I Refuse To Divorce My Villain Husband - Chapter 1
Translator and Editor: Sovereign and Tea
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chapter 1
It was a particularly rainy day that disrupted their peaceful lives.
“Duke Randolph! It’s here! I found the carriage.”
A man in full regalia shouted urgently through the pouring rain.
Despite the torrential downpour, the other man’s steps were unhurried. Soon, the man known as the Duke stood before him, an intimidating aura about him.
“Is Chloen inside?”
“Duchess Chloen is confirmed to be on this carriage.”
“How severe is her injury?”
“That’s… it’s hard to tell yet.”
The surroundings were in chaos. The large carriage was overturned in the pouring rain, and there was no sign of life within the silent carriage.
“Are you making excuses?”
Carefully surveying the surroundings, the man spoke in a flat voice.
“The entrance was blocked when the carriage overturned, and the ground is soft from all the rain we’ve had all summer. If we rush in…”
“Just get to the point.”
“It might take some time to secure the entrance.”
The man known as Duke Randolph sighed. He then turned toward the muddy field.
“Duke! We haven’t cleared the way yet.”
“Step aside. I will check it myself.”
With that announcement, Duke Randolph descended into the pit. He gazed silently at the overturned carriage.
How much time had passed?
“Ugh…”
He heard a faint groan from the chaotic pile of rubble. Duke Randolph’s red eyes began to tremble.
It felt as if my entire body was battered. I guess that the rumor about the aftermath of an accident being anything but ordinary was true.
The last thing I remembered was seeing the headlights of an oncoming truck as I walked down the street late at night.
But this damned hospital doesn’t even seem to give painkillers to its patients. A pained whimper unconsciously escaped through my parted lips.
“Ugh… ah… fu.”
As the pain continued, I resented the faceless doctor.
Everything around me was pitch black. I tried to open my eyes, but my lids were as heavy as a stone.
‘For heaven’s sake, let me wake up.’
After struggling for what seemed like an eternity, my vision finally cleared. However, what I saw was not at all what I expected.
‘What on earth is this?’
Where is the white hospital ceiling? What is this jumble of broken wooden boards?
I cautiously looked around. I was in a narrow space of less than a few square meters.
‘Wait a minute, is this… a carriage?’
The carriage was broken and hard to recognize, but it was unmistakable.
‘Why am I here?’
The most immediate question came to mind. According to common sense, I should have woken up in a hospital.
Or, if I hadn’t been transferred yet, this place should be a street.
But where the hell am I?
My thoughts were as chaotic as my upside down vision. With all the rubble and blockage, even breathing was difficult.
Then, beyond the chaos, I heard urgent footsteps approaching from the other side of the wrecked carriage.
Crack!
And suddenly, a wooden fragment above me shattered with a loud sound.
“Hah, hah…”
The light flooding in blinded me. When I opened my eyes again…
‘Wow, oh my God!’
A man appeared breathing heavily with the natural light illuminating him from behind like a halo.
My words failed me. No, words weren’t necessary. It was clear that I had been unbelievably lucky, even beyond the brink of life and death.
His disheveled black hair was damp, drenched by the falling rain.
Drip by drip, the water droplets fell.
It was a wild sight, and I gulped, momentarily forgetting the pain.
Beneath the tousled hair, there were thick eyebrows.
From the visible features to the red eyes that seemed to scorch everything in sight, the sharp nose, and the full lips.
Even listing these details felt painful. Yes, it was the rugged northern stuff often described in novels. That was the perfect word to describe the man in front of me.
Thank you, Heavenly Father.
To be able to spend my final moments with such a handsome man…!
I thought it wouldn’t be bad if this place was the afterlife. How could this be hell with such a handsome man around? This must be paradise.
I was momentarily entranced by the man’s appearance.
“Chloen.”
An unfamiliar name flowed from the handsome man’s lips. He seemed to be suppressing his emotions and pressed his lips together tightly. Soon, I felt his gaze, piercing like a sharp blade.
I didn’t know who this Chloen was, but I struggled to contain the urge to shake his shoulders and chide him. How dare he ask for someone else when his soulmate was right here.
I felt a trickle down my forehead. I reached out and wiped away the sticky substance.
“Huh? Blood…”
My vision flickered.
I woke up with a pounding headache. My ears were ringing, and my body ached. Above all else, the worst was the thirst.
“Water… give me water.”
My parched voice echoed through the empty air. The excruciating pain had subsided, but my body felt heavy as if I had turned into a waterlogged sponge.
Considering how much I hurt all over, it seemed that I hadn’t died.
With that thought, I opened my narrowed eyes, and mysterious purple eyes looked around.
‘Where am I?’
My busy eyes stopped, and my body, as delicate as a piece of silk, shot up.
Simultaneously, a wet towel that had been placed on my forehead fell.
“Mmm.”
The dampness of the towel seemed to have awakened the girl who had been sleeping at the bedside. With a faint groan, the woman in a maid’s outfit woke up, rubbing her eyes.
“M-madam! Are you awake?”
“…?”
“Thank goodness! You have no idea how worried I was!”
‘Well, it seems that something did happen.’
My brow furrowed as I listened to the words I couldn’t understand.
What’s with the ridiculous outfit of the woman across from me? Why is she addressing me as ‘Madam,’ and what’s with the storybook surroundings?
Before I could find the answers, the maid in front of me spoke up.
“Why did you leave behind such a huge matter and escape? You have no idea how angry Duke Randolph was.”
“Duke Randolph? Who’s that…?”
As soon as I asked, the maid’s face turned contemplative.
“Y-You don’t know who Duke Randolph is? If Madam says such things… I might really die.”
The woman, who looked to be about twenty years old, spoke fearfully with tears streaming down her face.
“All of the servants who helped Madam escape were taken to the dungeons, and the guards who guarded the manor lost their jobs for letting their guard down. I… I don’t want to go through that.”
The frightened maid rose from her seat with a shudder, then said with a glance.
“Th-the Duke, I’ll go and fetch Duke Randolph. He has been waiting for you to wake up. Just stay here for a moment.”
‘Huh? Wait, who are you..’
What the hell did I do?!
Before I could voice the thoughts swirling in my head, the maidservant disappeared outside the door. Left alone in this situation, I tried to sort out what was happening.
Clank!
The door suddenly opened, and a familiar face entered my field of vision.
‘That handsome man?’
It appeared that Duke Randolph, the one the maidservant had called, was the same handsome man I had seen earlier. Still, my head was clearing up a bit now that I saw a familiar face.
“You… I saw you earlier!”
I tried to pretend like I knew him, but it seemed my acknowledgement fell on deaf ears.
Duke Randolph emitted a dangerous aura as he approached me in an instant.
From his towering height to his broad shoulders and even the dense muscles that could be seen beneath his thick clothing.
‘My God, he has it all.’
I couldn’t help but admire inwardly as I observed the perfect appearance of the duke.
The man’s large hand swiftly brushed back his well-groomed hair, and then he began speaking words that made no sense.
“Did you hate your life here so much that you wanted to abandon your husband and run away?”
Husband?
I didn’t even have a male friend, let alone a boyfriend. I stared at him blankly.
Apparently unaware of my stare, Duke Randolph continued, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
“Did you really think you could escape from this place with such a feeble attempt?”
As if the world were falling apart, Duke Randolph’s eyes were moist at the corners.
“If that’s the case, you’ve underestimated me, Chloen. Even after three years together, do you really not know your own husband?”
His outburst made my shoulders involuntarily tremble.
‘Why is he yelling and acting crazy? I have no idea what he’s talking about!’
Simultaneously, his reddened eyes, which had been chilling, also seemed to shake. Was it my imagination?
“I… I don’t know what’s going on, but I think… you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Chloen. And… I don’t even have a boyfriend, let alone a husband.”
“What? You’re not Chloen? And what? A boyfriend?”
As if incredulous, Duke Randolph burst into laughter and repeated my last words.
“No, really. I have nothing to do with what you’re talking about. I don’t even know where I am right now… haha.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Duke Randolph’s forehead creased terribly.
His crimson pupils slowly turned toward me. I couldn’t help but shrink into my shoulders at the eyes which resembled a fiery pit.
‘It’s not scary at all, he just looks a little cold…!’
I could distinctly feel his trembling gaze meeting mine.
What could have angered him so much?
As if in response to my question, Duke Randolph’s lips trembled and parted.
“So now you’re going to pretend not to know me at all? If you deny me, does that mean our relationship never existed?”
Duke Randolph raised his voice and pulled a piece of paper from his chest pocket.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
What Are Pilot Novels?
Pilot novels are novels that will only have a few chapters released from our group. We hope that someone else can continue these novels for the enjoyment of everyone!
Hanna
What could it be? Divorce papers?or their marriage certificate?👀
Either way she gotta stick with memory loss🫠