I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 29

Hud smiled bitterly as he stepped back.

The Duke and Duchess were nobles, after all. They pitied the idea of marrying Judith to a commoner.

Even though it would be her second marriage, with the Duke and Duchess’s backing, Judith would have no trouble finding a nobleman to marry.

With her beauty alone, many noble sons would be interested in her.

In fact, there would likely be many vassal families eager to marry into favor with the Duke by proposing their sons to Judith.

‘The Master was right.’

He felt as if he had been rejected, even though he had never had the chance to confess his feelings.

Their conversation the previous night had flowed so well… maybe that was why he had briefly forgotten his place.

Judith had only been kind to him because she was considerate of others. She was just being polite to a commoner like him. It was probably only Hud who felt they had so much in common.

‘The Master knows everything. He was right about this too.’

With heavy steps, Hud headed toward Judith’s room. Regardless of his personal feelings, he still had to deliver the Master’s letter to her.

‘If only I were a nobleman.’

Hud laughed at himself for thinking thoughts he had never entertained before. Shaking his head to clear the useless thoughts, he resolved to remain a good friend to Judith.

Determined, Hud also brought some medicine to help with the hangover, knowing it would be useful for her.

When he entered the room, Judith was reading a book with Karl.

“Hud?” Karl waved excitedly when he saw Hud. “What’s that?”

“Oh…”

Karl still didn’t know the truth. He genuinely believed that Judith was pregnant with Ekian’s child.

So Hud gave Judith a secretive wink and said, “This is medicine to help with nausea. It’s usually given to pregnant women or those recovering from a hangover.”

“Oh, that’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

Judith gratefully accepted the medicine, and Hud handed her the letter from the Master.

“And here’s the letter you asked me to deliver while I was out in the city.”

“Oh my, thank you so much for this too.”

Judith smiled warmly as she took the letter, completely unaware of Hud’s sinking heart.

***

That evening, once Judith was alone in her room, she quickly opened the letter the Master had sent.

[The Marquis Soden and his wife are currently residing in their townhouse in the capital with their children. They’re attending the imperial banquet this month.]

After reading the brief message, Judith murmured in surprise, “The capital? How convenient!”

The Marquis Soden and his wife, Hud’s biological parents, were still desperately searching for the eldest son they had lost as a child.

‘Just like the Duke and Duchess of Mayus, who continue to wait for Ekian…’

Judith smiled bitterly.

She had long understood the depth of a parent’s love for their child.

During her time as a tutor, she had witnessed many parents who were overly protective and obsessed with their children.

Though Judith’s own parents hadn’t been that way, she had learned to accept that fact and move on. She had come to terms with it when she was very young.

Still, it sometimes made her feel a bit lonely when she saw such parents.

Judith had learned to remain composed in the face of these feelings. She knew that it was better for her own well-being to stay detached and calm.

So, she quickly moved on to practical matters.

‘First, I need to meet the Marquis and Marchioness Soden.’

But she had never met them before. She couldn’t just walk up and say, “The eldest son you’ve been searching for is actually working as a physician for the Mayus family.”

Even if she said that, how could she explain how she knew? And now, Judith also held the position of “the wife of the Young Duke Mayus.”

Behaving rashly could cause trouble for the Mayus family as well.

‘I need to handle this as naturally as possible, without raising suspicion from the Duke or Duchess… How can I do that?’

Judith pondered the note from the Master, staring at it as if the answer would magically appear.

The capital… They are in the capital now…

‘Wait a minute.’

Judith’s eyes lit up as she realized something.

‘The Marquis Soden and his wife must visit that place again.’

In the original story, whenever the Marquis and his wife visited the capital to search for their lost son, they always made a secret trip to a special place.

It was the Shrine of the Last Priestess.

This small shrine, located on the outskirts of the capital, was home to Chaska, the last descendant of the Oilte tribe, who was believed to possess the power to see the future.

Her tribe, known for intermarriage, had collapsed, and Chaska had sought refuge in the empire, asking only for a piece of land where she could build a small shrine.

She had disappeared after only a few years, but rumors swirled that she had been pregnant at the time.

Despite her disappearance, the incense in her shrine never went out.

Even though no one maintained the shrine, it remained impeccably clean, with her large portrait still hanging on the wall.

‘People say that even the candles and flowers near the shrine remain untouched by time, as though frozen in place… It’s a mysterious and magical place.’

Several imperial knights had tried to extinguish the candles and trample the shrine, only to go mad shortly afterward. Since then, the empire’s citizens had left the shrine alone.

In fact, many people came to the shrine to pray, hoping their wishes would be granted.

‘The Marquis and his wife visit the shrine every time they come to the capital to pray for their son’s well-being.’

Judith crossed her arms as she thought.

‘That’s where I’ll meet them. And then… I’ll act as if I’ve heard something there. No one knows the true extent of the priestess’s power, so it shouldn’t be suspicious.’

Ever since she remembered her past life and started recalling events in this world as though she were reading a book, Judith had found it easier to navigate life’s challenges.

But she still didn’t understand why these strange things were happening to her.

All she had told the Duchess of Mayus was that she had been having “strange dreams about the future.”

If she used that explanation, she could probably avoid suspicion while helping Hud find his real parents.

‘I’ll go there tomorrow.’

But first, she needed permission from the Duchess. She would tell her that she had a dream about the shrine and wanted to pray for the baby’s well-being.

‘I need to get permission before it gets too late.’

Just as Judith stood up, preparing her words, there was a knock.

‘Master?’

The knock didn’t come from the door, but from the hidden passage, signaling that the Master had arrived.

Judith remained standing as she called out, “Come in.”

Even as she spoke, she wondered why the Master was visiting again. If he had something to say, he could have just sent another letter with Hud.

Ever since Judith had moved into the Mayus estate, the Master had been sneaking in through the secret passage almost daily. If the Duke and Duchess found out, there would be serious trouble.

Judith was thinking she should say something to him when the Master entered the room through the hidden passage.

As always, he was wearing his mask, his expression unreadable, and clad in all black.

As soon as she saw him, Judith asked, “What brings you here?”

“You ask about my purpose the moment we meet? Must we only meet when there’s a purpose?”

“Yes.”