I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 110

***

Unlike when he had moved at full speed with his swift subordinates, traveling to Arten as a Grand Duke took quite a bit of time.

There were many attendants accompanying him, and every territory he passed through had lords who wanted to greet him.

Had Ekian been some royal who appeared out of nowhere, he might have been able to pass through quietly.

But since he had already been famous in noble society as Ekian Mayus, and now even held the title of Grand Duke, everyone wanted to make an impression on him.

He had already possessed everything, and now simply added higher status to it.

“Greetings to Your Grace the Grand Duke. My goodness… now that your hair has turned black, you truly resemble His Majesty.”

Nobles at every stop offered such remarks as a form of flattery, bowed deeply, and served him only the finest hospitality.

Each time he heard such words, Ekian was seized by the urge to smash a mirror.

At the same time, he missed Judith so much it was unbearable.

The words she had spoken when he was nothing—saying she wanted to be with him, expecting nothing in return—tormented him every night.

A conversation they had once shared late at night in his room long ago played vividly in his ears, as if it were yesterday.

“Even without such a nice house or fine clothes… if we can love and cherish each other, live under one roof, have breakfast together, drink tea, go shopping like it’s a walk and pick up a couple of useless things… I love that kind of pastoral life.”

At the time, he hadn’t planned to return to the Mayus ducal house, so when he heard those words, he too had naturally envisioned such a moment.

Walking a quiet forest path, side by side with Judith in simple clothes.

***

“By the way, your weight hasn’t increased much, Yuth. About two kilos per month is fine, you should try to eat more.”

“Right? I feel like I eat a lot… Would eating more help the baby?”

“Not necessarily. At this stage, the nutrients going to the fetus are still minimal. But if your weight doesn’t increase steadily, the baby might be too small at full term, so it’s something to be mindful of.”

The two of them spoke comfortably about the baby.

Judith, usually easygoing and passive, showed sudden and intense interest when it came to matters concerning the child.

Hud kindly answered all her questions, and their conversations continued endlessly.

Eventually, unlike the quiet stroll they had begun with, Hud’s bicycle was loaded with bags by the end.

Since Hud had decided to try making sandwiches, they even bought a long baguette.

When they went to the bakery together, a familiar face greeted them.

“Ah, Teacher!”

It was Anne’s father, one of Judith’s most enthusiastic students.

He was also the middle-aged man who had declared that he would become Judith’s baby’s godfather.

“Oh, hello!”

“One baguette, please.”

“Yes! I’ll give you the biggest one. Just a moment.”

After packing a large baguette, Anne’s father started loading up other breads too—rye bread, white bread, and more.

“This is just a little something from our bakery, for Teacher…”

“You really shouldn’t give us this. If you do, it’ll be too awkward for us to come back. We won’t be able to visit this bakery again.”

Judith firmly waved her hands, her tone serious. She had experienced such generosity many times back in the capital from students’ parents, and she knew well how to politely decline without offending.

“Please take it out. It’d be too tragic if I couldn’t come back to the best bakery in the market because of something like this.”

At those words, Anne’s father drooped his shoulders with a gloomy expression.

“Oh dear, Teacher really wouldn’t come back, would you? But I just want to do something to repay you…”

Anne’s father muttered, glancing briefly at Hud, who stood behind with a gentle smile.

“If only you’d let me be the godfather of the child, I could make sure that kid never had to worry about food or money for the rest of their life…”

“Not just worry about money. If the owner of a bakery like this becomes the godfather, that child might become the plumpest in the territory.”

It was then. With the sound of a bell, the door to the bakery opened. A middle-aged man unfamiliar to Judith and Hud stepped inside.

“Hey, Paul.”

“Hm? Tian, what brings you here all of a sudden? At this hour? Something going on at the estate? Don’t tell me you ran out of bread in a rush?”

Since living here, Judith had come to understand quite a bit about how the territory functioned, thanks to mingling with the residents.

From what Anne’s father said, Judith quickly figured out who the stranger called Tian was.

‘He must work at the lord’s estate. If the head chef doesn’t have time to bake, they must come here to buy bread.’

At the same time, her ears perked up. If it concerned the estate, there was a high chance it might link to information she needed. After all, the Emperor and the lord were still missing.

“Ah, I don’t really know the details either, but it seems someone important is coming soon. According to Medel, His Highness the Crown Prince is apparently worried about our mess of a territory. Sounds like he might issue some sort of decree.”

Right now, with no leadership and no substantial outside aid, the territory was indeed in a state of disorder.

That was separate from the personal grievances the people held against their lord.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re sending someone from the capital to investigate, since His Majesty disappeared in our territory.”

“Anyway, we’ve got to prepare for this important guest, but the notice came so suddenly the kitchen is in chaos. Ken said he didn’t have time to make the cookies they usually keep in the room, so he asked me to take care of that.”

“Got it. Just wait a bit. Let me take care of these customers first.”

Anne’s father handed a large baguette to Judith and Hud, and in the end, even gave them a few garlic breads as a bonus.

Not because it was Judith, but under the excuse that he always gave extra to pregnant women.

‘Looks like someone from the capital is coming.’

Judith smiled politely and gave her thanks, then thought to herself,

‘Maybe I’ll finally be able to gather some useful information. But if they’re from the capital, even if my face is disguised like this, it could still be risky. I’d better stay home for a bit starting tomorrow.’

She felt sorry for the students, but safety came first.

In a situation like this, with people coming from the capital, she couldn’t show her face around the school as usual.

Judith said as they left the store, “Hud. Would you mind covering my classes for just a little while?”

“Huh?”

Hud gave her a troubled look.

“I think the kids will be really disappointed…”

“You can focus the lessons on natural sciences. You’re definitely better at teaching that than I am. You know a lot more, and even if they don’t say so, a lot of the kids are interested in medical academy stuff. Please, just for a little while.”

Though the request came without context, Hud didn’t ask why.

Because by now, Hud had come to understand that there were things Judith wouldn’t explain—especially the ones she said she couldn’t explain.

“I guess I’ll have to stock up on candy.”

Hud slumped his shoulders and sighed.

“So the kids won’t be too disappointed.”

“Be confident, Hud. Honestly, the kids really do say you teach science way better than I do. I mean it.”

And so, their shadows stretched long together as they finally made their way home.