I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 31

‘How ridiculous must Judith think of me.’

Ekian sighed as he held his forehead. The sight of her turning away coldly refused to leave his mind. It was the first time he had seen her so cold, so unlike her usual kindness.

‘I have to meet her.’

At dawn, when the light was just breaking and a drizzling rain was falling, Ekian finally donned his mask and got up.

‘I must meet her…’

He didn’t know what he would say when they met, but he felt he had to see her.

He simply felt stifled. Besides, didn’t Judith say it was “not respectful to the master” to come to the Duke’s residence looking for her? Letting time flow by after that awkward conversation would only make him feel worse.

And he knew where she would be going this morning.

‘The fact that she’s going to the Shrine of the Last Priestess must be because of the Soden couple. I don’t know why, but…’

She had always done inexplicable things up until now. And each of those actions had a reason. He didn’t know what connection existed between the Soden couple and her, but Judith must have a clear purpose.

‘…I should be able to meet her there.’

Eventually, Ekian slowly stepped into the rain.

‘It’s not like I’m going to the Duke’s residence, so she won’t be able to complain.’

The Shrine of the Last Priestess.

“Let me tell you the truth.”

After learning that horrifying truth from Bart, he had thought about visiting there at least once.

“Because that will hurt you the most, Your Highness the Cursed Prince.”

For some reason, he had been reluctant to go, and his steps didn’t come easily.

“In my case, the one who gave birth to me and the one who raised me are different.”

Now that he thought about it, he had impulsively said something like that to Judith. Looking back, it was a ridiculous thing to say. She hadn’t even asked, yet he had brought it up.

‘Perhaps it’s fate.’

Ekian’s face, hidden behind his mask, contorted heavily.

He didn’t know why Judith had decided to go to that shrine, but the place also held meaning for him.

When Ekian finally hurried to the shrine—

There was already a long line in front of the shrine. Even though they knew the Shrine of the Priestess would offer no answers.

In that line, Ekian easily spotted Judith. She was standing directly in front of the Soden couple.

Dressed plainly, with an umbrella in hand, Judith seemed to have gained Isabella’s approval to come here. Her hood was pulled up, and her slender frame was hidden beneath the large umbrella, making her unrecognizable to those around her.

Her face was not well known to begin with, and she had never officially declared in society that she was “pregnant with the child of the Young Duke of Mayus.”

‘…They’ll probably announce it at the upcoming Imperial banquet.’

Isabella, who disliked gatherings, wouldn’t create an unnecessary banquet for the occasion, and given the importance of the announcement, Judith wouldn’t debut at a smaller event.

There was an Imperial banquet to celebrate the Crown Prince’s birthday soon, so they would likely reveal her to society then.

Judith stood rigidly, quietly waiting for her turn. It was almost certain that standing directly in front of the Soden couple was a calculated move.

The Soden couple was well-known for their relentless search for their lost eldest son and their regular prayers at this shrine when in the capital. How this related to Judith was unclear.

‘Judith and the Soden couple have no connection. This must be their first meeting.’

He couldn’t fathom why Judith would deceive everyone and meet the Soden couple.

It was only then that Ekian realized the complicated emotions tangled inside him weren’t simple.

The desire to meet her and have a conversation, the hope to fix the awkwardness from the previous night, and, at the same time… sheer curiosity.

He was just too curious about her.

What Judith was planning, what she was thinking—he wanted to know it all.

If this could be called possessiveness, then surely he wanted to have her entirely to himself.

‘Pathetic.’

He chuckled at himself as he stood before the humble yet commanding shrine.

The shrine, which could barely fit a few people, was surrounded by tulips blooming profusely. No matter the weather—snow, wind, or rain—the tulips bloomed as if indifferent to the seasons, enhancing the shrine’s mysterious aura.

But that wasn’t all. Though untouched by human hands, the shrine’s roof, walls, window frames, and door crevices were immaculately clean. Even the candles surrounding the shrine glowed radiantly, unaffected by the rain.

Without dripping a single trace of wax, the candles had remained unchanged over time.

Though the Last Priestess had long since disappeared, the shrine maintained a timeless appearance, drawing people to it to make their wishes.

‘Even here, my thoughts are only of Judith.’

Despite his reluctance to visit, even here…

“Let me tell you the truth.”

As he looked at Judith’s back, Bart’s voice echoed in his ears again.

The image of Judith standing before the shrine overlapped with old memories.

***

Ekian Mayus was a happy boy. Everything was perfect.

Although the Mayus family had a strained relationship with the Imperial family and suffered a poor reputation because of it, Ekian was still the eldest son of the powerful and wealthy Duke Mayus. His position as heir was secured from a young age.

Even after his younger brother Karl was born much later, nothing changed.

Their father, Duke Mayus, officially appointed Ekian as the heir and shared all the family secrets with him, including the hidden passages known only to the family’s successors.

A father to look up to, a kind mother, a beloved younger brother—everything in his life was flawless. Ekian worked tirelessly to maintain that perfection.

Though he was naturally gifted and excelled in his studies, he still made an effort. He loved his family and was proud of the House of Mayus.

“Won’t the poor relationship with His Majesty the Emperor pose a problem?”

“Well, there’s no helping it. We can’t agree with His Majesty’s policies. Perhaps things might improve when His Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne.”

“The Crown Prince?”

“Yes. His Highness is a reasonable person. But it’s concerning that His Majesty even keeps His Highness in check.”

There was a twenty-year age difference between the Emperor and the Crown Prince. The Emperor, unwilling to relinquish his throne, openly restrained his son, viewing him as a threat.

“Still, in your generation, things might improve—if His Highness safely ascends the throne.”

Such political concerns were mere trifles in Ekian’s otherwise peaceful life. Despite their estrangement from the Emperor, Ekian was a prominent figure in social circles, admired by many who sought his favor.

When Ekian turned seventeen, talks of marriage began to surface. However, Ekian himself remained indifferent, thinking only that he would eventually marry whomever his family chose.

He had no particular interest in women and was solely focused on preserving the family’s legacy and protecting his loved ones.

Thus, he spent more time with his family than in external social engagements, particularly enjoying time with his younger brother Karl and his favorite maid, Sarah.

Although Sarah was a maid, her beauty and intelligence could rival that of any noblewoman. It was clear why Karl was so attached to her. Ekian, however, felt no particular interest in her.

Then came the fateful night when Ekian was seventeen.

Bart, the long-serving physician of the Mayus household, visited him secretly.