3. Divorce Law

So, the first time I noticed the signs of my pregnancy was on the carriage ride home from our trip.

“Evan, why can’t you eat like this? Are you not feeling good?”

“…Oh.”

The trip I had taken after ditching Father and Lady Olivia took longer than planned because it was pretty good, with just the two of us going out on dates here and there. After that, when I returned to the Duke’s residence and found out I was pregnant, Nyla, a new competent doctor who had just joined the Duke’s residence, spoke bluntly.

“The child is doing very well, and Lady Laria’s body is also very healthy.”

And she added while looking at Evan’s face.

“Morning sickness is going to get worse now… Well, if you endure it for about twenty weeks, it often gets better after that, but there are individual differences.”

I, who was so fine that I couldn’t even believe that life was still growing inside me, questioned suspiciously.

“… I’m the pregnant one, so why are you explaining to Evan about morning sickness?”

“Sometimes this happens that the husband has morning sickness instead.”

“…What?”

“The myth says that if you love your wife too much… well, in fact, there is no medical basis though cases like this are often seen.”

Therefore, Evan had a bad complexion throughout the first part of the pregnancy, and yet he faithfully took care of me without expressing it. Thankfully, his condition was finally back to normal in the middle of the pregnancy, but he didn’t seem to like it very much because the morning sickness had disappeared.

“I wish I could have the baby instead. It will hurt a lot, I’m worried.”

Of course, besides Evan, everything in the Duke’s residence was moving with me and the baby as the top priority.

Every single thing I ate, every step I took, everyone was shaking with attention.

‘Aren’t they being overprotective? They really don’t need to do this, but I’m embarrassed…’

I thought as I was surrounded by all sorts of good things.

‘Still, it would have been disappointing if I hadn’t done this. It’s exactly what I expected.’

And meanwhile…

Elanie and Fred jointly passed the divorce law.

* * *

Since it was still before the inauguration ceremony, father, not Evan, came to the nobility meeting. He pondered in front of the documents with Icard’s seal and eventually kept silent.

“Laria.”

It was the night before the meeting where the divorce law was to be announced to the whole country. Father secretly called me and spoke.

“The paperwork was already approved, and it’d be funny to overturn it so I just passed the divorce law.”

“Yes, you did well.”

I nodded with a serious face.

“Evan’s inauguration is just around the corner, and it wouldn’t be nice if there were a controversy over Icard’s name at this time.”

Perhaps that was why Elanie brought up this issue now. Right before Evan’s inauguration, it was a very burdensome time to stir up controversy.

In fact, I hadn’t said much to Evan because I wasn’t against the divorce laws. For some reason, it seemed that if Evan just heard the word ‘divorce,’ he would lose the line between public and private affairs and run wild.

When Evan was not even aware of Lady Olivia’s atrocities, the passing of the divorce law was the best I could have hoped for.

“Rather than that…”

However, father did not agree with my brilliant insight.

“…If Evan ever gets mean to you later, just divorce him.”

“Yes?”

“I can somehow take the title, give it to your child and kick Evan out.”

“….”

So, even if I get a divorce now, he wouldn’t kick me out but kick out Evan…

“If he were like me, that would never happen. In fact, Evan resembles me so much.”

It was. It even made me think that the father in front of me was Evan in twenty years.

“And again…”

He added a word with a serious expression.

“Your brother, Count Rostri.”

Brother had naturally inherited County Rostri in the meantime.

“He seemed like a great talent, and he’s favored by the princess. He seems to have already secured the position closest to her because of his outstanding abilities.”

What… It was what I expected.

While I was silently nodding my head, Father spoke seriously.

“Laria.”

“Yes?”

“… I’m sorry.”

“What… are you saying?”

“I had meant to use your death.”

“Ah, that was in the past.”

“Still…”

Father’s shoulders drooped as he smiled bitterly.

“…I feel like I’ll be sorry for the rest of my life. I have received so many things from you.”

“Father and Evan gave me life, so don’t talk like that.”

I sincerely did not feel hurt by father. On the contrary, I was always grateful to him for taking care of Evan and my work after I became pregnant.

“But…”

Still, I said it out loud.

“Evan and Father… are still a bit awkward, right? You’re afraid this will be more awkward…”

He did not answer, perhaps he agreed. I gave advice with a slight smile.

“How about having a conversation with Evan?”

“How can I do that…”

“You can do it like this, just like you do to me.”

I smiled brightly.

“Ah, it must be hard because Evan always stays with me, right? Since I’ve been in the mansion all these days…”

However, as if hearing my words, it didn’t take long for me to go out for a while.

It was the day after the divorce law was passed.

Unexpectedly, Evan was calm and didn’t show anything unusual in front of me. And that morning, an invitation arrived. It was an invitation from Count Rostri’s residence, a place I hadn’t been to since my parents’ funeral.

Of course, it was Fred who invited me.

[ Laria, I finally found Count Rostri’s residence again. Of course, shouldn’t you come and see it? ]

I smiled when I saw the invitation.

‘No, is he sending me an invitation when it’s not enough for you to visit? Even the air at Duke Icard’s residence is wary of me.’

[ I know it’s time for you to be very careful, so I’ll send you the finest carriage. To prevent shock, of course, all kinds of expensive cushions were laid inside the wagon. ]

Of course, I was a little curious about the top-of-the-line carriage Fred had prepared. Originally, I was a bit weak with words such as high-end and expensive.

‘But even so, did he think I’d go right away?’

[ I bought a lot of presents for you and the child at the Count’s residence. If I give you something you don’t like, it’ll be garbage, so choose according to your taste. ]

“Lisa!”

I got up right away.

“I have to go to Count Rostri’s residence this afternoon.”

It was my first outing since I got pregnant.

Up until now, because everyone kept making a fuss, I had only been taking a walk in the Duke’s residence. Even though it was just a few minutes of carriage ride within the same capital city, I was able to go only after listening to the doctor’s opinion.

* * *

Kallaudin seemed to be doing well, but in fact, he was still a little awkward with Evan. Even if everything worked out well, and he tried to save Laria throughout his two lifetimes, it didn’t change that he was a father who was always indifferent to Evan.

Moreover, his past life and the ‘Laria’s runaway’ incident, which also brought Evan great misfortune in this life, were primarily his responsibility.

His secretly timid nature couldn’t make him suddenly be able to converse with his son out of nowhere. Evan, in particular, was blunt with people other than Laria, so he was somewhat wary. So, they were in a slightly awkward state, if not already awkward with each other.

“Right, how is Evan?”

On the morning of the announcement of the passage of the divorce law, Morand answered Kallaudin’s questions casually.

“There is no reaction whatsoever, and Lady Laria says she is going out to Count Rostri’s residence this afternoon.”

That was to say that Evan, who would stick by Laria’s side as long as he was conscious, was now alone.

“How about having a conversation with Evan?”

Since the divorce law that Evan was sure to hate was passed, the emotional chasm could have deepened, if let alone like this, so in the afternoon, when Laria departed for Count Rostri’s residence, Kallaudin cautiously knocked on Evan’s door.

“Excuse me, Evan.”

It was probably the first time he had visited Evan in person.

“…Yes.”

Evan sat at his desk with a calm face.

Kallaudin ordered a servant to serve simple tea and refreshments, and they had tea time together for the first time in their lives.

“So, the reason I had to pass the divorce law was…”

“I know. It’s not good when anything disgraceful happens to Icard’s name before my inauguration.”

Evan replied calmly at his words.

“I know that divorce laws themselves benefit many people.”

“That… that’s right.”

“Although it doesn’t mean that Laria and I will be divorced right away, it means that we will create a system for the unfortunate couple. So, I don’t hold grudges against great-aunt or father.”

“That’s a matter of course…”

Kallaudin took a deep breath and looked at Evan in the eyes.

“I’m sorry, though.”

“Yes?”

“Even if it was a decision based on rational thinking, to you… I feel sorry all the time. I’ll probably live with that regret for the rest of my life. Even though You’ll understand when you have a child, that’s what parents are like.”

“….”

“I am still very sorry to you… for neglecting you as a child.”

“You were trying to turn back time anyway. I understand.”

“I would be sorry if you understood.”

Despite the fact that Evan looked a little taken aback, his expression wasn’t offended. Kallaudin had never apologized to him repeatedly like this.

“Actually, this is my truth. I’ll probably, for the rest of my life…”

He interrupted his father and smiled lightly.

“I must live well. I think father will be more sorry if I get divorced.”

As Laria said, telling his true feelings definitely worked. Evan’s expression when he mentioned ‘divorce’ was much softer this time.

And so, that was how the divorce law was passed, but the father-and-son’s awkwardness has eased up a little more than before.

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