I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 23

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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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That night, in Ekian’s room where Judith was staying.

Judith was sitting face to face with Master who had come to visit in the middle of the night.

Master had played a major role in informing her of the right timing today. He could have left after finishing his work, but he had deliberately come in at this late hour saying he wanted to talk with Judith.

“How did you know?”

At Master’s question, she just shrugged her shoulders.

“I think I saw that person called Bart when I was wandering around the marketplace before. I think he said something about being undercover for poisoning, something like that.”

Since he was wearing his mask as usual, Master’s expression was unreadable. But he seemed more downcast than ever before.

“…Really, I thought he was someone with utmost loyalty to the ducal house.”

“I doubt it.”

She shook her head.

“From the moment he first entered, he probably didn’t have even a bit of loyalty to the ducal house.”

“What?”

“I don’t know why he was evaluated as having high loyalty… wasn’t it all lies? If it wasn’t lies, then he had bad intentions.”

Judith yawned once and waved her hand.

“Anyway, go on. Master must be tired too, you should rest.”

“I’m not particularly tired.”

“But it’s also a bit awkward for us to be alone like this in a lady’s room. It looks like you’re making a move on me.”

“What… If a man and woman are alone in a room at night having a conversation, does that mean they’re all making moves?”

That’s when it happened.

Knock, knock – the sound of knocking was heard.

“Lady Judith.”

The voice heard from outside the door belonged to a very unexpected person.

“Do you have a moment?”

It was Hugh’s voice.

“I’d like to talk for a bit.”

“Ah, yes.”

Flustered, Judith quickly answered.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll just tidy up a bit.”

Then she urgently gestured for Master to go in. Master shrugged as if incredulous and whispered.

“You’re going to let him in?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“There’s no one in the room right now, isn’t there? But you’re going to be alone with that man?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“That guy even knows that Judith has no relationship with Ekian, doesn’t he?”

“So why does that matter?”

“What if he makes a move…”

“Oh, what are you saying.”

Judith was flustered and hit Master’s back – thump, thump, thump.

“You just said that talking alone at night doesn’t necessarily mean making a move.”

She had turned his own words right back at him. Nevertheless, Master had no intention of leaving readily. Judith stepped firmly on his foot and threatened him.

“Aren’t you going quickly? From Hugh’s perspective, he’d naturally want to talk with me. Things have gotten this big.”

What elite doctors couldn’t figure out all this time, Judith, who had no knowledge of medicine whatsoever, had noticed. Naturally he would feel something was strange or at least want to exchange words with her.

If not that, then he’d want to get information about the pharmacy where she worked. There were sufficient reasons, so Judith didn’t even find Hugh’s visit surprising.

But Master seemed displeased with Judith chasing him away while glaring with wide eyes.

“Put on a shawl. No, where’s that dress you used to wear? That would be just right.”

“Madam threw it away.”

That’s when Hugh’s voice was heard again from outside.

“Is there some problem, Baron?”

At those words, Master let out an incredulous laugh.

“Baron? Baroooon? Staying in Ekian’s room like this, but not wife… Baron?”

Judith began pushing his back and said.

“Why are you acting like a husband suspecting adultery? Stop being so petty and get out.”

Master seemed greatly shocked by the word “petty.” Judith took advantage of his somewhat deflated momentum to directly open the secret passage in the bookshelf and shove him in.

Bang – only after the bookshelf door closed loudly did Judith clear her throat.

“Come in, Hugh.”

Then a smooth-looking young man with brown hair and green eyes carefully opened the door and entered.

“Excuse me, Baron.”

As Master had pointed out earlier, Hugh seemed a bit awkward calling her by that title. He rolled his eyes with a tone suggesting he was troubled about what to call her. Well, knowing she was a fake daughter-in-law, it would have been difficult to call her wife.

Judith smiled brightly and eased his dilemma a bit.

“I’m still a bit awkward being called wife too. Until the marriage registration is complete, just call me Judith. Comfortably.”

“Ah, then I’ll do that.”

Hugh smiled brightly as if he had been somewhat uncomfortable. Judith blinked and asked.

“Did Bart confess to anything?”

“No. The Duke’s interrogation just ended. Ah, it might not be over. Given the Duke’s personality, he might start again in about an hour.”

“I see. Please sit over here.”

Judith led him to the table where she had been sitting with Master until just before.

She had thought he was quite handsome before, but up close, Hugh was truly a young man with a kind and wholesome image. His fair skin, slender build, and tall height went well with his doctor’s coat.

“First, I want to express my gratitude, Judith.”

Hugh spoke with a serious face.

“Looking back, I’m embarrassed. I’m the Meius Ducal House’s attending physician, yet I didn’t even know what the family members were drinking.”

“Oh, analyzing Bart’s prescriptions wouldn’t have been easy. How could a junior who’s only been there for 2 years suspect a senior’s prescriptions?”

“Hah, thank you for understanding, but…”

When Judith comforted him, Hugh showed a slightly complicated expression. Then he asked the question she had expected.

“But could I meet that pharmacist? If they’re someone who tells such things even to ordinary people who don’t know medicine, I’d like to meet them.”

“Ah… well, what should I do.”

Since everything was within expectations, Judith smiled and answered.

“They’ve already left for a foreign country. They made so much money, you see. As you know, in the Empire, no matter how much money you have, commoners can’t become nobles. They said they wanted to become a noble and went to a place where you can buy titles.”

“Ah.”

Hugh showed a slightly disappointed expression. Even so, he looked at her with a face full of goodwill.

“This might sound like an excuse, but Bart actually bullied me a lot and excluded me from prescriptions… it was difficult to take initiative.”

Hmm, well. Judith slowly nodded at a situation she could easily imagine.

He wanted to handle everything as the attending physician by himself, but when one more person came in, how annoying that must have been. He probably tried to drive Hugh away by any means because of unknown situations.

“Oh my, that must have been really difficult… But someone as capable as Hugh could have gone anywhere even if you left the Meius Ducal House.”

“Well…”

Hugh showed an even more bashful smile.

“It’s because of money. Nowhere else pays as much as Meius.”

Well. That was something Judith agreed with a hundred times over. Nowhere else throws money at subordinates like Meius does.

“Actually, signing Judith’s pregnancy confirmation… in a way, it could be said to be abandoning one’s conscience as a doctor, but…”

Judith, who was the party responsible for making him abandon his conscience as a doctor, felt a pang of guilt inside.

“Still, you gave me a lot of hush money, so I had no choice.”

Hugh spoke with a somewhat forlorn face.

“I have seven younger siblings…”

“What?”

“We sold the farm to pay for my academy tuition, and the second one practically took responsibility for the other siblings’ livelihood while I was at the medical academy. Now I have to pay them back.”

“Ah, no… excuse me, but what about your parents?”

“They had a small farm, but they passed away when I was young.”

Ah, wait.

Judith was surprised by the unexpected fact and began quietly observing Hugh with her mouth agape.

Seven younger siblings, responsible for their livelihood, farm parents who passed away…

Judith smiled kindly while trying not to show her bewilderment.

‘This man, could it be….’

She quickly recalled the contents of the original story.

A male protagonist slightly older than Karl. The lost older brother of that male protagonist seemed to be this person called Hude!

In the original story, there was a passage like this:

「Only much later was the Marquis of Soden able to find clues about their lost eldest son.

After he went missing on the streets, a farming couple took him in and raised him as if he were their own child.

That part was fine, but when that farming couple died, the eldest son ended up having to take care of seven younger siblings.

Thus, the eldest son, who had originally made a name for himself as a skilled doctor, had already left for a foreign country that offered more money.」

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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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