I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 47

‘What is this?’

Ekian furrowed his brows as he looked at Judith.

Dressed meticulously by Isabella’s devoted efforts, Judith was, quite literally, breathtakingly beautiful.

Her red hair was elegantly pinned up, and emerald ornaments gleamed, complementing her green eyes.

A dress that suited her pale skin perfectly, along with impeccable makeup.

“Ah.”

Alteion, turning his head toward Ekian’s gaze, widened his eyes.

“Do you recognize Judith Mayus?”

Alteion asked in a serious tone, glancing between Judith and Ekian.

“She is certainly a beauty. So, did you play with her for a night and then toss her aside?”

“That’s not true.”

Ekian, aghast, shook his head. He was already troubled, wondering how to resolve this misunderstanding.

Yet, he couldn’t expose it as a scheme devised by the Duke and Duchess of Mayus. Reporting a crime against the Imperial Family was not an option.

“There are circumstances… I am not that kind of scoundrel.”

Ultimately, that was all Ekian could say.

“To simply have a one-night stand and then ignore it afterward… Your Highness, you know better than anyone that I am not that kind of person.”

“Hmm.”

“Think about it again. I didn’t come here to borrow money.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Alteion nodded seriously but did not ease his stern expression. He then lowered his voice.

“Then, that… Did that woman really drug you, confine you for days, and force herself on you to conceive a child?”

“Wh-what?!”

“I mean, I didn’t believe it either, but there were rumors.”

Seeing Ekian’s horrified expression, Alteion waved his hands dismissively.

“Everyone has been whispering about Judith Mayus today. She is far more beautiful than expected, and given how much the Duchess of Mayus cherishes her, the rumors continue to spread.”

“……”

Ekian rubbed his forehead, exasperated.

From the moment she had suddenly appeared, claiming to bear his child and taking on the role of his wife, he had anticipated this situation. The unnecessary gossip that would surround her. The likelihood of becoming the subject of vile rumors.

Now, if they announced her miscarriage and went through with the divorce, the rumors would only grow more exaggerated.

“You must not be pleased. Even I think this has gone too far.”

Alteion continued in a low voice, “Up until right before I arrived, people were talking about Judith Mayus. The gossip must have only worsened by now.”

Ekian remained silent, gazing at Judith.

She indeed looked dispirited. Her profile, as she stared off into the distance, seemed somehow forlorn.

She had always acted resilient, but being the subject of whispers and ridicule in such a grand banquet hall could not have been pleasant. Without realizing it, Ekian reached out toward her.

Something about her expression evoked an odd, truly strange feeling within him. As if she was about to run away—far, far away.

It was when he narrowed his eyes instinctively.

“Judith, Judith… Where have you gone?”

Suddenly, a strange afterimage overlapped in his vision.

“She carries my child. Find her. No matter what, search the entire continent if you must!”

It was the first time he had experienced such a phenomenon. Ekian felt momentarily suffocated.

Later, he would learn that it was his first glimpse of the future—an inherited trait from his mother’s spiritual power, albeit in a faint form. However, at this moment, he had no knowledge of it and could only stagger in shock.

“…kian? Ekian!”

The voice that pulled him back to reality was Alteion’s.

“What’s wrong?”

Blinking several times, he was met with the cool night breeze and Alteion’s concerned gaze. With a sigh, Alteion questioned him.

“Still, do you feel concerned because she is carrying your child?”

Now fully composed, Ekian slowly nodded.

“Who said that?”

He had intended to ask calmly, but his voice came out chilling on its own.

“If you tell me who spread those rumors, I will make sure to…”

He was sincere.

Ekian led the Grey Information Guild, and he had the means to repay those troubling Judith many times over.

If information alone was not enough, he could use force. Anyone who made Judith wear that expression—he would not let them go.

Just as he unconsciously exuded a murderous aura—

“No matter who started it, if you don’t step forward to protect her, the same rumors will continue to spread.”

Alteion spoke calmly.

“Ekian, I am older than you by a few years, so allow me to offer some unsolicited advice. Consider it my repayment for your warning.”

His voice was filled with genuine concern for Ekian as he continued, “I don’t know what circumstances you have, but I do know that you are staying away from something precious to you. I can tell that you want to protect it from afar.”

“……”

“But there are things you can’t see from a distance. Just like how you didn’t hear the rumors about Judith Mayus inside that banquet hall.”

Alteion smiled gently and patted Ekian’s shoulder.

“Whatever you fear, it is nothing compared to what you will lose by staying away.”

“……”

“I have decided to sever ties completely with my father, who seeks to kill me. Even if it means committing the crime of patricide, I will accept it. “It’s not that I’m not afraid of committing such a sin, but I have no choice. Because I, too, have a family I cherish.”

Alteion’s eyes gleamed with firm resolve.

“Truthfully, I always knew His Majesty might try to harm me, but I avoided facing it. Yet rather than sit idle and lose the ones I treasure, I choose to face it head-on. No matter the outcome, it is better to fight.”

Ekian silently observed Alteion.

“Protect her yourself, Ekian.”

“……”

“Don’t run away. If you do, the things most precious to you will slip away.”

Standing against the moonlight, Alteion grinned at Ekian.

“If you ask me, it seems like that’s what you really want.”

Then, in a regretful tone, he added, “I’d like to stay longer with an old friend, but I must go now. It just had to be my birthday banquet.”

Ekian knew he could not delay any further. He grasped Alteion’s hand once and nodded.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“No, I should be thanking you. I will secretly summon a physician outside the palace, and I will wear armor under my robes.”

“Please stay safe.”

“Of course.”

Alteion grinned.

“Keep wishing for my safety.”

After pulling Ekian into a firm embrace, Alteion left for the banquet hall, telling him to reach out again soon.

Even after Alteion had entered the hall, Ekian remained on the rooftop for a long while, silently watching Judith, who was gazing off into the distance as if entranced.

How much time had passed?

A handsome man with brown hair, Hud, approached her on the balcony.

Judith burst into laughter at something Hud said. Her laughter was clear and beautiful. She was beautiful from afar, and beautiful up close. Hud smiled back at her.

Suddenly, Ekian realized—he had never faced Judith and smiled at her before.

He had always hidden behind a mask.

After exchanging a few words, Hud escorted Judith back inside. They were likely about to share the first dance.

“Protect her yourself, Ekian.”

Alteion’s words surfaced in his mind.

“If you ask me, it seems like that’s what you really want.”

Alteion had been right.

Turning away, Ekian left the rooftop. His gaze lingered briefly on the mask he had discarded, but he did not pick it up.

Tonight, he would stand before Judith without a mask.