I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 61

Chapter 61

#8. What It Means to Become a Couple

The time when Richard went to the palace.

Elisa looked at the delicious food laid out before her.

Freshly baked bread, well-cooked meat, fish dishes with creamy sauce—all the foods Elisa had been unable to eat due to morning sickness were now spread out.

Since her morning sickness had improved significantly in recent days and she could now eat, Richard had instructed the chef to prepare Elisa’s favorite dishes.

“…..”

However, Elisa just stared blankly at the food, unable to start her meal.

It was because of the thoughts that had been occupying her mind lately.

‘His lips….’

Ever since the day Richard read a fairy tale to her, she couldn’t stop thinking about his lips.

The soft, tender texture.

The hot breath that intertwined passionately……….

Add to that his handsome face, which only heightened Elisa’s desires.

Moreover, recently, she had started to pay attention to his body as well.

The broad chest, the firm abs beneath it, and the defined arm muscles and strong thighs that were always evident when he moved.

Every time she caught a glimpse of his body through or beyond his shirt, she recalled that night they spent together, causing her face to flush.

Along with that, her heart would start racing uncontrollably.

‘If this keeps up, I’m going to definitely…….’

Elisa, lost in thought, was jolted by her own realization and shook her head.

‘No, no. That can’t be it.’

Elisa picked up her fork and began eating, as if to push down the thoughts of him with each bite.

“Please eat a lot, madam.”

Unaware of Elisa’s inner turmoil, Anne, seeing her eating well, happily brought more dishes closer.

“It seems like your taste changes when you’re pregnant. You’re eating things you didn’t before.”

Anne’s words, spoken with satisfaction, made Elisa pause.

‘Taste changes due to pregnancy?’

Thinking about it, many things had changed due to pregnancy.

She had been crying over things that normally wouldn’t make her cry, and even though she wasn’t one to take long naps, she had recently been taking naps like part of her daily routine.

Elisa found a clue in Anne’s words about why her heart raced whenever she saw Richard recently.

‘So, is this also due to pregnancy hormones?’

Pondering this throughout her meal, Elisa headed straight to the bedroom after finishing her food and approached the table.

On the table was a book Elisa had been reading about pregnancy and childbirth.

Flipping through the pages, Elisa finally found the answer.

[Most women experience a decrease in libido after pregnancy, but occasionally, a previously absent libido can surge. This can be due to hormonal changes that either diminish or enhance sexual desire.]

‘So what I’ve been feeling about Richard is libido!’ Elisa nodded in understanding and read the additional explanation below.

[If both mom and dad are happy, it also positively affects the baby. Enjoying a happy married life within reasonable limits is a good way to get through a difficult pregnancy.]

Reading that passage, Elisa sighed deeply.

‘I want that too….’

Not only was her heart racing, but she also wanted to steal his kiss and be close to him.

So much so that she even dreamed of kissing him and sharing their warm bodies.

‘If this continues, I’ll be tortured by desire. And if I’m stressed, it won’t be good for the baby either.’

Given that they were already married, had a baby on the way, and had spent the night together, wouldn’t it be okay to continue like this?

But unfortunately, Richard seemed completely uninterested.

He was still so cautious that he wouldn’t even place his hand on Elisa’s belly.

‘How can I make him see the reason?’

As Elisa was deeply contemplating this with a serious expression, a knock on the door was heard.

“Madam, a letter has arrived.”

“Come in.”

Anne entered the room and approached the table where Elisa was sitting, placing the letters down.

Elisa smiled warmly and said, “Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble. I’ll bring some tea that you can enjoy while reading.”

Anne quietly left the room again.

After reading the book a little longer, Elisa closed it and turned her attention to the letters in front of her.

Two of the three letters were invitations to tea parties, and the remaining one was a catalog.

The catalog, decorated in a refreshing light blue symbolizing summer, caught Elisa’s eye.

Elisa picked up the catalog.

It was from the boutique where she had recently ordered a custom dress.

[Exclusive Preview of the Summer Collection at Agnes Boutique!]

As Elisa flipped through the catalog casually, her hand stopped on one page.

‘This…’

A triumphant smile appeared on Elisa’s lips as she continued to look through the catalog.

*

“Please come visit us again, madam.”

“Do visit!”

That afternoon, Elisa left the boutique with a very satisfied expression, having been respectfully seen off by the owner and staff.

Anne, following Elisa, carried a velvet box containing the items Elisa wanted.

The knights of the Rubellin family, who had been waiting in front of the store, opened the carriage door for Elisa.

The coachman asked Elisa as she got into the carriage.

“Shall we head straight back to the Duke’s residence?”

Elisa, who was about to answer instinctively, paused and then said, “No, let’s stop by the bookstore for a bit.”

Although the Duke’s library had most of the books, they were mostly new ones purchased by the Duke’s family.

Books on out-of-print sections or rare folklore information were only available in bookstores.

Additionally, the bookstore in the plaza also sold second-hand books, and finding notes or comments left by previous readers was another pleasure.

Elisa was looking forward to browsing books and decided to visit the bookstore.

The carriage, following her wishes, headed towards the shopping district in the plaza.

As Elisa looked out at the familiar scenery, she saw the lively shopping district, bustling pedestrians, and children playing joyfully amidst it all.

Then, something out of place within the familiar scene caught her eye.

‘Palace knights?’

The knights, wearing uniforms adorned with the royal crest, were patrolling the plaza.

Elisa sensed that something unusual was happening with their presence.

Typically, soldiers were responsible for maintaining order in the plaza. It was rare for knights to be involved, especially in such numbers.

‘Why are they here?’

As Elisa pondered this question, she heard the coachman’s voice from the driver’s seat.

“We’ve arrived, madam.”

Elisa pushed aside her lingering curiosity and, with Anne, got out of the carriage.

The bookstore, located in a corner of the shopping district, was small and quaint.

As they entered the bookstore, a small bell on the door rang with a clear chime.

Ding—

However, there was no one at the counter.

Instead, a voice presumed to be the owner came from the back of the store.

“I’m a bit busy right now, so please take your time looking around!”

Following this were the sounds of a ladder clattering and dust rising, accompanied by coughing—soft, background noises.

While waiting for the owner, Elisa decided to browse through the other bookshelves.

At that moment, she felt something moving at her feet.

‘Hmm?’

Elisa glanced down in surprise and saw a young boy with red hair. She couldn’t tell how long he had been there, but he appeared to be around four or five years old. His tattered clothes had several holes, and his emaciated body was visible through them.

Despite this, his reddish eyes shone brightly like burning flames.

The boy stared at Elisa, then grabbed a random book from the shelf, stuffed it into his clothes, and quickly scurried between the shelves.

Elisa was so taken aback by the boy’s audacious theft that she blinked in shock before quickly moving to block his path.

“Can you give that back?”

But the boy, showing no intention of complying, clutched the stolen book tightly and glared at Elisa with dissatisfaction.

Then, he tried to push past her, but it was a futile attempt.

Elisa knelt to meet the boy’s eye level and gently grabbed his shoulder.

“Kid, stealing is bad. If you take things without paying, scary men will come to catch you.”

Just then, the sound of the owner returning from the back of the store was heard.

Realizing the urgency, Elisa urgently extended her hand to the boy.

“Come on.”

If the owner found out about the child’s theft, it would cause quite a commotion.

However, the boy remained unmoved.

“Good grief, I’m so busy and customers keep coming….”

The bookstore owner grumbled irritably as he approached the counter.

When he saw Elisa’s expensive clothes and jewelry, his expression changed to one of hurried politeness.

“………I’m so grateful for your presence. Welcome, madam. What kind of book are you looking for today?”

“I’m not looking for anything in particular. I just want to browse around.”

“Ah, then let me recommend something for you. Let’s see, a collection of lyrical poetry favored by beautiful ladies…”

As the owner moved towards the bookshelf to find a poetry collection, he finally noticed the boy at Elisa’s feet.

Seeing the boy hiding a flat book in his clothes, the owner quickly grasped the situation. His expression twisted into one of anger.

“Damn thief!”

As the owner raised his hand to strike the boy, Elisa instinctively pulled the child into her arms. It wasn’t a calculated move but a spontaneous, protective gesture driven by her desire to shield the child.