Originally, Judith had planned to visit the Marquisate in two days. Yet, the very next morning, a figure was waiting outside her boarding house from the break of dawn.
Bathed in the dim light of early morning, he spoke with courtesy.
“Lady Judith Ailan, the Duchess of Maius has requested that I personally escort you to the Marquis.”
The alley where her boarding house stood was far too narrow for a carriage. For a noble holding a barony, living in such a modest place might have seemed humiliating, but Judith showed no trace of embarrassment. If she had cared about such things, she would never have been able to live this way.
She had been adept at accepting life as it came—ever since she was very young.
“Ah, just a moment. I have several home-visit lessons today… I’ll quickly write a few letters to cancel them before leaving.”
“That won’t be necessary. The Ducal household has already taken care of it.”
“Ah… very well.”
Judith realized then that someone had thoroughly investigated her schedule, canceling her lessons in advance.
She selected a neat outfit and walked through the alley to the carriage, which bore the emblem of the Maius family. The attendants treated her with utmost respect, making it clear that the Duchess had taken a liking to her. Judith rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the eagle emblem.
After a while, the sprawling Maius estate came into view in the distance.
What could be going on with Ekian Maius?
What circumstances had driven him to leave the Marquisate voluntarily, abandoning a guaranteed future, a harmonious family, and immense wealth?
Judith, who had been deprived of even one of those things, could not help but feel curious, even without knowing the answer.
Why had a seemingly perfect young marquis become a runaway in his mid-teens?
Wherever he is… he’s probably dead by now, isn’t he? That’s why he doesn’t appear in the original story.
He had a younger brother, Karl Maius, whom he cherished despite the age gap.
The original story depicted Karl as the villain, orphaned and suffering, eventually turning dark—but Ekian never appeared to intervene. Had he been alive, he would surely have helped Karl in some way.
Could he have been born with a limited lifespan?
Judith propped her chin on her hand and began to imagine.
Perhaps he concealed his illness to spare his family grief, and then disappeared.
The members of the Maius household all had blonde hair, though the Duchess’s platinum-blonde was a shade lighter. The Duke, Karl, and the young marquis were all reported to be blonde.
Ekian Maius… I heard he has blonde hair and dark red eyes.
Judith had only heard of him; she had no memory of the young marquis. As the Master had said, she had never actually met Ekian.
Blonde or platinum hair isn’t common. That alone would make them special.
Even the Master’s hair, glimpsed fleetingly under changing wigs, was black. Hair dye was prohibitively expensive here, and platinum blonde was something she had only seen on the Duchess.
Lost in thought, Judith’s carriage finally reached the gates of the Maius estate.
Now.
She smiled faintly and steeled herself inwardly.
It’s time to make a decision and see it through.
The Duchess of Maius, Isabella Maius, had not slept for two days. The reason was a red-haired woman who had appeared out of nowhere: Judith Ailan.
The information Judith had spoken of regarding Ekian was startlingly personal, precise, and trivial—details that would not normally come to light.
There’s definitely a connection between this girl and Ekian.
Isabella’s tired eyes widened as she thought.
Judith Ailan, a woman chased by debts so severe they made a barony seem trivial.
Since Judith’s visit, Isabella had begun following her advice and investigating her background. Despite losing her parents at a young age and inheriting only debt, she lived diligently enough to inspire respect. She managed a punishing schedule of private lessons while selling miscellaneous intelligence through the information guild—barely enough to pay off interest, but enough to survive.
Could she have learned about Ekian through the guild?
One thing was certain: Isabella could not avoid calling her again.
Ekian, my precious son…
Isabella lowered her gaze. She had an inkling of why Ekian had suddenly run away without a word, why there had been no news.
We… we need to see you again. We love you. We must speak with you.
Five years had almost passed. If they failed to find any clue about Ekian, the process to declare him legally dead would proceed.
Even if it was a desperate grasp at straws, Isabella wanted to delay it somehow—or at least show Ekian that they were refusing to declare him dead.
Thus, she had no choice.
“I believe I understand the plan you’ve devised, Madam.”
Judith, arriving at dawn, spoke with a sharp clarity in her eyes.
“You plan to announce that a woman is pregnant with the young marquis Ekian’s child, and that the fetus carries the energy of the Maius line. This would tarnish his honor, but it would prevent the death declaration.”
“…Yes.”
Isabella nodded solemnly.
The Maius household required no DNA test, for the special energy of the family line could be sensed in direct descendants from the womb. Even an unborn child would radiate this energy to the head of the household.
It was a temporary measure, a makeshift solution. Though the child could not actually exist, they would later claim a miscarriage.
Perhaps it will send some message to Ekian, wherever he is.
It was a thought she had shared with only her closest aides—but how did Judith know? Either way, the secret could no longer be guaranteed.
“With your permission, Madam,” Judith said politely, despite her tattered appearance, standing straight and proud, “I wish to become the contract bride—the one who pretends to be pregnant with young Marquis Ekian’s child and later announces a miscarriage.”
Isabella’s heart skipped. Judith’s words carried certainty, just as they had when speaking of Ekian or anticipating the Duchess’s thoughts.
“The young marquis will not return to the household under any circumstances,” Judith continued calmly.
“And yet, if you wish to proceed with this plan…”
“If I wish to proceed?”
“I wish to serve as the temporary daughter-in-law—the one who will feign pregnancy with Ekian’s child and announce a miscarriage after several months.”
Isabella was dumbfounded. Even if the arrangement lasted only a few months, the title of ‘daughter-in-law’ would appear on record—implying marriage and divorce, though the groom remained absent.
Even if Ekian returned, it would be a problem. Since it was a deception, she would simply announce the miscarriage and arrange the divorce. Divorce was not common in the Empire, particularly among nobility. Re-marriage carried significant stigma.
Ekian would soon be presumed dead, making the risk one-sided. The woman, however… she needed protection.
For that reason, Isabella had secretly earmarked a foreign-born, impoverished servant among the maids.
“Lady Ailan, this is not a request I could entrust to a young lady of rank,” Isabella said.
“My motivation is simple: money,” Judith replied bluntly.
“You’ve likely conducted your investigation—my debts are enormous. No matter what I do, I cannot repay them all. Nobility, dignity, honor—those luxuries have long been beyond my reach.”
Isabella regarded her quietly. This was a child who had come to negotiate. Both sides wanted something, and both could give something in return.
Yet, why did she speak of it so candidly from the start?
“Does the baron not understand negotiation? If you truly wished to see this arrangement through, you could have said that Ekian might return in a few months. If you dislike lies, you could have avoided mentioning it altogether.”
Judith did not falter. She simply smiled with a knowing confidence.
