I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 158

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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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Ekian remained silent for a moment with his arms crossed. Louis, sitting beside him, began to fidget restlessly.

This was practically free money!

Lawrence picked up his cigar and continued speaking.

“These are decent pieces of information to bring up when approaching noble families. And there’s one more thing.”

It was already well known that he was a cigar enthusiast.

“I’m also very curious about where and how those pieces of information came from.”

Speaking slowly, he exhaled cigar smoke with a “whoosh.”

“Surely, if we dig into it seriously, something will come up.”

That was something Ekian had always been curious about too.

Where on earth did Judith get such information from?

From what he could see, she seemed to have cut off all contact with her noble family friends.

Of course, he had tried to investigate behind the scenes before. But he had given up when nothing particularly came to light.

He wasn’t that curious about it, and it didn’t seem like particularly important information.

“Well. I failed to find out myself.”

Ekian shrugged his shoulders.

“It won’t be easy.”

“Well, that’s because.”

Lawrence exhaled cigar smoke once more and grinned slyly.

“Master Grey is too much of a gentleman.”

Behind his mask, Ekian’s face stiffened slightly.

“Not being able to extract proper information from a helpless young girl – that’s because Master Grey is too pure to handle information properly.”

Ekian bit his lower lip hard.

What Lawrence was referring to meant kidnapping, extortion, and threats. After all, there was no need to fear consequences no matter what they did to Judith.

“Master Grey, I acknowledge that you’re very capable.”

Running his fingers through his graying hair, the man who had survived long in this business spoke leisurely.

“But you’re still young.”

“Young? What do you mean by that…”

Ekian had never publicly revealed his age. So hearing the expression “young” rather than “youthful” couldn’t help but fluster him.

Lawrence leaned forward and whispered quietly so others couldn’t hear.

“See, you just reacted exactly like a young kid would.”

Ekian ground his teeth very slightly.

“Of course, within a few years you’ll become quite formidable. Having rolled around in this business for a long time, my eye for people is accurate.”

Lawrence spoke leisurely.

“That’s why I personally have a soft spot for Master Grey. It’s like seeing my younger self.”

Ekian glared at him fiercely from behind his mask. Though it wouldn’t be visible anyway, Lawrence shrugged his shoulders smugly as if he could tell what expression was behind the mask.

“You don’t know yet because you’re young. I acknowledge your abilities, but lack of experience can’t be helped, can it? Don’t feel wronged. When you’re as old as I am, you’ll see the things I see.”

Ekian didn’t appreciate this topic. So he answered in a stiff tone.

“Hmm, to conclude, I’ll decline the deal you proposed.”

As if it was an unexpected answer, Lawrence frowned slightly.

But soon he tilted his head and curled up the corners of his mouth as if finding it interesting.

“Would you tell me the reason if I asked?”

“Well.”

Ekian replied with his arms crossed.

“If you pay the price.”

“Really? How much?”

To Lawrence’s casual question, Ekian calmly demanded.

“The price is not touching Miss Judith.”

He planned to tell him the reason after securing the promise first.

Actually, declining the deal was something he had decided the moment he heard the deal’s contents.

He couldn’t send Judith to Lawrence. Because Judith was a non-smoker.

Moreover, she seemed to have mentioned that she disliked cigarette smoke.

‘My clothes smell a bit of cigars, don’t they? The parent at the house I just visited was smoking a cigar…’

Surely Judith’s nose had wrinkled slightly when she said that.

‘You’re not uncomfortable, are you? If you can’t stand it, please tell me. I’ll go outside a bit more to air out the smell. Actually, I hate cigarette smoke too.’

If Lawrence were to deal with Judith directly, how much would Judith suffer from his cigar smell?

Other things aside, Judith was still a minor.

He couldn’t subject a minor to secondhand smoke.

Of course, receiving a 20% commission just for connecting people would be amazing…

‘Still, human life is important.’

What if Judith happened to be one of those rare cases where her lungs weren’t good and her lifespan would be drastically shortened?

Of course, the possibility was small, but it couldn’t be said to be absolutely zero.

So this deal was absolutely unacceptable.

It absolutely wasn’t because the fact that he wouldn’t be able to see Judith felt empty or unimaginable.

This was a refusal with humanitarian, not personal, meaning.

Just as Ekian was preparing his lengthy reason for refusal.

Lawrence, who had been staring at him intently, burst into hearty laughter.

“Ahahaha, ahahahahahaha!”

Ekian had never seen Lawrence laugh so pleasantly. Regardless of Ekian’s cold reaction, Lawrence laughed out loud for quite a while.

After that, Lawrence wiped away tears smugly and said.

“Ah, Ekian. You’re a man after all.”

“What do you mean…”

“I understand, I understand. Haha.”

Lawrence patted Ekian’s shoulder.

“I absolutely won’t touch Miss Judith. I also don’t have a hobby of harming women that fellow businessmen have their eye on.”

“Wh-what!”

Ekian shook his head vigorously.

“We’re not in that kind of relationship.”

Having his eye on her – what kind of talk was that about a business client…

Moreover, Judith didn’t know a single thing about him – his face, name, anything.

Keeping a client in his heart alone in such asymmetrical information wasn’t that the most creepy thing to do?

“Absolutely not.”

Ekian emphasized once more with force.

“Well, fine.”

Lawrence grinned.

“Anyway, I understand well. That young lady must have her own charm. Do well.”

Then he stood up and spoke cheerfully to the people.

“Well, it seems everyone’s here, shall we start the meeting?”

Ekian wanted to protest to Lawrence, but couldn’t think of appropriate words to say. Moreover, their private conversation seemed to have ended as well.

Therefore, Ekian looked over the meeting materials with a sulky attitude.

Anyway, nothing had changed, so it was fine.

Judith would come again to sell him trivial information, and no one would still know how she found out that information. It was fine as long as daily life continued like that.

So Ekian was satisfied.

The village people were well aware of Ekian’s existence as someone who went around wearing a mask.

Because there had often been cases of people like information guild masters or noble escort knights wearing masks to hide their faces.

So at least the village residents didn’t find it strange. Rather, they thought positively of it.

That person wearing the black and silver mixed mask was the owner of Grey Information Guild, wasn’t particularly harmful, and contributed to local economic development in various ways.

Thanks to that, Ekian could move around the village quite freely without worrying about others’ gazes. When meeting light clients, he sometimes met them outside the guild, and sometimes came out to buy something for a change of mood.

So one night.

It wasn’t particularly strange for the Boarding House Auntie where Judith stayed to speak to him as he passed through the alley.

“Um, aren’t you Master Grey? Where are you headed?”

The Boarding House Auntie was shaking out laundry in front of the house and asked casually. Ekian also answered nonchalantly.

“I’m going to buy an evening newspaper up ahead. I feel stuffy just sitting in the office all the time.”

“I see.”

The Boarding House Auntie glanced at him and smiled mischievously.

“The lights in her room are off, but Miss Judith has safely returned home. Don’t worry.”

Ekian frowned behind his mask.

Ekian couldn’t grasp at all what context had prompted such a remark.

“Miss Judith’s safety… why are you suddenly mentioning that? Is there perhaps a special reason?”

When he asked suspiciously, the Boarding House Auntie yawned and answered.

“Of course there’s a reason.”

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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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