Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Originally, Judith had planned to visit the ducal residence two days later. But early the next morning, someone was already waiting outside her boarding house at dawn.
With the dim twilight at his back, the man spoke politely:
"Her Grace the Duchess of Meius has personally requested the Baroness's immediate presence."
The alley where her boarding house stood was too narrow for carriages to enter. One might think it pitiful for a noble holding a barony to live in such a place, but Judith showed no trace of shame. If she were the type to care about such things, she wouldn't have been able to live like this in the first place.
She had always been exceptionally good at accepting things. Since she was very young.
"Ah, just a moment. I have a few home tutoring sessions scheduled for today... Let me just write a few letters to cancel them urgently, and then we can depart."
"That won't be necessary. The ducal household has already taken care of it."
"Ah... I see."
The fact that they had investigated and canceled her teaching schedule in advance meant they had thoroughly looked into her background.
Judith chose a neat outfit, walked down the alley, and boarded the carriage emblazoned with the Meius crest.
Given how respectfully the servant treated her, it was clear the Duchess had taken quite a liking to Judith. Leaning her chin on her hand, she gazed at the Meius crest—a carved eagle.
After a considerable ride, the massive Meius Ducal Residence came into view in the distance.
'Just what were Ekian Meius's circumstances?'
What could possibly have driven him to abandon a guaranteed future, a harmonious family, and immense wealth to leave the ducal residence of his own volition?
Judith, who had never possessed even one of those things, couldn't help but wonder, even though she knew she'd never find the answer.
What could have made the Young Duke—who seemed to lack nothing—run away in his mid-teens?
'Wherever he is, whatever he's doing... he's probably dead, right? That's why he never appeared in the original story.'
He had a much younger brother, Karl Meius, whom he had doted on terribly.
Even when Karl—the original story's villain—was orphaned, struggled through hardships, and eventually turned to darkness, Ekian never resurfaced. If he had been alive, he would have done something to help Karl.
'Was he terminally ill from the start?'
Resting her chin on her hand, she began to imagine.
'Did he go into hiding to spare his family the grief of his illness?'
The people of House Meius were blond. Only the Duchess had slightly lighter, platinum-blond hair.
The Duke, Karl—and, of course, the Young Duke were all known to be blond.
'Ekian Meius... I heard he had blond hair and crimson eyes.'
She had only heard about him; his face didn't exist in Judith's memories. As the Master had said, she had never actually met Ekian.
'Blond or platinum hair isn't exactly common. That alone makes them stand out.'
Even the Master's hair, glimpsed through his ever-changing wigs, was black. And hair dye was exorbitantly expensive here. The platinum blond she saw on the Duchess was the first of its kind in her experience.
Lost in thought, the carriage soon arrived at the Meius Ducal Residence.
'Alright.'
Judith smiled faintly and steeled herself.
'Now's really the time to make a decision and commit.'
The Duchess of Meius, Isabella Meius, hadn't slept for two days. All because of the sudden appearance of that red-haired woman—Judith Aillan.
The information Judith had recited about Ekian was deeply personal, precise, and utterly trivial.
The fact that it was useless meant it was the kind of information that would never become public...
'That girl and Ekian definitely had a connection.'
Isabella rubbed her tired eyes as she thought.
Judith Aillan—a woman so hounded by debt that her barony seemed laughable.
After Judith's visit, Isabella had followed her advice and looked into her.
Despite losing her parents at a young age and inheriting nothing but debt, Judith was a woman who lived so diligently it commanded respect.
She juggled a grueling schedule as a home tutor while selling miscellaneous information to the Information Guild. And yet, she was barely keeping up with the interest payments.
'Did she learn about Ekian through that Information Guild?'
One thing was certain—she had no choice but to summon her again.
Ekian, my precious son...
Isabella lowered her gaze. She had her suspicions about why Ekian had suddenly run away without a word and why there had been no news of him since.
I must... I must see you again. Because we love you. We need to talk.
Soon, it would be five years. If they failed to find even a single clue about Ekian, the legal process to declare him dead would proceed naturally.
She knew it was like clutching at straws, but she wanted to forcibly delay those proceedings—no, she wanted to show Ekian how desperately they had been waiting for him.
This is how fervently we've longed for your return...
And so, Isabella had no other choice.
"I believe I can guess the method Her Grace has in mind."
Judith, who had arrived at the crack of dawn, spoke with a glint of sharp intelligence in her eyes.
"You intend to announce that there is a woman pregnant with Young Duke Ekian's child—one whose womb carries the aura of Meius. Though it would tarnish the Young Duke's reputation, it would delay the death declaration by any means necessary."
"...Yes."
Isabella nodded heavily.
The Meius Ducal House had no need for paternity tests. That was because the direct bloodline of Meius possessed a unique aura—one that the head of the family could sense from the moment a fetus existed in the womb.
Thus, this was the stopgap measure she had devised. Of course, since they couldn't fabricate a child, they would have to announce a miscarriage after a few months.
Still... wouldn't it send some kind of message to Ekian, wherever he is?
But this had been a thought she had confided only to her closest aides. How on earth had Judith known? Then again, the moment she had spoken of it to anyone, secrecy was no longer guaranteed.
"If I may be so bold as to speak frankly, Your Grace."
Judith's tone was impeccably polite. Though her attire was shabby, her posture remained straight and unwavering.
"Even if you acknowledge a woman carrying the Young Duke's child as your daughter-in-law and announce it to high society... he will not return."
Isabella's heart sank. Judith's words carried absolute certainty—just as they had when she spoke of Ekian's whereabouts or when she guessed the Duchess's hidden intentions.
"No matter what happens within the Ducal House, the Young Duke will not come back."
Judith continued calmly.
"Nevertheless, if you still wish to proceed with this plan..."
"If I still wish to?"
"Then I would like to be that contracted daughter-in-law."
"...What?"
"The woman who pretends to be pregnant with Young Duke Ekian Meius's child, only to announce a miscarriage months later."
Isabella was dumbfounded.
Even if it lasted only a few months, it was still the position of a daughter-in-law —meaning it would be recorded as a marriage and subsequent divorce. And the groom wouldn't even be present, having vanished without a trace.
Even if Ekian returned, it would be a problem. After all, it was a lie—they would have to fake the miscarriage and divorce him anyway.
The Empire was not yet a land where divorce was common. Especially among nobles, remarriage was a significant stain on one's reputation.
For Ekian, it didn't matter—he would soon be declared dead anyway, so it was a last-ditch effort. But for the woman involved, wasn't it different?
That was why Isabella had already been eyeing a foreign-born commoner among her maids—one truly desperate for money.
"Baroness Aillan, this is hardly a matter I could impose upon a lady of your standing."
"My motives are simple. Money."
Judith's reply was blunt.
"If you investigated my background, you would know—I am burdened with an insurmountable debt. No matter what I do, I can never repay it all. Nobility's dignity and honor have long been a luxury I cannot afford."
Isabella studied Judith in silence. So this girl had come to strike a deal. Both had something the other wanted, and both could give and take accordingly.
But if she had come to negotiate...
After a long pause, Isabella suddenly asked:
"Baroness, do you not know how to bargain? If you want something, why did you start by saying that?"
"Huh?"
"By declaring that even if we do this, Ekian will never return to us."
"......"
"If you truly wanted this deal to succeed, you should have claimed that he might return within a few months. If you dislike lies, you could have avoided mentioning it altogether."
Judith did not falter. Instead, with the confidence of someone who had anticipated this, she smiled faintly and spoke.