I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 10

Judith calmly drank her tea in front of the Master, speaking slowly in a quiet voice, “So that’s how it is. You lied to me, didn’t you?”

The Master sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead, and spoke slowly as if he were in a bind, “Please understand. We can’t live only by telling each other the truth all the time, can we?”

“Of course, I understand. But I’ve always told you the truth, Master.”

“Well, uh… In the information guild, some matters are naturally sensitive and delicate.”

“I get that. But I even confided in you about something as sensitive as my pregnancy.”

“Ha… Judith, from my position, I can’t reveal everything to customers.”

“That’s understandable. But I wasn’t just any customer; I was the one who saved your life.”

As Judith responded nonchalantly, the Master sighed again, clearly feeling more uncomfortable.

She lowered her gaze and continued, “You could have just said you didn’t want to tell me, but instead, you went so far as to lie, saying you had no informants…”

“That wasn’t a lie,” the Master quickly interjected. “I really don’t have any informants there. That’s the truth.”

“But you know things well, don’t you?”

At her words, the Master clicked his tongue and shook his head with a small laugh.

“Honestly, I rarely lose my composure like this…,” he muttered while rubbing his chin. “Judith, talking with you makes me feel like I’m turning into a different person.”

“Does it?” Judith nodded sullenly. “But don’t try to use that as an excuse for lying earlier.”

“Ha…”

The Master crossed his arms. His expression was hidden behind his mask, making it impossible to read. As always, Judith patiently gazed out the window or sipped her tea, calmly waiting. By now, after three years of coming and going from his space, the awkwardness that once filled their silences had long since passed.

After a long pause, the Master finally spoke, “I know about a secret passage.”

“What?”

“I know a secret passage in the Mayus estate. I obtained the information a long time ago. So… I can help protect the young lord.”

This was something Judith hadn’t known. She quietly thought things over.

The second son of the Mayus family, Ekian’s younger brother, was named Karl.

Karl had been very close to his brother Ekian. Because of their considerable age gap, Ekian had doted on Karl. After Ekian’s disappearance, Karl had become quite withdrawn.

‘Karl Mayus… He’s actually the villain in this story.’

Karl had been a kind and innocent boy, but his upbringing wasn’t ideal. The once harmonious household fell apart after Ekian ran away, and both of their parents died soon after, leaving everything in chaos.

Suddenly, Karl became the head of the family. He grew into a twisted individual, eventually developing an unhealthy obsession with the sunshine-like female protagonist. The kind-hearted heroine only treated him nicely, thinking of him as a younger boy, but things didn’t end well.

‘In the original story, the duke and duchess died in an accident, not because they were bad parents. However, there was someone who influenced Karl more than his parents…’

That someone was Sarah, a maid who had been close to Karl. She was the same woman who pretended to be pregnant with Ekian’s child.

Having gained the Mayus name, Sarah’s influence over Karl grew, and she began to abuse him more severely. Judith’s role as the fake daughter-in-law might prevent that abuse from worsening, but Sarah was likely already mistreating Karl behind the scenes.

‘She’s probably being very sneaky, taking advantage of Karl’s immaturity while hiding her actions from the duke and duchess…’

If Judith entered the Mayus household as the daughter-in-law, it would already be too late. The maids wouldn’t side with her, as they would likely be loyal to Sarah, who had worked there longer.

Surely, they would all think of Judith as a suspicious woman, and their constant surveillance would make it impossible for her to act without Sarah finding out.

“A secret passage?”

Judith’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the Master.

“That’s perfect. I think I know what to do now. You’ll help me, won’t you, Master?”

***

The information provided in the original story was limited, only covering Karl’s childhood memories.

‘I don’t know the time or place where the abuse takes place!’

Judith needed to know both the time and location to stop it. Originally, she had intended to ask the information guild to find out when and where Karl and Sarah frequently met.

However, she hadn’t expected much, knowing that it would be difficult for anyone outside the estate to uncover such specific information.

Sarah wasn’t a fool. She mentally manipulated Karl in a very cunning way. She probably didn’t abuse him in his room, where there were too many watchful eyes.

Judith had mentioned it to the Master without much hope, but unexpectedly, she had gained a valuable opportunity.

‘Knowing about a secret passage is much better!’

After the Master revealed the existence of the secret passage to the Mayus estate, Judith chose a course of action: surveillance.

By secretly watching near Karl’s room, she could eavesdrop on his conversations with Sarah. Surely Sarah would tell Karl when and where to meet.

According to the Master, if they used the secret passage, they would be able to hear everything happening on the other side of the wall.

Overjoyed but curious, Judith asked him, “But Master, how do you know about something like this?”

“Well, I just happened to find out.”

“I guess asking a master of the information guild something like that was a silly question.”

If he knew such intricate details about a secret passage, it made sense why he didn’t need informants. After all, he could always sneak in himself and gather information.

The Master spoke in a formal tone, “Please keep this a secret from the duke and duchess.”

“But isn’t it concerning that an outsider can enter the estate so easily? Doesn’t that mean security is lacking?”

“It’s not lacking at all. I swear, only I know about this passage, and I have no intention of using it.”

“Who told you about this passage?”

“They’re already dead.”

“Oh my.”

Judith assumed that the person was probably a descendant of the estate’s original architect.

Since the secret passage wasn’t mentioned in the original story, it didn’t seem to hold any significant importance.

In any case, according to the Master, the passage was too complicated to be mapped out. So, his proposed method was simple.

“We’ll go together.”

Judith wasn’t too keen on entering an unfamiliar estate alone. However, having dealt with the Master for the past three years, she felt reassured that he would accompany her. It was the first time they’d be working so closely together, but she doubted he would harm the person who had saved his life.

“We’ll wait near Karl’s room, right?”

“That’s the plan for now.”

With that, they agreed to head to the Mayus estate’s secret passage immediately. Strangely, the Master seemed more eager than Judith.

“Let’s head out now.”

“Right now?”

“Is there something else you need to do?”

“Well, not really, but…”

“A child is being abused in secret. Isn’t this urgent?”

Judith dismissed the thought, assuming the Master must have a soft spot for children. Or perhaps he had experienced abuse in his own childhood. It was impossible to read his expression through the mask, but one thing was clear—he was taking this matter very seriously.

And so, Judith and the Master made their way through the secret passage connected to the dilapidated underground cellar of an old cabin…

‘Wait a minute.’

It was pitch dark. As Judith began to fumble in the darkness, the Master whispered, “Excuse me,” before taking her hand. The Master’s hand, which she was holding for the first time, was large and warm.

‘This…’

The narrow passage was so cramped that it barely allowed room for one person to pass.

Before she knew it, Judith was practically pressed up against the Master. The size difference between them meant that it almost felt like she was being carried in his arms as they moved forward.

Although the close contact made her nervous, she clung to him tightly, too afraid to pull away. Judith tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

‘Why are we so close?’