I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 19

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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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Twenty-one and in his second year. That meant he started working at the Duke’s Mansion immediately after graduating from the Medical Academy. As Judith’s eyes widened in surprise, Isabella chimed in.

“He’s a talent who never lost his top ranking throughout his time at the Medical Academy. Meius offered him a high salary to bring him here. He mainly takes care of Karl and me. Especially Karl, who has severe stomach problems, so Hude prepares medicine for him daily.”

Judith nodded with slight admiration. Just from the description, he was an incredibly capable person. To begin with, if he could afford to attend the Medical Academy with its quite expensive tuition, he must have been fairly wealthy even as a commoner.

“Yes, please take good care of me.”

When Judith smiled brightly, Hude’s ears turned slightly red.

Then, the other personal physician standing next to Hude also spoke up.

“Greetings. I am Bart Kalon, and I have been working for the ducal house for ten years.”

‘Huh?’

“Including my time as an assistant before becoming a personal physician, it’s been well over fifteen years.”

Judith’s smiling face stiffened slightly.

‘Bart Kalon? If it’s Bart Kalon…’

The Duke spoke coldly while sipping his tea.

“Bart mainly looks after my health. Besides that, he’s responsible for the nutritional balance of all family members, so Hude will be handling your fake pregnancy for now.”

Judith swallowed dryly as she looked at Bart’s gray hair and yellow eyes. She was so bewildered that she couldn’t respond properly.

Her mind was racing.

‘If I don’t deal with this person, Duke Meius will be in danger soon, won’t he?’

She knew this person’s true identity.

The Meius Ducal House possessed power comparable to the Imperial Family. Not only history and honor, but also wealth and military strength. To put it differently, they were also a thorn in the Imperial Family’s side.

‘And especially the current Emperor particularly despises the Meius Ducal House.’

The Emperor deeply disliked the Meius Ducal House. Karl, who later becomes a villain, also seriously confronts the Imperial Family.

Eventually, Karl meets his end after being defeated by the Imperial Family, without connecting with the female protagonist…

‘Bart Kalon was one of that Emperor’s close associates!’

Judith only remembered the name because of the original story.

Bart Kalon. He was skilled with poisons and excellent in medical arts.

As the Emperor’s hidden hand, he was someone who would later create crises for the male protagonist too!

It definitely appeared like this in the original story.

“I am His Majesty’s faithful servant. Haven’t I fulfilled His Majesty’s long-cherished wish by infiltrating for over fifteen years?”

Judith swallowed dryly.

‘Then the place he infiltrated for fifteen years was the Meius Ducal House, wasn’t it?’

The sudden death of the Duke and Duchess of Meius a year later as well…

Since he was originally skilled in poison arts, hypotheses began forming clearly in her mind.

After the Duke and Duchess of Meius die, nine-year-old Karl takes over the Meius Ducal House and gradually falls into ruin.

‘Since they were keeping him in check, they were aiming for that from the beginning…’

“The procedure isn’t particularly complicated.”

While Judith was lost in thought, the Duke picked up a quill pen with a cold expression.

“One handwritten certificate from me stating that I sense the aura of Meius in the unborn child.”

He handed her the documents that had been prepared in the drawing room. The documents contained a concise description of what he had just explained.

When Judith came to her senses and read through the documents carefully, the Duke signed elegantly with his quill pen.

“One pregnancy confirmation certificate stating that the Baroness is pregnant.”

That too had been prepared in the drawing room. The confirmation certificate verifying Judith’s pregnancy had two signature lines.

Since they couldn’t rely on just one person’s opinion, it seemed they needed signatures from two doctors. That’s why they had called both of the Duke’s personal physicians.

“I apologize for making you falsify documents.”

The Duke spoke formally with a face that didn’t look particularly sorry.

“But please understand a parent’s heart.”

Both personal physicians had obviously received generous payments anyway.

‘The Duchess paid off my astronomical debt in an instant…’

Judith glanced at the physicians’ faces. She could imagine how much the Duke had spent on hush money.

‘Moreover, since the Meius Ducal House pays high salaries, they’d want to continue their physician work.’

Thus, Hude and Bart signed the confirmation certificate. Everything was surprisingly simple, almost anticlimactically so.

“Well then.”

The Duke said languidly while resting his chin on his hand.

“My aide will handle all the remaining paperwork… The marriage registration will be completed soon, so it would be best for Baroness Judith Ailan to stay at the Duke’s Mansion.”

“You may speak comfortably to me.”

Judith straightened her back and spoke demurely.

“Please just call me Judith comfortably.”

“Very well. We’ll need to be family for the next few months.”

The Duke emphasized ‘few months.’ It was a tone that reminded them once again that their relationship was temporary.

“I’ll have someone called to the boarding house to bring your belongings.”

The Duke was speaking matter-of-factly when.

“Ahem.”

Suddenly Isabella interjected.

“Baroness… no, Judith. From what I can see, your dresses are quite out of fashion and you don’t seem to have many.”

“Ah, yes…”

Since it was hard enough to pay the interest on her debts, honestly she couldn’t afford to pay attention to things like dresses.

Working as a visiting tutor, she tried to maintain a neat and proper appearance, but she couldn’t afford to get new dresses.

“It’s unthinkable to go around like that in the Meius Ducal House.”

Isabella said, lifting her chin.

“Even if it’s a temporary position, you must work responsibly.”

“Oh, of course.”

Judith said with an enthusiastic voice.

“I naturally intend to do my absolute best.”

“Then get up right now. Let’s go shopping first!”

…For a moment, she wondered if this was right. But Judith was in a position where she had to responsibly fulfill her role as a temporary daughter-in-law, just as she had said.

Eventually, she was led by the Duchess and practically dragged out of the drawing room.

What happened after that was honestly a blur. The Duchess took Judith around to several dress shops.

Her memory became somewhat hazy after the first dress shop. Try on, take off, try on, take off, try on, take off, and they bought everything.

“Hmph!”

Isabella said while writing checks left and right.

“It’s just because I’ve never been able to take a daughter to places like this, not because I particularly adore you! I’m doing this all because I want to! But that yellow dress really suits you well.”

She spent truly astronomical amounts of money. The dressmaker, who had been suppressing her curiosity while bringing clothes, carefully asked.

“Excuse me, but who is this young lady…”

“She’s going to be my daughter-in-law.”

“Pardon?”

All the madams present asked in surprise, but Isabella had the personality of an arrogant noble lady who only said what she wanted to say.

She didn’t properly answer additional questions and only kept her gaze on Judith.

“Hmm, that one’s nice. Can it be fitted right away? Let’s wear it out. Throw away that trash you wore in.”

They were only able to return to the Duke’s Mansion when evening came.

Judith’s modest belongings from the boarding house had all arrived. But the room assigned to her was somewhat unexpected.

“This is the room Ekian used.”

Actually, maybe it wasn’t unexpected.

Judith blinked her bewildered eyes in front of the enormous room that seemed like ten of her boarding rooms put together.

“Naturally, it’s a room that couples share.”

Even though it had been nearly five years since Ekian left home, it was very clean and didn’t feel empty at all. It was a room that had been carefully maintained despite having no owner.

Isabella said with her arms crossed.

“You can stay here.”

“Yes…”

As Judith nodded in bewilderment, Isabella looked over Ekian’s room once more with thoughtful eyes.

“I do hope Ekian returns during this time.”

“…As I mentioned, please don’t expect too much.”

Judith spoke calmly to Isabella.

“But… if the Young Duke returns, I’ll divorce you immediately as promised. I wouldn’t want to prevent you from marrying another woman because of me.”

Of course, remarriage was a major flaw in aristocratic society. But with Ekian’s looks and status, it was obvious he could overcome such a minor flaw.

“I promise you. There will absolutely be no problems caused by me.”

That’s when it happened.

Knock, knock—a knocking sound was heard.

“Sister-in-law, it’s me!”

“Ah, yes. Please come in.”

Karl entered together with the young attending physician, Hude. Karl, who had burst through the door, looked at Judith with wide eyes.

“…Huh?”

Karl blinked repeatedly with a dazed expression before quietly speaking.

“Sister-in-law… you really look like a completely different person.”

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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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