I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 9

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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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“You didn’t like me, did you?”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t tell me… don’t tell me you shamelessly and creepily watched me from behind that mask without even showing your face, harboring a one-sided crush?”

The Master froze in stunned silence. Then he let out a deep sigh and shook his head vigorously.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then why are you so shocked about me getting married?”

“The other party is Ekian Meius. Anyone would be shocked, not just me.”

Since that wasn’t wrong, Judith readily nodded in agreement.

“That’s true.”

“And pregnancy? Isn’t that too ridiculous of a lie?”

The Master exclaimed almost as if venting his frustration. Judith shrugged and spoke nonchalantly.

“How would Master know whether it’s a lie or not? Why do you keep saying it’s a lie?”

“That’s because…!”

The Master started to shout in excitement but suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Then he shook his head and continued calmly.

“Lady Ailan, it hasn’t even been a week since you came of age. And yet you’re pregnant?”

“Ah.”

Unlike the agitated Master, Judith maintained a calm and leisurely attitude throughout, slowly nodding her head.

“Kids these days are quite frivolous, but I’ve definitely lived quite virtuously to be considered one of those kids. That’s a good point. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“…It’s a lie, isn’t it? Will you admit it now?”

“Please keep it secret.”

Looking at Judith’s calm smile, the Master sighed deeply with a voice that seemed to have aged ten years.

“Well, at least you weren’t deceived by an imposter.”

“An imposter? What an interesting thought. Who would dare impersonate Ekian Marquis?”

Judith said with a chuckle.

“But Master, why did you call me here? Was it perhaps to thank me?”

“Ah.”

Only then did the Master seem to come to his senses and straighten his posture.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Though trying to act dignified now was somewhat amusing given the lingering image of him jumping around earlier.

“Lady Ailan, I truly thank you. Without you, we would have all died helplessly. Me, my subordinates, and everyone in this alley.”

“It’s also thanks to Master believing my words and investigating.”

Judith maintained her leisurely attitude as always, drinking tea while speaking.

“Master will handle all the troublesome matters as well.”

The ‘troublesome matters’ naturally referred to the administrators’ investigation. It was obvious that investigators would be bothersome, asking why this bomb was here and how it was discovered.

Judith could slip away from there and focus only on her own affairs. The Master would be able to solve everything by piecing together all sorts of information.

Since the report came from an Information Guild of all places, the investigators wouldn’t find it suspicious either.

“Still, it’s the value of my life, so I must properly repay you. So…”

The Master spoke as gracefully as flowing water.

“Lady Ailan’s debt, I will pay it all off for you.”

The Master who spoke decisively clasped his hands and stared intently at Judith. It was a pose indicating he was ready to watch her moved reaction with satisfaction.

“What?”

But Judith wasn’t moved. Rather, she showed a surprised expression.

“You’ll pay off all my debt? Master has that much money?”

Her loan shark debt was enormous. It wasn’t for nothing that her father had taken his own life. Even Judith, who was recognized as a capable private tutor, could barely manage to pay just the interest despite working herself to the bone all day.

The Meius Ducal House could pay it off because they were a ducal house, but it wasn’t an amount that an individual Information Guild could easily pay off.

“The Grey Information Guild has that level of cash liquidity? That’s impossible…”

So Judith couldn’t help but be surprised. It was just an Information Guild led by a man only a few years older than Judith. She knew it had been open for less than five years.

But they already had that much money? The Master’s abilities seemed more tremendous than she thought, and Judith was almost moved to respect as this fact truly hit her.

“It’s possible.”

The Master said with a relaxed smile.

“It seems you, who know so much, didn’t know this fact.”

She didn’t know. In the original story, this place was supposed to disappear anyway.

She thought only the Meius Ducal House could pay off her debt in one go!

‘If I had known this, I wouldn’t have needed to go to the Meius Ducal House!’

A wave of frustration hit her momentarily. But she couldn’t make it as if it never happened now. There was no way she could go back to the ducal house now and say she wanted to cancel. She might end up disappearing from the capital without anyone knowing, with them deciding that mouths that knew secrets needed to be silenced.

In the end, Judith looked at the Master and muttered blankly.

“I already paid it off.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said I paid it off.”

Just as Judith spoke with a deflated voice, there was a knock and one of the Master’s subordinates entered.

He hurriedly handed over a report, and the Master asked for her permission briefly before quickly reading the report.

“Hmm.”

He frowned and muttered.

“I see. On your way here… with a check from the Meius Ducal House… you paid it off?”

It seemed the information had just come in since it had happened right before. Of course, even that was quite fast.

The Master paused thoughtfully for a moment, then deduced.

“Don’t tell me, was it money you received in exchange for pretending to be pregnant with Ekian Meius’s child? To delay the death procedures?”

Hearing his words, Judith thought it wasn’t for nothing that the Master had built his wealth in such a short time. Anyway, since the Master had quickly grasped the situation, it was good that she didn’t need to explain.

“Keep it secret.”

Judith said with a grin.

“If you want to repay me for saving your life.”

He seemed so grateful to her that he was willing to pay off even her high-interest debt, so he would surely keep her secret. As Judith thought leisurely, the Master sighed and crossed his arms.

“This lie will have an expiration date. You can’t give birth to a child that doesn’t exist.”

“Still, it should last for a few months.”

“And after a few months, you’ll become a divorcee. Moreover, the entire empire will know you’ve had a child.”

“What’s wrong with the empire knowing? Come to think of it, I wish the entire empire had known I was suffering under a pile of debt I didn’t even create.”

“Lady Ailan, still…”

“Ah, and it seems it’s time to change calling me Lady Ailan too.”

Judith said with a shrug.

“Since I’ll soon become the Marquis’s wife. The wife of Meius Marquis, something like that…”

“That’s a bit…”

The Master showed a strong rejection. Then he sighed and said.

“May I just call you by your name? I think our relationship is at that level.”

“Go ahead then.”

“Understood. Anyway, Judith, I will naturally keep your secret. Besides that, if there’s anything else you’d like to ask of me, anytime…”

“There is!”

Judith interrupted him with sparkling eyes. She had something to ask of him anyway.

“I need some information about the Meius Ducal House.”

“I don’t know much about there. We don’t have informants there.”

The Master said curtly.

“You’ll be entering the Meius Mansion soon as the Marquis’s wife anyway, won’t you? You’ll be able to get information directly from there.”

“You don’t understand. I’ll be under more surveillance inside. I have something to resolve before entering.”

In fact, Judith’s goal had already been achieved.

She had stolen the role of the minor villain from the original story and carved out her own life.

But… knowing that the minor villain continued to torment someone, she couldn’t just stand by.

Even though she was a private tutor, she had sincerely taught many children for three years. She couldn’t ignore adults tormenting children, whatever else might happen.

“At this rate, the second young master there is in danger.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Master’s body instantly stiffened. He paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice.

“Really?”

“Yes. But well, if Master says you don’t know much about the Meius Ducal House, I’ll ask someone else…”

“Please tell me the whole story.”

“I know the whole story, but since Master doesn’t know much about the Meius Ducal House…”

“I will help you.”

“I appreciate your words, but since Master said you don’t know much about the Meius Ducal House…”

At that, the Master suddenly became excited and shouted.

“No! Actually, I know them very well!”

“Oh my.”

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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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