I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 56

Thinking about Master, Judith’s heart gradually calmed.

No matter how comfortable the Mayus Ducal House was, no matter how much Ekian wanted her to stay, Judith had never once doubted that she would leave one day.

Master was the only man who held meaning in her “real life.” He was the first person she had trusted, the first she had relied on, and the first she had ever liked.

“Let me reiterate, then. Please be clear about one thing.”

Judith spoke with a determined expression.

“I cannot pretend to have a growing belly for a child that doesn’t exist. I don’t want to act that far. If my feelings don’t change by the time a normal pregnancy would start showing, I would like you to divorce me.”

If that were the case, the timing wouldn’t be too different from when she had originally planned to leave the Mayus Ducal House.

At Judith’s words, Ekian nodded. “Alright. We’ll do it that way. Until then, I’ll do my best.”

“Yes. Then, about sharing a room, I’ll trust in your gentlemanly demeanor and your well-known reputation for being disciplined.”

Judith continued with firm resolve, “In truth, I don’t actually have such a reputation. But likewise, Young Duke, please trust in my devotion to someone else.”

Ekian furrowed his brows at those words. “Must you keep bringing up the fact that you have someone else you care for? To a husband who just returned?”

“Yes… I have to keep reminding myself too. If I don’t protect my own feelings, who will?”

“Visually speaking, I must be superior.”

Ekian grumbled as if he already knew who it was.

Judith quickly replied, “That’s true.”

Indeed, Ekian’s face was far better than any mask.

And from what little she had glimpsed, Master’s hair was black. Unlike Ekian’s radiant golden hair. It was certain that he didn’t have such a dazzling appearance.

“Well, but that’s not why I like him.”

Judith continued sheepishly, “He was there for me when things were tough, listened to me when I needed it… That’s why my heart turned to him. It has nothing to do with appearances.”

“I wasn’t particularly curious.”

Ekian spoke in a stiff tone.

“About the delicate emotions my wife holds for another man.”

“Ah, right.”

Judith quickly nodded but couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. Really, he hadn’t done anything, yet suddenly he appeared and was calling her “wife”—it was almost comical.

‘Just think of him as another employer. I just gained one more employer.’

Isabella and Ben were originally her employers, and now another, even more demanding one, had been added to the list.

Even if he were the worst possible husband, she had to remain faithful for the sake of repaying her debts. Besides, they were just pretending to be a couple anyway.

“And I didn’t suggest sharing a bed without consideration.”

Ekian gave a small, reassuring smile.

“I was just prescribed medication by the new ducal physician. The kind that suppresses such desires. Since it’s the early stages of pregnancy, I said I wanted to be cautious, and they prescribed it without hesitation.”

“Ah, I see.”

“It should be effective for about a month, so you don’t have to worry about that at all.”

At those words, Judith felt completely reassured. She could trust the power of medication. She nodded vigorously and, after glancing at him carefully, cautiously changed the subject.

“Um.”

Ekian gracefully sipped his tea and immediately asked, “Yes? Do you have something else to say?”

“Originally, I had permission from Mother to go out.”

Judith swallowed dryly as she spoke. Since she had compromised on the room-sharing issue, she wanted to at least gain something in return.

“But now that you’ve returned, would it be alright for me to decide on my own outings? Before I ask Mother, I wanted to hear your opinion first.”

Ekian nodded readily. “Of course. You didn’t come here to live as a prisoner. How could one live their whole life without freedom? I will speak to Mother. However.”

At the word ‘whole life,’ Judith flinched. Ekian smiled, his eyes forming gentle crescents.

“We are still a married couple, so I would like to know when and where you are going when you go out. I will do the same and inform you. Would you be willing to share at least that much with me?”

“Ah, yes.”

Judith nodded, looking relieved.

“I don’t have many friends, nor do I have family to visit, so I won’t be going out often.”

“I see.”

“However, I do have an old contact—the head of an information guild…”

“Pfft—!”

This time, Ekian almost choked on his tea. Judith hurriedly handed him a handkerchief and continued,

“I, well, have a few things to discuss with him, so I’d like to meet with him. If I have to give a detailed explanation of my reason, that would be a bit difficult…”

“Th-that won’t be necessary.”

Ekian wiped his mouth as he spoke.

“You don’t need to explain your reasons in detail. It’s really fine.”

Apparently, he was a man who respected privacy. Judith had worried that he might be the controlling type, but thankfully, that did not seem to be the case.

“In any case, I’ll just let you know in advance about when I go out.”

“Yes, please do.”

“Then, I will go wash up.”

Ekian rose lightly from his seat. Judith clutched her book tightly and could only nod in response.

And thus, their cohabitation began.

***

The next morning.

Ekian had left early at dawn. As it turned out, the Young Duke’s schedule was incredibly packed.

Before sunrise, he had to train in the practice grounds, and before breakfast, he had a stack of documents to review.

Since he had just returned, he would be overwhelmingly busy for the next few days.

‘Wow.’

Judith blinked in amazement.

‘I was really in danger.’

Last night, when Ekian had emerged fresh from his bath, his physique had been breathtaking. The way his silhouette showed through his indoor clothes had caught her attention multiple times, leaving her flustered.

At the same time, she had become acutely aware of her own attire. Her loungewear was light and thin—was it really appropriate? Could they really share a bed without incident?

Yet, her fears had been completely unfounded.

Ekian had fallen asleep at the very edge of the bed like a corpse. He drifted off almost instantly, with a peaceful expression, paying no attention to her at all.

‘That medicine is truly something.’

Judith mused as she watched him sleep soundly.

‘It really seems to suppress those kinds of urges completely.’

In the end, Judith had been the only one unable to sleep, tossing and turning late into the night. Because of that, she ended up sleeping in the next morning.

“Young Madam.”

By the time she finally woke up, she was introduced to the new attending physician. Since Hud had been on duty until the previous night, this was her first time meeting the replacement.

“Good morning. My name is Sandra Aisins.”

The new physician was a middle-aged woman with a warm and kind demeanor.

“I was briefed by Lord Hud. For the time being, there is no need for any prescriptions.”

“Ah, I see.”

It had been decided that the new physician would not be informed of Judith’s false pregnancy. Originally, Judith was supposed to leave for a trip soon and “miscarry” while away.

Sandra asked her a few basic questions—whether she felt unwell, if there were any unusual symptoms.

After wrapping up the brief consultation, Sandra sighed and spoke, “But I seem to have made a small mistake.”

“Yes?”

“I was so preoccupied last night that I misunderstood something based on what the Young Duke told me. I assumed it was the very early stages of pregnancy, but that isn’t actually the case.”

“Ah… well.”

“He doesn’t actually need to suppress those desires so strictly. I seem to have prescribed unnecessary medication.”

Sandra pulled a vial from her bag.

“This is a neutralizer that counteracts the effects of the medicine. I’ll leave it here in the room, so you can give it to the Young Duke whenever you feel it’s appropriate.”