I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 49

Hud had never attended a banquet before. That was because he had always lived as a commoner.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Soden, who had been revealed as his birth parents, had sent him plenty of fine clothes for the banquet, but in the end, a noble gathering like this was a completely new world to him.

Even though the people gathered were extravagant and impressive, their actions were no different from the commoners they so openly scorned. No, they were even worse.

They ignored, envied, and yet still admired.

The criticisms directed at Judith were cruder and more intense than expected—so much so that Judith had to momentarily step out onto the balcony, unable to maintain her composure.

“Judith, are you all right?”

When he finally went looking for her, Judith greeted him with a bright smile.

“Of course. I’m fine.”

Since she smiled like that, he couldn’t even offer any words of comfort.

“I take everything in stride. I’m truly optimistic, you know. Besides, enduring this much was part of the job conditions, which means my hourly wage must be astronomical, right?”

Then, as if she had just realized something, she widened her eyes in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh, but I guess I can’t joke about this with you anymore. Hud, you no longer have to worry about your employer’s approval now that you’ve become the heir of the Marquis of Soden. Congratulations on your liberation from the working class.”

Was that a boundary she was setting?

Either way, when they returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere had completely shifted, thanks to Isabella.

All she had done was utter a few cold words, yet that alone had changed everything.

Watching that scene, Hud realized something.

To protect Judith in this world, power and authority were necessary. Simply being by her side wasn’t enough—he could do nothing for her that way. All he could do was ensure she “took everything in stride.”

Hadn’t he once given up on Judith because of the overwhelming difference in status?

But now, he too was a noble. If he wished, he could protect her in that way.

He had yet to grasp the full extent of it, but once he fully entered the Soden family and began his education—

He didn’t know what path Judith’s future would take.

But one thing was certain. He wanted to be of help to her and to stay by her side.

From the very beginning, even when he hadn’t known his true status, he had wanted to be seen as a man in her eyes.

Hud held back his desire to confess his feelings.

She was responsible and diligent—until her divorce was finalized, she would undoubtedly remain faithful to her role as Ekian’s wife.

Thinking that, he couldn’t deny that a surge of jealousy rose toward Ekian, whom he had never even met. After all, Judith had once harbored feelings for Ekian.

“Promise me, Judith. If you ever leave Mayus and need help, come to me.”

Hud emphasized his words. Judith, standing under the dazzling lights of the banquet, smiled even more brilliantly.

“All right.”

Her answer was light.

“Of course, right? After all, I’m the one who found your birth parents for you.”

Her reasoning was just as light.

Objectively, it was far from a trivial reason, yet it was clear that the weight Hud wanted to convey had not been received.

Yes, she was light. That was why it felt as though, just like now, she would always smile radiantly and drift away with a positive attitude, slipping through his grasp.

Judith was like the warm sunlight of spring.

Warm and uplifting, yet impossible to hold onto. Before one even realized it, the season would change, and she would be gone.

“Ah, it’s such a shame that Teacher Judith is leaving. She was so fond of our child.”

“Teacher Judith is resigning? Oh dear, but somehow, I had a feeling she would… Such a diligent and capable teacher wouldn’t look after our children forever, but it’s still a pity.”

There was a time when Hud had delivered letters on Judith’s behalf to the homes of students she had visited. Without exception, they all expressed regret, yet also unanimously said, “But somehow, I had a feeling she would.”

Had they all sensed the same thing about her as Hud had? That subtle, intrinsic quality of transience that seemed to be a part of her very essence.

“Judith, I am being sincere.”

In the end, Hud had no choice but to say it.

“Here is my personal mailbox number.”

As the dance neared its end, he took a small note from his pocket.

“If you ever need my help, contact me anytime.”

A personal mailbox was a commonly used private mailing system among nobles. Since servants checked it frequently, letters would always reach the intended recipient, even if the sender did not know their exact location.

“Call for me and wait—I will come running no matter what.”

“Ah.”

Judith accepted it lightly and smiled again.

“That must cost at least a year’s salary to maintain… You really are spending like a noble now that you’ve become the heir of a marquis! You even have servants already.”

She chuckled.

“Be sure to tell me later how it feels to go from an employee to an employer.”

“Yes.”

Regardless, Hud was satisfied that she had accepted it.

“If you call for me, I will drop everything and come to you.”

“If I ever need the world’s best physician, I will. Hud, you are the most skilled physician I know.”

And so, the first dance ended.

“Well then, let us be off.”

As the song concluded and Hud and Judith returned, Isabella snapped her fan shut and spoke.

“You’ve made your presence known, the social circles will spread the word, and rumors about Mayus fabricating a lie will fade away.”

Who else would go to such lengths for a fake daughter-in-law? Isabella thought, clearly referring to herself, and smiled in satisfaction.

“Well then, Young Marquis of Soden.”

As they left the palace, Isabella turned to Hud with a smile.

“Thank you for everything until now.”

At the back gate of the imperial palace, the Marquis and Marchioness of Soden were waiting for Hud. Officially, his role as the physician of the ducal house ended today. From tomorrow, he would quietly begin his training as the marquis’s heir.

They had deliberately kept this fact hidden until the banquet, under the public explanation that Hud, still adjusting to his family, did not wish to attract attention at a large gathering.

But in reality, Hud had simply wanted to dance the first dance with Judith. His feelings were that simple and earnest.

“I hope to see you often in the future.”

Hud politely bowed to Isabella and smiled at Judith.

“The Ducal House of Mayus will always feel like home to me.”

The Marquis and Marchioness of Soden also approached and embraced Judith warmly.

To them, she was truly a benefactor.

“Until next time.”

Judith responded cheerfully, as she always did.

“Congratulations again on finding your family.”

Standing beside his parents, Hud took in the sight of her and waved.

Unlike when they had arrived, the carriage of the Ducal House of Mayus now departed carrying only Judith and Isabella back home.

***

Inside the returning carriage.

‘It’s certain.’

Isabella, arms crossed, was lost in thought.

‘Hud Soden definitely likes Judith.’

She had not simply been idly watching over the banquet. She had closely observed Judith and Hud more than anyone.

‘Even during the first dance… he couldn’t hide it at all.’

Hud was a scholar who had spent his life studying in a rural academy. He was completely incapable of masking his emotions.

‘I’m sure the Marquis and Marchioness of Soden noticed it too.’

As far as Isabella knew, the Marquis of Soden had already chosen a fiancée for Hud. But she had taken a liking to Hud herself.

‘He’s steady, responsible, good-looking, and he likes Judith… Isn’t he better than searching for some useless aristocrat?’

But Judith’s status was somewhat lacking to be the wife of a marquis’s heir.

‘Then should I take her in as an adopted daughter?’

Isabella seriously considered it.

‘An adopted daughter of the House of Mayus. Even if she has been divorced once, her status wouldn’t be lacking for the heir of a marquis. On top of that, we could provide a generous dowry…’

And so, Isabella was thoroughly contemplating a plan that would make Judith faint if she ever heard of it—adopting her former daughter-in-law as her own.