I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 65

Chapter 65

A few days later, a letter arrived for Elisa. It was a letter from Roze.

The letter requested that Elisa come to the palace because Roze wanted to meet her.

As if she had been waiting for this, Elisa headed to the palace.

Upon arriving at the Crown Princess’s quarters, the maidens guided Elisa to the reception room.

The reception room was lavishly decorated in white tones, filled with gold-crafted ornaments.

While ordinary nobles would be awestruck, it didn’t faze Elisa, who was accustomed to the reception room of the Rubellin Mansion, adorned with the most precious gem on the continent, the luminous stone.

In the center of the reception room, Roze, dressed more splendidly than ever before, sat adorned in extravagant attire and decorations.

Elisa approached her, smiling warmly and with grace.

“Your Highness, the Crown Princess.”

“Welcome, Duchess.”

Roze, who had been greeting Elisa, wrinkled her brow as she saw Elisa carefully sit down, cradling her belly.

However, she soon composed herself, smiling, and added a polite remark.

“Thank you for coming despite your condition.”

“It’s nothing. By the way, it’s the first time Your Highness has called for me.”

“Isn’t the Duchess the highest-ranking woman in Arencia after the Imperial family?’’

‘’In times like these, when the empire is unsettled due to the prolonged war, I thought it best to meet and work together rather than clash.”

It was amusing to hear Roze, who had openly shown animosity toward her, say such things.

Elisa responded with a genuine smile, accepting Roze’s politeness.

“Oh my. I should have approached Your Highness more warmly first, but I’m so glad you thought of me first.”

“It doesn’t matter who approached whom. What’s important is that we’ve cleared up any misunderstandings.”

Roze, playing the role of a magnanimous Crown Princess, lifted her teacup.

Elisa, looking down at the teacup, grimaced.

The tea prepared by Roze was black tea, which was not suitable for pregnant women.

Elisa hadn’t planned to drink it anyway, but seeing Roze’s clearly malicious intent made her feel more contemptuous.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’m still experiencing morning sickness, so I can’t drink tea or eat cookies.”

In reality, her morning sickness had significantly eased recently, but Elisa used this excuse.

Roze exaggerated her apology with a sorrowful expression.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t consider your situation.”

“It’s alright. I appreciate Your Highness’s concern.”

Elisa responded with a smile.

Roze called for a maid to clear away the tea and cookies.

Once the maid left, Roze brought up another topic.

“By the way, I’ve heard that you’ve been helping many impoverished children.

As Crown Princess, I would like to express my gratitude.”

“Although I haven’t started in earnest yet, I’m flattered you’ve heard about it. I’ll strive to ensure the good deeds aren’t just rumors.”

“I’ve also heard that recently you’ve been helping children who have lost their parents?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The children who still need care are being directed to nearby orphanages.”

“May I ask where those orphanages are? Since you’ve done such good work, as someone who will become the empire’s mother in the future, I’d like to contribute to that meaningful cause.”

Hearing these words from Roze, Elisa realized that the main point had finally come.

“Well, that is…”

Elisa paused for a moment as if recalling her memory, then asked with an innocent expression.

“By the way, is there a specific reason why you need to sponsor that particular orphanage? Orphanages throughout the empire would surely be eager for the Crown Princess’s support.”

Roze, noticing Elisa’s exaggerated innocent expression, realized that Elisa was deliberately hiding the child.

The day Elisa had met Leon, Roze’s hired mercenaries had been circling around Leon, waiting for the right moment to deal with the child quietly.

But Elisa had taken Leon and boarded a carriage. The mercenaries, unwilling to give up, followed her.

However, noticing this midway, the Rubellin carriage had gone to various places, confusing their pursuit.

As a result, their tracking attempt failed.

‘Cunning girl. She noticed.’

Roze, hoping that Elisa’s evasion of the pursuit was a coincidence, subtly probed her, but Elisa had already figured out the connection due to Roze’s earlier comments.

With her true intentions exposed, Roze abandoned her composure and showed a malicious expression, threatening Elisa.

“Stop pretending. Where have you hidden that child?”

Roze, caught off guard, discarded her manners and spoke rudely.

But even in front of the rude Roze, Elisa maintained a feigned innocence, blinking and smiling brightly.

“I don’t know who you’re referring to, Your Highness. Is there a specific child you’re looking for?”

“You insolent girl! How dare you be so arrogant in safety? If I go to His Majesty and tell him what you’ve done…”

“What will you tell His Majesty? That I took in children who lost their parents and led them to a safe place? Is that something His Majesty would be angry about?”

Roze was left speechless by Elisa’s question.

Although Elisa knew that the ones trailing her were Roze’s mercenaries, it seemed she didn’t know Leon’s identity.

However, that was merely Roze’s misunderstanding. Elisa continued, as if to remind her.

“Or will you accuse the Duchess of Rubellin of hiding the Crown Prince?”

Elisa asked with a bright smile, already knowing everything.

Even without knowing the original story, it was possible to infer from the relationship between the royal family and Rubellin, the news of her pregnancy, and Roze’s sudden interest in orphanages that the palace guards roamed around the plaza.

Roze hadn’t calculated that such inferences could be made.

“You know everything, don’t you…!”

“Then go to His Majesty right now and falsely accuse the Rubellin Duke of trying to kill the Crown Prince.”

“Do you think I can’t?”

“But what will you say to His Majesty?”

“What?”

“Aside from the fact that there’s no evidence, how would His Majesty know that the Duke of Rubellin is trying to kill the Crown Prince?”

It was odd that Roze knew something the palace guards, who were searching for the Crown Prince, did not.

It wasn’t as if she knew every move of the children.

If Elisa were to be framed in front of the Emperor, it would essentially reveal what Roze had done.

“You, with your mere country noble background, think that by relying on your husband, you’re of noble birth and can mock me? How dare you!”

Roze, with a face contorted in anger, clenched her fists and trembled.

Listening to her final outburst with an indifferent face, Elisa decided it was not worth hearing more and stood up from her seat.

Then, glaring at Roze with a venomous gaze, she waved the contract she had brought.

Roze’s eyes widened in surprise.

“W-How did you…?”

The contract had the signature of Roze’s close maid. According to Elisa, that maid had recently left the Crown Princess’s quarters and returned to her hometown.

The contract detailed that Roze intended to pay a reward to the mercenaries who successfully completed their mission.

As a maid, especially one from a prominent noble family, she was a trusted intermediary for the guild.

The contract, originally held by the guild master, had been exchanged by Richard for double the amount as compensation.

Showing this to the Emperor would serve as undeniable evidence.

Elisa bent slightly towards the frozen Roze and, in a gentle voice, warned her.

“Don’t touch innocent children.”

It was an unspoken threat that if the children were harmed, she could report the contract to the Emperor at any time.

“If it weren’t for the children, this contract would never reach the Emperor’s hands.”

Elisa, watching Roze tremble with anger, bowed politely.

“Then I’ll take my leave now, Your Highness. Please feel free to call me anytime if you wish to discuss anything.”

Maintaining the same bright smile she had when entering the reception room, Elisa left calmly, leaving Roze behind.

Roze, who had been glaring at Elisa’s departing figure, couldn’t contain her frustration and threw a cushion beside her as soon as the door closed.

“Argh!”

Roze’s enraged voice echoed through the quiet reception room.

*

Today was the day Elisa had promised to visit the temple to meet Leon.

So, Elisa was very busy this morning.

Carrying the bread and cookies she had promised to Leon, she was about to get into the carriage when Richard stopped her.

“I’m coming with you, Elisa.”

“To the temple?”

“Yes, I want to see that child too.”

Elisa realized that Richard was referring to Leon.

Since Richard had a similar childhood to Leon’s, he might be able to help him.

Thinking so, Elisa nodded in agreement.

Richard carefully lifted Elisa into the carriage, ensuring she wouldn’t fall, and then stuffed cushions around her back and waist.

Thanks to this, Elisa was able to sit in a comfortable position, barely feeling the vibrations of the carriage.

‘My husband is becoming more and more like a father.’

Elisa smiled faintly as she watched Richard’s thoughtful care for both her and the baby inside her.

After settling Elisa comfortably, Richard asked.

“What do you plan to do about that child?”

“What do you mean?”

“Right now he’s still young and unaware, so it’s fine, but as he grows, he will realize that he has different powers from others.”

Elisa then understood the meaning of the question.

She had also thought about how to raise Leon in the future.

But there was no definitive answer to a child’s future. She couldn’t decide that answer herself.

“When he becomes aware of himself, I’ll ask him again. I’ll ask what he wants.”

If he wants to become an Emperor and lead the empire in a better direction, she would help him achieve that. If he wants to live happily while hiding his powers, she would support that too.

Wasn’t it unhappy to live a life constrained by family power if it wasn’t what one wanted?

Elisa, looking at Richard who had to live a life he didn’t want because of his power, added.

“Until that day comes, just help him grow up healthy and happy.”

By showing him the many paths he could take.