I Faked a Pregnancy, but My Husband Returned - Chapter 170

The next morning.

“I wonder if Ekian managed to have a good talk with Karl?”

Judith stretched as she got out of bed. Lately, she’d become much sleepier than usual.

Yesterday too, she’d fallen asleep while waiting for Ekian. And she only woke up long after breakfast time had already passed.

“I’m doing a terrible job hosting our guests…. I’m the lady of the house.”

Not just anyone, but the heroine herself had come as a guest, yet Judith hadn’t even been able to join them for breakfast. In truth, she didn’t even know what their plans for today were.

Because she was constantly drowsy, suffering badly from morning sickness, and generally not feeling well.

Still, since Alex hadn’t come looking for her first thing in the morning, it seemed Ekian was once again doing his utmost to play with him.

“He’s really working hard.”

She called for a maid, asked to be helped with getting dressed, and requested a light breakfast.

And shortly afterward.

With a knock, Ekian’s voice came from outside.

“Judith? Are you awake?”

“Yes, I’m awake. Come in.”

At the same time, Karl’s voice followed.

“Sister-in-law? Can I come in too?”

“Oh my.”

Judith got up herself and warmly opened the door for them.

“Of course.”

Ekian and Karl entered the room with oddly excited expressions. Just from looking at them, the atmosphere didn’t seem bad at all.

“I heard you two talked a bit last night. It looks like things went very well,” said Judith gently.

Ekian raised his brows cheerfully. His expression clearly said he wasn’t denying it.

Could advice like ‘Don’t become obsessive’ really have worked on someone who didn’t even admit Rose was his ‘girlfriend’?

If he’d actually succeeded, then Ekian truly must possess an incredible talent for persuading people.

“Um, Sister-in-law.”

As soon as Karl sat down, he spoke as though he couldn’t wait another second.

“So somehow, I found out. Alex is getting a younger sibling, right?”

“Hmm. So things didn’t go well. You just told him the secret?” Judith burst into laughter.

Karl waved both hands frantically as he spoke helplessly, “No! I really found out by complete accident! And I didn’t even know that and went and brought a friend along too. What should I do? I feel so sorry….”

Judith shook her head. “No, not at all. Please don’t worry about something like that. Alex looked so happy that I’m genuinely grateful, actually. Since I haven’t been feeling well lately, I haven’t been able to play with him much.”

Karl blinked. “Ah, my goodness…. “So that’s why Brother was trying so desperately. Honestly… misunderstandings really are frightening.”

“Misunderstandings?”

“No, Sister-in-law. You don’t need to know. Anyway, congratulations. Truly.”

Karl puffed himself up and added politely in a strangely mature manner, “It’s always a happy thing when the family grows larger.”

Watching him, Ekian tilted his head.

“Why are you speaking so formally, Karl?”

Karl straightened his shoulders proudly. “Because I’m going to have two nieces or nephews now. I lay in bed thinking about it all night. Soon, there’ll be two children calling me Uncle, so I figured I should become a little more mature. Though I’m already very mature as it is.”

Judith laughed awkwardly. “Haha…. Mental maturity is always a good thing….”

Ekian looked like he had a lot he wanted to say, but for the moment, he seemed to be holding himself back. Then, perhaps wanting to change the subject, he calmly started praising Judith instead.

“Didn’t you start supporting yourself when you were only seventeen? If we’re talking about mental maturity, no one could possibly compare to you.”

“You really can’t resist doting on your wife whenever you get the chance.”

Karl snickered before looking at Judith with sparkling eyes and speaking, “So my brother and I seriously thought hard about the baby’s nickname yesterday!”

Judith finally understood why the two of them had looked oddly excited earlier and couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

It was one thing for Ekian to agonize over it, but imagining Karl sitting there putting their heads together to seriously think about it too was just too adorable.

“The nickname… now I’m curious. By the way, where’s Alex? He’d definitely be trying to stick close to his uncle no matter what.” Judith asked about what had been bothering her since earlier.

Karl answered casually, “He’s with Rose. He’s completely absorbed listening to Rose talk about fossils. Rose brought back a whole bunch of stones yesterday that had lots of holes or spread out like branches. Apparently, they’re fossils with really important meaning, even if they’re not as obviously noticeable as shells or ammonites…. Alex just thought those kinds of stones were scattered around everywhere here, so I guess he never considered them important. That’s probably why he’s finding it even more interesting.”

Judith tilted her head and murmured, “This is the first time that child’s ever become attached to someone he’s only known for a short while.”

“It’s not that he became attached. He probably just thinks they’re on the same wavelength,” said Karl proudly.

He continued, “I felt something similar from Sarah once too…. Ah, though Rose is such a good person that she can’t even be compared to Sarah.”

Judith looked slightly surprised hearing Karl casually mention Sarah.

Because the topic of Sarah had always been something absolutely never brought up between them.

However, seeing Karl mention her first, it truly seemed he’d overcome it now.

At the same time, Judith realized the similarity between Rose and Sarah. Both were commoners, intelligent, and beautiful.

‘Ah, so that’s why… in the original story… Karl tormented Rose so much.’

Karl, who’d been manipulated by Sarah, had undoubtedly seen Sarah in Rose. That was why twisted affection and the urge to destroy her had boiled up within him.

Without him even realizing it.

‘Then it really will be okay.’

Judith finally relaxed.

‘Because he clearly understands that Sarah and Rose are completely different people.’

And he’d overcome the wounds from childhood well too.

While she was feeling reassured, Karl continued, “So we thought about it. First of all, something meaningful that works regardless of whether it’s a boy or girl…. Actually, it’s a nickname we thought of thanks to Rose.”

At this point, Karl smiled slightly before asking, “What do you think about Coral?”

Judith blinked for a moment. “Coral? Hmm… you mean the thing from the sea?”

Karl nodded. “Yes! Rose said this territory used to be the sea a very long time ago. That’s why shell fossils appear here. But after time passed and passed, it gradually became this pleasant land to live on.”

He continued explained carefully, “The stones Rose brought yesterday, the ones with holes or shaped like branches, are all coral fossils apparently. I guess they hardened while still in the same form they had when alive.”

Honestly, Judith knew absolutely nothing about geology either.

“So there used to be coral here too. And apparently, coral is something that grows very slowly over an incredibly long time.”

Only then did Judith understand why Karl and Ekian had chosen Coral as the baby’s nickname.

Ekian smiled softly as he said, “It means a precious child we met after building up time together for so long, after waiting for them.”

Unlike Alex, who had come to them suddenly, this second child arrived after a long wait.

Judith loved the name so much.

So she spoke cheerfully, “You two really did something impressive. I love it. Coral, do you like it too?”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

They heard the sound of wheels rolling from a tray and the maid’s voice.

“I’ve brought breakfast, Your Highness.”

Karl immediately jumped to his feet.

“My goodness, you still haven’t eaten breakfast? Hurry and eat!”

And the moment he personally opened the door and pulled in the tray, Judith covered her mouth at the sharp smell of eggs.

“Uuuugh….”