I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Master, who had been looking down at Judith for a while, clicked his tongue and muttered.

“Really, Judith, you…”

“What?”

“I felt this last time too, but you’re not really suitable for working together on anything.”

“Huh? Why?”

“It’s just… when I’m with you, somehow my inner composure disappears. I feel like I become childish.”

“At least you know you’re being childish.”

“…Am I the only one being childish right now?”

“It’s okay for me to be a little childish. I only just came of age recently.”

“Ha.”

Master sighed, but somehow he looked pleased.

During the past three years when they simply bought and sold information, they had never bickered like this. It was because they only exchanged business matters with each other.

But as she came of age and they kept getting entangled, in some ways they seemed to have grown a little closer to each other.

Master chuckled once and then whispered low.

“Anyway, move away a bit. You’re too close.”

“Who’s the one holding me like they’re embracing me right now?”

“You can go out this way. Ah, but don’t squirm around again.”

It was while they were bickering and whispering like that again.

“Young Master.”

Along with a knock-knock sound, a voice was heard from outside the door.

“It’s Sera. May I come in?”

It was a voice that was polite and endlessly kind.

But knowing how cruel the name ‘Sera’ could be, Judith’s body reflexively tensed up. Perhaps feeling that she had stiffened, Master cleared his throat slightly and whispered.

“Don’t be nervous. That maid is fine.”

“Huh?”

When Judith asked back in a cracked voice, Master spoke kindly as if to reassure her.

“That maid named Sera is kind and gentle.”

“Oh, you know her name?”

“She’s been working at the Duke’s Mansion since she was very young. She’s been close to Ekian since childhood, and she also took good care of Karl.”

Judith turned her head to stare at Master. She couldn’t tell what expression he was making behind the mask, but one thing was certain.

“Master.”

“Yes.”

“What you said about not knowing much about the Meius Ducal House… that was really true.”

“…What?”

“You really don’t know anything.”

Well, what kind of person Sera really was wasn’t well known even to the Duke and Duchess…

‘But still, some of the servants know and sympathize with her.’

While Master was speechless at Judith’s words, Karl closed his book and said.

“Come in, Sera.”

Then Karl’s door slowly opened. A rather pretty maid with brown hair and blue eyes entered. She was a woman with white skin and a tall, slender figure. She looked to be in her early to mid-twenties, slightly older than Judith.

“Yes, Young Master. You were reading a book.”

With a creaking sound, the door closed. Sera stood in front of Karl with an angelic smile.

‘Sera Otten.’

Judith swallowed dry saliva as she looked at her graceful profile.

‘A maid who has worked at the Meius Mansion since childhood.’

Part of what Master said was correct. She had worked at the Meius Mansion since childhood, so she had been here for over 15 years.

In the original work, it was described that she was the same age as Ekian, and Ekian was quite close to her.

Sera was a maid, but she was clever and quick to learn. Noticing this, Ekian would give her books or quill pens.

This was because Ekian was a dignified noble who didn’t treat commoners carelessly.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean they were like childhood friends. According to the book, they maintained the proper boundaries of a master-servant relationship.’

Sera was a very clever and perceptive woman, so she never crossed the line and maintained the appropriate distance that Ekian wanted. She instinctively knew that if she approached him carelessly, she would be immediately cast out.

And after a long time, Karl was born. Ekian adored his young brother Karl terribly, and Sera also went along with this and took care of Karl. Through this, their relationship entered a different phase.

‘Sera knew. That the only way to get closer to Ekian was for Karl to become attached to her.’

Karl loved Sera, who had been caring for him attentively since he was young. There was no maid in the mansion more clever than her at winning Karl’s favor.

Ekian liked playing with Karl, and whenever that happened, Karl would look for Sera.

The three of them often spent time together like this. The Duke and Duchess also received reports about this without any suspicion. It was because Karl liked Sera so much.

‘That was inevitable. It’s natural for a child to like someone who treats them well.’

There were several reasons why Karl had no choice but to follow Sera.

First of all, Karl was what you’d call a ‘genius.’ Though he was still like a young child, there was a description that he already had adult intelligence at age three. So he didn’t simply like someone just because they flattered him.

Sera was a smart maid who could answer Karl’s questions accurately and sensibly, which was why she won Karl’s heart.

‘When clever people start becoming vicious, there’s no limit to it…’

In fact, Sera had liked Ekian for a long time. She just knew well that there was no way for a maid to get close to the distant Young Duke Ekian.

Especially when Ekian was drawing clear boundaries.

So she used Karl as a way to be with him. So cleverly that even Ekian couldn’t guess her true intentions.

Sera knew that she was uniquely pretty and clever. Combined with excessive self-consciousness, she was someone who truly believed she might be able to marry Ekian.

‘The problem was after Ekian disappeared.’

But after her goal vanished so futilely. Sera had to forcibly give up her dream of possibly becoming a Duchess.

It wasn’t simply that the person she loved had disappeared. It was the disappearance of her long-cherished dream of joining the nobility.

All that remained for her was her friendship with Karl. She began to vent her anger about her lost dream on Karl.

How did she vent it…

“Young Master.”

Sera spoke sweetly in front of Karl.

“To think you’re reading a book so comfortably… The Madam would be upset if she knew.”

“Huh?”

“The Madam spends every night in tears because of the Young Duke… If she knew that Young Master Karl was getting along so well, she would misunderstand you.”

Master’s breathing stopped beside Judith.

“She’d think you’re happy that Young Duke Ekian disappeared and you became the heir. That you’re so excited to be building your capabilities as the heir.”

“Th-that’s ridiculous!”

Karl shouted and closed his book. He closed the book so hastily that the pages he was reading got crumpled and wrinkled.

“I miss my brother. I wish he would come back. I wait for him every day! Sera, you know that well.”

“Of course. I naturally know Young Master Karl’s true feelings. But not everyone in the world is like me.”

Sera said kindly in a gentle tone as she cleared away the book.

“And if Young Master Karl is doing well… wouldn’t Young Duke Ekian feel hurt and decide not to return? Thinking ‘Our Karl is doing fine without me.'”

“No!”

Karl was now almost on the verge of tears. Tears filled the clear eyes of the young boy.

“I just… my brother told me to read all these books by age ten… I really just opened the book to listen to my brother! I, I want my brother to come back. It’s not that I’m doing well without him! My brother was happy when I read books.”

“That was the situation when Young Duke Ekian was at the mansion.”

Sera whispered as she stroked Karl’s head pitifully. It was an angelically gentle tone, but that made it all the more chilling.

“Now the situation is different… To make the Young Duke return, we need to use other methods…”

Then Master suddenly tried to get up abruptly.

Judith grabbed Master’s arm and whispered urgently.

“Wait! What’s wrong?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Master was seething and couldn’t hide his anger.

“What kind of…”

It was the first time she had seen him, who had been calm throughout, lose his composure like this.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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