I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 45

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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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Among them were many young ladies from noble families that she, at seventeen and having just lost her parents, had desperately visited to borrow money.

When they refused to help with troubled expressions, Judith swore she had never once resented them. She thought it was only natural that they might do so.

But now… now she felt a little resentful, and quite disillusioned.

It was fine that they didn’t help when times were difficult, but there was no need to be jealous and sarcastic just because she had become the daughter-in-law of the Meius Ducal House.

As the open whispering increased, Huyd frowned and tried to step forward.

“Excuse me, that…”

“No.”

Judith quickly grabbed Huyd’s arm.

“Don’t say anything, Huyd.”

She forced herself to smile at Huyd.

Judith also desperately wanted to snap back at them, but stopping Huyd was the priority.

“You’ll become the heir to the Soden Marquis Family after this banquet. Don’t become the subject of gossip because of me.”

“I don’t mind.”

Huyd said firmly with a frown.

“At least it’s wrong to say such baseless things in front of someone, isn’t it? If pointing out wrong behavior becomes a problem, then I don’t mind being talked about.”

“I mind.”

Judith smiled brightly and shook her head.

“I told you. I would do my best at what I was hired for.”

While explaining to Huyd, her momentarily upset feelings began to gradually subside.

“Enduring such criticism is part of my job. I knew this from the beginning, after all.”

After saying that, she really did feel better. She was still most afraid of debt in the world, and compared to that, this level of criticism didn’t matter at all.

In the first place, she could have prepared for worse words if it meant paying off her debt. With that thought, she recognized reality all at once and felt better.

“However, I don’t think there’s anything good about continuing to stick with Huyd.”

Judith sighed.

“I feel like I’m increasingly becoming the femme fatale of the century, and it would be terrible if I ended up blocking Huyd’s marriage prospects later. Right now, no one is paying attention because they just think of you as the ducal house’s physician, but when it’s revealed later that you’re the heir to the Soden Marquis, there will definitely be many people talking about today’s events.”

“Marriage prospects…”

Huyd laughed as if amused.

“If that gets blocked, Judith will have to take responsibility.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have any decent friends to introduce you to. Even the people I used to believe were friends are all over there.”

Judith, who understood it simply as a request to ‘introduce me to a good woman,’ said lightly.

“Then how about Judith taking responsibility directly?”

“That won’t work. I have to maintain my loyalty to my husband, Ekian Meius.”

In the first place, Judith thought the possibility of her and Huyd, the heir to the Soden Marquis, becoming romantically involved was zero.

As the heir to the Soden Marquis, shouldn’t he naturally be matched with a daughter from a high-ranking noble family? According to the original story, there should even be a fiancée he was engaged to before birth.

“Judith.”

Huyd paused for a moment before speaking.

“Have you ever met Meius Marquis Ekian?”

Until now, Huyd had never asked Judith about the detailed circumstances. He had simply thought of it as an ’employment’ contract between Judith and the Meius Ducal House. But at this moment, he was curious about it.

“Or do you have no connection with Meius Marquis Ekian at all? Whether you decided to become the wife of a complete stranger, or if something really happened…”

“Ah.”

Judith blinked in embarrassment.

Although Huyd was someone she could trust, he couldn’t be considered a person of the Meius family. Therefore, explaining all the facts didn’t seem like a wise attitude. Some level of security maintenance was necessary.

It couldn’t be helped that it was revealed she wasn’t pregnant, and he also roughly knew the plan that she would soon be divorced and leave Meius…

“I liked him.”

Judith decided to recycle the lie she had told Master.

“From before… I mean, from when I was an ordinary baron’s daughter without debt, I liked him from afar. He was handsome and cool. It’s nothing special. There were probably countless young ladies like me.”

As her words continued, Huyd’s expression hardened somewhat, but she didn’t notice.

“But well, it’s not like I’m passionately in love now… I should make a fresh start too. Anyway, I’ll only tell you this much.”

She should let him figure out the gaps himself.

Roughly saying ‘I liked him’ was a convenient excuse to attach without basis.

Meanwhile, the glances stealing looks at her and Huyd didn’t disappear.

Anyway, people were paying more attention to her than expected, which was quite burdensome. Judith groaned and thought.

‘This is all because Mother dressed me up too glamorously.’

Of course, this was all whispering that would disappear once Isabella returned. Judith had originally planned to wait until then, but since it seemed like she was causing trouble for Huyd, she decided to step away for a moment.

“Huyd, I’ll go somewhere for a bit.”

To prevent strange rumors from spreading later, it was best to stay as far away from Huyd as possible. As she lightly put down her water glass and spoke, Huyd said seriously.

“Let’s go together, Judith. Absolutely, wherever.”

“…I’m going to the restroom.”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes.”

Judith smiled slightly and turned away from Huyd. As she seemed to be moving, she felt gazes suddenly converging on her again.

‘Expression management, expression management.’

If she showed an embarrassed or displeased expression here, it would create another topic of conversation.

She decided to ignore all that whispering, but she didn’t want to become a good spectacle for them either.

And there was a special remedy for maintaining a calm expression.

‘Other thoughts, other thoughts.’

It was to think about something completely different. Finding something worth thinking about was easy.

‘I wonder if Master handled things well. He said he would make contact with Crown Prince on his own.’

If Master succeeded, today the Crown Prince would completely turn his back on the Emperor. It couldn’t help but be tremendous good news for Meius.

‘I trust you, Master.’

Judith smiled slightly and muttered to herself.

‘So that I can comfortably make moves on you, let’s do our best for the peace of our Meius.’

Behind the splendid Imperial Palace Banquet Hall, on the rooftop of the secret passage along the palace walls.

Crown Prince Alteon, the protagonist of today’s banquet, was looking at his opponent with an incredulous face.

“…Ekian?”

The voice of Crown Prince Alteon, who had jet-black hair, trembled.

“Ekian Meius? Is it really you?”

Alteon had received a mysterious letter a few days ago. Originally, he didn’t receive private correspondence from others, but since it was delivered through an emergency contact that he had only taught to really close friends, he had no choice but to check it immediately.

The content of that letter was simple and shocking.

His old friend Ekian Meius was alive and wanted to meet during the upcoming Imperial Palace banquet.

[Just before I went missing, there was a place where Your Highness secretly took me to celebrate my birthday. Let’s meet there at 7 o’clock, before the banquet starts.]

The handwriting was perfectly Ekian’s, but above all, Alteon was convinced that Ekian was truly alive after reading that phrase.

On Ekian’s sixteenth birthday, Alteon had guided him to this secret location without anyone knowing. Saying it was the best place for the two of them to talk.

After that, Ekian disappeared. Without a trace, leaving no evidence whatsoever.

“You… what on earth happened, this?”

Alteon slowly blinked while looking at the young man before him.

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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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