I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 5

The next morning

Judith, despite recalling her past life, had lived in this world for twenty years.

This meant that she was no longer easily surprised by most things in this world.

But still…

‘This is insane.’

As she entered the Mayus Ducal Mansion, she felt like she could barely breathe.

‘It’s so lavish, so overwhelming…’

Every step she took made her feel almost unworthy. The gleaming marble floors, the giant tapestries hanging on the walls, and the beautiful stained-glass windows that let the sunlight stream in…

Though she was a baroness and had not been entirely unfamiliar with noble estates, she had never imagined anything on this grand scale. The Mayus family truly deserved its reputation for rivaling the imperial family.

“Good day, Baroness.”

As soon as she entered the mansion, Judith was greeted by the butler. He had already been briefed on her arrival by the gatekeeper and spoke politely but firmly.

“I apologize, but I don’t believe you have an appointment.”

Judith blinked at the butler.

She hadn’t expected to be able to meet the duchess by simply showing up unannounced.

The Duchess of Mayus was not someone whom a lower noble like Judith could easily meet, even with a letter.

And the likelihood of a letter being ignored was high, so coming unannounced like this was her only option.

‘I assumed she would be at the estate in the morning, even if she had other appointments later in the day.’

Currently, Duke Mayus was away inspecting the duchy. This was the perfect time to negotiate with the duchess alone.

The duke was known to have a very close relationship with the duchess, so if she approved, the duke would surely agree as well.

That’s how it played out in the original story, too.

When the duke returned from his inspection, it was the duchess who first suggested, “What if we have a maid pretend to be pregnant with Ekian’s child? It could buy us a few months of time.”

“Yes, I know. I understand that it’s impolite of me to show up like this,” Judith responded calmly, looking at the butler who stood stiffly. “But I must speak with the duchess. It’s regarding the Young Duke Ekian Mayus.”

At her words, the butler’s eyes flashed. His expression turned colder, and he spoke in a low tone, “Baroness, any mention of the Young Duke is a very delicate matter in this household.”

The politeness of his earlier tone was now laced with a clear warning. “It could bring great reward or provoke great anger.”

In other words, if she was using the name of Ekian Mayus as a mere excuse to meet the duchess or if her information was false, she should be prepared for severe consequences.

“Please tell the duchess this.”

Judith smiled confidently and said, “I know that when he was a child, the Young Duke couldn’t eat pomegranates.”

The butler looked at her, surprised, and then said, “Please follow me to the drawing room. The duchess will be informed.”

***

When Ekian was young, he couldn’t eat pomegranates. Like many children of his age, it wasn’t for any significant reason—he simply found the fruit repulsive. Of course, by the time he was in his mid-teens, he could eat them without issue.

It was, in fact, a trivial piece of information, but it was so minor and long ago that only family members would know about it.

‘In the original story, the villain recalled this fact while thinking about his brother.’

That made her realize that the second son, who would become the villain, must be in the estate right now.

He definitely said something like, “If my brother had been here, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.” Yet Ekian never appeared, not even until the end of the original story.

Judith thought that even if she stayed here pretending to be Ekian’s wife for a few months, he still wouldn’t show up.

As Judith pondered these thoughts, she heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor.

Looking up, she saw a stunning middle-aged woman already gazing at her. With platinum hair intricately styled and adorned with exquisite ornaments, the woman exuded an air of elegance. Judith stood up quickly and curtsied.

“I greet the Duchess of Mayus.”

“Be at ease, Baroness Ailan.”

As soon as they sat down, a swarm of maids appeared, bringing tea and a selection of fine delicacies.

Though everything was beautifully presented, Judith was too nervous to enjoy any of it.

After all, this moment would determine her future. She had been waiting for three years for this opportunity.

“The story about the pomegranate was quite intriguing,” the duchess said in a cool tone. “Let’s get straight to the point. You said you had something to tell me.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“We are desperate to know anything about Ekian. Go on, tell me.”

“Yes.”

Judith placed her hands on her lap and spoke as confidently as she could, “If you remove one of the bricks near the head of the bed in the Young Duke’s room, you will find a small compartment. Inside, there are letters he wrote to his parents when he was young.”

At those words, the duchess’s expression changed dramatically. She quickly rang a bell.

“Remove the brick near the head of Ekian’s bed immediately.”

Judith waited calmly, and soon enough, a maid returned with an old, weathered piece of paper. The duchess’s hands trembled as she took it.

‘It’s originally supposed to be the villain who finds this later… but it wasn’t that important in the story, so I’ll use this piece of information myself.’

Judith recalled that the letters expressed typical childhood gratitude, thanking his parents for raising him and hoping for their happiness. Simple, heartfelt sentiments.

‘How could a loving family like this end up with Ekian running away?’

Judith didn’t know. She had never experienced a loving family herself.

Even though her parents were indifferent, she had stayed at the barony because she had nowhere else to go, eventually inheriting all their debt. She would never understand Ekian.

To Judith, the Mayus family was unfamiliar in every way, and Ekian was a complete mystery. Standing in this very place only made that clearer.

As the duchess dabbed at her eyes with the letter, she finally raised her head slowly. She spoke in a low voice, “Baroness, how did you know this? Have you met Ekian? Where is he now?”

With a desperate look in her eyes, she asked again, her voice shaking, “If you can help me see Ekian just one more time, the Mayus family will do anything for you.”

Judith stared at her, stunned.

It was hard to believe that someone so lofty and composed could be this desperate.

Whatever had driven Ekian Mayus to stay away from such a loving family, Judith could not begin to guess.

“Um…” Judith’s voice cracked as she replied, “While I know this about the Young Duke, I also know something else.”

“What? What is it? Tell me, please.”

“What you are currently planning, Duchess.”

“…What?”

“In order to delay the death declaration, the plan you’re considering.”

The duchess’s face froze. Judith continued calmly, “I believe you’ll want to look into me before making any decisions. I’ll return in two days, and I’d like to discuss this further then.”

It didn’t seem wise to reveal everything at once. That wouldn’t be respectful or strategic, especially since the duchess knew nothing about her yet.

The duchess would soon investigate Judith’s background and find out that she was burdened with massive debts.

Without Judith having to say it, the duchess would then realize why she was offering to negotiate.

The duchess gazed at Judith and spoke slowly, “Very well. Come back in two days. I’ll clear my morning schedule.”

“Thank you.”

Judith bowed politely and stood to leave.

***

‘Phew, that was nerve-wracking. The pressure is unreal.’

Judith staggered as she made her way back to her small boarding house.

Since she had visited the Mayus estate early in the morning, it wasn’t even noon yet. But when she reached the alleyway, it was buzzing with excitement.

“Did you hear? They found a huge stash of bombs over there!”

“We could’ve been blown to bits if they hadn’t acted in time!”

Judith quietly smiled to herself, knowing that this was all thanks to the information she had given the Master yesterday.

It seemed he had handled the situation very well.

Now, everyone in the alley, including herself, the heroine, the extras, and the people from the Grey Information Guild, had survived—unlike in the original story.

‘Thank goodness. At least I prevented the disaster.’

As Judith smiled softly to herself, a tall young man wearing a mask suddenly appeared before her.

“Lady Ailan.”

She recognized him immediately, even with the mask. She grinned up at him.

“Master?”

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said gently. “Where have you been this morning?”

“Oh, I was at the Mayus estate.”

“What? Why were you there…?”

“It’s a secret, but since you’ll find out soon enough, I’ll tell you now.”

Judith continued cheerfully, “I’m thinking about marrying into that family.”

The Master choked, coughing violently.