After Declaring Divorce, My Husband Became Lewd

After purchasing what they needed, they returned to the mansion. It was only a brief outing, but it was a breath of fresh air and a distraction.

Isabelle sat down at a table on the terrace. The crisp sunlight gave the place a languid, relaxing atmosphere. She hadn’t been seated long when Mrs. Mason came by with a tray of well-washed plums and a sweet cake.

“Sit down.”

Mrs. Mason turned to leave after setting the table, but Isabelle stopped her.

“Yes?”

“I need a company to talk to.”

“Even so, I can’t just sit across from you, Madam…”

“I can talk to Mia, my maid, just as easily, and I’m bored without her right now. I’ve sent her on an errand for a while, so let’s talk.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Mrs. Mason finally sat down across from Isabelle. Even after sitting down, she looked around as if questioning whether it was appropriate.

“Eat.”

Isabelle pushed the plate of food in front of her, then picked up a plum and bit into it. The refreshing and sweet juice spread in her mouth. It was better than expected, and fortunately, the texture wasn’t mushy. Isabelle quickly finished one plum and started on the second.

Mrs. Mason hadn’t touched her food at all. Apparently, she wasn’t comfortable making eye contact with Isabelle. Isabelle, who was focused on eating, opened her mouth to speak to the awkwardly seated woman.

“Have you been working here for long?”

“About three years, I think. After I had my second child, we couldn’t live on my husband’s income alone, so I thought I’d do something, and luckily I found a good employer.”

When Mrs. Mason first entered the mansion, she only did supportive tasks like prepping ingredients and cleaning. Later, when Mr. Brett, who was in charge of cooking back then, quit due to personal reasons, Mrs. Mason took over.

“… I’m working without any problems thanks to the Duke. He pays well, and I am grateful to him.”

She praised the Duke for valuing her cooking skills more than her background or experience. She was quite satisfied with her life as his housemaid.

Isabelle listened to Mrs. Mason’s story in silence, though it made her feel strangely uncomfortable to hear such generous praise for Richt.

It was a surprise to learn that she had children. She was slim for a woman who had given birth. Isabelle’s interest naturally shifted to her child, perhaps due to her own pregnancy.

“Oh, I see. You have two children.”

“Yes. The oldest is five and the second is three, both girls.”

“They must be pretty.”

“Don’t even mention it. They’re such troublemakers. Even more mischievous than boys.”

When a sincere expression of frustration appeared on Mrs. Mason’s face, Isabelle couldn’t help but laugh.

“One time, my first child went missing, and the whole house was turned upside down. I looked everywhere and couldn’t find her, so I thought I’d lost her.”

“Oh, what happened?”

Isabelle swallowed the prune in her mouth and listened to what Mrs. Mason had to say next.

“Turns out she was hiding under the bed all day. She said she was playing hide-and-seek by herself. You can imagine how my heart sank.”

Mrs. Mason shook her head, recalling the incident.

“You must have been surprised. Still, it’s fortunate that nothing serious happened.”

“It’s not the only time…there was the time she cuddled with a snowman in the winter because she said she was going to marry it, and the time she made a mess when she spilled flour because she said she was going to cook like me.”

Isabelle exposed her gums and laughed heartily. It was a cute and mischievous idea typical of a child.

“Still, you seem happy.”

“That’s true. Having children means more expenses, but life is much richer and happier.”

“Is that so?”

“Madam, when you have children later on, you’ll definitely feel the same way.”

Mrs. Mason’s face was filled with a genuine smile. Isabelle envied her, someone who genuinely loved her children and took pride in parenting.

Could I be that kind of mother?

Suddenly, Isabelle found herself deep in thought.

Is the child in my belly a boy or a girl? If it’s a boy, would he resemble Richt?

After that, Mrs. Mason continued to entertain Isabelle with various stories. The two of them chatted away for quite some time. In a short while, a sense of intimacy developed between them.

Just as they finished one plate of plums, Mia returned. Isabelle looked up from her plate of plums.

“It was a pleasure talking with you. I’m already full, so there’s no need to prepare more food.”

Tanya cleared the table as Lady Calitheon went upstairs with Mia, and then had the idea to make a plum pie since the Duchess loved plums.

As Tanya went upstairs to ask Lady Calitheon’s opinion, she noticed the open door. Approaching it, she overheard a conversation between the two inside.

“This is Mr. Luke Rayburn, and he’s a very competent doctor in gynecology.”

“Really?”

“You should see him regularly, my lady.”

“Can I trust him?”

“I’ve made sure, so it should be fine.”

“Thank you for looking into it.”

Tanya, who had unwittingly eavesdropped on the conversation, tilted her head in confusion.

A gynecologist? Why?

Suddenly, the image of Mrs. Calitheon’s stomach-churning as she ate her food flashed through her mind, and she knew something seemed off.

She had prepared food that should be palatable to everyone, but Lady Calitheon didn’t eat much. At the time, she thought it was due to sensitivity, but now she realized it might have been morning sickness. She’d had it when she was pregnant.

Tanya went back down the stairs, forgetting what she had come up for. When she reached the kitchen, she wondered why the Duke didn’t mention his wife’s pregnancy when he had even given explicit orders to take good care of her.

Perhaps she needed to make sure.