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“What? R-romantic interest?”
The Master, who was usually as composed as a painting, asked in a rare tone of surprise.
Judith shrugged and replied, “Yes. Did you think I was only concerned with paying off my debt and thinking about money?”
While that was a fairly accurate description of her, Judith continued nonchalantly, “Ekian Mayus, the Young Duke, is famous for being handsome and perfect in every way, right?”
Of course, Judith had never seen him in person. Ekian Mayus was not someone a mere baron’s daughter like her could ever meet.
But since Ekian had been a well-known figure from a young age, it wasn’t difficult for her to pretend she had seen him from afar or heard about his reputation.
“What’s wrong with being interested in a perfect man?” Judith asked casually
The Master remained silent for a moment. With his mask on, she couldn’t tell what expression he wore. After pondering quietly, he finally spoke, “…As far as I know, the Young Duke Ekian Mayus has never met Baroness Ailan.”
“I’ve never been formally introduced to him or met him,” Judith answered calmly. “I didn’t have any connections to introduce me to someone like the Young Duke. But I watched him from afar.”
Judith’s experience in social circles during her youth was far from noteworthy, even if she tried to embellish it.
Noblewomen with daughters they cherished would go to great lengths, using distant connections, to introduce their daughters to noble young men like Ekian.
However, Judith’s mother had never shown any such interest in her. While she did ensure Judith received some education through private tutors, that was about it.
Looking back, it seemed like the packed schedule of lessons her mother arranged for her was just another form of neglect. While Judith was occupied with her tutors, her mother was busy spending time with one of the servants.
But Judith hadn’t cared much about that for a long time. In any case, she enjoyed learning, and until the tutors stopped coming due to unpaid wages, she had been an excellent student.
“Well, it’s impressive that you know I’ve never even greeted the Young Duke of Mayus. The Grey Information Guild really is something.”
Judith widened her eyes playfully. “So, Master, do you know a lot about Ekian Mayus?”
“…Not that I know a lot, but…”
Knowing even a small detail about someone who would soon be her husband on paper might prove useful in the future. Judith immediately launched into a barrage of questions.
“Why did he run away? What’s he doing now? Do you have any idea where he was last seen?”
Of course, she couldn’t pretend to be pregnant with his child forever. As in the original story, the Mayus family would eventually fabricate a miscarriage and arrange for a divorce within eight months.
‘And during that time, I’ll receive an enormous sum of money as compensation!’
In the original story, after the villain matured, he tracked down and killed the maid who had abused him and pretended to be the Young Duke’s wife. But until that happened, she lived a life of luxury.
‘If I can just take her place… my debt will be gone.’
Though it would be publicly known that she had once been pregnant and divorced, Judith didn’t care about that. If she couldn’t pay off her debts, she wouldn’t be able to live a normal life anyway.
“Hmm.” The Master, who was usually decisive, clicked his tongue and said quietly, “I’m sorry, my lady. I don’t actually know much.”
“What? You seemed to know I never met him.”
“Well, that was from a long time ago. After he went missing, I have no idea. And I doubt any information guild knows, either.”
The Master drew a clear line.
“Ekian Mayus left the Mayus Duchy of his own accord. The Mayus family should move on and forget about him.”
“Hmm, but everyone knows that the Mayus family hasn’t forgotten about the Young Duke…”
“The natural course is for the five-year period to pass, for him to be declared dead, and for the name Ekian Mayus to be erased.”
“How can they do that?” Judith shook her head in disbelief. “How could they erase the name of such an exceptional son? They’ll want to wait as long as possible, to keep the door open for his return.”
“In any case, once he is declared dead, that will be the end. They will gradually forget him.”
Judith shrugged, thinking that the Master didn’t really know much about the Mayus family.
‘They’re already planning to fake a pregnancy just to buy another five years.’
Of course, it was an absurdly inventive scheme, one that no one would have thought of. When Judith didn’t agree, the Master cut her off firmly in a low voice.
“In any case, I have no information on him. I’m sorry.”
Judith lowered her gaze and took a sip of tea. Was Ekian really dead? Was that why he never appeared again in the original story?
Then again, the villain later recalled, ‘My brother must be dead. If he weren’t, he would have come to stop me long ago.’
Now that she thought about it, if Ekian had been alive, he would have heard about a woman coming to the Mayus family, claiming to be pregnant with his child. Yet he never appeared in the original story.
‘It’s better to treat him as if he’s dead…’
If even the Master had no information, there was no point in considering Ekian as a factor. As Judith pondered this, the Master cleared his throat and spoke.
“But… how did you develop… romantic interest in the Young Duke?”
“Ah, he was really popular.” Judith waved it off, “I was just one of many who admired him.”
“…But even after he went missing, you still— Does that mean your feelings were deep?” the Master stammered, sounding as if he were genuinely surprised. “There wasn’t much of a… connection…”
“He’s handsome, though.”
“But to be interested in someone for that reason…”
“I care a lot about appearances. A lot. It’s just a personal preference. He looked great from a distance. Really great.”
Now that Judith no longer had any interest in Ekian, she responded dismissively.
“I just wanted to know more about him now that I’ve come of age.”
Regardless, her plans wouldn’t change. In fact, she was now even more convinced that she could take the place of the ‘fake wife’ in the original story without issue.
‘It’s time to act.’
Now that she was of age, she needed to secure the position of fake wife before the Mayus family chose a maid to fill the role.
‘They say you should strike while the iron is hot. I’ll go to the Mayus estate tomorrow.’
She had no more time to hesitate. Now that she was legally an adult, if she failed to pay off her debts, she could end up being sold to a far worse fate by the underground organizations.
“I’m really sorry I couldn’t be of more help, my lady,” the Master said gently. “But you mentioned you had information to sell as well?”
“Yes, I do. It’s very valuable… but I don’t think it’ll be worth it now.”
Judith shrugged, then picked up the parchment and quill on the table. She had been planning to deliver this information to the Master today.
As she quickly sketched something on the parchment, the Master raised an intrigued eyebrow. “This looks like… a map of the neighborhood?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Once she finished drawing, Judith marked a building with a star.
“Here.” She looked the Master in the eye as she spoke, “There are a lot of bombs stored here. If they aren’t dealt with immediately, the entire district will be blown to pieces.”
“…What?”
“Go check it out and make sure it’s taken care of.”
The building she pointed to was a shop where illegal transactions frequently took place. The bombs had been stored there illegally, and they would accidentally detonate, bringing disaster to the entire district.
‘That’s how I die, along with the people from the Grey Information Guild, while the female protagonist—who had gone on an errand—was the only survivor.’
That was the start of the original story.
‘There’s no need for the protagonist to suffer unnecessarily. It would be better if the people in this district survived too.’
Judith herself didn’t have the power to deal with the situation. But the Grey Information Guild could handle it.
“Pay me for the information later,” she said with a smile as she stood up. “And make sure you pay me what it’s worth. Got it?”
Whatever price the Master paid her, Judith figured it would be the price of his own life.
