I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 17

Karl sat on the bed, sipping his warm cocoa, occasionally glancing at the woman sitting beside him.

‘She seems like… a truly good person.’

Next to him was Judith. She wasn’t forcing him into conversation, nor did she bring up what had happened earlier. Instead, she lightened the mood by subtly drawing attention to small objects or books in the room, making Karl feel comfortable.

‘I used to think Sarah was a good person, but this person… she seems like the real deal.’

Isabella had taken Sarah to the depths of the estate to interrogate her.

Having received Isabella’s permission, the one who stayed by Karl’s side was none other than Judith. Judith had suggested it herself, explaining that she had extensive experience with children from her time as a private tutor.

“Honestly, I’m still having a hard time believing it… that Sarah said those awful things to me.”

“Well, while Sarah is gone, take your time to think it over. Figure out what’s right.”

“Take my time?”

“Yes. There’s no rush. Taking your time to grow is a privilege of childhood.”

Karl had never heard anyone say something like that before.

Everyone had always called him a genius. They demanded that he excel in everything, quickly.

Because he was a genius, he had to do this, and because he was a genius, he had to do that.

Even Sarah had always said, “Young master, you’re a genius, so I’m sure you understand what I’m saying. You must act accordingly starting tomorrow.” She constantly pushed him to do more.

But Judith was saying the complete opposite. Hearing her words made him feel at ease.

After taking another sip of cocoa, Karl looked over at Judith and asked, “Then, when are you going to officially move into our home, Baroness Ailan?”

It was a sudden, unexpected question, but Judith smiled gently as she answered, “Well… once I’ve spoken with the Duke, and after the official marriage registration is filed and announced?”

Originally, all of this was supposed to happen today, but with Sarah’s arrest, everything had been delayed.

The Duke of Mayus, who had just returned from his territorial inspection, had also immediately joined the interrogation of Sarah. Naturally, this meant Judith’s meeting with the Duke had been postponed as well.

Karl stared at Judith for a moment before breaking into a wide smile. “Then, can I call you sister-in-law?”

“Ah.” Judith smiled kindly and nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.”

“Then, please feel free to call me by my name.” His blue eyes sparkled as he continued, “If you’re carrying my brother’s child, then you’re already part of the family. But… how is my brother doing?”

“Well… um, I’m not sure right now.”

“Hmm…” Karl sighed and lowered his head. “I apologize on his behalf.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine.”

“I never taught him to act this way…”

“What do you mean?”

“If he ever comes back, I’ll give him a good scolding. You don’t need to worry, sister-in-law.”

Karl couldn’t believe what his brother had done. To act so irresponsibly… it was unthinkable. Even an eight-year-old like him wouldn’t behave so thoughtlessly. It seemed that his brother had become a mess after leaving home.

To have done such an irresponsible thing to someone so kind and considerate…

If Ekian couldn’t take responsibility, then the Mayus family would have to step up. Earlier, Judith had mentioned that Ekian leaving could be seen as entrusting their parents to him. So now, Karl thought, ‘I have to protect my sister-in-law and my future niece or nephew.’

***

Judith waited until Karl had fallen asleep before getting up quietly. After tucking him in, she was about to leave the room when she heard a thumping noise from inside the wardrobe. It was an intentional sound, loud enough to be heard by anyone.

‘It must be the Master.’

He had probably snuck in through the secret passage and had been listening to her conversation with Karl the whole time.

Judith checked once more to make sure Karl was sound asleep before tiptoeing over to the wardrobe and opening the door. Inside, nestled among the children’s clothes, sat the masked Master.

“Master? Why are you following me around for no reason, when there’s nothing for you to do?”

“I was ready to rescue you if something went wrong. Come in.”

Judith, worried about waking Karl, quickly slipped into the wardrobe. Once inside, she closed the door, finding herself once again in a small, cramped space with the Master.

“So, how did you do it?”

The Master seemed curious about how Judith had timed things so perfectly to bring the Duchess along. Even though it could wait, he seemed impatient.

Judith shrugged and explained, “I sent a letter earlier, subtly suggesting I’d like to have tea in the garden, remember?”

“Yes.”

“Sarah said she would meet Karl in the back garden after lunch to give him the medicine that would induce vomiting. So it wasn’t too hard to time things right. All we had to do was catch them in the act.”

Judith explained as if it were no big deal.

“At the right moment, I told the Duchess that I had gotten lost on my way to the garden and saw something suspicious, so we should go check it out together.”

After all, the one person who could truly punish Sarah the most was the Duchess. And despite everything, the person who could comfort Karl most sincerely in the future was also her.

Though the Duchess had a temper and seemed to struggle with controlling her anger, this was a situation where the parents needed to know.

The Master didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stared silently at Judith.

‘What’s this?’

Since he was wearing a mask, Judith couldn’t read his expression, but the silence between them made things feel awkward. As she shifted uncomfortably, the Master sighed softly.

“Thank you, Judith.”

“Huh?”

“I mean… thank you.”

“For what?”

“I heard what you said to Karl. It was… um…”

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

“It was… really warm and kind.”

In the three years they had worked together, this was the first time the Master had ever spoken like this.

“You seem like a really good person.”

In the cramped wardrobe, the Master added a whisper softly, “Judith, you really are.”

As always, his low voice seemed to vanish from memory almost immediately, but the atmosphere between them felt different from before. Even the emotions that now laced his words were more human than they had ever been.

Judith gazed at his mask for a moment.

“Master.”

After a pause, she asked, “Do you… have feelings for me?”

“W-what?”

“Have you fallen for me because of everything that’s happened?”

Judith leaned closer to the Master. He backed away in surprise, but given the tight space of the wardrobe, there was nowhere to go, and they ended up even closer.

The Master, clearly flustered, mumbled, “Wait a minute, Judith.”

“You think I’m not only smart but also warm-hearted, and that’s why you like me?”

“N-no, that’s not…”

“But it’s not great timing, is it? I’m about to get married.”

“I know that, obviously, but…”

“And I’m a responsible person, so I wouldn’t want to have an affair while I’m part of the Mayus family.”

“Judith, I’m not…”

Judith smiled mischievously, her eyes fixed on his mask. “But I’m not completely ruling it out.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know your face, your voice, your name, or anything, but if you still feel like you’d want to pursue something different with me in the future, then maybe after a few months, you could show me your face. If everything checks out, I might consider you as a potential candidate for remarriage.”

“Hold on, Judith.”

The Master, who had been stumbling over his words, suddenly grew serious.

“Are you already thinking about remarriage?”

“What?”

“You haven’t even filed the marriage registration yet, and you’re already talking about remarriage?”

There was a hint of shock in his voice.

Judith, caught off guard by his reaction, responded matter-of-factly, “Of course. My debt is gone, and once this is all over, I’ll have plenty of money.”

“But still…”

“I’ve been through enough hardship. Don’t I deserve to have a bit of romance?”

The Master fell silent, as though in disbelief, then asked in an accusatory tone, “Wait. Didn’t you say you liked Ekian Mayus? I remember you telling me that.”

“That was in the past. I’ve moved on.”

“So soon? What kind of person moves on so quickly? Are your feelings that shallow?”

“Well, it’s been almost five years since he disappeared.”

“Still… if you really loved him!”

“I didn’t love him that much, to be honest. Besides, he might be dead.”

“He could still be alive.”

“Sure, but what if he’s ugly now? Five years is a long time.”

“So you’d just abandon him if he’s ugly? How can you be so heartless?”

“Why are you so upset? Oh, wait… have you been dumped because of your looks before? If that’s the case, I’m sorry.”

“……”