I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 99

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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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Ekian wanted to hurry back to Judith, reveal that he was Master, and beg for her forgiveness.

If she remained sulky and refused to accept him, he planned to cling to her somehow until she did. Since he had ended up hiding his identity until the very end, Judith had every right to be angry.

So he had a swift subordinate deliver a letter to Alteon informing him that everything had been successful, then mounted his horse to return to the capital.

‘Everything is over. Everything.’

Judith would surely ask ‘Why did you hide it?’ It was only natural.

Then he planned to confess his most ugly and shameful inner thoughts.

That it was because Judith seemed to like the old Ekian Meius, that he actually didn’t want his dishonorable background to be discovered, and…

That he was anxious about losing her to Huyd Soden.

That he was afraid she would want to live with such a safe and gentle man who posed no danger to be with.

So he too wanted to become a safe man worthy of being by her side, and only after that reveal everything and ask her to stay by his side.

But he would pour out everything with complete honesty, saying he was wrong, that he was lacking.

He planned to confess that being able to reveal all this was thanks to Judith’s courage in confessing to him first, and that by her taking one step forward, he realized how ridiculous and selfish his anguish had been.

The thought of standing before her as Master with his mask removed, as Ekian without blonde hair, made his heart pound as if it were being squeezed.

But not many days after he began racing toward the capital.

Ekian learned of his divorce news in a village some distance from the capital, where he had stopped just to sleep.

And in a very absurd way, by overhearing mercenaries chatting at an inn.

“Oh my, your wife had a miscarriage? Then hurry home and see her! Is money the issue right now?”

“Go be by your wife’s side immediately. Otherwise, you’ll get divorced like the Meius Marquis!”

Ekian’s pupils trembled as he traveled alone wearing a hood. At first he thought he had misheard. But the continuing conversation was not a hallucination.

“Right! What good is being from the Meius Ducal House? A wife absolutely can’t live with that kind of husband.”

“How bad must it have been for even the ducal house to generously provide alimony?”

Without realizing it, he walked toward the mercenaries and asked in a trembling voice.

“That…”

Even while convinced he must have misheard, his heart raced with anxiety.

“What are you talking about?”

He could only hope he had misheard something, that they were teasing someone with a very bad joke.

But the mercenaries’ answer was indifferent and cruel.

“Ah, it’s a rumor that spread all over the capital – don’t you know? The Meius Marquis’s wife had a miscarriage and eventually got divorced!”

“At first we all thought she was a woman trying to make a fortune through pregnancy… But no matter how much alimony she received, staying in the Meius Ducal House would have been better, right? Everyone’s saying she really was just a woman in love.”

Divorce? She got divorced? So, Judith and Ekian?

Ekian felt like he had been struck in the head.

Time passed and news of the Emperor’s disappearance reached the capital.

The news was that he had gone to inspect Aarten territory, was attacked by barbarians, and now both the Marquis of Arten and the Emperor’s whereabouts were impossible to determine.

Fortunately, the barbarians were driven back again with help from neighboring territories. However, the Emperor, who had attempted to flee mixed among the commoners, could not be found even by the neighboring territory’s lord.

Since the Marquis of Arten and his close associates had also disappeared together, people speculated that they simply hadn’t been able to return yet.

Alteon, who had secretly received word that both the Marquis of Arten and the Emperor were dead, quickly seized control of the Imperial Palace.

He started by listing and investigating nobles who cried out that the Emperor must still be alive.

This was because they were surely embezzling something with the Emperor’s backing.

Indeed, the people of such territories were suffering from high tax rates and unreasonable military service. Aarten was typically one of such territories.

So for several days.

Even while incredibly busy, Alteon searched everywhere for Judith. First, he naturally sent people to the Soden Marquis’ Domain. He quickly discovered Huyd Soden’s alias and investigated that hospital first.

“…Judith?”

But Huyd turned pale and asked back instead.

“Has something happened to Judith?”

If it was acting, it would be tremendous acting skill.

“I already knew about the divorce after the miscarriage. But Judith… Judith disappeared?”

But if it was acting, would there have been any need to mention knowing about the divorce plan after the miscarriage? Alteon’s subordinates searched and interrogated several more times, but truly could not find any trace of Judith in the Soden Marquis’ Domain.

No, it was difficult to find her anywhere, not just the Soden Marquis’ Domain.

For Alteon and Melanie, it was an enormous emergency. Despite being pregnant with her second child, Melanie eventually rolled up her sleeves and visited the Meius Mansion.

“Ah…”

Isabella greeted Melanie with undisguised reluctance. Not only was there a significant age difference with Melanie, but they had no friendship at all.

“Didn’t I tell you? Judith left for the Soden Marquis’ Domain.”

“She’s not at the Soden Marquis’ Domain!”

“Then would you like to wait? She said she was going leisurely, doing some traveling too.”

“But we can’t determine her whereabouts at all. Where on earth did she go after leaving the mansion… No, why did the Meius Ducal House secretly send Judith away like that in the first place?”

“Because Judith wanted it. As Your Highness the Crown Princess knows, doesn’t that child absolutely hate being the center of attention? Why would we let her become a spectacle by announcing everywhere that she had a miscarriage and got divorced?”

“Madam!”

Melanie finally burst out in anger.

“Not only did you stamp the divorce papers behind Ekian Meius Marquis’s back, but how can you so irresponsibly let her go missing like this! What will you do about the consequences when Ekian Marquis returns!”

Isabella’s eyes widened as if in disbelief. Melanie continued her anger while panting.

“Of course, he irresponsibly got her pregnant and only appeared much later!”

Isabella was also a woman with quite a personality. Honestly speaking, she could have turned away the Crown Princess or whoever when Melanie came without warning.

“Even after returning, he didn’t protect Judith at all when she became a target of high society!”

But there was exactly one reason she dealt with her. Because she was pregnant.

“Even while Judith was thoughtfully caring for others, he gave her no help at all!”

While Melanie was angry, Isabella crossed her arms with a face that seemed to say ‘let’s see how far you’ll go.’

“He didn’t show his face even once until their precious child miscarried…!”

Melanie’s tone began to grow increasingly uncertain as she continued speaking. Anyone could see that the person who should handle the consequences now was Ekian.

“That… even after the miscarriage… he didn’t stay by her side, but that, that, that surely had re-re-reasons… really, definite reasons…”

“Yes.”

Isabella looked quietly at Melanie and asked.

“Since you say you care for Judith, I’ll ask you. If Judith were Your Highness’s sister, when she requested divorce, would you tell her to divorce? Or would you tell her to just wait for Ekian forever and wither away like a doll here?”

“…That… but. Ekian Marquis truly loves Judith…”

Melanie muttered and then sighed. She knew the answer better than anyone.

“Yes. That’s the Marquis’s extremely personal feelings…”

In the end, Melanie left the Meius Mansion without even recovering her investment. At the same time, she realized one thing.

Judith was truly loved in this mansion. Isabella’s confident attitude paradoxically proved that.

The Meius Ducal House had made that decision with genuine consideration for Judith.

It meant that Judith was that good a person.

“Judith.”

Melanie muttered while holding her forehead.

“Where on earth… are you? Please at least let us know where you are first. If the Marquis comes to the capital like this, there’s really going to be chaos…”

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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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