I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 12

For a while, the Master looked down at Judith, clicking his tongue and muttering, “You really are… Judith, you…”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“As I felt before, you’re not the right person to collaborate with on anything.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because… being around you disrupts my sense of calm. I feel like I become childish.”

“At least you know you’re being childish.”

“…Am I the only one being childish right now?”

“I think it’s okay to be a little childish. I’ve only just become an adult, after all.”

“Hah.”

The Master sighed, but somehow, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

For the past three years, they had only exchanged information in a professional manner without bickering like this. They had only spoken for business purposes.

But ever since Judith had reached adulthood and they began to get more involved, it felt like they were getting closer in some ways.

The Master chuckled lightly and whispered, “In any case, move a little. You’re too close.”

“And who’s the one practically holding me right now?”

“You can move over there, you know. Just don’t fidget again.”

As they whispered and playfully bantered, a sound came from outside the door.

“Young master.”

Knock, knock—a voice followed the soft knocking at the door.

“It’s Sarah. May I come in?”

It was a soft, polite, and gentle voice.

But the name ‘Sarah’ was enough to make Judith tense up instantly, her body reacting with apprehension.

Sensing her discomfort, the Master cleared his throat and whispered, “Don’t worry. That maid is fine.”

“What?” Judith asked, her voice shaky.

But the Master reassured her kindly, “That maid, Sarah, is kind and gentle.”

“Oh, so you know her name?”

“She’s been working at the ducal estate since she was very young. She was close to Ekian and also took good care of Karl.”

Judith turned to stare at the Master, unsure of what expression he wore behind the mask, but one thing was clear.

“Master.”

“Yes?”

“You really didn’t know much about the Mayus household, did you?”

“…What?”

“You really don’t know anything.”

It was true that not even the duke and duchess were fully aware of Sarah’s true nature. However, some of the servants were already complicit in her actions.

Before the Master could respond to Judith’s words, Karl closed his book and spoke up.

“Come in, Sarah.”

The door slowly opened, and in walked a maid with brown hair and blue eyes, a rather pretty young woman. Her fair skin and slender figure stood out. She appeared to be in her early twenties, slightly older than Judith.

“Yes, young master. I see you’ve been reading.”

With a creaking sound, the door closed. Sarah stood before Karl, her angelic smile lighting up her face.

‘Sarah Otten.’

Judith swallowed nervously as she gazed at Sarah’s delicate profile.

‘A maid who has worked at the Mayus estate since childhood.’

The Master had been partially correct. Sarah had indeed been at the Mayus estate for over 15 years.

In the original story, she was described as being the same age as Ekian and had been close to him.

Sarah was intelligent and quick to learn. Ekian had noticed her talents early on and often gave her books or pens.

Ekian was a noble who treated commoners with respect, never looking down on them.

‘But they weren’t close like childhood friends. The book clearly stated that Ekian maintained the boundaries of their master-servant relationship.’

Sarah was clever and always perceptive. She instinctively knew never to cross the line and kept the right distance, as getting too close could lead to her being dismissed immediately.

As time passed and Karl was born, Ekian adored his younger brother. Sarah took care of Karl as well, and their relationship evolved into something different.

‘Sarah knew that the best way to stay close to Ekian was to earn Karl’s affection.’

Karl had grown fond of Sarah from a young age. No other maid at the estate could match her ability to win his favor.

Ekian enjoyed playing with his younger brother, and Karl always wanted Sarah by his side when they played.

The ducal couple received reports about this, but they had no suspicions because Karl adored Sarah.

‘It’s only natural for a child to like someone who is kind to them.’

There were many reasons why Karl became so attached to Sarah.

First, Karl was described as a genius, and though he still seemed like a child, the novel mentioned that at the age of three, he already had the intelligence of an adult. He wasn’t the type to like someone just because they treated him well.

Sarah stood out because she was a smart maid who could answer Karl’s questions with accuracy and wit.

‘When someone clever turns evil, they become truly dangerous…’

In reality, Sarah had always harbored feelings for Ekian. She knew, however, that there was no way for a maid like her to get closer to a noble as prestigious as Ekian, especially with the boundaries he set.

So, she used Karl as a means to remain in Ekian’s circle, doing so with such subtlety that even Ekian couldn’t detect her intentions.

Sarah knew she was exceptionally pretty and intelligent. She had such high self-esteem that she genuinely believed she could one day marry Ekian.

‘But then Ekian disappeared.’

When Ekian vanished, the dreams Sarah had nurtured for so long also crumbled.

It wasn’t just that the man she loved had disappeared; it was the collapse of her long-held ambition to be accepted into the noble class.

After that, all she had left was her bond with Karl. She began to unleash her frustration and anger on him.

“Young master.”

Sarah’s voice was kind as she stood in front of him.

“I see you’re comfortably reading… If Madam were to see this, she would be quite upset.”

“Huh?”

“Madam cries every night because of Master Ekian’s disappearance… If she knew that you were doing so well, she might misunderstand you.”

“Misunderstand? How?”

“She might think you’re glad that Master Ekian is gone and that you’re eager to take on the role of heir, enjoying yourself while preparing for it.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Karl shouted as he slammed his book shut, the pages crumpling under the force.

“I miss my brother. I want him to come back. I wait for him every day! Sarah, you know that!”

“Of course I do. I know how much you truly miss him. But not everyone sees it that way.”

Sarah spoke gently as she removed the book from Karl’s lap, her tone sweet but chilling.

“And if you continue to do well… perhaps Master Ekian will feel hurt and decide not to return. He might think, ‘Karl is doing just fine without me.’”

“No!”

Karl was now on the verge of tears. His bright eyes filled with unshed tears, shimmering in the light.

“I was only reading because my brother told me to read all these books by the time I turned ten… I was just following his instructions! I want him to come back. I don’t want to do well without him! He always liked it when I read.”

“That was back when Master Ekian was here.”

Sarah patted Karl’s head as she whispered soothingly. Her tone was angelic, but the words were far more sinister.

“Things are different now… We need to do something else to bring him back.”

At that moment, the Master suddenly started to rise, but Judith grabbed his arm and whispered urgently, “Wait! What are you doing?”

“How could she say such nonsense?”

The Master was seething, barely able to contain his anger.

“This is outrageous…”

It was the first time Judith had seen him, who had always been so calm, lose his composure like this.