I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 77

**Chapter 77**

On the eve of Foundation Day, Elisa went to bed a little earlier than usual to prepare for the schedule for the next day.

As usual, Richard was watching over Elisa as she slept, gently creating a breeze to chase away the heat of the summer night.

At that moment, a knock echoed.

Richard startled slightly and checked on Elisa’s condition.

Fortunately, it seemed that Elisa was in such a deep sleep that she didn’t hear the sound.

Before the knock could sound again, Richard got up from the bed, tightened his gown, and headed for the door.

‘Could it be ‘that matter’?’

Although he had left the light on in the room, it was rare for a servant to come at this late hour.

That meant it was something urgent.

He had a guess about what that ‘urgent matter’ might be.

Richard approached the door and opened it. The butler, Grayson, was standing in front of the door.

“Were you perhaps sleeping?”

“No. What is it?”

“A letter has arrived from Sir Colt.”

Colt was one of the subordinates Richard had dispatched to the Sacred Tree Forest a week ago.

He had instructed them to bring any news as long as the light was on in the room.

“Well then, have a good night, Your Excellency.”

Grayson, who had delivered the letter, quietly withdrew.

After closing the door, Richard hurried to the table and unfolded the letter.

[As you commanded, we searched the villages around the forest.

The girls with blonde hair and green eyes who lived in the village at that time are either still living in that village or have married and moved to nearby villages.

There are quite a few girls who died at a young age, but there are no reports of any missing girls.

I will take one last look and return.]

The content of the letter meant that no trace of Elisa had been found anywhere.

‘But Aaron clearly said that Albert Rubelin brought Elisa from the Sacred Tree Forest.’

If it wasn’t from a nearby village, then where on earth did he bring Elisa from?

Richard sighed and set the letter down.

In the end, he was back to square one.

*

The day of the Foundation Day had dawned.

Elisa and Richard decided to take only four knights, including Thompson, as their escort to the temple.

Since weapons could not be carried inside the temple, knights usually didn’t enter, and if all the knights accompanied them, it would create a commotion in front of the temple as everyone gathered there.

For this reason, nobles participating in the Foundation Day usually brought as few escort knights as possible.

“Then, have a good trip, you two.”

Grayson, who had come to see them off, closed the carriage door.

Finally, the carriage started moving.

As always, Richard wrapped his arms around Elisa’s back and waist to minimize the vibrations she felt in the carriage.

Elisa, enjoying the breeze coming through the window while nestled in his embrace, sneaked a glance at Richard.

He was hurriedly reviewing documents that required his attention.

The expression on his face while reading was so indifferent it felt cold. His eyes were entirely different from when he looked at her.

Over that image of him, the memory of a few days ago when he kissed her and whispered to her overlapped.

‘He doesn’t do this with just anyone. What did that mean?’

At the time, she had forgotten the meaning of those words, immersed in the joy of feeling the baby’s first movements, but ever since that day, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what he had said.

‘That’s obvious! Of course, you shouldn’t do such things with just anyone! You have a wife, after all!’

However, it didn’t seem like he was merely angry because he doubted her fidelity.

At that moment, a possibility crossed her mind.

‘Could it be that Richard…?’

Even that tiny possibility made her heart race. It was a thought she had never entertained before.

But now, it felt too late to ask again.

And above all…

‘I’m scared to ask…’

What if that possibility was just a figment of her imagination?

What if it was merely a primal desire, just as she had wanted his body?

If that were the case, what would happen to her feelings?

‘No, why am I afraid of that answer?’

As she questioned her own emotions, Richard, who had been reviewing the documents, turned to look at Elisa.

“Elisa?”

“Uh…?”

Startled by the sudden meeting of his eyes, Elisa’s heart raced.

“What’s on your mind? You’ve been staring at me for a while,” he said.

“Um… well…”

After sweating for a moment, Elisa thought of a suitable topic to discuss.

“By the way, this is my first time attending Foundation Day. Have you ever attended before?”

“I attended for the first and last time the year I joined the Duke’s family.”

“What was it like?”

“Boring.”

At Richard’s straightforward response, Elisa burst into laughter.

Without needing to think further, his reply made it clear what kind of event the Foundation Day would be. It was just like him.

Richard slightly furrowed his brow, then placed a concerned hand on Elisa’s belly.

Ever since the day he first felt the baby move, he had developed the habit of resting his hand on her belly whenever he was near her.

“If you feel any strain or tiredness, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Don’t worry. Our baby is strong, just like their father,” Elisa reassured him.

As if agreeing with her, the baby kicked her belly.

Feeling it, both Elisa and Richard laughed at the same time.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the temple.

“Your Excellency, my lady, we have arrived.”

Elisa stepped down from the carriage with Richard’s escort.

In front of the temple, many noble family carriages had already arrived.

Among the various family crests adorning the carriages, one stood out particularly.

‘The House of Marquis Dion?’

Unlike other nobles who brought only a few escorts, the Marquis Dion and Michaela arrived with an entire troop of knights.

Bringing such a large group to the already crowded temple was inconsiderate.

Richard scowled at the sight of Marquis Dion’s smug face.

At that moment, a familiar voice came from beside them.

“Duchess, and Your Excellency.”

It was Olivia.

Like Elisa and Richard, Olivia was also dressed in a white ceremonial outfit befitting the Foundation Day.

Beside her stood a young man, who still had the appearance of a youth, also dressed in white.

The man politely bowed his head to Elisa and Richard.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duchess, Your Excellency. I am Cedric Beltien.”

“Ah, the young marquis. As I’ve heard, you are quite handsome.”

“Haha, it’s embarrassing to hear such praise from the lady who’s married to the most handsome man in the Empire…”

When Elisa complimented him with a smile, Cedric, who had been staring at her, blushed and smiled shyly.

Richard’s expression hardened at that sight.

“My mother has told me much about you, Duchess. She and my sister are indebted to you.”

“Oh, no. Anyone in my position would have done the same.”

“Please allow me to invite you to our estate for a meal sometime. It would be an honor to host you.”

Before Elisa could respond, Richard swiftly changed the subject.

“Young marquis, isn’t it about time you consider a marriage partner? By now, you must have several proposals.”

The meaning was clear—stop eyeing someone else’s wife and find your own match.

Richard tightened his grip around Elisa, holding her more securely as if to shield her from Cedric, much like a protective animal guarding its mate.

Elisa, focused on Olivia and Cedric, didn’t notice Richard’s icy demeanor, but Olivia did and found it amusing.

She chuckled. “The Duchess is quite popular, it seems. I imagine that makes Your Excellency a bit uneasy?”

“Pardon?” Elisa asked, confused.

“I’m just joking. It’s time to go inside, shall we?”

The five of them entered the temple one by one.

The central sanctuary, the heart of the temple, was grand in scale.

Stained glass windows decorated each side, and the light filtering through them added to the majestic atmosphere.

At the front of the vast sanctuary was a podium, and in the center of it stood a statue of the goddess.

The space in front of the podium was already filled with nobles and priests who had arrived earlier.

Elisa and Richard found their seats and waited for the ceremony to begin.

Soon, Aiden appeared from a side door and stepped onto the podium.

As he took his place, the temple doors, which had been closed, opened, and the emperor, dressed in ceremonial robes, entered alongside a stream of light.

“His Imperial Majesty approaches!”

All the nobles lined up on either side of the path bowed their heads in unison to show their respect to the emperor.

Richard and Elisa also bowed slightly.

The emperor strode confidently to the podium.

“We have gathered here today to pay tribute to our ancestors who made today possible and to wish for the continued prosperity of our empire. I ask that everyone participates with a devout heart.”

With those words, the Foundation Day ceremony began.