Prologue
A beautiful and splendid ballroom.
Ladies and gentlemen of society gathered in small groups, dancing or engaging in conversation.
While they exchanged trivial talk, their attention was constantly directed toward one person.
“Oh my, that necklace… it looks like it’s made from the Otez Diamond that was sold for 4 million gold.”
“My word, Madame Owar closed her boutique for a month to make that dress, and it’s worth every bit of it. It’s so beautiful…”
The focus of their attention was a woman standing on the terrace, enjoying the breeze, as picturesque as a painting.
With meticulously groomed hair, elegant attire, and well-maintained skin, she stood out with her long, beautiful eyes.
Above all, her vibrant red hair and intelligent green eyes captivated those around her.
“Was Baroness Ailan always this beautiful?”
“No one knew. Ever since she turned seventeen, she only wore old, worn-out clothes like a commoner.”
“I thought she was just a poor woman always borrowing money from everyone…”
Thus, people at the banquet spent much of the evening discussing Judith Ailan—or rather, Judith Mayus. Her story was intriguing, to say the least.
Judith Ailan had originally been an impoverished noble orphan, inheriting nothing but debt.
Her family’s circumstances had been decent when she was young, but when she turned seventeen, her father committed suicide after a business failure, changing everything.
Her mother fled in the night with a servant, taking everything of value, leaving young Judith alone with nothing but a title and a mountain of debt.
Judith attempted to borrow money from friends several times, but it was never enough to solve her financial problems. Eventually, she was seen wandering in shabby clothes, searching for work.
And then, she was forgotten.
As with countless misfortunes that don’t directly affect us, she faded from memory.
But then—
“Wait a minute, we shouldn’t call her Baroness Ailan anymore.”
“You’re right. Should we… call her Lady Mayus, the wife of the Young Duke?”
A few days ago, she reappeared amid a storm of rumors. The word was that she was pregnant with the child of the missing Young Duke of Mayus.
The problem was that the Young Duke of Mayus was currently missing…
Even so, the Mayus family had officially announced it.
Judith was indeed carrying the bloodline of the Mayus family, and though the Young Duke remained missing, the Mayus family recognized her as their daughter-in-law.
Although there was no wedding, as the groom was absent, Judith nonetheless entered the Mayus family.
“Shall we go ask her how she met the Young Duke and managed to charm him…?”
“Is it really the Young Duke’s child? I mean, he’s been missing for five years now.”
“But didn’t the Duke himself verify the bloodline?”
“Could she be running a scam? Suddenly claiming she’s pregnant with the Young Duke’s child, yet the Young Duke hasn’t even appeared. Honestly, even though the Mayus family made the announcement, it’s still hard to believe…”
“I’m curious, but I can’t ask her. She begged me to lend her money last time, but I pretended not to know her…”
It was at that moment.
“Everyone.”
A voice as cold as ice cut through the air.
“Why is there so much talk about my daughter-in-law?”
The chattering crowd instantly fell silent.
“Who dares to speak ill of the daughter-in-law acknowledged by the Mayus family?”
The one pushing through the crowd was none other than the Duchess of Mayus.
She was notorious for her extravagant lifestyle and notoriously harsh personality, known as a woman of iron will.
With her platinum hair pinned up, the duchess was a beauty, though her expression was as cold as ice.
The Mayus family, a noble house with a long history, was so powerful that it was said they could bring even a flying bird down in the empire.
Though infamous for clashing with the imperial family, they were so influential that even the imperial family couldn’t easily interfere with them.
Duke Mayus was notorious for being ruthless and heartless, and the Duchess was equally known for her eccentric and difficult personality.
After their eldest son had disappeared five years ago, their nerves had only grown sharper.
“I suppose the Mayus family has become a joke.”
The duchess spread open her lavish fan, her eyes flashing with anger.
“It seems people think they can mock my daughter-in-law, who is carrying the bloodline of Mayus.”
The sharp tone in her voice silenced the room.
One thing was clear.
The Duchess of Mayus cherished her daughter-in-law, despite her once living in poverty like a common beggar, simply because she was carrying their missing son’s child.
It seemed obvious, given how the duchess had transformed Judith, who had once lived in rags, into someone groomed to perfection from head to toe.
“Come, my dear.”
The Duchess of Mayus slowly approached Judith.
“The Duke is waiting. You have no time to waste with these meaningless people. The baby in your belly must be tired by now.”
Judith shyly smiled and stood beside the duchess, gently stroking her still-flat belly, perhaps because she was in the early stages of pregnancy.
***
Inside the carriage on the way back to the Mayus estate.
“The rumors in society should be firmly settled now.”
The Duchess of Mayus, Isabella Mayus, crossed her arms and continued haughtily, “Everyone knows you’re carrying Ekian’s child now. And that we, the Mayus family, have personally verified the bloodline.”
“Ah, yes.”
Judith, the perpetrator of the fake pregnancy scheme, sat up straight and smiled slightly as she added, “That’s right. Now they won’t be able to proceed with declaring the Young Duke’s death. After all, I’ve made my appearance.”
The Duke and Duchess of Mayus were accomplices in this scam. In reality, they were more like Judith’s employers than her in-laws.
“Hmph.” Isabella snorted and gave Judith a cold glance from head to toe.
Sensing her mood, Judith spoke quickly, “I made sure to use everything cleanly. Once we return to the estate, I’ll return all the jewels and dresses—”
“Are you crazy?” Isabella cut her off, shouting, “What do you take the Mayus family for? Do you think we’re going to take those back? You look good in them, so just keep them!”
“Sorry?”
“Even though this is just a contract, you’re still our daughter-in-law. Do you really think we can’t at least give you that?” Isabella snapped, her voice sharp.
“And by the way, light-colored dresses suit you well! Go get yourself another one tomorrow! Understand?” she added.
“Ah… y-yes.”
“You’re way too thin to be a pregnant woman! As soon as we get back to the estate, prepare to have a late-night snack!”
Realizing the hidden kindness in Isabella’s words, Judith smiled bashfully and nodded.
She had suffered so much under the weight of debt, but now, she was enjoying such luxury that it felt like her hardships were fading away.
All of this was thanks to her sudden recollection of her past life and her clever manipulation of the original story.
‘Being the fake contract daughter-in-law of a villainous family—this is great!’
Judith planned to endure for a few months, then announce a miscarriage and divorce. According to the original story, Ekian Mayus, her supposed husband, never returned.
‘Even though it’s a temporary role, I might as well enjoy it for these few months. Everyone’s been so kind, after all.’
Everything was going exactly as Judith had planned.
At least, it was when they returned to the Mayus estate after the late-night banquet, with Isabella by her side.
“You’re late.”
Judith and Isabella froze on the spot as they stepped out of the carriage. A low, languid voice cut through the warm summer night like lightning.
“It’s been a while, Mother.”
With the darkness at his back, a strikingly handsome young man smiled deeply at them.
“E-E-Ekian?”
Isabella’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of the sharply sculpted, chillingly beautiful man—her eldest son, who had been missing for five years.
“Ekian, you…”
Unable to form words, Isabella could only stare as the young man offered her a faint smile. Then, his intense gaze turned toward Judith.
“And this must be…”
Judith was equally paralyzed by shock.
Ekian Mayus—her husband on paper, but a man she had never even seen in person.
In the original story, he was a man who would never return, even when a wife claiming to be pregnant with his child appeared. His red eyes leisurely swept over her, as if licking at her slightly parted lips.
“Likely my wife.”
In the silence, he slowly folded his arms and added, “The one who claims to be pregnant with my child.”
