I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 55

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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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There was leisure in his voice. It was the typical confidence of a man who had never once considered rejection, a man who knew he was handsome.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

Judith slowly picked up the teacup in front of her and thought.

‘I probably would have fallen for it too if I didn’t have someone I liked. No, suggesting we live together for a while and continue if we grow to like each other—that’s actually quite beneficial.’

Normally, anyone would have no choice but to like him. He was a man with no flaws in family background, appearance, or personality.

Though she had no idea why he’d been away from home for 5 years… that didn’t seem like something he’d answer even if Judith asked.

‘Let me think about the old days. All the girls my age back then would have sold their souls to marry Ekian.’

Judith recalled her old friends who used to whisper while watching Ekian from afar. Despite that, even she herself hadn’t been particularly interested in him back then.

‘Of course, I wasn’t one of them.’

Because she was different from others.

Unlike other girls who lived thinking of hope, Judith was a child who only thought about escaping from the despair of family troubles into another world through books.

‘Still not now either.’

Seeing Judith lost in thought while sipping her tea, Ekian leisurely picked up his teacup again. He seemed to think the answer was already decided.

Finally making up her mind, Judith smiled kindly and said.

“I’m truly sorry, but that won’t work.”

It’s better to say these things as quickly as possible so the other person can comfortably make their next plans, right?

“Actually, I have someone I like.”

“Pfft!”

Ekian spat out the tea he was drinking.

“I know the Young Duke is also a wonderful man, but my heart already belongs to another man… so that would be rather difficult. I was planning to approach that man after the divorce.”

At her calm words, Ekian seemed somewhat unable to collect himself. His eyes showed disbelief.

“You have… a man you like?”

“Yes. That’s how it turned out…”

Judith fidgeted with her fingers in embarrassment.

“Of course, I didn’t enter the Duke’s Mansion while having feelings for someone. He’s a man I happened to grow close to after entering the Duke’s Mansion.”

Since they were meeting for the first time, she didn’t think Ekian would be particularly displeased, but his expression became openly sharp.

“Of course!”

Judith flinched slightly and pulled her chair back. She instinctively felt tremendous pressure and displeasure.

“I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely did not deliberately explore men with an open mind to have a romance!”

Judith began desperately defending herself, not wanting to be misunderstood as someone who played around with romance instead of being faithful to her contractual husband during employment.

“I just thought that man also seemed to have feelings for me, and gradually came to acknowledge that my heart was going to him too…”

The atmosphere around Ekian became increasingly menacing.

“That’s all there is to it, and naturally there was no progress! Both that man and I know my situation, so we wouldn’t start a relationship while I have a contractual husband…”

Ekian’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Judith’s rambling. After looking at Judith for a moment, he rested his chin on his hand and said.

“Well, I understand the situation. It must be my fault for coming late. That my wife developed feelings for another man.”

“Um… that last part sounds a bit strange.”

“But I understand well that there’s been no progress with that damned bastard.”

Ekian looked into Judith’s eyes and smiled wickedly.

“Then how about I join the battle, though a bit late.”

“What? Join the battle?”

“Hearts can change, can’t they?”

Judith looked at Ekian with bewildered eyes.

“I’ll take it that there’s a possibility of maintaining married life with me. From now on, I’ll do my best to seduce you.”

What is he talking about… Judith’s mind became confused.

“Oh, and.”

With Judith in panic before him, Ekian continued speaking calmly.

“I’d like us to share the room.”

“What?”

Judith’s eyes widened as she was hit by the second bombshell.

“You want to… sh-sh-sh-share the same room with me?”

So Ekian’s room? The two of us together? When this is the first time we’ve met face to face?

“Really?”

Ekian himself was quite calm. He rested his chin on his hand with a relaxed expression and said.

“I’m more curious if there’s any reason for us as a married couple to use separate rooms here.”

Married couple… Well, that’s true.

Unable to argue back, Judith replied reluctantly.

“Well, that’s true. This is the Young Duke’s room, and, um, but naturally I should use a different room…”

“Then should I kick out my wife, who’s pregnant with my child, from the bedroom where she was staying perfectly fine?”

Though spoken gently, it was quite logical. Judith felt somewhat wronged but had no words to respond.

“I heard about Sera and Bart’s situation. If such a thing happened even with servants I thought were trustworthy at the Duke’s Mansion, I can’t tell who to trust and who not to trust.”

“Ah, well, that’s true.”

“So I assume my parents also made sure only the minimum number of people knew about this matter?”

“That’s… right?”

Originally only Bart and Huyd knew about it. But since neither of them were the Duke’s Mansion’s personal physicians anymore, the only people who knew about this at the Duke’s Mansion were really just Isabella, Ben, Judith, and Ekian.

“In this situation, is there any reason to cause gossip by unnecessarily using separate rooms?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“I have a separate study. Also, since I just returned, I’ll be going out frequently.”

Ekian spoke matter-of-factly.

“In the end, we’re only sharing the bedroom, and I think both the room and bed are spacious enough. If it’s uncomfortable, I can sleep on the sofa or somewhere like that.”

“Ah, um.”

In the end, it was a matter of employment terms. As an employer, Ekian’s proposal had reasonably logical reasons.

Judith looked at his utterly bland face and hesitated for a moment, then said hesitantly.

“But, didn’t you say earlier that you’d seduce me?”

It was quite an important issue for her.

“Ph-physically seducing me, or, uh, forcibly… Th-that is, the Young Duke is in his prime right now…”

Even as she spoke, she felt truly ridiculous.

Anyone could see that Ekian was far more attractive than Judith, so it was almost absurd for her to have such concerns.

In fact, even at the banquet earlier, wasn’t the prevailing opinion that Judith had pounced on Ekian to make a child? Honestly, Judith thought she would have to think the same way if she were in someone else’s position.

But since a man and woman would be sharing a bed, it was a very important issue that Judith had no choice but to address.

Moreover, wasn’t this the first time she was meeting Ekian? What woman would agree to suddenly share a bed with a man she was meeting for the first time starting tonight?

‘Or not? If the other person is Ekian, would they just agree?’

As Judith looked at his handsome face while inwardly chanting ‘Master, Master, Master… The person I like is Master,’ it was then.

Making her worries seem pointless, Ekian said kindly in a dry voice.

“Don’t worry. Though I’m in my prime, I’m confident in restraining such desires.”

“Is… that so?”

Looking closely, his face did show quite ascetic features. Well, it had been a famous fact for a long time that Ekian Meius wasn’t particularly interested in women, so Judith decided not to pry further.

Nevertheless, all of this situation was certainly beyond her expectations. And at times like this, there was only one person in this world Judith could seek advice from.

Someone whose abilities she acknowledged and whom she could trust, her longest business partner.

‘This won’t do.’

She thought while clutching a book full of writing about how to seduce men.

‘I need to meet Master tomorrow. Seduction or whatever, I need to discuss this situation first!’

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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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