Chapter 1 — Prologue
Chapter 1
Prologue
A beautiful, dazzling banquet hall.
Ladies and gentlemen of high society gathered in small groups, dancing or engaged in conversation.
Though they exchanged trivial pleasantries, their gazes kept drifting toward one person.
"My, that necklace... Isn't that made from the Otez Diamond that sold for 4 million gold?"
"Good heavens, I heard Madame Ovard closed her atelier for a month just to make that gown. It shows—how utterly exquisite..."
The focus of their attention was a woman standing on the terrace, enjoying the breeze like a figure from a painting.
Her meticulously styled hair, elegant attire, flawlessly maintained complexion, and long, beautifully arched eyebrows stood out.
But above all, her luscious crimson locks and intelligent green eyes drew everyone's gaze.
"Was Baroness Aillan always that beautiful?"
"I had no idea. After seventeen, she only ever wore shabby clothes like a commoner."
"I always thought she was just some poor girl running around borrowing money left and right..."
And so, throughout the banquet, people couldn't stop talking about Judith Aillan—no, Judith Meius. It was only natural, for Judith's rise had been nothing short of fascinating.
Judith Aillan had once been a destitute orphaned noble, inheriting nothing but debt.
Her family's circumstances hadn't been too dire when she was young. But when she turned seventeen, her father—having failed in business—took his own life, and everything changed.
Her mother gathered what little remained of their household and fled in the dead of night with a servant, leaving young Judith buried under mountains of debt with nothing but a barony to her name.
Judith tried borrowing money from friends a few times, but the debts were far beyond what such measures could solve. Later, she was occasionally spotted wandering in worn-out clothes, searching for work.
And then, she was forgotten.
As is the way with countless misfortunes that don't affect others.
But then—
"Ah, wait a moment. We shouldn't call her Baroness Aillan anymore, should we?"
"You're right. Then... should we address her as the Young Duchess Meius?"
A few days prior, she had reappeared in a storm of rumors—whispers that she was carrying the child of the Young Duke Meius.
The problem was, the Young Duke was currently missing...
Yet, it was an official announcement from the Ducal House of Meius.
Judith's womb carried the undeniable bloodline of Meius, and though the Young Duke remained missing, the family had acknowledged her as their daughter-in-law.
Without a groom, there had been no wedding, but regardless, Judith had entered the ducal household.
"Should we go ask her? Where on earth did she meet the Young Duke, and how did she seduce him...?"
"Is it really the Meius bloodline? I mean, the Young Duke has been missing for five years now."
"But I heard Duke Meius himself confirmed the direct lineage."
"Could she be pulling some kind of scam? Suddenly claiming to be pregnant with the Young Duke's child, yet the Young Duke hasn't even appeared. Honestly, even if the Meius family announced it, it's hard to trust..."
"I'm curious, but I wouldn't dare ask. Last time she begged me for a loan, and I pretended not to know her..."
That was when—
"All of you."
A voice like frost-laden wind cut through the air.
"Why is there so much chatter about my daughter-in-law?"
The murmuring crowd fell silent at once.
"Who dares wag their tongues about the daughter-in-law recognized by House Meius?"
The one who strode through the gathered guests was none other than the Duchess of Meius.
A woman infamous for her indulgence in luxury and her vicious temper—the Iron-Blooded Lady.
With her platinum hair elegantly pinned, the noblewoman was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her expression seemed to drip with ice.
The Ducal House of Meius—an ancient aristocratic family so formidable that even birds of the empire dared not fly over their domain.
Though they clashed with the imperial family and earned a notorious reputation, their power was such that not even the royals could act recklessly against them.
Duke Meius was infamous for being merciless, and the Duchess was no less notorious for her eccentric temperament.
Ever since their eldest son ran away and disappeared five years ago, their nerves had only grown sharper.
"Perhaps you all find House Meius amusing."
The Duchess snapped open an ornate fan and glared.
"To mock the woman carrying Meius blood in her womb—how bold."
Her frigid tone left everyone speechless.
One thing was certain.
The Duchess of Meius cherished her daughter-in-law, even though she had been no better than a beggar. All because she carried the bloodline of her missing son...
Though, to say she was merely being affectionate would be an understatement.
Judith, who had once lived as stubbornly as any destitute commoner, had been meticulously adorned from head to toe before being brought here.
"Let's go, dear."
The Duchess slowly walked over to Judith herself.
"The Duke must be waiting. We don't have time to linger among these tiresome people. The baby in your belly must be tired too by now."
Judith smiled shyly and stood beside the Duchess, even rubbing her still-flat stomach—as if she were truly in the early stages of pregnancy.
Inside the carriage returning to the Meius estate.
"Well, the rumor must have spread through high society by now."
The Duchess, Isabella Meius, crossed her arms and spoke haughtily.
"That you're carrying Ekian's child. And that we personally verified the Meius bloodline and acknowledged it."
"Ah, yes."
Judith, the mastermind behind this fake pregnancy act, sat upright and grinned.
"That's right. Now the death declaration for the Young Duke won't proceed. Since I've made my appearance."
The Duke and Duchess of Meius were accomplices in this farce as well. In terms of their relationship, they were less like Judith's in-laws and more like her employers.
"Hmph."
Isabella snorted, then swept her icy gaze over Judith from head to toe. Sensing her scrutiny, Judith quickly spoke up.
"I kept everything clean. Once we return to the ducal residence, I'll return all the jewels and dresses immediately—"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Isabella cut her off with a sharp yell.
"What do you take the Meius family for, huh? You think we'd take those things back? You look good in them, so just keep them!"
"...What?"
"Even if this is just a contract, you're still our daughter-in-law! Do you think we'd begrudge you something like that? Huh?"
Isabella huffed indignantly.
"Now that I look at you, pastel dresses suit you perfectly! We'll have another one tailored tomorrow! Understood?"
"Ah... Yes, yes."
"And even if you're just a fake pregnant woman, you're too thin! The moment we get back, prepare to have a late-night snack!"
Judith, catching the hidden kindness in Isabella's words, grinned and nodded.
She had suffered so much under the weight of her debts. But now, living in such luxury, it felt like all that hardship had already faded from memory.
All thanks to suddenly recalling her past life and using the original novel's plot to pull off this bizarre scheme.
'A fake contract daughter-in-law for a villainous family—this is seriously perfect!'
She planned to hold out like this for a few months before announcing a miscarriage and divorce. After all, according to the original story, her supposed husband, Ekian Meius, was never coming back.
'It's just a temporary gig, but I might as well enjoy these few months. Everyone's so nice, after all.'
Everything was going exactly as Judith had planned.
At least, it had been—until the moment she and Isabella arrived at the ducal residence late at night after the banquet.
"You're late."
Judith and Isabella froze the moment they stepped out of the carriage. A languid yet low voice sliced through the humid summer night like lightning.
"It's been a while, Mother."
Against the pitch-black night, an elegantly built young man smiled deeply at them.
"E-E-Ekian?"
Isabella's eyes widened as she faced her eldest son, who had reappeared after five years of disappearance.
"Ekian, you..."
The coldly handsome man, sculpted like a work of art, gave a faint smile to Isabella, who couldn't find her words. Then, his intense gaze shifted to Judith.
"And this must be..."
Judith was just as panicked.
Ekian Meius—on paper, her husband, but in reality, someone she had never even seen before.
According to the original story, even if a wife claiming to be pregnant with his child appeared, he was never supposed to return. His crimson eyes leisurely swept over her, lingering on her slightly parted lips.
"My wife, I presume."
In the silence, he slowly crossed his arms and added,
"Pregnant with my child."