I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 18
The Master, still holding his forehead, spoke in a low voice, “Well, anyway, Judith, you’re still young. There’s no need to rush into thinking about remarriage.”
Judith muttered bitterly in response to his words, “Well, I don’t have a family right now, so I want to create one as soon as possible.”
That had always been her thought.
“The families I’ve had were all a mess. But that wasn’t my fault. I didn’t choose them.”
Judith continued softly, “So, I think if I choose my family this time, it’ll be different. Just because it was a mess once doesn’t mean it’ll always be that way. I want to try again.”
In truth, she had been a bit envious of Isabella earlier, when she was furious with Karl.
Judith had approached Karl with knowledge and rationality, but Isabella had let her emotions take over, expressing her anger fully. While Judith had handled the situation wisely, it was clear that Isabella loved Karl more deeply.
Judith had never experienced that kind of love from her parents. If she couldn’t receive it, she wanted at least to be able to give it.
“So, Master, if you like me, well, I’ll give you a chance. I don’t know if you’ll meet my expectations, though.”
She spoke as if doing him a favor.
“I don’t care about status. Even if you’re a commoner, as long as you’re hardworking, wealthy, and responsible, that’s all that matters.”
At that moment, a groan came from the room where Karl was sleeping.
“Oh my, is he having a nightmare? I’ll check on him. See you later, Master. You can leave whenever you’re ready.”
Judith, startled, quickly said goodbye to the Master and left the wardrobe. She gently stroked Karl’s forehead, who seemed to be having a nightmare, and then quietly turned off the lights and left the room.
***
The next day, Judith received another invitation from the Mayus estate. This time, it was from the Duke himself, not the Duchess.
[My wife has explained the situation to me. I gratefully accept your proposal, Baroness. It seems I already owe you a debt regarding Karl.
Come today, and we will proceed with the official marriage registration.
Given the circumstances, certain procedures will be necessary.]
‘Ah.’
Judith immediately understood what the Duke meant.
The process to publicly announce that she was carrying Ekian’s child would involve specific procedures unique to the Mayus family!
The Mayus bloodline carried a distinctive energy, which only the head of the family could sense. This meant there was no need for a paternity test, and the head of the family could manipulate the situation as needed.
Therefore, it wasn’t the Duchess but the Duke who had to carry out the actual procedure.
So today, Judith would have to meet with the head of the Mayus family, the Iron-Blooded Duke of Mayus.
“Judith, so today…”
And once again, the Master was seated across from her, having appeared in her boarding house that morning.
Given his large build, the small room felt cramped. Judith was surprised to find that she didn’t mind the closeness. Perhaps it was because she had lived alone for so long.
The Master looked at the letter with her and casually said, “Let’s go together.”
“Master.” Judith looked at him and asked bluntly, “Aren’t you busy?”
“I’m busier than ever.” The Master grinned as he replied, “As I told you before, I don’t have any agents inside the Mayus estate. And right now, there’s something being handled very discreetly within the estate.”
“Hmm.”
“As the head of the information guild, it’s my job to ensure that I understand the secret accurately.”
That seemed to make sense, so Judith nodded. After all, he would use the secret passage, and no one would notice him. It didn’t really matter to her.
“Alright, do as you like. But Master, do you really like me?”
“Why is that coming up again?”
“I was just wondering… because I said I liked hardworking men yesterday, and now it seems like you’re working extra hard.”
“I’ve always worked hard.”
“True. I was just curious. Forget I asked.” Judith shrugged and gave him a final warning. “But even if you like me, don’t show it until after my divorce is finalized. Let’s not make things awkward.”
She wanted to clarify this upfront.
“I’m a responsible person. As long as I’m officially married to Ekian on paper, I will fulfill my duties as his wife.”
When they had snuck into Karl’s room and ended up so close, even she had felt a bit strange. Since then, their relationship had rapidly become more closer.
If the Master took off his mask and turned out to be incredibly handsome, she figured she might feel something for him too.
But at the very least, while she was still married, she didn’t want anything to happen.
“Alright then.”
Judith smiled brightly and stood up.
“I’ll see you at the Mayus estate. Well, not see you, but we’ll both be there.”
***
‘Wow.’
Standing in front of the Mayus estate again, Judith thought to herself. Ever since her first visit, she had returned almost every day. After all, this would be her future home.
Just as Judith entered the estate, she heard voices.
“Judith!”
“Sister-in-law!”
Isabella and Karl were sitting in the garden, and upon seeing Judith, they both rushed over.
‘Huh?’
In an instant, they stood on either side of her. Karl even grabbed her arm and smiled brightly.
Isabella lifted her chin and said, “It’s not like I’ve been waiting for you or anything. I just didn’t get the chance to thank you properly yesterday, so I came early!”
Judith awkwardly smiled and nodded. She was starting to get a sense of Isabella’s personality.
It wasn’t that Isabella only showed affection to Karl. She was just someone who expressed her affection awkwardly to everyone.
“Also, about how I acted yesterday! It’s been bothering me, so I came to meet you!”
Watching Isabella, Karl smiled sweetly and said, “I came out because I wanted to meet you, sister-in-law. Let’s go.”
And so, Judith was pulled along by both the Duchess and Karl as they headed into the mansion. The servants and butlers looked on in surprise, whispering among themselves.
This continued when they reached the drawing room.
Duke Mayus, who had been reading the newspaper, frowned as he saw them. “Hmm. I knew you and Karl liked this girl, but…”
Judith was taken aback when she saw the Duke of Mayus. He was a striking middle-aged man who lived up to the title of the “Iron-Blooded Duke.” His noble blonde hair and piercing blue eyes were particularly impressive.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you both like someone so much at the same time.”
Despite his relaxed tone, his gaze was sharp. He made no effort to hide the fact that he still didn’t trust Judith. His cold, calculating demeanor made it clear that he was ready for a confrontation. He was the kind of man who didn’t let his guard down easily, even within his own family.
Judith smiled calmly and thought to herself. ‘But they all seem fine. In the original story, they were supposed to die suddenly in about a year.’
There were no signs of illness or anything unusual about the Duke and Duchess. In the original story, they had both died suddenly from illness about a year later, leaving Karl to inherit the title at the age of nine. But now, they appeared to be a perfectly healthy and normal family.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Judith sat down politely, and Isabella glanced at Karl before speaking.
“Karl, don’t you have lessons?”
“Yes, I’ll go when it’s time. I just wanted to greet my sister-in-law before I left.”
Karl soon left to meet his tutor. With only Judith and the Duke and Duchess left in the drawing room, the Duke wasted no time and got straight to the point.
“I’ve heard everything from Isabella. She’s already given you the advance payment, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, and I’m very grateful.”
“Then let’s proceed quickly before Ekian is officially declared dead.”
Without any further small talk, the Duke rang the bell. Shortly after, two men entered the room.
One appeared to be in his late thirties, while the other seemed to be around Judith’s age. Both were wearing physician’s coats, indicating that they were the family physicians.
“These are the physicians of the Mayus family,” explained the Duke to Judith calmly. “Since it’s impossible to deceive them, we’ll need to keep this matter confidential among those present.”
“Understood.”
At the Duke’s signal, the two physicians stood beside him. The younger one, who seemed to be about Judith’s age, introduced himself. With soft brown hair and a kind, handsome face, he seemed like a gentle person.
“Hello, I’m Hud Ramis. I’m twenty-one years old and have been with the Mayus for two years now.”