen Count’s villa is in Soranetti, right?”

Richard knew this already.

Soranetti was one of the most likely places where Elisa might settle after divorcing him, so he had investigated it beforehand.

“Elisa asked me to buy and renovate that villa for her.”

“After divorcing you, she planned to live there.”

The word ‘divorce’ made Richard’s expression harden with coldness.

Just the mention of it brought back the painful emotions he felt when he was desperately searching for Elisa, making him uncomfortable.

But Ancel continued as if this was not the main point.

“I bought and renovated the villa as Elisa requested. And I waited for her there.”

“……”

“However, I met an old man in front of the villa. He said he had lived his entire life as a doctor in Soranetti.”

“……”

“The old man was said to be Elisa’s primary doctor. And…”

Ancel trailed off for a moment before continuing.

“They said Elisa died of tuberculosis. Eight years ago.”

Richard, who had been listening silently with a cold expression, asked without flinching.

“Is that why you called me here, to talk about a senile old man’s story?”

“I thought so too, until I saw the portrait in the villa gallery.”

Ancel recalled the portrait he had seen at Soranetti’s villa.

“But the girl in the portrait was not the twelve-year-old Elisa I knew.”

As he removed the velvet cloth covering the frame, a faded picture of a blonde, green-eyed girl appeared.

Although faces change gradually as one grows, the girl in the portrait was entirely different from the Elisa he knew, except for the hair and eye color.

The real ‘Elisa Roengreen’ was the girl in that portrait.

‘Then who is Elisa I know?’

Ancel stared at the unfamiliar girl in the painting with a confused expression for a long time.

Now, Richard was looking at Ancel with the same expression.

“So, did you find out more about Elisa’s family?”

“No, I didn’t investigate further. I didn’t think I had the right to know more.”

“……”

“I wanted to tell Elisa as soon as I returned to the system, but I couldn’t bring myself to. That’s why I’m telling you.”

“Wise.”

Richard composed himself and calmly set down his tea cup after briefly being confused.

Ancel looked at Richard in surprise and said.

“You seem unshaken by the truth, more than I expected.”

“Why should I be shaken?”

Richard added in a calm voice.

“Regardless of the name Elia had, the fact that she is my precious family doesn’t change.”

As if the truth had no impact on his relationship with Elisa.

After their conversation, Richard got up from his seat. As he was about to pass Ancel, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back to Ancel.

“By the way, if you were truly concerned for Elisa, shouldn’t you have been more careful with such stories? It doesn’t seem like you trust me much.”

“I hoped you would waver in the face of this truth.”

Ancel took a sip of his tea and added.

“Of course, for Elisa, not for me.”

Richard then realized why Ancel had brought up this story with him.

He had hoped that by revealing Elisa’s unclear status, Richard would divorce her.

To take Elisa, who was carrying his child, away.

As soon as he realized Ancel’s sincerity toward Elisa, Richard’s gaze grew cold and intense.

Richard, with a deadly gaze, growled a warning at Ancel.

“I hope you don’t reveal such greed in front of Elisa.”

Ancel flinched momentarily at Richard’s menacing gaze but soon faced him with a composed expression.

Richard left the meeting room without another word.

Left alone, Ancel stared blankly at the closed door of the meeting room.

He had known from seeing Richard in recent days and briefly in his youth that Richard was not someone who would easily abandon Elisa.

But seeing Richard’s reaction to the story about Elisa was both a relief and a bitterness.

It seemed he would never get his chance.

“…I suppose it’s a relief.”

Ancel smiled bitterly and finished his tea.

*

“Welcome back, Your Excellency.”

When Richard arrived at the Duke’s residence, it was early evening, with dusk beginning to fall.

Richard entered the mansion, greeted by Grayson.

At that moment, Thompson, who happened to be nearby, approached.

“You’re quite late today.”

“I had some matters to attend to along the way. Was there any news from the shrine?”

“Oh, Lady Elisa wasn’t feeling well today, so she didn’t go to the shrine.”

Richard, who had casually asked about the day’s events, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His usually calm expression hardened immediately.

“Not feeling well? What’s wrong?”

“She mentioned having a headache.”

Grayson answered Richard’s pressing questions.

“What did the doctor say?”

“They said it’s quite common for people to experience headaches during pregnancy and that she should feel better after a good rest. She’s asleep now.”

Richard went straight to Elisa’s room.

As Grayson had said, Elisa was sound asleep.

Richard carefully sat by Elisa’s bedside. As he did, Elisa seemed to sense his presence and opened her eyes.

“…Richard?”

“Sorry for waking you.”

“Is something wrong? You look upset…”

Elisa, still rubbing her heavy eyes, asked.

Richard flinched at her question.

Since leaving the Arden Count’s residence, his mind had been troubled with many thoughts.

Yet, despite no one knowing about it, Elisa immediately sensed something was wrong, even in her half-asleep state.

Richard quickly composed himself and shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Though Elissa would eventually find out, he didn’t want to shock her with uncertain issues before he had confirmed all the facts himself.

Richard decided to change the subject.

“I heard you couldn’t go to the shrine today because of your headache.”

“I’m okay now.”

Elisa answered while trying to stifle a yawn.

As he watched Elisa, Richard gently covered her eyes with his hand.

“Get some more rest. I’ll wake you when the meal is ready.”

“Mm….”

Elisa, who answered in a sleep-dazed voice, quickly fell back into slumber.

Richard stared at the peacefully sleeping Elisa.

Listening to the steady, rhythmic sound of her breathing, his troubled mind began to calm down a bit.

‘You’re not Elisa Roengreen.’

Elisa had said she couldn’t remember anything before the carriage accident.

The doctor who examined her at that time suggested it was likely a short-term memory loss due to the shock of the accident, but Elisa’s memory still hadn’t returned even after eight years.

Richard didn’t believe that Elisa’s claim of memory loss was false.

It would be nearly impossible for someone to deceive him and marry him while concealing their true identity. Albert wouldn’t have been easily deceived in the first place.

‘Then the only person who might know Elisa’s true identity is…’

The person who brought her to the Duke’s residence.

‘Albert Rubellin.’

It could only be his grandfather.

Richard frowned at the unwelcome name he recalled.

But he was dead, and he couldn’t ask the deceased for the truth.

After a moment’s consideration, Richard thought of the one person who might know the hidden truth.

He got up from the bed and left the room, looking for Thompson.

“There’s someone you need to find for me.”

“Who is it?”

“Aaron Clore.”

Thompson blinked in surprise at the suddenly mentioned

familiar name.

Aaron Clore had been Albert’s advisor.

He had left Rubellin after Albert’s funeral, claiming he would return to his hometown.

Now, suddenly being asked to find him.

Richard commanded Thompson.

“Find him and bring him to me.”