I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 78

Chapter 78

In the solemn atmosphere, Aiden’s dedication to the goddess was followed by the emperor’s tribute to the first emperor and the founding patriarchs, who had returned to the side of the divine as sons of God.

Next came a hymn sung by the temple children.

Children dressed in pure white robes lined up and began singing.

As Elisa watched them with a soft expression, she suddenly realized something.

“Leon isn’t here after all.”

Though no one would recognize him because of the wig, Aiden must have taken precautions by having Leon stay in the annex in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

The choir sang three hymns in total and then exited through the side door.

The next event was a play.

After a brief moment of stage preparation, professional actors appeared, bowed respectfully, and began the performance.

The play was fitting for the founding festival, recounting the heroic tales of the four founding patriarchs who contributed to the establishment of the empire.

“In the distant past, when this land was ruled by the Demon King, demons mercilessly oppressed humans under his reign. The goddess, moved by the plight of humanity, bestowed her power upon three children and commanded them.”

As the term “three children” was mentioned, three actors appeared from the side of the stage, standing before the statue of the goddess.

To make it easy to recognize the characters, the child representing Rubellin wore a black wig, the one for Seriart wore a blonde wig, and the one for Esther wore a silver wig.

“Drive out the Demon King, restore peace, and save the wretched humans of this land.”

The children grew up and began fighting against the Demon King’s tyranny.

However, the Demon King showed no weaknesses, and the three patriarchs gradually began to tire.

At that moment, a man appeared from one side of the stage and extended a hand to the three patriarchs.

He was a man with red hair, symbolizing Cairot.

“Kairoth, who inherited the power of the crimson flame, appeared last and decided to help them.”

The three patriarchs took Kairoth’s hand. Together, they defeated the Demon King and sealed the demons in the corrupted land.

Elisa watched this scene with a skeptical gaze.

“Is this story entirely true?”

History is written by the victors, after all.

Since the current emperor was a descendant of Kairoth, it was likely that this play had been embellished to depict Kairoth as a hero.

“Peace came to this land for the first time. The humans rejoiced and revered the four patriarchs. The four patriarchs decided to establish a new nation for everyone.”

The patriarch of Kairoth donned the crown among the four.

But at the same time, the demons and monsters, trapped in the corrupted land, emerged and began slaughtering humans.

“But peace was short-lived. The demons trapped in the corrupted land regained their strength, and the barrier around the land began to weaken.”

At this point, the first patriarch of the Seriart family, Arien, stepped forward.

“Arien, the patriarch of Seriart, who loved the first king, Rexion Kairoth, sacrificed herself for his nation and created a lake of purification in the corrupted land. The demons and monsters were subdued.”

Arien collapsed and died on the spot.

As Elisa watched this scene, she blinked absentmindedly, staring at Arien’s dying figure.

For some reason, a sharp pain tightened around her chest.

“Gene… ide…”

As Elisa unconsciously muttered the names that surfaced in her mind, she suddenly froze in shock.

“Geneide? Whose name is that?”

Puzzled by the unfamiliar name that had come to her mind, something wet suddenly slid down her cheek.

“Oh.”

It was then that Elisa realized she was crying. The emotions stirred by her pregnancy had made her deeply empathetic.

Richard, who had been watching the play, noticed Elisa’s change and turned to her, surprised.

“Elisa?”

“Oh, sorry. I think I got too absorbed.”

Elisa hurriedly tried to wipe away her tears, but Richard’s hand was faster.

“It’s just a play. It’s okay.”

Richard gently wiped away her tears and embraced her, offering comfort.

Feeling his warmth, the lingering sadness in her chest quickly faded.

Regaining her composure, Elisa focused on the play again.

“The three patriarchs mourned Arien’s sacrifice—”

As the narrator continued, the doors of the temple suddenly burst open.

Everyone’s eyes instinctively turned toward the entrance.

The captain of the Holy Knights, along with his knights, rushed into the temple in a panic.

“Everyone must evacuate! Monsters are swarming toward the temple!”

The shocking news left everyone bewildered.

Monsters were normally only found in the forbidden forest.

Occasionally, monsters would appear on the forest roads at the outskirts of Akaroa, attacking merchant caravans. However, they had never invaded the village itself.

But now, the monsters were swarming toward the temple. It was unbelievable.

As the emperor and everyone else stared in disbelief at the captain of the Holy Knights, the commander of the Imperial Knights rushed in next to him.

“Your Majesty, we must escort you to the palace!”

Only then did people start to panic, hurriedly making their way out of the temple.

“Elisa, let’s go.”

Richard pulled Elisa close, shielding her from the chaotic crowd as people pushed and shoved to escape.

His strong body acted as a perfect shield, protecting her entirely.

With Elisa safely in his arms, Richard led her outside the temple.

Once outside, they froze at the sight before them.

The area around the temple was already overrun by monsters.

“Screeeam!”

“Please, help us!”

The screams of the villagers from the nearby slums, who were being attacked by the monsters, echoed from all directions. But the knights of the noble families were more concerned with fleeing alongside their masters.

The emperor, Christian, the empress, and Rozé were being escorted to a carriage by the knights under Marquis Dion’s command.

At that moment, a villager from the slums grabbed the arm of a knight clearing the way for Christian, pleading for help.

“Please, help! My child is inside the house…!”

“Are you out of your mind? I need to survive for the empire to survive! You save your own kid!”

Christian shoved the woman aside and quickly climbed into the carriage.

As soon as the royal family boarded, the carriage took off, followed closely by the knights of House Dion.

The woman, left behind, anxiously looked at her home and tried to rush into the house, which the monsters were starting to break into.

But before she could enter, the Holy Knights stopped her and went inside the house in her place.

Elisa sighed in relief at the sight.

At that moment, a familiar voice called out.

“Your Grace! My Lady!”

It was Thompson, along with Rubellin’s knights, approaching them with swords stained in monster fluids. They had clearly been fighting.

“You must leave immediately. We don’t have enough forces to hold them off for long.”

“…Understood.”

Richard prepared to take Elisa to the carriage.

But suddenly, Elisa grabbed his arm.

“Richard, please save those people.”

Her voice was filled with desperation.

“You can do it.”

“…”

“The Holy Knights alone won’t be enough. If you leave now, those people…”

Her voice trailed off, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Richard hesitated, moved by her gaze, but then he answered firmly.

“…Your safety comes first.”

“I have Sir Thompson with me. I’ll go to the village. If you hold them off here, the monsters won’t be able to reach the village.”

“My Lady, we will protect you with our lives,” Thompson added, supporting Elisa’s request.

Richard looked between Elisa and Thompson before sighing. He then gently caressed Elisa’s cheek and replied.

“As you command, my lady.”

At his long-awaited answer, Elisa finally smiled and clasped his hand in gratitude.

“Be careful.”

Richard entrusted Elisa to Thompson and turned toward the monsters that were approaching. But before he could take a few steps, the screams of nearby people pierced the air. At the same moment, a massive shadow loomed overhead.

Instinctively, Richard looked up.

Giant bird-like monsters were attacking the people.

“Onyx? They never leave the forest…” he thought.

Just then, Thompson’s urgent voice came from behind.

“My Lady!”

An Onyx, with its sharp claws extended, was diving toward Elisa.

In a split second, Thompson threw himself over Elisa, shielding her from the attack. Other knights raised their swords toward the sky, bracing for the next strike and forming a protective barrier around her.

“Elisa…”

The light in Richard’s eyes dimmed as he witnessed the scene.

When he looked up again, he saw five or six Onyxes preparing for another attack.

A dangerous glint filled Richard’s eyes, and a dark energy began to rise from his body, slowly engulfing him. The dark force emanated from him with terrifying speed, consuming the Onyx flock in an instant.

“My Lady, are you alright?” Thompson asked.

“I’m fine. Thank you, Sir Thompson.”

Thompson checked Elisa’s condition, and she nodded, indicating that she was okay. Thanks to Thompson’s swift action, her baby seemed unharmed as well.

As she was getting to her feet with Thompson’s help, Elisa’s eyes landed on Richard.

“…Richard?”

His figure, now consumed by the dark energy, was unrecognizable.

The black force radiating from him had brought the Onyxes crashing to the ground.

A sense of foreboding crept over Elisa as she witnessed this unfamiliar side of Richard.

Without fully understanding why, Elisa instinctively moved toward him.

“Richard, stop!”

At the sound of her voice, Richard hesitated. The dark power around him faltered.

Elisa hurried to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m alright,” she whispered.

The warmth of her embrace caused the dark energy around him to dissipate.

But in return, Richard winced in pain, a sharp ache spreading across his back.

“Ugh…”

He staggered, letting out a groan of pain.

At that moment, Aiden, who had been delayed by the crowd spilling out of the temple, sensed the ominous power nearby and turned toward it.

What he saw made his eyes widen in shock.

Richard, cloaked in dark energy, and Elisa, who was now calming him.

As Elisa hugged Richard, a faint light emerged from her, gently seeping into him and causing the dark energy to fade. The black aura vanished completely.

Aiden’s eyes flickered with realization.

“That light… It was divine power.”