I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 81

“Your Highness.”

Ekian looked at Alteion, who had frozen in place.

“I am your half-brother.”

“……”

“The cursed son of the last priestess and the emperor.”

“……”

“And the prince raised as the Young Duke of Mayus.”

Alteion parted his lips but could not utter a single sound.

The actions of Ekian, which he had found incomprehensible until now, suddenly started to make sense. While Alteion had been lost, unable to choose a path, Ekian had remained an anomaly, his actions defying all common sense.

“I was cursed to bring about my father’s downfall, so I could not remain in Mayus.”

Ekian continued slowly, “I despised my birth father, so I never wanted to step foot in the imperial palace.”

His voice was laced with raw anguish.

“Yet now, I have a woman I wish to protect.”

The weight behind those words struck Alteion, and for a moment, he closed his eyes.

He understood that feeling well. To protect the woman he loved, he had to grow stronger. He could not afford to have enemies.

Just as he had decided to strike down his own father to safeguard Melanie.

“I want to kill those who dare to harm Judith.”

Ekian’s voice was chilling.

Alteion had already heard from Melanie about what had happened at the garden party. Anais had openly targeted Judith.

But would eliminating Anais truly ensure Judith’s safety?

The emperor would simply send another pawn to use Ekian’s wife against him. The more Judith meant to Ekian, the more she would be targeted.

“And I want to reclaim my rightful place, so I can protect her for the rest of my life.”

Ekian’s gaze burned as he looked at Alteion.

“Will you acknowledge my existence so that I may personally bring down our father?”

It was a declaration that he would reclaim his birthright as a prince and fulfill the prophecy of the last priestess by making ‘his father’ the emperor.

“Now that I know the truth, from this moment on, you are my younger brother and a legitimate prince of this empire.”

Alteion met Ekian’s eyes and declared, “As a direct descendant of the imperial family, I proclaim your name as Ekian Martius. From now on, your name shall carry the power it was meant to hold.”

“…The power of a name? Is there such a thing?” Ekian blinked, hearing this for the first time.

Alteion chuckled lightly and explained, “It is something taught in the education of the imperial family. You were not raised among us, so you wouldn’t know. The Martius bloodline holds the power of a name—only when an imperial descendant acknowledges you by name can you receive its protection.”

“Protection…?”

“Nothing specific has been passed down. It is only vaguely referred to as the power of a name.”

Ekian let out a low sigh.

He had long wondered about something. His birth mother had proclaimed that he was “the son who would bring down his father.” Could that father not, in fact, be the emperor? Logically, that interpretation made the most sense.

And yet, the emperor had allowed him to live. He must have believed that Ekian was a threat only to the House of Mayus, not to himself.

Why had the emperor been so confident that he was safe from the prophecy?

Now, the answer was clear.

The emperor had believed himself secure because Ekian had never been given a true name.

“…Your Highness.”

But now that Alteion had spoken his name aloud—

Ekian knew, without a doubt, who the father he was destined to destroy truly was.

“Do you have a plan for how to bring down the emperor?”

Alteion slowly began to speak.

The emperor would soon be departing for Arten. Alteion had already planned an assassination attempt there, and he had been preparing to ask Ekian if he would take on the role.

“I have already arranged for a tribe to stage an ambush on a set date. Of course, given that they are barbarians, there are many unpredictable variables…”

Ekian furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Alteion, watching him, spoke again.

“If you’re hesitant, you don’t have to take part this time. There will be other opportunities…”

“No.”

Ekian cut him off immediately.

“This plan is the most natural and will minimize unnecessary casualties.”

“That is true…”

Originally, Ekian had intended to leave all matters concerning the emperor to Alteion. After all, Alteion was the Crown Prince and had truly been on the verge of being poisoned to death.

However, if he could not escape his mother’s curse, then in the end, he would have to be the one to kill his father.

And now, more than anyone, he wanted to take on that task himself.

Because the emperor was targeting Judith.

Because the emperor’s malice toward Judith ran deep enough to even seek out her birth mother.

The best defense was always offense. To ensure that Judith would never be touched again, he had to take matters into his own hands.

“I will go. This is something I must do.”

Alteion glanced at Ekian’s face and immediately knew he had already made up his mind. With a sigh, he pulled him into an embrace.

“You are my brother.”

“……”

“I had my brother by my side all this time and didn’t even realize it…”

His voice carried deep sorrow.

“That makes it all the more difficult for me to tell you to go.”

“If I succeed, what happens next?” Ekian asked with a faint smile. “I lived as a merchant for five years. So, even when standing before my brother, I find myself wondering about the price.”

“You will become a Grand Duke. And you will take the imperial surname as well.”

Alteion chuckled and continued, “And you will become the Lord of Arten. That land is bound to be left without an owner anyway.”

“Ah.”

Ekian let out a lighthearted laugh.

“That sounds like a perfect place for me.”

From the start, he had wanted Karl to inherit the title of Mayus. Even though he had raised Karl like his own son, he had never felt completely comfortable stepping into Ben’s place.

But a land earned through his own achievements and lineage—that, he could accept.

“I won’t have to be ashamed before the woman I intend to make my wife.”

***

“Now.”

Isabella sat Judith down and got straight to the point.

“So, what’s your plan now?”

“Um, first, I’m going to ask the Young Duke for a divorce. He said that if I insisted, he would grant it.”

“And if Ekian refuses?”

“…Ah.”

That question caught her off guard.

“Well, I mean… wouldn’t he let me go? He’s a gentleman, after all…”

“Look at this. Look at this! You’re far too soft!”

Isabella clutched her chest in exasperation before letting out a deep sigh.

“Fine. I’ll deal with Ekian.”

“O-okay…”

“So, have you discussed everything with that man? What’s the plan? Are you going straight to him? Where will you live after leaving the Mayus estate? Are you going to move in with him right away?”

A flood of questions came at once. Judith hesitated, lowering her head slightly.

“Um… I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s just my feelings alone. I do think he has some interest in me, but… we haven’t actually talked about it in detail…”

“What? You haven’t talked about it in detail? Are you sure he even likes you?”

“Uh… um… I think so. Unless he turns out to be a complete scoundrel. But from what I’ve seen, he’s definitely not that type of person.”

“What about his family?”

Isabella’s voice turned serious.

“Is his family fine with this? No matter what, you’ll be divorced soon.”

“Well… I’m not sure…”

Judith had no idea about Master’s family situation, so she couldn’t give an answer. But she was certain of one thing.

“But I’ll think about that after the divorce. That’s the right order of things. Right now, I’m still married, so I shouldn’t be discussing such matters. I want to honor my responsibilities.”

“Ekian hasn’t fulfilled his duties as a husband, so why are you so concerned about responsibilities? Huh?”

Isabella stomped her foot in frustration. Judith merely smiled sheepishly.

“Still… this just feels right to me.”

“And what if you get divorced, only for that man to change his mind, or if your expectations turn out to be wrong?”

“That’s fine, too. I’ll do my best, and if it doesn’t work out… then I’ll just accept it as the failure of an unrequited love.”

Judith spoke calmly.

“I’ve already expressed everything I wanted to, and I’ve made my intentions clear. From here on, the decision is up to him.”

That was her honest truth.