50.
‘The more I think about it, the more sensible it seems. Since Hyude already knows everything about our situation, I won’t need to go out of my way to explain Judith’s circumstances.’
On the way to the Mayous Ducal Mansion, I had exchanged a few words with Judith, but that thought had occupied my mind the entire time.
‘I should bring this up to Ben right away.’
Ben was completely smitten with Judith; if I told him we should take her in as an adopted daughter, he would likely agree immediately. Karl also followed Judith well, so the more I considered it, the better the idea became.
He would be a bit surprised, of course, but as a child, he would surely support his sister-in-law’s fresh start.
Ah, his sister’s fresh start, rather.
It was just as Isabella was happily setting her plans in motion.
“Mother, we’ve arrived. It feels like the trip back was even shorter.”
The carriage had pulled up to the Ducal Mansion.
“That is true. Even though we just returned, you must be tired. Let us get off now.”
Isabella cleared her throat—*ahem*—and stepped out of the carriage. Judith followed.
The night had deepened, and the moon was already beginning to wane. Just as they were straightening their clothes to head inside:
“You’re late.”
Judith and Isabella froze. A languid, low voice sliced through the humid summer air like a blade.
“It’s been a while, Mother.”
With the pitch-black night at his back, a man of graceful, striking beauty stood waiting, his expression unreadable.
“Ek, Ek, Ekian?”
Isabella’s eyes widened as she faced the cold, sculpture-like features of her eldest son—the man who had finally reappeared after a five-year disappearance.
“Ekian, you……”
The young man offered a slight smile to Isabella, who couldn’t even finish her sentence. Then, his intense gaze shifted toward Judith.
“And this person here is……”
Judith was paralyzed, struck by a sudden, sharp panic.
“I assume she is my wife.”
In the heavy silence, he slowly folded his arms.
“The one carrying my child.”
* * *
“Hyude.”
Inside the carriage, the Marchioness Shoden held Hyude’s hand tightly.
“Let’s truly do well together from now on.”
Hyude smiled awkwardly and squeezed her hand in return.
In truth, though he had lived a difficult, impoverished life, he had not gone without parental affection. The couple at the farm who had taken him in had raised him with genuine love.
After his foster parents passed away, he had always worried about making ends meet for his younger siblings, but……
“Yes, I look forward to it.”
Hyude nodded, his face somewhat bewildered. The Marchioness smiled kindly.
“I have already made arrangements for your siblings, just as you wished.”
He had entrusted the livelihood of all his step-siblings to her. Given the immense wealth of the Shoden family, it was a simple task.
Fortunately, since the children were studious, they would be able to pursue their education to their hearts’ content with the proper support.
“Is there anything else you might want?” the Marchioness asked, wiping away tears. “I haven’t done anything for you all this time……”
“Well…… rather than what I want, shouldn’t I also have obligations to fulfill as the eldest son of House Shoden?” Hyude replied, feeling self-conscious. “From what I overheard at the Mayous Ducal Mansion, I gathered there are many things an eldest son must master and duties he must perform to be recognized as an heir……”
He had picked up bits and pieces while working as the resident physician at the mansion.
They said Ekian Mayous was the perfect heir—the kind of man the Duke and Duchess were waiting for with every fiber of their being. They said he had capably handled the affairs of the Duchy since he was a boy and had achieved much through his own initiative.
When he heard that Judith had once loved Ekian, he had suddenly felt him as a rival. It was a childish and laughable sentiment, but that was how he felt.
“W-well, that is true,” the Marquis Shoden said with a sigh. “To be honest, since you appeared so suddenly, if you show effort in finding your footing, it will be a great help to your standing within the family.”
“I see. That’s how it is.”
“However, if you do not wish to, there is no need to force yourself. For the time being, you can spend time with your family and think about such things slowly. You haven’t even met your real siblings yet, have you? Everyone is looking forward to seeing you immensely.”
They planned to leave the capital immediately and return to the Shoden estate. The Marquis and Marchioness were not based in the capital; they spent the majority of their time on their lands.
“In fact, there is a Countess’s daughter there who has had marriage talks with you from long ago. Perhaps you should meet her once……”
“I actually have a woman I like.”
At Hyude’s words, the expressions of the Marquis and Marchioness stiffened.
They had noticed it during the banquet. They had seen where Hyude’s gaze kept wandering. They understood why he had insisted on staying at the Ducal Mansion and why he hadn’t revealed his identity until the banquet.
Of course, they owed a tremendous debt to Judith. But bringing her in as a daughter-in-law was a different matter entirely. And above all, Judith didn’t seem to share those feelings at all.
“I…… rather than that, I want to establish myself quickly.” Hyude’s eyes shone with a calm intensity. “I truly want to become a noble with a foundation of my own.”
“……Hyude?”
“A noble who can protect at least one person with his own strength.”
The Marquis and Marchioness swallowed dryly. They knew exactly what Hyude was thinking.
If Judith and Hyude were to marry, Judith would only face further scrutiny and gossip. He was effectively saying he would cultivate the power to protect her himself, ensuring no one would dare speak against them.
“Then, let’s consider it gradually after we return to the Marquisate.”
The Marquis and Marchioness, not wanting to argue with the son they had just recovered, did not press him further. Regardless, it was not a bad thing that Hyude wanted to secure his own standing.
“The Marquisate requires a lot of work, surprisingly. Unlike the capital, the land is vast, but the environment is harsh,” the Marquis said gently. “But since they say you are an excellent doctor, perhaps there is work only you can do. Our territory has frequent landslides, so there are many injured people.”
Hyude nodded slowly and shifted his gaze out the window.
Judith’s face, which had been more beautiful than anyone else’s today, flickered in his memory. He didn’t like her merely because she was beautiful. He liked her because she was bright, because they communicated well, and because her heart was pure. He worried for her because she looked solid yet inherently precarious.
By now, the Imperial Palace had retreated into the distance, no longer even a dot on the horizon.
‘The next time we meet, Judith.’
Hyude thought as he closed his eyes.
‘You will no longer be the Duchess Mayous.’
Staying in the capital wouldn’t allow him to help her. He decided he would rather grow his own nest.
The carriage carrying the Marquis, the Marchioness, and their recovered eldest son sped away from the capital.
* * *
Judith stared at the man before her, completely dumbfounded.
This is nonsense. This is truly, utterly insane.
According to the original novel, this was a character who absolutely should not have appeared.
Did something go wrong because she had changed the future? But even when Sarah had been playing the role of the fake daughter-in-law, this man hadn’t shown a single strand of hair.
He never appeared in the original work at all, so she had naturally assumed he was dead. There was no other way to explain his absence.
“Ek, Ek, Ekian.”
Isabella ran toward him in a flurry.
“How did this happen? Huh? Ekian, how on earth is this possible……”
Ekian slowly took Isabella’s hand.
“Mother.”
His voice sounded like a ghost from a dream.
“It’s been a long time. Have you been well?”