I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 135

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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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Around that time, Ekian and Judith’s letter also arrived at the Imperial Palace. Along with the wedding invitation, of course.

“Are they completely insane?”

Alteon, who had become Emperor without incident after grandly holding the late Emperor’s funeral, clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Setting the wedding date this quickly?”

“It’s probably because of the baby.”

Melanie said carefully.

“It’s better to hold the wedding during the stable period…”

“Still, there’s no need to be this urgent about it.”

Alteon frowned as he looked at the calendar.

“We’d have to prepare and leave tomorrow just to barely arrive on time. What terrible thing would happen if they delayed it by just a week?”

“Hmm, maybe this was intentional?”

Melanie said thoughtfully.

“They want to hurry up and get married before people from the capital arrive and anything happens.”

“What did we in the capital even do…!”

“The Meius Marquis Family helped with the escape, and we failed to stop it.”

“…”

“Crown Prince trusted us when he left.”

Alteon was left speechless.

Well.

Ekian had left resolutely, asking them to take care of Judith, saying that only that woman mattered and he wouldn’t deny the bloodline. But what returned to him was the betrayal of those around him somehow spiriting away that one woman.

“It’s natural that he doesn’t trust us. But actually.”

Melanie narrowed her eyes and muttered.

“I think she accepted him too easily too.”

“What? What did you say?”

“If I were in that position, I would have made him agonize for a few more days. It’s a bit annoying, isn’t it? She even thought about giving birth to the child alone and left – how heartbroken must she have been?”

“But Ekian also had his circumstances and suffered quite a lot mentally…”

“So I’m not saying she shouldn’t accept him, but she could have made him worry a little more… something like that. Emotionally speaking.”

Melanie sighed deeply while stroking her swollen belly.

“My goodness, how much must she have suffered in that distant place? I think Judith accepting him right away upon meeting in the Marquis’ domain like this is because she’s too kind.”

Alteon didn’t respond at all.

Seeing this, Melanie narrowed her eyes and asked.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Ah, it seems Ekian made a very wise choice.”

He nodded greatly and crossed his arms.

“If you’re like this, what about the Meius Duchess? For now, it’s better to push through with anything while alone with Judith. From Ekian’s perspective, he used his head very well.”

Since Judith seemed to have more than enough people on her side, Alteon, who had no connection to her, thought he should at least take his younger brother’s side.

“The Meius Duchess… well, she would glare at him until right before the wedding.”

“Exactly. So setting the wedding date for this time was indeed a clever choice.”

And before Melanie could say anything more, he called a meeting to coordinate schedules.

In any case, since it meant traveling urgently to a distant place shortly after becoming Emperor, quite a lot of procedures were needed.

So everyone met in one place at the wedding.

Since no one could cause a disturbance at a public gathering where everyone was present, the wedding proceeded peacefully.

The people of the Marquis’ domain enjoyed the wedding like a festival, and the children who followed Judith also blessed the two with flowers and laughter.

It was a perfect wedding in every way.

And when the ceremony ended.

Isabella looked at Ekian with disapproving eyes.

“It was a bit disappointing that Judith’s dress wasn’t the latest trend. These days ribbon embroidery is popular rather than flower embroidery.”

Of course, Judith was talking with Melanie at that time. Isabella just smiled sweetly when Judith was present, but poured out complaints when alone with Ekian.

“And the stew was a bit salty. Judith is kind so she doesn’t say anything and eats well, but you need to take better care of her.”

Before Ekian could respond, the nagging continued.

“Also, she looks like she’s lost some weight to me – are you feeding her properly? I hear she’s also doing work for the Marquis’ domain? You need to take good care of her, understand?”

“…Mother.”

Ekian sighed deeply and said.

“Do you perhaps dislike me?”

“Of course!”

Isabella opened her eyes innocently.

“Who would like a son who made my daughter-in-law suffer and deceived her? I had no choice but to endure and allow it because you’re the baby’s father…”

Ekian finally burst into laughter at that serious expression. When Isabella raised her eyebrows further, Ekian said gently.

“No, the only time Mother gets angry with me like this is about Judith’s matters… I laughed because I found that amusing.”

“Amusing?”

“Actually, I hoped Mother would treat me a bit more comfortably. You raised me with only praise since childhood.”

Isabella’s eyes widened.

“Th-that’s… because you were actually such an excellent son…”

“Then you should have scolded me greatly when I returned after running away. You should have said ‘what kind of commotion is this, turning the whole house upside down.’ But you didn’t.”

“…”

“If I had fought with Karl, you would have unconditionally taken my side, wouldn’t you?”

Both of them knew the hidden meaning in those words. As much as she cherished him as a child, she had unconsciously been very careful not to hurt him because he wasn’t her biological son.

Ekian said gently.

“Now you finally seem like a real mother. Telling me when I’ve done wrong.”

“This child, really…”

Isabella smiled softly and relaxed her shoulders. Then she shook her head and muttered.

“Thanks to that child Judith, it feels like we’ve also become a true family that will never be broken.”

“She’s a precious person. Ah, Mother. I heard you brought many baby items. May I take a look?”

“Yes. Come here. There are things that need to be assembled, and Judith will be very happy if you do it yourself. Oh, I also brought lots of toys you liked when you were little that I kept.”

Isabella led Ekian and strode out of the banquet hall.

Alteon, who had been quietly listening to that conversation from behind, thought.

Ekian really is quite clever.

It wasn’t for nothing that he welcomed Judith as his wife without any coercion in this twisted and complicated situation.

Unaware of this, Judith and Melanie were having a friendly conversation in the distance.

“You should have made him worry a bit more! Thrown a tantrum saying you couldn’t accept him or run away one more time!”

“But Ekian gets so flustered whenever that topic comes up. Last time he even teared up!”

“Oh my, Crown Prince cried?”

“Yes. He’s really more innocent than I thought, isn’t he? So I decided to just live well together. I was worried that if I blamed him for past events, with his personality he wouldn’t be able to comfort me properly and would just be restless.”

For the peace of his younger brother’s family, Alteon held back the words ‘would an innocent guy set the wedding date so precisely and cunningly win over even the Meius Duchess like a sly fox?’

“This is practically the first time I’ve properly spent a whole day with Crown Prince, and he’s more timid and gentle than I thought.”

Alteon looked away, thinking ‘that timid and gentle husband of yours killed the Emperor.’ Of course, Judith probably knew that fact itself, but perhaps because she only heard about it later, it didn’t seem very real to her.

“He really is like the younger brother of Crown Prince, who is famous for being affectionate and gentle.”

Of course, he didn’t bother mentioning that he was the one who directly ordered that assassination.

Melanie also just laughed, agreeing with “Oh ho ho, that’s right.” In any case, this made her an accomplice too.

‘There’s no helping it, Judith. Everyone is ultimately in the same boat.’

Alteon smiled slyly as he took a sip of wine.

‘You’ll have to live like this within this family for the rest of your life.’

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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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