I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 90

But there was one thing neither Elizabeth nor the man knew.

Ron, who had stopped by the house unexpectedly while out on errands, had overheard their entire conversation.

He pretended not to know and waited a few days. Strangely, Elizabeth didn’t take any action. He subtly prodded, asking if something was going on, but she only dodged the question and did nothing.

‘Still her daughter, huh… I guess when it comes to actually doing it, she hesitates.’

Unaware of Ekian’s visit just hours later, Ron had no reason to think otherwise.

Ron believed he knew Judith’s weaknesses just as well as Elizabeth did. He had been by Elizabeth’s side for a long time and had heard all her talk about Judith.

‘Then I’ll have to act. For our family.’

Ron told Elizabeth he would be away for a few days to look into new products for the shop.

When he returned a few days later, he embraced Petro and whispered to him, “Our little lord.” He began frequently leaving the shop and traveling to big cities and the capital, gathering every rumor he could.

***

Judith had agonized over whether or not to tell Isabella about her pregnancy.

To her, Isabella was the first person who had ever shown her real affection—someone who truly felt like family. But in the end, she decided not to tell her.

She worried that if Isabella found out, she would become overly concerned.

Given Isabella’s personality, she would probably assign a physician to Judith immediately and constantly monitor her until the baby was born. But Judith felt too ashamed to accept that kind of affection.

After all, she was still legally married to Ekian while carrying another man’s child. Even if Isabella wouldn’t care, Judith herself felt conflicted.

“Mother, there’s something I’d like to say.”

So as soon as she returned to the ducal estate, Judith looked at Isabella and spoke.

“I… I really want a divorce now.”

Isabella sighed regretfully, but since they had already come to a decision before, she didn’t try to stop her.

Instead, she smiled warmly and replied with a calm face, “Who knows when that boy Ekian will be back… Of course you can’t just keep waiting forever.”

It was permission granted far more gently than Judith had expected.

“Yes, do as you wish. You’re still so young and beautiful—there’s no reason to waste even a day of your youth.”

In truth, Judith had intended to wait for Ekian’s return. She thought it only right to speak to him in person and proceed with the divorce formally.

But at this point, she had to prioritize the child over etiquette.

“Life really is short.”

Though her request had been sudden, Isabella spoke softly.

“So don’t waste time on things that don’t matter. Love the one you truly love, and enjoy every day as much as you can… When I think back to when I first met Ekian, it feels like just yesterday. I believed I had loved him enough, but now every day feels too short.”

Judith felt tears spring to her eyes at Isabella’s heartfelt words. Yet even so, she reaffirmed her decision not to speak of the child.

Technically, a divorce required mutual agreement and signed documents from both parties. But if Ben and Isabella gave their consent, the process could be expedited.

They could simply stamp the seal and testify that the agreement had been made in advance.

Of course, there might be conflict once Ekian returned, but Isabella waved it off completely.

Considering everything Judith had done for House Mayus, she said, such a thing was a small matter in comparison.

“Well then… where are you planning to go? If you need a house or anything like that…”

Judith quickly waved both hands. “Ah, no. I really don’t need anything. I’m planning to head down to the provinces anyway.”

“Really? To the provinces? But Judith, haven’t you lived in the capital your whole life? Where in the provinces all of a sudden? Then it’ll be hard to see you often!” Isabella’s voice was full of regret.

There was no real reason to hide her destination, so Judith answered kindly, “I’m thinking of going somewhere near the Soden marquisate.”

***

Ekian felt confident of success.

Everything was going well, and above all, the Lord of Arten had no idea who he was. The emperor was also unaware that he bore the imperial family name.

‘Of course he wouldn’t know.’

Ekian scoffed inwardly.

‘That selfish and cruel man would never imagine I’d give up the title of Young Duke of Mayus out of love for my family.’

At the same time, he would never believe that Crown Prince Alteion would acknowledge another prince. He was a man who thought only of himself.

Like someone truly of royal blood, Ekian planned to strike under the light of the moon.

Then, at sunrise, he would eliminate the emperor.

He had handled much harder tasks before. With the capable Alteion having laid all the groundwork, Ekian had full confidence.

And yet, whenever he thought of Judith, he grew uneasy.

Leaving without a proper goodbye, leaving only a single letter—it weighed heavily on his heart.

It had been the best he could do at the time, but in the end, even after she had confessed and opened her heart to him, he hadn’t revealed his true identity.

‘When I return, I’ll give her more. Something greater. Something precious.’

Still, he couldn’t shake this nervous feeling—likely due to the phantom voices he kept hearing.

“Please, Young Duke, calm down. Getting worked up won’t help us find Judith.”

Voices of unknown origin kept ringing in his ears at random moments.

“What? My maid confirmed it. When she last saw her, she was pregnant!”

It felt as though something terrible and heartbreaking was waiting for him back in the capital…

But he had already made preparations for everything. If Judith tried to leave, he had entrusted Isabella with a letter and asked her to deliver it no matter what. If she saw that letter, Judith would surely stay and wait at the estate.

Ideally, he would tell her everything face-to-face, but he couldn’t risk her misunderstanding and leaving in the meantime. He had even anticipated that Isabella might read it and had written it in a way only she could understand.

To avoid any scandal related to the Master, he had also closed down the Grey Information Exchange. He had already planned to shut it down upon returning to the Mayus estate, and ultimately, he had always believed the Master was someone who needed to disappear.

And one more thing weighed on his mind: Judith’s birth mother, Elizabeth.

Alteion had promised to keep a close watch on her no matter what.

If any suspicious behavior was detected in the palace, he had vowed to take care of it immediately. If Elizabeth was sane, she would never make a reckless move.

‘That husband of hers… Ron Dale…’

When Alteion’s agent and Ekian visited, Ron should’ve been at his shop. And yet, Ekian couldn’t shake the possibility.

‘I’ve stationed people in the capital in case Ron acts alone.’

He had considered every angle and made thorough preparations.

So there was no way Judith would be in danger. Even if something happened, she was smart—she would surely protect herself within House Mayus.

All Ekian wanted was for her to be safe in her rightful place.

And yet, despite all this, he couldn’t understand why he felt so uneasy now.