I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 91

When Judith said she would go to the Soden marquisate, Isabella’s eyes briefly widened, then narrowed again.

“I see. So, the Soden marquisate…”

She had already noticed the feelings when she saw Hud’s face at the imperial banquet.

And Hud was someone she could truly trust to look after Judith. He was far better than some shady scoundrel.

Isabella genuinely thought of Judith as her own daughter and wanted her to remarry into a good place.

Though it was a little sad that they were no longer family, she knew what was truly best for Judith, so she smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I had somewhat expected it.”

There were many listening ears in the ducal estate. Isabella chose her words carefully, mindful of them.

Even Bart, their longtime physician, had once tried to kill them, and a servant she hired without much thought had once tried to deceive the Soden marquisate.

So Isabella deliberately used ambiguous wording.

“It doesn’t sound like a bad choice.”

Even if the servants later gossiped about this, her words could be interpreted as, ‘Since Hud helped so much, it’s okay to receive his help now.’

Personally, starting anew with Hud would be great for Judith, but it would be impossible to avoid public gossip.

After all, officially, she had returned to the ducal estate pregnant with Ekian’s child, only to end up involved with her former physician.

Judith would handle it wisely, but for now, it was best to stay out of the public eye—especially with Ekian currently absent.

Judith glanced at Isabella’s wistful face and carefully said, “Uh, over there, Hud is also using an alias for certain reasons. So I plan to use one too. Just in case I end up causing trouble for House Mayus.”

“You don’t have to go that far… but it may indeed be the wise thing to do.”

To be honest, Isabella didn’t care at all if House Mayus’s honor was slightly damaged. Judith had done far too much for them.

But considering how the Sodens might react, and especially the criticism Judith might face, it did seem like a reasonable choice.

“If anything goes wrong with your new start, contact me anytime. I truly mean it when I say I think of you as my daughter.”

Isabella gripped Judith’s hand tightly. If the Soden marquisate took issue with her background or past, Isabella was even prepared to adopt her regardless of lineage complications.

“I’ll also make sure you get a generous settlement.”

“Huh? No, really, I don’t need—”

“You do need to take it generously! That way, if I ever get into trouble with Ben and we end up divorcing, I can use you as a precedent to claim a good chunk for myself!”

Isabella had no intention of divorcing Ben, of course, but she hurriedly added it in case Judith felt burdened.

“You mustn’t set a bad precedent here. Understand? Honestly, Ekian’s faults are enormous, and if you walk away with nothing, no one might want to marry Karl in the future! Our family already has a bad enough reputation—lots of money and power, but a terrible personality. Do we really need it to get worse?”

Objectively, Ekian’s wrongdoings were immense.

He had irresponsibly fathered a child before marriage, and after returning to the ducal estate, he only wandered outside.

He had never supported Judith once in high society. Add the miscarriage to that, and there were more than enough grounds for divorce.

And from Isabella’s point of view… Ekian didn’t seem capable of being a good husband at all, nor did he seem like he would cherish Judith more than Hud.

‘Saying he’d keep her as the Young Duchess without a divorce was surely because of her low status and supposed guilt, so he could control her freely.’

From a young age, Ekian had shown little interest in women.

He had never expressed affection toward any lady, and whenever marriage was brought up, he’d just respond with “anyone’s fine.” That had been true even during his late teens, when most begin to take an interest in the opposite sex.

“Ekian, at least tell me the kind of girl you like. That way I can keep an eye out at social gatherings in advance.”

“Well… as long as she’s someone my parents approve of, I’m fine. I’ve never really thought about it beyond that…”

“Are we the ones getting married? You’re the one doing it. Don’t worry about us, tell me what you want.”

“I’d prefer someone who doesn’t interfere in the Mayus household. It would be easier if she didn’t come from a powerful background and didn’t cause trouble for the family.”

“Goodness, are you planning to put a doll in your wife’s place? Let’s talk again when you’ve matured a bit.”

He was faithful to his work and family, yet rather indifferent to others, and that indifference had clearly extended to Judith as well.

‘He probably just wanted someone who wouldn’t nag him and wouldn’t expect affection, so he could leave her there. It didn’t matter who it was. He likely thought he could just throw her the title of Duchess Mayus and then ignore her…’

That doll-like wife he had once mentioned—someone his parents liked and who wouldn’t scold him. Judith happened to fit that image perfectly.

But Isabella knew Judith well.

Judith had never cared about being the Young Duchess of House Mayus. From the beginning, she seemed detached from the title and showed no desire for it even now. She had even looked genuinely uncomfortable when offered a settlement.

But no one in the world desires nothing at all.

Which meant what Judith truly wanted wasn’t money or honor—but genuine love.

It made sense, given how long she had struggled alone. In that case, rather than chaining her to someone like Ekian, it was better to let her go and bless her.

‘Of course…’

Isabella swallowed dryly.

‘Ekian had insisted he would never grant a divorce… but that was just too selfish.’

But Judith was just as precious as Ekian. It wasn’t right to bind a young person for the sake of their own desires.

So Isabella decided to hide Ekian’s final letter.

There was a letter Ekian had left, to be shown only if Judith insisted on divorce. Isabella had secretly read it.

[Didn’t expect you to leave so coldly from the annex.

I held back a bit since you seemed distressed when I pushed too hard.

Next time, please mind your manners. Therefore, divorce is not an option.]

She didn’t quite understand what he meant, but one thing was clear: it bordered on a threat.

Distressed? Judith must have already asked for a divorce, and Ekian had responded harshly, refusing. He had probably used the authority of the Mayus household to pressure her, saying this wasn’t a joke.

‘How awful must he have been for even someone as kind as Judith to leave so coldly?’

The letter clearly triggered memories of trauma.

That’s why Isabella decided not to give it to Judith.

She just hoped Judith would forget all the complications and live happily with Hud. Ekian was a dearly loved son, but true love didn’t mean granting every wish of one’s child.

“Judith, you should just…”

Isabella smiled gently and emphasized, “Forget everything that happened here and start anew. Just be happy. And please, do let me hear from you now and then.”

Judith smiled faintly and nodded.

“We’ll begin the divorce procedures soon. It might take some time, but it shouldn’t be too long.”