I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 73

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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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“Thank you so much.”

Judith gently thanked the coachman.

As the young duchess, she didn’t need to be so kind to the servants, but she was friendly and warm to everyone.

At first, there were naturally many suspicious voices about her when she suddenly appeared claiming to be pregnant, but now not a single servant held any ill feelings toward her.

She was kind and elegant, yet sensible, and strangely all her actions were aristocratic.

‘Right.’

The coachman thought as he drove the carriage.

‘It would probably be awkward at the Duke’s Mansion. Since they’re people he met outside, he must be planning to catch up outside. As expected, the young duke is someone who understands the atmosphere.’

He deliberately took winding routes through the alleys to kill time. Kind Judith just leaned against the window and dozed off briefly without particularly pointing it out.

‘I hope the two of them had a good time.’

After taking a very long detour, they arrived at the 37th Annex.

The coachman helped Judith get down and said.

“Then I’ll go buy some clothes from a nearby dress shop. Since I didn’t make a reservation in advance, it will probably take quite a while, so please rest.”

“Yes, thank you so much.”

Judith smiled brightly and entered the annex.

The coachman bowed in greeting and firmly latched the fence gate. So that no other people could even come near.

Judith carefully stepped inside the annex. Naturally it was smaller than the manor, but it seemed about the size of five of Judith’s boarding rooms put together.

‘Oh, there was a place like this.’

She already knew that noble houses had several annexes. However, she didn’t know they would have an annex right in the heart of the capital like this.

‘As expected of the Meius Ducal House. They have a lot of money.’

To have a manor on this precious land and leave it almost empty. Considering that annexes are usually placed on the outskirts, this was truly an incredible luxury.

Judith confirmed that the coachman had left and then closed the front door. She naturally started humming. Anyway, things had been resolved quite well.

When she casually mentioned Huyd’s story to Melanie, she showed considerable interest.

The story progressed quickly after that.

Melanie conveyed her intention to meet him first, and Judith exchanged a few words with her and arranged an appointment so she could meet Huyd.

“I’ll have the clothes cleaned and returned to you. Of course, along with a thank-you card.”

She planned to contact Huyd first and write the meeting date and location on that card to deliver it.

No matter how many watching eyes there were in the Imperial Palace, since this officially happened at Anais’ Garden Party, it seemed like they could avoid suspicion. After all, wasn’t it Anais’ side who first committed the outrageous act of splashing water?

“The timing is good.”

Melanie also said with a small smile.

“His Majesty the Emperor will soon be going on an inspection tour to the Arten Region.”

For even the Emperor to be away was truly the icing on the cake.

Actually, she had been worried whether Melanie would trust her completely. But it seemed she had made up her mind after seeing that she was Ekian’s wife and also openly antagonizing Anais.

‘I guess it was a better strategy than pretending to be good half-heartedly.’

It wasn’t intentional from the beginning, but she was lucky.

‘If I had been the Emperor’s person, I wouldn’t have humiliated Anais to this extent.’

Well, if that was the price for things going well, she could take a few more water splashes.

‘Ah, but I still want to wash up first.’

She sighed deeply and looked around. According to the coachman, there should be a bathroom.

She had wiped off the water, but the strange smell that lingered made her feel uncomfortable and bothered.

‘That’s probably why they deliberately guided me to a room without a bathroom, right?’

But she couldn’t make a fuss demanding a room with a bathroom right then and there. The maid didn’t have the authority and would have to relay the message to Anais, and dragging out time like that wouldn’t have been courteous to Melanie who was waiting.

Even after changing clothes, she endured until the end because she didn’t want to leave her seat due to the subtle stench.

“Line up one by one to ask questions. To a man who knows everything, you can ask anything! It’ll be really fun, won’t it?”

She didn’t want to endure even that situation. Well, she thought she had sat there long enough to not look intimidated.

‘Sigh…’

When she saw Master at the garden party, she was swept up in strange emotions.

Actually, she had always seen Master alone with her, only in closed spaces. Master’s workspace, or Ekian’s room, or the secret passage.

Even then, she had thought his body was quite good and solid. But seeing Master standing against the garden backdrop under bright sunlight felt strange.

‘…Why does he look handsome even with a mask on.’

He had a good build, a solid body, and good proportions. Although his face was hidden by a mask, the atmosphere he exuded was reassuring and attractive.

It wasn’t for nothing that women around him kept saying things like ‘I wonder who he is and why he came?’

It was probably his first time appearing at a public event, yet everyone showed curiosity and lingered around him. And for good reason, because just looking at his posture, gestures, gait, and attire, everything was elegant and noble.

Since only women around Judith’s age had gathered, he stood out even more among them.

‘Ah.’

Judith felt strange emotions watching him gracefully continue conversations among the dressed-up women.

‘That person… was someone who could shine sufficiently even in that state.’

Just because he wore a mask, just because he hid his identity from others, hadn’t she regarded him as too uniquely hers? When he was someone who could get along so skillfully with people like that.

‘He was someone who could be sufficiently attractive to others even in that state…’

Perhaps that was what his daily life was like without the mask. Someone who could enjoy the pouring attention from women surrounding him as if it were nothing.

‘What do I know about Master? Actually, I don’t know anything at all. Really.’

He seemed infinitely distant and infinitely wonderful, so she felt a little… spiteful.

When Anais linked arms with him and naturally guided him to escort her, it was hard to even manage her expression. It was an escort she herself had never received.

But Master was skilled even in his escorting posture. Judith, who had grown up as a noble young lady, could tell. He was very accustomed to such acts.

It was obviously not his first time. He must have escorted various noble ladies before. Seeing how he didn’t particularly panic when the sensually dressed Anais stuck close to him and skillfully moved his steps.

Each of those steps was also aristocratic and noble. It showed he had been educated for a long time.

‘Can I say I’m close to Master? Wasn’t that all just my imagination?’

Having such thoughts made her feel foolish.

‘Really pathetic, me. I was deluding myself alone that I could be special to someone.’

The kiss from a few days ago had also played a part in that delusion.

To be honest, Master at that time had rushed at her as if he would devour her. That vivid desire had made her feel like the most special woman in that moment.

But that kiss too, wasn’t it actually something he had experienced many times? Perhaps it was something he ‘did’ to countless women? Maybe that day he was just at a loss because of the aphrodisiac…

‘So that’s why he wanted to pretend not to know. I did play along and pretend not to know too.’

It was when she was heading toward the bathroom feeling dejected.

“You’re here.”

She was startled by the sudden voice from beside her.

She hadn’t sensed any presence and never expected anyone to be there. The coachman had also said there would be no one inside!

“Could we talk for a moment?”

It was Master, sitting leisurely on the living room sofa.

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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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