7.
Originally, Judith was scheduled to visit the Mayous Ducal Mansion in two days. However, the very next morning, a man was waiting outside her boarding house at the crack of dawn.
With the morning twilight at his back, he said politely, “The Duchess Mayous has personally requested that I escort you, Baroness.”
The alley where her boarding house was located was too narrow for a carriage to navigate. To a casual observer, it might have seemed pathetic for a woman bearing the title of Baron to live in such a place, but Judith showed no sign of embarrassment. Had she been the type to care about appearances, she never would have survived this long.
She was gifted at accepting reality. She had been since she was very young.
“Ah, one moment, please. I have a few home tutoring sessions today… I’ll just write a few letters to cancel them urgently before we leave.”
“That is not necessary. The Ducal House has already taken care of everything.”
“Ah… I see.”
The fact that they had tracked down her schedule and canceled her appointments so thoroughly left no doubt that they had meticulously investigated her background.
Judith chose a neat outfit and walked through the alley to board the carriage, which was embossed with the Mayous crest.
Judging by the servant’s deferential tone, it was clear that the Duchess had taken a significant interest in her. Judith rested her chin on her hand, her gaze lingering on the eagle emblem of the Mayous.
After a long journey, the massive silhouette of the Mayous Ducal Mansion finally emerged in the distance.
*What could Ekian Mayous’s circumstances possibly be?*
What kind of situation would drive a man to abandon a guaranteed future, a harmonious family, and immense wealth, choosing instead to leave the Ducal Mansion of his own volition?
Judith, who possessed none of these things, felt an inexplicable curiosity, even though she knew she was unlikely to find the answer. Why would the Young Duke—a man who seemed to lack for nothing—become a runaway in his mid-teens?
*Wherever he is and whatever he’s doing, he’s probably dead, right? That’s why he never appears in the original story.*
He had left behind a younger brother, Karl Mayous, whom he had cherished. The age gap was significant. Yet, while Karl went on to become the villain of the original story—suffering hardships and succumbing to his own dark impulses—Ekian had remained absent. Had he been alive, surely he would have stepped in to help Karl.
*Wasn’t he a terminally ill patient to begin with?*
She rested her chin on her palm, allowing her thoughts to wander. *Did he hide his illness and go into hiding because he didn’t want his family to witness his decline?*
The people of the Mayous house were defined by their golden hair. Only Duchess Mayous possessed a lighter, platinum-blonde hue. The Duke, Karl, and the Young Duke himself were all known for their deep gold locks.
*Ekian Mayous… I heard he had golden hair and dark red eyes.*
She had only heard the rumors; the image of the Young Duke was nowhere in her memory. As the Master had suggested, in reality, Judith had never even met him.
*Golden or platinum blonde hair is rare, though. That alone is enough to mark one as special.*
The Master’s hair, which she occasionally caught a glimpse of between the wigs he changed daily, was black. And hair dye was incredibly expensive in this city. Until now, she had only seen that distinct platinum blonde on the Duchess.
While she was lost in thought, the carriage drew to a halt before the Mayous Ducal Mansion.
*Alright.*
Judith smiled faintly, steeling herself.
*Now, it is finally time to make a decision.*
* * *
Duchess Mayous, Isabella Mayous, had not slept for two days. It was all because of the red-haired woman, Judith Aylan, who had appeared out of nowhere. The information she had recited regarding Ekian was highly personal, precise, and trivial.
It was information that had no business being known to an outsider.
*That girl and Ekian clearly have a connection.*
Isabella thought, her tired eyes wide. Judith Aylan was a woman currently hounded by private lenders, her barony little more than a joke. Yet, following Judith’s visit, Isabella had conducted a thorough investigation.
Despite losing her parents young and inheriting nothing but debt, Judith was a woman who worked hard enough to earn a grudging respect. She maintained an exhausting schedule of tutoring and sold information to the guild just to pay the interest on her loans.
*Did she find out about Ekian through that information guild?*
What remained certain was that Isabella had no choice but to call her back.
*Ekian, my precious son…*
Isabella lowered her eyes. She had a hunch as to why Ekian had run away without a word, and why there had been no news of him since.
*I must meet you again. Because we love you. We have to talk.*
It would soon be five years. If she could not find a single lead by then, the death declaration process would proceed as a formality. She knew she was clutching at straws, but she wanted to delay the inevitable. She wanted to show Ekian, wherever he was, that they were waiting for him with such desperation that they would defy the law itself.
“I suspect I know the method you have in mind, Your Grace.”
Judith, who had arrived at the crack of dawn, spoke with intelligent eyes shining.
“You intend to announce that there is a woman pregnant with Young Duke Ekian’s child, and that the unborn fetus possesses the aura of the Mayous. It is a matter that will tarnish Young Duke Ekian’s honor, but you are doing it to avoid the death report.”
“…Yes.”
Isabella nodded heavily.
The Mayous family did not require a paternity test; the aura flowing through their direct descendants was unique and unmistakable to the head of the house. Isabella’s plan was a temporary measure. Since she could not conjure a real child, she would simply claim a miscarriage a few months later.
*Still, wouldn’t it serve as some kind of signal to Ekian?*
She had only confided this private plan to her closest inner circle. How could Judith possibly know? Then again, the fact that even her closest confidants knew meant secrecy was already a luxury she couldn’t afford.
“I dare to speak to the Duchess,” Judith said, her voice steady. Her clothes were shabby, but her posture was impeccable. “Even if you acknowledge a woman carrying the Young Duke’s child as your daughter-in-law and announce it to society, the Young Duke will not return.”
Isabella’s heart sank. Judith’s words were tinged with a chilling, absolute certainty.
“No matter what happens at the Ducal Mansion, the Young Duke will not return.” Judith continued calmly. “If you still wish to use that method, in spite of that…”
“If I wish to use it?”
“I would like to be that contract daughter-in-law.”
“…What?”
“The daughter-in-law who pretends to be pregnant with Young Duke Ekian Mayous’s child and announces a miscarriage a few months later.”
Isabella was struck dumb. Even if it lasted only a few months, it would be a recorded marriage and subsequent divorce. The groom would be missing, leaving the bride in a precarious position. The Empire was not a place where divorce was common; for a woman, it was a significant stain on any future prospects.
Isabella had originally earmarked a foreign maid for this task—a commoner truly in need of money.
“Baroness Aylan, this is not a matter I could ever ask of a young lady.”
“My motives are simple. Money.” Judith stated it clearly and concisely. “If you have looked into my background, you know I have a massive amount of debt. I cannot pay it off. For me, the dignity or honor of a noble has long since become a luxury.”
Isabella looked at Judith in silence. The girl had come to strike a deal, trading her reputation for capital.
Isabella remained silent for a long moment before finally asking, “Does the Baroness not know how to negotiate? Why would you confess your skepticism from the beginning, despite wanting the deal?”
“Pardon?”
“You said that even if I do this, Ekian will not return. If you truly wanted to secure this agreement, you should have promised that he would return. If you hate lying, you could have simply said nothing at all.”
Judith was not flustered. Instead, she offered a confident look, as if she had expected the inquiry all along.