# Chapter 17
Karl sat on the bed, drinking hot chocolate, and occasionally glanced at the woman sitting next to him.
'She seems to be... a really good person.'
Judith was sitting next to him, not forcing him into conversation, nor mentioning what had happened earlier. On the contrary, she lightened the atmosphere by subtly drawing attention to small objects or books in the room, which made Karl feel at ease.
'I used to think Sarah was a good person, but this woman… she seems like a real good person.'
Isabella takes Sarah deep into the palace's basement to interrogate her.
After obtaining Isabella's permission, it was Judith who stayed by Karl's side. Judith had suggested this herf, explaining that she had extensive experience in dealing with children since she worked as a private teacher.
“Honestly, I still find it hard to believe that Sarah said those terrible things to me.”
"Okay, while Sarah's gone, take your time to think about it. Find out what's right."
“Taking my time?”
“Yes, there is no rush. Taking time to grow is a privilege of childhood.”
Karl had never heard anyone say something like that before.
Everyone always called him a genius and demanded that he excel at everything and quickly.
Because he was a genius, he had to do this, and because he was a genius, he had to do that.
Even Sara was always saying: “Young Master, you are a genius, so I am sure you understand what I am saying. You should act accordingly starting tomorrow.” She was constantly pushing him to do more.
But Judith was saying the exact opposite, and hearing her words made him feel good.
After taking another sip of hot chocolate, Karl looked at Judith and asked, “So, when are you officially moving into our house, Baroness Elan?”
It was a sudden and unexpected question, but Judith smiled sweetly as she answered, “Well… as soon as I speak with the Duke, and after the official marriage registration is filed and announced?”
Originally all of this was supposed to happen today, but with Sarah's arrest, everything was postponed.
The Duke of Maios, who had just returned from an investigation into his lands (the duchy), immediately joined Sarah's interrogation. Naturally, this meant postponing Judith's meeting with the Duke as well.
Carl stared at Judith for a moment before grinning. “So, can I call you my sister?” (Nouna or my sister-in-law)
“Oh.” Judith smiled sweetly and nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
“Then feel free to call me by my name.” His blue eyes sparkled as he continued, "If you're carrying my brother's child, you're already part of the family. But… how's my brother doing?"
“Well… um, I’m not sure now.”
“Hmm…” Karl sighed and lowered his head. “I apologize on his behalf.”
“Oh no, he's fine.”
“I never taught him to act this way...”
"What do you mean?"
“If he comes back again, I will scold him severely. Don’t worry, sister-in-law.”
Carl couldn't believe what his brother had done. Acting in such an irresponsible manner… it was unthinkable. Even an eight-year-old wouldn't behave in such a bad way. It seems that his brother became a mess after leaving home.
To do something responsible for a kind and understanding woman...
If Ekian is unable to take responsibility, the Maios family must intervene. Earlier, Judith reported that Ekyan's departure could be seen as entrusting her to his parents. So, now Karl thought, ‘I have to protect my future sister-in-law and niece or nephew.’
Judith waited until Carl fell asleep before quietly waking up. After putting him to bed, she was about to leave the room when she heard a strong knocking sound from inside the wardrobe. It was an intentional sound, loud enough for anyone inside the room to hear.
'It must be Mr.
He probably sneaked in through the secret passage and was listening to her conversation with Karl the whole time.
Judith double-checked that Carl was asleep before carefully sneaking into the wardrobe and opening the door. Inside, among the children's clothes, sat the masked gentleman.
“Sir? Why do you follow me for no reason, when you have nothing to do?”
“I was ready to rescue you if something went wrong. Come in.”
Judith was worried about waking Karl up, so she quickly sneaked into the wardrobe. Once inside, she closed the door, only to find herf once again in a small, narrow space with the master.
“So how did you do that?”
The Master seemed curious as to how Judith had managed to time things so perfectly to bring in the Duchess. Although he could have waited, he seemed impatient.
Judith shrugged and explained, “I sent a message earlier, cryptically suggesting that I would like to have tea in the garden, remember?”
"Yes."
"Sarah said she would meet Karl in the back garden after lunch to give him the vomiting-inducing medicine. So it wasn't hard to figure out the right time. All we had to do was catch them in the act."
Judith explained as if it was no big deal.
“At the right moment, I told the Duchess that I got lost on my way to the park and saw something suspicious, so we should go check it out together.”
After all, the only person who can truly punish Sarah is the Duchess. Despite everything, the person who can sincerely console Karl in the future is also the Duchess.
Although the Duchess was irritable and seemed to be struggling to control her anger, this was a situation the parents needed to be aware of.
The master did not respond immediately, but looked at Judith silently.
'What is this?'.
Since he was wearing a mask, Judith couldn't read his facial expression, but the silence between them made things seem awkward. As she moved uncomfortably, the master sighed softly.
“Thank you, Judith.”
“Huh?”
“I mean…thank you.”
“Why?”
“I heard what you said to Karl. It was... um...”
It seemed like he was choosing his words carefully.
“He was…really warm and kind.”
In the three years they had worked together, this was the first time the master had spoken like this.
“You seem like a really good person.”
In the narrow wardrobe, the master added in a low whisper: “Judith, you really are.”
As usual, his low voice seemed to disappear from memory almost immediately, but the atmosphere between them seemed different than it had before. Even the emotions that were filling his words now were more human than they had ever been.
Judith looked at his mask for a moment.
"my lord."
After a period of silence, she asked: “Do you have feelings for me?”
"What?".
“Did you fall in love with me because of everything that happened?”
Judith leaned towards the master. He stepped back in surprise, but since the wardrobe space was limited, there was nowhere for him to evade, and they ended up closer together.
The gentleman was clearly confused, and muttered, “Wait a minute, Judith.”
“You think I'm not only smart but also kind-hearted, and that's why you love me?”
“No, that's not...”
"But this isn't great timing, is it? I'm about to get married."
“I know that, of course, but...”
“And I'm a responsible person, so I don't want to have an affair while I'm part of the Mayus family.”
“Judith, I'm not...”
Judith smiled cheerfully, focusing her eyes on his mask. “But I wouldn’t completely rule it out.”
"…What?".
"I don't know your face, or your voice, or your name, or anything else, but if you still feel like pursuing something different with me in the future, then maybe after a few months, you can show me your face. If all goes well, I might consider you as a potential candidate for marriage again."
“Wait, Judith.”
The master, who had been stumbling over his words, suddenly became serious.
“Are you already thinking about getting married again?”
"What?".
“And you haven't registered your marriage yet, and you're already talking about getting married again?”
There was a hint of shock in his voice.
Judith, surprised by his reaction, simply replied: “Of course. I have paid off my debts, and once this is all over, I will have a lot of money.”
“But still...”
“I've been through enough adversity. Don't I deserve a little romance?”
The master was silent as if he did not believe what he said, then he asked in an accusatory tone: “Wait. Didn’t you say that you love Ekian Mayus? I remember you telling me that.”
"That was in the past. I'm over it."
“So quickly? What kind of person forgets so quickly? Are your feelings so superficial?”
“Well, it's been almost five years since he disappeared.”
“But… if you really love him!”
"I didn't like him very much, to be honest. Besides, he's probably dead."
“He may still be alive.”
“Sure, but what if he gets ugly now? Five years is a long time.”
“Then will you abandon him if he is ugly? How can you be so unscrupulous?”
"Why are you so upset? Oh, wait... Have you ever been dumped because of your looks? If so, I'm sorry."