I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 16

The ominous black liquid from the vial seeped into the grass. Karl, startled, stumbled as he mumbled in shock.

“Mo-mother?”

Before Karl could fully process what was happening, Isabella, who had rushed in from somewhere, slapped Sarah across the face.

“You… you!”

The slap was as sharp as the sound of ripping fabric, and Isabella’s strength was just as fierce. Sarah fell flat onto the grass, and Isabella, unable to contain her rage, grabbed Sarah’s hair and yanked her up.

“You, you…! How dare you…!”

From a distance, the knights came running. Isabella tossed Sarah toward the knights and screamed, “Lock her up!”

Sarah, in shock and pain from the slap, was trembling, unable to utter a word. The knights dragged Sarah away without hesitation.

Karl, who had been on the swing, stood up in confusion, his face blank.

“Mother, why did you do that to Sarah?”

“Are you seriously asking me that, Karl?”

Isabella gripped Karl’s shoulder firmly, causing him to wobble, and the swing creaked as it moved.

“What? You listened to Sarah, dismissed your tutor, and stopped going to the knights’ training? And you were going to throw up everything you ate?”

“But… but Mother…”

“You seriously believed her and followed her instructions? Huh?”

Karl was startled by the sight of Isabella’s furious eyes. Though she was known for her cold, icy demeanor and had a reputation for losing her temper when angry, Karl had never seen his mother like this. Until now, Isabella had always kept her emotions in check in front of her children.

But after witnessing such a shocking scene, Isabella could no longer maintain her composure.

Seeing his mother’s wide, furious eyes for the first time, Karl stammered, “B-but… if I do that, then my brother will come back, and people won’t point fingers at me…”

“You still don’t get it! Do you think Ekian would be happy to see you like this? Huh?”

Isabella was now shaking Karl by the shoulders.

At that moment—

“Madam, please stop.”

A woman approached and pulled Isabella away from Karl.

It was only then that Karl took a deep breath and blinked. The person holding Isabella was a young woman with red hair and green eyes, someone he had never seen before.

The young woman, dressed in a simple dress and worn shoes, spoke calmly, “If you’re going to blame someone, blame Sarah. The young master is still just a child…”

“Judith, he’s not just any child! He’s a genius who remembers things from when he was two or three years old, and his intelligence is already at an adult level!”

Isabella shouted in frustration, but the woman called Judith took Karl’s hand and responded calmly.

“Even if his intelligence is at an adult level, he’s still only eight years old.”

“…What?”

“Even if he’s smart and can solve difficult problems… he’s still just a child who’s only lived for eight years.”

At those words, Karl’s eyes filled with tears. He had always been told that he was smart, clever, a genius, that he was already an adult. But this was the first time anyone had ever called him a child.

Even Sarah had often said, “Everyone knows how clever you are, young master, so you shouldn’t act like other children.” She would warn him that studying and eating as usual, as if he knew nothing, was unacceptable.

“So, it’s our job as adults to teach him what he doesn’t know.”

Isabella stood frozen, as if rooted to the spot. Judith, who had been gently patting Isabella’s arm, crouched down to meet Karl’s eyes.

“Young master, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Judith Ailan, Baroness Ailan.”

Although her attire was simpler than that of even the maids of the ducal household, she was still a noble.

Karl, calming his startled heart, looked at her and bowed politely. “…It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Karl Mayus.”

Judith’s green eyes softened with warmth. Though she wasn’t a stunning beauty, her face was clear and bright.

Judith held Karl’s hand and spoke, “Not everything Sarah said was right. Young master, I’m sure the Duchess is more upset than ever right now.”

“But… my brother…”

“The Young Duke would be heartbroken to see you like this.”

Judith continued gently, “When the Young Duke left the Mayus estate, it was as if he entrusted your parents to your care. So how can you make them so upset?”

Karl’s eyes, which had never considered such a perspective before, filled with uncertainty. He took a deep breath and asked, “But who are you to claim to know my brother’s feelings?”

There was a hint of wariness in Karl’s eyes, which was understandable.

“What do you know about my brother? Sarah was really close to him when they were younger!”

The mention of Sarah made Isabella snap. “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!”

Already furious, Isabella screamed. Known for losing her temper when angry, Isabella’s outburst shocked everyone. Though she was a refined noblewoman, she was infamous in high society for her temper.

“If Ekian truly cared about Sarah, do you think he would have left without saying a word to her?”

“And how is Baroness Ailan any different? Why should I believe anything she says?”

Judith’s eyes flickered momentarily, but before she could respond, Isabella shouted loudly, “She’s carrying your brother’s child!”

“…What?”

Judith was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Isabella to reveal the pregnancy to Karl in such a blunt manner, especially to someone so young. But Isabella, her anger boiling over, couldn’t stop herself.

“She was your brother’s lover! Do you understand now?”

Despite being a child, Karl, praised as a genius, quickly grasped the situation.

“Oh my goodness.”

His eyes widened as he glanced at Judith’s flat stomach and muttered, “So… you and my brother… did that kind of thing and made a child?”

For once, Judith was at a loss for words. She glanced at Karl and then at her stomach before awkwardly muttering, “Uh, well, something like that…”

Karl suddenly leaped off the swing. The boy hurried over to Judith and, with wide eyes, demanded, “Where is my brother now? Huh?”

There was only one answer Judith could give.

“Um, he… left again.”

A moment of silence followed. Karl looked at Isabella, disbelief in his eyes. Isabella, flustered, could only clear her throat and say nothing.

After a brief pause, Karl, piecing together the situation, clenched his fists and shouted, “That damn bastard!”

“…Huh?”

“Leaving a young woman pregnant with his child, abandoning both her and his child, and running away?”

“…Huh?”

“Even if he’s my brother, this is too much! How could I defend someone like that?”

The eyes that had once been filled with admiration and longing for his brother were now slowly filling with anger.

“He’s a complete jerk! How could he grow up to be such a worthless piece of trash?”

From behind them, out of their line of sight, the large tree that had swayed earlier shook again.

The fact was that the Master, Ekian, had been hiding up in the tree the whole time, watching.

Though Judith had assured him to leave things to her, Ekian couldn’t help but watch over his younger brother from above.

Of course, he couldn’t simply sit back and do nothing. His promise to Judith to merely observe had all been part of this plan.

For someone like him, hiding his presence was second nature, and through a secret passage, he had made his way to the tree and had been waiting in hiding.

Ekian blinked, staring blankly at the scene below.

‘Judith… she handled things wisely, but…’

She had managed to capture Sarah, prevent the situation from escalating, and even said what Ekian had always wanted to tell Karl—”You’re still just a child.”

She had also, as if reading Ekian’s mind, told Karl, “Your brother entrusted your parents to you when he left.”

Everything was perfect, everything was touching…

But…

“He ran away and turned into a complete deadbeat, didn’t he? Right, Mother?”

Karl’s scathing criticism was entirely unexpected.

Ekian, still perched in the tree, let out a soft groan without meaning to.

‘Is this… really resolved?’

The once-perfect and kind image Karl had held of his older brother was now completely shattered.