I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 67

Chapter 67

After resolving matters at the temple and returning to the Duke’s residence, Elisa finished her bath and prepared to initiate her plan.

She dismissed all the serving maids and retrieved the outfit she had prepared in one corner of the bathroom.

*“Phew, finally going to wear this.”*

The outfit she pulled out was a slip with thin shoulder straps.

Unlike the large, comfortable pajamas she usually wore, the slip clung to her body, accentuating her curves.

Moreover, the fabric was so thin that her silhouette and skin tone were visible.

*“Agnes Boutique’s ambitious summer piece! The very nightwear that promises hot summer nights!”*

A few days prior, she had visited the boutique specifically to buy this.

While other clothes could be purchased easily by calling the shop to the Duke’s residence, she felt embarrassed to buy this nightwear in front of the maids.

However, upon trying it on, she noticed a problem.

*“Hmm, it seems to accentuate my belly too much.”*

When she wore a dress, it didn’t stand out much, but in this thin slip, her slightly protruding belly was very noticeable after just a week.

The sultry feel she had anticipated was lost.

*“I’ve heard that when a wife’s belly grows, husbands lose interest… Would Richard feel that way too?”*

Elisa recalled a story she had heard once. In any case, there was no turning back now.

Throwing a bathrobe over the slip, she walked to her bedroom. However, she hesitated to open the door.

The thought of standing before him in this outfit made her more nervous than the time Albert had forced their consummation.

Taking a deep breath to steady her racing heart, she mentally reassured herself.

“Richard is my husband, and this is a natural part of married life.”

After several deep breaths, she finally opened the door and timidly stepped inside.

The soft glow of the luminescent stone on the table illuminated the room.

As usual, Richard sat on the sofa, reviewing documents while waiting for Elisa.

A hint of defined chest muscles could be seen peeking out from his robe.

Seeing that, Elisa unconsciously swallowed hard.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Richard stood up and approached her.

“Shall we go to bed?”

“Wait, just a moment. I need to take this off…”

Elisa slipped out of his supportive grasp and removed the bathrobe, revealing the thin slip underneath.

At that moment, Richard’s gaze, which had been casually fixed on her, began to waver. He quickly composed himself and frowned slightly.

“Is that a new outfit?”

“Yeah… Is it not nice?”

Elisa watched his reaction cautiously, and Richard flinched.

He recalled a recent incident when he had lied about her outfit being unappealing, causing her to cry.

Just remembering her tearful face made his heart sink.

He had felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, as if he were the worst person in the world.

He never wanted to see those sorrowful tears again.

Most importantly, Elisa looked genuinely beautiful in the outfit that accentuated her figure.

So much so that he almost spoke his thoughts candidly.

“No, you look beautiful. It suits you.”

He said what he had hoped to say, but Elisa’s expression remained indifferent.

*‘She must be annoyed at my praise.’*

Unaware of Elisa’s feelings, Richard carefully continued.

“It’s pretty, but the fabric seems… a bit thin.”

“It’s summer now, so I bought it because it’s hot.”

Elisa cleverly masked her true intention for buying the slip with a plausible excuse.

She absolutely couldn’t tell him the truth.

Elisa, believing Richard’s words wholeheartedly, allowed him to drape the bathrobe back over her shoulders.

“Still, it gets a bit chilly at night.”

Elisa felt a wave of frustration wash over her.

*“You actually believe that? You fool!”*

Was he pretending not to know, or was he truly oblivious?

At this point, it felt like a miracle that she even had the harness at all.

Elisa bit her lip in annoyance but quickly composed her expression.

This operation was far from over.

She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, settling in.

Every night before going to sleep, Richard would massage her belly with cream and share stories with their baby.

Now it was time to talk about the baby.

Elisa watched as Richard carefully spread the cream over her belly, hoping to entice him with a look.

*“Look at me. Pay attention to me!”*

Just then, as if he sensed her silent plea, Richard raised his gaze. Their eyes locked.

His red eyes, glowing softly in the light of the luminescent stone, sparkled enticingly.

“Richard—”

But just as Elisa was about to call his name, Richard immediately looked down again to her belly.

“I think your belly has grown a bit in just a few days.”

He resumed gently caressing her stomach, talking to the baby inside.

He asked if the baby had eaten something delicious today and if they were doing well with their mom.

Elisa sighed at Richard’s words.

*“You clueless idiot!”*

Normally, she would watch him tenderly as he carefully rubbed her belly with his large hands, filled with warmth. But today, Elisa felt deeply unsettled.

*“Should I send a more direct signal?”*

Earlier that day, she had brought out a pregnancy book she had been reading.

Since Richard would read bedtime stories to her every night or they would read books together about pregnancy to learn about the baby, he wouldn’t find it strange.

Elisa casually opened the book to the part she had read earlier and placed it in his hands.

[Most women experience a decrease in libido after pregnancy, but sometimes, a sudden increase in desire can occur. This is influenced by hormones, which can turn someone with a previously low libido into someone with high desire, and vice versa.

“Many men lose interest when their wives’ bellies grow. So, they said it can be difficult if this part doesn’t match…”

Is that true for you?

Elisa hinted at this while gauging his reaction.

However, Richard’s response to her statement was…

“Really?”

…That was all he said.

His nonchalant attitude made Elisa feel disappointed as she closed the book.

“…I think I’ll go to sleep. I’m tired.”

She turned to the side and lay down on the bed.

A little while later, she heard Richard’s soft voice, oblivious to her feelings.

“Good night.”

The bitter feelings she had toward him made it difficult for her to sleep, but perhaps due to her exhaustion, sleep began to take over.

Before long, Elisa’s steady breathing filled the room.

Facing away from Richard, she shifted positions, feeling uncomfortable, and turned to look at him.

Richard sighed heavily as he gazed at Elisa, who was fast asleep, a mix of pain and longing evident on his face.

“…What do you believe makes you so beautiful?”

From the moment he saw her in the slip, he had been overwhelmed by a desire he found hard to control.

He often felt it but had tried to suppress it.

Biting down on his lips, which had turned a rosy hue from restraint, he felt a dangerous urge to leave his mark all over her soft, pale skin.

Yet, at the same time, he was overwhelmed with guilt.

Wanting her, who was struggling with the burden of carrying their child, felt almost beastly to him.

So he had hidden and suppressed his desires every night, and tonight was no different.

Gently caressing Elisa’s creamy cheeks, Richard thought,

*“How could anyone lose interest seeing you like this?”*

Richard couldn’t understand the stories about men losing interest when they saw their pregnant wives.

Of course, he worried about her, but despite that, every time he looked at her, his emotions surged, leaving him in torment.

In fact, seeing her carry their child filled him with a strange elation, amplifying his longing.

He wanted to make her cry, to leave her completely undone. He wanted to mark her as entirely his.

Every time his dangerous desire shook him, Richard would remind himself by placing his hand on Elisa’s belly.

Inside her, their child was growing, and he needed to protect her.

“Mm…”

However, Elisa, unaware of his inner turmoil, nestled closer to him, pressing her soft skin against his.

Richard’s body stiffened at her actions.

“…Hah.”

With a tortured sigh, he held Elisa close but soon found himself unable to endure the tension, rising from the bed.

As always, he made his way to the bathroom.

—

In the dim light of dawn, Elisa suddenly awoke.

As her vision cleared after blinking a few times, she spotted Richard still asleep beside her.

He lay there with a beautifully serene face, slightly tousled hair aside, looking flawless and familiar—a face she could never tire of.

*“What a wonderful face for morning wellness…”*

Gazing at him, the resentment she felt last night melted away like snow.

As she admired his features, Elisa quietly reached out to caress his cheek.

Touching his once-unreal visage finally made it feel a little more real.

At that moment, her hand brushed against his lips. The softness of his mouth stirred slightly under her fingers.

*“Oh!”*

Startled, Elisa instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but a large hand grasped hers.

At the same time, Richard’s closed eyes opened, revealing his striking red gaze.