I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 27

Ekian stayed up all night, yet even after returning to the information guild, his mind was still clear. The image of Judith, chatting with him while lying on the bed, was vivid in his mind. At the same time, he was consumed by self-loathing.

“Your Highness, the Cursed Prince.”

When Bart revealed everything to him, Ekian had genuinely wanted to die. Knowing that he wasn’t truly part of the Mayus family had left him hoping for some other escape route, something he could grasp onto.

But the truth he had uncovered was even more horrid and vile than anything he could have imagined.

“This time, let me tell you about your real mother.”

A deep sense of revulsion toward his own existence flooded over him. It was the same feeling he had experienced when, at seventeen, he learned part of the truth. But he hadn’t died then, and he wasn’t dead now.

Dying, it seemed, was a far harder thing to accomplish than living.

‘Ah, if Judith hadn’t told me about the bomb…’

Had it not been for that, he would likely have died alongside the people in the alley when the bomb went off.

Maybe if the bomb had exploded, he wouldn’t have tried to avoid it. Maybe he thought that would be an appropriate end for someone who never should have existed in the first place.

‘But…’

But the bomb had been removed, and he was still alive. Despite not knowing what to do next, his memories of Judith remained vivid.

Judith, smiling in his room.

Judith, lying in his bed.

Judith, pulling him down to lie beside her and gazing into his eyes.

Judith, who didn’t know the full story but still comforted him warmly.

Judith, sleeping like a child in the bed he had always used.

‘Ha…’

Being in his own space made it feel as though she belonged to him.

Judith, who had so casually referred to herself as “Ekian’s wife,” struck him as endearing.

She had once said she liked him. How he regretted not knowing Judith back then.

In the end, he had watched her all night, leaving the mansion only after hearing the movements of the maids at dawn.

Talking with Judith seemed to revive emotions he thought had died long ago.

Anger, absurdity, confusion, and even joy.

But knowing the true nature of those feelings, he feared it would only lead him deeper into the abyss, so he wanted to avoid acknowledging them.

‘How did it come to this? Why did Judith have to end up in the Mayus estate?’

For the past three years, they had viewed each other as nothing more than cold, transactional partners.

If Ekian had seen her as a woman sooner, perhaps he wouldn’t have allowed her debt to drag her into the Mayus family in the first place.

It had been natural not to see Judith as a woman. After all, she had been a minor at the time.

She had just seemed like a hardworking kid, someone he paid well to gather information.

The first time they met, she had looked quite youthful, too.

‘But when did she grow up so much?’

Once Isabella had gone to the effort of making her look pretty, Judith was undoubtedly a stunning beauty.

For the first time, Ekian found himself resenting Isabella’s tendency to lavish care on people she liked. There had been no need to doll up a daughter-in-law who already had a husband.

‘Why is my mother… no, she’s not my mother.’

Thinking of the mother he had learned about last night, Ekian bit his lip lightly. He knew he would need to visit her soon, despite the unexpected revelation of her existence.

At that moment, a young man’s voice echoed from outside.

“Excuse me. Is this the Grey Information Guild?”

Ekian’s sharp senses immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Hud Ramis.

That bastard who had drunk with Judith the night before!

The one Judith had said she got along with so well!

Though Ekian hadn’t overheard that supposedly well-flowing conversation, his face hardened instantly.

“Yes, it is. How can I help you?” The guild employee, standing guard at the entrance, asked in a businesslike tone.

Hud responded in his usual gentle voice, “I have a letter to deliver. It’s from Lady Judith Ailan. She asked me to give it directly to the Master…”

“Yes, you can leave it here. I’ll make sure it’s delivered.”

“I promised her I’d hand it over personally. Is there any way I can meet the Master?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. The Master only meets with a very select group of clients.”

“Ah…,” Hud sighed, as if resigned.

Ekian crossed his arms, thinking for a moment.

He didn’t know much about Hud Ramis, as the man had joined the Mayus after Ekian had left.

And since Ekian had only caught glimpses of him through the secret passage, he hadn’t even gotten a proper look at Hud’s face. Acting on impulse, Ekian donned his mask and spoke in a cold tone.

“Let him in. If it’s a letter from Judith, I’ll accept it personally.”

“Yes, Master.”

The employee opened the door, and Hud cautiously walked up the stairs.

The well-groomed young man looked around curiously before spotting Ekian, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Oh, hello.”

“Please, take a seat.”

“Thank you.”

Though Hud seemed momentarily startled by Ekian’s masked face, he quickly regained his composure and smiled warmly before sitting down.

As Ekian sized him up, he muttered under his breath, ‘Damn it.’

Hud had neatly styled brown hair.

His green eyes were a deeper shade than Judith’s, bright and clear.

His tall, slim frame made him look good, even in modest clothing.

His upright posture and kind expression gave him the dignified air of a well-bred noble.

‘Judith said she likes good-looking men.’

Ekian had hoped that up close, Hud might turn out to be less attractive. But unfortunately, he was even more handsome than expected.

In fact, his friendly demeanor likely made him far more pleasant to be around than Ekian, who had a gloomier air.

“Here’s the letter I was asked to deliver.”

Hud handed the letter to Ekian with a polite smile.

The round, neat handwriting on the envelope was unmistakably Judith’s.

“I see.”

Ekian’s voice was calm as he accepted the letter.

“If it’s from Judith, of course I should accept it in person. She’s a very special and close client of mine.”

He made a deliberate point of emphasizing their closeness, but Hud simply smiled even more kindly.

“The other parents I visited today said the same thing. It seems Judith is highly regarded wherever she goes.”

“……”

It backfired.

Hiding his irritation behind his mask, Ekian opened the letter.

The contents were simple.

Judith wanted him to find out where Marquis Soden and his wife were, as quickly as possible.

Ekian wasn’t sure why Judith was suddenly curious about the Soden family, but he assumed she had her reasons.

Finding their location wouldn’t be difficult.

‘But why? Why does she suddenly want information on Marquis Soden?’

At the same moment, Ekian quickly wrote a brief reply regarding the location of Marquis Soden and handed it to Hud.

“Here’s the reply. Please deliver it for me. Thank you.”

“Of course…”

Ekian had expected Hud to leave after that, but instead, the young man hesitated, his eyes darting nervously.

Then, in a serious tone, Hud asked, “So, this place deals in information?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then if I ask for something I want to know, will you provide an answer?”

“If possible. Is there something you want to know?”

“Well, you see…”

Hud’s ears turned slightly red.

He began fidgeting with his fingers, speaking carefully, “The truth is, I’m interested in a certain woman. I haven’t known her long, but she’s beautiful, kind, easy to talk to… A woman so likable that everyone admires her.”

Ekian’s face hardened beneath his mask.

“I’ve never been interested in women before, and I don’t have much experience in that area.”

Hud’s cheeks were now flushed.

“So, I was wondering… Could you tell me how to approach her without making her uncomfortable?”

Of all the nerve!