I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 74

“M-Master?”

Judith recoiled in shock, gasping for breath in astonishment.

Ekian stared at her intently. There was no trace of delight in her gaze, only hesitation and confusion.

That stung him again.

“H-how are you here?”

“No need to worry.”

Ekian’s voice, as always, was fleeting, yet a cold undertone lingered within it.

“I used a secret passage, so I wasn’t seen.”

Judith blinked. “A secret passage?”

Then, tilting her head slightly, she asked, “Well, you’re a man who knows the secret passage to the Mayus Ducal House, so there’s no reason you wouldn’t know about the annex’s passage either. But what about the garden party?”

“What about it?”

“It seemed like it had only just begun.”

“I left after answering the first question.”

Ekian replied flatly.

“Someone asked if I knew of a scandal that could shake the empire. So, I said I wasn’t sure if it would shake the empire, but I did know of an interesting scandal.”

“What? And then you just left?”

“I talked about the five lovers of Countess Anais Anitas.”

Judith coughed in surprise. Of course, she had never heard that information before.

“Naturally, I made sure to mention His Majesty the Emperor’s name first among those five.”

It was not uncommon for individuals to have lovers openly. It was well known that Anais was one of the emperor’s mistresses.

However, for the emperor’s mistress to have lovers of her own was an entirely different issue. It was shocking enough to catch even Judith off guard, so it was no surprise that the entire garden party had been turned upside down.

“The countess turned pale and screamed at me to leave immediately.”

Ekian spoke leisurely.

“Had she laughed it off instead of losing her temper, she might have brushed it aside as a joke. But by reacting with such flustered anger, she only exposed her incompetence. She is not as skilled as you, Judith.”

Judith’s face turned slightly red.

She seemed to recall the moment she had slapped Anais and smiled confidently in front of everyone. It was an embarrassing situation in some ways, but Ekian had genuinely found her behavior impressive.

“I hadn’t intended to reveal everything so soon.”

Ekian rose to his feet slowly.

“But I was irritated, so I said it. And I lost interest in staying any longer.”

And the moment he left, he had headed straight for the annex. That was why he had arrived before Judith, even though the coachman had deliberately taken a long detour.

“Ah, I see.”

Judith glanced around, slowly nodding her head.

A brief silence followed. Judith cast a furtive glance at Ekian before speaking.

“T-the matter went well. I had a good conversation with Her Highness the Crown Princess, and although Anais suffered more than expected, overall, it worked out.”

“I see.”

After that short exchange, silence filled the room again.

Ekian took a step toward Judith. She immediately took a step back and spoke.

“Uh, so… do you have more to say?”

“Are you telling me to leave?”

“No, well…”

As Ekian took another step forward, Judith instinctively retreated once more. She smiled awkwardly and turned her head. That, too, irritated him.

If asked to explain exactly why, he wouldn’t have been able to. But whenever she increased the emotional distance between them, he felt restless and anxious.

He knew he had to stop acting as “Master” and approach her as “Ekian.”

But when he saw her, that distinction blurred, and strange impulses took over.

“Judith.”

“Yes.”

“…Why did you avoid me today?”

“Huh?”

“You barely acknowledged me, barely responded when I spoke, and just disappeared.”

“That!”

Judith interrupted him quickly.

“I-I’m sorry, but could we talk in a bit?”

“…In a bit? Why?”

“I really want to take a bath first.”

Judith fidgeted and gestured toward the bathroom.

“I feel so uncomfortable. Let’s talk after I wash up. Whatever it is.”

“Fine.”

Ekian nodded.

“Go ahead.”

Judith dashed into the bathroom as if escaping. Ekian sat back down on the living room sofa.

The way she kept stepping away from him, retreating further each time, lingered in his mind, leaving him in a foul mood.

***

‘Ah, come on.’

Judith groaned inside the bathroom, her face in distress.

‘Why did he have to show up now!’

The reason she had avoided Master at the garden party was simple. She had been worried about the unpleasant smell lingering on her body.

Master already looked too perfect, and the women around him were too beautiful!

Although she had dried herself off, she hadn’t properly bathed. She could still detect the faint fishy scent clinging to her.

What woman would want to approach the man she liked in such a state?

So when the situation arose where she might have had to speak with him one-on-one, she couldn’t bear it and left.

‘Wouldn’t it have been better to just meet at the ducal estate later?’

In the end, she couldn’t resist running straight into the bathroom. As she scrubbed her body and washed her hair, she let out all her frustration internally.

‘Ugh, this is so frustrating!’

Still, she couldn’t possibly admit that she had avoided him because she was embarrassed about smelling bad while the other women were fresh, elegant, and fragrant. It was a matter of pride.

‘What am I even supposed to say now!’

Judith stomped her foot in frustration. At that moment—

“Aaaaaah!”

The moment her foot hit the wet floor, she slipped. With a loud thud, she crashed to the floor in an ungraceful heap.

Immediately, she heard a voice from outside.

“Judith?”

It was Master’s alarmed voice.

“Judith? Are you alright?”

Judith quickly shouted back, “Yes! I just slipped, that’s all!”

Wow, this was the worst.

Judith, close to tears, tried to stand up quickly. But just then—

“Aaaaaah!”

Suddenly, a cramp seized her foot. The excruciating pain made her scream involuntarily.

“Judith!”

The door burst open. At the same time, Judith shrieked.

“Get out! I’m not wearing anything!”

The door immediately slammed shut.

“S-s-sorry…”

A subdued, guilty voice came from right outside.

“B-but I swear, I didn’t see anything. Really, I closed the door right away.”

Judith let out a long sigh and buried her face in her hands. This was truly the worst.

But the real problem was that she actually couldn’t get up.

Pain still throbbed through her foot, and even the slightest movement of her cramped leg was agonizing.

And there was no maid to assist her…

“Judith.”

A cautious voice came from outside the door.

“Are you really alright?”

Judith couldn’t bring herself to lie and say she was fine.

“…Is there a problem? Do you need help?”

“Uh…”

After a long pause, Judith finally spoke, her voice nearly trembling.

“I… I got a cramp in my leg, and I can’t move. What do I do?”

“What?”

“Seriously, what should I do?”

“U-um, if you lift your knee and press down on your leg, it should ease up faster.”

“Can I even do that by myself?”

“I-it’s p-possible… I-I guess.”

A brief, awkward silence followed. Only Judith’s occasional pained groans could be heard.

After a moment, Master spoke hesitantly, “Listen, please don’t misunderstand, but… I could come in just for a moment to help with your leg. You can’t stay like this forever. Do you have anything to cover yourself with?”

Judith wanted to disappear.

But she really couldn’t stay like this any longer. If the coachman arrived while she was still stuck, it would be even worse.

Until now, she had avoided bringing a maid everywhere out of embarrassment, but now she finally understood why noblewomen always had them.

“T-then, I’ll wrap myself in a towel. But you have to only touch my leg and leave immediately.”

Fortunately, there was a large towel within reach.