I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 6
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
“Ma, marriage?”
The Master, who had been coughing for a while, asked in surprise.
“To the Meius Ducal House?”
“Yes.”
When Judith answered, the Master couldn’t hide his bewildered expression as he spoke.
“But… the young lord is only eight years old, isn’t he?”
“Not the young lord. Child marriage is legally prohibited anyway.”
“But… I understand the Duke and Duchess have a very good relationship?”
“Not the Duke. The Empire practices monogamy anyway.”
“Then, who…?”
“The Marquis.”
“Excuse me, Lady Ailan. Are you referring to Ekian Meius right now?”
“Yes.”
Judith thought she could understand the Master’s bewildered reaction. Saying she would marry someone who was missing couldn’t possibly sound reasonable.
To prevent unnecessary arguments, she spoke firmly.
“Master, you said you know nothing about Marquis Ekian Meius, right? Then continue to know nothing.”
“But how can you marry someone who’s missing?”
“It will happen.”
Judith said with a bright smile.
“Has my information ever been wrong before?”
Somewhat panicked, he returned to the Grey Information Guild.
Staggering into his room and closing the door, he sat down and let out a hollow laugh.
“Marriage with Ekian Meius?”
She had been utterly bewildering from the first time they met. But lately, even more so, she had been making nothing but shocking statements and actions every day.
Even though he had removed all the real bombs, the Master’s head felt more bombed than ever.
From the absurd declaration that she liked Ekian Meius without ever exchanging a word with him, to marriage.
“What marriage without even having a husband?”
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became.
Seeing that she went all the way to the Meius Mansion today, she ultimately intended to gain recognition from the Meius Ducal House, but was that even possible?
The Meius Ducal House was a great noble family boasting tremendous power comparable to the imperial family. This meant she wasn’t someone who could manipulate or deceive them at will.
And from what he had observed so far, at least Judith Ailan was a good and righteous person. She wasn’t the type of woman who would commit fraud against the Meius Ducal House.
“No, that’s exactly why it makes even less sense.”
The Master muttered in a confused voice.
“Marriage with the Marquis, what kind of…”
Alone in the room, the Master removed his mask as if feeling suffocated. The mask that had meticulously covered even the back of his head fell with a thud.
The hidden jet-black hair flowed softly like waves. Night sky-like hair, a straight forehead and neat yet thick eyebrows, cool and deep eyes, and a sculpted nose bridge were revealed.
His pupils were dark red as if they contained blood, and his sharp jawline harmonized with his softly curved lips.
“How exactly is she planning to marry me?”
The Master of the Grey Information Guild.
A man who, in his late teens, had established an information guild with his bare hands while hiding his identity and became the top figure in this back alley.
Not even the closest associates of the Grey Information Guild had seen his unmasked appearance, and though he was actually a master swordsman, he had never directly shown his skills to others.
His true identity, unknown to anyone, was Ekian Meius.
In just a little while, it would be exactly five years since he had run away from the Meius Mansion.
In other words, since he had been missing for five years, he would officially be declared dead.
‘That’s right. There shouldn’t be a place for me in the Meius Ducal House.’
Ekian closed his eyes, thinking of the Duke and Duchess and his young brother Karl.
‘I need to become someone who has disappeared.’
If he didn’t disappear, the Duke and Duchess wouldn’t make Karl their heir.
He had received the support of the vassals since childhood. Unless Karl was forced to receive the Marquis title due to an official death declaration, there was virtually no way for him to give up that position.
‘There’s really not much time left now, but what’s this about marriage…’
He couldn’t figure out what Judith Ailan was thinking. Only her confident words remained vivid.
‘Has my information ever been wrong before?’
Judith and Ekian had never had any official contact, not even once.
That was natural. When he was at the Meius Ducal House, Ekian barely had time to meet high-ranking nobles, and since he didn’t like social circles, he didn’t mingle widely.
‘Moreover, Judith Ailan was buried in debt even among the nobles… Wait a moment.’
Only then did Ekian realize something and pressed his forehead.
He had been so shocked by Judith’s bombshell declaration that he had forgotten to even mention the business that brought him to see her since morning.
Originally, he had intended to pay off her private debts with the price of his life!
He had completely forgotten to bring up that matter.
There had been few incidents in Ekian’s life that made him forget his business to such an extent.
Ekian glanced at the clock and thought.
‘It would be awkward to visit again. She’s probably working as a private tutor by now.’
He roughly knew Judith’s daily schedule. She lived each day very diligently because of her debts.
Although she managed to live by paying interest without accumulating more debt by selling information to him, she still needed living expenses.
Even at a cheap boarding house, she had to pay rent and earn money for minimal clothing and meals.
So Judith usually spent her days busily working as a private tutor. Being from a noble family, she seemed to have received good education in her youth, as she appeared quite skilled at teaching essential etiquette to young children.
‘Normally, one would give up everything, but she’s quite remarkable. She’s sincere, positive, and doesn’t lose hope.’
Usually, even living that diligently, one couldn’t even think about paying off the principal of such debts. But Judith didn’t seem despairing. She had never complained about her situation to him.
As if she had some plan, she calmly and efficiently managed her daily life by herself. Though there were no major incidents, those steady times left a deep impression on his mind.
‘I should visit again tomorrow. No, since I’ve already expressed my gratitude, let me just call her here instead. So I can hand over the check directly.’
Ekian organized tomorrow’s schedule without even realizing he was constantly thinking about her.
‘And I need to ask about that marriage plan in detail too.’
An investigator had come asking how she knew about the bomb incident, so he couldn’t have a proper conversation with Judith earlier. He couldn’t interrogate her about such matters in a public place, so he had just left for now.
So he thought he should call her here and find out more details when they were alone.
Ekian immediately picked up his quill pen.
He wrote a letter asking her to visit the information guild when she had time tomorrow, then had a staff member send it to Judith.
The next day, Judith came to the Grey Information Guild only when evening was approaching.
“I’m a bit late, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”
She had a very cheerful expression.
“I was coming from the Meius Mansion. I was originally planning to go in two days, but the Duchess urgently summoned me.”
He already knew that she had been summoned to the Meius Ducal House since dawn. That’s exactly why Ekian had been waiting for her anxiously all day.
Because… he hadn’t placed any informants in the Meius Mansion.
While collecting various information, he didn’t know what was happening in that mansion alone.
To avoid lingering attachments, he had completely excluded the Meius Ducal House even while operating the information guild.
“What exactly kept you at the mansion all day? I understand you’ve been there since dawn.”
“Ah, I was there completing the marriage registration documents.”
“…Pardon?”
“The marriage registration will probably be completed by tomorrow.”
Ekian felt as if he had been struck in the head.
Really… he had never imagined he could be this shocked in his life…
“No, no… How, how, how, how…”
“This will spread throughout the capital soon, so I’ll tell Master first out of courtesy.”
Judith said cheerfully.
“Soon, the Meius Ducal House will announce that I’m pregnant with Ekian’s child.”
Ekian retracted his earlier thought that ‘he couldn’t be more shocked than this’ when Judith mentioned the marriage registration.
Because he was even more shocked than before.
In fact, it was close to horror.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————