I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 70

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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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Anais trembled with her lips quivering as she gasped for breath. Judith didn’t give her a chance to retaliate and shot back.

“But seeing how you’re attacking me like this and arranging this kind of situation, it must have really hurt your stomach that I achieved your dream.”

The people gathered at the garden party began quietly exchanging glances with each other.

Most of them were people who had come to watch Anais humiliate Judith at this gathering. Or they had simply come to get a look at Judith.

There was a bit of envy and jealousy mixed in. After all, a fallen noble’s daughter had suddenly become the beloved daughter-in-law of Meius.

It was even worse since Ekian had returned with an excessively handsome face and was performing his role as a minor duke as if nothing had happened.

However, everyone knew that such feelings were unseemly.

There was a world of difference between hiding those unseemly feelings, revealing them, and getting caught.

While it was a well-known fact that Anais had liked Ekian during her girlhood, when she was confronted with evidence at this gathering and asked ‘Is this why you’re tormenting me?’, public opinion began to slowly turn.

Anais trembled violently and stammered.

“You, where did you fabricate such a fake…”

“A fake? This kind of old paper can’t even be made anymore even if you try. And if you don’t believe this.”

Judith said calmly.

“I have many other things. Shall I show you more?”

A moment of silence passed. Judith smiled leisurely.

“There’s a reason why they say ‘girlish sentiments.’ We really were innocent and honest back then. The things I wrote are a bit embarrassing too.”

Most of the people here were young women. So they knew very well how terrible those ‘girlish sentiments’ could be.

Not knowing what traces of the past remained in Judith’s bag, Anais unconsciously bit her lips and hesitated.

“You were the one who contacted me to continue our old relationship anyway.”

Judith smiled sweetly, curving her eyes.

“Actually, I brought these to talk about memories together. Looking at them, the old memories are really quite nice.”

It was a completely different atmosphere from when she had slapped her earlier.

“Thank you so much for creating this opportunity. Ah, is my seat over there? I see my nameplate there. I’ll go sit over there.”

That’s when it happened.

As if he couldn’t bear to see her dripping with water, Master approached her side.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay like this, at least take my outer coat…”

Originally, Master was a special guest invited by Anais, so it wasn’t time for him to appear yet.

However, he seemed unable to bear seeing Judith looking like a drowned rat.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the mysterious masked man and Judith. Judith politely declined.

“Thank you, but I’m fine.”

After that, without even giving him a glance, she walked through the crowd with clicking steps toward her seat. Just as Master was about to try to stop her once more.

“Excuse me.”

There was a woman in an elegant dress blocking Master’s path.

“Could you step aside for a moment?”

Everyone who confirmed the woman’s identity cleared the way like a receding tide.

She was a woman with light brown hair and light brown eyes, with what could be considered a modest appearance.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you for the first time.”

She approached Judith with a gentle smile. Then, before anyone could say anything, she kindly introduced herself.

“I’m Melanie Ainstra Ernstia.”

Judith, who had been sitting and wringing the water from her hair, froze in place. Then she quickly stood up and showed proper courtesy.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

No matter how much she hadn’t been in society or heard anything, she couldn’t not know the name Melanie Ainstra Ernstia.

First of all, Ernstia was a surname attached to the imperial family, and Melanie was also the Crown Princess’s name, so it was mentioned quite often.

‘She didn’t appear much in the original story though.’

Moreover, this was also the reason she had come to this gathering.

The Emperor’s informants were quite numerous. They surely knew that they were looking for a physician. Because Alteon had survived after the Imperial Palace banquet.

From the Emperor’s perspective, it wouldn’t be difficult to deduce that they had noticed the poison that had been administered for a long time.

Since she had come to approach them naturally without being detected by them, practically speaking, Judith’s purpose at this garden party wasn’t Anais but Melanie from the beginning.

‘Ah, Her Highness the Crown Princess has been here since earlier.’

Judith thought to herself that this was a disaster.

‘I naturally thought she would come much later.’

She hadn’t thought that Anais would invite Melanie on time.

Usually, such garden parties have time intervals so the host can greet and guide people one by one. Naturally, the more precious the status, the later they come.

She had thought Anais would invite Judith while only keeping people close to her around, but it was really unexpected that Melanie was already here.

‘This is all ruined.’

Before Anais picked a fight, she had thought to somehow approach and win favor. It might have been a somewhat arrogant thing to say, but Judith didn’t find it particularly difficult to gain someone’s favor.

Emotions beyond that were a bit difficult, but getting somewhat close to others with kind words and a good-natured appearance was easy. When she worked as a visiting tutor, there was a reason why all the parents liked her.

‘But now that she’s seen all this mess…’

However, she really hadn’t planned to show herself slapping Anais’s cheek in this state as soon as she arrived at the garden party. It seemed a bit ruined for gaining favor.

‘Maybe it would have been better to just quietly endure the humiliation. If I wanted to gain at least some sympathy…’

Judith continued to blame herself. It seemed like pretending to be virtuous now wouldn’t work at all.

But Melanie smiled gently and made the first suggestion.

“How about wearing my spare clothes?”

“Pardon?”

Judith looked at her blankly and asked. Melanie said with an affectionate face.

“I’m pregnant with my second child too. Actually, I dressed up like this today because I wanted to look pretty, but I thought it might be uncomfortable if I sit for a long time, so I brought some spare clothes in a loose size.”

She continued with a kind smile.

“I suppose you think Countess Anitas’s clothes would be uncomfortable since they’re not maternity wear? I understand that feeling too. But my clothes would be comfortable to wear. Won’t you accept my kindness?”

Judith was deeply impressed inwardly. She truly deserved to be the Crown Princess, her eloquent and gentle social conversation skills were amazing.

‘In the meantime, she noticed that I’d be uncomfortable receiving Anais’s clothes, and she packaged it well by saying it’s because I’m pregnant.’

From Judith’s perspective, there was nothing to be concerned about at all.

“I’m truly grateful for your kindness.”

Judith smiled genuinely brightly and bowed her head once more.

“Really, thank you so much.”

Melanie widened her eyes and waved her hand as if it was nothing.

“Not at all. Then Countess Anitas, we could borrow a room, couldn’t we?”

What Anais could say in that situation was naturally only one thing.

“…Of course.”

It would also be strange to insist on wearing her own clothes here. Moreover, there were probably nobles who had started to look down on her because of Judith’s earlier revelation.

“I’ll assign a maid to guide you. You can follow her.”

However, Anais also wanted to vent a little.

She whispered to the maid ‘No rooms with bathrooms’ and then sent them off with a bright smile. It was to make any faint odor remaining on Judith’s body continue to linger.

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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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