I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 116

As he approached Judith, he didn’t forget to crush the bouquet of roses Hud had dropped under his shoe.

“Well… I’m that kind of person.”

Judith’s mouth fell open.

Hud, too, was curious to see the Master’s face, but he hesitated when he noticed Judith’s unusual reaction.

Castin, who stood between them, murmured,

<Wow, he’s handsome.>

It was a pure expression of admiration, possible only because she couldn’t understand a thing. Tilting her head, she added,

<The more I look at him, he does seem a little scary, but still.>

***

Undeniably, Ekian was someone who had never once been made a fool of.

Not as Ekian Mayus, the Young Duke, nor as the Master of the Grey Information Guild.

His plans were always coldly calculated, and his executions, discreet.

In truth, Ekian’s essence was rooted in assassinating the emperor, blackmailing Elizabeth—that sort of thing.

Those were the kinds of deeds that suited him.

And yet, whenever he got entangled with Judith, he felt like a fool.

“Well… I’m that kind of person.”

He had never once intended to reveal his identity with such a lame line.

If he had, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to make his letter sound so weighty.

In truth, he had intended to reunite with Judith alone in a quiet place, explain everything from the beginning in a calm tone, and beg for her forgiveness.

His grim birth, the peculiar inferiority complex he never wanted anyone to discover, the feelings he couldn’t suppress no matter what, and the desire to stand tall and honest before her—he had wanted to lay it all out.

But seeing Judith looking so tormented, as if wracked with guilt, he couldn’t bear to wait another second.

Hud might not have meant it that way, but Judith, with her personality, surely interpreted Hud’s words as blame.

“So, um.”

Ekian desperately pretended not to understand the foreign woman who kept pointing at his face and saying he was handsome.

There was no need to mention that he could understand her. He just awkwardly added, “It’s not like I’ve done something terribly unethical…”

Judith drew a sharp breath but said nothing.

Her expression was deeply troubled. The fact that she remained silent only made the atmosphere more tense.

Eventually, the foreign woman pounded her chest in frustration and broke in.

<What is it? What’s going on? Who is this guy?>

<The baby’s father.>

Judith replied stiffly, her face frighteningly blank.

<And what’s the problem with that?>

The conversation was chilling.

Ekian was relieved no one else was around to overhear it.

Meanwhile, Judith wore a face he had never seen before.

Cold, emotionless, with a harshness that looked like she’d been deeply insulted.

<Isn’t that normal? So who was it you knew?>

<My husband.>

<Oh, really? But what’s the issue? Is there some custom in the Imperial capital where you’re not supposed to get pregnant by your husband?>

<It’s not that. I got pregnant without knowing what he looked like.>

<So you just now found out what your husband looks like?>

The foreign woman, seemingly a little slow at grasping the situation, completely misunderstood everything.

Then, clapping her hands cheerfully in that grim atmosphere, she said,

<Congratulations! All that goodness paid off!>

No one responded.

“I’d like to talk alone for a moment.”

Judith spoke calmly.

“Come in.”

Ekian followed Judith into the room she entered first.

He also didn’t forget to trample the bouquet of roses Hud had bought one more time.

He felt utterly petty, but he knew that if he hadn’t been this petty in the face of jealousy, he wouldn’t have followed Hud and barged into this house so suddenly.

He knew the timing was terrible, and that it wouldn’t create a good impression.

Even so, he just couldn’t bear to stand by and watch Hud hand Judith flowers while laughing and chatting.

Frankly, if that foreigner hadn’t been here, he might have thought the two were already living as a couple and actually flipped the whole house—he might’ve truly earned the title of a “madman.”

“I’ve more or less figured it out.”

Judith spoke coldly after closing the door.

“Why you knew the secret passages of the Mayus estate so well, why you so eagerly helped me with everything related to House Mayus, why Ekian was always absent from the mansion whenever I was with the Master—now I finally understand.”

Ekian swallowed dryly as he looked at Judith’s frigid expression.

“It was such a strange situation I’m surprised I didn’t notice sooner.”

Judith took a deep breath and asked calmly, “Castin said a new Grand Duke has come to the territory. Judging by the hair color, is it you? You left because you weren’t the biological son of House Mayus?”

“…Something like that.”

Even without further explanation, Judith had already pieced things together and reached the truth.

Ekian began by telling her that the Emperor and the lord were already dead, and that the search team would officially announce it tonight.

Conscious of Hud and the foreign woman outside the door, he didn’t say he had killed the Emperor. Instead, he said he had left the capital to eliminate “the person who posed the greatest threat to Judith.”

Even with just that, Judith seemed to understand perfectly.

“So there’s no need to be anxious anymore. It was a wise choice to come here seeking information and to stay hidden when it mattered most… but now, you’re free to go wherever.”

Judith gave a small nod.

Though she hadn’t shown it, she had likely been quite uneasy.

Ekian then went on to explain everything that had happened since.

Everything—except Elizabeth.

Having been with Judith for so long, he knew well that her Achilles’ heel was her biological mother.

He hadn’t rushed to confront Elizabeth for nothing. And after meeting her in person, he confirmed she was truly terrifying.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell Judith, who already carried childhood scars, that her own mother had genuinely tried to kill her.

It was better that she continued to believe it had been Ron Dale’s scheme.

‘If she’s in her right mind, she won’t approach Judith again after the Emperor’s death is announced.’

Back when he left the capital, he had wanted to order Ron Dale’s immediate execution if he so much as plotted anything against Judith.

But fearing that Elizabeth might develop a grudge toward Judith if he killed Ron, he had instead ordered that after successfully assassinating the Emperor, they were to attack and send him back barely alive.

‘Ron Dale must have a sense of how things are in the capital. He’ll keep a low profile and live quietly like now.’

If Judith’s wounds had not yet healed, he had no desire to provoke them.

So Ekian left that part out and explained the rest.

When he revealed that he was the biological son of the Last Priestess, Judith flinched, clearly surprised, but didn’t seem particularly moved by the other parts of his story.

“So.” Judith let out a sigh and said quietly, “Was it fun?”

“Judith.”

“I asked if it was fun watching me beg you to hold me just once, completely unaware and even blindfolded.”

“That’s not why I kept silent. As I explained earlier…”

“Because you felt inferior to someone like Hud, who seemed to have everything, and wanted to appear with something even greater in front of me.”

Her voice was calm, which made it sound even more biting.

With a sigh, she muttered with detached eyes, “Anyway, Hud doesn’t like me…”

“I know I stand as a sinner before you.” Ekian cut her off and said firmly, “But even the stupidest fool could see that Hud Soden likes you. Let’s make that fact clear.”