I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 149

“Hey.”

Judith looked down at him as he sat and asked, “Aren’t you going to look for your handkerchief?”

“I didn’t lose it in the first place. You know that. It was just an excuse.”

“Didn’t you finish what you came here for?”

“I just figured I needed a break too, so I decided to stay for a bit.”

The lion mask answered nonchalantly. Only then did Judith take notice of the boy’s outfit—it was obviously made of very luxurious and expensive fabric.

‘I really don’t want to get involved.’

Judith instinctively sensed that this boy was someone influential. Though she didn’t mingle well with the noble sons, any young lady who usually paid attention to them would likely have recognized who he was.

He even seemed to have a quiet authority among the group of boys earlier.

‘It would be a problem if this boy turned out to be Ekian Mayus.’

With the nature of this imperfect masquerade ball, everyone’s identity would eventually be revealed with time. Not just the lion mask, but even details like the color of his clothes, buttons, and shoes could all be clues.

So Judith lowered her head.

“Ah, um… I see. Then I’ll be going now.”

“If you don’t like being the center of attention, I wouldn’t recommend leaving right now. If the young lady in the owl mask shows up, everyone will swarm you asking if you’re okay. Maybe wait until after the first dance is over and the fortune-teller’s words are a bit more forgotten.”

“Is… is it really that bad?”

“Because the young lady right behind you ended up crying.”

“What?”

“She hesitated and got too scared in the end and gave up on the fortune. Kept sobbing, worrying she might get the same kind of fortune as the owl mask. So now, everyone knows what kind of fortune the ‘owl mask’ got.”

Judith pressed her forehead. She had done her best to keep a low profile, but Anais behind her had ended up drawing all the attention.

What probably started as a rumor that someone received a bad fortune had likely turned into, ‘The lady behind her trembled so much she couldn’t even get a reading because it was such a horrible curse.’

“If you need comfort, I can offer it. Consider it the price of a pretty amusing prank,” said the boy gently.

“I’m fine. I didn’t believe in it anyway, so I don’t need comforting. I can barely remember what he said now.”

“Still, it might leave a bad taste. Once you’re an adult, it might linger in your memory.”

“Not sure.”

Judith shrugged. Still, the boy’s offer to comfort her didn’t feel bad, so she slowly turned and sat beside him.

“To be honest… I didn’t think it was the worst.”

And only after quietly sharing that thought did she realize—it turned out she had needed comfort.

Not the fussing of friends who saw it as entertainment, but someone who simply sat by her side, quietly saying, ‘It’s okay. I don’t believe it either.’

Maybe that’s why she didn’t mind the company of this suddenly-appearing, well-mannered boy.

“You didn’t think it was the worst?”

Judith nodded firmly. “Yes. After all, it said I’d grow into an adult, get married, and even have kids. Two, in fact. If the life with the first child was good enough to make me want a second, doesn’t that mean something?”

The boy didn’t say anything right away. Maybe he found it awkward to bring up the middle part about divorce or taking something from someone else.

“Getting divorced at least means I won’t endure a terrible marriage forever… and if I can move, it means there’s somewhere I can go. I don’t think that’s bad.”

Honestly, just the fact that she would become an adult was good enough.

A child who needed protection had too many limitations.

A noble young lady who couldn’t live alone or earn money had nothing to rely on but her family’s love. So Judith had learned not to rely on anyone.

At least now she was old enough to wander the streets and find her way home alone. Judith remembered when she was younger.

Maybe seven years old.

It was the day her mother had a big fight with that servant.

“You will abandon me in the end! Isn’t that why you made a perfect family of your own? Huh? Your life would be perfect if only I disappeared, right?”

What had her mother said back then?

Anyway, that day, her mother held Judith’s hand and went out into the streets for the first time. The maid and the nanny had both been dismissed.

Her mother took her to a hotel. Judith had never been there before, and she later found out that it was a place frequented by truly wealthy high-ranking nobles.

In that dazzling, sparkling wonderland, her mother looked around and ordered an afternoon tea set. Pretty plates and sweet desserts were spread before her like a gift.

Without a word, her mother folded her arms and just watched the people around them. There, elegantly dressed nobles were enjoying luxurious desserts with their families.

It was Judith’s first time spending such a moment with her mother. So she, too, observed the other families intently.

She smiled as brightly as she could like the other girls. Her mouth ached from the sweetness, but she did her best to eat various treats and appear lovely.

She thought she understood why her mother had brought her there. It must have been to experience what the servant had mentioned—”Your life would be perfect if only I disappeared.” Back then, the Ailan barony was still quite wealthy, and her mother had the means to play at being a high-ranking noble with her daughter.

So Judith instinctively wished that her mother would be happy right then. Just as she was happy, she hoped her mother would enjoy the moment enough to come to places like this with her more often.

“Mother, it’s really delicious.”

Judith kept picking up macarons, not even knowing what they tasted like.

“Would you like to try this chocolate? It has strawberry inside.”

“…I need to visit the restroom for a moment.”

Her mother spoke in a low voice and got up. But she didn’t return for a long time.

Judith finally stopped reaching for the macarons. She felt like throwing up but swallowed it down. Instead, she gulped down water.

Even after emptying a glass of water, her mother still didn’t return. A wave of worry hit her.

What if her mother didn’t come back?

What if she thought, “This life isn’t mine. I don’t need a daughter or a husband after all,” and went off to find the servant again? What if she abandoned Judith instead of the servant?

Did she pay the bill? There’s no carriage, so how would she get home? Would they even let her leave the hotel alone? It was her first time in this neighborhood, and she didn’t even know the way…

The mind of a seven-year-old girl raced. The more her thoughts spiraled, the more anxious she became.

Her mother didn’t return until the sun began to set. As the people at the tables gradually left, Judith trembled with unease but didn’t cry.

“Hoo, let’s go.”

Just as the last table emptied and Judith sat alone, her mother returned. She saw Judith’s untouched plate and said nothing.

Instead, she paid the bill and returned to the baron’s estate. Even her mother’s cold back was a relief.

That day, her mother must have realized something. All these nice things were precious, but they weren’t enough to live on. That she couldn’t give up her love. After that, her mother never spent time like that with Judith again.

“I felt disgusted. Pretending to be one of those ladies who are loved, performing in front of others. I can’t live such a fake life. I really do need you.”

Judith remembered her mother vaguely saying that to the servant when they reconciled. Of course, Judith had felt something that day, too.

A child couldn’t do anything without an adult. She had to desperately try not to be abandoned.

During those few hours when her mother didn’t return, she was truly helpless—like being in hell.

That’s why she wanted to grow up quickly. Becoming able to do more on her own as she grew day by day was a good thing.

“It really wasn’t that bad.”

So Judith said honestly to the boy in front of her.

“As long as I can safely become an adult who can do something—whether I get divorced or have a child on my own, it’s still my life. I’ll just accept it.”