I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 151

Special Side Story 1. Karl’s Childcare

The child in Judith’s womb grew up healthy. And after filling all nine months, a baby of average weight was born.

He was a boy with black hair and red eyes, looking exactly like Ekian.

Contrary to Judith’s worries that he might be reluctant toward a child who resembled him, Ekian simply stood there blankly for a long time with the baby in his arms.

The baby, who had taken his first breath, cried loudly, yet Ekian wore an expression as if he couldn’t even hear the noise, like someone wandering in a dream.

Watching Ekian take in every little detail, from the baby’s tiny fingers to the shape of his crying mouth, Judith finally let out a small laugh. Just from that expression alone, she realized her worries had truly been pointless.

The baby’s name was chosen by Ben. After shutting himself in his study for days to deliberate, he came up with a name that was more ordinary than expected.

“How about Alex?” Ben said it seriously. “Well… it’s a bit common, but historically, rulers in this region with this name were greatly loved. The Mayus family has received a lot of criticism despite not really doing anything wrong, so I want our grandson to be loved by as many people as possible.”

At that, Karl shrugged. “We’re not even related by blood anyway.”

The once cute eight-year-old had already turned nine and picked up the habit of speaking cynically like an adult.

“Did you not like being criticized either, Father? I thought you didn’t care.”

Isabella smacked Karl on the back with a thud as he spoke like a nineteen-year-old despite being nine.

“It’s all because of you! We’re worried you’ll get criticized too!”

Ben also let out a sigh, feeling the difficulty of raising children.

“Looking at how you’re growing up, it seems you’ll smoothly inherit the Mayus family’s tradition of being the target of criticism as well.”

They, too, had been staying at the Grand Duke’s territory to match Judith’s due date. While Judith was in labor, they stood in the hallway, and even when the baby’s first cry echoed past the door and filled the corridor, they couldn’t bring themselves to open it, only pacing nervously.

While Ben, Isabella, and Karl were bickering, Alex finished his loud first cry, let out a yawn, and fell asleep.

The midwife smiled, saying he was surely a gentle baby.

“Then I’ll move the baby to the room.”

“Yes.”

Judith nodded weakly with a faint smile. Her voice was completely hoarse from screaming so much during labor.

The nanny, carefully selected through Isabella’s strict screening, took Alex and left.

Ben and Karl fidgeted in the hallway while waiting, and the moment the baby appeared, they rushed over.

Unlike Ben and Karl, who stood at a distance, unable to even touch him and simply stared at the baby as if entranced, Isabella soothed the baby once and then went straight into the room where Judith was lying.

“You did well, Judith.”

Isabella smiled gently as she brushed back Judith’s sweat-soaked hair.

“You really did well. It must have hurt a lot, didn’t it?”

Judith, exhausted, was breathing heavily, and only then did a tear slip down. When she met Isabella’s eyes, an unexpected sense of kinship suddenly washed over her.

Isabella must have gone through this same pain and suffering to give birth to Karl.

A different kind of relief quietly rose within her, unlike when Ekian had tightly held her hand and kept repeating, ‘I didn’t know it would hurt this much, I won’t have a second child.’

“Your baby is so beautiful. You worked hard carrying him with such care for nine months. I’m proud of you.”

Isabella wiped Judith’s tears and whispered.

In truth, while she was in labor, Judith had a fleeting thought.

My mother must have suffered like this when she gave birth to me.

But even in this moment, I’m worried about how hard it will be for my child to come into the world. Since when did my mother come to hate me so much?

But the moment she gave birth and saw Isabella’s face, that sorrowful feeling began to loosen little by little.

“Mother, thank you….”

Judith said in a cracking voice.

“I didn’t have a mother who loved me, but being able to meet a mother-in-law like you… I’m so fortunate. I’m really happy.”

“Mother-in-law?”

Isabella shook her head and smiled.

“I’m not your mother-in-law anymore. Ekian and I are no longer family, so just think of me as your real mother. Would it be alright if I adopted you?”

Just like that, Isabella brushed aside seventeen years with the adopted son she had raised, calling him a stranger, all because she wanted to make Judith her real daughter. Ekian, who had been moved to tears, immediately objected.

“That won’t do.”

“You had two mothers who loved you! And you can’t give even one to Judith? How cold.”

“…Ah, please. Mother.”

“Mother? Who exactly are you calling Mother?”

Listening to Isabella and Ekian’s exchange, Judith finally burst into a bright smile.

It was a joyful day, meeting the baby she already longed to see, born with everyone’s blessings….

More than anything, she was happy that she could give birth surrounded by such warm love.

Originally, she had planned to give birth alone without Ekian and raise the child by herself, thinking she would pour all this love onto the child alone….

Judith kept smiling brightly for a long while, surrounded by the boundless affection poured onto her and the baby.

***

That evening, Judith went to see the baby with Ekian. The baby was fast asleep.

After sending away the nanny who had been keeping watch by the baby’s side, Judith and Ekian quietly looked at him for a long time.

“…It feels… strange.”

Ekian murmured as he carefully held Alex, as if he were holding a fragile glass bottle.

“Since I was seventeen, I thought a day like this would never come to me….”

“What kind of day?”

“Marrying the woman I love, having a child in an ordinary way… things like that.”

Judith understood immediately. When her father died leaving behind debts, she too had thought that an ordinary life was now far out of reach.

“Whether it’s the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess doesn’t matter right now… it just feels like a miracle that I created a new life with the woman I love.”

Ekian murmured as if dreaming, and Judith replied with a soft smile.

“Being part of the Grand Duke’s family is very important. If I’d given birth and raised him alone, Alex wouldn’t be wearing such nice clothes or have such a beautiful nursery. He would’ve been lying beside me on my shabby bed. A midwife or nanny? Not a chance… Hud and Castin would’ve been the ones by my side.”

“Stop imagining that. That’s too terrible,” Ekian said in horror.

Even on such a good day, he grumbled that she had to say something so painfully realistic. And yet, he kept making a fuss, saying how could such a lovable being exist.

“It’s just been born, so it’s wrinkled and ugly. They say it’ll get cute once it puts on some baby fat,” Judith evaluated bluntly.

“How can you say something so harsh to our baby? He’s already the most beautiful baby in the world.”

Ekian lost his composure. But Judith didn’t dislike the way he was blindly doting on their son. So she smiled softly and took in the sight of the two of them to her heart’s content.

It was a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.

The sight of the two men she loved more than her life together.

“…Alright. Go ahead and dote on him as much as you want,” Judith muttered, crossing her arms. “Looking at Father and Karl… it seems like that kind of relationship won’t last more than a few years anyway….”

These days, Ben and Karl bickered every day. It was because Karl, now nine, kept acting like a little old man.

Of course, there was no doubt they were a loving and close family, but Ben was always saddened, saying, ‘My cute son keeps talking like an adult.’

Ekian shrugged. “Father really is something. What’s he going to do when Karl hits puberty?”

“Hasn’t he already gone through your puberty?”

“I behaved well and then ran away from home.”

“Ah, now that I think about it, you caused quite a huge incident during puberty.”

“Looking back now, I could’ve just spoken honestly with my parents and discussed it, but since it was puberty, I couldn’t control my emotions and ended up running away from home,” Ekian murmured, his eyes lost in thought. “But Karl is quick with everything… so his puberty will probably come even earlier.”

“That’ll be something to see.”

Judith rolled her eyes and let out a faint sigh.