I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 24
‘Yes, I’m certain. That’s why the male protagonist goes abroad to find his brother, and during that time, Karl does everything he can to win over the female protagonist, even resorting to dirty tricks!’
There couldn’t possibly be two stories with such a unique twist. Judith swallowed dryly. That meant the man in front of her, Hud Ramis, who believed himself to be a commoner, was actually…
‘He’s the son of a marquis! He’s not Hud Ramis, but Hud Soden!’
In the original story, after the death of the Duke and Duchess of Mayus, Hud had left for a foreign land, finding work in a place that paid just as well as the Mayus!
At the same time, the Marquis Soden, who were the parents of the male protagonist, were desperately searching for their missing eldest son.
“I often think of my younger siblings whenever I see young master Karl.”
Hud continued speaking with a pleasant smile, unaware of Judith’s inner thoughts.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it? Just a physician chasing money to feed his family…”
“No, not at all.” Judith shook her head solemnly, gesturing with her hands. “You’re enduring it because you love your family so much. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you, especially with someone as evil as Bart harassing you while plotting to poison the Duke and Duchess…”
At her words, Hud’s lips twitched slightly.
“You’re someone who endured all that for your family. That’s not embarrassing; I think it’s heartwarming.”
“Oh…”
“I’ve been chased by loan sharks, working eight hours every day just to get by. I know how hard it is to be burdened by money. So I could never think poorly of you for that.”
Judith’s words caused Hud to stare at her for a moment, and then he smiled, his ears turning slightly red. “In a place as luxurious as this mansion… I didn’t think I would find someone who understood. It’s surprisingly comforting.”
“What’s there to feel comforted about? Look at me; I’m pretending to be pregnant for the money.”
Judith continued the conversation smoothly, while thinking to herself, ‘If this kind and diligent young man’s real parents are a marquis and marchioness, I feel like I should help him.’
Now that her debt was gone and she would soon have plenty of money, and since Hud had helped her so much, it seemed like the least she could do.
‘Hud, I’ll help you find your real parents soon.’
She smiled, determined.
‘I always repay my debts.’
***
Ekian was walking toward the secret passage.
Originally, he had come to eavesdrop on Judith’s conversation with the young physician, Hud.
Of course, eavesdropping on a private conversation was wrong.
‘But it’s my room, right? I’m just listening to a conversation in my room.’
Even so, meddling in Judith’s personal matters wasn’t right.
‘But Judith is my wife on paper. It’s only natural to care.’
To make matters worse, Hud Ramis was annoyingly good-looking.
Suddenly, Judith’s words came back to him. She had said she would actively consider remarriage after the contract ended, even if the man were a commoner, as long as he was hardworking and capable.
And annoyingly, Hud Ramis fit all of those conditions.
‘And he didn’t even call her “madam”!’
On top of that, Judith had given him permission to call her by name.
Yet, during their three years of dealing with each other at the information guild, they had never once called each other’s names.
Ekian was feeling increasingly irritated and had decided to eavesdrop on their conversation. But what had pushed him back into the secret passage was none other than Hud’s comment.
“No. The Duke has just finished interrogating him. Well, maybe it’s not over yet. Knowing the Duke, he might start again in an hour.”
According to Hud, the Duke wasn’t in the dungeon right now. This meant Bart was locked up alone.
Though there might be guards, they could be knocked out with a sleeping drug. Ekian had to get to the dungeon.
He needed answers from Bart. After all, at seventeen, he had never once doubted Bart’s loyalty.
‘Judith was right all along. I knew nothing.’
Just like he hadn’t known what Sarah was capable of, he had no idea Bart would betray him either.
In the end, Judith had been right about everything. As Ekian headed toward Bart, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He had once thought of her as a smart, hardworking young client, but now…
‘She saved my life.’
He bit his lip beneath his mask.
‘She saved Karl, and she saved my parents.’
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Ekian was startled by another realization: he had just referred to the Duke and Duchess as his parents.
How could he not think of them as his parents? They had always provided a stable home, even going so far as to forge a marriage certificate to keep him close.
‘I trusted Bart.’
He thought bitterly.
‘I trusted his loyalty to Mayus. I believed leaving was what was best for everyone…’
He remembered the words Bart had said to him when he was 17, words that still echoed in his mind.
“Young Duke, I am loyal to Mayus. That is why, though I respect and like you personally, I must say this for the sake of Mayus.”
Those words had been spoken in the middle of the night, when Bart had visited Ekian in secret, bowing his head.
“You are not the biological child of the Duke and Duchess.”
Thunder roared, and lightning cracked the sky that night.
Ekian, a teenager with golden hair and reddish eyes—eyes just like those of Ben and Karl—was dumbfounded.
“If you don’t believe me, stop drinking the tea I prepare for you. I have added a chemical to the tea that changes the color of your hair.”
“…What?”
Sure enough, after a few days of not drinking the tea, Ekian saw black tips starting to grow on his hair. The feeling of devastation, as if the world had collapsed around him, was still vivid in his memory.
“Tell me, Bart.” Ekian muttered under his breath, “Who are my real parents?”
“That…”
When Bart had answered that question, Ekian finally understood why Bart had told him to leave for the sake of Mayus. It was because of that revelation that Ekian had said to Judith, ‘Bart is loyal to the Mayus family.’
But now he was questioning everything.
If Bart wasn’t loyal to the Mayus family, why had he told Ekian to leave for the sake of Mayus? Why had he revealed that secret?
Questions piled up, one after another. He needed answers.
Returning to the Mayus estate after nearly five years, Ekian’s gaze darkened.
Judith had shaken the foundations of his entire life. His entire existence had been turned upside down by the woman who had become his fake wife.
***
Bart was lying on the floor of the dungeon, gasping for breath.
The Duke’s interrogation had been brutal. He had expected it, but the pain was excruciating.
But Bart had already swallowed poison. No one knew it yet, but soon the poison would take effect, and he would die.
‘Who would have thought that woman had worked for an herbalist…’
Bart clenched his teeth, panting heavily.
If only he had had one more year, he could have finished off the Duke and Duchess completely. He had even laced Karl’s tea with poison, ensuring the end of the Mayus bloodline.
He regretted it deeply. He hated the name Mayus with every fiber of his being.
‘Your Majesty…’
Bart cursed silently.
‘Please destroy the Mayus family…’
It wasn’t out of loyalty; it was pure hatred for the name.
Just then, the guards outside Bart’s cell collapsed one by one.
‘What is this?’
Bart frowned and looked up, shocked to see a figure standing silently in the doorway.
“Long time no see, Bart.”
A tall young man stood between the fallen guards, standing straight and composed. Despite the mask, Bart could tell who it was.
“Ah, you haven’t seen this look before.”
The young man removed his white mask. The faint moonlight illuminated his face as he stepped into the cell. His jet-black hair and cold, red eyes, combined with his muscular build and aristocratic features, gave him the air of a graceful but deadly beast.
“Hah…”
The Ekian Bart remembered had been 17 years old. Though a remarkable young man, he had still been on the cusp of adolescence.
But now, Ekian had matured, his aura more commanding and distant than before. Bart’s knees trembled, and he couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.
“Young Duke… Ekian.”
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randommultiplier
I did wonder what compelled him to leave because the story clearly shows us how much he cares about his family and his brother
I like the way they revealed it
This story is quite well written