20.
Judith felt the heat climb up her neck, her face flushing a deep, embarrassed crimson. The gown she had donned at the boutique was a far cry from the modest attire she was used to.
It was a cascade of soft, noble silk and shimmering, delicate beads. The color complemented her skin tone with uncanny perfection, and the matching accessories she’d purchased as a set made the look complete.
With her hair let down in elegant, soft waves, she looked like an entirely different person. Karl stared at her, dazed.
“I didn’t know you liked pretty women, brother….”
“Oh my, thank you.”
“But to act like such trash and just leave….”
Judith let out an embarrassed laugh.
They had collectively decided to keep the secret of the fake pregnancy from Karl; they felt he was still too young to process such complications. As a result, however, Ekian had become nothing more than absolute trash in his younger brother’s eyes.
“Don’t you think so, Hyude? Isn’t our sister-in-law pretty?”
When Karl nudged him, Hyude nodded, his own face tinged with a slight flush.
“Y-yes, she is.”
“Rest for a while before coming down to the dining hall. Let’s have dinner.”
Isabella, who had been watching Judith with a satisfied smile, spoke up after hearing Hyude’s response.
“I’ll have a maid assigned to you soon.”
“Ah….”
It had been so long since she’d had a maid that she didn’t even know if it would be a comfort or a hindrance. While Judith hesitated, Karl waved his hand dismissively.
“Then see you at dinner!”
Karl offered a cheerful farewell and left the room with Hyude and Isabella in tow.
Left alone, Judith let out a soft “Whew” and sank onto the edge of the bed, her eyes scanning the room.
It was immaculate, tidy, and impeccably maintained. It was the private quarters of the Young Duke—the space where Ekian had lived. The realization that she would be occupying someone else’s sanctuary felt jarringly strange.
That was when it happened. A familiar *thump-thump* echoed through the room.
‘Is this also a secret passage? Don’t tell me there’s one in Ekian’s room, too?’
Judith stood up cautiously and approached the bookshelf from which the sound had emanated.
“……Are you perhaps Master?”
A voice drifted from behind the shelves.
“Pull out the second book on the third shelf.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Then, the third book on the fifth shelf.”
“Yes.”
“Next, the second book on the first shelf.”
The moment she pulled the third book, the bookshelf swung open soundlessly.
“Good heavens.”
Judith started, staring at Master as he emerged from the hidden space.
At this point, was there any corner of the Ducal Mansion he couldn’t access?
“Is this connected here, too?” she whispered, startled. Master only stared at her, his gaze intense and unreadable.
“Master?”
“…….”
“Get a hold of yourself. What’s wrong?”
“……Ah.”
He muttered, sounding oddly flustered.
“I was… um, surprised….”
“Yes?”
When Judith asked, looking dumbfounded, Master let out a faint, shaky sigh. It was endlessly frustrating not being able to read his expression behind that mask.
‘What on earth is he thinking….’
Judith recalled Karl and Hyude’s earlier reactions and asked abruptly.
“Why? Because I became too pretty? Are you perhaps lovestruck?”
“……Pardon?”
“Just hold it in for now. Until the divorce. I’m a contract worker with a sense of responsibility, after all.”
Judith said it with a crisp, clean grin. In truth, she needed his cooperation.
“Master.”
“Yes.”
“Now that you’re here, let me ask you something. Do you know Bart Kalon?”
“Are you talking about the Ducal Mansion’s physician?”
Master regained his composure, his voice turning clinical.
“He served five years as an assistant physician and ten years as the lead. His medical skills are quite excellent.”
“So he had an apprenticeship. But why didn’t that young man, Hyude, have one?”
“He is such a prodigy that they likely feared he would be poached by another house,” Master explained calmly. “Though that is merely my speculation.”
“Hmm. Does Bart Kalon keep an assistant?”
“He does not. That is why there are two physicians on staff.”
“Aha.”
Judith nodded, lost in thought.
In truth, she could have stayed idle and done only what was required of her. It mattered little if the Duke and Duchess passed away in a year.
But the price of the dress she wore today alone was immense, and she felt a burning need to earn her keep.
‘And it’s despicable. Lurking for fifteen years just to plot their deaths. Doing it all under the guise of a healer.’
Even setting that aside, murder was abhorrent; her heart wouldn’t let her stand idly by. The thought of Karl growing up an orphan troubled her deeply.
From the moment she unmasked Bart Kalon’s true identity, her mind had been made up.
‘That man—I’m going to expose him.’
She couldn’t simply watch lives be extinguished by a conspiracy. The problem was that she wasn’t a doctor; she lacked the technical knowledge to challenge his prescriptions, and the Duke’s health was a closely guarded secret.
‘But there is one strange thing.’
Judith paused.
‘If I were Bart, wouldn’t I have killed Karl as well? Why target only the Duke and Duchess?’
It defied logic to target only specific patients. The Duchess received treatment from Hyude alongside Karl. Bart had claimed to check every member of the family—he’d had plenty of opportunities.
‘Bart is mainly looking after my health. Since he also oversees the nutritional balance of the house, Hyude is the one assigned to check your fake pregnancy for now.’
A sudden realization struck her.
‘And since Karl has frequent stomachaches, Hyude prepares medicine for him every day.’
Could the medicine Hyude prepared carry a detoxifying effect? And was Bart unaware of it?
Having formed her hypothesis, Judith turned back to Master.
“Master.”
“Yes.”
“Would you be willing to help me? For the price of the life I saved for you.”
“What do you need? Just name it.”
At his prompt consent, she looked at him with grave, thoughtful eyes.
“The three people in this Ducal Mansion are all in danger of being poisoned.”
Master fell silent. Because of the mask, she couldn’t even guess his expression.
So, Judith pressed on.
“I want to help. Poisoning is a terrible thing, after all.”
“……Poisoning, you say…… Who…….”
Master’s reaction came a beat late. She spoke with a calm resolve.
“Fortunately, I don’t think it’s too late. I’m planning to catch the culprit before the poison takes hold, but I need your assistance. Please help me.”
* * *
As Ekian retreated into the darkness of the secret passage, a strange melancholy washed over him.
He had believed this was a life he had left behind—a place he missed with a hollow ache, but one he had sworn never to step foot in again.
If Judith hadn’t insisted that Karl was in danger, he never would have returned. But Karl was his heart; his younger brother was as precious as his own life.
Once he had stepped onto the path, however, the way forward felt hauntingly familiar.
‘This is a road meant only for the successor….’
Ekian had learned the layout of the mansion’s secret veins from the Duke when he turned fifteen. It was the Duke’s silent acknowledgment of Ekian as his true heir.
A path to go anywhere in the mansion, or to escape beyond its walls.
In a sense, it was an inheritance of the family’s most dangerous secrets. He could still hear the Duke’s voice, explaining each turn so he wouldn’t be confused.
He had always respected his father, but back then, he had felt a surge of pride in having such a formidable parent. Watching the Duke’s sturdy back as he guided him through the gloom, fifteen-year-old Ekian had vowed to protect the Mayous family at any cost.
‘Just for today. See how things proceed, and never come back.’
That was his resolve.
There was no good to be found in returning; it would only sharpen the longing. To disappear was the kindest thing he could do for everyone.
The Duke and Duchess might still hope for his return, but his resolution remained like iron. Yet, they had given his room to Judith.
It was natural, logically speaking, but….
‘It’s a bit strange.’
It was surreal to see Judith inhabiting the room he had claimed his entire life. Now, she would be the one to sleep where he had slept.
She would sit at the desk where he had spent his nights, lie on the bed where he had once dreamed, and use the bath where he had once washed away the exhaustion of his duties….