I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 22

What Judith had asked of the Master was nothing too complicated: to sneak near the Duke’s room and notify her when the Duke was drinking Bart’s tea. She needed to enter at the right moment with her own tea as well.

Of course, she had expected it to take some time to figure out Duke Ben Mayus’s daily routine. However, the Master had found out surprisingly quickly.

“He drinks it while attending to his duties after breakfast.”

“Oh my, how did you find out so quickly?”

“I overheard the maids while wandering around the mansion.”

“Oh, great.”

“But what are you planning?”

“Luckily, there’s another physician here.”

Judith winked at the Master as she added, “An exceptionally talented one.”

She thought that if Hud, the genius physician, looked into it, he might uncover something. Even if he didn’t, she could at least give Bart a warning.

“Judith.”

“Yes?”

“Are you suspecting Bart? He has been loyal to the Mayus family for a long time, and I can vouch for his dedication.”

“Huh?”

“He has a remarkable sense of loyalty.”

“Hmm.”

Judith clicked her tongue as she looked at the Master, “Master, you really don’t know anything about the Mayus family, do you?”

“What?”

“Just do what I told you.”

“……”

That morning, Bart had conducted a half-hearted examination of Judith and given her some tea. It was clear that he wasn’t paying much attention to her, likely because he thought she’d be gone in a few months anyway.

Judith hadn’t drunk the tea but waited for the Master’s signal. As soon as it came, she summoned a maid and headed to the Duke’s office for tea time.

“This tea… seems a bit strange.”

After finishing the tea, Judith widened her eyes and spoke, “Something feels off. Duke, please don’t drink any more of this tea… and call the other physician, Hud, right away.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Duke.” Judith spoke calmly, “I’ve been working as a private tutor, taking on various jobs because of the debt my parents left behind. Some of my employers were herbalists.”

It was an excuse she had prepared in advance.

“I worked there for a long time and became quite close with the owner, so I picked up some knowledge. Often, herbalists know more about medicinal herbs than physicians do.”

Ben’s eyes sharpened.

“But this tea… it smells like a poisonous herb I once learned about. I can’t remember the name exactly… Excuse me, but may I smell your tea?”

Judith picked up Ben’s tea and sniffed it. Then she murmured gravely, “This smell… I’m sure it’s the same. I heard that while it might initially make the body feel better, in the long run, it can lead to death.”

Upon hearing this, Ben didn’t hesitate any longer. Health was not something he could take lightly.

He pulled the bell rope and summoned Hud, the young physician whom Judith had requested.

Hud arrived looking perplexed, having been called so suddenly.

“Poisonous herbs?”

Judith had already finished her tea, so Hud had to analyze the remaining tea from Ben’s cup.

“Poisonous herbs don’t enter the Duke’s mansion. However, certain mixtures of herbs can produce effects similar to those of poisonous plants…”

As Hud mumbled to himself, Judith interrupted him, “Is it possible to see Bart’s prescription?”

“That would be highly inappropriate. Bart is my senior by many years.” Hud shook his head, clearly uneasy.

Judith, undeterred, pressed on. “But didn’t you say that the tea should improve the Duke’s complexion and energy? Karl doesn’t seem to experience any of those effects.”

“Huh?”

“Just yesterday, Karl seemed completely drained. I also heard that he’s been losing weight.”

Hud looked even more confused. Judith widened her eyes and continued, “If the tea was really supposed to make him feel better, why would he need stomach medicine every day?”

At that moment—

“Ah…”

Hud’s expression suddenly changed as if he had realized something.

“Wait a minute. I think I missed something. Could I take a sample of the Duchess’s tea as well?”

Since Bart could easily deny any accusations, they decided to keep the investigation secret.

Fortunately, Isabella hadn’t drunk her tea yet. She hurriedly brought her cup into the office.

“Hmm… No way…”

As Judith explained the situation to Isabella, Hud took a few vials from his bag and conducted tests on the tea remaining in the two cups.

Before long…

“My goodness…” Hud’s voice trembled. “Duke, it is poison…”

“What?”

“This mixture would result in a slow-acting poison. The dandelion root in the tea neutralizes the scent, which is why I didn’t catch it earlier.”

Of the three people present, none fully understood Hud’s explanation. But they all knew that he had uncovered something serious.

“At first, it might make the body feel better. But after more than five years of continuous consumption, it becomes dangerous.”

“My goodness…,” Isabella trembled violently. “So Judith was right?”

“Yes.” Hud’s voice was heavy with sorrow. “The exact same combination of ingredients is present in both the Duke and Duchess’s tea. It’s strange, considering their different conditions and constitutions.”

“Sigh…”

“And it seems that the stomach medicine I prescribed for young master Karl contained an antidote. That’s why it wasn’t as effective on him.”

“An antidote?”

“Yes. It’s a rare desert herb that was only recently discovered. People unfamiliar with the latest research wouldn’t know its properties. This herb neutralizes the poison in this mixture.”

Now everything made sense. Why the Duke and Duchess initially felt better, why Karl continued to grow weaker, and—

‘Why the two of them would eventually die suddenly.’

Ben gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm as he asked Hud, “Then… are we already poisoned?”

“Since there are no clear symptoms yet, it’s not too late to administer the antidote.”

As soon as Hud said those words, Judith couldn’t help but exhale in relief.

Even as she had started this whole thing, her greatest fear had been that it was already too late. She had worried that the Duke and Duchess were beyond saving.

“It’s such a relief…,” Judith murmured, overwhelmed with emotion. “I was so worried… Thank goodness the antidote is possible…”

Ben watched her face closely as she spoke, then let out a quiet sigh.

“Thank you.”

His voice remained cold, but his gaze was no longer as harsh as before.

“…Thank you.”

His voice was low and gravelly as he slowly rose from his seat.

“My thanks can wait… until after we interrogate Bart.”

Finally, Judith could relax. Her anxiety began to fade.

***

That night, Ben entered Isabella’s room. She had been pacing nervously but rushed toward him as soon as he came in.

“Honey! What did he say? Did he confess?”

“No.” Ben shook his head. “But once we showed him the evidence, he didn’t deny it.”

“Oh my…”

“It’s true that he attempted to poison us.”

Isabella’s legs gave way, and she collapsed into a chair.

The long-trusted family physician had been trying to kill them.

They had no personal grudge against him, which meant someone was pulling the strings behind him.

“We’ll need to dig deeper,” Ben muttered, sounding exhausted.

Isabella let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead. “If it hadn’t been for Judith, we might not have made it.”

“Indeed.” Ben murmured, “She could have easily kept quiet. There was no reason for her to say anything. In a few months, we’ll be strangers again. She had no reason to stir up trouble with such a risky claim.”

It wasn’t as though they were particularly close, and she wasn’t even a physician. She had made a bold move based on knowledge she had picked up from an herbalist.

If she had been wrong, she would have been the one in trouble. If Hud hadn’t been skilled enough to discover the truth, it would have backfired on her.

“She’s a remarkable person,” Isabella said softly. “We’ve already received so much from her.”

“…That’s true.” Ben murmured, stroking his chin, “Even after she divorces Ekian, we should take responsibility for her. She deserves a match with at least a count, not just a baron.”