I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 69

Chapter 69

Elisa blinked in a daze, then closed her eyes and accepted him.

His warm, moist lips intertwined with hers gently yet persistently, weaving their breaths together.

His breath was so sweet that it made her head spin. All her senses felt dreamlike.

Still pressed against her lips, Richard laid her back on the bed and kissed her nape.

The dizzying sensation made Elisa gasp, her body trembling slightly. At that moment, her belly brushed against him.

Suddenly, something she had forgotten came to mind.

Their precious child is growing inside her.

Richard recalled the part in a book that mentioned some people were extremely cautious about even light contact with their husbands during pregnancy, and he pulled away from her lips.

“…Richard?”

Elisa looked up at him, panting and puzzled.

Seeing her damp eyes and disheveled face stirred a strong desire within him to claim her again.

But he couldn’t just give in to momentary lust. Once was enough.

Richard barely managed to suppress his desire and spoke.

“If you don’t want this… I’ll stop.”

Elisa blinked, not understanding his intention.

Though he said that, his fingers caressing her eyes were undeniably seductive. It was a contradiction.

Only he could quench the heat rising within her. Her heart raced with urgency.

Elisa clung to him desperately, not fully understanding what she was saying.

“I want to.”

At her desperate voice, Richard’s gaze wavered.

Realizing only after seeing his reaction to what she had just said, Elisa blushed, but it was too late to take it back.

However, her embarrassment was fleeting. Once she thought of it as spilled water, the words she hadn’t been able to say the night before flowed out easily.

“Lately… I’ve been having strange dreams like the one in the book I saw yesterday, and it’s been tormenting me.”

Feeling shy about her honest words, Elisa added the most convincing reason.

“And it’s good for the baby’s development…”

At her words, Richard’s brow slightly furrowed.

But Elisa, who was avoiding his gaze out of embarrassment, didn’t notice the subtle change in his expression.

“Ah, really? Then one day won’t be enough.”

As he roughly unbuttoned his shirt, the heat in his eyes still lingered, but his muttered response felt strangely cool.

Just as Elisa was about to question him, Richard pressed his lips against hers again.

Soon, his upper body fell out of his shirt.

Almost immediately, a heat so intense it overwhelmed Elisa.

Richard felt Elisa stirring in his arms and woke up.

The morning sunlight had already poured into the room, yet Elisa seemed still deep in slumber.

He looked at her sleeping face with a sulky expression.

*“Lately… I keep having strange dreams like the ones in that book I saw yesterday, and it’s tormenting me.”*

*“…”*

*“And it’s good for the baby’s development…”*

Always with the baby, baby.

The reason he had tried to run away from her was because of the baby, and when she struggled with morning sickness, she had laughed, saying it was okay because the baby was healthy.

Even when she had severe headaches, she had simply suffered through it, worried that taking medication would harm the baby.

And just yesterday.

The fact that she wanted him was ultimately due to the pregnancy hormones.

While his body instinctively responded to holding her close, his heart felt emptier.

He knew she desired not him, but just his body.

*“When will you see me not as a baby’s father, but as the man you love?”*

He felt a surge of jealousy towards the child that had come into existence so suddenly.

Then, he felt self-pity for being jealous of a tiny baby that was still hardly noticeable.

*“Who can I blame? It’s my fault…”*

At that moment, Elisa shifted again and nestled deeper into his embrace.

As her soft warmth connected with him, his instincts stirred.

Richard swallowed a painful sigh.

The reason he had been suppressing his desires all this time wasn’t only because he couldn’t impose them on Elisa, but above all, it was for her and the baby inside her.

He knew that once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop his overflowing desire.

He feared that such greed would hurt the weak Elisa and their baby.

Though he had given in to her temptations yesterday, he had still managed to stop after just one time.

He wasn’t even able to satisfy half of his cravings, and instead, he felt tormented to the point of almost dying. He had to muster all his patience every time they brushed against each other.

Without knowing any of this, Elisa slept soundly, her innocent face provoking his jealousy.

Then, it happened.

“Umm…”

Elisa’s long eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

In her bright, fresh green eyes glistening with the morning sun, his reflection appeared.

As she blinked sleepily, she looked at him, and then, feeling embarrassed, buried her face under the covers.

Even so, her eyes peeked out from under the blanket, watching him.

Richard found himself unconsciously pulling down the corners of his mouth, trying to suppress the smile creeping up.

The very same person who had stolen a kiss from him last night was now shy.

Yet, more amusing than her embarrassment was…

“Did you sleep well, Richard?”

Her eyes crescent-shaped with a broad smile made him melt away like snow under the sun.

The cold feelings he had harbored melted away, and his emotions for her surged once again.

*“How can I ever win against you?”*

No matter how many times you hurt me, I will only love you again.

Richard brushed Elisa’s messy hair back and asked, “Did you?”

“I slept well.”

“How’s your body? Does your belly feel tight or anything?”

Elisa, who had been admiring his handsome face, finally checked in with her body.

Though her muscles ache all over, her belly felt fine.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

Just as she answered, a loud rumble came from her belly.

In the awkward silence, Elisa added in a small voice, “Except I’m hungry.”

Richard burst into laughter at that. Then he pulled on the dining bell rope twice, signaling for food.

Feeling embarrassed by his laughter, Elisa pouted, crossing her lips.

“Our baby is hungry.”

“Right. It’s not you who’s hungry, it’s this little one.”

Richard replied playfully, placing his hand on her belly.

As Elisa fiddled with his large hand resting on her belly, she suddenly seemed to think of something and turned to him.

“Richard, how about we give our baby a nickname?”

“A nickname?”

“It’s a name for the baby that we’ll call while they’re still in your belly. It carries our hopes for a healthy birth.”

“What do you want to name it?”

“Hmm…”

Elisa frowned slightly, deep in thought.

Then she glanced at Richard and stared at his large hand resting protectively on her belly.

His warm and sturdy hand felt reliable, as if it could shield her and their baby from anything.

Being in his embrace made her feel like she was in the safest place in the world.

But she couldn’t shake the dark thoughts from the original story, where Richard had loathed the baby and wished for its demise, even trying to harm it with those very hands.

Even knowing that the current Rihardt was different from the original, her heart sank at the thought.

Holding his hand tightly, she spoke up.

“I think it would be nice to name the baby ‘Love.’”

Unlike in the original, she wanted their child to grow up healthy and happy, surrounded by the love of their parents.

“Love?”

“It means to be loved as much as the name itself and to be born healthy. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds good. Let’s go with that.”

Richard readily agreed.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

“Milady, Your Grace. Breakfast is ready.”

Anne and the maids entered the room, setting the food they had brought onto the table before leaving.

The table was filled with a variety of dishes.

Normally, Richard would prefer a simple breakfast, but after Elisa’s morning sickness had eased, he had instructed for a hearty meal to be prepared every morning.

“It looks delicious…”

Seeing Elisa’s eyes sparkle at the sight of the food, Richard couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’ll serve you.”

He plated food and placed it in front of Elisa.

Perhaps she had been very hungry, for as soon as he set down the plate, she eagerly picked up her fork and began to eat.

Richard, having only served himself, watched her intently.

*“So cute,”* he thought, finding her little mouth busy munching on food utterly adorable.

But then, as if something got stuck in her throat, Elisa coughed suddenly. At the sound, Richard’s heart dropped.

“Are you okay, Elisa?”

He quickly patted her back and offered her juice.

After taking a sip, Elisa continued to cough for a while before finally calming down.

“Thank you.”

“Take your time eating. You might choke.”

Richard felt relieved only after seeing her resume her meal.

At that moment, Elisa’s gaze fell on Richard’s plate.

His food remained untouched, his fork still in place.

“Richard, why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m not hungry, so I’ll eat later. Don’t worry about me; just enjoy your meal.”

“You could eat now and again later, right? You need to eat well to build your strength.”

“Strength?”

Richard tilted his head in confusion.

Whenever they shared a meal, he had eaten a bit carelessly while watching her, but he hadn’t thought it was to the extent that she’d be worried.

Moreover, according to Thompson and the other Rubellin knights, his stamina was almost monstrous.

So why was she worried about his strength?

“Well, it’s just that last night…”

“Ah!”

With a look of concern, Elisa furrowed her brows as she spoke seriously, only to suddenly realize something and cover her mouth.

“Uh, it’s nothing. I was just worried because it seems like you haven’t been eating properly…”

Richard’s eyes narrowed as he watched Elisa stutter through her words, clearly flustered.

He understood what she left unsaid.

Elisa seemed to think that him wanting to end their activities after just one time the previous night was because he lacked stamina.

Feeling unjustly misunderstood, Richard’s brow furrowed slightly.

*“She doesn’t know how hard I’ve been holding back.”*

Even at this moment.

Richard quietly observed Elisa as she continued her meal, but as soon as she set her fork down, he swiftly pulled her into an embrace.

Elisa looked up at him in surprise, her eyes wide.

“Richard…?”

“I need to clear up my wife’s misunderstanding.”

It wouldn’t be fair to let it stand like this.

Richard added as he headed straight for the bed.