# Chapter 38
"Yes!".
The mark on the young man's eyelid was completely erased.
As everyone stared in shock, Judith caught her breath and said, “I've lived a life separate from events like the Imperial Banquets, but I know this: most people wouldn't immediately think of the Imperial Banquet schedule if it didn't concern them.”
“I felt strange,” Judith continued in a clear, steady voice, “when Ayoade went out to deliver the mail, and suddenly the postal worker stepped in. I thought it was possible that the mailman had overheard the conversation in the drawing room and checked Ayoade’s eyelids for the mark.”
This was the position of the eldest son of the Soden Marquis family.
Unless someone possessed unique powers like Duke Maios' family, verifying paternity was almost impossible.
Thus, upon seeing the True Heir leave, there was definitely room for malicious intent.
“If he had been the Marquis of Soden, I imagine he would have generously financed the trip to retrieve that man,” Judith said, holding up the damp cloth.
“Whether his intention was just that or whether he really intended to pretend to be the eldest son, I cannot say for certain.”
You already knew from the original story that Ayud is the real eldest son of the Sodin Marquis family.
I quickly realized that the postal worker had planned this plan to deceive them.
That's why I spoke and acted immediately.
“I can’t say for sure whether Eud Ramis is really the eldest son of the Sodin Marquez family, but one thing is certain.”
“This person is a fraud,” Judith concluded firmly.
And it was then.
“Damn it...this deal is done!”
Suddenly, the servant standing in front of her pounced on Judith and grabbed her by the neck.
Since his deception had been exposed, there was no way the Maios family would let him go unpunished. He had nothing to lose, so he attacked Judith in frustration.
“Ah!”
Isabella jumped to her feet, and the Marchioness of Soden screamed in horror.
“…Huh?”
Judith instinctively closed her eyes and stumbled.
Just moments ago, she saw the servant's angry face rushing towards her.
“What, what is this?”
Suddenly, the servant fell to the ground.
Judith slowly remedied the situation.
"…my lord?".
It was the man who had been sitting next to her the whole time. Even when I wiped the servant's eyelid, he was just sitting there. She couldn't understand how he moved so fast.
The master, who put down the servant with a quick movement, spoke calmly: “This man really lied.”
Everyone looked at the master in stunned silence.
“While it is true that his parents are deceased, he is not an adopted child.”
Isabella nodded slowly and mumbled, “How… how do you know that?”
“I am the head of the Information Guild, and I know all this.”
“Guild Master…information?”
Isabella couldn't take her eyes off him. Meanwhile, the other servants carried the unconscious servant.
“Then I will leave.”
The master bowed kindly to Isabella and added: “I see no reason why I should stay any longer.”
That night.
Ekian read the report calmly.
The content of the report was simple.
It has been confirmed that Ayodh Ramis is the real son of the Sudin couple.
All conditions were checked, and everything matched exactly.
“As I thought...”
Ekian placed the report forcefully on the table and muttered, “It was true.”
He's had a bad feeling ever since Judith Ayoade mentioned Ramis.
“Eud Ramis is not here. As far as I know, he has brown hair and green eyes...”
After the Bart incident, Ekian secretly investigated every servant in the Maius household.
He wanted to make sure that no one else was a threat to the Maios family.
Although he did not learn everything, he gathered as much information as he could.
Thus, he already knew that the postal employee was lying. However, the reason he didn't say that at first was because….
‘Because I felt that Ayud Ramis might actually be Sudin’s eldest son.’
It was a bad feeling.
If Eud was really the Marquis's eldest son, the excuse that he "can't get close to her because he's not a noble" was no longer valid.
Moreover, the Sodens seemed to take an immediate liking to Judith. She even helped them find their son, making her their savior.
Ayoade also knew that Judith was not pregnant and that she would likely divorce soon. If Ayoade shows interest in Judith….
“The Sudin couple will not oppose this. After all, she is their savior.”
Judith was never against romance or marriage. Their personalities also seemed to mesh well.
In the end, Ekian remained silent during that brief moment. His silence stemmed from childhood. And the result...
Judith was almost in danger, as the servant had attacked her out of spite.
Ekian let out a hollow laugh, Bart's pathetic confession echoing in his mind.
"Yes, it was because I loved her. I loved her so much that I eventually destroyed myf."
And that was it.
He too may act shamefully in the name of love.
Just like Sarah and Bart, whom he never understood.
After this new realization, Ekian laughed bitterly, as if he had gone mad.
'And...'
Although he remained silent for a moment, he could not predict how disgraceful he would become in the future.
Ekian rose slowly. There was something else weighing on his mind.
It was Isabella.
From the beginning, she never took her eyes off him. Although he was wearing a mask, and had grown taller over the past five years, he was concealing himf from head to toe.
Did you notice anything?
When the servant pounced on Judith, Ekian acted without thinking.
"Ekyan's fourth nail is a little straight. The rest of his nails are round... and it's the same on both hands. Ekyan himf may not know it, but I do. After all, I was the one who cut his nails when he was a kid."
Ekian lowered his hand and looked at the nail of his fourth finger. It was actually flatter than the other nail.
He didn't know this about himf until he heard Isabella's words. If she saw something in his movements that he himf was not aware of….
‘…She never took her eyes off me.’
The sad expression that Isabella was unconsciously wearing remained, leaving a disconcerting feeling. This strange atmosphere was welcoming, and at the same time heartbreaking.
“I won't.”
Finally, he put his mask back on.
Judith had insisted that he shouldn't come unless it was necessary, but today, even if he couldn't see her, he felt like he had to go.
Because his mother - the woman who did not give birth to him but raised him with love - was weighing heavily on his mind.
Finally, he found himf walking through the secret passage of Maius' Palace once again.
'Ridiculous.'
A hollow laugh escaped him. He had never set foot on this passage for nearly five years, but since Judith's arrival he found himf using it almost daily.
He deliberately passed the corridor leading to his room. Judith would be there, of course, but today he was here because Isabella was on his mind.
When he reached the corridor leading to the rooms of the Duke and Duchess,
“The Empire Banquet will be held soon. I plan to formally introduce Judith to the community then. It would not make sense for the Maios family’s daughter-in-law to avoid such an event.”
Isabella and Ben were in the middle of a conversation.
Eqian already knew that the imperial banquet was about to happen. Judith will be introduced to everyone there as “Ekian’s wife.” However, when he started to feel a little strange about it, Isabella continued.
“And about Judith’s remarriage… remember? We decided to help her with this matter seriously at the time.”
Ikian frowned sharply.
What? Her marriage again?
And they help with that?
“Yes. We pay close attention. We look carefully to see if there is a young man who seems to have fallen in love with Judith at first sight. We cannot send her to some scoundrel.”
“Yes, but I think the right candidate has already emerged,” Isabella said excitedly. “What happened? Ayoade has already offered to accompany Judith.”