I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 81

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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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“Your Highness.”

Ekian said, looking at Alteon who had frozen in place.

“I am your half-brother.”

“….”

“The cursed son between the last priestess and the Emperor.”

“….”

“And the prince who grew up as Meius Marquis.”

Alteon moved his lips but couldn’t make a sound.

Ekian’s actions that he had thought incomprehensible all this time began to make sense. Unable to do this or that, wandering in confusion, his traces had remained as something abnormal.

“I couldn’t stay in Meius because I was cursed to bring down my father.”

Ekian continued slowly.

“And I hated entering the Imperial Palace because I despised my real father.”

His voice was tinged with miserable anguish.

“Yet such a person as I dared to find a woman I want to keep by my side and protect.”

Alteon closed his eyes briefly, feeling the raw weight contained in those words.

He knew that feeling. When you have a woman you want to protect, you must become strong. You cannot have enemies.

Just as he had decided to strike down his father to protect Melanie.

“I want to kill those who touch Judith.”

Ekian said coldly.

Alteon had already heard from Melanie about what happened at today’s garden party. He heard that Anais had openly provoked Judith.

But would eliminating Anais alone make Judith safe?

The Emperor would send other pawns to use Ekian’s wife. The more precious she was to Ekian, the more so.

“And I want to find my place and peacefully protect only her for the rest of my life.”

Ekian looked at Alteon with burning eyes.

“Will you acknowledge my existence so that I can bring down my father with my own hands?”

This was a declaration that he would now claim his position as prince and make that ‘father’ mentioned by the last priestess into the Emperor.

“Now that I know, you are my brother from this moment on and the legitimate prince of this Empire.”

Alteon declared while meeting Ekian’s eyes.

“As a direct member of the Imperial Family, I declare your name to be Ekian Martius, so you will now have the power of the name.”

“…The power of the name? Is there such a thing?”

Ekian blinked at hearing this for the first time. Then Alteon smiled faintly and said.

“It’s a story that comes up in the education of royals. You couldn’t receive this education because you weren’t raised as royalty. The House of Martius has the power of names, and you can only receive that protection when a blood-related royal calls your name and acknowledges you.”

“Protection, you mean….”

“There’s nothing specifically passed down about it. It’s just vaguely handed down as the power of the name.”

Ekian let out a low exclamation of understanding.

He had been quite curious until now. His birth mother had said ‘a son who will bring down my father,’ but couldn’t that father be interpreted as the Emperor, his real father? Actually, wouldn’t that be more natural contextually?

Yet the Emperor had kept him alive. He must have thought of him as a child who could destroy the Meius Ducal House. He had wondered why the Emperor was so confident that ‘father’ wouldn’t be interpreted as himself, but now the mystery was solved.

The Emperor thought he was naturally safe because Ekian didn’t possess a ‘name.’

“…Your Highness.”

But now that Alteon had called his name.

Ekian could clearly determine who his father was that he needed to bring down.

“Do you happen to have any plans you’re considering for how to bring down the Emperor?”

Alteon slowly brought up the next topic.

The fact that the Emperor would soon go to Aarten, that he was already planning to attempt assassination there, the question of whether Ekian could take on that role….

“I’ve already persuaded one tribe and set a date for the surprise attack. Of course, since they’re barbarians, there are many variables….”

Ekian frowned and fell into thought. Seeing this, Alteon said.

“If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to step forward this time. There will be many opportunities in the future….”

“No.”

Ekian cut off those words.

“This current plan seems the most natural and able to minimize the scale of damage.”

“That’s true….”

Originally, Ekian had planned to leave matters concerning the Emperor to Alteon. Since he was the Crown Prince and truly the son who had almost been poisoned.

But if he couldn’t escape his birth mother’s curse, then ultimately he had to be the one to kill his father.

And now he wanted to step forward for this task more than anyone.

Because the Emperor was targeting Judith.

Because the Emperor’s malice was directed toward Judith to the extent of even finding her birth mother.

The best defense was always offense. To ensure Judith would never be touched again, he had to resolve this matter himself.

“I will go. This is something I must do.”

Alteon glanced at Ekian’s face and realized he had already made up his mind. He embraced Ekian and sighed.

“You’re my brother.”

“….”

“I had my brother by my side and didn’t recognize him….”

His voice became gloomy.

“That’s why I can’t bring myself to tell you to go even more.”

“What happens if I succeed?”

Ekian said with a slight smile.

“I lived as a merchant for five years. So even with my brother before me, I’m curious about the compensation.”

“You should become an Archduke. You’ll receive the Imperial surname as well.”

Alteon said with a chuckle.

“And become the lord of Aarten. It’s going to be ownerless land anyway.”

“Ah.”

Ekian laughed pleasantly.

“That’s definitely my place.”

He had wanted to give the Meius heir position to Karl from the beginning. Even though he had raised him like his own child, he still wasn’t confident about casually inheriting Ben’s legacy.

He liked the idea of territory gained through his own merit and his bloodline.

“I won’t be ashamed before my future wife.”

“Now.”

Isabella sat Judith down and spoke in earnest.

“So now, what are you planning to do?”

“Um, first I’m going to talk to the Marquis about divorce. He said he would grant it if I strongly demanded it.”

“What if Ekian refuses?”

“…Ah.”

The answer became evasive from that point.

“Well, I wonder? Won’t he let me go? He seemed gentlemanly….”

“Look at you. Look at you! You’re so weak!”

Isabella beat her chest as if frustrated. Then she snorted and showed her irritation.

“Fine. I’ll handle Ekian. Anyway.”

“Yes….”

“So have you talked things through with that man? What’s the situation? Can you just go straight to that man? After leaving Meius Mansion, what about housing? Are you going to live with that man right away?”

Questions poured out. Judith answered while rolling her eyes and shrinking back.

“Um… I’m not sure. I sometimes think it might just be my own feelings, and that man seems to have some interest in me too… but we haven’t talked about it in detail….”

“What? You haven’t talked about it in detail? Are you sure about his interest?”

“Uh… um… I think so. I’m certain unless that man is a complete piece of trash. But from what I observed by his side, he was definitely not that kind of man.”

“What about his family.”

Isabella pressed in a low voice.

“Are his family members okay with it? You’ll be a divorcee after all.”

“Well, I wonder….”

Judith couldn’t answer well because she knew nothing about Master’s family relationships. However, she had a clear conviction she had established.

“But I’m planning to think about that after the divorce. I think that’s the proper order. To ask and discuss such things, my status is still that of a married woman. I should maintain propriety.”

“That Ekian bastard isn’t fulfilling his duties as a husband, so why are you still maintaining propriety? Huh?”

Isabella even stomped her feet in frustration. Judith smiled broadly.

“Still, well… that puts my mind at ease.”

“But what if you get divorced and leave, and then that man’s feelings change, or your expectations turn out to be wrong!”

“That’s still okay. I’ll try my best to make it work, and if it doesn’t… then I’ll just accept living as a woman who failed at unrequited love.”

Judith spoke calmly.

“I’ve expressed everything I could, said everything I wanted to say, so after that, I’m going to leave it up to him.”

That was Judith’s true feelings.

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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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